Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of wireless communications, and provides a communication method and a communication apparatus. The communication method comprises: during a first inactive period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell, a terminal device generates first information, the first information comprising a measurement result and / or timing advance (TA) information; and during the first inactive period, the terminal device sends the first information to a network device. By means of the communication method provided by the present application, a terminal device can report a measurement result, TA and other information to a network device in a timely manner, thereby ensuring that normal communication between the terminal device and the network device is not affected, and improving the communication stability.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on February 8, 2024, with application number 202410179997.5 and application name “Communication Method and Communication Device,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] Cell discontinuous transmission (DTX) and cell discontinuous reception (DRX) technologies are important research areas for network energy conservation. By enabling DTX and / or DRX for users in a cell, the base station can stop scheduling data transmission for users for a certain period of time, thus saving energy during that period.

[0004] With cell DRX, the cell managed by the network device performs uplink transmission with the terminal device only during designated time periods, and not during other time periods, to achieve energy conservation for the network device. For example, cell #1 adopts a periodic cell DRX configuration, and each cell DRX cycle includes an activation period and an inactivation period. The activation period is the time period when cell DRX is turned on, and the inactivation period is the time period when cell DRX is turned off. During the activation period, cell #1 performs uplink reception, including the transmission of uplink service data with the terminal device. During the inactivation period, cell #1 at least stops the transmission of uplink service data with the terminal device.

[0005] In the related art, for the cell DRX scenario, when the serving cell is in the cell DRX inactive period and the terminal device has measurement results, timing advance (TA) and other information that needs to be reported to the base station, the terminal needs to wait for the serving cell to enter the active period before reporting the above information, resulting in the base station being unable to receive the above information in a timely manner, which may affect the normal communication between the terminal device and the base station.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and a communication device, whereby the terminal device can promptly report measurement results, TA and other information to the base station, thereby ensuring that the normal communication between the terminal device and the base station is not affected and improving the stability of the communication.

[0008] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, the method comprising: a terminal device generates first information, the first information comprising measurement results and / or timing advance information; during a first non-activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell, the terminal device sends the first information to a network device.

[0009] The service cell of the terminal device can periodically alternate between an activation period and an inactivation period. When the service cell of the terminal device enters the first inactivation period, the terminal device determines that there are measurement results and / or timing advance information waiting to be sent to the network device. According to the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device does not need to wait to enter the next activation period, but can directly send the first information to the network device during the first inactivation period.

[0010] Through the above settings, this application enables the terminal device to report measurement results, TA and other information to the network device in a timely manner in the cell DRX scenario, that is, the network device can receive the above information in a timely manner, so that the network device can take correct subsequent actions on the terminal device in a timely manner based on the information, such as whether to send a cell switching command and the correct Kueoffset to the terminal, thereby ensuring that the normal communication between the terminal device and the base station is not affected, ensuring that the communication between the two can run stably for a long time, and improving the stability of communication.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the first information is generated by the terminal device during the first inactive period. Thus, the first information can be reported immediately during the first inactive period when the first information is generated. Alternatively, once the first information is generated during the inactive period, it can be reported immediately during the current inactive period. This allows the network device to receive the latest first information in a timely manner, facilitating the network device to take appropriate subsequent actions based on the first information.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the terminal device sends the first information to the network device, including: the terminal device sends a scheduling request to the network device through a physical uplink control channel to request a first uplink resource; the terminal device sends the first information to the network device on the first uplink resource.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the terminal device sends the first information to the network device, including: the terminal device sends a random access request to the network device through a physical random access channel to request a first uplink resource; the terminal device sends the first information to the network device on the first uplink resource.

[0014] In a possible implementation, before the terminal device requests the first uplink resource, the method further includes: the terminal device determining that no uplink resource currently exists that can be used to send the first information.

[0015] In one possible implementation, before the terminal device sends the first information to the network device, the method also includes: the terminal device receives first indication information from the network device, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the first information is sent during the non-activation period in the cell discontinuous reception mode of the service cell.

[0016] In a possible implementation manner, the first indication information is used to indicate that the first information is sent within an inactive period (ie, a first inactive period) during which the first information is generated.

[0017] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which includes: during a first non-activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell, a network device receives first information from a terminal device, wherein the first information includes measurement results and / or timing advance information.

[0018] In a possible implementation manner, the first information is generated by the terminal device during the first non-activation period.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the network device receives first information from a terminal device, including: the network device receives a scheduling request from the terminal device through a physical uplink control channel, the scheduling request being used to request a first uplink resource; and the network device receives the first information from the terminal device on the first uplink resource.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the network device receives first information from a terminal device, including: the network device receives a random access request from the terminal device through a physical random access channel, the random access request being used to request a first uplink resource; the network device receives the first information from the terminal device on the first uplink resource.

[0021] In one possible implementation, before the network device receives the first information from the terminal device, the method also includes: the network device sends first indication information to the terminal device, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the first information is sent during the non-activation period in the cell discontinuous reception mode of the service cell.

[0022] In a possible implementation manner, the first indication information is used to instruct that the first information be sent during a non-activation period for generating the first information.

[0023] In a third aspect, a terminal device is provided, including: a processing unit for generating first information, the first information including measurement results and / or timing advance information; a sending unit for sending the first information to the network device during a first non-activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell.

[0024] In a possible implementation manner, the first information is generated by the terminal device during the first non-activation period.

[0025] In a possible implementation, the sending unit is specifically configured to: send a scheduling request to the network device through a physical uplink control channel to request a first uplink resource; and send the first information to the network device on the first uplink resource.

[0026] In a possible implementation manner, the sending unit is specifically configured to: send a random access request to the network device through a physical random access channel to request a first uplink resource; and send the first information to the network device on the first uplink resource.

[0027] In a possible implementation manner, the processing unit is further configured to: determine that no uplink resources currently exist that can be used to send the first information.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the terminal device further includes: a receiving unit for receiving first indication information from the network device, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate that the first information is sent during a non-activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell.

[0029] In a possible implementation manner, the first indication information is used to instruct that the first information be sent during a non-activation period for generating the first information.

[0030] In a fourth aspect, a network device is provided, comprising: a receiving unit for receiving first information from a terminal device during a first non-activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell, wherein the first information includes measurement results and / or timing advance information.

[0031] In a possible implementation manner, the first information is generated by the terminal device during the first non-activation period.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the receiving unit is specifically used to: receive a scheduling request from the terminal device through a physical uplink control channel, where the scheduling request is used to request a first uplink resource; and receive the first information from the terminal device on the first uplink resource.

[0033] In a possible implementation, the receiving unit is specifically used to: receive a random access request from the terminal device through a physical random access channel, where the random access request is used to request a first uplink resource; and receive the first information from the terminal device on the first uplink resource.

[0034] In a possible implementation, the network device further includes: a sending unit, configured to send first indication information to the terminal device, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate that the first information is sent during a non-activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell.

[0035] In a possible implementation manner, the first indication information is used to instruct that the first information be sent during a non-activation period for generating the first information.

[0036] In a fifth aspect, a communication method is provided, which includes: a terminal device generates first information, the first information including measurement results and / or timing advance information; during a first activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell, the terminal device sends the first information and second indication information to the network device, the second indication information being used to indicate that the first information was generated before the first activation period.

[0037] In a possible implementation, the second indication information is further used to indicate the time when the first information is generated, or to indicate the duration between the time when the first information is generated and the start time of the first activation period.

[0038] In a possible implementation manner, the second indication information is used to indicate that the first information is generated in a first non-activation period that is adjacent to the first activation period.

[0039] In the sixth aspect, a terminal device is provided, including: a processing unit for generating first information, the first information including measurement results and / or timing advance information; a sending unit for sending the first information and second indication information to the network device during the first activation period in the cell discontinuous reception mode of the serving cell, the second indication information being used to indicate that the first information was generated before the first activation period.

[0040] In a possible implementation, the second indication information is further used to indicate the time when the first information is generated, or to indicate the duration between the time when the first information is generated and the start time of the first activation period.

[0041] In a possible implementation manner, the second indication information is used to indicate that the first information is generated in a first non-activation period that is adjacent to the first activation period.

[0042] In the seventh aspect, a communication method is provided, which includes: during the first activation period in the cell discontinuous reception mode of the serving cell, the terminal device determines whether the duration between the generation time of the first information and the start time of the first activation period is less than or equal to a first threshold, wherein the first information is generated by the terminal device before the first activation period, and the first information includes measurement results and / or timing advance information; if so, during the first activation period, the terminal device sends the first information to the network device.

[0043] In one possible implementation, if the duration between the generation time of the first information and the start time of the first activation period is greater than the first threshold, the method further includes: during the first activation period, the terminal device updates the first information to obtain second information; during the first activation period, the terminal device sends the second information to the network device.

[0044] In a possible implementation manner, the first information is generated in a first non-active period that is adjacent to the first active period.

[0045] In the eighth aspect, a terminal device is provided, including: a processing unit, used to determine whether the duration between the generation time of first information and the start time of the first activation period is less than or equal to a first threshold during the first activation period in the cell discontinuous reception mode of the serving cell, wherein the first information is generated by the terminal device before the first activation period, and the first information includes measurement results and / or timing advance information; a sending unit, used to send the first information to the network device during the first activation period if the judgment is yes.

[0046] In one possible implementation, if the duration between the generation time of the first information and the start time of the first activation period is greater than the first threshold, the processing unit is also used to update the first information to obtain the second information during the first activation period; the sending unit is also used to send the second information to the network device during the first activation period.

[0047] In a possible implementation manner, the first information is generated in a first non-active period that is adjacent to the first active period.

[0048] In the ninth aspect, a communication method is provided, which includes: during a first activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell, a terminal device updates first information to obtain second information, wherein the first information is generated by the terminal device before the first activation period, and the first information includes measurement results and / or timing advance information; during the first activation period, the terminal device sends the second information to the network device.

[0049] In a possible implementation manner, the first information is generated in a first non-active period that is adjacent to the first active period.

[0050] In the tenth aspect, a terminal device is provided, including: a processing unit, used to update first information to obtain second information during a first activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell, wherein the first information is generated by the terminal device before the first activation period, and the first information includes measurement results and / or timing advance information; a sending unit, used to send the second information to the network device during the first activation period.

[0051] In a possible implementation manner, the first information is generated in a first non-active period that is adjacent to the first active period.

[0052] In the eleventh aspect, a terminal device is provided, comprising at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is used to couple with a memory, read and execute instructions in the memory, so as to implement the method executed by any one of the implementation methods of the first, fifth, seventh or ninth aspects mentioned above.

[0053] Optionally, the terminal device further includes the memory.

[0054] In the twelfth aspect, a network device is provided, comprising at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is used to couple with a memory, read and execute instructions in the memory, so as to implement the method executed by any one of the implementation modes in the second aspect.

[0055] Optionally, the network device further includes the memory.

[0056] In the thirteenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes: a computer program code, which, when running on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method executed by any one of the implementation modes of the first, second, fifth, seventh or ninth aspects above.

[0057] It should be noted that the above-mentioned computer program code can be stored in whole or in part on the first storage medium, wherein the first storage medium can be packaged together with the processor or separately from the processor, and this application does not make any specific restrictions on this.

