Communication method and related device

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and a related device. A network device determines first configuration information, the first configuration information being configured to indicate whether to use a wake-up signal (WUS) to receive scrambled downlink control information with cyclic redundancy check (DCP); the network device sends the first configuration information; and the network device sends the DCP on the basis of the first configuration information. On the basis of the above solution, the network device can configure the first configuration information for a terminal device, making the terminal device determine whether to first receive the WUS and then receive the DCP on the basis of the WUS, or to directly receive the DCP without receiving the WUS. The terminal device can determine the association between the WUS and the DCP on the basis of the first configuration information, thereby not only enabling the WUS to be compatible with the DCP to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device, but also reducing false alarms in the functions of other terminal devices.

Description

A 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 6, 2024, with application number 202410172077.0 and invention name “A 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 a communication method and related equipment. Background Art

[0003] Wireless communication can be the transmission of information between two or more communication nodes without using conductors or cables, or over the air. For example, communication nodes include network devices and terminal devices. Generally, terminal devices can access network devices and receive scheduling and instruction information from them to achieve wireless communication.

[0004] One technical feature for base station energy conservation is discontinuous transmission (DTX) / discontinuous reception (DRX) in the cell. The basic idea is that the base station only transmits and receives certain signals within periodic time windows, that is, it does not receive or transmit these signals outside of these time windows. A technical feature for terminal energy conservation is the Wake-Up Signal (WUS) reception mechanism. The basic idea is that the terminal periodically detects the Wake-Up Signal. Once the WUS triggers the terminal to start receiving, the terminal will receive certain signals within the next period of time corresponding to the WUS. Otherwise, the terminal will not receive these signals.

[0005] Currently, in the DRX mechanism, once a terminal begins monitoring the PDCCH periodically, it must monitor for at least the onduration duration. However, if the terminal has no scheduled services during the current DRX cycle, the onduration monitoring period is wasted. Therefore, before the onduration period of each DRX cycle, downlink control information with a cyclic redundancy check (DCP) scrambled by a power saving radio network temporary identity (PS-RNTI) is introduced.

[0006] However, how to combine WUS with DCP is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention provides a communication method in which a network device indicates to a terminal device, through first configuration information, whether to use WUS to receive DCP, that is, whether to use WUS to wake up DCP monitoring. This method achieves compatibility between WUS and DCP, and reduces power consumption of the terminal device by using WUS to wake up DCP.

[0008] The first aspect of the present application provides a communication method, which is performed by a network device, or the method is performed by some components in the network device (such as a processor, a chip or a chip system, etc.), or the method can also be implemented by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the network device functions. In the first aspect and its possible implementation, the method is described as being performed by a network device. In this method, the network device determines first configuration information, and the first configuration information is used to indicate whether to use a wake-up signal WUS to receive an encrypted downlink control information DCP with a cyclic redundancy check; the network device sends the first configuration information; and the network device sends the DCP based on the first configuration information.

[0009] Based on the above solution, the network device can configure the first configuration information for the terminal device, thereby ensuring that the terminal device clearly determines whether to first receive the WUS and then receive the DCP based on the WUS, or to directly receive the DCP without receiving the WUS. In other words, the terminal device can clearly determine the association between the WUS and the DCP based on the first configuration information. This not only ensures compatibility between the WUS and the DCP to reduce power consumption of the terminal device, but also reduces false alarms of other terminal device functions.

[0010] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, when the first configuration information is used to indicate the use of WUS to receive DCP, the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate the association relationship between the functions of WUS and DCP, and the functions include at least one of the following: wake-up indication, secondary cell sleep indication; the wake-up indication is used to indicate whether the terminal device wakes up in the next discontinuous reception DRX cycle, and the secondary cell sleep indication is used to indicate whether to activate the secondary cell.

[0011] In this possible implementation, the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate the association relationship between WUS and specific functions of DCP, so that the terminal device can clearly understand which function or functions of DCP are associated with WUS, thereby reducing false alarms of terminal devices that are not configured with corresponding DCP functions.

[0012] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the above steps further include: sending second configuration information, where the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to enable at least one of the following functions: a wake-up indication and a secondary cell sleep indication.

[0013] In this possible implementation, the DCP function can be configured for the terminal device through the second configuration information. For example, different DCP functions can be configured for multiple terminal devices. This not only improves the flexibility of scheduling each terminal device, but also can reduce false alarms of terminal devices that are not configured with the DCP function in combination with the first configuration information.

[0014] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the above steps further include: sending WUS when the first configuration information indicates to use WUS to receive DCP.

[0015] In this possible implementation, when the first configuration information indicates to use WUS to receive DCP, the terminal device is triggered to receive DCP by sending WUS, thereby effectively combining WUS and DCP to reduce the energy consumption of the terminal device.

[0016] The second aspect of the present application provides a communication method, which is executed by a terminal device, or the method is executed by some components in the terminal device (such as a processor, chip or chip system, etc.), or the method can also be implemented by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the terminal device functions. In the second aspect and its possible implementation, the method is described as being executed by a terminal device. In this method, the terminal device receives first configuration information, and the first configuration information is used to indicate whether to use a wake-up signal WUS to receive an encrypted downlink control information DCP with a cyclic redundancy check; the terminal device receives the DCP based on the first configuration information.

[0017] Based on the above solution, the terminal device can specify, through the first configuration information, whether to first receive the WUS and then receive the DCP based on the WUS, or to directly receive the DCP without receiving the WUS. In other words, the terminal device can specify the association between the WUS and the DCP based on the first configuration information. This not only enables compatibility between the WUS and the DCP to reduce power consumption of the terminal device, but also reduces false alarms of other terminal device functions.

[0018] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the second aspect, when the first configuration information is used to indicate the use of WUS to receive DCP, the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate the association relationship between the functions of WUS and DCP, and the functions include at least one of the following: wake-up indication, secondary cell sleep indication; the wake-up indication is used to indicate whether the terminal device wakes up in the next discontinuous reception DRX cycle, and the secondary cell sleep indication is used to indicate whether to activate the secondary cell.

[0019] In this possible implementation, the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate the association relationship between WUS and specific functions of DCP, so that the terminal device can clearly understand which function or functions of DCP are associated with WUS, thereby reducing false alarms of terminal devices that are not configured with corresponding DCP functions.

[0020] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the above steps further include: receiving WUS when the first configuration information indicates to use WUS to receive DCP; receiving DCP based on the first configuration information includes: receiving DCP based on WUS.

