Communication method and related device

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a communication method and a related device, which are used for implementing a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous reception mechanism in a connected state in a multicast service scenario, thereby reducing the power consumption of a network device. The communication method comprises: a network device transmitting first information to a terminal device in a connected state, wherein the first information instructs the network device to configure a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous reception mechanism of a multicast service.

Description

Communication method and related equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on February 7, 2024, with application number 202410174561.7 and invention name “Communication Method and Related Equipment”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to communication methods and related equipment. Background Art

[0003] With the continuous development of the information age and the widespread use of network communications, green communications has become a hot topic. Green communications aims to reduce the power consumption of communication systems, reduce the generation of electronic waste, and improve the efficient use of resources. Among these, reducing the power consumption of communication equipment has attracted widespread attention.

[0004] In related communication methods, network devices in multicast service scenarios send the same data to multiple terminal devices at the same time. The network devices always keep downlinks open to send data, which continuously consumes power and results in high power consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The system configures a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous reception mechanism for multicast services, and sends first information indicating the configuration to a terminal device in a connected state, so that the terminal device synchronizes the configuration. For a network device, configuring a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a multicast service means that when the network device transmits data related to the multicast service to a terminal device in a connected state, it does not need to transmit continuously, but instead transmits data within a specific time period according to the definition of the cell discontinuous mechanism, thereby saving power consumption of the network device.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a network device, comprising:

[0007] The network device sends a first message to a terminal device in a connected state, and the first message instructs the network device to configure a cell discontinuous mechanism for a multicast service. The terminal device being in a connected state indicates that the terminal device and the base station, the base station and the core network have established a communication connection for the terminal device, and data transmission can be performed at any time. Multicast service is a point-to-multipoint communication service. In a multicast service scenario, the network device sends the same data to multiple terminal devices. In addition, the cell discontinuous mechanism mentioned above includes a cell discontinuous transmission (DTX) mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous reception (DRX) mechanism. Among them, the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the multicast service defines the activation period and inactivation period of the network device in sending data. When in the activation period of data sending, the network device sends multicast service data. When in the inactivation period of data sending, the network device does not send multicast service data. The cell discontinuous reception mechanism for multicast services defines the active period and inactive period of network equipment in receiving data. When in the active period of data reception, the network equipment receives feedback information for the multicast service; when in the inactive period of data reception, the network equipment does not receive feedback information for the multicast service.

[0008] Based on the above description, it can be seen that the present application has the following beneficial effects: the network device sends first information to the terminal device in the connected state, instructing the network device to configure the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the cell discontinuous reception mechanism, so that in the multicast service scenario, the network device and the terminal device in the connected state transmit data related to the multicast service based on the cell discontinuous mechanism. In other words, for the network device, configuring the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the cell discontinuous reception mechanism for the multicast service means that when the network device transmits the data related to the multicast service to the terminal device in the connected state, it does not need to transmit continuously, but transmits within a specific time period according to the definition of the cell discontinuous mechanism, thereby saving the power consumption of the network device.

[0009] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, when the first information instructs the network device to configure a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for a multicast service, the network device sends first multicast service data to the terminal device during a first activation period defined by the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. It should be noted that the phrase "the network device sends the first multicast service data to the terminal device during the first activation period defined by the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism" does not mean that the network device sends relevant data of the multicast service to the terminal device during each activation period defined by the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. What is described is that the moment when the network device sends the first multicast service data to the terminal device is included in the first activation period defined by the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0010] In this application, the network device does not continuously send the first multicast service data to the terminal device. Instead, the network device sends the first multicast service data to the terminal device only during the first activation period defined by the cell's discontinuous transmission mechanism. In other words, the network device sends the first multicast service data to the terminal device discontinuously, and the network device does not need to be in a data transmission state at all times, thereby reducing the power consumption of the network device.

[0011] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, when the first information instructs the network device to configure a cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a multicast service, the network device receives feedback information from the terminal device during a second activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism. It should be noted that the phrase "the network device receives feedback information from the terminal device during the second activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism" does not mean that the network device receives relevant data of the multicast service sent by the terminal device during each activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism. What is described is that the moment when the network device receives feedback information from the terminal device is included in the second activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0012] In this application, the network device does not continuously receive feedback information from the terminal device. Instead, it receives feedback information sent by the terminal device during the second activation period defined by the cell's discontinuous reception mechanism. In other words, for the network device, during the feedback information reception phase, the network device receives the information discontinuously and does not need to be in a data reception state or prepare for data reception (such as turning on the relevant modules for data reception), further reducing the power consumption of the network device.

[0013] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, the first information includes a first periodic pattern of a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second periodic pattern of a cell discontinuous reception mechanism. The periodic pattern includes parameters such as a period and an offset for defining the cell discontinuous mechanism.

[0014] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, the first information includes an index value, where the index value is used to index a connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism that has been configured by the network device, and / or a connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured.

