Communication method and related device

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a related device, which are used for reducing the power consumption of a network device. The method comprises: a network device sends first information and / or second information to a terminal device in a non-connected state. The first information indicates that the network device is configured with a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or first cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a multicast service, and the second information indicates that the network device is configured with a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or second cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a broadcast service.

Description

Communication method and related equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on February 7, 2024, with application number 202410174566.X and invention name “Communication Method and Related Equipment”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

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

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

[0005] The present application provides a communication method and related equipment. In the communication method, a network device configures a cell discontinuous mechanism for a broadcast service and / or a multicast service, and sends first information or second information indicating the configuration to a terminal device in a non-connected state, so that the terminal device synchronizes the configuration. For the network device, the cell discontinuous mechanism means that when transmitting data related to the broadcast service and / or the multicast service with the terminal device in the non-connected state, it does not need to be transmitted continuously, but rather is transmitted within a specific time period according to the definition of the cell discontinuous mechanism, thereby saving power consumption of the network device.

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

[0007] The first information or the second information is sent to a terminal device in a non-connected state, where the non-connected state includes a deactivated state and an idle state. The terminal device in the deactivated state has not established a connection with the base station, but a connection has been established between the base station and the core network for the terminal device. No connection has been established between the terminal device in the idle state and the base station, or between the base station and the core network for the terminal device. The first information instructs the network device to configure a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism (DTX) and / or a first cell discontinuous reception mechanism (DRX) for the multicast service. A multicast service is a point-to-multipoint communication service. In a multicast service scenario, the network device sends the same data to multiple terminal devices. The cell discontinuous mechanism of the multicast service includes a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and a first cell discontinuous reception mechanism. The first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism defines the active period and inactive period of the network device in sending data. When in the active period of data sending, the network device sends multicast service data. When in the inactive period of data sending, the network device does not send multicast service data. The first cell discontinuous reception mechanism defines the activation period and inactivation period of the network device in receiving data. When in the activation period of data reception, the network device receives feedback information for the multicast service; when in the inactivation period of data reception, the network device does not receive feedback information for the multicast service. The second information instructs the network device to configure the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism for the broadcast service. The broadcast service is a point-to-all point communication service. In the broadcast service scenario, the network device sends the same data to all terminal devices connected to it. The cell discontinuous mechanism of the broadcast service includes the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism, which are similar to the cell discontinuous mechanism of the multicast service mentioned above and will not be repeated here. The difference is that in the broadcast service scenario, the network device and the terminal device transmit data related to the broadcast service.

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

[0009] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, when the first information instructs the network device to configure a first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, the network device sends the first multicast service data to the terminal device within a first activation period defined by the first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. In other words, the time at which the network device sends the first multicast service data to the terminal device is included in the first activation period defined by the first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

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

[0011] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, when the second information instructs the network device to configure the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, the first broadcast service data is sent to the terminal device during a third activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. In other words, the time at which the network device sends the first multicast service data to the terminal device is included in the first activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0012] In this application, the network device does not continuously send the first broadcast service data to the terminal device. Instead, it sends the first multicast service data to the terminal device during the third activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. In other words, during the transmission phase of the multicast service-related data, the network device transmits the data to the terminal device discontinuously. The network device does not need to be in a data transmission state at all times, thereby reducing the power consumption of the network device.

[0013] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, the non-connected state includes an idle state. For a terminal device in the idle state, the network device may configure a cell discontinuous reception mechanism. When the first information instructs the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism, first feedback information regarding the first multicast service data is received from the terminal device within a third activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism. In other words, the moment when the terminal device sends the first feedback information to the network device is within the third activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0014] In the present application, the network device does not continuously receive feedback information regarding the first multicast service data from the terminal device. Instead, the network device receives the feedback information sent by the terminal device during the third activation period defined by the discontinuous reception mechanism of the first cell. In other words, during the reception phase of the multicast service-related data, the network device receives the data discontinuously and does not need to be in a data reception state or prepare for data reception (e.g., turning on modules related to data reception) at all times, thereby further reducing the power consumption of the network device.

[0015] In some optional implementations of the first aspect, the non-connected state includes an idle state. When the second information instructs the network device to configure a second cell discontinuous reception mechanism, second feedback information regarding the first broadcast service data is received from the terminal device within a fourth activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism. In other words, the moment when the terminal device sends the second feedback information to the network device is within the fourth activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0016] In this application, the network device does not continuously receive the second feedback information from the terminal device. Instead, it receives the second feedback information sent by the terminal device during the fourth activation period defined by the discontinuous reception mechanism of the second cell. In other words, for the network device, during the reception phase of the relevant data of the broadcast service, the network device receives the data discontinuously and does not need to be in a data reception state or prepare for data reception (such as turning on the relevant modules for data reception) at all times, further reducing the power consumption of the network device.

[0017] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a terminal device in a non-connected state, comprising:

[0018] Receive first information or second information from a network device. The first information instructs the network device to configure a first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a first-cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a multicast service. The second information instructs the network device to configure a second-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second-cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a broadcast service. The cell discontinuous mechanisms for multicast services include a first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and a first-cell discontinuous reception mechanism. The first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism defines the network device's active and inactive periods for data transmission. During the active data transmission period, the network device transmits data related to the multicast service. During the inactive data transmission period, the network device does not transmit data related to the multicast service. The first-cell discontinuous reception mechanism defines the network device's active and inactive periods for data reception. During the active data reception period, the network device receives data related to the multicast service; during the inactive data reception period, the network device does not receive data related to the multicast service. For a terminal device, data is received from the network device during the active data transmission period; data is sent to the network device during the active data reception period. Similarly, the second information instructs the network device to configure the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism for the broadcast service. The cell discontinuous mechanism for the broadcast service includes the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism, which are similar to the cell discontinuous mechanism for the multicast service mentioned above and will not be repeated here. The difference is that in the broadcast service scenario, the network device and the terminal device transmit data related to the broadcast service.