[0021] In this possible implementation, when the first configuration information indicates to use WUS to receive DCP, WUS is received and DCP is received according to WUS, thereby effectively combining WUS and DCP to reduce energy consumption of the terminal device.

[0022] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the second aspect, the above steps also include: obtaining second configuration information of the DCP, the second configuration information being used to instruct the terminal device to turn on at least one of the following functions: a wake-up indication, a secondary cell sleep indication; receiving the DCP based on the first configuration information, including: receiving the DCP based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information.

[0023] In this possible implementation, the second configuration information allows the terminal device to clearly identify which DCP function or functions are configured. Furthermore, the terminal device can determine how to receive DCP based on the association between the WUS and the DCP function indicated in the first configuration information. This not only reduces energy consumption in the terminal device, but also reduces false alarms for terminal devices that are not configured with the DCP function.

[0024] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the second aspect, the above-mentioned step of: receiving DCP based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information includes: receiving DCP based on WUS when the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that WUS is associated with the wake-up indication, and the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to turn on the wake-up indication.

[0025] In this possible implementation, when the first configuration information indicates that WUS is associated with the wake-up indication and the terminal device is configured with this function, the terminal device receives DCP based on WUS, which can not only effectively combine WUS and DCP, but also reduce the energy consumption of the terminal device.

[0026] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the second aspect, the above-mentioned step of: receiving DCP based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information includes: receiving DCP based on WUS when the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that WUS is associated with the secondary cell sleep indication, and the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to turn on the secondary cell sleep indication.

[0027] In this possible implementation, when the first configuration information indicates that WUS is associated with the secondary cell sleep indication, and the terminal device is configured with this function, the terminal device receives DCP based on WUS, which can not only effectively combine WUS and DCP, but also reduce the energy consumption of the terminal device.

[0028] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the second aspect, the above-mentioned step: receiving DCP based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information includes: receiving DCP when the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that the WUS is associated with the secondary cell sleep indication, and the second configuration information does not indicate that the terminal device turns on the secondary cell sleep indication.

[0029] In this possible implementation, when the first configuration information indicates that WUS is associated with the secondary cell sleep indication, but the terminal device is not configured with this function, the terminal device may not receive DCP through WUS, but may directly receive DCP, thereby improving the efficiency of receiving DCP.

[0030] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the second aspect, the above-mentioned step of: receiving DCP based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information includes: receiving DCP when the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that WUS is associated with the wake-up indication, and the second configuration information does not indicate that the terminal device turns on the wake-up indication.

[0031] In this possible implementation, when the first configuration information indicates that WUS is associated with the wake-up indication, but the terminal device is not configured with this function, the terminal device may not receive DCP through WUS, but may directly receive DCP, thereby improving the efficiency of receiving DCP.

[0032] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which is a network device, or a component of a network device (such as a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the network device functions. The communication device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit.

[0033] a processing unit, configured to determine first configuration information, where the first configuration information is used to indicate whether to use a wake-up signal WUS to receive scrambled downlink control information DCP with a cyclic redundancy check;

[0034] a transceiver unit, configured to send first configuration information;

[0035] The transceiver unit is further configured to send the DCP based on the first configuration information.

[0036] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the third aspect, when the first configuration information indicates the use of WUS to receive DCP, the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate the association relationship between the functions of WUS and DCP, and the functions include at least one of the following: wake-up indication, secondary cell sleep indication; the wake-up indication is used to indicate whether the terminal device wakes up in the next discontinuous reception DRX cycle, and the secondary cell sleep indication is used to indicate whether to activate the secondary cell.

[0037] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the third aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is further used to send second configuration information, and the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to enable at least one of the following functions: a wake-up indication and a secondary cell sleep indication.

[0038] Optionally, in a possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is further configured to send WUS when the first configuration information indicates to use WUS to receive DCP.

[0039] A fourth aspect of the present application provides a communication device, which is a terminal device, or a component of a terminal device (such as a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device functions. The communication device includes a transceiver unit.

[0040] A transceiver unit, configured to receive first configuration information, where the first configuration information is used to indicate whether to use a wake-up signal WUS to receive scrambled downlink control information DCP with a cyclic redundancy check;

[0041] The transceiver unit is further configured to receive the DCP based on the first configuration information.

[0042] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the above-mentioned first configuration information is used to indicate the use of WUS to receive DCP, and the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate the association relationship between the functions of WUS and DCP, and the functions include at least one of the following: wake-up indication, secondary cell sleep indication; the wake-up indication is used to indicate whether the terminal device wakes up in the next discontinuous reception DRX cycle, and the secondary cell sleep indication is used to indicate whether to activate the secondary cell.

[0043] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is further used to receive WUS when the first configuration information indicates to use WUS to receive DCP; the transceiver unit is specifically used to receive DCP based on WUS.

[0044] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is also used to obtain second configuration information of the DCP, and the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to turn on at least one of the following functions: wake-up indication, secondary cell sleep indication; the transceiver unit is specifically used to receive the DCP based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information.

[0045] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is specifically used to receive DCP based on WUS when the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that WUS is associated with the wake-up indication, and the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to turn on the wake-up indication.

[0046] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is specifically used to receive DCP based on WUS when the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that WUS is associated with the secondary cell sleep indication, and the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to turn on the secondary cell sleep indication.

[0047] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is specifically used to receive DCP when the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that the WUS is associated with the secondary cell sleep indication, and the second configuration information does not indicate that the terminal device turns on the secondary cell sleep indication.

[0048] Optionally, in a possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the above-mentioned transceiver unit is specifically used to receive DCP when the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that WUS is associated with the wake-up indication, and the second configuration information does not indicate that the terminal device turns on the wake-up indication.

[0049] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising at least one processor coupled to a memory; the memory is used to store programs or instructions; and the at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions so that the device implements a method of any possible implementation of the first aspect described above.

[0050] In a sixth aspect of the present application, a communication device is provided, comprising at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to a memory; the memory is used to store programs or instructions; and the at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions so that the device implements a method of any possible implementation method of the aforementioned second aspect.

[0051] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit is used to execute the method described in any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0052] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit is used to execute a method as any possible implementation method in the aforementioned second aspect.

[0053] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, which includes a communication device of any possible implementation method in the fifth aspect and a communication device of any possible implementation method in the sixth aspect, or includes a communication device of any possible implementation method in the seventh aspect and a communication device of any possible implementation method in the eighth aspect.

[0054] In a tenth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the processor executes the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first or second aspects above.

[0055] In an eleventh aspect, the present application provides a computer program product (or computer program). When the computer program in the computer program product is executed by the processor, the processor executes the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first or second aspects above.

