Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus. In the method, a first apparatus receives first measurement configuration information of a first reference signal and second measurement configuration information of a second reference signal; when a first condition is met, the first apparatus measures the first reference signal on the basis of the first measurement configuration information; and when a second condition is met, the first apparatus measures the second reference signal on the basis of the second measurement configuration information. Thus, a first apparatus performs LTM measurement on two different types of reference signals on the basis of different trigger conditions (e.g., a first condition or a second condition), thereby reducing the mobility interruption time, improving the effectiveness of LTM measurement, and adapting to different types of mobility management (terminal mobility triggering and network mobility triggering). Moreover, on the basis of different trigger conditions, the first apparatus triggers the measurement of one type of reference signal when a trigger condition is met, thereby helping to reduce interference between the two different types of reference signals.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application with application number 202410258204.9 filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on March 6, 2024, and priority to the Chinese patent application with the invention name “A Communication Method and Communication Device”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), which include nodes such as satellite networks, high-altitude platforms, and drones, offer advantages such as global coverage, long-distance transmission, flexible networking, easy deployment, and freedom from geographical restrictions. In satellite networks and / or integrated satellite-ground networks, the movement of satellite nodes can cause group handover or group reselection issues for users within a certain geographic area (often referred to as a waveband). One possible implementation involves using Layer 3 (L3)-triggered handovers to implement mobility management in NTN networks. However, because L3 handover-related configuration information must pass through the radio resource control (RRC) layer, mobility interruption time is relatively long. In another possible implementation, the existing layer 1 / layer 2 triggered mobility (L1 / L2 triggered mobility, LTM) switching (also known as bottom layer switching) can effectively reduce the mobile interruption delay. However, the LTM mobility measurement based on the short-period synchronization signal block (SSB) is difficult to match the long-period (seconds to minutes) and regional progressive dynamic measurement requirements in satellite scenarios, reducing the effectiveness of the measurement and increasing the measurement overhead. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a communication method and a communication device, which can reduce mobile interruption time, improve the effectiveness of LTM measurement, help reduce interference between two different types of reference signals, and reduce measurement overhead.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a first device. For example, the first device may be a terminal, or a terminal or a communication module in the terminal, or a circuit or chip in the terminal responsible for the communication function (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system on chip (SoC) chip or system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core). The first device receives first measurement configuration information of a first reference signal and second measurement configuration information of a second reference signal. When the first condition is met, the first device measures the first reference signal based on the first measurement configuration information; when the second condition is met, the first device measures the second reference signal based on the second measurement configuration information.

[0006] In this method, the first device can receive first measurement configuration information and second measurement configuration information for two different types of reference signals. For example, the first measurement configuration information is the layer 1 / layer 2 triggered mobility (L1 / L2 triggered mobility, LTM) measurement configuration information corresponding to the first reference signal, and the second measurement configuration information is the LTM measurement configuration information corresponding to the second reference signal. The first device performs LTM measurements on two different types of reference signals based on different triggering conditions (such as the first condition or the second condition), which can reduce mobility interruption time, improve the effectiveness of LTM measurements, and improve the success rate of different types of mobility management (including mobility management triggered by terminal mobility and mobility management triggered by network mobility). In addition, the first device triggers the measurement of one type of reference signal based on different triggering conditions when the triggering conditions are met, which is beneficial to reducing interference between the two different types of reference signals.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the first condition is that the distance between the position of the first device and the first reference position is greater than a first threshold and / or the distance between the position of the first device and the second reference position is less than a second threshold, and the first reference position, the second reference position, the first threshold and the second threshold are predefined parameters.

[0008] In one possible implementation, when the distance between the position of the first device and the reference position is greater than a first threshold and / or the distance between the position of the first device and the second reference position is less than a second threshold, the first device performs LTM measurement on the first reference signal based on the first measurement configuration information.

[0009] In the above embodiment, the meaning of the first condition and the meaning of satisfying the first condition are specifically described; for example, when the distance between the position of the first device and the first reference position is greater than a first threshold, it indicates that the first condition is satisfied, and the first device can perform LTM measurement on the first reference signal, which can reduce the mobile interruption time and improve the effectiveness of the LTM measurement. For another example, when the distance between the position of the first device and the second reference position is less than a second threshold, it indicates that the first condition is satisfied, and the first device can perform LTM measurement on the first reference signal. For another example, when the distance between the position of the first device and the reference position is greater than the first threshold and the distance between the position of the first device and the second reference position is less than the second threshold, it indicates that the first condition is satisfied, and the first device can perform LTM measurement on the first reference signal.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the second condition is that a local clock of the first device is within a predefined first time period.

[0011] In a possible implementation, when the local clock of the first device is in the first time period, the first device performs LTM measurement on the second reference signal based on the second measurement configuration information.