[0058] In the fourteenth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable medium stores a program code, and when the computer program code runs on a computer, the computer executes the method executed by any one of the implementation modes of the above-mentioned first aspect, second aspect, fifth aspect, seventh aspect or ninth aspect.

[0059] In the fifteenth aspect, a chip system is provided, comprising a processor for calling and running a computer program from a memory, so that a communication device equipped with the chip system executes a method executed by a computer in any one of the implementation methods of the first, second, fifth, seventh or ninth aspects above.

[0060] In the sixteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes the terminal device provided by the third aspect, sixth aspect, eighth aspect, tenth aspect or eleventh aspect, and at least one of the network devices provided by the fourth aspect or twelfth aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0062] Figure 2 shows a schematic structural diagram of a gNB provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0063] FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of the architecture of the NTN communication system (transparent transmission mode).

[0064] FIG4 shows a schematic diagram of the architecture of the NTN communication system (regeneration mode).

[0065] FIG5 shows a schematic diagram of the architecture of the NTN communication system (with ISL).

[0066] FIG6 shows a schematic diagram of the architecture of the NTN communication system (network devices include DU and CU).

[0067] FIG7 shows the main parameters in the measurement object.

[0068] FIG8 is a schematic diagram showing the association relationship between measurement objects and measurement configurations.

[0069] Figure 9 shows the main parameters in the measurement quantity configuration.

[0070] FIG10 shows a schematic diagram of the calculation principle of TA in the NTN communication system.

[0071] FIG11 is an example diagram of a PUSCH transmission provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0072] FIG12 is an example diagram of another example of PUSCH transmission provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0073] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of a cell DTX.

[0074] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of a cell DRX.

[0075] FIG15 is a schematic flowchart of an example of a communication method provided in the present application.

[0076] FIG16 is a schematic flowchart of another example of the communication method provided in the present application.

[0077] FIG17 is a schematic flowchart of another example of the communication method provided in the present application.

[0078] FIG18 is a schematic flowchart of another example of the communication method provided in the present application.

[0079] FIG19 is a schematic flowchart of another example of the communication method provided in the present application.

[0080] Figure 20 is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0081] Figure 21 is a structural diagram of the terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0082] Figure 22 is a schematic block diagram of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0083] Figure 23 is a structural diagram of the network device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] The technical solutions of this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, rather than all the embodiments.

[0085] In the following description, specific details such as specific system structures and techniques are provided for purposes of illustration rather than limitation to facilitate a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present application may be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other cases, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to avoid obscuring the description of the present application with unnecessary detail.

[0086] The term "comprising" herein indicates the presence of the described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or their collections. The terms "include," "comprising," "having" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0087] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: global system for mobile communications (GSM) system, code division multiple access (CDMA) system, wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) system, general packet radio service (GPRS), long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, subband full duplex (SBFD) system, single frequency full duplex (SFFD), universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, fifth generation (5G) communication system, new radio access technology (NR), and future communication systems (such as sixth generation (6G) communication system).

[0088] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication scenarios, for example, one or more of the following communication scenarios: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC), machine type communication (MTC), massive machine type communication (mMTC), device to device (D2D), machine to machine (M2M), vehicle to everything (V2X) or internet of things (IoT) and other communication scenarios.

[0089] The communication systems and communication scenarios applicable to this application are merely examples, and are not limited thereto. The communication systems and communication scenarios provided in this application do not limit the solutions of this application in any way. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new service scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0090] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, a communication system applicable to the embodiments of the present application is first described in detail with reference to FIG1 . As a possible implementation, FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to the embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIG1 , the communication system may include at least one terminal device 110 and at least one network device 120. Terminal device 110 and network device 120 may communicate via a wireless link.

[0091] The terminal device 110 and the network device 120 may be configured with multiple antennas, which may include at least one transmit antenna for sending signals and at least one receive antenna for receiving signals. Furthermore, each communication device also includes a transmitter chain and a receiver chain. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that each may include multiple components related to signal transmission and reception (e.g., processors, modulators, multiplexers, demodulators, demultiplexers, or antennas). Therefore, the terminal device 110 and the network device 120 may communicate using multi-antenna technology.

[0092] In the embodiment of the present application, the network device 120 in the communication system may be an access network (Radio Access Network, RAN) device, and the access network device may be any device with wireless transceiver functions. The device includes but is not limited to: an evolved NodeB (eNB or eNodeB), a radio network controller (RNC), a Node B (NB), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a home base station (e.g., a home evolved NodeB, or a home Node B, HNB), a base band unit (BBU), an access point (AP) in a wireless fidelity (WIFI) system, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, a transmission point (TP) or a transmission and reception point (TRP), etc. It can also be a gNB in ​​a 5G, such as NR, system, or a transmission point (TRP or TP), one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G system, or a network node constituting a gNB or a transmission point, such as a baseband unit (BBU) or a distributed unit (DU), etc.

[0093] In some deployments, a gNB may consist of a centralized unit (CU) and one or more DUs, connected via the F1 interface. In actual network deployments, the DUs and CUs may be geographically centralized or geographically dispersed.

[0094] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a gNB provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, the functional division of the CU and DU can be divided according to the protocol stack. The radio resource control (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP), and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layers can be deployed in the CU, and the remaining radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical layers (PHY) can be deployed in the DU. The CU and DU are connected via the F1 interface. The CU represents the gNB and is connected to the core network via the NG interface. The CU represents the gNB and is connected to other gNBs via the Xn interface. The CU can also represent the gNB and is connected to other eNBs via the X2 interface to perform dual connectivity operations. It will be understood that the above functional division is only an example and does not constitute a limitation on the CU and DU. In other words, there may be other functional divisions between the CU and DU, which are not detailed in this embodiment of the present application.

[0095] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the functions of the CU can be implemented by a single entity or by different entities. For example, the functions of the CU can be further divided, for example, by separating the control plane (CP) and the user plane (UP), namely the CU control plane (CU-CP) and the CU user plane (CU-UP). For example, the CU-CP and CU-UP can be implemented by different functional entities, and the CU-CP and CU-UP can be coupled with the DU to jointly perform the functions of the base station. In one possible approach, the CU-CP is responsible for control plane functions, mainly including RRC and the PDCP corresponding to the control plane (i.e., PDCP-C). PDCP-C is primarily responsible for encryption and decryption, integrity protection, and data transmission of control plane data. The CU-UP is responsible for user plane functions, mainly including SDAP and the PDCP corresponding to the user plane (i.e., PDCP-U). SDAP is primarily responsible for processing core network data and mapping data flows to bearers. PDCP-U is primarily responsible for encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, sequence number maintenance, and data transmission of the data plane. The CU-CP and CU-UP are connected via the E1 interface. The CU-CP represents the gNB's connection to the core network via the Ng interface. It connects to the DU via the F1-C (control plane). The CU-UP connects to the DU via the F1-U (user plane). Alternatively, the PDCP-C may also reside in the CU-UP.

[0096] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device 110 in the communication system may be a device for implementing a communication function. The terminal device 110 may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station (MS), remote station, remote terminal, mobile terminal (MT), user terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device, etc. The terminal device may be, for example, a wireless terminal or a wired terminal in IoT, V2X, D2D, M2M, 5G network, or a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN). A wireless terminal may refer to a device with wireless transceiver functions, which may be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; may also be deployed on water (such as ships, etc.); may also be deployed in the air (such as airplanes, balloons and satellites, etc.).

[0097] Exemplarily, the terminal device 110 can be an IoT device (e.g., a sensor, an electricity meter, a water meter, etc.), a V2X device, a station (ST) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device (also referred to as a wearable smart device), a tablet computer or a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical care, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, a vehicle-mounted terminal, a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) device ... Vehicles with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication capabilities, intelligent connected vehicles, drones with drone-to-drone (UAV to UAV, U2U) communication capabilities, etc. The terminal can be mobile or fixed, and this application does not make specific restrictions on this.

[0098] Because traditional terrestrial networks (TN) cannot provide seamless coverage for end devices, especially in locations where base stations cannot be deployed, such as in the ocean, deserts, and in the air, non-terrestrial networks (NTN) have been introduced into IoT, 5G systems, and subsequent evolutionary system architectures, such as 6G. By deploying base stations or portions of base station functionality on non-terrestrial network equipment, such as high-altitude platforms or satellites, NTNs provide seamless coverage for end devices and improve system reliability. NTNs are less affected by geographical conditions and can provide internet access services to users worldwide. They are key to improving network coverage and achieving seamless global connectivity.

[0099] Compared to traditional terrestrial networks, NTNs utilize typical flying platforms (airborne platforms) for network deployment. For example, base stations or some base station functions are deployed on flying platforms to provide coverage for terminal devices, or flying platforms are used as relays to forward signals from ground base stations to provide coverage for terminals.

[0100] For example, according to the altitude of the flight platform from the ground, the NTN may include a low altitude platform subnetwork (LAP subnetwork), a high altitude platform subnetwork (HAP subnetwork), and a satellite communication subnetwork (SATCOM subnetwork).

[0101] In the LAP subnetwork, base stations or base station functions are deployed on low-altitude platforms (such as drones) at 0.1km to 1km above the ground, providing coverage for terminal devices. In the HAP subnetwork, base stations or base station functions are deployed on high-altitude platforms (such as aircraft) at 1km to 50km above the ground, providing coverage for terminals. In the SATCOM subnetwork, base stations or base station functions are deployed on satellites at an altitude of more than 50km above the ground, providing coverage for terminals. Satellite communications offer significant advantages such as global coverage, long-distance transmission, flexible networking, easy deployment, and independence from geographical restrictions. They have been widely used in a variety of fields, including maritime communications, positioning and navigation, disaster relief, scientific experiments, video broadcasting, and Earth observation.

[0102] Satellites are generally classified into two categories based on their operating modes. The first type is transparent forwarding, where the satellite forwards RF signals from base stations located on the ground. The satellite performs radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification, regenerating the physical layer signal. The second type is regenerative, where the satellite performs all or part of the functions of a base station. In other words, a base station or a portion of its functions are deployed on the satellite.

[0103] Based on satellite altitude, or the height of their orbit, satellites can be divided into highly elliptical orbiting (HEO) satellites, geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites, medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites, and low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. GEO satellites, also known as geostationary satellites, move at the same speed as the Earth's rotation. Therefore, GEO satellites remain stationary relative to the ground, and correspondingly, the cells of GEO satellites are also stationary. GEO satellite cells have a larger coverage area, typically with a diameter of 500km. LEO satellites move faster relative to the ground, at approximately 7km per second, so the service coverage area provided by LEO satellites also moves accordingly. Generally speaking, the higher the satellite's orbit, the larger its coverage area, but also the longer its communication latency.

[0104] Therefore, for medium and low Earth orbit (MEO) satellites and LEO satellites, the cells covered by the satellites can be divided into two types: quasi-earth-fixed cells: Moving satellites adjust their beams to form cells, and the cells formed remain stationary on the ground for a certain period of time. Earth-moving cells: Satellites do not dynamically adjust their beams; the cells covered by the satellite's beam move as the satellite moves.