[0056] A twelfth aspect of the present application provides a chip or chip system, which includes at least one processor for supporting a communication device to implement the method described in any possible implementation method of any aspect of the first or second aspect.

[0057] In one possible design, the chip system may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of a chip or may include a chip and other discrete components. Optionally, the chip system may also include an interface circuit that provides program instructions and / or data to at least one processor.

[0058] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any design method in the third aspect to the twelfth aspect can refer to the technical effects brought about by the different design methods in the above-mentioned first aspect and second aspect, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] FIG1A is a schematic diagram of a communication system involved in this application;

[0060] FIG1B is another schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0061] FIG1C is another schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0062] FIG2 is a flow chart of the communication method involved in this application;

[0063] 3 to 6 are several schematic diagrams of the communication device involved in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0065] First, some of the terms used in the embodiments of the present application are explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0066] 1. Radio resource control (RRC) status

[0067] In 4G and 5G cellular communication systems, the network provides services to terminals in cells. After selecting a cell, a terminal device resides in that cell, ready to initiate uplink services and receive downlink services at any time. From the perspective of the radio access network, a terminal device in a cell has three different RRC states: RRC connected (RRC_Connected), RRC idle (RRC_IDLE), and RRC inactive (RRC_INACTIVE).

[0068] RRC connected state: The terminal device has established an RRC connection with the network, enabling data transmission. The RRC connected state can also be referred to as the connected state. In this document, "connected state" and "RRC connected state" are the same concept and can be referred to interchangeably.

[0069] For example, the terminal device responds to network paging or actively initiates random access, establishes an RRC connection with the network device, and transmits services. For the network device and the core network device, the terminal device is visible.

[0070] RRC Idle State: The terminal device has not established an RRC connection with the network, and the network equipment has not stored the context of the terminal device. If the terminal device needs to enter the RRC Connected State from the RRC Idle State, it needs to initiate the RRC connection establishment process. The RRC Idle State can also be simply referred to as the Idle State. In this article, "Idle State" and "RRC Idle State" are the same concept and can be referred to interchangeably.

[0071] For example, a terminal device resides in a cell and has no ongoing services. It is invisible to network devices and core network devices. The terminal device monitors system broadcasts and paging.

[0072] System broadcast: Ensures that the latest system information is saved at all times to monitor paging (triggering cell access for uplink services) and initiate random access (active access to the network for uplink services) as needed.

[0073] Paging: includes network downlink service triggering, system message changes, multicast service start indication, etc.

[0074] RRC inactive state: The terminal device has previously entered the RRC connected state, and then the base station released the RRC connection, but the base station saved the context of the terminal device. If the terminal device needs to enter the RRC connected state again from the RRC inactive state, it is necessary to initiate an RRC recovery process (or called an RRC connection recovery process). Compared with the RRC establishment process, the RRC recovery process has a shorter delay and lower signaling overhead. However, the base station needs to save the context of the terminal device, which will occupy the storage overhead of the base station. The RRC inactive state can also be referred to as the inactive state. In this article, "deactivated state", "deactivated state", "inactive state", "RRC inactive state" and "RRC deactivated state" are the same concept, and these names can be interchanged.

[0075] For example, if a terminal device is stationed in a cell with no ongoing services, the network device typically configures the terminal device to enter the connected state when releasing the connected state. This state is invisible to the network device, but the core network device still considers the terminal device to be in the connected state. The terminal device behaves similarly to the idle state, primarily listening for paging and system messages. The main difference is that paging is primarily Radio Access Network (RAN) paging sent by the network device.

[0076] 2. Discontinuous Reception (DRX)

[0077] 5G New Radio (NR) technology uses the DRX mechanism from Long Term Evolution (LTE), which was introduced primarily to save power. The DRX cycle consists of an "On Duration" portion and an "Opportunity for DRX" portion. During the "On Duration" period, the terminal monitors and receives the PDCCH. During the "Opportunity for DRX" period, the terminal may not monitor or receive the PDCCH to reduce power consumption. Monitoring and receiving the PDCCH refers to monitoring and receiving the DCI carried on the PDCCH.

[0078] 3. DCP

[0079] In the DRX mechanism, once a terminal starts monitoring the PDCCH periodically, it must monitor for at least the onduration length. However, there may be cases where the terminal has no service scheduling in the current DRX cycle, and the onduration monitoring is wasted. For this reason, before the onduration of each DRX cycle, a downlink control information with cyclic redundancy check scrambled by PS-radio network temporary identity (DCP) is introduced. The signal form of DCP can be DCI. The time domain position of DCP can be: an offset position before the "On Duration" time of the DRX cycle.

[0080] In addition, DCP has two functions: one is wake-up indication, which is used to indicate that the terminal does not need to wake up in the next DRX cycle, and the other is SCell dormancy indication, which is used to indicate whether to activate the secondary cell (SCell).

[0081] Wake-up indication is information in DCIFormat 2_6. A '0' in this bit indicates that the terminal does not need to wake up in the next DRX cycle, and a '1' indicates that the terminal needs to wake up in the next DRX cycle.

[0082] SCell dormancy indication, also known as secondary cell dormancy indication, is 0 to 5 bits long. Generally, even if no data is transmitted on the SCell (secondary cell), the terminal still needs to monitor the PDCCH in these activated SCells. Therefore, 3GPP Release 15 introduced the SCell activation / deactivation mechanism. The SCell is activated when data is available and deactivated when no data is available. However, this introduces significant latency. To reduce latency, 3GPP Release 16 introduced SCell dormancy, which is achieved by switching between dormant bandwidth (BWP) and active BWP (non-dormant BWP).

[0083] 4. Wake-up signal

[0084] In 5G technology, terminals need to further save power consumption. With the current DRX mechanism, terminals need to monitor and receive the PDCCH during the DRX activation period. However, in many cases, the UE cannot actually monitor the PDCCH used to schedule the UE during the DRX activation period, and the UE simply wastes the power consumption of monitoring the PDCCH. Therefore, it is proposed to introduce an indicator signal (PDCCH-WUS), or a wake-up signal, which can indicate whether the UE needs to wake up or sleep during the subsequent DRX activation period based on the current DRX mechanism.

[0085] 5. Configuration and pre-configuration

[0086] In this application, configuration and pre-configuration are used simultaneously. Configuration refers to the network device / server sending some parameter configuration information or parameter values ​​to the terminal through messages or signaling, so that the terminal can determine the communication parameters or resources during transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration and can be parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-negotiated between the network device / server and the terminal device, parameter information or parameter values ​​used by the base station / network device or terminal device as specified in the standard protocol, or parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-stored in the base station / server or terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0087] Furthermore, these values ​​and parameters can be changed or updated.