[0012] In the above implementation, the meaning of the second condition and the meaning of satisfying the second condition are specifically described; for example, when the local clock of the first device is in the first time period, it means that the second condition is satisfied, then the first device can perform LTM measurement on the second reference signal, which can reduce the mobile interruption time and improve the effectiveness of the LTM measurement.

[0013] In a possible implementation, when the first condition and the second condition are met, the first apparatus measures the first reference signal or the second reference signal in a time-division manner according to a preconfigured measurement gap.

[0014] In this embodiment, if the first condition and the second condition are met at the same time, the first device needs to activate the measurement gap so as to measure different reference signals in a time-sharing manner; for example, the time is divided into multiple measurement time periods according to the measurement gap, assuming that it includes a first measurement time period and a second measurement time period (the first measurement time period and the second measurement time period do not overlap or partially overlap), LTM measurement is performed on the first reference signal in the first measurement time period, and LTM measurement is performed on the second reference signal in the second measurement time period, which is beneficial to reducing interference between two different types of reference signals.

[0015] In a possible implementation, when the first condition and the second condition are met, the first device performs LTM measurement on a reference signal with a higher priority, wherein the priority of the reference signal is pre-configured information.

[0016] In this embodiment, if the first condition and the second condition are met at the same time, the first device can only measure a type of reference signal with a higher priority according to the preconfigured priority of the reference signal, which can reduce the mobile interruption time and improve the effectiveness of the LTM measurement.

[0017] In a possible implementation, when the first condition and the second condition are not met, the first device performs LTM measurement on the first reference signal.

[0018] In this embodiment, if neither the first condition nor the second condition is met, for example, the distance between the position of the first device and the reference position is less than or equal to the first threshold, and the local clock of the first device is not in the first time period, then the first device generally only needs to perform LTM measurement on the first reference signal.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the period of the first reference signal is a first period, the second reference signal is a non-periodic signal, or the period of the second reference signal is a second period, and the second period is greater than the first period.

[0020] In this implementation, the first reference signal is defined as a periodic signal, and the period is relatively short (usually at the millisecond (ms) level, with typical values ​​of 5ms, 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, or 160ms); the second reference signal is defined as a non-periodic signal or a periodic signal, and when the second reference signal is a periodic signal, the period is relatively long (usually at the second (s) level, with typical values ​​of 1s, 2s, 4s, 8s, 16s, 32s, or 64s, etc.), that is, the second period is greater than the first period, so that these two different types of reference signals can be distinguished.

[0021] In a possible implementation manner, the first reference signal and the second reference signal are reference signals of different types.

[0022] In this embodiment, it is defined that the first reference signal and the second reference signal can be different types of reference signals. For example, assuming that the first reference signal is an existing SSB synchronization signal, the second reference signal is a switching-dedicated SSB signal, or the second reference signal is other types of reference signals (such as a tracking reference signal (TRS), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), etc.), so that the two different types of reference signals can be distinguished.

[0023] In a possible implementation manner, the first reference signal and the second reference signal satisfy a quasi co-location (QCL) relationship.

[0024] In this embodiment, it is defined that the first reference signal and the second reference signal can satisfy the QCL relationship. For example, the properties of the second reference signal (such as the large-scale characteristics of the channel and the spatial receiver parameters, etc., the channel characteristics include Doppler frequency shift, Doppler spread, average delay, delay spread) can be inferred from the first reference signal. The first reference signal and the second reference signal can be reference signals of the same type or different types, so that the two different types of reference signals can be distinguished.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the first reference signal and the second reference signal differ in at least one of their time domain positions, frequency domain positions, or polarization modes. For example, the first reference signal and the second reference signal may have different time domain positions, but may have the same or different frequency domain positions or polarization modes; or, the first reference signal and the second reference signal may have different frequency domain positions, but may have the same or different time domain positions or polarization modes; or, the first reference signal and the second reference signal may have different polarization modes, but may have the same or different time domain positions or frequency domain positions.

[0026] In this implementation, two different types of reference signals can be distinguished through different designs of time domain positions, frequency domain positions, or polarization modes.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the first reference signal corresponds to a predefined time domain position, and the time domain position of the second reference signal is variable.

[0028] In this embodiment, the difference between the time domain positions corresponding to the first reference signal and the second reference signal is defined. For example, the resource pattern of the first reference signal (i.e., the predefined time domain position) and the resource pattern of the second reference signal are different, so that two different types of reference signals can be distinguished.

[0029] In a possible implementation, one second reference signal is associated with one transmission configuration indication state; or one second reference signal is associated with one first reference signal, and one first reference signal is associated with one transmission configuration indication state.