[0015] In the present application, the first information can define the cell discontinuous mechanism separately, or it can reuse the cell discontinuous mechanism that the network device has configured based on the index value, which enriches the implementation method and application scenario of the technical solution of the present application and improves the flexibility of the technical solution of the present application. In the solution where the first information is defined separately, the terminal device can directly obtain the cell discontinuous mechanism configured by the network device based on the first information, which is simple to operate. In the solution where the first information includes the index value, reusing the already configured cell discontinuous mechanism not only reduces the amount of data transmitted by the network device and the terminal device, saving bandwidth resources, but also improves the utilization rate of the already configured cell discontinuous mechanism.

[0016] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, the first information is included in a radio resource control (RRC) layer message, a medium access control (NAS) layer message, or a physical layer message.

[0017] In the present application, the first information can be carried in multiple types of messages, enriching the implementation methods of the technical solutions of the present application.

[0018] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, when a multicast service feedback mechanism is configured on a terminal device, a cell discontinuous reception mechanism is configured on the network device. That is, configuring the cell discontinuous reception mechanism on the network device presupposes that the terminal device is configured with the multicast service feedback mechanism. Configuring the multicast service feedback mechanism on the terminal device means that, in a multicast service scenario, the terminal device will provide feedback on the multicast service data sent by the network device to ensure the smooth operation of the multicast service. In this scenario, configuring the cell discontinuous reception mechanism on the network device makes sense.

[0019] In this application, the cell discontinuous reception mechanism of the multicast service is configured for the network device only on the premise that the terminal device is configured with a multicast service feedback mechanism, ensuring that the cell discontinuous reception mechanism configured by the network device is meaningful, thereby improving the practicality of the technical solution of this application.

[0020] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, the first information corresponds to one or more multicast services. That is, in this application, each multicast service can be configured separately, or multiple multicast services can share the same configuration, enriching the implementation methods of the technical solution of this application. Furthermore, in a solution where multiple multicast services share the same configuration, the network device can synchronize the cell discontinuous mechanism configurations for multiple multicast services by sending a single piece of first information to the terminal device, thereby reducing the amount of data transmitted between the network device and the terminal device and conserving network resources.

[0021] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, after sending the first information to the terminal device, the network device sends second information to the terminal device, where the second information indicates an update of a cell discontinuous mechanism configured by the network device. The update includes the network device adding a new cell discontinuous mechanism, deleting a cell discontinuous mechanism, or updating an already configured cell discontinuous mechanism, the specific details of which are not limited herein.

[0022] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a terminal device in a connected state, comprising:

[0023] Receive first information from a network device, the first information is used to instruct the network device to configure a cell discontinuous reception mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for a multicast service. The cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for a multicast service defines an activation period and an inactivation period for the network device in terms of sending data. When in the activation period for data sending, the network device sends multicast service data. When in the inactivation period for data sending, the network device does not send multicast service data. Then, for a terminal device, the terminal device receives multicast service data from the network device during the activation period for data sending. The cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a multicast service defines an activation period and an inactivation period for the network device in terms of receiving data. When in the activation period for data reception, the network device receives feedback information for the multicast service; when in the inactivation period for data reception, the network device does not receive feedback information for the multicast service. Then, for a terminal device, the terminal device sends feedback information for the multicast service to the network device during the activation period for data reception.

[0024] Based on the above description, it can be seen that the present application has the following beneficial effects: a terminal device in a connected state receives first information from a network device, and the first information instructs the network device to configure a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous reception mechanism, thereby enabling, in a multicast service scenario, the network device and the terminal device in a connected state to transmit data related to the multicast service based on the cell discontinuous mechanism. In other words, when the network device transmits data related to the multicast service to the terminal device in a connected state, it does not need to transmit continuously, but rather transmits within a specific time period according to the definition of the cell discontinuous mechanism, thereby saving power consumption of the network device.

[0025] In some optional implementations of the second aspect, when the first information indicates that the network device configures a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for a multicast service, the terminal device receives the first multicast service data from the network device during the first activation period defined by the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. It should be noted that the phrase "receiving the first multicast service data from the network device during the first activation period defined by the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism" does not mean that the terminal device can receive the relevant data of the multicast service sent by the network device during each activation period defined by the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. What it describes is that the time when the terminal device receives the first multicast service data from the network device is included in the first activation period defined by the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0026] In this application, the network device does not continuously send the first multicast service data to the terminal device, thus saving power consumption. Accordingly, the terminal device does not continuously receive the first multicast service data, thus ensuring that the terminal device's receiving mechanism matches the network device's sending mechanism. Therefore, for the terminal device, receiving the first multicast service data only during the first activation period defined by the cell's discontinuous transmission mechanism also reduces power consumption.

