Communication method, communication apparatus, and communication system

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method, a communication apparatus, and a communication system. The method provided in the present application comprises: sending first information to a network device, the first information being used for indicating whether a terminal device performs measurement during at least one SMTC window time; and, on the basis of the first information, performing uplink and downlink transmission with the network device during an SMTC window time within which SSB measurement is not performed among the at least one SMTC window time. In the present application, the first information sent by the terminal device to the network device can indicate that the terminal device performs measurement or does not perform measurement during at least one SMTC window time, thereby enabling the network device to obtain information regarding whether the terminal device performs measurement during each SMTC window time. As a result, the terminal device can perform uplink and downlink transmission with the network device during an SMTC window time within which measurement is not performed by the terminal device, thereby improving the communication efficiency between the terminal device and the network device.

Description

Communication method, communication device and communication system

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on February 6, 2024, with application number 202410168487.8 and application name “Communication Method, Communication Device and Communication System”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] For extended reality (XR) transmission services and video transmission services, the current new radio (NR) specifications allow the network to configure a search threshold (such as s-MeasureConfig) for terminal devices in connected mode to reduce co-frequency measurements. If the network configures a search threshold for the terminal device, the terminal device is allowed not to perform measurements on non-service cells, thereby reducing scheduling restrictions. However, if the terminal device does not perform co-frequency measurements, this may result in idle scheduling opportunities. Since the network side does not know when the terminal device reaches the search threshold, the network device still needs to comply with the predefined scheduling restrictions, which reduces the communication efficiency between the terminal device and the network device. Therefore, how to improve the communication efficiency between the terminal device and the network device is a problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, a communication device, and a communication system, which can improve the communication efficiency of terminal equipment and network equipment.

[0005] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be executed by a terminal device, or by a component configured in the terminal device (such as a chip, a chip system, etc.), or by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0006] Exemplarily, the method includes: sending first information to a network device, the first information being used to indicate whether the terminal device measures a synchronization signal block SSB in at least one measurement timing configuration SMTC window time; and performing uplink and downlink transmission with the network device in an SMTC window time in which SSB is not measured in the at least one SMTC window time according to the first information.

[0007] In the solution provided in the present application, the first information sent by the terminal device to the network device can indicate whether the terminal device measures SSB or not in at least one SMTC window time, so that the network device obtains information on whether the terminal device measures SSB in each SMTC window time, so that the terminal device can perform uplink and downlink transmission with the network device (or be scheduled to receive or send data) in the SMTC window time when the terminal device does not measure SSB, thereby improving the communication efficiency between the terminal device and the network device.

[0008] A possible implementation method further includes:

[0009] The activation duration of the sending timer is used to instruct the terminal device to measure SSB based on the first information within the activation duration of the timer.

[0010] In the solution provided in this application, the activation duration of the timer may be a time when the terminal device will not be moved or the range of movement is not large, so that the communication quality between the terminal device and the network device may not change significantly during the activation duration of the timer. For example, the terminal device can choose to measure SSB or not measure SSB within each SNTC window time within the activation duration of the timer, and measure SSB after the activation duration of the timer. In this way, the terminal device can reduce the measurement of communication quality and, to a certain extent, ensure that the obtained communication quality is real-time / true communication quality.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the first information includes an activation duration of a timer.

[0012] In the solution provided in the present application, the activation duration of the timer is included in the first information, and there is no need to send the activation duration of the timer additionally, which can reduce some unnecessary waste of communication resources and improve communication efficiency.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the first information further indicates a measurement mode, and the terminal device measures the SSB based on the measurement mode.

[0014] In the solution provided in the present application, the measurement mode is used to indicate whether the terminal device measures SSB in each SMTC window time in one or more consecutive SMTC window times. Compared with the terminal device continuously measuring SSB or continuously not measuring SSB, measuring SSB based on the measurement mode can reduce the measurement of communication quality and, to a certain extent, ensure that the obtained communication quality is real-time / real communication quality.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the first information includes an index of a measurement mode when the terminal device measures SSB.

[0016] In the solution provided in this application, there may be multiple measurement modes. The measurement mode may include an indication of whether the terminal device measures SSB within multiple SMTC windows. Therefore, the communication resources required to indicate the measurement mode may be greater than the communication resources required to indicate the index of the measurement mode. Therefore, indicating the measurement mode by the index of the measurement mode can reduce the waste of communication resources.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the measurement mode is represented by a bitmap.

[0018] In one possible implementation method, each value in the bitmap corresponds to an SMTC window time. The first value in the bitmap indicates that the terminal device does not measure SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time. The second value in the bitmap indicates that the terminal device measures SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the first information also indicates the antenna panel used by the terminal device when measuring SSB.

[0020] In the solution provided in this application, when a terminal device has multiple antenna panels, the terminal device sends the antenna panels used in the SMTC to the network device, allowing the network device to obtain the measurement results of multiple antenna panels (multiple SMTC windows can correspond to multiple antenna panels), and further understand whether the measurement results of the multiple antenna panels are balanced, etc., so that the measurement results of the multiple antenna panels can be used as the basis for subsequent decision-making switching and scheduling. For example, the network device can use the measurement results of the antenna panel to decide whether to switch to the antenna panel corresponding to the best measurement result, or the network device can also comprehensively determine whether to schedule multi-stream data and use an appropriate modulation and coding scheme (MCS) based on the measurement results of multiple antenna panels.

[0021] In a possible implementation, uplink and downlink transmission includes monitoring downlink control information (DCI), transmitting and / or receiving uplink and downlink channels or signals.

[0022] On the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be executed by a network device, or by a component configured in the network device (such as a chip, a chip system, etc.), or by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the network device. This application does not limit this.

[0023] Exemplarily, the method includes: receiving first information, the first information being used to indicate whether the terminal device measures the synchronization signal block SSB in at least one measurement timing configuration SMTC window time; and performing uplink and downlink transmission with the terminal device in the SMTC window time in which the terminal device does not measure the SSB in at least one SMTC window time based on the first information.

[0024] In the solution provided in the present application, the network device receives first information from the terminal device, and the first information can indicate whether the terminal device performs measurement or not at least one SMTC window time, so that the network device can obtain information on whether the terminal device measures SSB at each SMTC window time, and then the network device can schedule the terminal device at the SMTC window time when the terminal device does not measure SSB, so that the network device can perform uplink and downlink transmission with the terminal device at the SMTC window time when the terminal device does not measure SSB (or, the network device schedules the terminal device to receive or send data), thereby improving the communication efficiency between the terminal device and the network device.

[0025] It should be understood that the executor of the second aspect can be a network device, and the specific content of the second aspect corresponds to the content of the first aspect. The corresponding features of the second aspect and the beneficial effects achieved can refer to the description of the first aspect. To avoid repetition, the detailed description is appropriately omitted here.

[0026] In a possible implementation method, the method further includes: receiving an activation duration of a timer, where the activation duration of the timer is used to instruct the terminal device to measure the SSB based on the first information within the activation duration of the timer.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the first information includes an activation duration of a timer.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the first information further indicates a measurement mode, and the terminal device measures the SSB based on the measurement mode.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the first information includes an index of a measurement mode when the terminal device measures SSB.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the measurement mode is represented by a bitmap.