[0030] In this embodiment, the second reference signal needs to be associated with a transmission configuration indicator state (TCI state) to implement LTM communication. For example, the second reference signal can be directly associated with the TCI state, or the second reference signal can be associated with the first reference signal, which is pre-configured with the corresponding TCI state, thereby achieving the association between the second reference signal and the TCI state.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the first reference signal and the second reference signal are SSB synchronization signals, the first reference signal is mapped to a first type of time domain position, and the second reference signal is mapped to a second type of time domain position. The first type of time domain position satisfies a first periodicity, and the second type of time domain position is aperiodic or satisfies a second periodicity, where the second periodicity is greater than the first periodicity.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the first type of time domain position and the second type of time domain position multiplex the same SSB index.

[0033] In the above implementation, the first reference signal and the second reference signal may be reference signals of the same type, or may be a single reference signal. However, the same type, or the same reference signal, is mapped to different types of time domain positions, and thus may be considered two different types of reference signals. For example, the different types of time domain positions may be time domain positions of the first type and time domain positions of the second type, and the two types of time domain positions may have different periods.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the first measurement configuration information includes at least one of a first condition, a measurement period of a first reference signal, a first measurement bias, or a first measurement duration; the second measurement configuration information includes at least one of a second condition, a measurement period of a second reference signal, a second measurement bias, or a second measurement duration.

[0035] In this implementation, parameters that may be included in the first measurement configuration information and the second measurement configuration information are specifically defined, thereby implementing measurement configuration information corresponding to different reference signal configurations.

[0036] In one possible implementation, when the first condition is met, the first device switches to a first cell, where the first device measures a first reference signal whose signal quality is greater than a first signal quality threshold; or

[0037] When the second condition is met, the first device switches to a second cell, where the second cell is a cell where the signal quality of the second reference signal measured by the first device is greater than a second signal quality threshold.

[0038] In this embodiment, after performing LTM measurement, the first device can also determine to switch to the corresponding first cell or second cell based on the measurement result (such as the signal quality of the reference signal) and the first condition or the second condition, thereby realizing LTM switching.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the first device sends a first measurement result of a first reference signal and / or a second measurement result of a second reference signal. The second measurement result includes a resource identifier of the second reference signal, where the resource corresponding to the resource identifier of the second reference signal belongs to a preconfigured second resource set; or the second measurement result includes a cell identifier and a reference signal identifier of the second reference signal, where the cell identifier and the reference signal identifier of the second reference signal belong to a preconfigured candidate cell and a set of reference signal identifiers for each cell.

[0040] In this embodiment, after performing LTM measurement, the first device can send the first measurement result and / or the second measurement result, and the sending method can be to report the measurement result based on a preconfigured resource identifier, or to report the measurement result based on a preconfigured cell identifier and reference signal identifier, thereby realizing LTM measurement result reporting.

[0041] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a second device. For example, the second device may be a network device (such as a satellite, a base station, etc.), or a component of a network device (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a logic module that can implement all or part of the functions of the network device. The second device sends first measurement configuration information of a first reference signal and second measurement configuration information of a second reference signal, and sends the first reference signal and the second reference signal. The first reference signal is used to measure the first reference signal based on the first measurement configuration information when the first device meets the first condition; the second reference signal is used to measure the second reference signal based on the second measurement configuration information when the first device meets the second condition.

[0042] In this method, the second device can send two different types of reference signals, as well as first measurement configuration information and second measurement configuration information corresponding to the two different types of reference signals, thereby triggering LTM measurements of different types of reference signals based on different conditions, which is conducive to reducing interference between the two different types of reference signals.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the first condition is that the distance between the position of the first device and the first reference position is greater than a first threshold and / or the distance between the position of the first device and the second reference position is less than a second threshold, and the first reference position, the second reference position, the first threshold and the second threshold are predefined parameters.

[0044] In a possible implementation, the second condition is that a local clock of the first device is within a predefined first time period.

[0045] In the above implementation, the meaning of the first condition or the second condition is specifically described, so that the first device can trigger LTM measurements of different types of reference signals based on different conditions.

[0046] In a possible implementation, the period of the first reference signal is a first period, the second reference signal is a non-periodic signal, or the period of the second reference signal is a second period, and the second period is greater than the first period.

[0047] In this embodiment, the first reference signal is defined as a periodic signal with a short period (usually at the millisecond (ms) level); the second reference signal is defined as a non-periodic signal or a periodic signal, and when the second reference signal is a periodic signal, the period is longer (usually at the second (s) level), that is, the second period is greater than the first period, so that these two different types of reference signals can be distinguished.

[0048] In a possible implementation manner, the first reference signal and the second reference signal are reference signals of different types.

[0049] In this embodiment, it is defined that the first reference signal and the second reference signal can be different types of reference signals. For example, assuming that the first reference signal is an existing SSB synchronization signal, the second reference signal is a switching-dedicated SSB signal, or the second reference signal is another type of reference signal (such as TRS, CSI-RS, etc.), the two different types of reference signals can be distinguished.

[0050] In a possible implementation manner, the first reference signal and the second reference signal satisfy a quasi co-location relationship.