[0088] 6. In this application, "used for indication" can include direct indication and indirect indication. When describing that a certain indication information is used to indicate A, it can be understood that the indication information carries A, directly indicates A, or indirectly indicates A.

[0089] In this application, the information indicated by the indication information is referred to as the information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated. For example, it can be implemented by direct indication, such as by indicating the information to be indicated itself or the index of the information to be indicated. It can also be implemented by indirectly indicating other information, wherein there is an association between the other information and the information to be indicated. It is also possible to indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts of the information to be indicated are known or agreed in advance. For example, the indication of specific information can also be achieved with the help of the arrangement order of each information agreed in advance (for example, stipulated in the protocol), thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent.

[0090] The information to be indicated can be sent as a whole, or divided into multiple sub-information and sent separately, and the sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be the same or different. The specific sending method is not limited in this application. Among them, the sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be pre-defined, for example, pre-defined according to the protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device. Among them, the configuration information can, for example, but not limited to, include one or a combination of at least two of RRC signaling, medium access control (MAC) layer signaling and physical layer signaling. Among them, MAC layer signaling, for example, includes MAC CE; physical layer signaling, for example, includes downlink control information (DCI).

[0091] 7. In the embodiments of this application, "sending" and "receiving" refer to the direction of signal transmission. In this application, when entity A sends information to entity B, A may send it directly to B or indirectly to B through another entity. Similarly, when entity B receives information from entity A, entity B may directly receive the information sent by entity A or indirectly receive the information sent by entity A through another entity. Entities A and B herein may be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules within a RAN node or terminal. The sending and receiving of information may be information exchange between a RAN node and a terminal, for example, between a base station and a terminal; between two RAN nodes, for example, between a CU and a DU; or between different modules within a device, for example, between a terminal chip and other modules in the terminal, or between a base station chip and other modules within the base station. "Sending" may also be understood as the "output" of a chip interface, for example, the output from a baseband chip to a radio frequency chip, and "receiving" may also be understood as the "input" of a chip interface.

[0092] 8. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of the present application can be used interchangeably. "At least one" means one or more, and "plurality" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, "at least one of A, B and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. And, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish multiple objects, and are not used to limit the order, timing, priority or importance of multiple objects.

[0093] From the above introduction, it can be seen that how to combine WUS and DCP is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently.

[0094] To address the aforementioned technical issues, embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and related devices. A network device, through first configuration information, indicates to a terminal device whether to use the WUS to receive DCPs, specifically whether to use the WUS to wake up DCP monitoring. This allows the terminal device to clearly identify the association between the WUS and the DCP, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0095] Assume that WUS and DCP are used in conjunction, that is, WUS instructs the terminal whether to monitor DCP. However, DCP is shared by multiple terminal devices, and each terminal device supports different DCP functions. This leads to false alarm problems when WUS is combined with DCP. For example, terminal 1 is awakened because terminal 2 is awakened. For another example, terminal 1 does not support the Scell ​​dormancy function at all, but is awakened due to related functions of other terminals. The false alarm in the first example is a common situation in various wake-up mechanisms and can only be solved through grouping. The false alarm situation in the second example is more special and more unfair to terminal 1. Wake up and Scell ​​dormancy are two standard functions, and both the terminal and the network may only implement one of them.

[0096] In order to further solve the above-mentioned false alarm problem, the embodiment of the present application can also specifically indicate the association between WUS and DCP function through the first configuration information, so that the terminal device that supports a certain DCP function can clearly determine whether to trigger a certain DCP function according to WUS according to the first configuration information, so as to reduce false alarms of other terminal devices that do not support a certain DCP function, thereby improving the energy saving of the terminal device.

[0097] Please refer to Figure 1A, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 1000 used in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 1000 may also include the Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (such as 110a and 110b in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal (such as 120a-120j in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1A). The terminal 120 is connected to the RAN node 110 via a wireless connection, and the RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 via a wireless or wired connection. The core network equipment in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device that integrates the logical functions of the core network equipment and the logical functions of the RAN node. Terminals and RAN nodes may be connected to each other via wired or wireless means.

[0098] The RAN 100 may be an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) system, a NR system, or a future radio access system defined in 3GPP. The RAN 100 may also include two or more of the aforementioned different radio access systems. The RAN 100 may also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0099] A RAN node, also known as a radio access network device, RAN entity, or access node, is used to help terminals access a communication system wirelessly. In one application scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication system, a next-generation base station in a sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A RAN node can be a macro base station (such as 110a in Figure 1A), a micro base station, or an indoor station (such as 110b in Figure 1A), or a relay node or a donor node.

[0100] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminals achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing portions of the base station's functions. For example, a RAN node can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). The CU implements the base station's radio resource control protocol and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) functions, as well as the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) functions. The DU implements the base station's radio link control layer and medium access control (MAC) layer functions, as well as some or all of the physical layer functions. For detailed descriptions of each of the above protocol layers, please refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement the transmission and reception of radio frequency signals. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes, or they can be integrated into the same RAN node, such as in a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0101] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, the CU may be called an open CU (O-CU), the DU may be called an open DU (O-DU), and the RU may be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN nodes in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented by software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules. For example, the RAN node may be a server loaded with the corresponding software module. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form used by the RAN node.

[0102] In addition, a RAN node can also be referred to as a network device. A network device is a device deployed in a radio access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. Network devices may include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small stations), relay stations, access points, etc. In systems using different radio access technologies, the names of network devices may be different, such as eNB or eNodeB (evolutionary NodeB) in Long Term Evolution (LTE). A network device may also be a wireless controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario. A network device may also be a base station device in a future 5G network or a network device in a future evolved PLMN network. A network device may also be a wearable device or an in-vehicle device. A network device may also be a transmission and reception point (TRP). In addition, in a network structure, a network device may include a centralized unit (CU) node, a distributed unit (DU) node, or a RAN device including a CU node and a DU node. For ease of description, the following description uses a base station as an example of a RAN node.

[0103] A terminal is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities that can send signals to a base station or receive signals from a base station. A terminal may also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), 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. A terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable device, vehicle, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal.

[0104] Base stations and terminals can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; on water; or on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of base stations and terminals.