[0031] In one possible implementation method, each value in the bitmap corresponds to an SMTC window time. The first value in the bitmap indicates that the terminal device does not measure SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time. The second value in the bitmap indicates that the terminal device measures SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the first information also indicates the antenna panel used by the terminal device when measuring SSB.

[0033] In a possible implementation, uplink and downlink transmission includes monitoring downlink control information (DCI), transmitting and / or receiving uplink and downlink channels or signals.

[0034] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which may be a terminal device or a device in the terminal device (for example, a chip, or a chip system, or a circuit).

[0035] The beneficial effects can be found in the description of the first aspect and will not be repeated here. The communication device has the function of implementing the behavior in the method example of the first aspect. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes:

[0037] A transceiver unit sends a first information to a network device, where the first information is used to indicate whether the terminal device measures the synchronization signal block SSB in at least one measurement timing configuration SMTC window time; a processing unit is used to perform uplink and downlink transmission with the network device in an SMTC window time in which the SSB is not measured in the at least one SMTC window time according to the first information.

[0038] In one possible implementation method, the transceiver unit is also used to send the activation duration of the timer, and the activation duration of the timer is used to instruct the terminal device to measure SSB based on the first information within the activation duration of the timer.

[0039] In a possible implementation, the first information includes an activation duration of a timer.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the first information further indicates a measurement mode, and the terminal device measures the SSB based on the measurement mode.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the first information includes an index of a measurement mode when the terminal device measures SSB.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the measurement mode is represented by a bitmap.

[0043] In one possible implementation method, each value in the bitmap corresponds to an SMTC window time. The first value in the bitmap indicates that the terminal device does not measure SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time. The second value in the bitmap indicates that the terminal device measures SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time.

[0044] In one possible implementation, the first information also indicates the antenna panel used by the terminal device when measuring SSB.

[0045] In a possible implementation, uplink and downlink transmission includes monitoring downlink control information (DCI), transmitting and / or receiving uplink and downlink channels or signals.

[0046] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which may be a terminal device or a device in a terminal device (for example, a chip, or a chip system, or a circuit).

[0047] The beneficial effects can be found in the description of the second aspect and will not be repeated here. The communication device has the function of implementing the behavior in the method example of the second aspect. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0048] In one possible implementation, the communication device may include:

[0049] The transceiver unit is used to receive first information, where the first information is used to indicate whether the terminal device measures the synchronization signal block SSB in at least one measurement timing configuration SMTC window time; the processing unit is used to perform uplink and downlink transmission with the terminal device in the SMTC window time in which the terminal device does not measure the SSB in at least one SMTC window time based on the first information.

[0050] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further used to receive the activation duration of the timer, and the activation duration of the timer is used to instruct the terminal device to measure the SSB based on the first information within the activation duration of the timer.

[0051] In a possible implementation, the first information includes an activation duration of a timer.

[0052] In one possible implementation, the first information further indicates a measurement mode, and the terminal device measures the SSB based on the measurement mode.

[0053] In one possible implementation, the first information includes an index of a measurement mode when the terminal device measures SSB.

[0054] In one possible implementation, the measurement mode is represented by a bitmap.

[0055] In one possible implementation method, each value in the bitmap corresponds to an SMTC window time. The first value in the bitmap indicates that the terminal device does not measure SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time. The second value in the bitmap indicates that the terminal device measures SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time.

[0056] In one possible implementation, the first information also indicates the antenna panel used by the terminal device when measuring SSB.

[0057] In a possible implementation, uplink and downlink transmission includes monitoring downlink control information (DCI), transmitting and / or receiving uplink and downlink channels or signals.

[0058] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, which may be a terminal device or a device in a terminal device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). The communication device may include a processor, a memory, an input interface, and an output interface, wherein the input interface is used to receive information from other communication devices outside the communication device, and the output interface is used to output information to other communication devices outside the communication device. The processor calls the computer program stored in the memory to execute the communication method provided in the first aspect or any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0059] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, which may be a network device or a device in a network device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). The communication device may include a processor, a memory, an input interface, and an output interface, wherein the input interface is used to receive information from other communication devices outside the communication device, and the output interface is used to output information to other communication devices outside the communication device. The processor calls the computer program stored in the memory to perform the communication method provided in the second aspect or any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0060] In the seventh aspect, the present application provides a communication system, which includes at least one terminal device and at least one network device. When at least one of the aforementioned terminal devices and at least one of the aforementioned network devices are operating in the communication system, it is used to execute the communication method described in the first aspect or the second aspect above.

[0061] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon. When the computer program or computer instructions are executed, the method described in the above-mentioned first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, and the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof is executed.

[0062] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising executable instructions, which, when run on a communication device, enables the method described in the above-mentioned first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, and the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof to be executed.

[0063] In a tenth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising a processor and further comprising a memory, for implementing the methods of the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, and the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof. The communication device may be a system-on-a-chip, which may be comprised of a chip or may include a chip and other discrete components.

[0064] In an eleventh aspect, the present application provides a computer program, comprising a program code. When a computer runs the computer program, the program code executes the communication method provided in the first aspect or any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0065] In a twelfth aspect, the present application provides a chip comprising a processor, the processor being configured to execute the communication method provided in the first aspect or any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0066] In the thirteenth aspect, the present application provides a chip system comprising at least one processor, a memory and an interface circuit, wherein the memory, the interface circuit and at least one processor are interconnected through lines, and instructions are stored in at least one memory; when the instructions are executed by the processor, the communication method provided in the first aspect or any embodiment of the first aspect is implemented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0067] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0068] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system;

[0069] FIG2 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0075] The at least one (item) involved in the embodiments of the present application as follows indicates one (item) or more (items). More (items) refers to two (items) or more than two (items). "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. In addition, it should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe each object in the embodiments of the present application, these objects should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish each object from each other.

[0076] The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof mentioned in the following description of the embodiments of the present application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally includes other steps or units that are not listed, or optionally includes other steps or units that are inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices. It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions. Any method or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other methods or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way.

[0077] (1) Extended reality (XR)

[0078] In recent years, with the continuous development of the fifth-generation (5G) communication system, data transmission latency has been continuously reduced and transmission capacity has been increasing. 5G communication systems have gradually penetrated into some multimedia services with strong real-time requirements and large data capacity requirements, such as video transmission, cloud gaming (CG), and XR, among which XR includes virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

[0079] With the rapid increase in communication transmission rates, real-time video transmission has gradually become one of the core services in current networks. The continuous advancement and improvement of extended reality technology has also led to the rapid development of related industries. Today, VR technology, as a type of XR, has entered various fields closely related to people's production and daily life, such as education, entertainment, military, medical care, environmental protection, transportation, and public health. Compared with traditional video services, VR offers advantages such as multiple perspectives and strong interactivity, providing users with a brand new visual experience.

[0080] In addition to smartphones, people are increasingly looking to enhance their XR experience through terminal devices such as head-mounted displays (HMDs) or smart glasses (such as VR glasses and AR glasses). Unlike smartphones, head-mounted displays and smart glasses require more consideration of power consumption. Smart glasses, in particular, are very small in size, similar to prescription glasses, and are expected to be worn for long periods of time, so power consumption control is significantly higher than that of smartphones. In cloud gaming, the UE can be a smartphone or a tablet. For long-term cloud gaming experiences, the power consumption of the device and the battery life are also important aspects to consider. Therefore, as XR devices become increasingly lightweight, the power consumption of the device has become a key issue in current research while ensuring user experience.

