Communication method and related device

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a related device, for use in reducing power consumption of network devices. The communication method applied to a network device comprises: sending first information to a terminal device, wherein the first information is used for activating a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of a first multicast service configured by the network device, and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of a first broadcast service configured by the network device.

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 202410174545.8 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, for multicast or broadcast services, network devices simultaneously transmit the same data to multiple devices. This causes the network device to constantly keep downlinks open to facilitate data transmission, continuously consuming power and leading to high power consumption. No mechanism has yet been developed to address this issue. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method and related devices for reducing the power consumption of network devices.

[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 first information to the terminal device, and the first information is used to activate the first cell discontinuous transmission (DTX) mechanism of the first multicast service configured by the network device, and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first broadcast service configured by the network device. Multicast service is a point-to-multipoint communication service. In the multicast service scenario, the network device sends the same data to multiple terminal devices. Broadcast service is a point-to-all-point communication service. In the broadcast service scenario, the network device sends the same data to all terminal devices connected to it. The cell discontinuous mechanism defines the activation period (active) and inactivation period for the network device to transmit service data. Only when it is in the activation period, the network device transmits service data to the terminal device. That is, the network device sends multicast service data to the terminal device only during the first activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism; and the network device sends broadcast service data to the terminal device only during the second activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. The activation mentioned here refers to the terminal device receiving relevant service data based on the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism configured by the network device, that is, after activating the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, the terminal device expects to receive multicast service data sent by the network device during the first activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism; after activating the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, the terminal device expects to receive broadcast service data sent by the network device during the second activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous transmission.

[0008] Based on the above description, it can be seen that the present application has the following beneficial effects: after the network device configures the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multicast services and / or broadcast services, it sends information for activating the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism to the network device, so that the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism takes effect. Then, when the network device transmits related services to the terminal device, it does not need to continuously transmit related service data. Instead, it transmits the related service data within a specific time period according to the definition of the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, thereby saving power consumption of the network device.

[0009] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, the first information also includes configuration information, and the configuration information instructs the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. That is, when the network device sends the configuration information to the terminal device, it indicates that the configuration information is effective. In other words, for the terminal device, receiving the configuration information determines that the configuration is effective. Then, when the network device sends multicast service data and / or broadcast service data to the terminal device, it is based on the corresponding cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. Correspondingly, the terminal device also receives multicast service data and / or broadcast service data during the corresponding activation period based on the corresponding cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0010] In this application, the cell discontinuous sending mechanism for multicast services and / or broadcast services in the configuration information enables the network device to transmit related multicast services and / or broadcast services based on the configured cell discontinuous sending mechanism after sending the configuration information, without waiting, thereby reducing transmission delay and improving efficiency.

[0011] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, before the network device sends the first information to the terminal device, the network device also sends configuration information to the terminal device, where the configuration information instructs the network device to configure a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. The network device then sends a first paging message to the terminal device, where the first paging message includes the first information. In other words, the first paging message activates the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism configured by the network device. In other words, the network device sends the configuration information and activation information to the terminal device separately.

[0012] In this application, there are multiple possible ways to activate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multicast services and / or broadcast services, which enriches the implementation methods and application scenarios of the technical solution of this application and enhances the flexibility of the technical solution. In addition, in the solution where the network device sends configuration information and activation information to the terminal device separately, the effective time of the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multicast services and / or broadcast services can be flexibly controlled, further enhancing the practicality of the technical solution.

[0013] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, after sending the first information to the terminal device, the network device may further send a second paging message to the terminal device, where the second paging message is used to deactivate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. Deactivation means that the network device no longer sends relevant multicast service data and / or broadcast service data to the terminal device based on the relevant discontinuous transmission mechanism, and the terminal device no longer receives relevant multicast service data and / or broadcast service data from the network device based on the relevant discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0014] This application also provides a deactivation scheme for the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multicast services and / or broadcast services, which can flexibly adapt to different needs and further improve the practicality of the technical solution.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a terminal device, comprising:

[0016] The terminal device receives first information from the network device, and the first information is used to activate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first multicast service configured by the network device, and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first broadcast service configured by the network device. Based on the first information, the terminal device activates the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. Activating the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism means that the terminal device expects to receive the multicast service data sent by the network device during the first activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. Activating the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism means that the terminal device expects to receive the broadcast service data sent by the network device during the second activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous transmission.

[0017] Based on the above description, it can be seen that the present application has the following beneficial effects: after the network device configures the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multicast services and / or broadcast services, it sends information for activating the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism to the network device, so that the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism takes effect. Then, when the terminal device transmits related services with the network device, it does not need to continuously enable the related data reception function. Instead, it is enabled within a specific time period according to the definition of the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, thereby saving power consumption of the terminal device.