[0105] The communication system shown in FIG1 of the embodiment of the present application may be an NTN communication system. The architecture of an NTN communication system generally includes a transparent forwarding architecture and a regenerative forwarding architecture. These two architectures will be described separately below with reference to the accompanying figures. FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of the architecture of an NTN communication system. Referring to FIG1 and FIG3 , the network device 120 may be deployed on the ground as part of the terrestrial network, communicating with the data network via the core network. In this case, the communication system provided by the present application may also include a relay device deployed on a satellite. This relay device can be considered part of the satellite. This relay device acts as a layer 1 relay (L1 relay), regenerating physical layer signals and forwarding them to the network device 120 or the terminal device 110. That is, in the transparent forwarding architecture shown in FIG3 , the relay device (or satellite) supports transparent forwarding of signals from the terminal device 110 or the network device 120, including RF filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification, without changing the signal waveform.

[0106] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the architecture of another NTN communication system. As shown in Figure 4, network device 120 can be deployed on a satellite, performing the functions of a ground station, communicating directly with the core network and, further, with the data network through the core network. In this case, network device 120 can be considered part of the satellite. In the regenerative forwarding architecture shown in Figure 4, network device 120 supports regenerative forwarding of signals from terminal device 110 or the core network, including RF filtering, frequency conversion, amplification, demodulation, decoding, switching, routing, encoding, and modulation. This means that network device 120 performs all or part of the functions of a base station.

[0107] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the architecture of another NTN communication system. As shown in Figure 5, network device 120 can be deployed on a satellite, performing the functions of a ground station, communicating directly with the core network and, further, communicating with the data network through the core network. Furthermore, inter-satellite links (ISLs) exist between network devices on different satellites, enabling communication between network devices.

[0108] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the architecture of another NTN communication system. As shown in Figure 6, network device 120 may include a satellite-based DU and a ground-based CU. The satellite-based DU and the ground-based CU communicate via the F1 interface. The ground-based CU communicates with the core network and, further, with the data network via the core network.

[0109] Some terms or concepts in the embodiments of the present application are explained below to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0110] (1) Beam

[0111] A major issue with high-frequency communications is that signal energy decreases dramatically with transmission distance, resulting in a short transmission distance. To overcome this, high-frequency communications use simulated beamforming technology. This uses a large-scale antenna array for weighted processing, concentrating signal energy within a smaller area, forming a signal similar to a light beam (called a simulated beam, or simply beamforming), thereby increasing transmission distance.

[0112] A beam is a communication resource. A beam can be a wide beam, a narrow beam, or other types of beams. The technology used to form the beam can be beamforming technology or other technical means. Beamforming technology can specifically include digital beamforming technology, analog beamforming technology, and hybrid digital / analog beamforming technology. Different beams can be considered different resources. The same information or different information can be sent through different beams. Optionally, multiple beams with the same or similar communication characteristics can be considered as a single beam. A beam can be formed by one or more antenna ports and used to transmit data channels, control channels, and sounding signals. The one or more antenna ports that form a beam can be considered as an antenna port set.

[0113] Beams include transmit beams and receive beams. A transmit beam refers to the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space after a signal is transmitted by an antenna. A receive beam refers to the distribution of wireless signal strength in different directions in space as a result of the antenna array strengthening or weakening the reception.

[0114] In the current new radio access technology (NR) protocol, beams can be reflected through the quasi colocation (QCL) relationship of antenna ports. Specifically, two signals in the same beam have a QCL relationship regarding the spatial Rx parameter, namely QCL-Type D:{Spatial Rx parameter} in the protocol. The beam can be specifically represented in the protocol by the identifiers of various signals, such as the resource index of the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), the index of the synchronous signal / physical broadcast channel block (SS / PBCH block, also referred to as SSB), the resource index of the sounding reference signal (SRS), and the resource index of the tracking reference signal (TRS).

[0115] In addition, in general, a beam corresponds to a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port or a transmission configuration index (TCI) or a transmission reception point (TRP) or a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource indicator (SRS resource indicator, SRI) (for uplink data transmission). Therefore, different beams can also be represented by different DMRS ports or TCI or TRP or SRI.

[0116] (2) Measurement

[0117] Connected state measurements are typically used for cell selection during handover preparation. After the network device issues a measurement configuration to the terminal device, the terminal device detects changes in the signal state of neighboring cells based on the measurement object, reporting configuration, and other parameters indicated in the measurement configuration. Measurement configuration information is typically delivered via the dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling RRCReconfiguration message. The terminal device performs relevant measurements (same-frequency, different-frequency, and different-system) based on the measurement configuration information and then reports the measurement results to the network via measurement report signaling.

[0118] The measurement process mainly includes the following steps: measurement configuration, measurement execution, and measurement reporting. The specific actions of each step are described below.

[0119] 1. Measurement configuration: Measurement configuration includes measurement objects, report configuration, measurement identifiers (ID), measurement quantity configuration, and measurement gap configuration.

[0120] 1-1. Measurement Object

[0121] The measurement objects include SSB subcarrier spacing, SSB-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC), and whitelist and blacklist cells. Figure 7 shows the main parameters of the measurement objects.

[0122] For LTE, a measurement object refers to a single carrier frequency; for NR, a measurement object refers to the time-frequency position and subcarrier spacing of the reference signal to be measured. NR measurement objects indicate information used for SSB intra / inter-frequency measurement or CSI-RS intra / inter-frequency measurement. The concepts of NR intra-frequency / inter-frequency measurement are as follows:

[0123] - Intra-frequency measurement based on SSB: If the SSB used for measurement in the neighboring cell has the same center frequency and the same sub-carrier space (SCS) as the SSB of the serving cell;

[0124] -Inter-frequency measurement based on SSB: If the SSB used for measurement in the neighboring cell is different from the SSB of the serving cell in terms of the center frequency and SCS;

[0125] - Intra-frequency measurement based on CSI-RS: If the bandwidth of the CSI-RS indicated by the neighboring cell for measurement is completely contained in the bandwidth of the CSI-RS indicated by the serving cell for measurement, and both have the same SCS;

[0126] -Inter-frequency measurement based on CSI-RS: If the bandwidth of the CSI-RS indicated by the neighboring cell for measurement is not completely included in the bandwidth of the CSI-RS indicated by the serving cell for measurement, or the two have different SCSs.

[0127] SMTC: Each cell periodically transmits multiple SSB beams in the time domain (i.e., SSB beam scanning), and beam scanning takes time to complete. To ensure accurate and complete measurement of all SSB beams in each cell, the base station sends the measurement configuration, indicating not only the SSB frequency to be measured, but also the timing position and duration for starting the SSB measurement. SMTC configuration effectively indicates the UE's SSB search time window, reducing unnecessary measurement power consumption by the UE.

[0128] Whitelist and blacklist cells: The network can configure a specific list of cells to be measured, namely a blacklist and a whitelist. The UE will no longer perform event measurement or measurement reporting on blacklisted cells. Whitelist cells are cells for which the UE will perform event measurement and measurement reporting on the measurement frequency.

[0129] 1-2. Report Configuration

[0130] The measurement report configuration specifies the criteria for triggering measurement reports and the format of the measurement reports. NR measurement reports are based on the results of SSB or CSI-RS measurements. Each reporting configuration has a unique identifier (reportConfigId). Reports are categorized by type as event-triggered or periodic.

[0131] Event trigger reporting configuration includes various event categories and thresholds, the duration of the trigger condition (timeToTrigger), and the reference signal type (SSB or CSI-RS). Typically, a terminal device does not trigger a report immediately after entering the measurement reporting condition. The conditions must be met continuously for the timeToTrigger period before a measurement report is triggered. Table 1 shows the meaning of each event and the entry and exit conditions.

[0132] Table 1:

[0133] The meanings of the parameters in Table 1 are as follows:

[0134] -Ms and Mn represent the measurement results of the serving cell and the neighboring cell respectively;

[0135] -Hys represents the amplitude hysteresis of the measurement result;

[0136] -TimeToTrigger indicates the duration for which the event entry conditions are continuously met, i.e., the time delay;

[0137] -Thresh, Thresh1, and Thresh2 represent the threshold values;

[0138] -Ofs and Ofn represent the MO level offset of the serving cell and the neighboring cell respectively;

[0139] -Ocs and Ocn represent the cell individual offset (CIO) of the serving cell and the neighboring cell, respectively;

[0140] -Off indicates an offset for the measurement event.

[0141] The periodic triggered reporting configuration includes the reporting period, reference signal type, and the list of available whitelist cells.

[0142] 1-3. Measurement ID

[0143] The measurement ID is used to combine the measurement object and the measurement configuration as a set. Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the association relationship between the measurement object and the measurement configuration. As shown in Figure 8, the measurement ID links the measurement object MeasObjectID and the measurement reporting configuration reportConfigID. If the terminal device reaches the measurement start threshold, the terminal device will determine whether to perform this type of measurement based on the presence or absence of the measurement identifier. When the terminal device sends a measurement report to the network side, it only indicates the measID. The corresponding MeasObjectId and reportConfigId can be found according to the measId number to determine what event the measurement report is for. By configuring multiple measIDs, multiple measObjects can be linked to the same reportConfig, and multiple reportConfigs can be linked to the same measObject.

[0144] 1-4. Measurement configuration

[0145] The measurement quantity configuration parameters indicate the measurement quantity and L3 filter coefficient. FIG9 shows the main parameters in the measurement quantity configuration.

[0146] The trigger quantity is the strategy for triggering event reporting, including reference signal received power (RSRP), received signal strength indicator (RSSI), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), etc.

[0147] RSRP: reflects the received strength of the reference signal;

[0148] RSSI: reflects the total signal strength of the current channel;

[0149] RSRQ: reflects the signal-to-noise ratio and interference level of the current channel quality, approximately the ratio of RSRP to RSSI;

[0150] SINR: reflects the signal-to-interference ratio of the current channel and is an important indicator for measuring UE performance.

[0151] The measurement events used in the handover strategy are primarily SSB-based RSRP and SSB-based RSRQ as triggers. The terminal device performs measurements based on the measurement configuration. When the terminal device determines that the RSRP or RSRQ of a measurement frequency meets the reporting conditions for the corresponding event, the terminal device submits a measurement report.

[0152] 2. Measurement execution

[0153] The NR measurement model outputs beam-level and cell-level measurements. After physical layer filtering, beam quality is obtained and fed into the RRC layer for further processing. The RRC layer performs beam combining to obtain cell-level measurements. These cell-level measurements are then subjected to Layer 3 filtering to obtain the measurement quantities used for reporting and evaluating measurement reports. After completing Layer 3 filtering, the RRC layer selects beams and reports the selected beams to the network.

[0154] The results obtained at several key points of the NR measurement model are shown in Table 2:

[0155] Table 2:

[0156] The principle of Beam Consolidation / Selection before B is: the parameters nrofSS-BlocksToAverage and absThreshSS-BlocksConsolidation will be carried in MeasObjectNR.

[0157] 1) If the highest beam measurement quantity is less than or equal to the threshold absThreshSS-BlocksConsolidation, then the obtained cell measurement quantity is the highest beam measurement quantity.

