Communication method, apparatus and system

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method, apparatus and system, which can be suitable for an NTN communication scenario. The method comprises: sending first indication information to a first terminal device, wherein the first indication information indicates a first parameter, the first parameter is used for configuring a first mode, the first mode is a discontinuous reception (DRX) and / or discontinuous transmission (DTX) mode of a cell, the first parameter is a parameter of beam granularity, the first parameter corresponds to a first beam, and the first beam is at least one beam used for communication in a serving cell; or the first parameter is a parameter of region granularity, the first parameter corresponds to a first region, and the first region is one of a plurality of geographic regions covered by the serving cell of the first terminal device. According to the method, the application range and use mode of a DTX / DRX mechanism are flexibly controlled, for example, different DTX modes (such as activation duration and period) can be configured for different geographic regions, so that the network device can enter an off state (inactive state) and is in the state for a period of time, thereby locally achieving the effect of network energy saving in the cell, achieving the effect of dynamic power distribution in the cell, and improving the downlink coverage and capacity of the cell.

Description

Communication method, device and system

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application with application number 202410255355.9 filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on March 5, 2024, and priority to the Chinese patent application with the invention name “Communication Method, Device and System”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] Since traditional terrestrial networks (TNs) cannot provide seamless coverage for UEs, especially in places where base stations cannot be deployed, such as the ocean, desert, and air, non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) have been introduced into the Internet of Things (IoT) and the fifth-generation mobile communication technology (5G) system, as well as subsequent evolved system architectures such as future mobile communication technologies. NTNs provide seamless coverage for user equipment (UE) by deploying base stations or part of base station functions on non-terrestrial network devices such as high-altitude platforms or satellites, thereby improving system reliability.

[0004] However, the geographical scope of NTN cells is large, the UEs in different geographical areas are unevenly distributed, and the service requirements of UEs vary greatly, making it impossible for the base station side to enter the inactive duration, or the inactive duration is very short. The inactive duration refers to a period of time during which the cell (network equipment) stops transmitting / receiving data with the UE, making it difficult to save base station power and achieve base station energy saving. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method, apparatus, and system that can save energy on network devices.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method may be executed by a network device, or may be executed by a module used in the network device, such as a chip, circuit, or chip system, although this application does not limit this. For ease of description, the following description uses execution by a network device as an example.

[0007] The method includes: sending a first indication message to a first terminal device, the first indication message indicates a first parameter, the first parameter is used to configure a first mode, the first mode is a cell discontinuous reception DRX and / or discontinuous transmission DTX mode, the first parameter is a beam granularity parameter, the first parameter corresponds to a first beam, and the first beam belongs to at least one beam used for communication in a serving cell; or, the first parameter is an area granularity parameter, the first parameter corresponds to a first area, and the first area is one of a plurality of geographical areas covered by the serving cell of the first terminal device.

[0008] This method is applicable to NTN communication scenarios. It flexibly controls the scope and usage mode of the DTX / DRX mechanism. For example, different DTX / DRX modes (used to describe parameters of active and inactive periods, such as whether DTX or DRX is configured, start offset time, slot offset time, active state duration, etc.) can be configured for different geographical regions. This allows network devices to enter a shutdown state for a period of time, achieving network energy conservation and realizing dynamic power allocation in the network.

[0009] In some implementations, the first indication information further indicates an initial state of the first mode, where the initial state of the first mode is an activated state or a deactivated state.

[0010] In some implementations, the first indication information further indicates a second parameter, where the second parameter corresponds to a second beam, or the second parameter corresponds to a second area.

[0011] That is, the first indication information can indicate the parameters of the first mode corresponding to a certain beam or a certain area, and the first indication information can also indicate the parameters of the first mode corresponding to multiple beams or multiple areas, which can further save signaling overhead.

[0012] In some implementations, second indication information is sent to the first terminal device via layer 1 group general signaling, where the second indication information indicates the state of the first mode of at least one beam, or the state of the first mode of at least one area, where the state of the first mode is an activated state or a deactivated state, the at least one beam includes the first beam, and the at least one area includes the first area.

[0013] In this approach, the state of the first mode is indicated to the first terminal device via Layer 1 group universal signaling, i.e., the state of the first mode is flexibly adjusted. During the communication process after the first mode is configured, the state of the first mode can be flexibly and dynamically adjusted at any time according to communication needs. This allows further savings in power consumption of network devices and / or terminal devices while meeting service needs, and allows for flexible allocation of power to network devices.

[0014] In some implementations, the second indication information includes at least one downlink control information DCI information block, and the at least one DCI information block is used to indicate the state of the first mode of the at least one beam, or the state of the first mode of the at least one area.

[0015] In some implementations, the method further includes: sending third indication information to the first terminal device, where the third indication information indicates the position of the starting bit of the DCI information block corresponding to the first beam or the first zone.

[0016] Optionally, the third indication information may further indicate the starting bit position of the DCI information block corresponding to one or more beams / areas. The starting bit position of the DCI information block may be used to indicate the state of the first mode.

[0017] In some implementations, the method further includes: sending fourth indication information to the first terminal device, wherein the fourth indication information indicates releasing, adding or modifying parameters of the first mode corresponding to the at least one area or the at least one beam.

[0018] In this manner, when the first mode needs to be released, modified or added, timely dynamic indication is given through signaling, which can meet business needs.

[0019] In some implementations, the method further includes: receiving fifth indication information, where the fifth indication information indicates information of the first beam and / or location information of the first terminal device.

[0020] The first terminal device reports beam and / or location information to the network device, so that the network device can determine the corresponding parameters of the first mode and avoid mismatching.

[0021] In some implementations, the method further includes: indicating, through a third parameter, the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the first area in which the first terminal device is located, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the first service beam of the first terminal device, where the third parameter is a parameter of the service cell granularity.

[0022] In some implementations, the first terminal device does not support parameters of the first mode of the beam granularity and / or parameters of the first mode of the area granularity.

[0023] That is, when the first terminal device does not support the parameters of the first mode of beam granularity or area granularity, but supports the parameters of service cell granularity, the parameters of the first mode of beam granularity or area granularity can be indicated to the first terminal device through the parameters of service cell granularity.

[0024] In other words, when the first terminal device does not have the ability to configure the parameters of the first mode of beam granularity or regional granularity, the parameters of the beam granularity or regional granularity that need to be configured for the first terminal device can be carried through the signaling (cell) format corresponding to the capabilities supported by the first terminal device, so that the first terminal device can correctly obtain the parameters and align the active period and inactive period with the network device. When the capabilities of the first terminal device and the network device are different, the effect of dynamic power allocation of the network device can also be achieved.

[0025] In other words, the cell DTX / DRX mode parameters corresponding to the geographical area or service beam where the first terminal device is located are configured to the first terminal device as the DRX / DTX mode parameters per serving cell. Similarly, the activation status of the Cell DTX / DRX corresponding to the geographical area or service beam can also be indicated by the parameters at the per serving cell level.

[0026] In some implementations, a fourth parameter is used to indicate the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the second area where the first terminal device is located, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the second service beam of the first terminal device. The fourth parameter is a parameter of the service cell granularity, and the fourth parameter is different from the third parameter.

[0027] That is, since the first terminal device is in a different area or uses a different service beam, although the signaling (cell) format corresponding to the capabilities supported by the first terminal device adopted by the network device is the same, the parameter values ​​included in the signaling (cell) are different.