[0051] In this embodiment, it is defined that the first reference signal and the second reference signal can satisfy the QCL relationship. For example, the properties of the second reference signal can be inferred from the first reference signal. The first reference signal and the second reference signal can be reference signals of the same type or different types, so that the two different types of reference signals can be distinguished.

[0052] In one possible implementation, the first reference signal and the second reference signal differ in at least one of their time domain positions, frequency domain positions, or polarization modes. For example, the first reference signal and the second reference signal may have different time domain positions, but may have the same or different frequency domain positions or polarization modes; or, the first reference signal and the second reference signal may have different frequency domain positions, but may have the same or different time domain positions or polarization modes; or, the first reference signal and the second reference signal may have different polarization modes, but may have the same or different time domain positions or frequency domain positions.

[0053] In this implementation, two different types of reference signals can be distinguished through different designs of time domain positions, frequency domain positions, or polarization modes.

[0054] In a possible implementation, the first reference signal corresponds to a predefined time domain position, and the time domain position of the second reference signal is variable.

[0055] In this embodiment, the difference between the time domain positions corresponding to the first reference signal and the second reference signal is defined. For example, the resource pattern of the first reference signal (i.e., the predefined time domain position) and the resource pattern of the second reference signal are different, so that two different types of reference signals can be distinguished.

[0056] In a possible implementation, one second reference signal is associated with one transmission configuration indication state; or one second reference signal is associated with one first reference signal, and one first reference signal is associated with one transmission configuration indication state.

[0057] In this implementation, the second reference signal needs to be associated with the TCI state to implement LTM communication. For example, the second reference signal can be directly associated with the TCI state, or the second reference signal can be associated with the first reference signal, which is pre-configured with the corresponding TCI state, thereby implementing the association between the second reference signal and the TCI state.

[0058] In one possible implementation, the first reference signal and the second reference signal are SSB synchronization signals, the first reference signal is mapped to a first type of time domain position, and the second reference signal is mapped to a second type of time domain position. The first type of time domain position satisfies a first periodicity, and the second type of time domain position is aperiodic or satisfies a second periodicity, where the second periodicity is greater than the first periodicity.

[0059] In one possible implementation, the first type of time domain position and the second type of time domain position multiplex the same SSB index.

[0060] In the above implementation, the first reference signal and the second reference signal may be reference signals of the same type, or may be a single reference signal. However, the same type, or the same reference signal, is mapped to different types of time domain positions, and thus may be considered two different types of reference signals. For example, the different types of time domain positions may be time domain positions of the first type and time domain positions of the second type, and the two types of time domain positions may have different periods.

[0061] In one possible implementation, the first measurement configuration information includes at least one of a first condition, a measurement period of a first reference signal, a first measurement bias, or a first measurement duration; the second measurement configuration information includes at least one of a second condition, a measurement period of a second reference signal, a second measurement bias, or a second measurement duration.

[0062] In this implementation, parameters that may be included in the first measurement configuration information and the second measurement configuration information are specifically defined, thereby implementing measurement configuration information corresponding to different reference signal configurations.

[0063] In one possible implementation, a second device receives a first measurement result of a first reference signal and / or a second measurement result of a second reference signal. The second measurement result includes a resource identifier of the second reference signal, where the resource corresponding to the resource identifier of the second reference signal belongs to a preconfigured second resource set; or the second measurement result includes a cell identifier and a reference signal identifier of the second reference signal, where the cell identifier and the reference signal identifier of the second reference signal belong to a preconfigured set of candidate cells and reference signal identifiers for each cell.

[0064] In this embodiment, after performing LTM measurement, the second device can receive the first measurement result and / or the second measurement result from the first device. After receiving, the method of identifying different measurement results can be to distinguish the measurement results of different types of reference signals based on a preconfigured resource identifier, or to distinguish the measurement results of different types of reference signals based on a preconfigured cell identifier and a reference signal identifier.

[0065] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device. The communication device is located on the terminal side and can be a terminal, or a component of the terminal (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a device that can be used in conjunction with the terminal. In one possible implementation, the communication device has the function of implementing the above-mentioned first aspect. For example, the communication device includes a module or unit or means corresponding to the operation involved in the above-mentioned first aspect. The module or unit or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0066] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a communication unit and a processing unit. The communication unit is configured to receive first measurement configuration information for a first reference signal and second measurement configuration information for a second reference signal. The processing unit is configured to measure the first reference signal based on the first measurement configuration information when a first condition is met, and measure the second reference signal based on the second measurement configuration information when a second condition is met.

[0067] In this embodiment, the communication device can receive first measurement configuration information and second measurement configuration information for two different types of reference signals. For example, the first measurement configuration information is LTM measurement configuration information corresponding to the first reference signal, and the second measurement configuration information is LTM measurement configuration information corresponding to the second reference signal. The first device performs LTM measurements on two different types of reference signals based on different trigger conditions, which can reduce mobile interruption time and improve the effectiveness of LTM measurements. In addition, the first device triggers measurement of one type of reference signal based on different trigger conditions when the trigger conditions are met, which is beneficial to reducing interference between the two different types of reference signals.