[0027] In some optional implementations of the second aspect, during a second activation period defined by a cell discontinuous reception mechanism, the terminal device sends feedback information to the network device, where the feedback information is specific to the first feedback information sent by the network device to the terminal device. It should be noted that the phrase "sending feedback information to the network device during the second activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism" does not mean that the terminal device sends feedback information to the network device during each activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism. Rather, it describes that the time during which the terminal device sends feedback information to the network device is included in the second activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0028] In this application, the network device does not continuously receive feedback information from the terminal device. This means that the network device does not need to continuously open the receiver to prepare for receiving data. Instead, it can prepare for reception during specific time periods, which saves the power consumption of the network device. Correspondingly, the terminal device does not continuously send feedback information to the network device, so that the terminal device's sending mechanism matches the network device's receiving mechanism. Therefore, for the terminal device, sending feedback information only during the activation period defined by the cell's discontinuous reception mechanism can also reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0029] In some optional implementations of the second aspect, the first information includes a first periodic pattern of a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second periodic pattern of a cell discontinuous reception mechanism. The periodic pattern includes information such as a period and an offset for defining the cell discontinuous mechanism.

[0030] In some optional implementations of the second aspect, the first information includes an index value, where the index value is used to index a connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured for the network device. Transmitting multicast service data with the network device based on the first information includes transmitting the multicast service data with the network device based on the connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured for the network device corresponding to the index value.

[0031] In the present application, the first information can define the cell discontinuous mechanism separately, or it can reuse the cell discontinuous mechanism that the network device has configured based on the index value, which enriches the implementation method and application scenario of the technical solution of the present application and improves the flexibility of the technical solution of the present application. In the solution where the first information is defined separately, the terminal device can directly obtain the cell discontinuous mechanism configured by the network device based on the first information, which is simple to operate. In the solution where the first information includes the index value, reusing the already configured cell discontinuous mechanism not only reduces the amount of data transmitted by the network device and the terminal device, saving bandwidth resources, but also improves the utilization rate of the already configured cell discontinuous mechanism.

[0032] In some optional implementations of the second aspect, the first information is included in a radio resource control layer message, a medium access control layer message, or a physical layer message.

[0033] In the present application, the first information can be carried in multiple types of messages, enriching the implementation methods of the technical solutions of the present application.

[0034] In some optional implementations of the second aspect, the first information corresponds to one or more multicast services. That is, in this application, each multicast service can be configured separately, or multiple multicast services can share the same configuration, enriching the implementation methods of the technical solution of this application. Furthermore, in a solution where multiple multicast services share the same configuration, the network device sending a single piece of first information to the terminal device can synchronize the cell discontinuous mechanism configurations for multiple multicast services, reducing the amount of data transmitted between the network device and the terminal device and conserving network resources.

[0035] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, after receiving the first information, the terminal device may further receive second information, where the second information indicates an update of a cell discontinuous mechanism configured by the network device. The update may include the network device adding a new cell discontinuous mechanism, deleting a cell discontinuous mechanism, or updating an already configured cell discontinuous mechanism, the specific details of which are not limited herein.

[0036] In a third aspect, the present application provides a network device, including:

[0037] The transceiver unit is used to send first information to a terminal device in a connected state, where the first information is used to instruct the network device to configure a cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a multicast service.

[0038] In some optional implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to send the first multicast service data to the terminal device within the first activation period defined by the cell discontinuous sending mechanism when the first information indicates that the network device configures a cell discontinuous sending mechanism for the multicast service.

[0039] In some optional embodiments of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is also used to receive feedback information from the terminal device during the second activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism when the first information indicates that the network device configures a cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a multicast service. The feedback information is for the first multicast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

[0040] In some optional implementations of the third aspect, the first information includes a first periodic pattern of a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second periodic pattern of a cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0041] In some optional implementations of the third aspect, the first information includes an index value, where the index value is used to index a connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism that has been configured by the network device, and / or a connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured.

[0042] In some optional implementations of the third aspect, the first information is included in a radio resource control layer RRC message, a medium access control layer NAS message, or a physical layer message.

[0043] In some optional implementations of the third aspect, the network device further includes a processing unit, configured to configure a cell discontinuous reception mechanism for the network device when the terminal device configures a multicast service feedback mechanism.

[0044] The network device shown in this aspect is used to implement the method shown in the aforementioned first aspect, or any possible implementation of the first aspect. Its beneficial effects are as shown above and will not be repeated here.

[0045] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a terminal device, which is in a connected state and includes:

[0046] The transceiver unit is configured to receive first information from a network device, the first information being used to instruct the network device to configure a cell discontinuous reception mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for a multicast service, and transmit multicast service data to the network device based on the first information.

[0047] In some optional implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is specifically used to receive first multicast service data from the network device within a first activation period defined by the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism when the first information indicates that the network device configures a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for a multicast service.

[0048] In some optional embodiments of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is specifically used to send feedback information to the network device within a second activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism when the first information indicates that the network device configures a cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a multicast service. The feedback information is for the first multicast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

[0049] In some optional implementations of the fourth aspect, the first information includes a first periodic pattern of a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second periodic pattern of a cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0050] In some optional implementations of the fourth aspect, the first information includes an index value, where the index value is used to index a connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism that has been configured by the network device, and / or a connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured.