[0018] In some optional implementations of the second aspect, the first information further includes configuration information, where the configuration information instructs the network device to configure a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. That is, when the network device transmits the configuration information to the terminal device, it also indicates that the configuration information is effective. Then, for the terminal device, receipt of the configuration information determines that the configuration is effective. Based on the corresponding cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, the terminal device receives multicast service data and / or broadcast service data during the corresponding activation period.

[0019] In this application, the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multicast services and / or broadcast services in the configuration information enables the terminal device to transmit related multicast services and / or broadcast services based on the configured cell discontinuous transmission mechanism after receiving the configuration information, without waiting, thereby reducing transmission delay and improving efficiency.

[0020] In some optional implementations of the second aspect, the terminal device may further receive configuration information from the network device, the configuration information instructing the network device to configure a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. After receiving the configuration information from the network device, the terminal device receives a first paging message, wherein the first paging message includes the first information. In other words, the first paging message activates the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism configured by the network device. In other words, the terminal device receives the configuration information and activation information from the network device, respectively.

[0021] In this application, there are multiple possible ways to activate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multicast services and / or broadcast services, which enriches the implementation methods and application scenarios of the technical solution of this application and enhances the flexibility of the technical solution. In addition, in the solution where the network device sends configuration information and activation information to the terminal device separately, the effective time of the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multicast services and / or broadcast services can be flexibly controlled, further enhancing the practicality of the technical solution.

[0022] In some optional implementations of the second aspect, after receiving the first information from the network device, the terminal device may further receive a second paging message from the network device, where the second paging message is used to deactivate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. Deactivation means that the terminal device no longer receives relevant multicast service data and / or broadcast service data from the network device based on the relevant discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0023] This application also provides a deactivation scheme for the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multicast services and / or broadcast services, which can flexibly adapt to different needs and further improve the practicality of the technical solution.

[0024] In some optional implementations of the first or second aspects, the first paging message includes a first activation instruction, and the first activation instruction is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to a first group. The first group includes terminal devices, and the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group includes a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. In other words, the first paging message is a message that activates the first group alone.

[0025] In the present application, the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the cell corresponding to the first group can be activated separately in the first paging message to avoid interference with the services of other groups, thereby improving the reliability of the technical solution of the present application.

[0026] In some optional implementations of the first or second aspects, the first paging message includes a second activation instruction, where the second activation instruction is used to activate a cell-based discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device. In other words, the first paging message can simultaneously activate the cell-based discontinuous transmission mechanisms for multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services. The first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

[0027] In this application, the first paging message can simultaneously activate the cell discontinuous sending mechanism of multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services, and does not need to be activated separately for each multicast service or each broadcast service. This can not only improve efficiency, but also reduce the amount of data transmission between network devices and terminal devices, thereby reducing the occupation of network resources.

[0028] In some optional implementations of the first aspect or the second aspect, the first paging message includes a third activation instruction and / or a fourth activation instruction. The third activation instruction is used to activate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple multicast services transmitted by the network device, and the first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services. The fourth activation instruction is used to activate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, and the first multicast service is included in the multiple broadcast services. That is, in the first paging message, the instruction for activating the cell discontinuous mechanism for the multicast service and the instruction for activating the cell discontinuous mechanism for the broadcast service are decoupled from each other and do not interfere with each other.

[0029] In this application, the instructions for activating the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multicast services can be decoupled from the instructions for activating the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for broadcast services. In practical applications, different services can be activated or deactivated in the same paging message without interfering with each other, improving the reliability of the technical solution and further enriching the implementation methods of the technical solution of this application.

[0030] In some optional implementations of the first or second aspects, the second paging message includes a first deactivation instruction, where the first deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to a first group. The first group includes terminal devices, and the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group includes a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0031] In the present application, the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the cell corresponding to the first group can be separately deactivated in the second paging message to avoid interference with the services of other groups, thereby improving the reliability of the technical solution of the present application.

[0032] In some optional implementations of the first or second aspects, the second paging message includes a second deactivation instruction, where the second deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell-based discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device. That is, the second paging message can simultaneously deactivate the cell-based discontinuous transmission mechanisms for multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services. The first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

[0033] In this application, the second paging message can simultaneously deactivate the cell discontinuous sending mechanism of multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services, and does not need to be deactivated separately for each multicast service or each broadcast service. This can not only improve efficiency, but also reduce the amount of data transmission between network devices and terminal devices, thereby reducing the occupation of network resources.

[0034] In some optional implementations of the first aspect or the second aspect, the second paging message includes a third deactivation instruction and / or a fourth deactivation instruction. The third deactivation instruction is used to deactivate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple multicast services transmitted by the network device, and the first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services. The fourth deactivation instruction is used to deactivate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services. That is to say, in the second paging message, the instruction for deactivating the cell discontinuous mechanism for the multicast service and the instruction for deactivating the cell discontinuous mechanism for the broadcast service are decoupled from each other and do not interfere with each other.