[0081] (2) Synchronous Signal Measurement Timing Configuration (SMTC)

[0082] To avoid high power consumption caused by unnecessary searches by terminal devices, NR introduces the concept of SMTC. SMTC is a window configured by the network for terminal devices to perform SSB measurements. The UE only needs to perform SSB measurements within the SMTC window and does not need to perform SSB measurements outside the window. SMTC period and offset can be configured based on the SSB period and offset. Terminal devices measure NR SSBs based on the SMTC window configured by the network. SMTC can be configured for SSBs at different frequencies. For intra-frequency measurements in connected mode, the network can configure up to two SMTC windows per frequency for the terminal device. For inter-frequency measurements in connected mode, the network can configure up to one SMTC window per frequency for the terminal device. The configuration parameters of an SMTC window include: SMTC timing: The period and offset of the SMTC window. The SMTC period can be 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, or 160 ms. SMTC duration: The length of the SMTC window, which also has a granularity of 1 ms and can be 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 meters.

[0083] First, in order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the technical problems to be specifically solved by the present application are further analyzed and proposed.

[0084] According to the existing protocol (38.133), when a terminal device uses the SSB in the SMTC to perform L1-RSRP measurements on the FR2 serving cell and the co-frequency neighboring cell, the scheduling is restricted, and "the terminal device does not expect to send the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) / physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) / channel sounding reference signal (SRS) or receive the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) / physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) / channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS)..." That is to say, for the SSB to be measured, scheduling is restricted from the first symbol to the last symbol. Since the network equipment does not know when the terminal device will perform co-frequency neighboring cell measurements and which SSBs will be measured, this actually means that the SMTC window for measuring SSBs is subject to the scheduling restrictions specified by RAN4. Therefore, assuming that the SMTC window is 5 milliseconds per 20 millisecond time period, if 64 SSBs are to be measured, the network equipment cannot assume that it can schedule the terminal device for nearly 20% of the time, resulting in a problem of low network system capacity.

[0085] Currently, there are many technical solutions for implementing scheduling constraints, some of which are exemplified below:

[0086] Solution: The current NR specification allows the network to configure a search threshold (such as s-MeasureConfig) for terminal devices in connected mode to reduce co-frequency measurements. If the network configures a search threshold for the terminal device, the terminal device is allowed to not perform measurements on non-serving cells, thereby reducing scheduling constraints.

[0087] Disadvantages of this solution: If the terminal device does not perform co-frequency measurement, this may lead to idle scheduling opportunities. Since the network side does not know when the terminal device reaches the search threshold, the network device still needs to comply with the predefined scheduling restrictions, which reduces the communication efficiency between the terminal device and the network device.

[0088] Therefore, the technical problems to be solved by the present application may include: the network system complies with predefined scheduling restrictions, thereby causing the capacity of the network system to decrease. In an embodiment of the present application, the network device can determine, based on the instructions of the terminal device, which SMTC window times to perform same-frequency measurements and which SMTC window times not to perform same-frequency measurements, thereby performing uplink and downlink scheduling during the SMTC window times notified by the terminal device for not performing measurements, thereby improving the communication efficiency between the terminal device and the network device.

[0089] The technology provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems. For example, the communication system can be a third generation (3G) communication system (such as evolved universal terrestrial radio access and NR dual connection (evolved universal terrestrial radio access, E-UTRA), universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS)), fourth generation (4G) communication system (such as long term evolution (LTE) system), fifth generation (5G) communication system, world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) or wireless local area network (WLAN) system, or a fusion system of multiple systems, or a future communication system, such as a sixth generation (6G) communication system. Among them, the 5G communication system can also be called a new radio (NR) system.

[0090] A network element in a communication system can send a signal to another network element or receive a signal from another network element. The signal may include information or data, etc. The network element may also be referred to as an entity, a network entity, a device, a communication device, a communication module, a node, a communication node, etc. The embodiments of the present application are described using a network element as an example. For example, a communication system may include at least one terminal device and at least one network device. The signal-sending network element may be a network device, and the signal-receiving network element may be a terminal device; or, the signal-sending network element may be a terminal device, and the signal-receiving network element may be a network device. In addition, it can be understood that if the communication system includes multiple terminal devices, multiple terminal devices can also send signals to each other, that is, the signal-sending network element and the signal-receiving network element may both be terminal devices.

[0091] 1 illustrates a communication system. As an example, the communication system includes a network device 110 and two terminal devices, namely, a terminal device 120 and a terminal device 130. At least one of the terminal devices 120 and 130 can send uplink data to the network device 110, and the network device 110 can receive the uplink data. The network device can also send downlink data to at least one of the terminal devices 120 and 130.

[0092] The terminal device and network device involved in FIG1 are described in detail below.

[0093] Terminal equipment, also known as terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), or mobile terminal (MT), provides voice and / or data connectivity to users. Terminal equipment can communicate with one or more core network devices through network equipment. Terminal equipment includes handheld devices with wireless connectivity, other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, or in-vehicle devices. Terminal equipment can be portable, pocket-sized, handheld, built into a computer, or in-vehicle. Some examples of terminal devices include: personal communication service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless network cameras, mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices such as smart watches, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, terminals in vehicle networking systems, wireless terminals in self-driving cars, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities such as smart gas pumps, terminal devices on high-speed trains, and wireless terminals in smart homes such as smart speakers, smart coffee machines, and smart printers.

[0094] In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device for realizing the functions of the terminal device may be a terminal device, or a terminal device having some terminal functions, or a device capable of supporting the terminal device to realize the functions, such as a chip system, which may be installed in the terminal device. In the embodiments of the present application, the chip system may be composed of a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete devices. In the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, the communication device for realizing the functions of the terminal device is described as a terminal device or UE as an example.

[0095] In the embodiments of the present application, "sending information to... (terminal device)" can be understood as the destination end of the information being the terminal device, and can include directly or indirectly sending information to the terminal device. "Receiving information from... (terminal device)" can be understood as the source end of the information being the terminal device, and can include directly or indirectly receiving information from the terminal device. The information may be processed as necessary between the source end and the destination end of the information transmission, such as format changes, etc., but the destination end can understand the valid information from the source end. Similar expressions in this application can be understood similarly and will not be repeated here.

[0096] A network device may be a base station (BS), which may also be referred to as an access network device, an access node (AN), or a radio access node (RAN). The network device may be connected to a core network (such as an LTE core network or a 5G core network) and may provide wireless access services to terminal devices. Examples of some network devices include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: a next-generation node B (gNB) in 5G, a network device in an open radio access network (O-RAN), an evolved node B (eNB), 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., home evolved node B, or home node B, HNB), a transmitting and receiving point (TRP), a transmitting point (TP), and / or a mobile switching center; or, the network device may be a relay station, an access point, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, or a network device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN). The network device in the embodiment of the present application may be an integrated base station, or may be a base station including a centralized unit (CU) and / or a distributed unit (DU). A base station including a CU and a DU may also be referred to as a base station with separate CU and DU, such as a base station including a gNB-CU and a gNB-DU. The CU may also be separated into a CU control plane (CU-CP) and a CU user plane (CU-UP), such as a base station including a gNB-CU-CP, a gNB-CU-UP, and a gNB-DU. Alternatively, the network device in the embodiments of the present application may also be an antenna unit (RU). Alternatively, the network device in the embodiments of the present application may also be an open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific deployment method of the network device.Exemplarily, when the network device is an O-RAN architecture, the network device shown in the embodiment of the present application can be an access network device in the O-RAN, such as a combination of one or more of a CU, a DU, or an RU, or a module in the access network device. In an open radio access network (ORAN) system, the CU can also be referred to as an open (open, O)-CU, the CU-CP can also be referred to as an open (open, O)-CU-CP, the CU-UP can also be referred to as an open (open, O)-CU-UP, and the RU can also be referred to as an open (open, O)-RU.