[0051] The transceiver unit is specifically configured to transmit multicast service data with the network device based on the connected cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or the configured connected cell discontinuous receiving mechanism configured by the network device corresponding to the index value.

[0052] In some optional implementations of the fourth aspect, the first information is included in an RRC message, a NAS message, or a physical layer message.

[0053] In some optional implementations of the fourth aspect, the first information corresponds to one or more multicast services.

[0054] The network device shown in this aspect is used to implement the method shown in the aforementioned second aspect, or any possible implementation of the second aspect. Its beneficial effects are as shown above and will not be repeated here.

[0055] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor stores instructions. When the instructions stored in the memory are executed on the processor, the method shown in the aforementioned first aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, or any possible implementation of the first aspect is implemented.

[0056] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a processor, the method shown in the aforementioned first aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, or any possible implementation of the first aspect is implemented.

[0057] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, which, when executed on a processor, implements the method shown in the aforementioned first aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0058] The beneficial effects shown in any one of the fifth to seventh aspects are similar to the methods shown in the aforementioned first aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, or any possible implementation of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] FIG2 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a cell discontinuous mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and related devices for reducing the power consumption of network devices.

[0066] The embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, with the development of technology and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0067] First, the proper nouns and related concepts that may be involved in the embodiments of the present application are explained.

[0068] 1. Multicast.

[0069] Multicast is a point-to-multipoint communication method in which a multicast source (one or more hosts) sends the same data to multiple hosts simultaneously. The fundamental concept in multicast is the "group." The multiple hosts mentioned above can be understood as a multicast group. A multicast group is a group of receivers that expect to receive a specific data stream. Each node in a multicast group is called a multicast group member. It's important to note that multicast groups have no physical or geographic boundaries; hosts within a group can be located anywhere on the Internet or a private network.

[0070] 2. Connected terminal.

[0071] Depending on the connection relationship between network elements, a terminal device can be in three different states: connected, idle, and deactivated. When a terminal device is in the connected state, it is visible to both network equipment (such as base stations) and the core network. In other words, connections are established between the terminal device and the base station, and between the base station and the core network, enabling data transmission at any time.

[0072] Please refer to Figure 1 below, which is a schematic diagram of the system architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application. It should be understood that Figure 1 shows only one possible, non-limiting system schematic diagram.

[0073] As shown in FIG1 , the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. The RAN 100 includes a RAN node 110, a terminal device 121, and a terminal device 122.

[0074] Exemplarily, terminal device 121 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to core network 200. The core network device in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 may be different physical devices, or may be the same physical device that integrates core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions, which is not specifically limited herein.

[0075] The RAN 100 may be a cellular system related to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a 4G or 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolutionary system (such as a 6G mobile communication system). The RAN 100 may also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The RAN 100 may also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0076] The RAN node 110 , also known as a network device, sometimes also referred to as an access network device, a RAN entity or an access node, is a part of a communication system and is used to help terminals achieve wireless access.

[0077] In some possible implementations, the RAN node 110 may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a next generation base station in a sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. The RAN node 110 may be a macro base station, a micro base station or an indoor station, a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. It should be noted that the RAN node 110 in this application may also be a logical node, a logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the RAN node 110, and the specific details are not limited here.

[0078] The terminal device 121 may also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. The terminal in the embodiment of the present application can be widely used in various scenarios, for example, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a wearable device, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a robotic arm, a smart home device, etc. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the device form of the terminal. For example, Figure 1 shows two different types of terminal devices, namely terminal device 121 and terminal device 122. In addition, all or part of the functions of the terminal device in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware. The terminal device in this application can also be a logical node, logical module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device functions. The specific details are not limited here.

[0079] It should be noted that Figure 1 is only an example of a communication system. In actual applications, the RAN 100 may include a larger number of RAN nodes and a larger or smaller number of terminal devices. The types of the multiple RAN nodes may be the same, partially the same, or completely different, and the specifics are not limited here. The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 1).

[0080] In this application, "sending information to... (e.g., a terminal device)" can be understood as the destination of the information being the terminal device. This can include sending information to the terminal device directly or indirectly. "Receiving information from... (e.g., a terminal device)" can be understood as the source of the information being the terminal device, which can include receiving information from the terminal device directly or indirectly. The information may be processed as necessary 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.

[0081] Please refer to FIG2 , which is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, including:

[0082] 201. The network device sends first information to a terminal device in a connected state, where the first information instructs the network device to configure a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a multicast service.

[0083] It should be noted that the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application is applied to a terminal device in a connected state. The terminal in the connected state has been described above and will not be described again here. The terminal devices mentioned below all refer to terminal devices in a connected state.