[0019] Based on the above description, it can be seen that the present application has the following beneficial effects: a terminal device in a non-connected state receives the first information or the second information from the network device, and the first information instructs the network device to configure the cell discontinuous mechanism of the multicast service, thereby realizing that in the multicast service scenario, when the network device and the terminal device in a non-connected state transmit the relevant data of the multicast service, they do not need to transmit continuously, but transmit within a specific time period according to the definition of the cell discontinuous mechanism of the multicast service, thereby saving the power consumption of the network device. The second information instructs the network device to configure the cell discontinuous mechanism of the broadcast service, thereby realizing that in the broadcast service scenario, when the network device and the terminal device in a non-connected state transmit the relevant data of the broadcast service, they do not need to transmit continuously, but transmit within a specific time period according to the definition of the cell discontinuous mechanism of the broadcast service, thereby saving the power consumption of the network device.

[0020] In some optional implementations of the second aspect, when the first information instructs the network device to configure a first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, first multicast service data is received from the network device during a first activation period defined by the first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. In other words, the moment when the network device sends the first multicast service data to the terminal device, or the moment when the terminal device receives the first multicast service data, is included in the first activation period defined by the first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0021] In this application, the network device does not continuously send the first multicast service data to the terminal device, and accordingly, the terminal device does not continuously receive the first multicast service data, so that the terminal device's receiving mechanism matches the network device's sending mechanism. Therefore, for the terminal device, receiving the first multicast service data only during the first activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism can also reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0022] In some optional implementations of the second aspect, when the second information instructs the network device to configure a second-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, the first broadcast service data is received from the network device during a second activation period defined by the second-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. In other words, the time when the network device sends the first broadcast service data to the terminal device, or the time when the terminal device receives the first broadcast service data, is included in the second activation period defined by the second-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0023] In this application, the network device does not continuously transmit the first broadcast service data to the terminal device, and accordingly, the terminal device does not continuously receive the first broadcast service data, so that the terminal device's receiving mechanism matches the network device's transmitting mechanism. Therefore, for the terminal device, receiving the first broadcast service data only during the second activation period defined by the first cell's discontinuous transmission mechanism can also reduce the terminal device's power consumption.

[0024] In some optional implementations of the second aspect, when the first information instructs the network device to configure a first-cell discontinuous reception mechanism, first feedback information regarding the first multicast service data is sent to the network device within a third activation period defined by the first-cell discontinuous reception mechanism. In other words, the moment when the terminal device sends the first feedback information to the network device is included in the third activation period defined by the first-cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0025] In this application, the network device does not continuously receive first feedback information for the first multicast service data from the terminal device. Accordingly, the terminal device does not continuously send the first feedback information to the network device, so that the terminal device's sending mechanism matches the network device's receiving mechanism. Therefore, for the terminal device, sending the first feedback information only during the third activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism can also reduce power consumption of the terminal device.

[0026] In some optional implementations of the second aspect, when the second information instructs the network device to configure a second-cell discontinuous reception mechanism, second feedback information regarding the first broadcast service data is sent to the network device within a fourth activation period defined by the second-cell discontinuous reception mechanism. In other words, the moment when the terminal device sends the second feedback information to the network device is included in the fourth activation period defined by the first-cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0027] In this application, the network device does not continuously receive the second feedback information from the terminal device, and accordingly, the terminal device does not continuously send the second feedback information to the network device, so that the terminal device's sending mechanism matches the network device's receiving mechanism. Therefore, for the terminal device, sending the second feedback information only during the fourth activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism can also reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0028] In some optional implementations of the first aspect or the second aspect, the first information includes a first periodic pattern of a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a third periodic pattern of a first cell discontinuous reception mechanism. Alternatively, the first information includes a first index value, where the first index value is used to index a first connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a configured first connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured by the network device.

[0029] In the present application, the first information can define the cell discontinuous mechanism separately, or it can reuse the cell discontinuous mechanism that the network device has configured based on the index value, which enriches the implementation method and application scenario of the technical solution of the present application and improves the flexibility of the technical solution of the present application. In the solution where the first information is defined separately, the terminal device can directly obtain the cell discontinuous mechanism configured by the network device based on the first information, which is simple to operate. In the solution where the first information includes the index value, reusing the already configured cell discontinuous mechanism not only reduces the amount of data transmitted by the network device and the terminal device, saving bandwidth resources, but also improves the utilization rate of the already configured cell discontinuous mechanism.

[0030] In some optional implementations of the first aspect or the second aspect, the second information includes a second periodic pattern of the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a fourth periodic pattern of the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism. Alternatively, the second information includes a second index value, and the second index value is used to index a second connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a configured second connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured by the network device.

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

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

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

[0034] In some optional implementations of the first aspect or the second aspect, the first information is carried in a multicast broadcast control channel for a multicast service. The second information is carried in a multicast broadcast control channel (MBS control channel, MCCH) for a broadcast service.

[0035] In some optional implementations of the first aspect or the second aspect, the first information corresponds to one or more multicast services, and the second information corresponds to one or more broadcast services.

[0036] In this application, each multicast / broadcast service can be configured separately, or multiple multicast / broadcast services can share the same configuration, enriching the implementation methods of the technical solution of this application. In addition, in the solution where multiple multicast / broadcast services share the same configuration, the network device can synchronize the cell discontinuous mechanism configurations of multiple multicast / broadcast services by sending a first message / second message to the terminal device, reducing the data transmission volume between the network device and the terminal device and saving network resources.

[0037] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a network device, including:

[0038] A transceiver unit is used to send first information or second information to a terminal device in a non-connected state, where the first information indicates that the network device configures a first cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a first cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a multicast service, and the second information indicates that the network device configures a second cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a broadcast service.

[0039] In some optional implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to send first multicast service data to the terminal device within a first activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous sending mechanism when the first information instructs the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous sending mechanism.