[0097] In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device used to implement the network device function can be a network device, or a device that has some of the functions of a network device, or a device that can support the network device to implement the function. For example, a chip system can be installed in a network device. In the embodiments of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or it can include a chip and other discrete devices. In the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application, the communication device used to implement the network device function is a network device as an example for description.

[0098] In the embodiments of the present application, "sending information to ... (network device)" can be understood as the destination of the information being the network device, and can include directly or indirectly sending information to the network device. "Receiving information from ... (network device)" can be understood as the source of the information being the network device, and can include directly or indirectly receiving information from the network device. The information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination of the information, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood similarly and will not be repeated here.

[0099] It should be understood that the number and type of each device in the communication system shown in Figure 1 are for illustration only, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this. In actual applications, the communication system may also include more terminal devices, more network devices, and other network elements, for example, core network devices, and / or network management devices such as operation administration and maintenance (OAM) equipment.

[0100] The communication system and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0101] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication method mainly includes the following steps. It is understood that the steps and execution order illustrated in Figure 2 are only provided as an example. In actual implementation, some steps or the remaining steps may be executed. Similarly, the execution order of the steps may also be adjusted, and this embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0102] S201, the terminal device sends first information to the network device, where the first information is used to indicate whether the terminal device measures the synchronization signal block SSB in at least one measurement timing configuration SMTC window time.

[0103] Correspondingly, the network device receives the first information sent by the terminal device.

[0104] Since the reference signal measured by the terminal device - the synchronization signal block (SSB) is not continuous in the time domain, in order to avoid the terminal device from continuously searching and measuring the SSB in the time domain, the concept of a measurement window - (SSB measurement timing configuration, SMTC) window is introduced in the mobile communication system. The terminal device can perform same-frequency neighboring cell measurements and inter-frequency cell measurements within the SMTC window. The SMTC window is a window for SSB measurement configured by the network device for the terminal device. The terminal device can perform SSB measurements within the SMTC window time and does not need to perform measurements outside the window time. The SMTC configuration may include the period of SMTC and the size of the SMTC window. The period of SMTC can be 5 / 10 / 20 / 40 / 80 / 160ms. The size of the SMTC window, that is, the SMTC window time (duration), can be 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5ms. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0105] In one possible implementation, the terminal device may send the first information through radio resource control (RRC), medium access control element (MAC CE) signaling, or uplink control information (UCI). That is, the first information is included in RRC, MAC CE, or UCI information. In other words, the first information may be carried in an RRC message, MAC CE signaling, or UCI information sent by the terminal device to the network device.

[0106] In a possible implementation, the first information instructs the terminal device to continue not measuring the SSB or to continue measuring the SSB after sending the first information until the next first information is sent.

[0107] Exemplarily, the terminal device sends a first message A to the network device, and the first message A is used to instruct the terminal device to continue not performing measurements during at least one SMTC window time. That is, the terminal device starts from sending the first message A and continues not performing measurements during the next SMTC window time. After the network device receives the first message A, it can be known that the terminal device continues not performing measurements during the next SMTC window time. Until the terminal device sends a new first message, such as the first message B, to the network device, the first message B is used to instruct the terminal device to continue measuring during at least one SMTC window time. That is, the terminal device starts from sending the first message B and performs measurements during the next SMTC window time. After the network device receives the first message B, it can be known that the terminal device continues to measure during the next SMTC window time. That is, the first message is used to instruct the terminal device to continue not performing measurements (or continue to perform measurements) after sending the first message until the next first message is sent, and the next first message is used to instruct the terminal device to continue measuring (or continue not performing measurements) after sending the first message.

[0108] Exemplarily, the first information may be reported via a UE assistance information (UAI) message in an RRC message. For example, an enumeration type or Boolean type variable may be added to the UAI message to represent the first information. Whether the terminal device performs measurement or not during the SMTC window time is determined by the value of the variable. In one example, when the first information is represented by an enumeration type variable, if the value of the enumeration type variable includes "1" and "2", the terminal device may be instructed to perform measurement during the SMTC window time by setting the value of the enumeration type variable to "1", and the terminal device may be instructed not to perform measurement during the SMTC window time by setting the value of the enumeration type variable to "2". Alternatively, the terminal device may be instructed not to perform measurement during the SMTC window time by setting the value of the enumeration type variable to "1", and the terminal device may be instructed to perform measurement during the SMTC window time by setting the value of the enumeration type variable to "2". In another example, when the first information is represented by a Boolean variable, the terminal device may be instructed to perform measurements during the SMTC window time by setting the Boolean variable to "TRUE", and the terminal device may be instructed not to perform measurements during the SMTC window time by setting the Boolean variable to "FALSE". Alternatively, the terminal device may be instructed not to perform measurements during the SMTC window time by setting the Boolean variable to "TRUE", and the terminal device may be instructed to perform measurements during the SMTC window time by setting the Boolean variable to "FALSE".

[0109] Exemplarily, MAC CE signaling can be added to indicate whether the terminal device performs measurements. For example, in MAC CE signaling, the value of the variable N indicates whether the terminal device performs measurements. When the value of N is 0, it indicates that the terminal device performs measurements; when the value of N is 1, it indicates that the terminal device does not perform measurements. Alternatively, when the value of N is 0, it indicates that the terminal device does not perform measurements; when the value of N is 1, it indicates that the terminal device performs measurements.

[0110] Exemplarily, one bit may be used in the UCI to indicate whether the terminal device performs measurement. For example, when the value of the bit is 0, it indicates that the terminal device performs measurement, and when the value of the bit is 1, it indicates that the terminal device does not perform measurement. Alternatively, when the value of the bit is 0, it indicates that the terminal device does not perform measurement, and when the value of the bit is 1, it indicates that the terminal device performs measurement.

[0111] In a possible implementation, the first information further indicates a measurement mode, and the terminal device measures the SSB based on the measurement mode.

[0112] Among them, the measurement mode is used to indicate whether the terminal device performs measurements on each SMTC window time in one or more consecutive SMTC window times. It is understandable that the consecutive SMTC window times may be discontinuous in timing. That is, there may be a time interval between one SMTC window time and the next SMTC window time. Continuous SMTC window times may mean that there are no other SMTC window times between one SMTC window time and the next SMTC window time.

[0113] Exemplarily, if the measurement mode is used to indicate whether the terminal device performs measurement at each SMTC window time in four consecutive SMTC windows, assuming that the four consecutive SMTC windows are SMTC window time a, SMTC window time b, SMTC window time c, and SMTC window time d, then the measurement mode can be used to indicate whether the terminal device performs measurement at SMTC window time a, whether to perform measurement at SMTC window time b, whether to perform measurement at SMTC window time c, and whether to perform measurement at SMTC window time d. For example, the first information for indicating the measurement mode is 10100000, which can indicate that the terminal device measures SSB at SMTC window time 0 (the first SMTC window time) and SMTC window time 2 (the third SMTC window time) in the next eight SMTC window times, and does not measure SSB at SMTC window time 1 (the second SMTC window time) and SMTC window time 3-8 (the fourth to eighth SMTC window times).