[0084] In the embodiment of the present application, the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the cell discontinuous reception mechanism are summarized as a cell discontinuous mechanism. The cell discontinuous mechanism is described below in conjunction with Figure 3. Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the cell discontinuous mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0085] As shown in Figure 3, T2 represents a period defined by the cell discontinuous mechanism. This period includes two intervals: T1 represents the active period, and the portion outside T1 represents the inactive period. The active period is also called the on-duration time. In this embodiment of the present application, during the active period, the network device and the terminal device perform data transmission related to the multicast service.

[0086] Specifically, the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism defines the activation period and inactivation period for the network device to send data to the terminal device. When in the activation period for data transmission, the network device sends multicast service data to the terminal device. The cell discontinuous reception mechanism defines the activation period and inactivation period for the network device to receive data from the terminal device. When in the activation period for data reception, the network device receives feedback information for the multicast service from the terminal device. In the embodiment of the present application, there are multiple possibilities for the content included in the first information, which are described below:

[0087] In some optional implementations, the first information may separately define a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. Specifically, the first information includes a first periodic pattern for the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second periodic pattern for the cell discontinuous reception mechanism. When the first information separately defines the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, the terminal device performs corresponding configuration based on the first information to ensure data transmission related to the multicast service with the network device based on the definition of the first information.

[0088] The periodic mode may also be referred to as a periodic pattern, and includes parameters for defining a cell discontinuous mechanism, such as a period, an offset, an activation period duration, an inactivation period duration, and the like.

[0089] For example, assuming that the first cycle mode includes a 100ms period, a 5ms offset, and an active period of 40ms, it means that the cell enters the discontinuous transmission mechanism starting from the 5th ms. The mechanism defines a cycle length of 100ms, in which the first 40ms of the cycle is the active period and the last 60ms is the inactive period.

[0090] In some optional implementations, the first information includes an index value, where the index value is used to index a connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured by the network device. In this case, the terminal device transmits multicast service data with the network device based on the connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured by the network device corresponding to the index value.

[0091] For example, assume that before the network device sends the first information to the terminal device, it has configured three sets of connected cell discontinuity mechanisms, with corresponding identification numbers being cell DTX-1, cell DTX-2, and cell DRX-1. Furthermore, these three sets of connected cell discontinuity mechanisms have been synchronized between the terminal device and the network device, that is, the network device has informed the terminal device of these three sets of connected cell discontinuity mechanisms, and when the network device and the terminal device transmit data for related services, they are based on the definitions of these three sets of connected cell discontinuity mechanisms.

[0092] In this example, it is assumed that the first information sent by the network device to the terminal device includes the identification number cell DTX-1, that is, the index value is cell DTX-1. This means that when the network device transmits multicast service data with the terminal device, it is based on the connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to cell DTX-1.

[0093] In this example, it is assumed that the first information sent by the network device to the terminal device includes the identification number cell DRX-1, indicating that the network device performs multicast service data transmission with the terminal device based on the connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism corresponding to cell DRX-1.

[0094] For example, it is assumed that before the network device sends the first information to the terminal device, three sets of cell discontinuous reception mechanisms are synchronized between the terminal device and the network device, with identification numbers of cell DTX-1, cell DTX-2, and cell DRX-1, respectively. If the index value carried in the first information sent by the network device to the terminal device is cell DRX-2, the terminal device has not received relevant information about the cell discontinuous reception mechanism corresponding to cell DRX-2 before. The terminal device sends a request to the network device, carrying the index value cell DRX-2 in the request, to obtain relevant information about the cell discontinuous reception mechanism corresponding to the index value. That is, the network device responds to the request and sends relevant information about the cell discontinuous reception mechanism corresponding to cell DRX-2 to the terminal device to achieve synchronization of the cell discontinuous reception mechanism between the terminal device and the network device. Afterwards, when the network device and the terminal device perform data transmission of multicast services, they perform the transmission based on the connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism corresponding to cell DRX-2.

[0095] It should be noted that the aforementioned identification number is only a possible example. In actual applications, other identification numbers may be used as index values ​​as long as they can uniquely identify a cell discontinuous mechanism. No specific limitation is made here.

[0096] In the present application, the first information can define the cell discontinuous mechanism separately, or it can reuse the cell discontinuous mechanism that the network device has configured based on the index value, which enriches the implementation method and application scenario of the technical solution of the present application and improves the flexibility of the technical solution of the present application. In the solution where the first information is defined separately, the terminal device can directly obtain the cell discontinuous mechanism configured by the network device based on the first information, which is simple to operate. In the solution where the first information includes the index value, reusing the already configured cell discontinuous mechanism not only reduces the amount of data transmitted by the network device and the terminal device, saving bandwidth resources, but also improves the utilization rate of the already configured cell discontinuous mechanism.

[0097] In some optional implementations, there are multiple possibilities for the message carrying the first information, which may be a radio resource control layer message, a medium access control layer message, or a physical layer message, etc., which is not specifically limited here.

[0098] In the present application, the first information can be carried in multiple types of messages, enriching the implementation methods of the technical solutions of the present application.

[0099] In some optional implementations, the first information corresponds to one or more multicast services.