[0040] In some optional implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to send the first broadcast service data to the terminal device within the second activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism when the second information indicates that the network device configures the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0041] In some optional implementations of the third aspect, the non-connected state includes an idle state. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive, when the first information instructs the network device to configure a first cell discontinuous reception mechanism, first feedback information from the terminal device within a third activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism, where the first feedback information is for first multicast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

[0042] In some optional implementations of the third aspect, the non-connected state includes an idle state. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive, when the second information instructs the network device to configure a second cell discontinuous reception mechanism, second feedback information from the terminal device within a fourth activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism, where the second feedback information is for first broadcast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

[0043] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a terminal device, which is in a non-connected state, including:

[0044] The transceiver unit is used to receive first information or second information from a network device, where the first information indicates that the network device configures a first cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a first cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a multicast service, and the second information indicates that the network device configures a second cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a broadcast service.

[0045] In some optional implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to receive first multicast service data from the network device during a first activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism when the first information instructs the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0046] In some optional implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to receive the first broadcast service data from the network device during the second activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism when the second information indicates that the network device configures the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0047] In some optional implementations of the fourth aspect, the non-connected state includes an idle state. The transceiver unit is further configured to, when the first information instructs the network device to configure a first cell discontinuous reception mechanism, send first feedback information to the network device within a third activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism, where the first feedback information is for first multicast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

[0048] In some optional implementations of the fourth aspect, the non-connected state includes an idle state. The transceiver unit is further configured to, when the second information instructs the network device to configure a second cell discontinuous reception mechanism, send second feedback information to the network device within a fourth activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism, where the second feedback information is for first broadcast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

[0049] In some optional implementations of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the first information includes a first periodic pattern of a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a third periodic pattern of a first cell discontinuous reception mechanism. Alternatively, the first information includes a first index value, where the first index value is used to index a first connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a configured first connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured by the network device.

[0050] In some optional implementations of the third or fourth aspects, the second information includes a second periodic pattern of the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a fourth periodic pattern of the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism. Alternatively, the second information includes a second index value, where the second index value is used to index a second connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a configured second connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism already configured by the network device.

[0051] In some optional implementations of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the first information or the second information is included in a radio resource control layer message, a medium access control layer message, or a physical layer message.

[0052] In some optional implementations of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, the first information is carried in a multicast broadcast control channel for a multicast service, and the second information is carried in a multicast broadcast control channel for a broadcast service.

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

[0054] The network device shown in the third aspect is used to implement the method shown in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, and its beneficial effects are as described above and are not repeated here. The terminal device shown in the fourth aspect is used to implement the method shown in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect, and its beneficial effects are as described above and are not repeated here.

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

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

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

[0058] The beneficial effects shown in any one of the fifth to seventh aspects are similar to those shown in the first aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, or the method shown in any possible implementation of the first aspect, and are not described in detail here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

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

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

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

[0063] FIG5 is another schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and related devices for reducing the power consumption of network devices.

[0065] The embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, with the development of technology and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0066] First, the proper nouns and related concepts that may be involved in the embodiments of the present application are explained.

[0067] 1. Multicast.

[0068] Multicast is a point-to-multipoint communication method in which a multicast source (one or more hosts) sends the same data to multiple hosts simultaneously. The fundamental concept in multicast is the "group." The multiple hosts mentioned above can be understood as a multicast group. A multicast group is a group of receivers that expect to receive a specific data stream. Each node in a multicast group is called a multicast group member. It's important to note that multicast groups have no physical or geographic boundaries; hosts within a group can be located anywhere on the Internet or a private network.

[0069] 2. Broadcast (broadcast).

[0070] In a broadcast transmission mechanism, all network hosts are allowed to utilize the same communication channel. In broadcast mode, one host transmits data packets to all other hosts, a method known as "all-to-all." Unlike multicast transmission, group management is not necessary.

[0071] 3. Non-connected terminal.

[0072] A non-connected terminal is an inactive or idle terminal. When a terminal is in the inactive state, there's no connection between the terminal and the base station, but a communication connection is established between the base station and the core network. When data needs to be sent to the terminal, the base station sends a paging message. Upon receiving the paging message, the terminal establishes a connection with the base station, transitioning from the inactive state to the connected state. The inactive state can also be called the deactivated state.

[0073] When a terminal device is in an idle state, no communication connection is established between the terminal device and the base station, or between the base station and the core network. When data needs to be sent to the terminal device, or the terminal device needs to send data, the terminal device can switch from the idle state to the connected state.

[0074] Please refer to Figure 1 below, which is a schematic diagram of the system architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application. It should be understood that Figure 1 shows only one possible, non-limiting system schematic diagram.

[0075] As shown in FIG1 , the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. The RAN 100 includes a RAN node 110, a terminal device 121, a terminal device 122, and a terminal device 123.

[0076] Exemplarily, terminal device 121 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to core network 200. The core network device in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 may be different physical devices, or may be the same physical device that integrates core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions, which is not specifically limited herein.

[0077] The RAN 100 may be a cellular system related to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a 4G or 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolutionary system (such as a 6G mobile communication system). The RAN 100 may also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The RAN 100 may also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0078] The RAN node 110 , also known as a network device, sometimes also referred to as an access network device, a RAN entity or an access node, is a part of a communication system and is used to help terminals achieve wireless access.

[0079] In some possible implementations, the RAN node 110 may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a next generation base station in a sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. The RAN node 110 may be a macro base station, a micro base station or an indoor station, a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. It should be noted that the RAN node 110 in this application may also be a logical node, a logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the RAN node 110, and the specific details are not limited here.

[0080] The terminal device 121 may also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. The terminal in the embodiment of the present application can be widely used in various scenarios, for example, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a wearable device, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a robotic arm, a smart home device, etc. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the device form of the terminal. For example, Figure 1 shows three different types of terminal devices, namely terminal device 121, terminal device 122 and terminal device 123. In addition, all or part of the functions of the terminal device in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware. The terminal device in this application can also be a logical node, logical module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device functions. The specific details are not limited here.

[0081] It should be noted that Figure 1 is only an example of a communication system. In actual applications, the RAN 100 may include a larger number of RAN nodes and a larger or smaller number of terminal devices. The types of the multiple RAN nodes may be the same, partially the same, or completely different, and the specifics are not limited here. The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 1).