[0105] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1A can be configured as a mobile base station. To terminals 120j accessing the wireless access network 100 via 120i, terminal 120i is a base station. However, to base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, meaning that communication between 110a and 120i occurs via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, communication between 110a and 120i can also occur via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, 120i is also a base station relative to 110a. Therefore, base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1A can be referred to as communication devices with base station functionality, while 120a-120j in Figure 1A can be referred to as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0106] Communication between base stations and terminals, between base stations, and between terminals can be carried out through authorized spectrum, unauthorized spectrum, or both; communication can be carried out through spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), spectrum above 6 GHz, or spectrum below 6 GHz and spectrum above 6 GHz. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0107] In the embodiments of the present application, the functions of the base station may also be performed by a module (such as a chip) in the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes the base station functions. The control subsystem that includes the base station functions here may be a control center in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, smart transportation, and smart city. The functions of the terminal may also be performed by a module (such as a chip or modem) in the terminal, or by a device that includes the terminal functions.

[0108] It can be understood that the RAN 100 described above includes at least one RAN node (such as 110 a and 110 b in FIG. 1A , collectively referred to as 110 ), and may also include at least one terminal (such as 120 a - 120 j in FIG. 1A , collectively referred to as 120 ).

[0109] In one possible implementation, the communication system shown in FIG1A may also be as shown in FIG1B , that is, including a RAN node 110 and multiple terminals (such as 120A and 120B in FIG1B ). In this case, a single RAN node can transmit data or control signaling to a single terminal or multiple terminals.

[0110] In another possible implementation, the communication system shown in FIG1A may also be shown in FIG1C , that is, include multiple RAN nodes (such as 110A, 110B, and 110C in FIG1C ) 110 and a terminal 120. In this case, multiple RAN nodes may also simultaneously transmit data or control signaling for a single terminal.

[0111] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method may include steps 201 to 204. Steps 201 to 204 can be performed by a communication device (network device and / or terminal device), or can be performed by some components in the communication device (such as a processor, chip or chip system, etc.), or can be implemented by a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the communication device. The following description is taken as an example of execution by a network device and a terminal device. The processing performed by a single execution subject in steps 201 to 204 can also be divided into executions by multiple execution subjects, and these execution subjects can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, in the case where the communication device is a network device, the processing performed by the communication device can be divided into executions by at least one of the CU, DU and RU. Steps 201 to 204 are described in detail below.

[0112] Step 201: The network device determines first configuration information.

[0113] The network device determines first configuration information, which is used to indicate whether to use the WUS to receive the DCP. Alternatively, it can be understood that the first configuration information is used to indicate whether to use the WUS to wake up the DCP for monitoring. It can also be understood that the first configuration information is used to indicate the association between the WUS and the DCP. It can also be understood that the first configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to determine the order of receiving the WUS and receiving the DCP. The terminal device uses the WUS to receive the DCP, which can be understood as the terminal device determining whether to monitor the DCP based on the status indication of the WUS. It can also be understood as whether to use the WUS to turn on the second receiver with higher operating power to monitor the DCP.

[0114] The terminal device in this application includes a first receiver and a second receiver, and the operating power of the first receiver is less than the operating power of the second receiver. The first receiver can also be called an auxiliary link receiver or a low power receiver (LR), and the second receiver can also be called a main link receiver (MR) or a high power receiver.

[0115] Exemplarily, the status of WUS can be indicated by one or more bits. For example, taking 1 bit as an example, when WUS is "1", it indicates that the terminal device needs to turn on MR monitoring DCP. When WUS is "0", it indicates that the terminal device does not need to turn on MR monitoring DCP. It can be understood that when WUS is "0", it can also indicate that the terminal device needs to turn on MR monitoring DCP. When WUS is "1", it indicates that the terminal device does not need to turn on MR monitoring DCP. The specific details are not limited here. For another example, taking 3 bits as an example, the first bit is used to indicate whether to wake up, the second bit is specifically used to indicate the relationship with a certain DCP function, and the third bit is used to indicate the relationship with another DCP function. When WUS is "110", it indicates that the terminal device needs to turn on the DCP with the MR monitoring wake-up indication function. When WUS is "101", it indicates that the terminal device needs to turn on the DCP with the MR monitoring secondary cell sleep indication function. When WUS is "111", it indicates that the terminal device needs to turn on the DCP with the MR monitoring wake-up indication function and the secondary cell sleep indication function. It is understandable that when WUS is "0", it indicates that the terminal device needs to turn on MR monitoring DCP. When WUS is "1", it indicates that the terminal device does not need to turn on MR monitoring DCP. When WUS is "001", it indicates that the terminal device needs to turn on MR monitoring DCP of the wake-up indication function, and so on.

[0116] Optionally, when the first configuration information indicates the use of WUS to receive DCP, the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate the association between the functions of WUS and DCP. The functions of DCP can be explained in the aforementioned related terms, and the functions of DCP include at least one of the following: wake-up indication, secondary cell dormancy indication, etc. The wake-up indication is used to indicate that the terminal device does not need to wake up in the next DRX cycle. The secondary cell dormancy indication is used to indicate whether to activate the secondary cell (SCell). This situation can also be understood as the first configuration information indicating which function of the DCP requires the terminal device to monitor.

[0117] Step 202: The network device sends first configuration information to the terminal device.

[0118] After determining the first configuration information, the network device sends the first configuration information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first configuration information sent by the network device.

[0119] In a possible implementation, the first configuration information indicates to use WUS to receive DCP, and the network device also sends WUS to the terminal device.

[0120] In another possible implementation manner, the first configuration information indicates not to use WUS to receive DCP, and the network device may not send WUS to the terminal device.

[0121] Step 203: The network device sends the second configuration information to the terminal device. This step is optional.

[0122] Optionally, the network device determines the second configuration information and sends the second configuration information to the terminal device. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the second configuration information sent by the network device. The second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to enable at least one of the following functions: a wake-up indication and a secondary cell sleep indication.

[0123] Step 203 can also be understood as a process in which the network device configures the DCP function for the terminal device.

[0124] It should be noted that, if step 203 exists, step 203 may be before step 202, before step 201, or after step 202, and the specific location is not limited here.

[0125] Step 204: The network device and the terminal device transmit the DCP based on the first configuration information.

[0126] After the network device sends the first configuration information to the terminal device, the network device and the terminal device may transmit the DCP based on the first configuration information. That is, the network device may send the DCP based on the first configuration information. The terminal device may receive the DCP based on the first configuration information.

[0127] In a possible implementation, the first configuration information indicates to use WUS to receive DCP. The terminal device first receives the WUS sent by the network device, and then receives the DCP based on the WUS.

[0128] In another possible implementation, the first configuration information indicates that WUS is not used to receive DCP, and the terminal device may not receive WUS but directly receive DCP.