[0100] Exemplarily, the first information corresponds to a multicast service, which means that each first information is associated with a group identifier, which is used to indicate a terminal device that performs the multicast service with the network device. The group identifier can be a group common radio network temporary identity (G-RNTI) or a temporary mobile group identifier (TMGI).

[0101] Exemplarily, the first information corresponds to multiple multicast services, which means that each first information is associated with multiple group identifiers. The multiple multicast services mentioned here may also be all multicast services.

[0102] In this application, each multicast service can be configured separately, or multiple multicast services can share the same configuration, enriching the implementation methods of the technical solution of this application. In addition, in the solution where multiple multicast services share the same configuration, the network device can synchronize the cell discontinuous mechanism configurations of multiple multicast services by sending a first message to the terminal device, reducing the data transmission volume between the network device and the terminal device and saving network resources.

[0103] Based on the above description, it can be seen that the present application has the following beneficial effects: the network device sends first information to the terminal device in the connected state, instructing the network device to configure the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the cell discontinuous reception mechanism, so that in the multicast service scenario, the network device and the terminal device in the connected state transmit data related to the multicast service based on the cell discontinuous mechanism. In other words, for the network device, configuring the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the cell discontinuous reception mechanism for the multicast service means that when the network device transmits the data related to the multicast service to the terminal device in the connected state, it does not need to transmit continuously, but transmits within a specific time period according to the definition of the cell discontinuous mechanism, thereby saving the power consumption of the network device.

[0104] After the network device sends the first information to the terminal device, the network device and the terminal device transmit the multicast service data based on the first information. Specifically, the following possible implementations are included:

[0105] In some optional implementations, the network device and the terminal device execute step 202. When the first information indicates that the network device configures a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for a multicast service, the network device sends first multicast service data to the terminal device within a first activation period defined by the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0106] It should be noted that "the network device transmits the first multicast service data to the terminal device during the first activation period defined by the cell's discontinuous transmission mechanism" does not mean that the network device must transmit the first multicast service data to the terminal device during each first activation period. Rather, it means that the time when the network device transmits the first multicast service data to the terminal device is included in the first activation period defined by the cell's discontinuous transmission mechanism. For the terminal device, the time when it receives the first multicast service data from the network device is included in the first activation period defined by the cell's discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0107] In other words, when the first information instructs the network device to configure the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the multicast service, the network device will send the first multicast service data to the terminal device only during the first activation period defined by the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, and the terminal device will expect to receive the first multicast service data.

[0108] In summary, in the present application, the network device does not continuously send the first multicast service data to the terminal device, but only sends the first multicast service data to the terminal device during the first activation period defined by the cell's discontinuous transmission mechanism. In other words, for the network device, the network device sends the first multicast service data to the terminal device discontinuously, and the network device does not need to be in a data transmission state at all times, thereby reducing the power consumption of the network device. Accordingly, the terminal device does not continuously receive the first multicast service data, so that the terminal device's receiving mechanism matches the network device's sending mechanism. Therefore, for the terminal device, receiving the first multicast service data only during the first activation period defined by the cell's discontinuous transmission mechanism can also reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0109] In some optional implementations, the network device and the terminal device perform step 203. When the first information indicates that the network device configures a cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a multicast service, the terminal device sends feedback information regarding the first multicast service data to the network device during a second activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0110] It should be noted that "the terminal device sends feedback information regarding the first multicast service data to the network device during the second activation period defined by the cell's discontinuous reception mechanism" does not mean that the terminal device sends feedback information to the network device during every second activation period. Rather, it means that for the network device, the time it receives feedback information from the terminal device is included in the second activation period defined by the cell's discontinuous reception mechanism. For the terminal device, the time it sends feedback information to the network device is included in the second activation period defined by the cell's discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0111] In other words, when the first information instructs the network device to configure the cell discontinuous reception mechanism for the multicast service, the terminal device sends feedback information to the terminal device and the network device expects to receive the feedback information only during the second activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0112] The feedback information regarding the first multicast service data is used to indicate that the terminal device has successfully received the first multicast service data, or that the terminal device has not received the first multicast service data, or that the first multicast service data received by the terminal device is incorrect.

[0113] In summary, in this application, the network device does not continuously receive feedback information from the terminal device, but only receives feedback information sent by the terminal device during the second activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism. That is to say, for the network device, during the reception phase of the relevant data of the multicast service, the network device receives it discontinuously and does not need to be in a data receiving state or prepare for data reception (such as turning on the relevant modules for data reception, etc.) at all times, which further reduces the power consumption of the network device. Accordingly, the terminal device does not continuously send feedback information to the network device, so that the sending mechanism of the terminal device matches the receiving mechanism of the network device. Then for the terminal device, sending feedback information only during the activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism can also reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0114] It's also important to note that when the multicast service feedback mechanism is configured on the terminal device, the cell discontinuous reception mechanism is configured on the network device. This means that configuring the cell discontinuous reception mechanism on the network device presupposes that the terminal device has the multicast service feedback mechanism configured. Configuring the multicast service feedback mechanism on the terminal device means that in multicast service scenarios, the terminal device will provide feedback on the multicast service data sent by the network device to ensure smooth multicast service operation. Configuring the cell discontinuous reception mechanism on the network device is meaningful in this scenario.