[0082] In this application, "sending information to... (e.g., a terminal device)" can be understood as the destination of the information being the terminal device. This can include sending information to the terminal device directly or indirectly. "Receiving information from... (e.g., a terminal device)" can be understood as the source of the information being the terminal device, which can include receiving information from the terminal device directly or indirectly. The information may be processed as necessary between the source and destination of the information, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood similarly and will not be repeated here.

[0083] Please refer to FIG2 , which is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, including:

[0084] 201. The network device sends first information or second information to a terminal device in a non-connected state, the first information instructing the network device to configure a cell discontinuous mechanism for a multicast service, and the second information instructing the network device to configure a cell discontinuous mechanism for a broadcast service.

[0085] It should be noted that the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application is applied to a terminal device in a non-connected state. The non-connected terminal has been described above and will not be repeated here. The terminal devices mentioned below all refer to terminal devices in a connected state.

[0086] The cell discontinuous mechanism of the multicast service indicated by the first information includes a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a first cell discontinuous reception mechanism. The cell discontinuous mechanism of the broadcast service indicated by the second information includes a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0087] The cell discontinuous mechanism is described below in conjunction with Figure 3. Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the cell discontinuous mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0088] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, two cell discontinuous cycles are illustrated. T2 represents one of the cycles, which includes two intervals: T1 and the interval outside T1. T1 represents the active period, and the interval outside T1 represents the inactive period. The active period is also called the on-duration time. During the active period, the network device and the terminal device perform data transmission.

[0089] In an embodiment of the present application, the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism defines the activation period and inactivation period for a network device to send data to a terminal device in a multicast service scenario. The network device only sends multicast service data to the terminal device during the activation period for data transmission. That is, the terminal device only receives multicast service data from the network device during this period. The first cell discontinuous reception mechanism defines the activation period and inactivation period for a network device to receive data from a terminal device in a multicast service scenario. The network device only receives feedback information regarding the multicast service from the terminal device during the activation period for data reception. That is, the terminal device only sends feedback information regarding the multicast service to the network device during this period.

[0090] Similarly, the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism defines the activation period and inactivation period for the network device to send data to the terminal device in the broadcast service scenario. The network device only sends broadcast service data to the terminal device when it is in the activation period for data transmission. That is to say, the terminal device only receives broadcast service data from the network device during this period. The first cell discontinuous reception mechanism defines the activation period and inactivation period for the network device to receive data from the terminal device in the broadcast service scenario. The network device only receives feedback information for the broadcast service from the terminal device when it is in the activation period for data reception. That is to say, the terminal device only sends feedback information for the broadcast service to the network device during this period.

[0091] In the embodiment of the present application, the first information and the second information may include various contents. The following uses the first information as an example to illustrate possible situations:

[0092] In some optional implementations, the first information may separately define a cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. Specifically, the first information includes a first periodic pattern for the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a third periodic pattern for the cell discontinuous reception mechanism. When the first information separately defines the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, the terminal device performs corresponding configuration based on the first information to ensure transmission of multicast service data with the network device based on the definition of the first information.

[0093] The periodic mode may also be referred to as a periodic pattern, and includes parameters for defining a cell discontinuous mechanism, such as a period, an offset, an activation period duration, an inactivation period duration, and the like.

[0094] For example, assuming that the first cycle mode includes a 150ms cycle, a 5ms offset, and an 80ms active period, this indicates that the cell enters a discontinuous transmission mechanism starting from the 5th ms. This mechanism defines a cycle length of 150ms, with the first 80ms of the cycle being the active period and the last 70ms being the inactive period.

[0095] In some optional embodiments, the first information includes a first index value, and the first index value is used to index the connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism configured by the network device. In this case, the terminal device transmits multicast service data with the network device according to the connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism configured by the network device corresponding to the first index value.

[0096] For example, assume that before the network device sends the first information to the terminal device, it has configured two sets of connected cell discontinuity mechanisms, with corresponding identification numbers being cell DTX-1 and cell DRX-2. Furthermore, these two sets of connected cell discontinuity mechanisms have been synchronized between the terminal device and the network device, that is, the network device has informed the terminal device of these two sets of connected cell discontinuity mechanisms, and when the network device and the terminal device transmit data for related services, they do so based on the definitions of these two sets of connected cell discontinuity mechanisms.

[0097] In this example, it is assumed that the first information sent by the network device to the terminal device includes the identification number cell DRX-2, that is, the first index value is cell DRX-2. This means that when the network device transmits multicast service data with the terminal device, it is based on the connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism corresponding to cell DRX-2.

[0098] It should be noted that since inactive terminals do not have a feedback mechanism in multicast / broadcast service scenarios, the cell discontinuous reception mechanism does not need to be configured for inactive terminal devices. In other words, the network equipment only configures the cell discontinuous reception mechanism for multicast / broadcast services when the terminal device is in the idle state.

[0099] For example, it is assumed that before the network device sends the first information to the terminal device, two sets of cell discontinuous transmission mechanisms are synchronized between the terminal device and the network device, with identification numbers cell DTX-1 and cell DRX-1 respectively. If the index value carried in the first information sent by the network device to the terminal device is cell DTX-2, the terminal device has not received relevant information about the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to cell DTX-2 before. The terminal device sends a request to the network device, carrying the index value cell DTX-2 in the request, to obtain relevant information about the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to the index value. That is, the network device responds to the request and sends relevant information about the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to cell DTX-2 to the terminal device to achieve synchronization of the cell discontinuous transmission mechanism between the terminal device and the network device. Afterwards, when the network device and the terminal device perform data transmission of multicast services, they perform based on the connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism corresponding to cell DTX-2.

[0100] It should be noted that the aforementioned identification number is only a possible example. In actual applications, other identification numbers may be used as index values ​​as long as they can uniquely identify a cell discontinuous mechanism. No specific limitation is made here.