[0114] In one possible implementation, N variables (e.g., enumerated variables or Boolean variables) can be used to indicate whether the terminal device performs measurements during the N SMTC window times. For specific implementations, refer to the above-mentioned implementation of indicating whether the terminal device performs measurements through Boolean variables or enumerated variables, which will not be repeated here.

[0115] In a possible implementation, the measurement mode may be represented by a bitmap.

[0116] In one possible implementation, each value in the bitmap corresponds to an SMTC window time, and the value in the bitmap is the first value, indicating that the terminal device does not measure SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time, and the value in the bitmap is the second value, indicating that the terminal device measures SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time. That is, in the bitmap, the value of each bit is used to indicate whether the terminal device performs measurement during a corresponding SMTC window time. For example, in the bitmap, the value of the bit is the first value (for example, 0), indicating that the terminal device does not perform measurement during the SMTC window time corresponding to the bit, and the value of the bit is the second value (for example, 1), indicating that the terminal device performs measurement during the SMTC window time corresponding to the bit. Alternatively, the value of the bit is the first value (for example, 1), indicating that the terminal device does not perform measurement during the SMTC window time corresponding to the bit, and the value of the bit is the second value (for example, 0), indicating that the terminal device performs measurement during the SMTC window time corresponding to the bit.

[0117] Exemplarily, if the measurement mode is used to indicate whether the terminal device performs measurement at each of M consecutive SMTC window times, then a bitmap of M bits can be used to indicate whether the terminal device performs measurement at each of the M consecutive SMTC window times. For example, if in the bitmap, the value of a bit is 1 to indicate that the terminal device performs measurement at the SMTC window time, and the value of a bit is 0 to indicate that the terminal device does not perform measurement at the SMTC window time, when M=4, if the values ​​of each bit in the bitmap are 1001 respectively, it means that the terminal device performs measurement at one SMTC window time, then does not perform measurement at two consecutive SMTC window times, and then performs measurement at one SMTC window time.

[0118] In one possible implementation, the measurement mode can be represented by a combination of one or more indicator values ​​(for example, represented by 1-bit K) and one or more first indicator quantities (for example, represented by P1). The indicator value K is used to instruct the terminal device to perform measurements (or not to perform measurements) during the SMTC window time, and the first indicator quantity P1 is used to instruct the terminal device to perform measurements (or not to perform measurements) during consecutive P1 SMTC window times. That is, through the combination of the indicator value and the first indicator quantity, it can be indicated whether the terminal device performs measurements during consecutive P1 SMTC window times. In order to distinguish between K and P1 in the first information, the number of bits occupied by K and P1, that is, the bit widths of K and P1, can be predefined.

[0119] For example, the bit width of K is 1, and the bit width of P1 is 2. In the first information, K = "0" is used to instruct the terminal device not to perform measurement, and K = "1" is used to instruct the terminal device to perform measurement. If the first information includes "1 11 0 10 1 01", it may mean: K = 0, P1 = 3, K = 0, P1 = 2, K = 1, P1 = 1. Then, the first information may instruct the terminal device to first perform measurement on 3 consecutive SMTC window times, then not perform measurement on the next 2 consecutive SMTC window times, and then continue to perform measurement on the next 1 SMTC window time.

[0120] Furthermore, in a possible implementation, the indicator value itself can indicate whether the terminal device measures the SSB in an SMTC window time. That is, when the measurement mode can be represented by a combination of one or more indicator values ​​(for example, represented by K) and one or more second indicator quantities (for example, represented by P2), in the case where measurements are not performed (or not performed) in two or more SMTC window times continuously, the indicator value can be used to indicate whether the measurement is performed in an SMTC window time, without the need for the second indicator quantity P2. The indicator value K is used to indicate that the terminal device measures (or not measures) in the SMTC window time, and the second indicator quantity P2 is used to indicate that after the terminal device measures in one SMTC window time, it also measures (or does not measure) in the next P2 consecutive SMTC window times. In other words, through the combination of the indicator value and the second indicator quantity, it can be indicated whether the terminal device measures in consecutive P2+1 SMTC window times. In order to distinguish between K and P2 in the first information, the number of bits occupied by K and P2, that is, the bit width of K and P2, can be predefined.

[0121] Exemplarily, the bit width of K is 1, and the bit width of P2 is 2. In the first information, K = "0" indicates that the terminal device does not perform measurement, and K = "1" indicates that the terminal device performs measurement. In an example, if the first information includes "0 11 1 00 0 10", the meaning may be: K = 0, P2 = 3, K = 1, P2 = 0, K = 0, P2 = 2, then the first information may indicate that the terminal device first does not perform measurement in 4 consecutive SMTC window times, then performs measurement in the next 1 SMTC window time, and then continues not to perform measurement in the next 3 consecutive SMTC window times. If the indication value K itself does not indicate whether the terminal device measures SSB in one SMTC window time, it is necessary to use 3 bits (the values ​​of the 3 bits are 1, 0, 0 respectively) to indicate whether measurement is performed in 4 consecutive SMTC window times. If the indication value itself also indicates whether the terminal device performs measurements during an SMTC window time, two bits (the values ​​of the two bits are 1 and 1, respectively) can be used to indicate whether measurements are performed during four consecutive SMTC window times. For example, in the combination of K = 0 and P2 = 3, two bits can indicate that SSB measurements are not performed during four SMTC window times. Here, by having K itself indicate whether measurements are performed during an SMTC window time, indication overhead can be reduced. In another example, if the first information includes "0 00 1 11 0 00 1 00", the meaning may be: K=0, P2=0, K=1, P2=3, K=0, P2=0, K=1, P2=0, then the first information can instruct the terminal device to first not perform measurement on P2+1, that is, 1 SMTC window time, and then perform measurement on the next P2+1, that is, 4 SMTC window times, and then continue not to perform measurement on the next P2+1, that is, 1 SMTC window time, and then perform measurement on the next P2+1, that is, 1 SMTC window time.

[0122] In a possible implementation, before the network device receives the next measurement pattern, it may continue to use the latest measurement pattern currently received to determine whether the terminal device measures the SSB at each SMTC window time.

[0123] Exemplarily, the network device receives the first information A and the first information C in sequence, where the first information A includes measurement mode a and the first information C includes measurement mode c. After receiving the first information A, the network device determines whether the terminal device measures SSB at each SMTC window time based on the measurement mode a in the first information A. Since the first information C includes measurement mode c, the latest measurement mode received becomes measurement mode c, which indicates that the terminal device measures SSB according to the new measurement mode (i.e., measurement mode c). Therefore, after receiving the first information C, the network device measures SSB based on the measurement mode c in the first information c.

[0124] In a possible implementation, the first information includes an index of a measurement mode when the terminal device measures SSB.

[0125] In one possible scenario, the terminal device may select from multiple measurement modes based on actual conditions, select one measurement mode, and perform measurements based on the selected measurement mode. Therefore, to save indication overhead, the index of the measurement mode can be indicated without having to indicate the measurement mode multiple times, thereby saving indication overhead.