[0129] It can be understood that if step 203 exists, then in this step, the terminal device receives the DCP based on the first configuration information, which specifically includes the terminal device receiving the DCP based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information.

[0130] Optionally, the terminal device decides whether to monitor the DCP based on its own functional configuration. For example, if the terminal device does not support or is not configured with the secondary cell sleep indication association related function, it will not monitor the DCP even if it receives the WUS. There are multiple situations in which the terminal device receives the DCP based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information, which are described below:

[0131] 1. When the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that the WUS is associated with the wake-up indication, and the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to turn on the wake-up indication, the DCP is received based on the WUS. Alternatively, it can be understood that when the first configuration information indicates that the WUS is associated with the wake-up indication and the terminal device is configured with the wake-up indication function, the terminal device receives the DCP based on the WUS.

[0132] 2. When the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that the WUS is associated with the secondary cell sleep indication, and the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to enable the secondary cell sleep indication, the DCP is received based on the WUS. Alternatively, it can be understood that when the first configuration information indicates that the WUS is associated with the secondary cell sleep indication and the terminal device is configured with the secondary cell sleep indication function, the terminal device receives the DCP based on the WUS.

[0133] 3. When the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that the WUS is associated with the secondary cell sleep indication, and the second configuration information does not indicate that the terminal device enables the secondary cell sleep indication, the DCP is received. Alternatively, it can be understood that when the first configuration information indicates that the WUS is associated with the secondary cell sleep indication, but the terminal device is not configured with the secondary cell sleep indication function, the terminal device does not need to receive the WUS and directly receives the DCP.

[0134] 4. If the first configuration information specifically indicates that the WUS is associated with the wake-up indication, and the second configuration information does not indicate that the terminal device enables the wake-up indication, the DCP is received. Alternatively, if the first configuration information indicates that the WUS is associated with the wake-up indication, but the terminal device is not configured with the wake-up indication function, the terminal device does not need to receive the WUS and directly receives the DCP.

[0135] It is understandable that the above-mentioned situations are just examples. In actual applications, there are other situations, which are not specifically limited here.

[0136] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application may include steps 201 to 204. Alternatively, the method may include steps 201, 202, and 204.

[0137] In an embodiment of the present application, on the one hand, the network device indicates to the terminal device through the first configuration information whether to use WUS to receive DCP, that is, whether to use WUS to wake up the DCP monitoring. The terminal device can clarify whether to receive WUS first and then receive DCP according to WUS based on the first configuration information; or directly receive DCP without receiving WUS. The terminal device clarifies the association between WUS and DCP based on the first configuration information, and can be compatible with WUS and DCP to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device. On the other hand, the association relationship between the WUS and DCP functions is indicated by the first configuration information, and the DCP function of the terminal device is configured through the second configuration information, so that the terminal device can clarify whether to receive WUS first and then determine whether to trigger the DCP function based on WUS based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information; or directly trigger the DCP function without receiving WUS. False alarms of terminal devices with other DCP functions can be reduced.

[0138] The communication method in the embodiment of the present application is described above. The communication device in the embodiment of the present application is described below. Please refer to Figure 3, which is an embodiment of a communication device 300 in the embodiment of the present application. The communication device 300 can implement the functions of the network device or terminal device in the above method embodiment, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiment. In the embodiment of the present application, the communication device 300 can be a communication device, or it can be an integrated circuit or component inside the communication device, such as a chip. The communication device 300 includes: a transceiver unit 301 and a processing unit 302. Alternatively, the communication device 300 includes: a transceiver unit 301.

[0139] In one possible implementation, the communication device 300 is the network device in the embodiments shown in FIG. 1A to FIG. 2 . In this case, the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0140] The processing unit 302 is configured to determine first configuration information, where the first configuration information is used to indicate whether to use the wake-up signal WUS to receive scrambled downlink control information DCP with cyclic redundancy check;

[0141] The transceiver unit 301 is configured to send first configuration information;

[0142] The transceiver unit 301 is further configured to send the DCP based on the first configuration information.

[0143] Optionally, when the first configuration information indicates the use of WUS to receive DCP, the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate the association relationship between the functions of WUS and DCP, and the functions include at least one of the following: wake-up indication, secondary cell sleep indication; the wake-up indication is used to indicate whether the terminal device wakes up in the next discontinuous reception DRX cycle, and the secondary cell sleep indication is used to indicate whether to activate the secondary cell.

[0144] Optionally, the transceiver unit 301 is further used to send second configuration information, where the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to enable at least one of the following functions: a wake-up indication and a secondary cell sleep indication.

[0145] Optionally, the transceiver unit 301 is further configured to send a WUS when the first configuration information indicates to use the WUS to receive the DCP.

[0146] In this embodiment, the operations performed by each unit in the communication device are similar to the description of the network device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 2 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0147] In this embodiment, on the one hand, the transceiver unit 301 indicates to the terminal device through the first configuration information whether to use WUS to receive DCP, that is, whether to use WUS to wake up the DCP monitoring. The terminal device can specify whether to receive WUS first and then receive DCP based on WUS, or directly receive DCP without receiving WUS, based on the first configuration information. This allows the terminal device to clarify the association between WUS and DCP based on the first configuration information, making WUS and DCP compatible to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device. On the other hand, the association between WUS and DCP functions is indicated through the first configuration information, and the DCP function of the terminal device is configured through the second configuration information. Therefore, the terminal device can specify whether to receive WUS first and then determine whether to trigger the DCP function based on WUS, or directly trigger the DCP function without receiving WUS, based on the first and second configuration information. This can reduce false alarms for terminal devices with other DCP functions.

[0148] In another possible implementation, the communication device 300 is the terminal device in the embodiments shown in FIG. 1A to FIG. 2 . In this case, the functions of the various units are as follows:

[0149] The transceiver unit 301 is configured to receive first configuration information, where the first configuration information is used to indicate whether to use a wake-up signal WUS to receive scrambled downlink control information DCP with a cyclic redundancy check;

[0150] The transceiver unit 301 is further configured to receive a DCP based on the first configuration information.

[0151] Optionally, when the first configuration information is used to indicate the use of WUS to receive DCP, the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate the association relationship between the functions of WUS and DCP, and the functions include at least one of the following: wake-up indication, secondary cell sleep indication; the wake-up indication is used to indicate whether the terminal device wakes up in the next discontinuous reception DRX cycle, and the secondary cell sleep indication is used to indicate whether to activate the secondary cell.

[0152] Optionally, the transceiver unit 301 is further configured to receive WUS when the first configuration information indicates to use WUS to receive DCP; the transceiver unit 301 is specifically configured to receive DCP based on WUS.