[0028] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a first terminal device, or by a module in the first terminal device, such as a chip, circuit, or chip system, although this application does not limit this. For ease of description, the following description uses execution by the first terminal device as an example.

[0029] The method includes: receiving first indication information, the first indication information indicates a first parameter, the first parameter is used to configure a first mode, the first mode is a cell discontinuous reception and / or discontinuous transmission mode, the first parameter is a beam granularity parameter, the first parameter corresponds to the first beam, the first beam belongs to at least one beam used for communication in the service cell; or, the first parameter is an area granularity parameter, the first parameter corresponds to the first area, the first area is one of multiple geographical areas covered by the service cell of the first terminal device; determine the first parameter based on the first indication information.

[0030] In some implementations, the first indication information further indicates an initial state of the first mode, where the initial state of the first mode is an activated state or a deactivated state.

[0031] In some implementations, the first indication information further indicates a second parameter, where the second parameter corresponds to a second beam, or the second parameter corresponds to a second area.

[0032] In some implementations, the method further includes: receiving second indication information through layer 1 group general signaling, the second indication information indicating the state of the first mode of at least one beam, or the state of the first mode of at least one area, the state of the first mode is an activated state or a deactivated state, the at least one beam includes the first beam, and the at least one area includes the first area.

[0033] In some implementations, the second indication information includes at least one downlink control information DCI information block, and the at least one DCI information block is used to indicate the state of the first mode of the at least one beam, or the state of the first mode of the at least one area.

[0034] In certain implementations, the method further includes: receiving third indication information, wherein the third indication information indicates the position of the starting bit of the DCI information block corresponding to the first beam or the first area; and determining the state of the first mode corresponding to the first beam or the first area based on the third indication information.

[0035] In some implementations, the method further includes: receiving fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information indicates releasing, adding, or modifying parameters of the first mode corresponding to the at least one area or the at least one beam.

[0036] In some implementations, the method further includes: sending fifth indication information, where the fifth indication information indicates information of the first beam and / or location information of the first terminal device.

[0037] In some implementations, the method further includes: determining the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the first area where the first terminal device is located, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the first service beam of the first terminal device, through a third parameter, wherein the third parameter is a parameter of the service cell granularity.

[0038] In some implementations, the first terminal device does not support parameters of the first mode of the beam granularity and / or parameters of the first mode of the area granularity.

[0039] In some implementations, the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the second area where the first terminal device is located, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the second service beam of the first terminal device, are determined by a fourth parameter, and the fourth parameter is a parameter of the service cell granularity, and the fourth parameter is different from the third parameter.

[0040] It should be understood that the second aspect is an implementation method on the network device side corresponding to the first aspect. The explanations, supplements and descriptions of the beneficial effects of the first aspect are also applicable to the second aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0041] According to a third aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a transceiver unit and a processing unit, wherein the transceiver unit is used to send a first indication message to a first terminal device, wherein the first indication message indicates a first parameter, and the first parameter is used to configure a first mode, wherein the first mode is a cell discontinuous reception DRX and / or discontinuous transmission DTX mode, and the first parameter is a beam granularity parameter, and the first parameter corresponds to a first beam, and the first beam belongs to at least one beam used for communication in a serving cell; or, the first parameter is an area granularity parameter, and the first parameter corresponds to a first area, and the first area is one of a plurality of geographical areas covered by the serving cell of the first terminal device.

[0042] In some implementations, the first indication information further indicates an initial state of the first mode, where the initial state of the first mode is an activated state or a deactivated state.

[0043] In some implementations, the first indication information further indicates a second parameter, where the second parameter corresponds to a second beam, or the second parameter corresponds to a second area.

[0044] In some implementations, second indication information is sent to the first terminal device via layer 1 group general signaling, where the second indication information indicates the state of the first mode of at least one beam, or the state of the first mode of at least one area, where the state of the first mode is an activated state or a deactivated state, the at least one beam includes the first beam, and the at least one area includes the first area.

[0045] In some implementations, the second indication information includes at least one downlink control information DCI information block, and the at least one DCI information block is used to indicate the state of the first mode of the at least one beam, or the state of the first mode of the at least one area.

[0046] In some implementations, the transceiver unit is further used to send third indication information to the first terminal device, where the third indication information indicates the position of the starting bit of the DCI information block corresponding to the first beam or the first zone.

[0047] In some implementations, the transceiver unit is further used to send fourth indication information to the first terminal device, where the fourth indication information indicates releasing, adding, or modifying parameters of the first mode corresponding to the at least one area or the at least one beam.

[0048] In some implementations, the communication device also includes a processing unit, which is used to indicate the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the first area where the first terminal device is located, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the first service beam of the first terminal device through a third parameter, where the third parameter is a parameter of the service cell granularity.

[0049] In some implementations, the first terminal device does not support parameters of the first mode of the beam granularity and / or parameters of the first mode of the area granularity.

[0050] In certain implementations, the processing unit is used to indicate the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the second area where the first terminal device is located, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the second service beam of the first terminal device, through a fourth parameter, where the fourth parameter is a parameter of the service cell granularity, and the fourth parameter is different from the third parameter.

[0051] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a transceiver unit and a processing unit, the transceiver unit being configured to receive first indication information, the first indication information indicating a first parameter, the first parameter being used to configure a first mode, the first mode being a cell discontinuous reception and / or discontinuous transmission mode, the first parameter being a beam granularity parameter, the first parameter corresponding to a first beam, the first beam belonging to at least one beam used for communication in a serving cell; or the first parameter being a regional granularity parameter, the first parameter corresponding to a first region, the first region being one of multiple geographical regions covered by a serving cell of a first terminal device. The processing unit is configured to determine the first parameter based on the first indication information.

[0052] In some implementations, the first indication information further indicates an initial state of the first mode, where the initial state of the first mode is an activated state or a deactivated state.

[0053] In some implementations, the first indication information further indicates a second parameter, where the second parameter corresponds to a second beam, or the second parameter corresponds to a second area.

[0054] In some implementations, the transceiver unit is also used to receive second indication information through layer 1 group general signaling, where the second indication information indicates the state of the first mode of at least one beam, or the state of the first mode of at least one area, where the state of the first mode is an activated state or a deactivated state, the at least one beam includes the first beam, and the at least one area includes the first area.

[0055] In some implementations, the second indication information includes at least one downlink control information DCI information block, and the at least one DCI information block is used to indicate the state of the first mode of the at least one beam, or the state of the first mode of the at least one area.

[0056] In some implementations, the transceiver unit is also used to receive third indication information, where the third indication information indicates the position of the starting bit of the DCI information block corresponding to the first beam or the first area; the processing unit is used to determine the state of the first mode corresponding to the first beam or the first area based on the third indication information.

[0057] In some implementations, the transceiver unit is further used to receive fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information indicates releasing, adding, or modifying parameters of the first mode corresponding to the at least one area or the at least one beam.

[0058] In some implementations, the transceiver unit is further used to send fifth indication information, where the fifth indication information indicates information of the first beam and / or location information of the first terminal device.

[0059] In some implementations, the processing unit is also used to determine the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the first area where the first terminal device is located, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the first service beam of the first terminal device through a third parameter, where the third parameter is a parameter of the service cell granularity.

[0060] In some implementations, the first terminal device does not support parameters of the first mode of the beam granularity and / or parameters of the first mode of the area granularity.

[0061] In some implementations, the processing unit is also used to determine the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the second area where the first terminal device is located, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the second service beam of the first terminal device through a fourth parameter, where the fourth parameter is a parameter of the service cell granularity, and the fourth parameter is different from the third parameter.