[0115] Among them, the multicast service feedback mechanism refers to the terminal device sending feedback information for the multicast service data to the network device after receiving the multicast service data from the network device, and the feedback information indicates whether the terminal device successfully / unsuccessfully receives the multicast service data sent by the network device. Exemplarily, the feedback information for the first multicast service data sent by the terminal device to the network device may include confirmation information, error correction information, etc. Alternatively, the feedback information may be included in a retransmission request, which is used to request the network device to resend the first multicast service data. The retransmission request may be a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) or other request that can be used for retransmission.

[0116] In this application, the cell discontinuous reception mechanism of the multicast service is configured for the network device only on the premise that the terminal device is configured with a multicast service feedback mechanism, ensuring that the cell discontinuous reception mechanism configured by the network device is meaningful, thereby improving the practicality of the technical solution of this application.

[0117] In some optional implementations, the first information may further instruct the network device to configure a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and a cell discontinuous reception mechanism for the multicast service. In this solution, the periods corresponding to the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the cell discontinuous reception mechanism may be the same or different, and the specific details are not limited here. The different corresponding periods include different period durations, the same period duration but different activation period durations, and partial overlap of the periods, and the specific details are not limited here.

[0118] For the specific implementation of the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the cell discontinuous reception mechanism, please refer to the above description of step 202 and step 203, which will not be repeated here.

[0119] In some optional implementations, after sending the first information to the terminal device, the network device may further send second information to the terminal device, where the second information indicates an update of a cell discontinuous mechanism configured by the network device. The update includes the network device adding a new cell discontinuous mechanism (for example, configuring a cell discontinuous mechanism for a new multicast service), deleting a cell discontinuous mechanism (for example, deleting a cell discontinuous mechanism for a multicast service that has already been transmitted), or updating an already configured cell discontinuous mechanism (for example, modifying a discontinuous period, modifying an activation period duration, etc.), and the specific details are not limited here.

[0120] Below, the relevant equipment provided in the embodiments of the present application is described.

[0121] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a structural diagram of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0122] In some optional implementations, the network device 400 includes a transceiver unit 401 for sending first information to a terminal device in a connected state, where the first information is used to instruct the network device to configure a cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a multicast service.

[0123] In some optional implementations, the transceiver unit 401 is further configured to send first multicast service data to the terminal device within a first activation period defined by the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism when the first information indicates that the network device configures a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for the multicast service.

[0124] In some optional embodiments, the transceiver unit 401 is also used to receive feedback information from the terminal device during a second activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism when the first information indicates that the network device configures a cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a multicast service. The feedback information is for the first multicast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

[0125] In some optional implementations, the first information includes a first periodic pattern of a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second periodic pattern of a cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0126] In some optional implementations, the first information includes an index value, where the index value is used to index a connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism that has been configured by the network device, and / or a connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured.

[0127] In some optional implementations, the first information is included in an RRC message, a NAS message, or a physical layer message.

[0128] In some optional implementations, the network device 400 further includes a processing unit 402, configured to configure a cell discontinuous reception mechanism for the network device 400 when the terminal device configures a multicast service feedback mechanism.

[0129] The network device 400 is used to implement the operations performed by the network devices in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 3 above. Please refer to the above description for details and will not be repeated here.

[0130] Please refer to Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The terminal device 500 is in a connected state.

[0131] In some optional embodiments, the terminal device 500 includes a transceiver unit 501 configured to receive first information from a network device, the first information being configured to instruct the network device to configure a cell discontinuous reception mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for a multicast service, and transmit multicast service data to the network device based on the first information.

[0132] In some optional implementations, the transceiver unit 501 is specifically configured to receive first multicast service data from the network device within a first activation period defined by the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism when the first information indicates that the network device configures a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for the multicast service.

[0133] In some optional embodiments, the transceiver unit 501 is specifically used to send feedback information to the network device during the second activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism when the first information indicates that the network device configures a cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a multicast service. The feedback information is for the first multicast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

[0134] In some optional implementations, the first information includes a first periodic pattern of a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second periodic pattern of a cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0135] In some optional implementations, the first information includes an index value, where the index value is used to index a connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured by the network device. The transceiver unit 501 is specifically configured to transmit multicast service data with the network device based on the connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured by the network device corresponding to the index value.

[0136] In some optional implementations, the first information is included in an RRC message, a NAS message, or a physical layer message.

[0137] In some optional implementations, the first information corresponds to one or more multicast services.

[0138] The terminal device 500 is used to implement the operations performed by the terminal device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 3 above. Please refer to the above for details and will not be repeated here.

[0139] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 600 can be used to implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the methods corresponding to Figures 1 to 3 above.