[0153] Optionally, the transceiver unit 301 is also used to obtain second configuration information of the DCP, and the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to turn on at least one of the following functions: wake-up indication, secondary cell sleep indication; the transceiver unit 301 is specifically used to receive the DCP based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information.

[0154] Optionally, the transceiver unit 301 is specifically configured to receive DCP based on WUS when the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that WUS is associated with the wake-up indication, and the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to turn on the wake-up indication.

[0155] Optionally, the transceiver unit 301 is specifically configured to receive DCP based on WUS when the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that WUS is associated with the secondary cell sleep indication, and the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to turn on the secondary cell sleep indication.

[0156] Optionally, the transceiver unit 301 is specifically configured to receive the DCP when the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that the WUS is associated with the secondary cell sleep indication, and the second configuration information does not instruct the terminal device to turn on the secondary cell sleep indication.

[0157] Optionally, the transceiver unit 301 is specifically configured to receive the DCP when the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that the WUS is associated with the wake-up indication and the second configuration information does not instruct the terminal device to turn on the wake-up indication.

[0158] In this embodiment, the operations performed by each unit in the communication device are similar to the description of the terminal device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 2 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0159] In this embodiment, on the one hand, the transceiver unit 301 can clarify whether to use WUS to receive DCP, that is, whether to use WUS to wake up DCP monitoring, based on the received first configuration information. The terminal device can clarify whether to receive WUS first and then receive DCP based on WUS, or directly receive DCP without receiving WUS, based on the first configuration information. This allows the terminal device to clarify the association between WUS and DCP based on the first configuration information, making WUS and DCP compatible to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device. On the other hand, by indicating the association between WUS and DCP functions through the first configuration information and configuring the DCP function of the terminal device through the second configuration information, the terminal device can clarify whether to receive WUS first and then determine whether to trigger the DCP function based on WUS, or directly trigger the DCP function without receiving WUS, based on the first and second configuration information. This can reduce false alarms for terminal devices with other DCP functions.

[0160] Please refer to Fig. 4, which is another schematic structural diagram of a communication device 400 provided in this application. The communication device 400 includes a logic circuit 401 and an input / output interface 402. The communication device 400 may be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0161] The transceiver unit 301 shown in FIG3 may be a communication interface, which may be the input / output interface 402 in FIG4 , which may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication interface may be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit. The processing unit 302 shown in FIG3 may be the logic circuit 401 in FIG4 .

[0162] Optionally, when the communication device is the network device in the aforementioned embodiment, the logic circuit 401 is used to determine the first configuration information. The input and output interface 402 is used for at least one of the following: sending the first configuration information, sending the second configuration information, sending the DCP, and sending the WUS.

[0163] Optionally, when the communication apparatus is the terminal device in the aforementioned embodiment, the input / output interface 402 is used for at least one of the following: receiving the first configuration information, receiving the second configuration information, receiving the DCP, and receiving the WUS.

[0164] The logic circuit 401 and the input / output interface 402 may also execute other steps executed by the network device or the terminal device in any embodiment and achieve corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be described in detail here.

[0165] Optionally, the logic circuit 401 may be a processing device, and the functions of the processing device may be partially or entirely implemented by software. The functions of the processing device may be partially or entirely implemented by software.

[0166] Optionally, the processing device may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor reads and executes the computer program stored in the memory to perform corresponding processing and / or steps in any one of the method embodiments.

[0167] Alternatively, the processing device may include only a processor. A memory for storing the computer program is located outside the processing device, and the processor is connected to the memory via circuits / wires to read and execute the computer program stored in the memory. The memory and processor may be integrated or physically separate.

[0168] Optionally, the processing device may be one or more chips, or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing device may be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), system-on-chips (SoCs), central processor units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontroller units (MCUs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or other integrated chips, or any combination of the above chips or processors.

[0169] Please refer to FIG. 5 , which shows a communication device 500 involved in the above embodiments provided in an embodiment of the present application. Specifically, the communication device 500 may be a communication device serving as a terminal device in the above embodiments.

[0170] Here, a possible logical structure diagram of the communication device 500 is shown. The communication device 500 may include but is not limited to at least one processor 501 and a communication port 502 .

[0171] The transceiver unit 301 shown in FIG3 may be a communication interface, which may be the communication port 502 in FIG5 , which may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication port 502 may be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0172] It is understood that the communication port 502 in FIG. 5 can be used to transmit at least one of the following: configuration information, a DCP, a WUS, etc. For example, if the communication apparatus 500 is the network device in the aforementioned embodiment, the communication port 502 is used for at least one of the following: sending the first configuration information, sending the second configuration information, sending the DCP, sending the WUS, etc. For another example, if the communication apparatus 500 is the terminal device in the aforementioned embodiment, the communication port 502 is used for at least one of the following: receiving the first configuration information, receiving the second configuration information, receiving the DCP, receiving the WUS, etc.

[0173] Further optionally, the device may also include at least one of a memory 503 and a bus. In an embodiment of the present application, the at least one processor 501 is used to control and process the actions of the communication device 500.

[0174] In addition, the processor 501 can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, and so on. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that for the sake of convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0175] It should be noted that the communication device 500 shown in Figure 5 can be specifically used to implement the steps implemented by the terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiment and achieve the corresponding technical effects of the terminal device. The specific implementation methods of the communication device shown in Figure 5 can refer to the description in the aforementioned method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0176] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a structural diagram of the communication device 600 involved in the above-mentioned embodiments provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 600 can specifically be a communication device serving as a network device in the above-mentioned embodiments, wherein the structure of the communication device can refer to the structure shown in Figure 6.

[0177] The communication device 600 includes at least one processor 611 and at least one network interface 614. Further optionally, the communication device also includes at least one memory 612, at least one transceiver 613 and one or more antennas 615. The processor 611, the memory 612, the transceiver 613 and the network interface 614 are connected, for example, via a bus. In an embodiment of the present application, the connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines or buses, etc., which are not limited in this embodiment. The antenna 615 is connected to the transceiver 613. The network interface 614 is used to enable the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 614 may include a network interface between the communication device and the core network device, such as an S1 interface, and the network interface may include a network interface between the communication device and other communication devices (such as other network devices or core network devices), such as an X2 or Xn interface.