[0062] It should be understood that the third aspect and the fourth aspect are implementation methods on the device side corresponding to the first aspect and the second aspect. The explanations, supplements and descriptions of the beneficial effects of the first aspect and the second aspect are also applicable to the third aspect and the fourth aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0063] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising an interface circuit and a processor, wherein the interface circuit is used to implement the function of the transceiver unit in the third aspect, and the processor is used to implement the function of the processing unit in the third aspect.

[0064] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising an interface circuit and a processor, wherein the interface circuit is used to implement the function of the transceiver unit in the fourth aspect, and the processor is used to implement the function of the processing unit in the fourth aspect.

[0065] In the seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable medium storing a program code for execution on a terminal device, the program code including instructions for executing the method of the first aspect, or any possible manner in the first aspect, or all possible manners in the first aspect.

[0066] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable medium storing a program code for execution by a network device, the program code including instructions for executing the method of the second aspect, or the third aspect, or any possible manner in the second aspect, or any possible manner in the third aspect, or all possible manners in the second aspect, or all possible manners in the third aspect.

[0067] In the ninth aspect, a computer program product storing computer-readable instructions is provided, which, when the computer-readable instructions are executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of the first aspect, or any possible method of the first aspect, or all possible methods of the first aspect.

[0068] In the tenth aspect, a computer program product storing computer-readable instructions is provided, which, when the computer-readable instructions are run on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of the above-mentioned second aspect, or any possible method of the second aspect, or all possible methods of the second aspect.

[0069] In the eleventh aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes a device having functions of implementing the above-mentioned first aspect, or any possible manner in the first aspect, or all possible manners in the first aspect, the second aspect, or any possible manner in the second aspect, or all possible manners in the second aspect, and various possible designed functions.

[0070] In the twelfth aspect, a processor is provided, which is coupled to a memory and is used to execute the method of the above-mentioned first aspect, or any possible method of the first aspect, or all possible methods of the first aspect.

[0071] In a thirteenth aspect, a processor is provided, coupled to a memory, for executing the method of the second aspect, or any possible manner of the second aspect, or all possible manners of the second aspect.

[0072] In a fourteenth aspect, a chip system is provided, comprising a processor and a memory configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in the memory, so that the chip system implements the method of any of the aforementioned first or second aspects, as well as any possible implementation of either aspect. The chip system may be composed of a chip alone, or may include a chip and other discrete components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0073] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 1000 used in an embodiment of the present application.

[0074] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a DTX cycle configuration.

[0075] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a communication method proposed in this application.

[0076] FIG4 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device.

[0077] FIG5 is a schematic block diagram of yet another communication device.

[0078] FIG6 is a schematic block diagram of yet another communication device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0079] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0080] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 1000 used in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1 , the communication system includes a radio access network 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 1000 may also include the Internet 300. The radio access network 100 may include at least one radio access network device (such as 110a and 110b in Figure 1 ) and at least one terminal (such as 120a-120j in Figure 1 ). The terminal is wirelessly connected to the radio access network device, and the radio access network device is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the core network. The core network device and the radio access network device may be independent, distinct physical devices, or the core network device's functions and the radio access network device's logical functions may be integrated into the same physical device, or a single physical device may integrate some of the core network device's functions and some of the radio access network device's functions. Terminals and radio access network devices may be interconnected via wired or wireless connections. Figure 1 is merely a schematic diagram. The communication system may also include other network devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in Figure 1 .

[0081] Core network equipment refers to equipment in the core network (CN) that provides service support for terminals. At present, some examples of core network equipment are: access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, session management function (SMF) entity, user plane function (UPF) entity, etc., which are not listed here one by one. Among them, the AMF entity can be responsible for terminal access management and mobility management; the SMF entity can be responsible for session management, such as user session establishment, etc.; the UPF entity can be a functional entity of the user plane, mainly responsible for connecting to the external network. It should be noted that the entity in this application can also be referred to as a network element or a functional entity. For example, the AMF entity can also be referred to as an AMF network element or an AMF functional entity. For another example, the SMF entity can also be referred to as an SMF network element or an SMF functional entity, etc.

[0082] A radio access network device can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication system, a next-generation base station in a future mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. It can also be a module or unit that performs some of the functions of a base station, such as a centralized unit (CU) or a distributed unit (DU). The CU performs the functions of the base station's radio resource control protocol and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), as well as the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP). The DU performs the functions of the base station's radio link control layer and medium access control (MAC) layer, as well as some or all of the physical layer. For detailed descriptions of each of these protocol layers, please refer to the relevant technical specifications of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The wireless access network device can be a macro base station (such as 110a in Figure 1), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in Figure 1), or a relay node or a donor node, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the wireless access network device. For the sake of convenience, the following description uses a base station as an example of a wireless access network device. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the communication method used, and can be any radio frequency communication technology, including but not limited to UWB, WIFI, Bluetooth, cellular, etc. The devices used are not limited, including but not limited to base stations, APs or various terminals, etc.

[0083] For example, a RAN node can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be separate or included in the same network element, such as the baseband unit (BBU). The CU and DU nodes split the protocol layers of the gNB, centrally controlling some protocol layer functions in the CU and distributing some or all of the remaining protocol layer functions in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU. As an implementation, the CU deploys the radio resource control (RRC), PDCP, and service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layers of the protocol stack; the DU deploys the radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical layer (PHY) layers of the protocol stack. Consequently, the CU has the processing capabilities of RRC, PDCP, and SDAP. The DU has RLC, MAC, and PHY processing capabilities. It is understood that the above functional division is only an example and does not constitute a limitation on the CU and DU. The RU may be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0084] A terminal device can be a device that provides voice / data to a user, such as a handheld device or vehicle-mounted device with wireless connection capabilities. A terminal device may include user equipment, sometimes also referred to as a terminal, access station, UE station, remote station, wireless communication device, or user equipment.

[0085] For example, the terminal device can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a whole vehicle, a wireless communication module in the whole vehicle, a telematics box (T-Box), a road side unit (RSU), a wireless terminal in unmanned driving, a wireless terminal device in the Internet of Things (IoT), a wireless terminal device in telemedicine, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, or a wireless terminal device in a smart home, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0086] As an example and not a limitation, in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may also be a wearable device. Wearable devices may also be called wearable smart devices, which are a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but can also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include devices that are fully functional, large in size, and can achieve full or partial functions without relying on smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, as well as devices that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for measuring vital signs.

[0087] Terminal devices can also be V2X devices, such as smart cars (or intelligent cars), digital cars, unmanned cars (or driverless cars or pilotless cars or automobiles), self-driving cars (or autonomous cars), pure electric vehicles (or battery EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), new energy vehicles (new energy vehicles), and roadside units (RSUs). Terminal devices can also be devices used in device-to-device (D2D) communications, such as electricity meters and water meters.

[0088] In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device can also be a terminal device in an IoT system. IoT is an important part of the future development of information technology. Its main technical feature is to connect objects to the network through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network of human-machine interconnection and object-to-object interconnection.

[0089] The various terminal devices described above, if located on a vehicle (e.g., placed in or installed in a vehicle), can be considered as vehicle-mounted terminal devices, which are also referred to as on-board units (OBUs). The terminal device of the present application can also be an on-board module, on-board module, on-board component, on-board chip, or on-board unit built into a vehicle as one or more components or units, and the vehicle can implement the method of the present application through the built-in on-board module, on-board module, on-board component, on-board chip, or on-board unit.