[0068] Optionally, other possible implementations in the third aspect can refer to the corresponding descriptions of other possible implementations in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0069] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device. The communication device is located on the network side and can be a network device, or a component of a network device (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a device that can be used in conjunction with a network device. In one possible implementation, the communication device has the function of implementing the above-mentioned second aspect. For example, the communication device includes a module or unit or means corresponding to the operation involved in the above-mentioned second aspect. The module or unit or means can be implemented specifically by software, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0070] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a communication unit and a processing unit. The communication unit is configured to transmit first measurement configuration information for a first reference signal and second measurement configuration information for a second reference signal, and to transmit the first reference signal and the second reference signal. The first reference signal is used to measure the first reference signal based on the first measurement configuration information when the first device meets a first condition; and the second reference signal is used to measure the second reference signal based on the second measurement configuration information when the first device meets a second condition.

[0071] In this embodiment, the communication device can send two different types of reference signals, as well as first measurement configuration information and second measurement configuration information corresponding to the two different types of reference signals, thereby triggering LTM measurements of different types of reference signals based on different conditions, which is conducive to reducing interference between the two different types of reference signals.

[0072] Optionally, other possible implementations of the fourth aspect can refer to the corresponding descriptions of other possible implementations of the second aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0073] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising a memory and one or more processors. The memory is used to store part or all of the necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions involved in at least one of the first and second aspects above. The one or more processors can execute the computer programs or instructions. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the communication device implements at least one of the following: the method in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, and the method in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect. The communication device can be located on the terminal side.

[0074] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, wherein the processor is configured to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0075] In one possible design, the communication device may further include a memory.

[0076] In one possible design, the communication device may be a terminal, or a communication module in a terminal, or a chip in the terminal responsible for communication functions such as a modem chip or a SoC or SIP chip including a modem module.

[0077] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising: a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit being configured to receive signals from other communication devices and transmit them to the processor or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices, the processor being configured to implement at least one of the following through logic circuits or by executing code instructions: the method according to the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, and the method according to the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect. The communication device may be located on the network side.

[0078] In the seventh aspect, the present application provides a communication system, which includes at least one device or equipment among the third to sixth aspects above, so that the at least one device or equipment above performs at least one of the following: the method in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, the method in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0079] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to execute at least one of the following: the method in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, the method in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0080] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to execute at least one of the following: the method of the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, the method of the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0081] In a tenth aspect, the present application provides a chip comprising a processor (or a logic circuit). Optionally, the chip may further comprise a communication interface (or interface) for implementing at least one of the following: the method in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, the method in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect. In one possible implementation, if the chip is the smallest processing unit in the entire machine, the chip may be a processor, or may comprise a processor and a memory, or may comprise a processor, a memory, and a transceiver, for implementing at least one of the following: the method in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, the method in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0082] In an eleventh aspect, the present application provides a chip system. The chip system includes a processor and an interface. Optionally, the chip system may also include a memory for implementing at least one of the following: the method in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, and the method in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect. The chip system may be composed of a chip or may include a chip and other discrete components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0083] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the network architecture provided by this application;

[0084] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication system;

[0085] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a process of LTM mobility management;

[0086] FIG4 is a flow chart of a communication method provided by the present application;

[0087] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a first reference signal and a second reference signal provided by the present application;

[0088] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of another first reference signal and a second reference signal provided by the present application;

[0089] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided by the present application;

[0090] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0091] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0092] For ease of understanding, the following is a detailed introduction to the definitions of relevant terms involved in this application:

[0093] 1. Network architecture:

[0094] For example, the communication method provided in this application can be applied to the network architecture shown in Figure 1. The network architecture shown in Figure 1 includes terminals (terminals 201-205 as shown in Figure 1), access network equipment (satellites 101-103 and / or ground base stations as shown in Figure 1, etc.), and core network equipment. It can be understood that Figure 1 is only an example and only shows some equipment (for example, it can also include more terminals and / or access network equipment, and the form of access network equipment may not be limited to satellites, etc.). This application does not limit the network architecture to which the communication method is applied. Optionally, the satellite uses multiple beams to cover the service area (as shown in the beams in Figure 1), and different beams can communicate through one or more of time division, frequency division and space division. The satellite communicates wirelessly with the terminal device by broadcasting communication signals and navigation signals, and the satellite can communicate wirelessly with the ground station equipment. The satellite mentioned in the embodiment of the present application may be a satellite base station, and may also include an orbital receiver or repeater for relaying information, or a network side device carried on the satellite. The satellite mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a satellite base station, and may also include an orbital receiver or repeater for relaying information (such as a network controlled repeater (NCR)), or a network side device carried on a satellite (such as an integrated access and backhaul device (IAB)).