[0158] 2) If the highest beam measurement quantity is greater than the threshold absThreshSS-BlocksConsolidation, then the obtained cell measurement quantity is the linear average of all beam measurement quantities exceeding the threshold, and the total number used to calculate the average should be less than or equal to nrofSS-BlocksToAverage.

[0159] After obtaining the cell quality, perform L3 filtering. The Layer 3 filtering formula is as follows: F n =(1-a)*F n-1 +a*M n

[0160] in, M nis the measurement result reported by the physical layer, F n is the filtered measurement result, k i is the filter coefficient.

[0161] 3. Measurement Report

[0162] The terminal device performs measurements based on the measurement configuration issued by the network. When certain trigger conditions are met, the terminal device performs connected measurements and evaluates the measurement report. If the reporting conditions are met, the terminal device completes the measurement report and sends it to the network.

[0163] The reporting of measurement reports can be divided into two categories according to the criteria:

[0164] -Event trigger reporting

[0165] The terminal device triggers the sending of a measurement report only when the entry threshold of a measurement event is met and lasts for a period of time (timeToTrigger).

[0166] - Periodic reporting

[0167] After the measurement configuration is delivered on the network side, the terminal device will perform corresponding measurements according to the configuration content and send measurement reports according to the specified reporting period and interval (reportInterval).

[0168] The measurement report includes MeasID, serving cell measurement quantity measResultServingMOList, and neighboring cell measurement quantity measResultNeighCells. measResultServingMOList includes the cell ID, cell measurement results (RSRP, RSRQ, SINR), beam-level measurement results (SSB-Index or CSI-RS-Index), and reference signal measurement quantities (RSRP, RSRQ, SINR). measResultNeighCells includes the physical cell identifier, the values ​​of the measurement quantities (RSRP, RSRQ, SINR) corresponding to the cell, and the cell global identifier (CGI).

[0169] (3) Timing Advance Report (TA report)

[0170] To achieve time synchronization between a terminal and a base station, the terminal device can report its timing advance (TA) to the base station. This time synchronization method is suitable for scenarios where the terminal device is far away from the base station, such as in NTN systems such as satellite communications. In NTN scenarios, satellites can act as relays, base stations, or DUs within the base station. Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram of the TA calculation principle in an NTN communication system.

[0171] As shown in Figure 10, the link between the terminal device and the satellite is called the service link, and the round trip time (RTT) between the satellite and the terminal is represented by T1. The link between the satellite and the ground gateway is called the feeder link, which is divided into two parts by the uplink time synchronization reference point: the two-way transmission delay Common TA between the satellite and the uplink time synchronization reference point (represented by T2), and the two-way transmission delay Kmac between the uplink time synchronization reference point and the ground gateway (represented by T3). The two-way transmission delay between the uplink time synchronization reference point and the ground gateway is typically controlled or compensated by the base station. In a satellite transparent forwarding architecture, the satellite does not have base station functions, and the terminal needs to calculate T2. In a satellite regeneration architecture, the satellite carries some or all base station functions, and T2 and T3 are zero, so the terminal device does not need to calculate T2.

[0172] In one implementation, the terminal device may calculate TA according to the following formula: TA = T1 + T2 + N TA +N TA offset

[0173] Among them, N TA It is determined based on the absolute value parameter (also called TA absolute value or TA absolute value parameter) or the adjustment value parameter (also called TA adjustment value or TA adjustment value parameter). TA The absolute value parameter or adjustment value parameter comes from the base station or is the default value. TA offset Indicates a fixed value related to the operating frequency band, N TA offset It can be obtained according to a system message from the base station, for example, configured by a timing advance offset information element (also called n-timing advance offset) in the system message, or a default value can be used.

[0174] K offsetIt can be used to adjust the following times: the transmission time of the physical random access channel (PRACH) triggered by the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the transmission time of the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) scheduled by the random access response (RAR) or fallback random access response (fallback RAR), the transmission time of the hybrid automatic repeat request ack (HARQ-ACK) on the PUSCH, the transmission time of the PUSCH triggered by the PDCCH, etc.

[0175] For the sake of convenience, the following is offset The adjustment of the transmission time of the PUSCH triggered by the PDCCH is used as an example for explanation.

[0176] Figure 11 is an example diagram of a PUSCH transmission provided by an embodiment of the present application. This example is applied to the TN scenario. The base station sends PDCCH in time slot n. The DCI in the PDCCH schedules the transmission time of PUSCH. Specifically, the DCI indicates the time slot offset K2, indicating that the base station hopes to receive the PUSCH from the terminal device at the time point n+K2. After the terminal device obtains K2, it calculates the time to send PUSCH based on the time advance TA and K2, and then sends PUSCH to the base station. Among them, K2>TA+T proc,2 , T proc,2 It is the preparation time of PUSCH, which specifically indicates the delay of the terminal device processing the received PDCCH and generating PUSCH.

[0177] In NTN, considering the long transmission delay between the terminal device and the base station, the time the base station indicates to the terminal device that it wants to receive PUSCH is n+K2+K offset Figure 12 is an example diagram of another example of PUSCH transmission provided by an embodiment of the present application. This example is applied to the NTN scenario. The base station sends PDCCH in time slot n. The DCI in the PDCCH schedules the transmission time of PUSCH. Specifically, the DCI indicates the time slot offset K2, indicating that the base station hopes to send PUSCH in time slot n+K2+K offset The terminal device receives the PUSCH from the terminal device at the time point of K2. After the terminal device obtains K2, it offsetAnd K2, calculate the time to send PUSCH, and then send PUSCH to the base station. offset >TA+T proc,2 , T proc,2 It is the preparation time of PUSCH, which specifically indicates the delay of the terminal device processing the received PDCCH and generating PUSCH.

[0178] K introduced in the above NTN scenario offset Divided into cell-level K offset (Use K celloffset denoted) and K at the terminal equipment level offset (Use K ueoffset where K celloffset It is sent to the terminal device in the system message. Before the initial access, the terminal device only has K celloffset , so K in Figure 12 offset =K celloffset After initial access, the terminal device reports the TA estimated value of the terminal device to the base station through the Timing Advance Reporting (TAR process), and the base station performs differentiated K offset K is calculated ueoffset and uses the medium access control element (MAC CE) to control K ueoffset Send to the terminal device. The terminal device ueoffset Determine K offset , specifically, K offset =K celloffset -K ueoffset Among them, K offset This is K in Figure 11 offset .

[0179] The network side can control the terminal to report TA based on the following rules:

[0180] Rule 1: The network side instructs the terminal via a broadcast message whether to report the TA when initially accessing a cell. If the terminal is instructed to report the TA, the terminal will trigger TA reporting when it initially accesses the cell.

[0181] Rule 2: When the network configures a TA change reporting threshold for the terminal, if the terminal has not reported the TA before in the current serving cell, the terminal triggers TA reporting when receiving the TA change threshold.

[0182] Rule 3: When the difference between the terminal's latest TA and the previously reported TA exceeds the TA change reporting threshold, the terminal will also trigger TA reporting.

[0183] (3) Cell Discontinuous Transmission / Reception (cell DTX / DRX)

[0184] Cell discontinuous transmission (DTX) and cell discontinuous reception (DRX) technologies are key to network energy conservation. By enabling DTX / DRX for users in a cell, the base station can stop scheduling data transmission for users for a certain period of time, saving energy during that time.

[0185] For cell DTX, the cell managed by the network device only performs downlink transmission with the terminal device during the specified time period, and does not perform downlink transmission in other time periods, so as to achieve energy saving of the network device. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a cell DTX. As shown in Figure 13, cell #1 adopts a periodic cell DTX configuration. Each cell DTX cycle includes an active period and an inactive period, that is, multiple active periods and multiple inactive periods alternate in sequence. The active period is the time period when the cell DTX is turned on (cell DTX on) or the active duration period of the cell DTX. The inactive period is the time period when the cell DTX is turned off (off) or the inactive duration period of the cell DTX. During the cell DTX on time period, cell #1 performs downlink transmission, including transmission of downlink service data with the terminal device. During the cell DTX off time period, cell #1 at least stops transmitting downlink service data between the terminal device and the cell. In some scenarios, during the cell DTX off time period, certain signals that need to be transmitted periodically are also stopped, such as at least one of SSB, CSI-RS, and semi-persistent scheduling (SPS). It is understandable that the longer the cell DTX off period, the longer the network equipment can shut down and the deeper the shutdown depth, achieving better energy saving effects. However, this will also increase the service transmission delay and the impact on the terminal.

[0186] For cell DRX, the cell managed by the network device only performs uplink transmission with the terminal device during the specified time period, and does not perform uplink transmission in other time periods, so as to achieve energy saving of the network device. Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a cell DRX. As shown in Figure 14, cell #1 adopts a periodic cell DRX configuration. Each cell DRX cycle includes an activation period and an inactivation period, that is, multiple activation periods and multiple inactivation periods alternate in sequence. The activation period is the time period when the cell DRX is turned on (cell DRX on) or is called the activation duration period of the cell DRX. The inactivation period is the time period when the cell DRX is turned off (off) or is called the inactivation duration period of the cell DRX. During the cell DRX on time period (i.e., the activation period), cell #1 performs uplink reception, including transmission of uplink service data with the terminal device. During the cell DRX off time period (i.e., the inactivation period), cell #1 at least stops the transmission of uplink service data between the terminal device and the cell DRX.

[0187] The base station can configure cell DTX / DRX parameters for users in the cell. After receiving the configuration, the UE can directly activate the cell DTX / DRX technology or activate the cell DTX / DRX configuration by receiving activation signaling from the base station (for example, indicating activation through a Layer 1 physical channel). Cell DTX and cell DRX can be used together or separately.

[0188] The protocol specifies the UE's behavior during cell DTX and cell DRX. When cell DTX is configured and activated for a serving cell, the active period of Cell DTX includes the time the cellDTX-ondurationTimer for that serving cell is running. When Cell DTX is activated for a serving cell, if [(system frame number × 10) + subframe number] modulo (CellDTX period) = (CellDTX start offset), the UE starts the cellDTX-ondurationTimer at the CellDTX start offset, starting from the start of that subframe number.

[0189] When the cell DTX operation of a serving cell is deactivated (disabled) or the serving cell is in the cell DTX activation period,

[0190] -The UE monitors the PDCCH of the serving cell.

[0191] When the cell DTX operation of a serving cell is activated (enabled) and the serving cell is not in the cell DTX activation period, that is, when the serving cell is in the inactive period,

[0192] -The UE does not monitor the PDCCH of the serving cell.

[0193] - The MAC layer of the UE does not instruct the physical layer to receive the downlink shared channel (DL-SCH) according to the configured semi-persistent scheduling resources.

[0194] - The MAC layer of the UE does not indicate to the HARQ entity the configured downlink assignment and does not deliver HARQ information to the HARQ entity.

[0195] -The MAC layer of the UE does not set the HARQ process ID corresponding to the downlink allocation resources.

[0196] - The MAC layer of the UE does not consider that the new data bits of the HARQ process corresponding to the downlink allocated resources have been flipped.