[0090] Base stations and terminals can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; on water; or on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of base stations and terminals.

[0091] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile base station. To terminals 120j accessing the wireless access network 100 via 120i, terminal 120i is a base station. However, to base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, meaning that communication between 110a and 120i occurs via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, communication between 110a and 120i can also occur via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, 120i is also a base station relative to 110a. Therefore, base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with base station functionality, while 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0092] Communication between base stations and terminals, between base stations, and between terminals can be carried out through authorized spectrum, unauthorized spectrum, or both; communication can be carried out through spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), spectrum above 6 GHz, or spectrum below 6 GHz and spectrum above 6 GHz. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0093] It should be understood that the present application can also be applied to the open RAN (O-RAN) architecture. O-RAN aims to realize an intelligent and open access network. The main feature of the O-RAN architecture is the separation of software and hardware, which realizes the virtualization of network functions and the standardization of hardware. In addition, O-RAN also introduces artificial intelligence (AI). In the ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meaning. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0094] The following table shows the correspondence between ORAN access network devices (network element modules) and their achievable protocol layer functions:

[0095] In the embodiments of the present application, the functions of the base station may also be performed by a module (such as a chip) in the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes the base station functions. The control subsystem that includes the base station functions here may be a control center in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, smart transportation, and smart city. The functions of the terminal may also be performed by a module (such as a chip or modem) in the terminal, or by a device that includes the terminal functions.

[0096] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application can be applied to wireless communications between communication devices. Wireless communications between communication devices may include: wireless communications between network devices and terminals, wireless communications between network devices, and wireless communications between terminal devices. In the embodiments of this application, the term "wireless communications" may also be referred to as "communication," which may also be described as "data transmission," "information transmission," or "transmission."

[0097] Since the traditional terrestrial network (TN) cannot provide seamless coverage for UE, especially in places where base stations cannot be deployed, such as the sea, desert, and air, the non-terrestrial network NTN is introduced into the IoT and 5G systems and subsequent evolving system architectures such as future mobile communication technologies. It provides seamless coverage for UE by deploying base stations or part of the base station functions on non-terrestrial network equipment such as high-altitude platforms or satellites, thereby improving the reliability of the system. This application takes satellites as an example. According to the working mode of satellites, satellites are generally divided into two categories: the first is transparent forwarding, in which satellites forward radio frequency signals from base stations on the ground. The function of the satellite is to filter, convert and amplify wireless frequencies, and regenerate physical layer signals. The second form is the regeneration form, in which the satellite has all or part of the functions of a base station, that is, the base station or part of the functions of the base station are deployed on the satellite. According to the satellite altitude, that is, the satellite orbit altitude, the satellite system can be divided into the following two categories:

[0098] High-orbit satellites: Also known as geostationary satellites, these satellites move at the same speed as the Earth's rotational system, so they remain stationary relative to the ground. Consequently, the GEO satellite cells are also stationary. GEO satellite cells offer greater coverage, with a typical cell diameter of 500 km.

[0099] Medium and low-orbit satellites: Satellites move faster than the ground, so the service coverage areas provided by medium and low-orbit satellites also move accordingly;

[0100] Therefore, for medium and low-orbit satellites, the cells covered by satellites can be divided into two types:

[0101] Quasi-earth-fixed cell: A moving satellite forms a cell by adjusting its beam, and the position of the formed cell on the ground remains stationary for a certain period of time.

[0102] Earth-moving cell: The satellite does not dynamically adjust its beam direction; the cell covered by the satellite's beam moves as the satellite moves.

[0103] Rel-18 introduced the network energy saving (NES) feature to save energy and reduce operating expenses. For example, when the capacity demand is not large enough, this feature allows the capacity enhancement cell (as opposed to the cell providing basic coverage) to be shut down and activated on demand, or allows various adaptive technologies in the time domain, frequency domain, spatial domain and power domain.

[0104] Cell discontinuous transmission / reception (Cell DTX / DRX) technology is a key area of ​​network energy conservation. To reduce the downlink transmission / uplink reception activation time of the gNB, a periodic Cell DTX / DRX mode (i.e., starting offset, period, and active duration) can be configured for the UE. When Cell DTX is configured and activated for the associated serving cell, the UE may not monitor the PDCCH under certain circumstances or monitor the SPS during the Cell DTX inactive period. When Cell DRX is configured and activated for the associated serving cell, the UE will not transmit on the configured grant (CG) resources or send a scheduling request (SR) during the Cell DRX inactive period. This feature applies only to connected UEs and does not affect random access procedures, SSB transmissions, paging, or system message broadcasts.

[0105] The Cell DTX / DRX features are described as follows:

[0106] Active duration: The duration that the UE waits to receive PDCCH or SPS, or to send SR or CG. During this period, the gNB's transmission / reception of PDCCH, SPS, SR, CG, periodic and semi-static CSI reports are not affected;

[0107] Cycle: The periodic repetition of active duration and inactive duration.

[0108] The Cell DTX / DRX mode configuration is common (identical) for all UEs configured with this feature within a cell. The Cell DTX mode and Cell DRX mode can be configured and activated separately. When both Cell DTX and Cell DRX are configured, the active duration and period parameters are common across both. The gNB configures the Cell DTX / DRX mode parameters for the UE corresponding to the serving cell. For UEs configured for Carrier Aggregation (CA) / Direct Connectivity (DC), there is only one serving cell, the primary cell. For UEs configured for Carrier Aggregation (CA) / Dual Connectivity (DC), the serving cell refers to the special cell and secondary cells in the cell group, i.e., multiple serving cells. Each MAC entity can configure up to two Cell DTX / DRX modes for different serving cells. The two Cell DTX / DRX modes are aligned, with a common start and slot offset, and the period of one mode is an integer multiple of the other.

[0109] The base station configures the cell DTX / DRX mode parameters to the UE in the cell by RRC signaling. After receiving the configuration, the UE can directly activate / deactivate the cell DTX / DRX configuration based on the RRC signaling or activate / deactivate the cell DTX / DRX configuration by receiving the layer 1 group common signaling sent by the base station. The layer 1 group common signaling introduces the DCI format (DCI 2_9). The DCI includes one or more information blocks, which indicate the starting bit position of the DCI information block corresponding to one or more serving cells to the UE in advance. The Cell DTX / DRX activation status of a serving cell is indicated to the UE through an information block of the DCI. If Cell DRX and Cell DTX are configured at the same time, the information block includes two bits. If only Cell DRX or Cell DTX is configured, the information block includes one bit. Each bit indicates activation / deactivation with 0 / 1 respectively.

[0110] Once the gNB identifies the presence of an emergency call or public safety-related service (e.g., MPS or MCS), the network shall ensure that the service is not affected (e.g., possibly releasing or deactivating the cell DTX / DRX configuration). The network shall also ensure that the UE's connected DRX activation duration and the cell DTX / DRX activation duration have at least partial overlap, i.e., the UE's connected DRX cycle is a multiple of the cell DTX / DRX cycle, and vice versa.