[0095] Among them, the communication method provided in the present application can be applied to NTN systems such as satellite communication systems, high altitude platform station (HAPS) communications, and drones, for example, integrated communication and navigation (IcaN) systems, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and ultra-dense low-orbit satellite communication systems. Satellite communication systems can be integrated with traditional mobile communication systems. For example, the mobile communication system can be a fourth-generation (4G) communication system (for example, a long-term evolution (LTE) system), a world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, a fifth-generation (5G) communication system (for example, a new radio (NR) system), and future mobile communication systems (such as NTN / or terrestrial networks (TN) converged communication systems). Optionally, the satellite communication system includes a transparent satellite architecture and a non-transparent satellite architecture. Transparent transmission, also known as bent-pipe transmission, involves signals undergoing only frequency conversion and amplification on the satellite, making the satellite transparent to the signal. Non-transparent transmission, also known as regenerative (on-board access / processing) transmission, involves the satellite performing some or all of the base station functions. For example, satellites 101 and 102 in Figure 1 represent non-transparent transmission satellite architectures, while satellite 103 represents a transparent transmission satellite architecture.

[0096] Among them, the access network device is a device with wireless transceiver functions, which is used to communicate with the terminal device. For example, the access network device is a radio access network (RAN) node that connects the terminal device to the wireless network, which can be a ground node, a non-ground node or a TN / NTN fusion node. The access network device in this application may include but is not limited to: evolved node B (eNB), baseband unit (BBU), access point (AP) in wireless fidelity (WIFI) system, wireless relay node, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP) or transmission reception point (TRP), etc. The network device can also be a gNB or TRP or TP in a 5G system, or one or a group of (including multiple antenna panels) antenna panels of a base station in a 5G system, or a network controlled repeater (NCR), or an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node. In addition, the network device may also be a network node constituting a gNB or TP, such as a BBU or a distributed unit (DU). Alternatively, the network device may be a device or satellite that performs network-side functions in a device-to-device (D2D) communication system, a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication system, an Internet of Things (IoT), an Internet of Vehicles (IoV) communication system, or other communication systems.

[0097] The core network equipment is, for example, the equipment in the core network (CN) of the existing mobile communication architecture (such as the access architecture of the 5G network) or the equipment in the core network of the future mobile communication architecture. As a bearer network, the core network provides an interface to the data network, provides communication connection, authentication, management, policy control and data service bearing for user equipment. Among them, CN may further include: access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), authentication server function (AUSF), policy control node (PCF), user plane function (UPF) and other network elements. The functions of various network elements can refer to the description in the existing protocol standards, and this application is not limited thereto.

[0098] A terminal is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities that can send signals to a base station or receive signals from a base station. The terminals mentioned in this application include various handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem with wireless communication capabilities, and specifically refer to user equipment (UE), access terminal, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device. The terminal device may also be a satellite phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a wireless data card, a wireless modem, a machine type communication device, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device or a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in telemedicine (remote medical), a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, a terminal device in a 5G network or a future communication network, etc.

[0099] 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.

[0100] In this application, the functions of the base station can also be performed by a module in the base station (such as a chip), or by a control subsystem that includes the base station function. The control subsystem that includes the base station function here can be the control center in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, smart transportation, and smart city. The functions of the terminal can also be performed by a module in the terminal (such as a chip or modem), or by a device that includes the terminal function.

[0101] In this application, a base station sends downlink signals or downlink information to a terminal, and the downlink information is carried on a downlink channel; the terminal sends uplink signals or uplink information to the base station, and the uplink information is carried on an uplink channel. In order to communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a wireless connection in the cell controlled by the base station. The cell with which the terminal has established a wireless connection is called the serving cell of the terminal. When the terminal communicates with the serving cell, it will also be interfered with by signals from neighboring cells.

[0102] 2. Non-terrestrial networks (NTN):

[0103] NTN, which includes nodes such as satellite networks, high-altitude platforms, and drones, boasts significant advantages, including global coverage, long-distance transmission, flexible networking, easy deployment, and unrestricted geographic presence. It has been widely adopted in a variety of fields, including maritime communications, positioning and navigation, disaster relief, scientific experiments, video broadcasting, and Earth observation. The integration of terrestrial 5G networks and satellite networks, leveraging their strengths and complementing their weaknesses, will form a seamless, integrated global communications network covering land, sea, air, space, and ground, meeting the diverse service needs of users.

[0104] As an important component of the NTN, the next-generation satellite network generally shows an ultra-dense and heterogeneous trend: First, the scale of the satellite network has grown from 66 satellites in the Iridium constellation to 720 satellites in the OneWeb constellation, and will eventually extend to the Starlink ultra-dense LEO satellite constellation of more than 12,000; second, the satellite network shows heterogeneous characteristics, developing from traditional single-layer communication networks to multi-layer communication networks. The functions of communication satellite networks are also becoming more complex and diversified, gradually becoming compatible with and supporting functions such as navigation enhancement, earth observation, and multi-dimensional information on-orbit processing.