[0197] When Cell DRX is configured and activated for a serving cell, the Cell DRX activation period includes the time during which the cellDRX-ondurationTimer of the serving cell is running. When Cell DRX of a serving cell is activated, if [(system frame number × 10) + subframe number] modulo (CellDRX cycle) = (CellDRX start offset), the UE starts the cellDRX-ondurationTimer timer at the CellDRX start offset after the starting position of the subframe number.

[0198] It should be noted that cellDTX-ondurationTimer and cellDRX-ondurationTimer may be the same timer.

[0199] When the cell DRX operation of a serving cell is activated and the serving cell is not in the cell DRX activation period, that is, when the serving cell is in the inactive period,

[0200] -The UE does not instruct the physical layer to send a scheduling request (SR) on the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resources.

[0201] - The UE does not increase the SR counter.

[0202] - The UE does not start the SR prohibit timer for a certain SR.

[0203] - The UE does not pass any configured uplink grant and corresponding HARQ process information to the HARQ entity.

[0204] - The UE does not direct the processes associated with the configured uplink grant to trigger new transmissions or retransmissions.

[0205] -The UE does not report periodic channel state indicators on the PUCCH and does not report semi-static channel state indicators on the PUSCH.

[0206] In the related art, for the cell DRX scenario, when the serving cell is in the non-activated period of cell DRX and the terminal device has measurement results, TA and other information that need to be reported to the base station, the terminal needs to wait for the serving cell to enter the activated period before reporting the above information, resulting in the base station being unable to receive the above information in a timely manner, which may affect the normal communication between the terminal device and the base station, that is, it may have an adverse impact on the subsequent communication quality of the terminal device.

[0207] Specifically, when the serving cell is in the non-activated period of cell DRX and the terminal device has measurement results that need to be reported, the terminal needs to wait for the serving cell to enter the activated period before reporting the measurement results. This may cause the network side to be unable to receive the measurement results in time, thereby causing the terminal to detect a wireless link failure, or cause the network side to receive outdated measurement results, resulting in switching to the wrong cell.

[0208] When the serving cell is in the inactive period of cell DRX and the terminal device has TA to report, the terminal needs to wait for the serving cell to enter the active period before reporting the TA. The terminal device cannot report the TA to the network side in time, resulting in the network side may not receive the TA in time, resulting in the network side being unable to send the parameter K to the terminal in time. ueoffset , which may result in the network side being unable to correctly receive uplink data from the terminal in subsequent communications.

[0209] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method. According to this communication method, in a cell DRX scenario, the terminal device can promptly report measurement results, TA and other information to the base station, thereby ensuring that the normal communication between the terminal device and the base station is not affected and improving the stability of communication.

[0210] It should be noted that the cell DTX / DRX in this application can also be extended to non-cell-level DTX / DRX (for example, DTX / DRX at the sub-cell level with a smaller coverage area than the cell), as long as the UE behavior in the non-cell-level DTX / DRX is similar to the description of cell DTX / DRX above. Subsequent embodiments use cell-level DTX / DRX as an example, but can also be extended to non-cell-level DTX / DRX.

[0211] The following describes the communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The terminal device in the embodiment may be the terminal device 110 in Figures 1 and 3-6, and the network device in the embodiment may be the network device 120 in Figures 1 and 3-6. Figure 15 is a schematic flow chart of the communication method 500 provided by the present application. The following describes the communication method 500 provided by an embodiment of the present application in conjunction with Figure 15. The method 500 includes steps 510 and 520.

[0212] Step 510: The terminal device generates first information, where the first information includes measurement results and / or timing advance (TA) information. The first information is information that needs to be reported to the network device.

[0213] Step 520: During a first inactive period in a cell discontinuous reception (cell DRX) mode of the serving cell, the terminal device sends the first information to the network device.

[0214] Accordingly, in step 520, during the first inactive period, the network device receives the first message from the terminal device. It should be noted that step 520 refers to the fact that during the first inactive period, the terminal device can send the first message to the network device. This application does not limit whether the terminal device sends the first message during the first inactive period.

[0215] The terminal device and network device in the embodiment of the present application may be a communication device belonging to any of the communication systems shown in Figures 1 and 3 to 6 above, for example, a communication device belonging to an NTN communication system (transparent transmission mode or regeneration mode), or a communication device belonging to any other system, and the present application does not limit this. The service cell of the terminal device is configured and activated (enabled) in cell DRX mode, so that the network device can achieve energy saving during the inactive period in this mode. Exemplarily, the service cell of the terminal device may be, for example, an earth fixed cell or an earth moving cell.

[0216] Referring to Figure 14, the service cell of the terminal device (for example, cell #1) can periodically alternate between an activation period and an inactivation period. When the service cell of the terminal device enters the first inactivation period, the terminal device determines that there are measurement results and / or timing advance information waiting to be sent to the network device. In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device does not need to wait to enter the next activation period (i.e., the first activation period in Figure 14), but can directly send the first information to the network device during the first inactivation period.

[0217] Through the above settings, the present application enables the terminal device to report measurement results, TA and other information to the network device in a timely manner in the cell DRX scenario, that is, the network device can receive the above information in a timely manner, so that the network device can take correct subsequent actions on the terminal device in a timely manner based on the information, such as whether to send a cell switching command to the terminal and the correct K ueoffset , thereby ensuring that the normal communication between the terminal device and the base station is not affected, ensuring that the communication between the two can run stably for a long time, and improving the stability of communication.

[0218] In some examples, the first information is generated by the terminal device during the first inactive period. Thus, the first information can be reported immediately during the first inactive period when the first information is generated. Alternatively, once the first information is generated during the inactive period, it can be reported immediately during the current inactive period. This allows the network device to receive the latest first information in a timely manner, facilitating the network device to take appropriate subsequent actions based on the first information.

[0219] In some examples, the first information may also be generated in any inactive period or active period before the first inactive period. For example, if the first information is generated in an active period adjacent to the first inactive period, the first information may not have been sent to the network device in time during the active period.

[0220] In some examples, the first information includes a measurement result corresponding to the measurement report configuration, which may include, for example, a cell measurement result and / or a beam measurement result. After the terminal device generates the measurement result during the first non-activation period, it can directly send the measurement result to the network device during the first non-activation period without waiting for the next activation period. The measurement result may be carried in a measurement report, for example. In this way, the network device can receive the latest measurement result in a timely manner so that the network device can take correct subsequent actions on the terminal device. For example, the network device can send a cell switching command to the terminal based on the measurement result, so that the terminal device can switch to other cells with better signals in a timely and accurate manner, thereby ensuring that the terminal always has better communication quality.

[0221] In some examples, the first information includes timing advance information (e.g., TA report). After the terminal device generates the timing advance information during the first inactive period, it can directly send the timing advance information to the network device during the first inactive period without waiting for the next active period. In this way, the network device can receive the timing advance information in a timely manner so that the network device can take correct subsequent actions for the terminal device. For example, the network device can send the latest K ueoffset , so that the terminal equipment can use the latest K ueoffset To send uplink data, ensure that the network device can correctly receive the uplink data from the terminal, thereby ensuring that the communication between the two can run stably for a long time, thereby improving the stability of communication.

[0222] In some examples, the first information includes a measurement result and timing advance information. In this case, the measurement result and the timing advance information can be carried in the same message for transmission, or carried in different messages. After the network device receives the measurement result and the timing advance information in a timely manner, it can take correct subsequent actions on the terminal device, such as whether to send a cell switching command to the terminal and the correct K ueoffset .

[0223] In some examples, the first information may also include messages from other RRC layers. This application does not impose any limitation on the specific content of the first information.

[0224] Figure 16 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 600 provided in this application. The communication method 600 shown in Figure 16 can be viewed as a more specific and lower-level implementation of the communication method 500 shown in Figure 15 . The communication method 600 provided in an embodiment of this application is described below in conjunction with Figure 16 . The method 600 includes steps 610 to 660.

[0225] Step 610: The network device sends the cell DRX configuration information of the serving cell to the terminal device.

[0226] Accordingly, in step 610, the terminal device receives the cell DRX configuration information from the network device.

[0227] Specifically, the network device sends configuration information of the cell DRX of the serving cell to the terminal device. The configuration information may include configuration parameters of the cell DRX. The configuration information may be sent, for example, via an RRC message, that is, the network device configures the cell DRX parameters of the serving cell to the terminal device via the RRC message. Optionally, the RRC message or the configuration information may further include indication information, where the indication information is used to indicate to the terminal device whether the cell DRX parameters of the cell are activated or enabled, that is, to indicate to the terminal whether the cell enters or starts a cell DRX mode.

[0228] In an embodiment of the present application, the service cell of the terminal device (for example, cell #1) is configured and the cell DRX mode is activated. Under the instruction of the network device, the terminal device learns that the service cell enters the cell DRX mode and performs uplink data transmission according to the cell DRX mode.

[0229] In some examples, the terminal device's serving cell may also be configured and have cell DTX mode activated. In this case, the network device may also send a cell DTX parameter to the terminal device and indicate to the terminal that the cell DRX parameter for the cell has been activated, i.e., indicating to the terminal that cell DTX mode has been enabled for the serving cell. Generally speaking, the cell DTX parameter and the cell DRX parameter have the same value.

[0230] Step 620: During a first inactive period in the cell DRX mode of the serving cell, the terminal device generates first information, where the first information includes measurement results and / or timing advance information, and the first information is information that needs to be reported to the network device.

[0231] Step 630: The terminal device sends a first request to the network device. The first request is used to request the network device to allocate a first uplink resource to the terminal device. The first uplink resource may be, for example, a time-frequency resource.

[0232] Accordingly, in step 630, the network device receives the first request from the terminal device.

[0233] Step 640: In response to the first request, the network device sends indication information of the first uplink resource to the terminal device.

[0234] Accordingly, in step 640, the terminal device receives indication information of the first uplink resource from the network device.

[0235] Step 650: The terminal device sends the first information to the network device on the first uplink resource. In other words, the terminal device sends the first information to the network device using or through the first uplink resource.

[0236] Accordingly, in step 650, the network device receives the first information from the terminal device on the first uplink resource, or in other words, the network device uses or receives the first information from the terminal device through the first uplink resource.

[0237] Specifically, step 630, step 640 and step 650 in this embodiment can be regarded as sub-steps of step 520 in the aforementioned method 500, and step 630, step 640 and step 650 are all completed within the first non-activation period. After the terminal device determines that there is first information to be sent to the network device, it can request the network device to send the uplink resources used for the first information, that is, request the first uplink resource through a first request. After receiving the first request, the network device allocates the first uplink resource to the terminal device in response to the first request, and sends indication information of the first uplink resource to the terminal device. After receiving the indication information, the terminal device configures the first uplink resource according to the indication information, and uses the first uplink resource to send the first information. Accordingly, the network device receives the first information on the first uplink resource according to the previous indication information or configuration information.

[0238] In some examples, the first request may be, for example, a scheduling request SR or a random access request to request the first uplink resource.

[0239] For example, the terminal device may send an SR to the network device via or using the physical uplink control channel PUCCH to request the first uplink resource. Correspondingly, the network device may receive an SR from the terminal device via or using the PUCCH. That is, in an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may send an SR during an inactive period in the cell DRX mode, and the network device may receive an SR during an inactive period in the cell DRX mode.