[0101] It is understood that the second information, similar to the first information, also has multiple possibilities. Optionally, the second information includes a second periodicity pattern of the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a fourth periodicity pattern of the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism; or. Optionally, the second information includes a second index value, which is used to index the second connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the configured second connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism already configured by the network device.

[0102] The specific content of the second information is similar to that of the first information, and can be found in the above description, so it will not be repeated here.

[0103] It should be noted that the first information and the second information sent by the network device to the terminal device can indicate the configuration of the network device in the same manner. For example, both use a method of separately defining a cell discontinuous mechanism, that is, the first information and the second information both include the periodic pattern of the corresponding cell discontinuous mechanism, or both include an index value for indexing the already configured connected cell discontinuous mechanism. In addition, the first information and the second information can also use different methods. For example, the first information includes a first periodic pattern, and the second information includes a second index value.

[0104] In the present application, both the first information and the second information can define the cell discontinuous mechanism separately, or can reuse the cell discontinuous mechanism that the network device has configured based on the index value, which enriches the implementation method and application scenario of the technical solution of the present application and improves the flexibility of the technical solution of the present application. In the solution where the first information is defined separately, the terminal device can directly obtain the cell discontinuous mechanism configured by the network device based on the first information, which is simple to operate. In the solution where the first information includes the index value, reusing the already configured cell discontinuous mechanism not only reduces the amount of data transmitted by the network device and the terminal device, saving bandwidth resources, but also improves the utilization rate of the already configured cell discontinuous mechanism.

[0105] In some optional implementations, there are multiple possibilities for the message carrying the first information and / or the second information, which may be a radio resource control layer message, a medium access control layer message, or a physical layer message.

[0106] In the present application, the first information can be carried in multiple types of messages, enriching the implementation methods of the technical solutions of the present application.

[0107] In some optional implementations, the first information is carried in a multicast broadcast control channel for a multicast service, and the second information is carried in a multicast broadcast control channel for a broadcast service.

[0108] In some optional implementations, the first information corresponds to one or more multicast services.

[0109] Exemplarily, the first information corresponds to a multicast service, which means that each first information is associated with a group identifier, which is used to indicate a terminal device that performs the multicast service with the network device. The group identifier can be a group common radio network temporary identity (G-RNTI) or a temporary mobile group identifier (TMGI).

[0110] Exemplarily, the first information corresponds to multiple multicast services, which means that each first information is associated with multiple group identifiers. The multiple multicast services mentioned here may also be all multicast services.

[0111] Similarly, the second information corresponds to one or more broadcast services. The second information corresponding to one broadcast service means that each broadcast service corresponds to a service identifier, and the service identifiers of different broadcast services are different. The second information corresponding to multiple broadcast services means that multiple broadcast services correspond to the same service identifier. Optionally, these multiple broadcast services can be all broadcast services of the network device.

[0112] Based on the above description, it can be seen that the present application has the following beneficial effects: the network device sends a cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or cell discontinuous receiving mechanism indicating the multicast service and / or broadcast service configured by the network device to the terminal device in a non-connected state, thereby realizing that in the multicast service and / or broadcast service scenario, the network device and the terminal device in the connected state transmit the data of the related service based on the cell discontinuous mechanism. In other words, for the network device, configuring the cell discontinuous mechanism means that when the network device transmits related data to the terminal device in a non-connected state, it does not need to transmit continuously, but transmits within a specific time period according to the definition of the cell discontinuous mechanism, thereby saving the power consumption of the network device.

[0113] After the network device sends the first information to the terminal device, the network device and the terminal device transmit the multicast service data based on the first information. Specifically, the following possible implementations are included:

[0114] In some optional implementations, the network device and the terminal device perform step 202. When the first information indicates that the network device configures a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for a multicast service, the network device sends first multicast service data to the terminal device within a first activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0115] It should be noted that "the network device sends the first multicast service data to the terminal device during the first activation period defined by the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first cell" does not mean that the network device sends the first multicast service data to the terminal device during each first activation period. Rather, it means that for the network device, the time when the first multicast service data is sent to the terminal device is included in the first activation period defined by the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first cell. For the terminal device, the time when the first multicast service data is received from the network device is included in the first activation period defined by the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first cell.

[0116] In other words, when the first information instructs the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the multicast service, the network device will send the first multicast service data to the terminal device only during the first activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, and the terminal device will expect to receive the first multicast service data.

[0117] In the present application, the network device does not continuously send the first multicast service data to the terminal device, but only sends the first multicast service data to the terminal device during the first activation period defined by the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first cell. In other words, for the network device, during the transmission phase of the relevant data of the multicast service, the network device sends data to the terminal device discontinuously, and the network device does not need to be in the data transmission state at all times, thereby reducing the power consumption of the network device. Accordingly, the terminal device does not continuously receive the first multicast service data, so that the receiving mechanism of the terminal device matches the sending mechanism of the network device. Therefore, for the terminal device, receiving the first multicast service data only during the first activation period defined by the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the first cell can also reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0118] In some optional embodiments, the network device and the terminal device perform step 203. When the first information indicates that the network device configures a first cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a multicast service, within a third activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism, the terminal device sends first feedback information for the first multicast service data to the network device.

[0119] It should be noted that "the terminal device sends the first feedback information for the first multicast service data to the network device during the third activation period defined by the discontinuous reception mechanism of the first cell" does not mean that the terminal device sends the first feedback information for the first multicast service data to the network device during every third activation period. Rather, it means that, for the network device, the time when the network device receives the first feedback information from the terminal device is included in the third activation period defined by the discontinuous reception mechanism of the first cell. For the terminal device, the time when the terminal device sends the first feedback information to the network device is included in the third activation period defined by the discontinuous reception mechanism of the first cell.

[0120] In other words, when the first information instructs the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism for the multicast service, the terminal device sends the first feedback information to the terminal device only within the third activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism, and the network device expects to receive the first feedback information.

[0121] The first feedback information is used to indicate that the terminal device successfully received the first multicast service data, or that the terminal device did not receive the first multicast service data, or that the first multicast service data received by the terminal device was incorrect, etc. The fact that the terminal device did not receive the first multicast service data means that some or all data packets included in the first multicast service data were not received by the terminal device.