[0105] Taking satellite communications as an example, satellite communication systems can generally be divided into staring (earth-fixed or quasi-earth fixed) and non-staring (earth-moving) satellite communication systems based on the operating mode of the payload (such as the beam). For example, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication system, where a) in Figure 2 is a non-staring satellite communication system and b) is a staring satellite communication system. In a non-staring system, the satellite beam coverage moves with the satellite over a period of time (such as time T1, T2, and T3). In a staring system, the satellite dynamically adjusts the beam pointing direction over a period of time (such as time T1, T2, and T3) so that the beam covers approximately the same area on the ground.

[0106] 3. LTM mobility management method:

[0107] LTM can also be called bottom-layer handover. For example, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a LTM mobility management process, which is implemented by the interaction between the base station and the terminal, including the following steps:

[0108] Step 1: The terminal sends the L3 measurement result based on the SSB signal to the base station; correspondingly, the base station receives the L3 measurement result, decides to perform LTM mobility management, and configures the candidate cell set corresponding to LTM (including one or more cells).

[0109] Step 2: The base station sends RRC reconfiguration information to the terminal, where the RRC reconfiguration information includes configuration information of the candidate cell set; correspondingly, the terminal receives the RRC reconfiguration information.

[0110] Step 3: The terminal records the RRC reconfiguration information and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the base station; correspondingly, the base station receives the RRC reconfiguration completion message.

[0111] Steps 4a and 4b: The terminal completes uplink and downlink synchronization with the candidate cells in advance. The candidate cells are one or more cells in the candidate cell set.

[0112] Step 5: The terminal performs L1 measurement related to the candidate cell (for example, L1 measurement based on SSB), determines the L1 measurement result, and sends the L1 measurement result to the base station; correspondingly, the base station receives the L1 measurement result.

[0113] Step 6: The base station sends indication information to the terminal (such as through a medium access control control element (MAC-CE) indication), where the indication information is used to instruct the terminal to switch to a target cell, where the target cell is a cell in the candidate cell set; correspondingly, the terminal receives the indication information.

[0114] Step 7: The terminal switches to the target cell and completes the access process to the target cell.

[0115] Step 8: The LTM measurement and handover process is completed between the terminal and the base station.

[0116] The above-mentioned LTM mobility management method can effectively reduce mobile interruption delay when applied to NTN network scenarios. However, LTM mobility measurement based on short-period SSB synchronization signal blocks is difficult to match the long-period (seconds to minutes) and regional progressive dynamic measurement requirements in NTN network scenarios. To address the above problems, the present application provides a communication method that can reduce mobile interruption time, improve the effectiveness of LTM measurement, and help reduce interference between two different reference signals.

[0117] For example, Figure 4 is a flow chart of a communication method provided by the present application. The method is implemented by interaction between a first device and a second device. For example, the first device is located on the terminal side, and the second device is located on the network side, which can be an access network device (such as a base station, satellite, etc.) or its components. The method includes the following steps:

[0118] S101, the second device sends first measurement configuration information of the first reference signal and second measurement configuration information of the second reference signal; correspondingly, the first device receives the first measurement configuration information of the first reference signal and the second measurement configuration information of the second reference signal.

[0119] Among them, the first device is configured with at least two different types of reference signals, such as a first reference signal and a second reference signal, and configures first measurement configuration information and second measurement configuration information of these two different types of reference signals respectively, for LTM mobility measurement, thereby avoiding the use of only one type of reference signal (such as only SSB synchronization signal) for LTM mobility measurement, which leads to strong interference between SSB signals and frequent system message updates.

[0120] In one possible implementation, the implementation of the first reference signal and the second reference signal may include but is not limited to the following situations:

[0121] Case 1: The first reference signal is an SSB synchronization signal, and the second reference signal is a handover-specific SSB signal (eg, may be referred to as (handover, HO) SSB). That is, the first reference signal and the second reference signal are reference signals of different types.

[0122] The first reference signal is a periodic signal, and the period of the first reference signal is a first period. For example, a typical period of the first period is a millisecond period such as 5ms, 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, or 160ms.

[0123] The second reference signal can be a non-periodic signal or a periodic signal. When the second reference signal is a periodic signal, the period of the second reference signal is the second period. For example, a typical period of the second period is a period of seconds such as 1 second, 2 seconds, 4 seconds, 8 seconds, 16 seconds, 32 seconds, 64 seconds, 128 seconds, 256 seconds, 512 seconds, or 1024 seconds. The second period is greater than the first period.