[0035] In this application, the instruction to deactivate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multicast services can be decoupled from the instruction to deactivate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for broadcast services. In practical applications, different services can be activated or deactivated in the same paging message without interfering with each other, improving the reliability of the technical solution and further enriching the implementation methods of the technical solution of this application.

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

[0037] The transceiver unit is used to send first information to the terminal device, where the first information is used to activate the first cell discontinuous sending mechanism of the first multicast service configured by the network device, and / or the second cell discontinuous sending mechanism of the first broadcast service configured by the network device.

[0038] In some optional implementations of the third aspect, the first information is included in the first paging message. The transceiver unit is further configured to send configuration information to the terminal device, the configuration information instructing the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0039] In some optional implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to send a second paging message to the terminal device, where the second paging message is used to deactivate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0040] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a terminal device, including:

[0041] The transceiver unit is used to receive first information from a network device, where the first information is used to activate a first cell discontinuous sending mechanism for a first multicast service configured by the network device, and / or a second cell discontinuous sending mechanism for a first broadcast service configured by the network device.

[0042] In some optional implementations of the fourth aspect, the first information is included in the first paging message. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive configuration information from a network device, the configuration information instructing the network device to configure a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0043] In some optional implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive a second paging message from the network device, where the second paging message is used to deactivate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0044] In some optional implementations of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the first information further includes configuration information, and the configuration information instructs the network device to configure a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0045] In some optional implementations of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the first paging message includes a first activation instruction, where the first activation instruction is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to a first group. The first group includes terminal devices, and the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group includes a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0046] In some optional implementations of the third or fourth aspects, the first paging message includes a second activation instruction, where the second activation instruction is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device. The first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

[0047] In some optional implementations of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the first paging message includes a third activation instruction and / or a fourth activation instruction. The third activation instruction is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services transmitted by the network device, where the first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services; and the fourth activation instruction is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, where the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

[0048] In some optional implementations of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the second paging message includes a first deactivation instruction, where the first deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group. The first group includes terminal devices, and the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group includes a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0049] In some optional implementations of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the second paging message includes a second deactivation instruction, where the second deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, where the first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

[0050] In some optional implementations of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the second paging message includes a third deactivation instruction and / or a fourth deactivation instruction. The third deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services transmitted by the network device, where the first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services. The fourth deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, where the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

[0051] It is understood that the network device shown in the third aspect is used to implement the method shown in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect. The terminal device shown in the fourth aspect is used to implement the method shown in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect. The beneficial effects thereof are as described above and will not be repeated here.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] The beneficial effects shown in any one of the fifth to seventh aspects are similar to those 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

[0056] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] FIG2 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] FIG5 is another schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and related devices for reducing the power consumption of network devices.

[0062] 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.

[0063] First, the proper nouns and related concepts that may be involved in the embodiments of the present application are explained.

[0064] 1. Multicast.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 2. Broadcast (broadcast).

[0067] In a broadcast transmission mechanism, all network hosts are allowed to utilize the same communication channel. In broadcast mode, one host transmits data packets to all other hosts, a method known as "all-to-all." Unlike multicast transmission, group management is not necessary.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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, a terminal device 122, and a terminal device 123.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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 three different types of terminal devices, namely terminal device 121, terminal device 122 and terminal device 123. 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.

[0075] 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).

[0076] 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.

[0077] Please refer to FIG2 , which is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, including:

[0078] 201. The network device sends first information to the terminal device, where the first information is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism configured by the network device.

[0079] First, the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism is described with reference to Figure 3. Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0080] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, two cell discontinuous transmission cycles are shown, with T2 representing one of the cycles. This cycle includes two intervals: T1 and the interval outside of T1. T1 represents the active period, and the interval outside of T1 represents the inactive period. The active period is also known as the on-duration time. During the active period, the network device sends relevant service data to the terminal device, and the terminal device expects to receive relevant service data from the network device.

[0081] It should be noted that the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism configured by the network device referred to in the embodiments of this application includes the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multicast services and / or the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for broadcast services. Therefore, the related service data mentioned above includes multicast service data and / or broadcast service data. In the following description, the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for the first multicast service and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for the first broadcast service are used as examples.

[0082] The network device sends the first information to the terminal device, which means that the terminal device receives the first information from the network device. The first information is used to activate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first multicast service configured by the network device and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first broadcast service configured by the network device.

[0083] Specifically, there are many possibilities for the first information, which may be used to activate the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first cell, or used to activate the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the second cell, or used to activate the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first cell and the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the second cell, which is not limited here.

[0084] In the embodiment of the present application, there are multiple possibilities for the first information, which are described below respectively:

[0085] In some optional implementations, the first information further includes configuration information, where the configuration information instructs the network device to configure a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. That is, the network device sends the configuration information to the terminal device, and upon receipt of the configuration information, the terminal device deems the configuration to be effective immediately, and transmits relevant service data with the network device based on the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism indicated by the configuration information.