[0122] In the present application, the network device does not continuously receive the first feedback information for the first multicast service data from the terminal device, but receives the first feedback information sent by the terminal device during the third activation period defined by the discontinuous reception mechanism of the first cell. That is to say, for the network device, during the reception phase of the relevant data of the multicast service, the network device receives the data discontinuously and does not need to be in a data receiving state or prepare for data reception (such as turning on the relevant module for data reception, etc.) at all times, which further reduces the power consumption of the network device. Accordingly, the terminal device does not continuously send the first feedback information to the network device, so that the sending mechanism of the terminal device matches the receiving mechanism of the network device. Then for the terminal device, sending the first feedback information during the third activation period defined by the discontinuous reception mechanism of the first cell can also reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0123] In some optional implementations, the first information may further instruct the network device to configure a first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and a first-cell discontinuous reception mechanism for the multicast service. The periods corresponding to the first-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the first-cell discontinuous reception mechanism may be the same or different, and are not specifically limited here. Different corresponding periods include different period durations, the same period duration but different activation period durations, and partial overlap of periods, etc., and are not specifically limited here. For specific implementations, refer to the previous description of steps 202 and 203, and will not be repeated here.

[0124] For example, assuming that the period of the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism is the same as the period of the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism, then, during the activation period defined by the period, the network device may send the first multicast service data to the terminal device, and the terminal device may send first feedback information for the first multicast service data to the network device.

[0125] In some optional implementations, the network device and the terminal device execute step 204. When the second information indicates that the network device configures a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism for the broadcast service, the network device sends the first broadcast service data to the terminal device during a second activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0126] It should be noted that "the network device transmits the first broadcast service data to the terminal device during the second activation period defined by the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the second cell" does not mean that the network device transmits the first broadcast service data to the terminal device during each second activation period. Rather, it means that for the network device, the time when the first broadcast service data is sent to the terminal device is included in the second activation period defined by the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the second cell. For the terminal device, the time when the first broadcast service data is received from the network device is included in the second activation period defined by the discontinuous transmission mechanism of the second cell.

[0127] In other words, when the second information instructs the network device to configure the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the broadcast service, the network device will send the first broadcast service data to the terminal device only during the second activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, and the terminal device will expect to receive the first broadcast service data.

[0128] In this application, the network device does not continuously send the first broadcast service data to the terminal device. Instead, it sends the first multicast service data to the terminal device during the third activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism. In other words, during the transmission phase of the multicast service-related data, the network device transmits the data to the terminal device discontinuously. The network device does not need to be in a data transmission state at all times, thereby reducing the power consumption of the network device.

[0129] Accordingly, the terminal device does not continuously receive the first broadcast service data, so that the terminal device's reception mechanism matches the network device's transmission mechanism. Therefore, for the terminal device, receiving the first broadcast service data only during the second activation period defined by the first cell's discontinuous transmission mechanism can also reduce the terminal device's power consumption.

[0130] In some optional embodiments, the network device and the terminal device perform step 205. When the second information indicates that the network device configures a second cell discontinuous reception mechanism for the broadcast service, within a fourth activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism, the terminal device sends second feedback information for the first broadcast service data to the network device.

[0131] It should be noted that "the terminal device sends second feedback information regarding the first broadcast service data to the network device during the fourth activation period defined by the discontinuous reception mechanism of the second cell" does not mean that the terminal device sends the second feedback information to the network device during every fourth activation period. Rather, it means that for the network device, the time of receiving the second feedback information from the terminal device is included in the fourth activation period defined by the discontinuous reception mechanism of the second cell. For the terminal device, the time of sending the second feedback information to the network device is included in the fourth activation period defined by the discontinuous reception mechanism of the second cell.

[0132] In other words, when the second information instructs the network device to configure the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism of the broadcast service, the terminal device will send the second broadcast service data to the terminal device only during the fourth activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism, and the network device will expect to receive the second broadcast service data.

[0133] The second feedback information is used to indicate whether the terminal device successfully received the first broadcast service data, or whether the terminal device did not receive the first broadcast service data, or whether the first broadcast service data received by the terminal device was incorrect. The fact that the terminal device did not receive the first broadcast service data means that some or all of the data packets included in the first broadcast service data were not received by the terminal device.

[0134] In the present application, the network device does not continuously receive the second feedback information from the terminal device, but receives the second feedback information sent by the terminal device during the fourth activation period defined by the discontinuous reception mechanism of the second cell. That is to say, for the network device, during the reception phase of the relevant data of the broadcast service, the network device receives the information discontinuously and does not need to be in a data receiving state or prepare for data reception (such as turning on the relevant modules for data reception, etc.) at all times, which further reduces the power consumption of the network device. Accordingly, the terminal device does not continuously send the second feedback information to the network device, so that the sending mechanism of the terminal device matches the receiving mechanism of the network device. Then for the terminal device, sending the second feedback information during the fourth activation period defined by the discontinuous reception mechanism of the second cell can also reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0135] It should be noted that there is no feedback mechanism for terminal devices in the inactive state. In this scenario, the network device does not need to configure the cell discontinuous reception mechanism. In other words, the non-connected state terminals applied in steps 203 and 205 do not include terminals in the inactive state, but terminals in the idle state.

[0136] In some optional implementations, the second information may further instruct the network device to configure a second-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and a second-cell discontinuous reception mechanism for the broadcast service. The periods corresponding to the second-cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and the second-cell discontinuous reception mechanism may be the same or different, and the specific details are not limited here. Different corresponding periods include different period durations, the same period duration but different activation period durations, and partial overlap of the periods, and the specific details are not limited here. For specific implementation details, please refer to the previous description of steps 204 and 205, and will not be repeated here.