[0111] By enabling Cell Discontinuous Transmission (Cell DTX) / DRX technology for users in a cell, the base station can stop scheduling data transmission for users during certain periods, enabling the base station to save energy during these periods. Taking Cell Discontinuous Transmission (Cell DTX) as an example, the network only performs downlink transmission with terminals during designated time periods, while not performing downlink transmission at other times. This allows for the use of corresponding downlink transmission technologies, thereby achieving network energy savings. As shown in the figure below, Cell 1 uses a periodic Cell DTX configuration. During the Cell DTX active duration (on), the network performs downlink transmission, including downlink service transmission with the terminal. During the Cell DTX inactive duration (off), the network at least stops downlink service transmission with the terminal. The longer the Cell DTX inactive duration, the longer and deeper the network-side downlink transmission duration can be, resulting in greater energy savings. However, this also increases service transmission latency and the impact on the terminal. Similarly, Cell DRX means that cell 1 adopts Cell DRX configuration. During the Cell DRX active duration, the network receives uplink signals, including uplink service transmission with the terminal; during the Cell DRX inactive duration, the network at least stops uplink service transmission with the terminal.

[0112] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a Cell DTX cycle.

[0113] The UE's behavior during cell DTX and cell DRX is as follows:

[0114] When cell DTX is configured and activated for a serving cell, the activation period of Cell DTX includes the time during which the cellDTX-ondurationTimer of the serving cell is running.

[0115] When the cell DTX operation of a serving cell is deactivated or the serving cell is in the cell DTX activation period,

[0116] The UE monitors the PDCCH of the serving cell.

[0117] When the cell DTX operation of a serving cell is activated and the serving cell is not in the cell DTX activation period,

[0118] The UE does not monitor the PDCCH of the serving cell.

[0119] The UE's medium access control (MAC) layer does not instruct the physical layer to receive the downlink share channel (DL-SCH) according to the configured semi-persistent scheduling resources.

[0120] The MAC layer of the UE does not indicate the configured downlink assignment to the hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) entity and does not transfer HARQ information.

[0121] The MAC layer of the UE does not set the HARQ process ID corresponding to the downlink allocated resources.

[0122] The MAC layer of the UE does not consider that the new data bits of the HARQ process corresponding to the downlink allocated resources are flipped.

[0123] When cell DRX is configured and activated for a serving cell, the activation period of Cell DRX includes the time during which the cellDRX-ondurationTimer of the serving cell is running.

[0124] When the cell DRX operation of a serving cell is activated and the serving cell is not in the cell DRX activation period,

[0125] The physical layer is not instructed to send scheduling requests on PUCCH resources.

[0126] The SR counter is not incremented.

[0127] Do not start the SR prohibit timer for an SR.

[0128] Do not pass any configured uplink grant and corresponding HARQ process information to the HARQ entity

[0129] The processes associated with the configured uplink grant are not directed to trigger new transmissions or retransmissions.

[0130] Do not report periodic channel state indicators on the PUCCH, and do not report semi-static channel state indicators on the PUSCH.

[0131] Currently, the Cell DTX / DRX feature configures the Cell DTX / DRX mode parameters of the serving cell to the connected UE at the granularity of the serving cell, and instructs the UE to activate / deactivate the Cell DTX / DRX configuration of the serving cell at the granularity of the serving cell. However, in the NTN scenario, due to the large coverage range of the NTN cell, for example, the beam footprint range of LEO is at least 100km, while the coverage radius of a TN single station is small (for example, no more than 3km), which is far smaller than the coverage range of the NTN cell. The geographical range of the NTN cell is large, the UEs in different geographical areas are unevenly distributed, and the service requirements of the UEs also vary greatly, making it impossible for the base station side to enter the inactive duration, or the inactive duration is very short, making it difficult to achieve the effect of base station energy saving.

[0132] In view of this, the present application proposes a communication method that can enable network equipment to achieve energy-saving effects.

[0133] As shown in FIG3 , the method includes the following steps:

[0134] S310, the network device sends first indication information to the first terminal device, and correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the first indication information.

[0135] The first indication information indicates a first parameter. The first parameter is used to configure a first mode, which is a cell non-reception and / or discontinuous transmission mode, that is, a cell continuous non-reception and / or discontinuous transmission mode. The first parameter is of regional granularity or beam granularity, or in other words, the first parameter is of regional level or beam level. The first parameter can be a parameter used to describe an active period and an inactive period, including at least one of a configuration type, a start offset time, a time slot offset time, an active duration, and a period, wherein the configuration type indicates whether a single Cell DTX, a single Cell DRX, or both Cell DTX and Cell DRX are configured.

[0136] For example, the first parameter is a parameter of beam granularity, the first parameter corresponds to the first beam, and the first beam belongs to at least one beam used for communication in a serving cell, which is a serving cell of a first terminal device. Optionally, each beam in the at least one beam corresponds to one (or a set of) parameters of the first mode. The parameters of the first mode corresponding to the at least one beam may be the same or different. Furthermore, when the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the at least one beam are different, the parameters of the first mode corresponding to a part of the beams and another part of the beams may be different, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to each beam may be different. For example, the first indication information also indicates a second parameter, and the second parameter corresponds to the second beam. The second parameter may be the same as or different from the first parameter. In addition to the first beam, the at least one beam may also include other beams, such as a second beam, a third beam, a fourth beam, and the like. Optionally, the first beam can be one beam in at least one beam, or can be multiple beams in at least one beam. For example, the first parameter is common to multiple beams in at least one beam, and similarly for other beams such as the second beam, the third beam, the fourth beam, and so on.

[0137] The beam in this application can be specifically represented by the identifiers of various signals, such as the resource index of the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), the index of the synchronous signal / physical broadcast channel block (SS / PBCH block or SSB), the resource index of the sounding reference signal (SRS), and the resource index of the tracking reference signal (TRS).

[0138] In addition, a beam generally corresponds to a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port, a transmission configuration index (TCI), a transmit / receive point (TRP), or an SRS resource indicator (SRI) (for uplink data transmission). Different beams can also be represented by different DMRS ports, TCIs, TRPs, or SRIs.

[0139] For the convenience of description, the embodiment of the present application takes the DMRS port and TCI as an example to describe the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application. Since the DMRS port, TCI, TRP, SRI, CSI-RS resource index, SS / PBCH block index, SRS resource index and TRS resource index can all represent beams. Therefore, the DMRS port and TCI mentioned below can also be replaced by beams, TRP, SRI, CSI-RS resource index, SS / PBCH block index, SRS resource index or TRS resource index, and the replacement does not change the essence of the method provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0140] As another example, the first parameter is a parameter of regional granularity, and the first parameter corresponds to the first area, which is one of the multiple geographical areas covered by the service cell of the first terminal device. That is, the service cell coverage area (service area) of the first terminal device can be divided into multiple geographical areas, that is, at least one area, the first area is one of them, and the at least one area can also include other areas in addition to the first area, such as the second area, the third area, the fourth area, and so on. In other words, the first area is different from the service cell, the first area is an area of ​​geographical significance, and the first area can be covered by multiple cells, that is, the overlapping coverage area of ​​multiple cells, and the first indication information can also indicate multiple cells corresponding to the first area, one or more of the multiple cells can be the service cell of the first terminal device. One implementation method can be that the first mode parameters of the multiple cells corresponding to the first area are common in the first area, and the activation state of the first mode can be the same or different. In other words, the first area is generally a part of the geographical area corresponding to the service cell. For example, the service cell is divided into m areas, and the first area can be one of the areas or multiple areas. For example, the first area is x areas among the m areas, and x is a positive integer less than or equal to m. Similarly, other areas such as the second area, the third area, the fourth area, and so on. Among them, the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the at least one area can be the same or different. Furthermore, when the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the at least one area are different, the parameters of the first mode corresponding to one part of the area and another part of the area can be different, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to each area can be different. For example, the first indication information also indicates a second parameter, and the second parameter corresponds to the second area. The second parameter can be the same as or different from the first parameter.