[0086] For example, assuming that the configuration information instructs the network device to configure a first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for the first multicast service, the terminal device receives the configuration information, which means that the first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism takes effect.

[0087] For example, assuming that the configuration information instructs the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for the first multicast service, the terminal device receives the configuration information, which means that the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism take effect.

[0088] In the present application, the cell discontinuous sending mechanism for multicast services and / or broadcast services in the configuration information enables the network device to send data for related multicast services and / or broadcast services based on the configured cell discontinuous sending mechanism after sending the configuration information. The terminal device can receive data for related multicast services and / or broadcast services based on the configured cell discontinuous sending mechanism after receiving the configuration information, without waiting, thereby reducing transmission delay and improving efficiency.

[0089] In some optional implementations, the first information may be decoupled from the configuration information. That is, the network device first sends configuration information to the terminal device, the configuration information instructing the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. The network device then sends a first paging message to the terminal device, the first paging message including the first information. In other words, the configuration information is activated in the first paging message.

[0090] It should be noted that the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism activated as indicated by the first paging message may be the same as or different from the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism sent by the network device to the terminal device, and is not specifically limited here.

[0091] For example, assuming that the configuration information sent by the network device to the terminal device indicates the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism configured by the network device, the first paging message can be used to activate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, or can be used only to activate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0092] In this application, there are multiple possible ways to activate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multicast services and / or broadcast services, which enriches the implementation methods and application scenarios of the technical solution of this application and enhances the flexibility of the technical solution. In addition, in the solution where the network device sends configuration information and activation information to the terminal device separately, the effective time of the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multicast services and / or broadcast services can be flexibly controlled, further enhancing the practicality of the technical solution.

[0093] In the embodiment of the present application, there are multiple possible activation granularities corresponding to the first paging message. The following describes the possible situations respectively:

[0094] In some optional embodiments, the first paging message can separately activate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the multicast service and / or broadcast service corresponding to a certain group. In summary, the first paging message includes a first activation instruction, and the first activation instruction is used to activate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group. The first group includes terminal devices, and the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group includes a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. That is, the first activation instruction is used to activate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for the first multicast service of the first group where the terminal device is located, and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for the first broadcast service.

[0095] It is understandable that the first group can be indicated by a group identifier, which includes an identifier that can uniquely indicate a group, such as a group common radio network temporary identity (G-RNTI) and a temporary mobile group identifier (TMGI). The identifier of the terminal device is included in the first group identifier, or the group identifier used by the terminal device is the first group identifier.

[0096] In the present application, the non-continuous sending mechanism of the cell corresponding to the first group can be activated separately in the first paging message, which not only avoids affecting the services other than the first multicast service and / or the first broadcast service in the first group, but also avoids interfering with the services of other groups, thereby improving the reliability of the technical solution of the present application.

[0097] In some optional implementations, the first paging message may also simultaneously activate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services. In summary, the first paging message may include a second activation instruction, and the second activation instruction is used to activate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device. Among them, the first multicast service is included in multiple multicast services, and the first broadcast service is included in multiple broadcast services. That is to say, the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism indicated by the first information is included in the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple multicast services, and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism indicated by the first information is included in the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple broadcast services.

[0098] It should be noted that the second activation instruction mentioned above is used to activate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, which means that the second activation instruction can activate the relevant configuration of both the multicast service and the broadcast service. It does not limit the network device to be configured with multicast services and broadcast services at the same time, but means that when the terminal device receives the second activation instruction, it activates the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism indicated by the activation instruction and synchronized with the network device. The synchronization mentioned here means that the network device sends the relevant information of the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism configured by itself to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the relevant information.

[0099] For example, assuming that the network device and the terminal device have only synchronized the first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first multicast service, then upon receiving the second activation instruction, the terminal device activates the first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. Assuming that the network device and the terminal device have synchronized the first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first multicast service and the second-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first broadcast service, then upon receiving the second activation instruction, the terminal device activates both the first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0100] Optionally, the function of the second activation instruction may be implemented through a certain bit of the first paging message.

[0101] Exemplarily, the first bit of the first paging message is defined as 1, indicating activation of the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, thereby implementing the function of the second activation instruction. In this solution, when the network device and the terminal device synchronize the first and second cell discontinuous transmission mechanisms, the terminal device activates the first and second cell discontinuous transmission mechanisms upon receiving the first paging message with the first bit set to 1. When the network device and the terminal device synchronize the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, the terminal device activates the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism upon receiving the first paging message with the first bit set to 1.

[0102] Through the above examples, it can be understood that the first bit can simultaneously activate the first discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. In addition, the above examples do not constitute a limitation on the implementation method of the second activation instruction. The first bit and its value definition can be determined according to actual application and are not limited in this application.