[0126] Among them, multiple measurement modes can be specified in the protocol, or can be sent in advance by the terminal device to the network device, or can be sent in advance by the network device to the terminal device. This embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0127] Exemplarily, there are 4 measurement modes, whose indexes are 0-3 (or 1-4). If the index of the measurement mode included in the first information is 1 (or 2), it means that the terminal device uses the second measurement mode of the 4 measurement modes for measurement.

[0128] In a possible implementation, the first information further indicates the antenna panel used by the terminal device when measuring the SSB, for example, an antenna panel index.

[0129] A terminal device may have multiple antenna panels. When performing measurements, the terminal device needs to use the antenna panels. The first information also indicates the antenna panel used by the terminal device during the measurement. In other words, the first information indicates which antenna panel, among the multiple antenna panels, the terminal device used during the SMTC window time.

[0130] In one possible implementation, the first information may indicate an antenna panel used by the terminal device during multiple SMTC window times when measuring SSB. Alternatively, the first information may indicate the antenna panels used by the terminal device during multiple SMTC window times when measuring. This embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0131] In one example, the first information is 01, indicating that the antenna panels used when performing measurements during the SMTC window time are all antenna panels with an index of 1. In another example, the first information is 10100000 01 10, which may indicate that the terminal device performs SSB measurements during SMTC window time 0 and SMTC window time 2, and uses the antenna panel with an index of 1 when measuring SSB during SMTC window time 0, and uses the antenna panel with an index of 2 when measuring SSSB during SMTC window time 2. In other words, the terminal device can change the currently used antenna panel when performing measurements, such as switching to an antenna panel with a better signal, to improve communication quality.

[0132] In one possible implementation, the first information may indicate the antenna panel used by the terminal device for measuring SSB and the antenna panel used for uplink and downlink transmission. For example, the first information is 1 0 01 10, which may indicate that the antenna panel with index 1 (or 01) is used when measuring SSB, and the antenna panel with index 2 (or 10) is used when not measuring SSB but performing uplink and downlink transmission.

[0133] In a possible implementation, the terminal device may further send the activation duration of the timer to the network device.

[0134] Correspondingly, the network device receives the activation duration of the timer sent by the terminal device.

[0135] The activation duration of the timer is used to instruct the terminal device to perform measurements based on the first information within the activation duration of the timer.

[0136] Exemplarily, the timer is activated when the terminal device sends the first information or the network device receives the first information, and the activation time of the timer is entered. Alternatively, the timer is activated after a preset time interval after the terminal device sends the first information or the network device receives the first information, and the activation time of the timer is entered. Alternatively, the timer is activated when the terminal device sends the activation duration of the timer or the network device receives the activation duration of the timer, and the activation time of the timer is entered. Alternatively, the timer is activated after a preset time interval after the terminal device sends the activation duration of the timer or the network device receives the activation duration of the timer, and the activation time of the timer is entered. The embodiments of the present application are not limited to this. When the first information indicates that the terminal device continuously performs measurements (or continuously does not perform measurements), the activation duration of the timer is used to indicate the time (or duration) that the terminal device continuously performs measurements (or continuously does not perform measurements) in at least one SMTC window time. For example, if the activation duration of the timer is 5 seconds and the first information indicates that the terminal device continuously does not perform measurements, it means that after the terminal device sends the first information, the duration of not performing measurements in at least one SMTC window time is 5 seconds, and measurement starts after 5 seconds, or the default measurement mode is restored after 5 seconds.

[0137] Exemplarily, when the first information indicates that the terminal device performs measurement based on the measurement mode, the activation duration of the timer is used to indicate the duration for which the terminal device performs measurement based on the measurement mode in at least one SMTC window time. For example, if the activation duration of the timer is 5 seconds, and the first information indicates that the terminal device performs measurement based on the measurement mode, it means that the duration for which the terminal device performs measurement based on the measurement mode in at least one SMTC window time is 5 seconds, and measurement starts (or does not perform measurement) after 5 seconds, or the default measurement mode is restored after 5 seconds.

[0138] In one possible implementation, the first information includes the activation duration of the timer. That is, the activation duration of the timer can be included in the first information and does not need to be sent to the network device separately from the first information.

[0139] In a possible implementation, the activation duration of the timer may be predefined by a protocol.

[0140] In a possible implementation, each time the terminal device sends the first information or the activation duration of the timer, the timer needs to be reactivated.

[0141] S202: The network device performs uplink and downlink transmission with the terminal device based on the first information during at least one SMTC window time during which the terminal device does not measure the SSB. The transmission may include one or more of uplink transmission and downlink transmission.

[0142] Correspondingly, the terminal device performs uplink and downlink transmission with the network device during the SMTC window time in which the SSB is not measured based on the first information in at least one SMTC window time.

[0143] That is, during the SMTC window time instructing the terminal device not to perform measurement, the network device can schedule the terminal device to send data or receive data. In other words, the terminal device can be scheduled by the network device to send data or receive data.

[0144] For example, if a terminal device performs measurements during SMTC window time a and SMTC window time c, but does not perform measurements during SMTC window time b, SMTC window time d, and SMTC window time e, the network device may schedule the terminal device to send or receive data during one or more of SMTC window time b, SMTC window time d, and SMTC window time e. This reduces the idle time of the terminal device during the SMTC window time, allowing the terminal device to have more time to be scheduled for communication with the network device, thereby improving the communication efficiency between the terminal device and the network device.

[0145] Among them, uplink and downlink transmission may include monitoring DCI, transmitting and / or receiving uplink and downlink channels or signals, which can be understood as transmitting PUCCH / PUSCH / SRS or receiving PDCCH / PDSCH / CSI-RS.

[0146] Uplink transmission may carry data or signaling, including but not limited to PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, etc. In other words, the uplink transmission may be the transmission of uplink signaling, such as PUCCH; the transmission of uplink data, such as PUSCH; or a combination of uplink signaling and uplink data.

[0147] Downlink transmission may carry, but is not limited to, PDSCH, PDCCH, CSI-RS, etc. In other words, the downlink transmission may be downlink control signaling, such as PDCCH, downlink data, such as PDSCH, or a combination of downlink control signaling and downlink data.

[0148] S203: The terminal device performs measurement in at least one SMTC window time based on the first information.

[0149] That is, the terminal device performs measurement during the SMTC window time instructing the terminal device to perform measurement.

[0150] Among them, S203 is an optional step. It is represented by a dotted line in Figure 2. The execution order of S202 and S203 is not limited. In other words, S202 can be executed first, and then S203; or S203 can be executed first, and then S202; or S202 and S203 can be executed simultaneously, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0151] The following describes the device embodiments involved in the embodiments of the present application.

[0152] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device can be a terminal device or a device in the terminal device (for example, a chip, a chip system, or a circuit).

[0153] As shown in FIG3 , the communication device 300 may include:

[0154] The transceiver unit 301 is configured to send first information to the network device, where the first information is used to instruct the terminal device whether to measure a synchronization signal block (SSB) during at least one measurement timing configuration (SMTC) window time.

[0155] The processing unit 302 is configured to perform uplink and downlink transmission with the network device during an SMTC window time during which SSB measurement is not performed in the at least one SMTC window time according to the first information.

[0156] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 301 is also used to send the activation duration of the timer, and the activation duration of the timer is used to instruct the terminal device to measure the SSB based on the first information within the activation duration of the timer.