[0240] For another example, the terminal device may send a random access request to the network device through or using a physical random access channel (PRACH) to request a first uplink resource. The random access request may include, for example, a random access preamble (RAP). Correspondingly, the network device may receive the random access request from the terminal device through or using the PRACH.

[0241] It should be understood that the request and configuration of the first uplink resource can be achieved through more steps, that is, the terminal device may achieve the request and configuration of the first uplink resource through more interactive steps including the above-mentioned steps 630, 640 and 650 (the remaining steps are not shown), and this application does not limit this.

[0242] In some examples, the first uplink resource may be a time-frequency resource, and the indication information of the first uplink resource may include the identification (ID), number, index (index) of the first uplink resource, time domain information of the first uplink resource (for example, the time domain starting position, the time domain ending position, the time domain center position, and the duration), frequency domain information of the first uplink resource (for example, the frequency domain starting position, the frequency domain ending position, the frequency domain center position, bandwidth, the number of resource blocks (RB)), and any other information that can help the terminal device determine the first uplink resource.

[0243] In some examples, the indication information of the first uplink resource can be carried in the downlink control information (DCI), and the indication information of the first uplink resource can include a field consisting of one or more bits. The field can be, for example, an existing field in the DCI or a newly added field. This application does not limit this.

[0244] In some examples, the indication information of the first uplink resource can be carried in the RRC message.

[0245] In some examples, after the terminal device sends the first request to the network device, it can monitor the PDCCH to receive the indication information of the first uplink resource. For example, even if the service cell of the terminal device is activated in cell DTX mode, the terminal device can monitor the PDCCH during the first non-activation period until the indication information is received. For another example, even if the service cell of the terminal device is activated in cell DTX mode, the terminal device can monitor the PDCCH after sending the first request until the indication information is received. Exemplarily, when the indication information is not received within a certain period of time, the terminal device can send the first request to the network device again.

[0246] In some examples, after the terminal device sends the first request to the network device, a timer may be started. The duration of the timer may be configured by the network device. During the timer, the terminal device may continue to monitor the PDCCH, even if the serving cell of the terminal device is activated in cell DTX mode. When the timer expires, the terminal device may send the first request to the network device again.

[0247] In some examples, before step 630, method 600 also includes: the terminal device determines that there are currently no uplink resources that can be used to send the first information.

[0248] That is, only when it is determined that no available resources exist, or when the terminal device determines that it does not currently have an uplink grant, will it request the first uplink resource from the network device, i.e., proceed to the subsequent resource request process such as step 630. When it is determined that available uplink resources exist, the uplink resources can be directly used to send the first information, for example, by sending the first information via the PUSCH. Through the above configuration, resource waste can be avoided, signaling overhead can be saved, and the timeliness of the first information transmission can be ensured.

[0249] In some examples, as shown in FIG16 , before the terminal device sends the first information to the network device, for example, before step 630 or step 650 , method 600 further includes:

[0250] Step 660: The network device sends first indication information to the terminal device, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the first information is to be sent during the inactive period in the cell DRX mode, or to indicate that the terminal device can send the first information during the inactive period in the DRX mode.

[0251] Accordingly, in step 660, the terminal device receives the first indication information from the network device.

[0252] That is to say, the network device can instruct the terminal device, that is, indicate that the reporting of the first information (such as measurement results and / or TA reports) needs to adopt or be applicable to the communication method 600 provided in the embodiment of the present application, that is, indicate that the reporting of the first information of the terminal device can be performed during the non-activation period, for example, it can be performed during the non-activation period (i.e., the first non-activation period) during which the first information is generated. For example, the first indication information may indicate that the measurement result corresponding to the measurement report configuration needs to be processed according to the scheme in this embodiment, and / or indicate that the reporting of the TA report needs to be processed using the scheme of this embodiment. Through the above settings, the terminal device can be made more flexible in reporting the first information.

[0253] In some examples, the first indication information is used to indicate that the reporting of the measurement result (i.e., the first information) can be performed during the non-activation period of DRX. That is, when the terminal device generates a measurement result during the first non-activation period, the terminal device can report the measurement result during the first non-activation period according to the first indication information. Alternatively, when the terminal device determines that there is a measurement result to be sent during the first non-activation period, the measurement result may have been generated during a previous activation period or non-activation period. At this time, the terminal device can send the measurement result during the first non-activation period according to the first indication information.

[0254] In some examples, the first indication information is used to indicate that the reporting of TA information (i.e., the first information) can be performed during the non-activation period of DRX. That is, when the terminal device generates TA information during the first non-activation period, the terminal device can report the TA information during the first non-activation period according to the first indication information. Alternatively, when the terminal device determines that there is TA information to be sent during the first non-activation period, the TA information may have been generated during the previous activation period or non-activation period. At this time, the terminal device can send the TA information during the first non-activation period according to the first indication information.

[0255] In some examples, the first indication information is used to instruct the terminal device that the first information should be sent during the inactive period during which the first information was generated. In this case, the terminal device sends the first information to the network device during the first inactive period during which the first information was generated, based on the first indication information. Obviously, this method provides better timeliness.

[0256] To sum up, the first indication information can indicate that the first information is sent during the non-activation period in the cell DRX mode. At this time, when the terminal device determines that there is first information to be sent to the network device during the first non-activation period, the first information can be generated during the first non-activation period, or it can be generated during any non-activation period or activation period before the first non-activation period. At this time, the terminal device can send the first information to the network device during the non-activation period according to the first indication information.

[0257] Alternatively, the first indication information may also indicate that the first information is to be sent within the inactive period (i.e., the first inactive period) during which the first information is generated, i.e., indicating that the first information should be sent within the current inactive period, and not allowed to be delayed until the next inactive period, which is more timely. In this case, the terminal device may send the first information to the network device within the first inactive period according to the first indication information.

[0258] It is worth mentioning that the multiple embodiments provided in this application can be performed separately or in combination. As a combined execution method, method 500 and method 600 can be combined with each other. The terminal device in method 500 can also receive the first indication information from the network device (i.e., combined with step 660) and send the first information during the first inactive period according to the first indication information. In addition, the terminal device in method 500 can also send the first information in accordance with the aforementioned 630, step 640, and step 650, and this application does not limit this.

[0259] FIG17 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 700 provided by the present application. The communication method 700 provided by an embodiment of the present application is described below with reference to FIG17 . The method 700 includes steps 710 and 720 .

[0260] Step 710: The terminal device generates first information, where the first information includes measurement results and / or timing advance information.

[0261] Step 720: During the first activation period in the cell discontinuous reception mode of the serving cell, the terminal device sends first information and second indication information to the network device, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the first information was generated before the first activation period.

[0262] For example, the second indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device generated the first information during a first non-activation period that is adjacent to or most recent before the first activation period.

[0263] Accordingly, the network device receives the first information and the second indication information from the terminal device in step 720. The first information and the second indication information may be carried in the same message or in different messages.

[0264] According to the communication method 700 provided in an embodiment of the present application, when the terminal device generates first information (such as measurement results and / or TA information) before the first activation period in the cell DRX mode, and after entering the first activation period, the terminal device can send the first information and second indication information to the network device during the first activation period, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate that the first information was generated before the first activation period. The network device can know that the first information was generated before the first activation period based on the second indication information, and at this time the network side itself can decide how to use the first information. For example, based on the second indication information and in combination with the current actual situation, the network device can use the first information or not (for example, directly discard the first information), thereby making the network device more flexible in using the first information.

[0265] As shown in Figures 14 and 17, in an embodiment of the present application, the first information is generated by the terminal device during the first non-activation period adjacent to the first activation period, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the first information is generated during the first non-activation period adjacent to the first activation period.

[0266] That is, after the terminal device generates first information (e.g., measurement results and / or TA information) during an inactive period (e.g., a first inactive period) in the cell DRX mode, the terminal device may wait for the end of the inactive period, and when entering the next adjacent active period (e.g., a first active period), according to the configuration of the network or system protocol, the terminal device may promptly send the first information and the second indication information to the network device during the first active period. This can improve the timeliness of the first information, thereby enabling the network device to receive the latest first information in a timely manner, which is beneficial for the network device to take correct subsequent actions based on the first information.

[0267] In other implementations, the first information may also be generated by the terminal device in any activation period or non-activation period before the first activation period, and this application does not limit this.

[0268] In some examples, the first information includes a measurement result, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the measurement result was generated during the (previous) non-activation period. The network device receives the first information and the second indication information, and can know from the second indication information that the measurement result was generated during the non-activation period but was not sent to the network side in a timely manner. At this time, the network device can decide how to use the measurement result, for example, decide whether to execute a cell switching process for the terminal device based on the measurement result.

[0269] In some examples, the first information includes TA information, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the TA information is generated during the (previous) inactive period. The network device receives the first information and the second indication information, and can know from the second indication information that the TA information is generated during the inactive period but is not sent to the network side in a timely manner. At this time, the network device can decide how to use the TA information, such as whether to send the latest K ueoffset .

[0270] In some examples, the measurement result and the second indication information may be carried in the measurement report at the same time. Alternatively, the information element structure of the measurement result may be improved, and the second indication information may be carried in the measurement result.

[0271] In some examples, the second indication information may be a Boolean value or indication information having a value of 0 or 1.

[0272] In some examples, the second indication information is further used to indicate the time when the first information was generated. For example, the second indication information includes timestamp information, and the timestamp information indicates the time (moment) when the first information was generated. Alternatively, the second indication information may further indicate the duration between the time when the first information was generated and the start time of the first activation period.

[0273] Since the first information is time-sensitive, the network device can determine how long ago the first information was generated based on the second indication information. The network device can determine the validity of the first information based on the length of time the first information has been generated, that is, determine whether to use the first information, and determine the subsequent actions of the network device, so that the first information can be used flexibly, further improving the stability and reliability of communication.

[0274] FIG18 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 800 provided by the present application. The communication method 800 provided by an embodiment of the present application is described below with reference to FIG18 . The method 800 includes steps 810 and 820 .

[0275] Step 810: During the first activation period in the cell discontinuous reception mode of the serving cell, the terminal device updates the first information to obtain the second information, wherein the first information is generated by the terminal device before the first activation period, and the first information includes measurement results and / or timing advance information.

[0276] Step 820: During the first activation period, the terminal device sends the second information to the network device.

[0277] Accordingly, in step 830, the network device receives the second information from the terminal device.

[0278] According to the communication method 800 provided in an embodiment of the present application, when a terminal device generates first information (e.g., measurement results and / or TA information) before a first active period in a cell DRX mode, and after entering the first active period, the terminal device updates the first information to obtain second information, for example, discarding the first information and generating new second information corresponding thereto, and sending the second information to a network device. For example, the terminal device discards the measurement results generated during the inactive period and generates new measurement results during the active period, or discards the TA information generated during the inactive period and generates new TA information during the active period, and sends the new measurement results and / or new TA information to the network device.

[0279] Through the above settings, in the cell DRX scenario, the terminal device can report the latest measurement results, TA and other information to the network device, so that the network device can take the correct subsequent actions on the terminal device based on the latest information, such as whether to send a cell switching command to the terminal and the correct K ueoffset , thereby ensuring that the normal communication between the terminal device and the base station is not affected, ensuring that the communication between the two can run stably for a long time, and improving the stability of communication.