[0103] In this application, the first paging message can simultaneously activate the cell discontinuous sending mechanism of multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services, and does not need to be activated separately for each multicast service or each broadcast service. This can not only improve efficiency, but also reduce the amount of data transmission between network devices and terminal devices, thereby reducing the occupation of network resources.

[0104] In some optional implementations, the first paging message may activate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, respectively. In summary, the first paging message includes the third activation instruction and / or the fourth activation instruction.

[0105] The third activation instruction is used to activate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple multicast services transmitted by the network device, and the first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services. In other words, the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism indicated by the first information is included in the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the multiple multicast services.

[0106] The fourth activation instruction is used to activate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, wherein the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services. In other words, the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism indicated by the first information is included in the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the multiple broadcast services.

[0107] That is, in this implementation, the first paging message can control the activation of the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism respectively through different activation instructions, and the two are decoupled.

[0108] Optionally, the functions of the third activation instruction and the fourth activation instruction may be implemented respectively through two bits of the first paging message.

[0109] Exemplarily, the second bit of the first paging message is defined as 1, indicating that the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first cell is activated to implement the function of the third activation instruction. The third bit of the first paging message is defined as 1, indicating that the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the second cell is activated to implement the function of the fourth activation instruction.

[0110] Optionally, in this scheme, when the network device and the terminal device synchronize the first discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, the terminal device activates the first discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism when it receives a first paging message in which the second bit and the third bit are both 1.

[0111] Optionally, in this scheme, when the network device and the terminal device synchronize the first discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, the terminal device receives a first paging message with the second bit being 1 and the third bit being 0, and only activates the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0112] Optionally, in this solution, when the network device and the terminal device have synchronized the first discontinuous transmission mechanism, the terminal device receives a first paging message in which both the second bit and the third bit are 1, and only activates the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. Simultaneously, the terminal device may also send feedback information to the network device, indicating that the terminal device has not synchronized the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the fourth activation instruction.

[0113] It should be noted that the above examples do not constitute a limitation on the implementation method of the third activation instruction and the fourth activation instruction. The second bit, the third bit and the corresponding value definitions can be determined according to actual applications, and this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0114] It should also be noted that the multiple multicast services referred to in the embodiments of the present application may be some or all of the multicast services configured on the network device, and the multiple broadcast services may be some or all of the broadcast services configured on the network device. For example, in a scenario where the multiple multicast services are some of the multicast services configured on the network device, the first paging message may also include identifiers of these multiple multicast services to distinguish them from other services. In a scenario where the multiple multicast services are all of the multicast services configured on the network device, the first paging message may not include the multicast service identifiers. The multiple broadcast services are similar and will not be further described here.

[0115] In this application, the instructions for activating the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multicast services can be decoupled from the instructions for activating the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for broadcast services. In practical applications, different services can be activated or deactivated in the same paging message without interfering with each other, improving the reliability of the technical solution and further enriching the implementation methods of the technical solution of this application.

[0116] In general, based on the above description, it can be seen that the present application has the following beneficial effects: after the network device configures the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multicast services and / or broadcast services, it sends information for activating the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism to the network device, so that the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism can take effect. Then, when the network device transmits related services with the terminal device, it does not need to continuously send related service data, but sends it within a specific time period according to the definition of the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, thereby saving the power consumption of the network device. Then, when the terminal device transmits related services with the network device, it does not need to continuously turn on the related data receiving function, but turns it on within a specific time period according to the definition of the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, thereby saving the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0117] In some optional implementations, after step 201, the network device and the terminal device may further perform step 202: transmitting relevant service data based on the activated cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0118] In the embodiment of the present application, the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism defines the active period and inactive period during which the network device transmits data to the terminal device in the transmission scheme of the first multicast service. The network device only transmits data of the first multicast service to the terminal device during the active period. In other words, the terminal device only receives data of the first multicast service from the network device during this period.

[0119] Similarly, the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism defines the active and inactive periods during which the network device sends data to the terminal device in the transmission scheme of the first broadcast service. The network device only sends data for the first broadcast service to the terminal device during the active data transmission period. In other words, the terminal device only receives data for the first broadcast service from the network device during this period.

[0120] In some optional implementations, after step 201, the network device may further perform step 203. Send a second paging message to the terminal device, where the second paging message is used to deactivate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism configured by the network device.

[0121] The deactivation mentioned above means that the network device and the terminal device no longer transmit data for the related service based on the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the second sequential message. For example, assuming that the second paging message indicates deactivation of the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first multicast service, the network device no longer transmits data of the first multicast service to the terminal device based on the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, and the terminal device no longer receives data of the first multicast service from the network device based on the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0122] This application also provides a deactivation scheme for the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multicast services and / or broadcast services, which can flexibly adapt to different needs and further improve the practicality of the technical solution.