[0140] The communication device 600 shown in FIG6 may include: a processor 601 , a memory 602 , a communication interface 603 , and a bus 604 . The processor 601 , the memory 602 , and the communication interface 603 may be connected via a bus 604 .

[0141] The processor 601 is the control center of the communication device 600 and can be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU) or other general-purpose processors, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0142] As an example, processor 601 may include one or more CPUs.

[0143] The memory 602 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0144] In one possible implementation, the memory 602 may exist independently of the processor 601. The memory 602 may be connected to the processor 601 via a bus 604 and used to store data, instructions, or program codes. When the processor 601 calls and executes the instructions or program codes stored in the memory 602, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented.

[0145] In another possible implementation, the memory 602 may also be integrated with the processor 601 .

[0146] The communication interface 603 is used to connect the communication device 600 to other devices via a communication network, which may be Ethernet, a radio access network (RAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), or the like.

[0147] Bus 604 can be an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus. This bus can be classified as an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, FIG6 shows only one thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0148] It should be noted that the structure shown in FIG6 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device 600. In addition to the components shown in FIG6, the communication device 600 may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0149] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be stored by a computing device or a data storage device such as a data center that contains one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., a digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid-state drive). The computer-readable storage medium includes instructions that instruct the computing device to execute the above-mentioned plug-in processing method.

[0150] The present application also provides a computer program product including instructions. The computer program product may be software or a program product including instructions that can be run on a computing device or stored on any available medium. When the computer program product is run on at least one computing device, the at least one computing device executes the aforementioned plug-in processing method.

[0151] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product.

[0152] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the above-described systems, devices and units can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0153] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in a sequence other than that illustrated or described herein. The term "and / or" in this application is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or modules is not necessarily limited to those steps or modules clearly listed, but may include other steps or modules that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices. The naming or numbering of the steps in this application does not mean that the steps in the method flow must be executed in the time / logical sequence indicated by the naming or numbering. The named or numbered process steps can be changed in the execution order according to the technical purpose to be achieved, as long as the same or similar technical effects can be achieved. The division of modules in this application is a logical division. There may be other division methods when implementing in actual applications. For example, multiple modules can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between each other shown or discussed can be through some ports, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between modules can be electrical or other similar forms, which are not limited in this application. In addition, the modules or sub-modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, may or may not be physical modules, or may be distributed in multiple circuit modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this application.

[0154] Finally, it should be noted that 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 aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the protection scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a network device, and the method includes: A first information is sent to a terminal device in a connected state, where the first information is used to instruct the network device to configure a cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a multicast service.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: In a case where the first information instructs the network device to configure a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for the multicast service, first multicast service data is sent to the terminal device within a first activation period defined by the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the first information indicates that the network device configures the cell discontinuous reception mechanism of the multicast service, during the second activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism, feedback information is received from the terminal device, and the feedback information is for the first multicast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first information includes a first periodic pattern of the cell's discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second periodic pattern of the cell's discontinuous reception mechanism.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first information includes an index value, where the index value is used to index a connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism that has been configured on the network device, and / or a connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that The first information is included in a radio resource control layer message, a medium access control layer message, or a physical layer message.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that In the case where the terminal device is configured with a multicast service feedback mechanism, the cell discontinuous reception mechanism is configured for the network device.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that The first information corresponds to one or more multicast services.

9. A communication method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a terminal device in a connected state, and the method includes: First information is received from a network device, where the first information is used to instruct the network device to configure a cell discontinuous reception mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for a multicast service.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the first information instructs the network device to configure a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for the multicast service, first multicast service data is received from the network device within a first activation period defined by the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the first information indicates that the network device configures the cell discontinuous reception mechanism of the multicast service, feedback information is sent to the network device within the second activation period defined by the cell discontinuous reception mechanism, and the feedback information is for the first multicast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

12. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The first information includes a first periodic pattern of the cell's discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second periodic pattern of the cell's discontinuous reception mechanism.

13. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The first information includes an index value, where the index value is used to index a connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism that has been configured on the network device, and / or a connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured.

14. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The first information is included in a radio resource control layer message, a medium access control layer message, or a physical layer message.

15. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The first information corresponds to one or more multicast services.

16. A network device, characterized in that: include: The transceiver unit is used to send first information to a terminal device in a connected state, where the first information is used to instruct the network device to configure a cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a multicast service.

17. A terminal device, characterized in that: The terminal device is in a connected state and includes a transceiver unit configured to: First information is received from a network device, where the first information is used to instruct the network device to configure a cell discontinuous reception mechanism and / or a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for a multicast service.

18. A communication device, characterized in that: comprising a processor coupled to a memory; Instructions are stored in the memory, and when the instructions are executed on the processor, the communication device implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and 9 to 15.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed on a processor, the method of any one of claims 1 to 8 and 9 to 15 is implemented.

20. A computer program product, characterized in that When the computer program product is executed on a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and 9 to 15 is implemented.

Images