[0280] With reference to FIG. 14 , in the embodiment of the present application, the first information is generated by the terminal device during a first non-activation period adjacent to a first activation period.

[0281] That is, after the terminal device generates first information (e.g., measurement results and / or TA information) during an inactive period (e.g., a first inactive period) in the cell DRX mode, the terminal device may wait for the inactive period to end. After entering the next adjacent active period (e.g., a first active period), according to the configuration of the network or system protocol, the terminal device may update the first information during the first active period to generate second information, and send the second information to the network device in a timely manner. This can improve the timeliness of the information, allowing the network device to receive the latest second information in a timely manner, which is beneficial for the network device to take correct subsequent actions based on the second information.

[0282] In some examples, the first information generated by the terminal device during the first inactive period includes a measurement result. Thus, after switching to the first active period, the terminal device may discard the measurement result and then generate a newest measurement result corresponding to the measurement result (or replace the previous measurement result with the newest measurement result). The newest measurement result is then reported to the network device during the first active period.

[0283] In some examples, the first information generated by the terminal device during the first non-activation period includes TA information (such as a TA value or a TA report). In this way, after switching to the first activation period, the terminal device can first discard the TA information and then generate the latest TA information (or replace the previous TA with the latest TA). The latest TA is then reported to the network device during the first activation period. In other words, for the first information including the TA report, when the MAC layer of the terminal device sends the TA report to the network device, the TA report carries the latest TA value, rather than the TA value generated by the terminal during the non-activation period of the cell DRX of the serving cell.

[0284] In other implementations, the first information may also be generated by the terminal device in any activation period or non-activation period before the first activation period, and this application does not limit this.

[0285] In some examples, because the first information generated during the non-activation period of cell DRX is not sent, the terminal device may not generate the first information during the non-activation period of cell DRX, for example, the RRC layer of the terminal device does not generate the measurement result of the measurement event, or the MAC layer of the terminal device does not generate TA information (such as a TA report).

[0286] Exemplarily, when the cell DRX mode of the service cell of the terminal device has been activated and the terminal device is in the non-activation period of the cell DRX of the service cell, the terminal device may not generate a measurement result. Specifically, when the MAC layer of the terminal device determines that it is currently in the non-activation period of the cell DRX, the MAC layer of the terminal device sends an indication message to the RRC layer of the terminal, indicating that it is currently in the non-activation period of the cell DRX. At this time, the RRC layer of the terminal device may not generate a measurement result corresponding to the measurement report configuration. When the MAC layer of the terminal device determines that it is currently in the activation period of the cell DRX, the MAC layer of the terminal device sends an indication message to the RRC layer of the terminal device, indicating that it is currently in the activation period of the cell DRX. At this time, the RRC layer of the terminal device may generate a measurement result corresponding to the measurement report configuration.

[0287] FIG19 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 900 provided by the present application. The communication method 900 provided by an embodiment of the present application is described below with reference to FIG19 . The method 900 includes steps 910 to 940 .

[0288] Step 910: During the first activation period of the serving cell in the cell discontinuous reception mode, the terminal device determines whether the duration T1 between the time when first information is generated and the start time of the first activation period is less than or equal to a first threshold value Tset. The first information is generated by the terminal device before the first activation period and includes measurement results and / or timing advance information. The first threshold value Tset may be preconfigured by the network device or the terminal device. If so, the process proceeds to step 920; otherwise, the process proceeds to step 930.

[0289] Step 920: If T1≤Tset, then during the first activation period, the terminal device sends the first information to the network device.

[0290] Accordingly, in step 920, the network device receives first information from the terminal device.

[0291] According to the communication method 900 provided in an embodiment of the present application, when the terminal device generates first information (such as measurement results and / or TA information) before the first activation period in the cell DRX mode, and after entering the first activation period, the terminal device determines whether the duration T1 between the generation time of the first information and the start time of the first activation period is less than or equal to the preset first threshold Tset. If so, it means that the generation time of the first information is short and the timeliness is good. At this time, the terminal device can report the first information to the network device.

[0292] The present application reports the first information generated within a relatively short time to the network device, thereby facilitating the network device to take correct subsequent actions on the terminal device based on the more accurate and reliable first information, such as whether to send a cell switching command to the terminal and the correct K ueoffset , thereby ensuring that the normal communication between the terminal device and the base station is not affected, ensuring that the communication between the two can run stably for a long time, and improving the stability of communication.

[0293] With reference to FIG. 14 , in the embodiment of the present application, the first information is generated by the terminal device during a first non-activation period adjacent to a first activation period.

[0294] That is to say, after the terminal device generates the first information (such as measurement results and / or TA information) during the non-activation period (such as the first non-activation period) in the cell DRX mode, the terminal device can wait for the end of the non-activation period. After entering the next adjacent activation period (such as the first activation period), according to the configuration of the network or system protocol, the terminal device can determine in the first activation period whether the duration T1 between the generation time of the first information and the start time of the first activation period is less than or equal to the preset first threshold Tset. If so, it means that the generation time of the first information is short and the timeliness is better. At this time, the terminal device can report the first information to the network device.

[0295] In some examples, if T1>Tset, the terminal device discards the first information.

[0296] In some examples, if T1>Tset, the process proceeds to step 930 and step 940. That is, the communication method 900 further includes:

[0297] Step 930: During the first activation period, the terminal device updates the first information to obtain the second information.

[0298] Step 940: During the first activation period, the terminal device sends the second information to the network device.

[0299] That is, if the duration T1 between the time when the first information is generated and the start time of the first activation period is greater than the first threshold value Tset, it means that the first information was generated for a long time and has poor timeliness. At this time, the first information cannot be directly used (sent). Therefore, the terminal device can update the first information to obtain second information, for example, discard the first information and generate new second information corresponding to it, and send the second information to the network device. For example, the measurement results generated during the inactive period are discarded and new measurement results are generated during the active period, or the TA information generated during the inactive period is discarded and new TA information is generated during the active period, and the new measurement results and / or new TA information are sent to the network device.

[0300] The communication method according to an embodiment of the present application is described in detail above with reference to Figures 1 to 19 . The apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 20 to 23 . It should be understood that the apparatus shown in Figures 20 to 23 can implement one or more steps of the method flow shown in Figures 15 to 19 . To avoid repetition, detailed description is omitted here.

[0301] FIG20 is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device 2000 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG20 , the terminal device 2000 includes a processing unit 2010 , a sending unit 2020 , and a receiving unit 2030 .

[0302] The processing unit 2010 is configured to generate first information, where the first information includes a measurement result and / or timing advance information;

[0303] The sending unit 2020 is configured to send the first information to the network device during a first non-activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell.

[0304] Optionally, the first information is generated by the terminal device during the first non-activation period.

[0305] Optionally, the sending unit 2020 is specifically used to: send a scheduling request to the network device through a physical uplink control channel to request a first uplink resource; and send the first information to the network device on the first uplink resource.

[0306] Optionally, the sending unit 2020 is specifically configured to: send a random access request to the network device through a physical random access channel to request a first uplink resource; and send the first information to the network device on the first uplink resource.

[0307] Optionally, the processing unit 2010 is further used to: determine that there is currently no uplink resource that can be used to send the first information.

[0308] Optionally, the terminal device 2000 further includes a receiving unit 2030 for receiving first indication information from the network device, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate that the first information is sent during an inactive period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell.

[0309] Optionally, the first indication information is used to indicate that the first information is sent within a non-activation period (ie, the first non-activation period) during which the first information is generated.

[0310] In some other examples, the processing unit 2010 is configured to generate first information, where the first information includes a measurement result and / or timing advance information;

[0311] The sending unit 2020 is used to send the first information and second indication information to the network device during the first activation period in the cell discontinuous reception mode of the serving cell, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the first information was generated before the first activation period.

[0312] Optionally, the second indication information is further used to indicate the generation time of the first information, or indicate the duration between the generation time of the first information and the start time of the first activation period.

[0313] Optionally, the second indication information is used to indicate that the first information is generated in a first non-activation period adjacent to the first activation period.

[0314] In some other examples, the processing unit 2010 is configured to determine, during a first activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell, whether a duration between a generation moment of first information and a start moment of the first activation period is less than or equal to a first threshold, wherein the first information is generated by the terminal device before the first activation period, and the first information includes a measurement result and / or timing advance information;

[0315] The sending unit 2020 is configured to send the first information to the network device within the first activation period if the determination is yes.

[0316] Optionally, if the duration between the generation time of the first information and the start time of the first activation period is greater than the first threshold, the processing unit 2010 is further configured to update the first information to obtain second information during the first activation period;

[0317] The sending unit 2020 is further configured to send the second information to the network device during the first activation period.

[0318] Optionally, the first information is generated in a first non-active period that is adjacent to the first active period.

[0319] In some other examples, the processing unit 2010 is configured to update the first information to obtain second information during a first activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell, wherein the first information is generated by the terminal device before the first activation period, and the first information includes a measurement result and / or timing advance information;

[0320] The sending unit 2020 is configured to send the second information to the network device during the first activation period.

[0321] Optionally, the first information is generated in a first non-active period that is adjacent to the first active period.

[0322] Specifically, the terminal device 2000 may correspond to the terminal device in the communication methods 500, 600, 700, 800, and 900 according to the embodiments of the present application, or a chip configured in the terminal device. The terminal device 2000 may include a unit for executing the methods executed by the terminal device of the communication methods 500 to 900 shown in Figures 15 to 19. In addition, each unit in the terminal device 2000 and the above-mentioned other operations and / or functions are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes of the communication methods 500 to 900 shown in Figures 15 to 19. The specific process of each unit executing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in methods 500 to 900, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0323] In one possible implementation, the terminal device 2000 may be the terminal device 2100 in the figure below, wherein the function of the receiving unit 2030 may be implemented by the transceiver 2101 (i.e., the control circuit and the antenna together) of the terminal device 2100, and the function of the processing unit 2010 may be implemented by the processor 2102 of the terminal device 2100. The structure of the terminal device 2100 according to an embodiment of the present application is described below with reference to FIG21.

[0324] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device 2100 according to an embodiment of the present application. This terminal device 2100 can be used in the systems shown in Figures 1 and 3-6 to perform the functions of the terminal device (UE) in the above-mentioned method embodiments. For ease of explanation, Figure 21 only shows the main components of the terminal device. As shown in Figure 21, the terminal device 2100 includes a processor 2102, a memory, a control circuit, an antenna, and input / output devices. The processor 2102 is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, as well as to control the entire terminal device, execute software programs, and process software program data, for example, to support the terminal device in performing the actions described in the above-mentioned method embodiments. The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. The control circuit is primarily used to convert baseband signals into radio frequency signals and process radio frequency signals. The control circuit and antenna together can also be referred to as a transceiver 2101, which is primarily used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as a touch screen, display, and keyboard, are primarily used to receive data input by the user and output data to the user.