[0123] In the embodiment of the present application, there are multiple possible deactivation granularities of the second paging message. The following describes the possible situations respectively:

[0124] In some optional embodiments, the second paging message can separately deactivate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the multicast service and / or broadcast service corresponding to a certain group. In summary, the second paging message includes a first deactivation instruction, and the first deactivation instruction is used to deactivate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group. The first group includes terminal devices, and the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group includes a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. That is, the first deactivation instruction is used to deactivate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for the first multicast service of the first group where the terminal device is located, and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for the first broadcast service.

[0125] In the present application, the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the cell corresponding to the first group can be separately deactivated in the second paging message to avoid interference with the services of other groups, thereby improving the reliability of the technical solution of the present application.

[0126] In some optional implementations, the second paging message may also simultaneously deactivate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanisms of multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services. In summary, the second paging message includes a second deactivation instruction, and the second deactivation instruction is used to deactivate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanisms of multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device. Among them, the first multicast service is included in multiple multicast services, and the first broadcast service is included in multiple broadcast services. That is to say, the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism indicated by the first information is included in the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple multicast services, and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism indicated by the first information is included in the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple broadcast services.

[0127] It should be noted that the aforementioned second deactivation instruction is used to deactivate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device. This means that the second deactivation instruction can deactivate the relevant configuration of both multicast services and broadcast services. This does not limit the network device to being configured with both multicast and broadcast services. Rather, it means that upon receiving the second deactivation instruction, the terminal device deactivates the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism indicated by the deactivation instruction and already synchronized with the network device.

[0128] For example, assuming that the network device and the terminal device have only synchronized the first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first multicast service, then upon receiving the second deactivation instruction, the terminal device deactivates the first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. Assuming that the network device and the terminal device have synchronized the first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first multicast service and the second-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first broadcast service, then upon receiving the second deactivation instruction, the terminal device deactivates both the first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0129] Optionally, the function of the second deactivation instruction may be implemented through a certain bit of the second paging message.

[0130] Exemplarily, the fourth bit of the second paging message is defined as 0, indicating that the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism are deactivated, thereby realizing the function of the second deactivation instruction. In this solution, when the network device and the terminal device synchronize the first and second cell discontinuous transmission mechanisms, the terminal device deactivates the first and second cell discontinuous transmission mechanisms upon receiving the second paging message with the fourth bit set to 1. When the network device and the terminal device synchronize the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, the terminal device deactivates the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism upon receiving the second paging message with the fourth bit set to 1.

[0131] Through the above examples, it can be understood that the fourth bit can simultaneously deactivate the first discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. In addition, the above examples do not constitute a limitation on the implementation method of the second deactivation instruction. The fourth bit and its value definition can be determined based on actual application and are not limited in this application.

[0132] In this application, the second paging message can simultaneously deactivate the cell discontinuous sending mechanism of multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services, and does not need to be deactivated separately for each multicast service or each broadcast service. This can not only improve efficiency, but also reduce the amount of data transmission between network devices and terminal devices, thereby reducing the occupation of network resources.

[0133] In some optional implementations, the second paging message may deactivate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, respectively. In summary, the second paging message includes a third deactivation instruction and / or a fourth deactivation instruction.

[0134] The third deactivation instruction is used to deactivate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple multicast services transmitted by the network device, and the first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services. In other words, the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism indicated by the first information is included in the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the multiple multicast services.

[0135] The fourth deactivation instruction is used to deactivate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services. That is, the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism indicated by the first information is included in the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple broadcast services.

[0136] That is, in this implementation, the second paging message can control the deactivation of the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism respectively through different deactivation instructions, and the two are decoupled.

[0137] Optionally, the functions of the third deactivation instruction and the fourth deactivation instruction may be implemented respectively through two bits of the second paging message.

[0138] Exemplarily, the value of the fifth bit of the second paging message is defined as 0, indicating that the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first cell is deactivated, thereby implementing the function of the third deactivation instruction. The value of the sixth bit of the second paging message is defined as 0, indicating that the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the second cell is deactivated, thereby implementing the function of the fourth deactivation instruction.

[0139] Optionally, in this scheme, when the network device and the terminal device synchronize the first discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, the terminal device deactivates the first discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism when it receives a second paging message in which the fifth bit and the sixth bit are both 0.

[0140] Optionally, in this scheme, when the network device and the terminal device synchronize the first discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, the terminal device receives a second paging message with the fifth bit being 0 and the sixth bit being 1, and only deactivates the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0141] Optionally, in this solution, when the network device and the terminal device synchronize the first discontinuous transmission mechanism, the terminal device receives a second paging message in which the fifth bit and the sixth bit are both 0, and only deactivates the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0142] It should be noted that the above examples do not constitute a limitation on the implementation method of the third deactivation instruction and the fourth deactivation instruction. The fifth bit, the sixth bit and the corresponding value definitions can be determined according to actual applications, and this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0143] In this application, the instruction to deactivate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multicast services can be decoupled from the instruction to deactivate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for broadcast services. In practical applications, different services can be activated or deactivated in the same paging message without interfering with each other, improving the reliability of the technical solution and further enriching the implementation methods of the technical solution of this application.