[0141] One possible way is to indicate at least one area to the first terminal device when configuring area-level parameters. Taking the first area as an example, the geographical scope information of the first area, such as the area coordinates, can be indicated, or the reference point and radius information of the first area can be indicated.

[0142] A possible implementation is to indicate the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the first area where the first terminal device is located, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the first service beam of the first terminal device through a third parameter. The third parameter is the parameter of the service cell granularity (or level). This implementation can be applicable to the situation where the first terminal device and the network device support different 3GPP protocol versions, such as the network device supports the first mode parameters of beam granularity and / or the first mode parameters of regional granularity, but the first terminal device does not support the first mode parameters of beam granularity and / or the first mode parameters of regional granularity, but supports the first mode parameters of service cell granularity. In this case, the parameters of beam granularity or regional granularity are indicated to the first terminal device through parameters in the form of service cell granularity (third parameter), which facilitates the first terminal device to correctly obtain the parameters, so that the first terminal device and the network device align the first mode parameters of beam granularity or regional granularity.

[0143] For example, the first terminal device is a terminal device that supports the R18 (Release 18) protocol, and the network device is a network device that supports the R18+ protocol. The network side configures the first mode parameters of the regional level or beam level for the first terminal device through the R18+ information element. The R18+ information element is an information element introduced by the 3GPP R19 version or higher (such as finercellDTXDRX-Config). The first terminal device cannot recognize the information element and can only recognize the first mode parameters of the service cell level introduced by the R18 version (such as cellDTXDRX-Config). When the network device is applying the Cell DTX / DRX at the regional level or beam level, in order for the first terminal device to obtain the Cell DTX / DRX at the regional level or beam level, the network device indicates the parameter value of the R18+ information element to the first terminal device through the R18 information element. The parameter value of the R18+ can be the Cell DTX / DRX mode parameter value of the area or service beam where the first terminal device is located. Optionally, the parameter value may include an initial activation state value in addition to the mode parameter value, or in other words, the R18 cell may include an initial activation state value in addition to the mode parameter value.

[0144] One possible approach is to use an example of the R18 cell as follows:

[0145] In this implementation, parameters corresponding to different beams or different areas can be indicated by parameters of different service cell granularities. For example, the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the second area where the first terminal device is located, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the second service beam of the first terminal device, are indicated by a fourth parameter. The fourth parameter is a parameter of the service cell granularity, and the fourth parameter is different from the third parameter. That is, parameters of different area granularities or beam granularities can be indicated by parameters of different service cell granularities.

[0146] For example, the parameter corresponding to the first mode of beam a is parameter a, and the parameter corresponding to the first mode of beam b is parameter b. Parameter a can be indicated by parameter 1, and parameter b can be indicated by parameter 2. Parameter 1 and parameter 2 are both parameters of the service cell granularity, or in other words, parameter 1 and parameter 2 are both in the form of parameters of the service cell granularity, and the values ​​of the parameters contained therein are the values ​​of the parameters of the regional granularity or the beam granularity.

[0147] In one possible implementation, the first indication information also indicates the initial state of the first mode. The initial state of the first mode is an activated state (also called an active state) or a deactivated state (also called an inactivated state or an inactive state). That is, when the network device configures the parameters of the first mode for the first terminal device, it can carry the initial state of the first mode at the same time. Optionally, the initial state of the first mode can also be indicated by other signaling, that is, carried in a different signaling than the first parameter.

[0148] Optionally, the first indication information may be RRC signaling.

[0149] S320, the first terminal device obtains parameters of the first mode based on the first indication information.

[0150] Specifically, the first terminal device uses the parameters indicated or included in the first indication information as parameters of the first mode, and implements beam-granular or regional-granular DTX and / or DRX according to the parameters of the first mode.

[0151] Optionally, the method further comprises the following steps:

[0152] S330, the network device sends second indication information to the first terminal device, and correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the second indication information.

[0153] The second indication information indicates the state of the first mode of at least one beam, or indicates the state of the first mode of at least one area. The state of the first mode is either an activated state or a deactivated state. The first terminal device activates or deactivates the first mode based on the second indication information. In other words, the second indication information is used to dynamically and flexibly indicate the state of the first mode.

[0154] In one possible implementation, first indication information is sent to the first terminal device via L1 signaling. Furthermore, second indication information is sent to the first terminal device via L1 group common signaling, where L1 group common signaling refers to L1 signaling sent to a group of terminal devices (a set of terminal devices) and applicable to the group of terminal devices, the group of terminal devices including the first terminal device. Alternatively, the state of the first mode corresponding to at least one beam or at least one area is indicated via group L1 signaling.

[0155] Optionally, the layer 1 group general signaling may be DCI. Further, the second indication information includes at least one DCI information block. The at least one DCI information block indicates the state of the first mode of at least one beam, or indicates the state of the first mode of at least one area. Optionally, a DCI information block is used to indicate the state of the first mode of a beam or an area, and the at least one DCI information block corresponds one-to-one to the state of the first mode of at least one beam, or the state of the first mode of at least one area. Further, the network device may also send third indication information to the first terminal device, and the third indication information indicates the position of the starting bit of the DCI information block corresponding to the first beam or the first area. Optionally, the third indication information may also indicate the position of the ending bit of the DCI information block corresponding to the first beam or the first area. That is, the position of the starting bit of the DCI information block can be used to determine the DCI information block corresponding to the first beam or the first area, thereby determining the state of the first mode corresponding to the first beam or the first area. For example, the first indication information can be used to know that beam #1 applies cell DTX and DRX, beam #2 applies cell DTX, and beam #3 applies cell DRX. The third indication information indicates that the starting bit position of the DCI information block corresponding to beam #1 is 0, the starting bit position of the DCI information block corresponding to beam #2 is 2, the position of the DCI information block corresponding to beam #3 is 3, and the position of the DCI information block corresponding to beam #4 is 4. The first terminal device can indicate the cell DTX and cell DRX activation status of beam #1 respectively through the first bit and second bit of DCI, the third bit of DCI indicates the cell DTX activation status of beam #2, and the fourth bit of DCI indicates the cell DRC activation status of beam #3. The bit values ​​0 and 1 can be used to indicate the activated state and the deactivated state, respectively, and vice versa. This application does not limit the value and the meaning represented by the value. The first terminal device determines based on the information block of the DCI: to adjust the state of the first mode from the deactivated state to the activated state, or to adjust the state of the first mode from the activated state to the deactivated state.

[0156] Optionally, the group layer 1 signaling may also be a medium access control control element (MAC CE) or other physical layer signaling, which is not limited.

[0157] The network device may also send fourth indication information to the first terminal device, and correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the fourth indication information.

[0158] The fourth indication information indicates the release, addition, or modification of the parameters of the first mode corresponding to at least one area or at least one beam. For example, the fourth indication information indicates the modification of the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the first beam. The fourth indication information may also carry or indicate new parameters, or the new parameters may be sent to the first terminal device in other signaling. The first terminal device modifies the parameters of the first mode indicated by the first indication information according to the fourth indication information or according to the fourth indication information and the new parameters.

[0159] In one possible implementation, the fourth indication information may be RRC signaling, MAC CE or DCI.

[0160] In another possible implementation, the first terminal device may also send fifth indication information to the network device, and correspondingly, the network device receives the fifth indication information, where the fifth indication information indicates information of the first beam and / or location information of the first terminal device.