[0178] The transceiver unit 301 shown in FIG3 may be a communication interface, which may be the network interface 614 in FIG6 , which may include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the network interface 614 may be a transceiver circuit, which may include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0179] Processor 611 is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process software program data, for example, to support the communication device in performing the actions described in the embodiments. A communication device may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit. The baseband processor is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the central processing unit is primarily used to control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process software program data. Processor 611 in Figure 6 may integrate the functions of both a baseband processor and a central processing unit. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the baseband processor and the central processing unit may also be independent processors interconnected via a bus or other technology. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a communication device may include multiple baseband processors to accommodate different network standards, multiple central processing units to enhance processing capabilities, and various components of the communication device may be connected via various buses. The baseband processor may also be referred to as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The central processing unit may also be referred to as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The functionality for processing communication protocols and communication data may be built into the processor or stored in memory as a software program, which is executed by the processor to implement the baseband processing functionality.

[0180] The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. Memory 612 can exist independently and be connected to processor 611. Alternatively, memory 612 and processor 611 can be integrated together, for example, within a single chip. Memory 612 can store program code for executing the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and execution is controlled by processor 611. The various computer program codes executed can also be considered drivers for processor 611.

[0181] Figure 6 shows only one memory and one processor. In an actual communication device, there may be multiple processors and multiple memories. The memory may also be referred to as a storage medium or storage device. The memory may be a storage element on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or an independent storage element, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0182] The transceiver 613 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency signals between the communication device and the terminal, and the transceiver 613 can be connected to the antenna 615. The transceiver 613 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 615 can receive radio frequency signals. The receiver Rx of the transceiver 613 is used to receive the radio frequency signal from the antenna, convert the radio frequency signal into a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency signal, and provide the digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal to the processor 611 so that the processor 611 can further process the digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal, such as demodulation and decoding. In addition, the transmitter Tx in the transceiver 613 is also used to receive a modulated digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal from the processor 611, convert the modulated digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal into a radio frequency signal, and transmit the radio frequency signal through one or more antennas 615. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more stages of down-mixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the RF signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency signal. The order of the down-mixing and analog-to-digital conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more stages of up-mixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or digital intermediate frequency signal to obtain a RF signal. The order of the up-mixing and digital-to-analog conversion processes is adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital intermediate frequency signal may be collectively referred to as digital signals.

[0183] The transceiver 613 may also be referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver device, etc. Optionally, a device in the transceiver unit that implements a receiving function may be referred to as a receiving unit, and a device in the transceiver unit that implements a transmitting function may be referred to as a transmitting unit. That is, the transceiver unit includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit may also be referred to as a receiver, an input port, a receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit may be referred to as a transmitter, a transmitter, or a transmitting circuit, etc.

[0184] It should be noted that the communication device 600 shown in Figure 6 can be specifically used to implement the steps implemented by the network device in the aforementioned method embodiment and achieve the corresponding technical effects of the network device. The specific implementation methods of the communication device 600 shown in Figure 6 can refer to the description in the aforementioned method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0185] When the above-mentioned communication device is a chip applied to a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The terminal chip receives information from other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the base station to the terminal; or the terminal chip sends information to other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the base station. For example, when the network device is a terminal, the terminal sending indication information can be understood as the process of the terminal chip outputting indication information.

[0186] When the above-mentioned communication device is a module applied to a base station, the base station module implements the function of the base station in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The base station module receives information from other modules in the base station (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the base station; or, the base station module sends information to other modules in the base station (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the base station to the terminal. The base station module here can be a baseband chip of the base station, or it can be a DU or other module. The DU here can be a DU under the open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture. For example, in the case where the network device is a base station, the base station sending indication information can be understood as the process of the base station chip outputting indication information.

[0187] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions that can be executed by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disk, mobile hard disk, CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a base station or a terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist in a base station or a terminal as discrete components.

[0188] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions may be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0189] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Determine first configuration information, where the first configuration information is used to indicate whether to use the wake-up signal WUS to receive scrambled downlink control information DCP with cyclic redundancy check; Sending the first configuration information; The DCP is sent based on the first configuration information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that In the case where the first configuration information indicates the use of the WUS to receive the DCP, the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate the association relationship between the functions of the WUS and the DCP, and the functions include at least one of the following: a wake-up indication, a secondary cell sleep indication; the wake-up indication is used to indicate whether the terminal device wakes up in the next discontinuous reception DRX cycle, and the secondary cell sleep indication is used to indicate whether to activate the secondary cell.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: Send second configuration information, where the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to enable at least one of the following functions: the wake-up indication and the secondary cell sleep indication.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The method further comprises: In a case where the first configuration information indicates to use the WUS to receive the DCP, the WUS is sent.

5. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Receive first configuration information, where the first configuration information is used to indicate whether to use a wake-up signal WUS to receive scrambled downlink control information DCP with a cyclic redundancy check; The DCP is received based on the first configuration information.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The first configuration information is used to indicate that when the WUS is used to receive the DCP, the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate the association relationship between the functions of the WUS and the DCP, and the functions include at least one of the following: a wake-up indication and a secondary cell sleep indication; the wake-up indication is used to indicate whether the terminal device wakes up in the next discontinuous reception DRX cycle, and the secondary cell sleep indication is used to indicate whether to activate the secondary cell.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: In a case where the first configuration information indicates to use the WUS to receive the DCP, receiving the WUS; The receiving the DCP based on the first configuration information includes: The DCP is received based on the WUS.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: Obtain second configuration information of the DCP, where the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to enable at least one of the following functions: the wake-up indication and the secondary cell sleep indication; The receiving the DCP based on the first configuration information includes: The DCP is received based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The receiving the DCP based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information includes: When the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that the WUS is associated with the wake-up indication, and the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to turn on the wake-up indication, the DCP is received based on the WUS.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The receiving the DCP based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information includes: In a case where the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that the WUS is associated with the secondary cell sleep indication, and the second configuration information is used to instruct the terminal device to turn on the secondary cell sleep indication, the DCP is received based on the WUS.

11. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The receiving the DCP based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information includes: When the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that the WUS is associated with the secondary cell sleep indication, and the second configuration information does not instruct the terminal device to turn on the secondary cell sleep indication, the DCP is received.

12. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The receiving the DCP based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information includes: When the first configuration information is specifically used to indicate that the WUS is associated with the wake-up indication, and the second configuration information does not indicate that the terminal device turns on the wake-up indication, the DCP is received.

13. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device includes: a processing unit and a transceiver unit; The processing unit and the transceiver unit are configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises at least one processor coupled to a memory; the at least one processor is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. A chip, characterized in that: The chip is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

16. A communication system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a communication device for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and a communication device for executing the method according to any one of claims 5 to 12.

17. A readable storage medium, characterized in that The storage medium stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed by the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is implemented.

18. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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