[0144] It should be noted that for the same multicast service or the same broadcast service, the activation and deactivation granularity of the paging message can be the same or different, and the specific granularity is not limited here. For example, for the same multicast service, the first paging message used to activate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism can correspond to a group, and the second paging message used to deactivate the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism can correspond to the multicast service of all groups.

[0145] Below, the relevant equipment provided in the embodiments of the present application is described.

[0146] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 4, the communication device 400 includes a transceiver unit 401. Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the communication device 400 can be used as a network device to implement the following operations:

[0147] In some optional embodiments, the communication device 400 includes a transceiver unit 401 for sending first information to the terminal device, the first information being used to activate a first cell discontinuous sending mechanism for a first multicast service configured by the network device, and / or a second cell discontinuous sending mechanism for a first broadcast service configured by the network device.

[0148] In some optional implementations, the first information further includes configuration information, where the configuration information instructs the network device to configure a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0149] In some optional implementations, the first information is included in the first paging message. The transceiver unit 401 is further configured to send configuration information to the terminal device, the configuration information instructing the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0150] In some optional embodiments, the first paging message includes a first activation instruction, the first activation instruction being used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group. The first group includes terminal devices, and the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group includes a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0151] In some optional embodiments, the first paging message includes a second activation instruction, the second activation instruction being used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, wherein the first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

[0152] In some optional embodiments, the first paging message includes a third activation instruction and / or a fourth activation instruction. The third activation instruction is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services transmitted by the network device, the first multicast service being included in the multiple multicast services; and the fourth activation instruction is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, the first broadcast service being included in the multiple broadcast services.

[0153] In some optional implementations, the transceiver unit 401 further transmits the first multicast service to the terminal device based on the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism; and / or transmits the first broadcast service to the terminal device based on the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0154] In some optional implementations, the transceiver unit 401 is further configured to send a second paging message to the terminal device, where the second paging message is used to deactivate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0155] In some optional embodiments, the second paging message includes a first deactivation instruction, where the first deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group. The first group includes terminal devices, and the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group includes a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0156] In some optional embodiments, the second paging message includes a second deactivation instruction, the second deactivation instruction being used to deactivate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, wherein the first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

[0157] In some optional embodiments, the second paging message includes a third deactivation instruction and / or a fourth deactivation instruction. The third deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell-based discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services transmitted by the network device, the first multicast service being included in the multiple multicast services. The fourth deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell-based discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, the first broadcast service being included in the multiple broadcast services.

[0158] The communication device 400 is used to implement the operations performed by the network devices in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 3 above, as shown above, and will not be repeated here.

[0159] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present application, the communication device 400 may serve as a terminal device to implement the following operations:

[0160] In some optional embodiments, the transceiver unit 401 is used to receive first information from a network device, where the first information is used to activate a first cell discontinuous sending mechanism for a first multicast service configured by the network device, and / or a second cell discontinuous sending mechanism for a first broadcast service configured by the network device.

[0161] In some optional implementations, the first information further includes configuration information, where the configuration information instructs the network device to configure a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0162] In some optional implementations, the first information is included in the first paging message. The transceiver unit 401 is further configured to receive configuration information from a network device, the configuration information instructing the network device to configure a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0163] In some optional embodiments, the first paging message includes a first activation instruction, the first activation instruction being used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group. The first group includes terminal devices, and the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group includes a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0164] In some optional embodiments, the first paging message includes a second activation instruction, the second activation instruction being used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, wherein the first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

[0165] In some optional embodiments, the first paging message includes a third activation instruction and / or a fourth activation instruction. The third activation instruction is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services transmitted by the network device, the first multicast service being included in the multiple multicast services; and the fourth activation instruction is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, the first broadcast service being included in the multiple broadcast services.

[0166] In some optional implementations, the transceiver unit 401 further transmits the first multicast service to the network device based on the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism; and / or transmits the first broadcast service to the network device based on the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0167] In some optional implementations, the transceiver unit 401 is further configured to receive a second paging message from the network device, where the second paging message is used to deactivate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0168] In some optional embodiments, the second paging message includes a first deactivation instruction, where the first deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group. The first group includes terminal devices, and the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group includes a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0169] In some optional embodiments, the second paging message includes a second deactivation instruction, the second deactivation instruction being used to deactivate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, wherein the first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

[0170] In some optional embodiments, the second paging message includes a third deactivation instruction and / or a fourth deactivation instruction. The third deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell-based discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services transmitted by the network device, the first multicast service being included in the multiple multicast services. The fourth deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell-based discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, the first broadcast service being included in the multiple broadcast services.

[0171] The communication device 400 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.

[0172] Please refer to Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 500 can be used to implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the methods corresponding to Figures 1 to 3 above.