[0161] Furthermore, the fifth indication information may also indicate information of multiple beams, including information of the first beam. The beam information may be an identifier of the beam, such as an ID. That is, the fifth indication information may indicate the identifier of the first beam or the identifier of at least one beam.

[0162] Optionally, the fifth indication information indicates the location information of the first terminal device, which may be rough location information, fine location information, or an identifier indicating the location of the first terminal device. For example, the fine location information may be global navigation satellite system coordinates (GNSS coordinates), the rough location information may be a simplified numerical value of the GNSS coordinates, such as a coordinate value with an error within 2 kilometers of the GNSS coordinates, the location identifier may be a geographical area, and different identifiers may be pre-configured. The fifth indication information indicates the identifier of the area to which the location of the first terminal device belongs. It should be understood that the identifier is only an example of the location information of the first terminal device, and the present application is not limited thereto. For example, the location information of the first terminal device may also be information of its geographical location, or the coordinates of its geographical location in a corresponding reference system, or location information relative to a reference object.

[0163] The above method is applicable to NTN communication scenarios. It can flexibly control the scope, usage mode, and activation of the Cell DTX / DRX mechanism. For example, different Cell DTX modes (such as activation duration and period) and different activation / deactivation states can be configured for different geographical regions, allowing network devices to enter a shutdown state for a period of time, achieving network energy conservation.

[0164] It should be understood that the above description uses the first terminal device as an example of a terminal device, and the present application does not limit the number of terminal devices. For example, the network device may also simultaneously indicate the parameters of the first mode to multiple terminal devices (such as the second terminal device, the third terminal device, the fourth terminal device, etc.). The parameters of the first mode indicated by the network device to the multiple terminal devices may be the same or different.

[0165] The various implementations described in this document may be independent solutions or may be combined according to internal logic, and all of these solutions fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0166] In the embodiments provided in the present application, the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application are introduced from the perspective of interaction between various devices. In order to implement the various functions in the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application, the network device or terminal device may include a hardware structure and / or a software module to implement the above functions in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module. Whether a function of the above functions is executed in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0167] The division of modules in the embodiments of the present application is illustrative and is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processor, or may exist physically separately, or two or more modules may be integrated into a single module. The aforementioned integrated modules may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules.

[0168] Similar to the above concept, as shown in FIG4 , an embodiment of the present application further provides an apparatus 400 for implementing the functions of the network device or first terminal device in the above method. For example, the apparatus may be a software module or a chip system. In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system may be composed of a chip or may include a chip and other discrete components. The apparatus 400 may include: a processing unit 420 and a communication unit 410.

[0169] In the embodiment of the present application, the communication unit may also be referred to as a transceiver unit, and may include a sending unit and / or a receiving unit, which are respectively used to execute the sending and receiving steps of the sending device or the receiving device in the above method embodiment.

[0170] The communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 4 to 6. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment. Therefore, for matters not described in detail, reference can be made to the method embodiment above. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0171] A communication unit may also be referred to as a transceiver, transceiver, transceiver device, or transceiver module. A processing unit may also be referred to as a processor, processing board, processing module, or processing device. Optionally, the device in communication unit 410 that implements the receiving function may be considered a receiving unit, and the device in communication unit 410 that implements the transmitting function may be considered a transmitting unit. That is, communication unit 410 includes both a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. A communication unit may also be referred to as a transceiver, transceiver, or interface circuit. A receiving unit may also be referred to as a receiver, receiver, or receiving circuit. A transmitting unit may also be referred to as a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit.

[0172] When the communication device 400 performs the function of the network device in the process shown in FIG. 3 in the above embodiment:

[0173] The communication unit is used for sending and receiving information, such as sending first instruction information, sending second instruction information, sending third instruction information, sending fourth instruction information, receiving fifth instruction information, etc.

[0174] A processing unit is used to determine a first parameter, etc.

[0175] When the communication device 400 performs the function of the first terminal device in the process shown in FIG. 3 in the above embodiment:

[0176] The communication unit is used to send and receive information, for example, to receive first indication information, receive second indication information, receive third indication information, receive fourth indication information, send fifth indication information, etc.

[0177] The processing unit is configured to determine corresponding content based on the indication information, such as determining parameters of the first mode based on the first indication information.

[0178] The above are just examples. The processing unit 420 and the communication unit 410 can also perform other functions. For more detailed descriptions, please refer to the method embodiment shown in Figure 3 or related descriptions in other method embodiments, which are not repeated here.

[0179] As another possible product form, the sending device and receiving device described in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by a general bus architecture. For ease of explanation, refer to Figure 5, which is a structural diagram of a communication device 500 provided in an embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 500 includes a processor 501 and a transceiver 502. The communication device 500 can be a first terminal device, or a chip or chip system therein; or, the communication device 500 can be a second terminal device, or a chip or module therein; or, the communication device 500 can be a third terminal device, or a chip or module therein; or, the communication device 500 can be a fourth terminal device, or a chip or module therein; or, the communication device 500 can be a fifth terminal device, or a chip or module therein; or, the communication device 500 can be a sixth terminal device, or a chip or module therein. Figure 5 only shows the main components of the communication device 500. In addition to the processor 501 and the transceiver 502, the communication device 500 can further include a memory 503, and an input and output device (not shown in the figure).

[0180] Optionally, the processor 501 is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, as well as control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process software program data. The memory 503 is primarily used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 502 may include a radio frequency circuit and an antenna. The radio frequency circuit is primarily used to convert baseband signals into radio frequency signals and process radio frequency signals. The antenna is primarily used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input and output devices, such as a touch screen, display, and keyboard, are primarily used to receive user input and output data to the user.

[0181] Optionally, the processor 501 , the transceiver 502 , and the memory 503 may be connected via a communication bus.

[0182] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 501 can read the software program in the memory 503, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be sent wirelessly, the processor 501 performs baseband processing on the data to be sent and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency circuit. The radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal and then transmits the radio frequency signal to the outside in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the radio frequency circuit receives the radio frequency signal through the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 501. The processor 501 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0183] In another implementation, the RF circuit and antenna may be provided independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the RF circuit and antenna may be remotely arranged independent of the communication device.

[0184] In some embodiments, in terms of hardware implementation, those skilled in the art may conceive that the communication device 50 may take the form of the communication device 500 shown in FIG. 5 .

[0185] As an example, the functions / implementation process of the processing module 420 in FIG4 can be implemented by the processor 501 in the communication device 500 shown in FIG5 calling the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 503. The functions / implementation process of the transceiver module 410 in FIG4 can be implemented by the transceiver 502 in the communication device 500 shown in FIG5.

[0186] As another possible product form, the first terminal device, the second terminal device, the third terminal device, the fourth terminal device, the fifth terminal device, or the sixth terminal device in this application may adopt the structure shown in Figure 6, or include the components shown in Figure 6. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 600 provided in this application.

[0187] As shown in FIG6 , a communication device 600 includes at least one processor 601. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface 602.

[0188] When the program instructions are executed in the at least one processor 601, the apparatus 600 can implement the method provided in any of the aforementioned embodiments and any possible designs thereof. Alternatively, the processor 601 implements the method provided in any of the aforementioned embodiments and any possible designs thereof through logic circuits or by executing code instructions.

[0189] The communication interface 602 may be used to receive program instructions and transmit them to the processor. Alternatively, the communication interface 602 may be used for communication between the communication device 600 and other communication devices, such as exchanging control signaling and / or service data. Exemplarily, the communication interface 602 may be used to receive signals from devices other than the communication device 600 and transmit them to the processor 601, or to send signals from the processor 601 to communication devices other than the communication device 600.