[0157] In a possible implementation, the first information includes an activation duration of a timer.

[0158] In one possible implementation, the first information further indicates a measurement mode, and the terminal device measures the SSB based on the measurement mode.

[0159] In one possible implementation, the first information includes an index of a measurement mode when the terminal device measures SSB.

[0160] In one possible implementation, the measurement mode is represented by a bitmap.

[0161] In one possible implementation method, each value in the bitmap corresponds to an SMTC window time. The first value in the bitmap indicates that the terminal device does not measure SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time. The second value in the bitmap indicates that the terminal device measures SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time.

[0162] In one possible implementation, the first information also indicates the antenna panel used by the terminal device when measuring SSB.

[0163] In a possible implementation, uplink and downlink transmission includes monitoring downlink control information (DCI), transmitting and / or receiving uplink and downlink channels or signals.

[0164] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 301 and the processing unit 302 , please refer to the relevant description of the terminal device in the method embodiment shown in FIG2 , which will not be repeated here.

[0165] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device can be a network device or a device in a network device (for example, a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). As shown in Figure 4, the communication device 400 may include:

[0166] The transceiver unit 401 is configured to receive first information, where the first information is used to indicate whether the terminal device measures a synchronization signal block (SSB) during at least one measurement timing configuration (SMTC) window time.

[0167] The processing unit 402 is configured to perform uplink and downlink transmission with the terminal device during an SMTC window time in which the terminal device does not measure the SSB in at least one SMTC window time based on the first information.

[0168] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 401 is also used to receive the activation duration of the timer, and the activation duration of the timer is used to instruct the terminal device to measure the SSB based on the first information within the activation duration of the timer.

[0169] In a possible implementation, the first information includes an activation duration of a timer.

[0170] In one possible implementation, the first information further indicates a measurement mode, and the terminal device measures the SSB based on the measurement mode.

[0171] In one possible implementation, the first information includes an index of a measurement mode when the terminal device measures SSB.

[0172] In one possible implementation, the measurement mode is represented by a bitmap.

[0173] In one possible implementation method, each value in the bitmap corresponds to an SMTC window time. The first value in the bitmap indicates that the terminal device does not measure SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time. The second value in the bitmap indicates that the terminal device measures SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time.

[0174] In one possible implementation, the first information also indicates the antenna panel used by the terminal device when measuring SSB.

[0175] In a possible implementation, uplink and downlink transmission includes monitoring downlink control information (DCI), transmitting and / or receiving uplink and downlink channels or signals.

[0176] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 401 and the processing unit 402 , reference may be made to the relevant description of the network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , which will not be repeated here.

[0177] In the device embodiments shown in Figures 3 and 4, when the communication device is a terminal device or a network device, the processing unit may also be a processor, the sending unit may also be a transmitter, and the receiving unit may also be a receiver; when the communication device is a device in a terminal device or a network device (for example, a chip, or a chip system, or a circuit), the processing unit may be a processor, the sending unit may be an output interface, pin or circuit, etc., and the receiving unit may be an input interface, pin or circuit, etc.

[0178] Based on the above network architecture, please refer to Figure 5, which is a structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 5, the device 500 may include one or more processors 501, which may also be referred to as a processing unit, and may implement certain control functions. The processor 501 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, etc. For example, it may be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control a communication device (such as a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal, a terminal chip, a DU or a CU, etc.), execute software programs, and process data of software programs.

[0179] In an optional design, the processor 501 may also store instructions 503 and / or data, and the instructions 503 and / or data can be executed by the processor so that the device 500 performs the method described in the above method embodiment.

[0180] In another optional design, the processor 501 may include a transceiver unit for implementing receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the transceiver unit may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, an interface circuit, or a communication interface. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit for implementing the receiving and transmitting functions may be separate or integrated. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit may be used for reading and writing code / data, or the transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit may be used for transmitting or delivering signals.

[0181] In another possible design, the apparatus 500 may include a circuit that can implement the functions of sending, receiving, or communicating in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0182] Optionally, the device 500 may include one or more memories 502, on which instructions 504 may be stored. The instructions may be executed on the processor, causing the device 500 to perform the method described in the above method embodiment. Optionally, the memory may also store data. Optionally, the processor may also store instructions and / or data. The processor and memory may be provided separately or integrated together. For example, the corresponding relationship described in the above method embodiment may be stored in the memory or in the processor.

[0183] Optionally, the apparatus 500 may further include a transceiver 505 and / or an antenna 506. The processor 501 may be referred to as a processing unit, which controls the apparatus 500. The transceiver 505 may be referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, a transceiver device, or a transceiver module, etc., which is configured to implement transceiver functions.

[0184] Optionally, the device 500 in the embodiment of the present application can be used to execute the method described in Figure 2 in the embodiment of the present application.

[0185] In one embodiment, the communication device 500 may be a terminal device or a device within the terminal device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). When the computer program instructions stored in the memory 502 are executed, the processor 501 is configured to perform the operations performed by the processing unit 302 in the above embodiment, and the transceiver 505 is configured to perform the operations performed by the transceiver unit 301 in the above embodiment. The transceiver 505 is also configured to send information to other communication devices outside the communication device. The above terminal device or device within the terminal device may also be configured to perform the various methods performed by the terminal device in the method embodiment of FIG. 2 , which will not be described in detail.

[0186] In one embodiment, the communication device 500 can be a network device or a device within the network device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). When the computer program instructions stored in the memory 502 are executed, the processor 501 is configured to execute the operations performed by the processing unit 402 in the above embodiment, and the transceiver 505 is configured to execute the operations performed by the transceiver unit 401 in the above embodiment. The transceiver 505 is also configured to receive information from other communication devices outside the communication device. The above network device or device within the network device can also be configured to execute the various methods executed by the network device in the method embodiment of FIG. 2 , which will not be described in detail.

[0187] The processor and transceiver described in this application can be implemented on an integrated circuit (IC), an analog IC, a radio frequency interface chip (RFIC), a mixed-signal IC, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a printed circuit board (PCB), an electronic device, etc. The processor and transceiver can also be manufactured using various IC process technologies, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), N-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS), P-type metal oxide semiconductor (positive channel metal oxide semiconductor, PMOS), bipolar junction transistor (BJT), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), etc.

[0188] The apparatus described in the above embodiments may be a terminal device or a network device, but the scope of the apparatus described in this application is not limited thereto, and the structure of the apparatus may not be limited to FIG5 . The apparatus may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the apparatus may be:

[0189] (1) An independent integrated circuit (IC), or chip, or chip system or subsystem;

[0190] (2) having a set of one or more ICs, optionally including a storage component for storing data and / or instructions;

[0191] (3) ASIC, such as modem (MSM);

[0192] (4) Modules that can be embedded in other devices;

[0193] (5) Receivers, terminals, smart terminals, cellular phones, wireless devices, handheld devices, mobile units, vehicle-mounted devices, network devices, cloud devices, artificial intelligence devices, machine devices, home devices, medical devices, industrial equipment, etc.;

[0194] (6)Others, etc.

[0195] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a structural diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application. For ease of explanation, Figure 6 only shows the main components of the terminal device. As shown in Figure 6, the terminal device 600 includes a processor, a memory, a control circuit, an antenna, and input and output devices. The processor is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, as well as to control the entire terminal, execute software programs, and process data of software programs. The memory is mainly used to store software programs and data. The radio frequency circuit is mainly used for converting baseband signals and radio frequency signals and processing radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input and output devices, such as touch screens, display screens, keyboards, etc., are mainly used to receive data input by users and output data to users.