[0137] In some optional implementations, the period corresponding to the cell discontinuous mechanism for the multicast service configured by the network device may be the same as or different from the period corresponding to the cell discontinuous mechanism for the broadcast service, and the specific implementation is not limited here. The different corresponding periods include different period durations, the same period duration but different activation period durations, and partial overlap of the periods, and the specific implementation is not limited here. In other words, the period corresponding to a cell discontinuous mechanism may be used by a single service or shared by multiple services, and the specific implementation is not limited here.

[0138] Furthermore, different cell discontinuous mechanisms correspond to the same period, which means that different types of data can be transmitted between the network device and the terminal device within the same time period. In other words, different cell discontinuous mechanisms can share the same period. For example, it is assumed that the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the multicast service has the same period as the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism of the broadcast service, that is, the first activation period and the second activation period mentioned above are actually one activation period. Then during the activation period, the network device can send at least one of the first multicast service data or the first broadcast service data to the terminal device. In this example, the broadcast service and the multicast service share the same period.

[0139] In some optional implementations, the network device further indicates whether the configuration of the network device has changed through the downlink control information of the MCCH. Specifically, in the DCI of the MCCH for multicast services and / or broadcast services, 1 bit is included to indicate whether the configuration of the cell discontinuous mechanism indicated by the MCCH has changed. The network device sends the DCI to the terminal device, and the terminal device determines whether the configuration of the cell discontinuous mechanism of the network device has changed by reading the information of this 1 bit. In the case of a change, the terminal device further reads other information in the MCCH and synchronizes the change based on the other information to ensure that the terminal device matches the network device.

[0140] Among them, the configuration changes of the cell discontinuous mechanism of the network device include various possible situations, such as: the network device adds a new cell discontinuous mechanism (for example, configuring a cell discontinuous mechanism for a new multicast service), deleting a cell discontinuous mechanism (for example, deleting a cell discontinuous mechanism for a multicast service that has been transmitted), or updating an already configured cell discontinuous mechanism (for example, modifying the discontinuous period, modifying the activation period duration, etc.), which are not limited here.

[0141] In the present application, the DCI of the MCCH indicates whether the configuration of the cell discontinuous mechanism indicated by the MCCH has changed, which can avoid the terminal device from needlessly updating the relevant configuration and save the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0142] Below, the relevant equipment provided in the embodiments of the present application is described.

[0143] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 4, the communication device 400 includes a transceiver unit 401. Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the communication device 400 can be used as a network device to implement the following operations:

[0144] In some optional embodiments, the transceiver unit 401 is used to send first information or second information to a terminal device in a non-connected state, the first information instructs the network device to configure a first cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a first cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a multicast service, and the second information instructs the network device to configure a second cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a broadcast service.

[0145] In some optional implementations, the transceiver unit 401 is further configured to send first multicast service data to the terminal device within a first activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism when the first information instructs the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0146] In some optional implementations, the transceiver unit 401 is further configured to send the first broadcast service data to the terminal device within a second activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism when the second information indicates that the network device configures the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0147] In some optional implementations, the non-connected state includes an idle state. The transceiver unit 401 is further configured to receive, when the first information indicates that the network device configures a first cell discontinuous reception mechanism, first feedback information from the terminal device within a third activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism, the first feedback information being for first multicast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

[0148] In some optional implementations, the non-connected state includes an idle state. The transceiver unit 401 is further configured to receive second feedback information from the terminal device during a fourth activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism when the second information indicates that the network device configures the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism, the second feedback information being for the first broadcast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

[0149] The communication device 400 is used to implement the operations performed by the network devices in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 3 above, as shown above, and will not be repeated here.

[0150] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present application, the communication device 400 may serve as a terminal device to implement the following operations:

[0151] In some optional embodiments, the transceiver unit 401 is used to receive first information or second information from a network device, where the first information indicates that the network device configures a first cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a first cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a multicast service, and the second information indicates that the network device configures a second cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a broadcast service.

[0152] In some optional implementations, the transceiver unit 401 is further configured to receive first multicast service data from the network device during a first activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism when the first information indicates that the network device configures the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0153] In some optional implementations, the transceiver unit 401 is further configured to receive first broadcast service data from the network device during a second activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism when the second information indicates that the network device configures the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

[0154] In some optional implementations, the non-connected state includes an idle state. The transceiver unit 401 is further configured to send the second multicast service data to the network device within a third activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism when the first information instructs the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0155] In some optional implementations, the non-connected state includes an idle state. The transceiver unit 401 is further configured to send the second broadcast service data to the network device within a fourth activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism when the second information indicates that the network device configures the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0156] The communication device 400 is used to implement the operations performed by the terminal device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 3 above. Please refer to the above for details and will not be repeated here.

[0157] In addition, in the embodiment of the present application, the first information and the second information may also have various possibilities, including:

[0158] In some optional embodiments, the first information includes a first periodic pattern of a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, and / or a third periodic pattern of a first cell discontinuous reception mechanism; or, the first information includes a first index value, and the first index value is used to index a first connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism that has been configured by the network device, and / or a configured first connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0159] In some optional embodiments, the second information includes a second periodic pattern of the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, and / or a fourth periodic pattern of the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism; or, the second information includes a second index value, and the second index value is used to index the second connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism that has been configured by the network device, and / or the configured second connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism.

[0160] In some optional implementations, the first information or the second information is included in a radio resource control layer message, a medium access control layer message, or a physical layer message.

[0161] In some optional implementations, the first information is carried in a multicast broadcast control channel for a multicast service; and the second information is carried in a multicast broadcast control channel for a broadcast service.

[0162] In some optional implementations, the first information corresponds to one or more multicast services, and the second information corresponds to one or more broadcast services.

[0163] Please refer to Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 500 can be used to implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the methods corresponding to Figures 1 to 3 above.

[0164] The communication device 500 shown in FIG5 may include: a processor 501 , a memory 502 , a communication interface 503 , and a bus 504 . The processor 501 , the memory 502 , and the communication interface 503 may be connected via the bus 504 .

[0165] The processor 501 is the control center of the communication device 500 and can be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU) or other general-purpose processors, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0166] As an example, the processor 501 may include one or more CPUs.