[0190] Optionally, the communication interface 602 may be a code and / or data read and write interface circuit, or the communication interface 602 may be a signal transmission interface circuit between a communication processor and a transceiver, or a pin of a chip.

[0191] Optionally, the communication device 600 may further include at least one memory 603, which may be used to store required program instructions and / or data. It should be noted that the memory 603 may exist independently of the processor 601 or may be integrated with the processor 601. The memory 603 may be located within the communication device 600 or outside the communication device 600, without limitation.

[0192] Optionally, the communication device 600 may further include a power supply circuit 604, which may be used to supply power to the processor 601. The power supply circuit 604 may be located in the same chip as the processor 601, or in another chip other than the chip where the processor 601 is located.

[0193] Optionally, the communication device 600 may further include a bus 605 , and various parts of the communication device 600 may be interconnected via the bus 605 .

[0194] In some embodiments, in terms of hardware implementation, those skilled in the art may conceive that the communication device 50 shown in FIG. 5 may take the form of the communication device 600 shown in FIG. 6 .

[0195] As an example, the functions / implementation process of the processing module 420 in FIG4 can be implemented by the processor 601 in the communication device 600 shown in FIG6 calling the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 603. The functions / implementation process of the transceiver module 410 in FIG4 can be implemented by the communication interface 602 in the communication device 600 shown in FIG6.

[0196] It should be noted that the structure shown in FIG6 does not constitute a specific limitation on the transmitting device and the receiving device. For example, in other embodiments of the present application, the transmitting device and the second terminal device may include more or fewer components than shown, or may combine or separate certain components, or arrange the components differently. The components shown in the figure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0197] When the communication device is a chip used in a terminal device, the terminal device chip implements the functions of the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The terminal device chip receives information from other modules in the terminal device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the network device to the terminal device; or the terminal device chip sends information to other modules in the terminal device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal device to the network device.

[0198] When the communication device is a chip used in a network device, the network device chip implements the network device functions of the above method embodiments. The network device chip receives information from other modules in the network device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal device to the network device; or the network device chip sends information to other modules in the network device (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the network device to the terminal device.

[0199] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0200] In the embodiments of the present application, the processor can be a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a register, a hard disk, a mobile hard disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a network device or a terminal device. Of course, the processor and the storage medium can also exist in a network device or a terminal device as discrete components.

[0201] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application can adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application can adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0202] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the present application. It should be understood that each flow and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the flow chart and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device for implementing the functions specified in one or more flow charts and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0203] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0204] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is intended to include these modifications and variations.

[0205] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Sending first indication information to a first terminal device, where the first indication information indicates a first parameter, where the first parameter is used to configure a first mode, where the first mode is a cell discontinuous reception and / or discontinuous transmission mode, The first parameter is a parameter of beam granularity, the first parameter corresponds to a first beam, and the first beam belongs to at least one beam used for communication in the serving cell; Alternatively, the first parameter is a parameter of regional granularity, the first parameter corresponds to a first area, and the first area is one of a plurality of geographical areas covered by a service cell of the first terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first indication information further indicates an initial state of the first mode, where the initial state of the first mode is an activated state or a deactivated state.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first indication information further indicates a second parameter, where the second parameter corresponds to a second beam, or the second parameter corresponds to a second area.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending second indication information to the first terminal device via layer 1 group general signaling, The second indication information indicates the state of the first mode of at least one beam, or the state of the first mode of at least one area, the state of the first mode is an activated state or a deactivated state, the at least one beam includes the first beam, and the at least one area includes the first area.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The second indication information includes at least one downlink control information DCI information block, The at least one DCI information block is used to indicate a state of the first mode of the at least one beam, or a state of the first mode of the at least one area.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The method further comprises: Send third indication information to the first terminal device, where the third indication information indicates the position of the starting bit of the DCI information block corresponding to the first beam or the first area.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: Send fourth indication information to the first terminal device, where the fourth indication information indicates releasing, adding or modifying the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the at least one area or the at least one beam.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receive fifth indication information, where the fifth indication information indicates information of the first beam and / or location information of the first terminal device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: The parameters of the first mode corresponding to the first area where the first terminal device is located, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the first service beam of the first terminal device are indicated by a third parameter, and the third parameter is a parameter of the service cell granularity.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The first terminal device does not support the parameters of the first mode of the beam granularity and / or the parameters of the first mode of the area granularity.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The fourth parameter indicates the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the second area where the first terminal device is located, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the second service beam of the first terminal device. The fourth parameter is a parameter of the service cell granularity, and the fourth parameter is different from the third parameter.

12. A communication method, characterized in that: include: receiving first indication information, where the first indication information indicates a first parameter, where the first parameter is used to configure a first mode, where the first mode is a cell discontinuous reception and / or discontinuous transmission mode; The first parameter is a parameter of beam granularity, the first parameter corresponds to a first beam, and the first beam belongs to at least one beam used for communication in the serving cell; Alternatively, the first parameter is a parameter of regional granularity, the first parameter corresponds to a first area, and the first area is one of multiple geographical areas covered by a serving cell of the first terminal device; The first parameter is determined based on the first indication information.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The first indication information further indicates an initial state of the first mode, where the initial state of the first mode is an activated state or a deactivated state.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that The first indication information further indicates a second parameter, where the second parameter corresponds to a second beam, or the second parameter corresponds to a second area.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving second indication information via layer 1 group general signaling, The second indication information indicates the state of the first mode of at least one beam, or the state of the first mode of at least one area, the state of the first mode is an activated state or a deactivated state, the at least one beam includes the first beam, and the at least one area includes the first area.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The second indication information includes at least one downlink control information DCI information block, The at least one DCI information block is used to indicate a state of the first mode of the at least one beam, or a state of the first mode of the at least one area.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving third indication information, where the third indication information indicates a position of a starting bit of a DCI information block corresponding to the first beam or the first area; A state of a first mode corresponding to the first beam or the first area is determined based on the third indication information.

18. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receive fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information indicates releasing, adding, or modifying parameters of the first mode corresponding to the at least one area or the at least one beam.

19. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, characterized in that The method further comprises: Send fifth indication information, where the fifth indication information indicates information of the first beam and / or location information of the first terminal device.

20. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 19, characterized in that The method further comprises: The parameters of the first mode corresponding to the first area where the first terminal device is located, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the first service beam of the first terminal device, are determined by a third parameter, and the third parameter is a parameter of the service cell granularity.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The first terminal device does not support the parameters of the first mode of the beam granularity and / or the parameters of the first mode of the area granularity.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that The parameters of the first mode corresponding to the second area where the first terminal device is located, or the parameters of the first mode corresponding to the second service beam of the first terminal device, are determined by the fourth parameter. The fourth parameter is a parameter of the service cell granularity, and the fourth parameter is different from the third parameter.

23. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises modules or units for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

24. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises modules or units for performing the method according to any one of claims 12 to 22.

25. A communication system, characterized in that: Comprising the communication device as claimed in claim 23 and claim 24.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, which, when executed on a communication device, causes the communication device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, or the method according to any one of claims 12 to 22.

27. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises a computer program or instructions for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 or the method according to any one of claims 12 to 22.

28. A chip system, characterized in that: The chip system includes a processor and a communication interface. The processor reads instructions stored in a memory through the communication interface to execute the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, or the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 22.