[0196] When the terminal is powered on, the processor reads the software program from the storage unit, parses and executes the instructions of the software program, and processes the data of the software program. When data needs to be sent wirelessly, the processor performs baseband processing on the data to be sent and outputs the baseband signal to the RF circuit. The RF circuit processes the baseband signal to obtain an RF signal and transmits the RF signal to the outside in the form of electromagnetic waves via the antenna. When data is sent to the terminal, the RF circuit receives the RF signal via the antenna, which is further converted into a baseband signal and output to the processor. The processor converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0197] For ease of explanation, FIG6 shows only one memory and processor. In an actual terminal, there may be multiple processors and memories. The memory may also be referred to as a storage medium or storage device, etc., which is not limited in the present embodiment.

[0198] 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, executing software programs, and processing software program data. The processor in Figure 6 integrates the functions of both the baseband processor and the CPU. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the baseband processor and the CPU may also be independent processors interconnected via a bus or other technology. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a terminal may include multiple baseband processors to accommodate different network standards, multiple CPUs to enhance its processing capabilities, and that the various components of the terminal may be connected via various buses. The baseband processor may also be referred to as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The CPU may also be referred to as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The functionality for processing communication protocols and communication data may be built into the processor or stored as a software program in a storage unit, with the processor executing the software program to implement the baseband processing functionality.

[0199] In one example, the antenna and control circuitry with transceiver functions can be considered the transceiver unit 601 of the terminal device 600, and the processor with processing functions can be considered the processing unit 602 of the terminal device 600. As shown in Figure 6, the terminal device 600 includes a transceiver unit 601 and a processing unit 602. The transceiver unit may also be referred to as a transceiver, a transceiver, a transceiver device, etc. Optionally, the device in the transceiver unit 601 that implements the receiving function may be considered the receiving unit, and the device in the transceiver unit 601 that implements the transmitting function may be considered the transmitting unit, i.e., the transceiver unit 601 includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. For example, the receiving unit may also be referred to as a receiver, a receiver, a receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit may be referred to as a transmitter, a transmitter, or a transmitting circuit, etc. Optionally, the receiving unit and the transmitting unit may be a single integrated unit or multiple independent units. The receiving unit and the transmitting unit may be located in a single geographic location or dispersed across multiple geographic locations.

[0200] In one embodiment, transceiver unit 601 is configured to execute the operations performed by transceiver unit 301 in the above embodiment. Processing unit 602 is configured to execute the operations performed by processing unit 302 in the above embodiment. Terminal device 600 may also be configured to execute the various methods performed by the terminal device in the above two method embodiments, which will not be described in detail.

[0201] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When the program is executed by a processor, the program can implement the network device-related processes in the communication method provided in the above method embodiment.

[0202] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored. When the program is executed by a processor, it can implement the process related to the terminal device in the communication method provided by the above method embodiment.

[0203] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program, including program code. When a computer runs the computer program, the program code executes the communication method provided in the above embodiment.

[0204] The present application provides a chip including a processor, and the processor is used to execute the communication method provided in the above embodiment.

[0205] The present application provides a chip system, including at least one processor, a memory and an interface circuit. The memory, the interface circuit and the at least one processor are interconnected through lines, and instructions are stored in the at least one memory. When the instructions are executed by the processor, the communication method provided in the above embodiment is implemented.

[0206] The present application also provides a computer program product that, when executed on a computer or processor, causes the computer or processor to perform one or more steps of any of the aforementioned communication methods. If the various components of the aforementioned devices are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they may be stored in the computer-readable storage medium.

[0207] The present application also provides a chip system, including at least one processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface and the at least one processor are interconnected via a line, and the at least one processor is configured to execute a computer program or instruction to perform some or all of the steps described in any one of the method embodiments corresponding to FIG2 . The chip system may be composed of a chip alone, or may include a chip and other discrete components.

[0208] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, which includes a terminal device and a network device. For a specific description, please refer to the communication method shown in Figure 2.

[0209] It should be understood that the memory mentioned 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 hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), 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 but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM) and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). Memory is any other medium that can be used to carry or store a desired program code with an instruction or data structure form and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiment of the present application can also be a circuit or other arbitrarily capable of implementing a storage function, for storing program instructions and / or data.

[0210] It should also be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may 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.

[0211] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) is integrated into the processor.

[0212] It should be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but not be limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0213] It should be understood that in the 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.

[0214] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments provided 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.

[0215] 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.

[0216] 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.

[0217] 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.

[0218] 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.

[0219] 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 technology 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, server, or 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 ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0220] The steps in the method of the embodiment of the present application can be adjusted in order, combined and deleted according to actual needs.

[0221] The modules / units in the device of the embodiment of the present application can be merged, divided and deleted according to actual needs.

[0222] As described above, the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Sending first information to the network device, where the first information is used to instruct the terminal device whether to measure the synchronization signal block SSB during at least one measurement timing configuration SMTC window time; According to the first information, uplink and downlink transmission is performed with the network device during the SMTC window time in which SSB measurement is not performed in the at least one SMTC window time.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: The activation duration of the sending timer is used to indicate that the terminal device measures SSB based on the first information within the activation duration of the timer.

3. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Receive first information, where the first information is used to indicate whether the terminal device measures a synchronization signal block (SSB) during at least one measurement timing configuration (SMTC) window time; Based on the first information, uplink and downlink transmission is performed with the terminal device during the SMTC window time in which the terminal device does not measure SSB in the at least one SMTC window time.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The method further comprises: The activation duration of the receiving timer is used to indicate that the terminal device measures SSB based on the first information within the activation duration of the timer.

5. The method according to claim 2 or 4, characterized in that The first information includes the activation duration of the timer.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The first information further indicates a measurement mode, and the terminal device measures the SSB based on the measurement mode.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The first information includes an index of the measurement mode when the terminal device measures SSB.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that The measurement mode is represented by a bitmap.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that Each value in the bitmap corresponds to an SMTC window time respectively. The first value in the bitmap indicates that the terminal device does not measure SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time. The second value in the bitmap indicates that the terminal device measures SSB during the corresponding SMTC window time.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The first information also indicates the antenna panel used by the terminal device when measuring SSB.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that The uplink and downlink transmission includes monitoring downlink control information DCI, transmitting and / or receiving uplink and downlink channels or signals.

12. A communication device, characterized in that: Comprising means for performing the method according to any one of claims 1-2 or 5-11.

13. A communication device, characterized in that: Comprising means for performing the method according to any one of claims 3-11.

14. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device includes a processor and a storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores instructions. When the instructions are executed by the processor, the method according to any one of claims 1-2 or 5-11 is implemented, or the method according to any one of claims 3-11 is implemented.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium includes instructions, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 2 or 5 to 11 is implemented, or the method according to any one of claims 3 to 11 is implemented.

16. A computer program, characterized in that The computer program comprises a program code, and when a computer runs the computer program, the program code executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 2 or 5 to 11, or executes the method according to any one of claims 3 to 11.

17. A communication system, characterized in that: The device comprises the communication device according to claim 12 and the communication device according to claim 13.

18. A chip, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 2 or 5 to 11, or execute the method according to any one of claims 3 to 11.

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