[0167] The memory 502 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0168] In one possible implementation, the memory 502 may exist independently of the processor 501. The memory 502 may be connected to the processor 501 via a bus 504 and used to store data, instructions, or program codes. When the processor 501 calls and executes the instructions or program codes stored in the memory 502, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented.

[0169] In another possible implementation, the memory 502 may also be integrated with the processor 501 .

[0170] The communication interface 503 is used to connect the communication device 500 to other devices via a communication network, which may be Ethernet, a radio access network (RAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), or the like.

[0171] Bus 504 can be an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus. This bus can be classified as an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, FIG5 shows only one thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0172] It should be noted that the structure shown in FIG5 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device 500. In addition to the components shown in FIG5, the communication device 500 may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0173] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be stored by a computing device or a data storage device such as a data center that contains one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., a digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid-state drive). The computer-readable storage medium includes instructions that instruct the computing device to execute the above-mentioned plug-in processing method.

[0174] The present application also provides a computer program product including instructions. The computer program product may be software or a program product including instructions that can be run on a computing device or stored on any available medium. When the computer program product is run on at least one computing device, the at least one computing device executes the aforementioned plug-in processing method.

[0175] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product.

[0176] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the above-described systems, devices and units can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0177] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in a sequence other than that illustrated or described herein. The term "and / or" in this application is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or modules is not necessarily limited to those steps or modules clearly listed, but may include other steps or modules that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices. The naming or numbering of the steps in this application does not mean that the steps in the method flow must be executed in the time / logical sequence indicated by the naming or numbering. The named or numbered process steps can be changed in the execution order according to the technical purpose to be achieved, as long as the same or similar technical effects can be achieved. The division of modules in this application is a logical division. There may be other division methods when implementing in actual applications. For example, multiple modules can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between each other shown or discussed can be through some ports, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between modules can be electrical or other similar forms, which are not limited in this application. In addition, the modules or sub-modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, may or may not be physical modules, or may be distributed in multiple circuit modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this application.

[0178] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the protection scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a network device, and the method includes: A first information and / or a second information is sent to a terminal device in a non-connected state, wherein the first information indicates that the network device configures a first cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a first cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a multicast service, and the second information indicates that the network device configures a second cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a broadcast service.

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

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

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The non-connected state includes an idle state; the method further includes: When the first information indicates that the network device configures the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism, within the third activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism, first feedback information is received from the terminal device, and the first feedback information is for the first multicast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The non-connected state includes an idle state; the method further includes: When the second information indicates that the network device configures the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism, during the fourth activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism, second feedback information is received from the terminal device, and the second feedback information is for the first broadcast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

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

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The second information includes the second periodic pattern of the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the fourth periodic pattern of the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism; or The second information includes a second index value, where the second index value is used to index a second connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism that has been configured by the network device, and / or a second connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first information or the second information is included in a radio resource control layer message, a medium access control layer message, or a physical layer message.

9. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first information is carried in a multicast broadcast control channel for the multicast service; The second information is carried in the multicast broadcast control channel of the broadcast service.

10. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first information corresponds to one or more multicast services, and the second information corresponds to one or more broadcast services.

11. A communication method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a terminal device in a non-connected state, and the method includes: Receive first information or second information from a network device, wherein the first information indicates that the network device configures a first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a first cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a multicast service, and the second information indicates that the network device configures a second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous reception mechanism for a broadcast service.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The method further comprises: In a case where the first information instructs the network device to configure the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, first multicast service data is received from the network device within a first activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that The method further comprises: In a case where the second information instructs the network device to configure the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, the first broadcast service data is received from the network device within a second activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism.

14. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that The non-connected state includes an idle state; the method further includes: When the first information indicates that the network device configures the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism, first feedback information is sent to the network device within the third activation period defined by the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism, and the first feedback information is for the first multicast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

15. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that The non-connected state includes an idle state; the method further includes: When the second information indicates that the network device configures the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism, second feedback information is sent to the network device within the fourth activation period defined by the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism, and the second feedback information is for the first broadcast service data sent by the network device to the terminal device.

16. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that The first information includes a first periodic pattern of the first cell discontinuous transmission mechanism, and / or a third periodic pattern of the first cell discontinuous reception mechanism; or The first information includes a first index value, where the first index value is used to index a first connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism that has been configured on the network device, and / or a first connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured.

17. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that The second information includes the second periodic pattern of the second cell discontinuous transmission mechanism and / or the fourth periodic pattern of the second cell discontinuous reception mechanism; or The second information includes a second index value, where the second index value is used to index a second connected cell discontinuous transmission mechanism that has been configured by the network device, and / or a second connected cell discontinuous reception mechanism that has been configured.

18. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that The first information or the second information is included in a radio resource control layer message, a medium access control layer message, or a physical layer message.

19. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that The first information is carried in a multicast broadcast control channel for the multicast service; The second information is carried in the multicast broadcast control channel of the broadcast service.

20. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that The first information corresponds to one or more multicast services, and the second information corresponds to one or more broadcast services.

21. A network device, characterized in that: include: A transceiver unit is used to send first information or second information to a terminal device in a non-connected state, wherein the first information indicates that the network device configures a first cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a first cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a multicast service, and the second information indicates that the network device configures a second cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a broadcast service.

22. A terminal device, characterized in that: The terminal device is in a non-connected state, including: The transceiver unit is used to receive first information or second information from a network device, wherein the first information indicates that the network device configures a first cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a first cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a multicast service, and the second information indicates that the network device configures a second cell discontinuous sending mechanism and / or a second cell discontinuous receiving mechanism for a broadcast service.

23. A communication device, characterized in that: comprising a processor coupled to a memory; Instructions are stored in the memory, and when the instructions are executed on the processor, the communication device implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and 11 to 20.

24. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed on a processor, the method of any one of claims 1 to 10 and 11 to 20 is implemented.

25. A computer program product, characterized in that When the computer program product is executed on a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and 11 to 20 is implemented.

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