[0173] The communication device 500 shown in FIG5 may include: a processor 501 , a memory 502 , a communication interface 503 , and a bus 504 . The processor 501 , the memory 502 , and the communication interface 503 may be connected via the bus 504 .

[0174] The processor 501 is the control center of the communication device 500 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.

[0175] As an example, the processor 501 may include one or more CPUs.

[0176] The memory 502 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.

[0177] In one possible implementation, the memory 502 may exist independently of the processor 501. The memory 502 may be connected to the processor 501 via a bus 504 and used to store data, instructions, or program codes. When the processor 501 calls and executes the instructions or program codes stored in the memory 502, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented.

[0178] In another possible implementation, the memory 502 may also be integrated with the processor 501 .

[0179] The communication interface 503 is used to connect the communication device 500 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.

[0180] Bus 504 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, FIG5 shows only one thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0181] It should be noted that the structure shown in FIG5 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device 500. In addition to the components shown in FIG5, the communication device 500 may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0182] The embodiments of the present application also provide 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 communication method.

[0183] 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 in 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 communication method.

[0184] 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.

[0185] 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.

[0186] 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.

[0187] 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: First information is sent to the terminal device, where the first information is used to activate a first cell discontinuous sending mechanism of a first multicast service configured by the network device, and / or a second cell discontinuous sending mechanism of a first broadcast service configured by the network device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first information further includes configuration information, where the configuration information instructs the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first information is included in a first paging message; Before sending the first information to the terminal device, the method further includes: Configuration information is sent to the terminal device, where the configuration information instructs the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first paging message includes a first activation instruction, where the first activation instruction is used to activate a discontinuous transmission mechanism of a cell corresponding to the first group; The first group includes the terminal devices, and the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group includes the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first paging message includes a second activation instruction, where the second activation instruction is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device; The first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first paging message includes a third activation instruction and / or a fourth activation instruction; The third activation instruction is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for a plurality of multicast services transmitted by the network device, wherein the first multicast service is included in the plurality of multicast services; The fourth activation instruction is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that After sending the first information to the terminal device, the method further includes: A second paging message is sent to the terminal device, where the second paging message is used to deactivate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The second paging message includes a first deactivation instruction, where the first deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a discontinuous transmission mechanism of a cell corresponding to the first group; The first group includes the terminal devices, and the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group includes the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The second paging message includes a second deactivation instruction, where the second deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device; The first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

10. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The second paging message includes a third deactivation instruction and / or a fourth deactivation instruction; The third deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of a plurality of multicast services transmitted by the network device, wherein the first multicast service is included in the plurality of multicast services; The fourth deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

11. A communication method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a terminal device, and the method includes: First information is received from a network device, where the first information is used to activate a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of a first multicast service configured by the network device and / or a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of a first broadcast service configured by the network device.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The first information further includes configuration information, where the configuration information instructs the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The first information is included in a first paging message; Before receiving the first information from the network device, the method further includes: Configuration information is received from the network device, where the configuration information instructs the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The first paging message includes a first activation instruction, where the first activation instruction is used to activate a discontinuous transmission mechanism of a cell corresponding to the first group; The first group includes the terminal devices, and the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group includes the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

15. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The first paging message includes a second activation instruction, where the second activation instruction is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device; The first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

16. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The first paging message includes a third activation instruction and / or a fourth activation instruction; The third activation instruction is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for multiple multicast services transmitted by the network device, the first multicast service being included in the multiple multicast services; The fourth activation instruction is used to activate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

17. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that After receiving the first information from the network device, the method further includes: A second paging message is received from the network device, where the second paging message is used to deactivate the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that The second paging message includes a first deactivation instruction, where the first deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a discontinuous transmission mechanism of a cell corresponding to the first group; The first group includes the terminal devices, and the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the first group includes the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein The second paging message includes a second deactivation instruction, where the second deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple multicast services and / or multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device; The first multicast service is included in the multiple multicast services, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein The second paging message includes a third deactivation instruction and / or a fourth deactivation instruction; The third deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of a plurality of multicast services transmitted by the network device, wherein the first multicast service is included in the plurality of multicast services; The fourth deactivation instruction is used to deactivate a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of multiple broadcast services transmitted by the network device, and the first broadcast service is included in the multiple broadcast services.

21. A network device, characterized in that: include: The transceiver unit is used to send first information to the terminal device, where the first information is used to activate the first cell discontinuous sending mechanism of the first multicast service configured by the network device, and / or the second cell discontinuous sending mechanism of the first broadcast service configured by the network device.

22. A terminal device, characterized in that: include: The transceiver unit is used to receive first information from a network device, where the first information is used to activate a first cell discontinuous sending mechanism for a first multicast service configured by the network device, and / or a second cell discontinuous sending mechanism for a first broadcast service configured by the network device.

23. 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 10 and 11 to 20.

24. 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 10 and 11 to 20 is implemented.

25. 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 10 and 11 to 20 is implemented.

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