[0325] When the terminal device is powered on, the processor 2102 reads the software program stored in the storage unit, interprets and executes the software program's instructions, and processes the software program's data. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 2102 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the RF circuit. The RF circuit then performs RF processing on the baseband signal and transmits it via the antenna in the form of electromagnetic waves. When data is sent to the terminal device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal via the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor. The processor converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0326] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, for ease of explanation, FIG21 illustrates only one memory and one processor. In an actual terminal device, multiple processors and multiple memories may exist. A memory may also be referred to as a storage medium or storage device, etc., which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0327] As an optional implementation, the processor may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor is primarily responsible for processing communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU is primarily responsible for controlling the entire terminal device, executing software programs, and processing data from software programs. The processor in Figure 21 may integrate the functions of both the baseband processor and the CPU. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the baseband processor and the CPU may also be independent processors interconnected via a bus or other technology. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a terminal device may include multiple baseband processors to accommodate different network standards, multiple CPUs to enhance its processing capabilities, and that the various components of the terminal device may be connected via various buses. The baseband processor may also be referred to as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The CPU may also be referred to as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The functionality for processing communication protocols and communication data may be built into the processor or stored as a software program in a storage unit, with the processor executing the software program to implement the baseband processing functionality.

[0328] FIG22 is a schematic block diagram of a network device 2200 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG22 , the network device 2200 includes a receiving unit 2210 and a sending unit 2220 .

[0329] The receiving unit 2210 is configured to receive first information from a terminal device during a first non-activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell, wherein the first information includes a measurement result and / or timing advance information.

[0330] Optionally, the first information is generated by the terminal device during the first non-activation period.

[0331] Optionally, the receiving unit 2210 is specifically used to: receive a scheduling request from the terminal device through a physical uplink control channel, the scheduling request being used to request a first uplink resource; and receive the first information from the terminal device on the first uplink resource.

[0332] Optionally, the receiving unit 2210 is specifically used to: receive a random access request from the terminal device through a physical random access channel, where the random access request is used to request a first uplink resource; and receive the first information from the terminal device on the first uplink resource.

[0333] Optionally, the network device further includes a sending unit 2220 for sending first indication information to the terminal device, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate that the first information is sent during a non-activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell.

[0334] Optionally, the first indication information is used to indicate that the first information is sent within a non-activation period (ie, the first non-activation period) during which the first information is generated.

[0335] Specifically, the network device 2200 may correspond to the network devices in the communication methods 500, 600, 700, 800, and 900 according to the embodiments of the present application, or a chip configured in the network device. The network device 2200 may include units for executing the methods performed by the network device of the communication methods 500 to 900 shown in Figures 15 to 19. Furthermore, the units in the network device 2200 and the other operations and / or functions described above are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes of the communication methods 500 to 900 shown in Figures 15 to 19. The specific process of each unit executing the corresponding steps has been described in detail in methods 500 to 900 and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0336] In one possible implementation, the network device 2200 may be a base station, a gNB, a TRP, a DU, a CU, a CU-CP (control plane), or a CU-UP (user plane), etc. The receiving unit 2210 and the transmitting unit 2220 may be a transceiver or a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the transceiver may also be an input / output circuit or an interface.

[0337] The network device 2000 may also be a chip, and the receiving unit 2210 and the sending unit 2220 may be input / output circuits or interfaces of the chip.

[0338] In one possible implementation, the network device 2200 may be an access network device, such as the base station 60 mentioned below, wherein the functions of the receiving unit 2210 and the sending unit 2220 may be implemented by the RRU 601 of the base station 60. The structure of the network device according to the embodiment of the present application is described below with reference to FIG23 .

[0339] Figure 23 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application, which may be a schematic diagram of the structure of a base station. As shown in Figure 23, the base station can be applied to the system shown in Figures 1 and 3 to 6 to perform the functions of the network device in the above method embodiment. The base station 60 may include one or more radio frequency units, such as a remote radio unit (RRU) 601 and one or more baseband units (BBU) (also known as digital units, DU) 602. The RRU 601 can be called a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, or a transceiver, etc., and may include at least one antenna 6011 and a radio frequency unit 6012. The RRU 601 is mainly used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals and converting radio frequency signals into baseband signals, for example, for sending the signaling messages described in the above embodiment to terminal devices. The BBU 602 is mainly used for baseband processing, controlling the base station, etc. The RRU 601 and BBU 602 can be physically arranged together or physically separated, that is, a distributed base station.

[0340] The BBU 602 is the control center of the base station, which can also be called a processing unit. It is mainly used to perform baseband processing functions such as channel coding, multiplexing, modulation, spread spectrum, etc. For example, the BBU (processing unit) 602 can be used to control the base station to execute the operation process of the network device in the above method embodiment.

[0341] In one example, the BBU 602 may be composed of one or more boards, and the multiple boards may jointly support a wireless access network with a single access indication (such as an LTE network), or may respectively support wireless access networks with different access standards (such as an LTE network, a 5G network, or other networks). The BBU 602 also includes a memory 6021 and a processor 6022, and the memory 6021 is used to store necessary instructions and data. For example, the memory 6021 stores the correspondence between the codebook index and the precoding matrix in the above embodiment. The processor 6022 is used to control the base station to perform necessary actions, such as controlling the base station to execute the operation process of the network device in the above method embodiment. The memory 6021 and the processor 6022 may serve one or more boards. That is, a memory and a processor may be separately set on each board. Alternatively, multiple boards may share the same memory and processor. In addition, necessary circuits may be provided on each board.

[0342] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), and the processor may also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0343] It should also be understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of random access memory (RAM) are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0344] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the present application also provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code, which, when running on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of the embodiment shown in Figures 15 to 19.

[0345] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the present application also provides a computer-readable medium, which stores program code. When the program code runs on a computer, the computer executes the method of the embodiment shown in Figures 15 to 19.

[0346] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the present application also provides a chip system, including a processor, for calling and running a computer program from a memory, so that a communication device equipped with the chip system executes the method of the embodiment shown in Figures 15 to 19.

[0347] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the present application also provides a communication system, which includes one or more terminal devices and one or more network devices as mentioned above.

[0348] The above embodiments can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any other combination. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer program are loaded or executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that contains one or more available media sets. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium. The semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive.

[0349] For ease of understanding, the terms involved in the process of introducing the solution of this application are explained below.

[0350] In the embodiment of the present application, "indication" may include direct indication and indirect indication, and may also include explicit indication and implicit indication. The information indicated by a certain information (such as the "indication information" in the foregoing text) is called information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as but not limited to, the information to be indicated can be directly indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or the index of the information to be indicated. The information to be indicated can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, wherein the other information has an association relationship with the information to be indicated. It is also possible to indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts of the information to be indicated are known or agreed in advance. For example, the indication of specific information can also be achieved by means of the arrangement order of each information agreed in advance (such as specified in the protocol), thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent.

[0351] In the embodiments of the present application, “first”, “second” and various numbers are only used for the convenience of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. For example, different resources are distinguished.

[0352] The “communication protocol” involved in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a standard protocol in the communication field, for example, it may include an LTE protocol, a NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, and the present application does not limit this.

[0353] The term "and / or" in this document simply describes a relationship between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0354] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "plurality" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or plural.

[0355] In various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0356] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0357] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0358] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0359] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0360] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0361] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0362] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The terminal device generates first information, where the first information includes a measurement result and / or timing advance information; During a first non-activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell, the terminal device sends the first information to a network device.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein: The first information is generated by the terminal device during the first non-activation period.

3. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The terminal device sending the first information to the network device includes: The terminal device sends a scheduling request to the network device through a physical uplink control channel to request a first uplink resource; The terminal device sends the first information to the network device on the first uplink resource.

4. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The terminal device sending the first information to the network device includes: The terminal device sends a random access request to the network device through a physical random access channel to request a first uplink resource; The terminal device sends the first information to the network device on the first uplink resource.

5. The communication method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: Before the terminal device requests the first uplink resource, the method further includes: The terminal device determines that there are currently no uplink resources that can be used to send the first information.

6. The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: Before the terminal device sends the first information to the network device, the method further includes: The terminal device receives first indication information from the network device, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the first information is sent during a non-activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell.

7. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: During a first inactive period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell, a network device receives first information from a terminal device, wherein the first information includes a measurement result and / or timing advance information.

8. The communication method according to claim 7, wherein: The first information is generated by the terminal device during the first non-activation period.

9. The communication method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: The network device receives first information from the terminal device, including: The network device receives a scheduling request from the terminal device through a physical uplink control channel, where the scheduling request is used to request a first uplink resource; The network device receives the first information from the terminal device on the first uplink resource.

10. The communication method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: The network device receives first information from the terminal device, including: The network device receives a random access request from the terminal device through a physical random access channel, where the random access request is used to request a first uplink resource; The network device receives the first information from the terminal device on the first uplink resource.

11. The communication method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that: Before the network device receives the first information from the terminal device, the method further includes: The network device sends first indication information to the terminal device, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the first information is sent during a non-activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell.

12. A terminal device, characterized in that: include: a processing unit, configured to generate first information, wherein the first information includes a measurement result and / or timing advance information; The sending unit is configured to send the first information to the network device during a first non-activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of the serving cell.

13. The terminal device according to claim 12, characterized in that The first information is generated by the terminal device during the first non-activation period.

14. The terminal device according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that: The sending unit is specifically configured to: Sending a scheduling request to the network device through a physical uplink control channel to request a first uplink resource; The first information is sent to the network device on the first uplink resource.

15. The terminal device according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that: The sending unit is specifically configured to: Sending a random access request to the network device through a physical random access channel to request a first uplink resource; The first information is sent to the network device on the first uplink resource.

16. The terminal device according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that: The processing unit is further configured to: It is determined that currently no uplink resources exist that can be used to send the first information.

17. The terminal device according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that: The terminal device further includes: The receiving unit is configured to receive first indication information from the network device, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the first information is sent during an inactive period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell.

18. A network device, characterized in that: include: The receiving unit is used to receive first information from the terminal device during a first non-activation period in the cell discontinuous reception mode of the serving cell, wherein the first information includes measurement results and / or timing advance information.

19. The network device according to claim 18, wherein: The first information is generated by the terminal device during the first non-activation period.

20. The network device according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that: The receiving unit is specifically configured to: receiving a scheduling request from the terminal device through a physical uplink control channel, where the scheduling request is used to request a first uplink resource; The first information is received from the terminal device on the first uplink resource.

21. The network device according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that: The receiving unit is specifically configured to: receiving a random access request from the terminal device through a physical random access channel, where the random access request is used to request a first uplink resource; The first information is received from the terminal device on the first uplink resource.

22. The network device according to any one of claims 18 to 21, characterized in that: The network device further includes: A sending unit is used to send first indication information to the terminal device, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the first information is sent during a non-activation period in a cell discontinuous reception mode of a serving cell.

23. A terminal device, characterized in that: The system comprises at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to be coupled with a memory, read and execute instructions in the memory, so as to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

24. A network device, characterized in that: The system comprises at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to be coupled with a memory, read and execute instructions in the memory, so as to implement the method according to any one of claims 7 to 11.

25. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is run on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

26. A computer program product, characterized in that include: Computer program code, when the computer program code is run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

27. A chip system comprising a processor, configured to call and run a computer program from a memory, so that a communication device equipped with the chip system executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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