[0124] Optionally, in case one, at least one of the time domain position, frequency domain position, or polarization mode of the first reference signal and the second reference signal is different. For example, the time domain position (such as the occupied frame, subframe, time slot, symbol, etc.) of the first reference signal and the second reference signal is different, such as the first reference signal and the second reference signal can be time-division multiplexed. For another example, the frequency domain position of the first reference signal and the second reference signal is different, such as the first reference signal and the second reference signal can be frequency-division multiplexed, and the second reference signal does not have to be at a pre-defined synchronization raster frequency point position. For another example, the first reference signal and the second reference signal use different polarization modes, and the planned polarization modes may include linear polarization, left-hand circular polarization, right-hand circular polarization, elliptical polarization, etc. The above three examples can be arbitrarily combined in pairs or all three can be satisfied at the same time, indicating that at least one of the time domain position, frequency domain position, or polarization mode of the first reference signal and the second reference signal is different.

[0125] Optionally, the first reference signal corresponds to a predefined time domain position, and the time domain position of the second reference signal is variable. For example, the first reference signal corresponds to a predefined time domain position, indicating that the first reference signal has a predefined resource pattern. For another example, the second reference signal has a variable time domain position, indicating that the resource pattern of the second reference signal is variable, supporting dynamic scheduling. For example, Table 1 shows several possible examples of predefined resource patterns for the first reference signal, assuming that Table 1 describes the first reference signal as an SSB.

[0126] Table 1: Possible examples of predefined resource patterns for the first reference signal.

[0127] Among them, Case A indicates that the subcarrier spacing of SSB is 15KHz, and the time domain position of the first symbol of SSB satisfies {2,8}+14×n, where n is the time slot, and the maximum number of SSBs is limited. The meanings of other Cases are similar and will not be repeated here. Based on Table 1, the first device can adopt a fixed or predetermined resource pattern of the first reference signal. The resource pattern of the second reference signal is variable, indicating that the resource pattern of the second reference signal may not be limited to the Case in Table 1, but may be more flexible (for example, the first symbol position may be variable, etc.), which is not limited in this application.

[0128] For example, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a first reference signal and a second reference signal provided by this application. The first reference signal is shown as a solid-line box in Figure 5 , and the second reference signal is shown as a dashed-line box in Figure 5 . It is assumed that the second reference signal in Figure 5 is a periodic signal. The second period is greater than the first period, and the resource pattern of the first reference signal (four solid-line boxes) and the resource pattern of the second reference signal (two dashed-line boxes) are different.

[0129] Optionally, the first reference signal and the second reference signal satisfy a quasi-co-location relationship. For example, the first reference signal and the second reference signal satisfy a quasi-co-location relationship, which means that the properties of the second reference signal can be inferred from the first reference signal.

[0130] Case 2: The first reference signal and the second reference signal are SSB synchronization signals, but the first reference signal is mapped to a first type of time domain position (called Type-1 Occasion), and the second reference signal is mapped to a second type of time domain position (called Type-2 Occasion). Optionally, the first reference signal may be mapped to a second type of time domain position, and the second reference signal may be mapped to a first type of time domain position. That is, the first reference signal and the second reference signal are reference signals of the same type, but are mapped to different types of time domain positions.

[0131] The time domain position of the first type satisfies the first period. For example, the Occasion mapped by the first reference signal is periodic, and a typical period of the first period is a millisecond-level period such as 5ms, 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, or 160ms.

[0132] The second type of time domain position is non-periodic or satisfies the second period. For example, when the second type of time domain position satisfies the second period, the Occasion mapped by the second reference signal is periodic, and a typical period of the second period is a period of seconds such as 1s, 2s, 4s, 8s, 16s, 32s, 64s, 128s, 256s, 512s, and 1024s, and the second period is greater than the first period.

[0133] Optionally, in scenario 2, at least one of the time domain position and the frequency domain position of the first reference signal and the second reference signal differs. For example, the time domain positions of the first reference signal and the second reference signal differ, such as when the first reference signal and the second reference signal can be time-division multiplexed. Another example is that the frequency domain positions of the first reference signal and the second reference signal differ, such as when the first reference signal and the second reference signal can be frequency-division multiplexed. Either or both of the above two examples may be met, indicating that at least one of the time domain position and the frequency domain position of the first reference signal and the second reference signal differs.

[0134] Optionally, the first reference signal corresponds to a predefined time domain position, and the time domain position of the second reference signal is variable. For a specific example, reference may be made to Table 1 described in Case 1. For example, based on Table 1, the first device may determine a resource pattern for the first reference signal. The resource pattern of the second reference signal is variable, indicating that the resource pattern of the second reference signal may not be limited to the case in Table 1, but may be more flexible (for example, the first symbol position may be variable, etc.), which is not limited in this application.

[0135] For example, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another first reference signal and a second reference signal provided by the present application. In Figure 6, taking the first reference signal and the second reference signal as an example, the SSB shown in the dotted box is mapped to the second type of time domain position, and the SSB shown in the solid box is mapped to the first type of time domain position.

[0136] Optionally, the first reference signal and the second reference signal satisfy a quasi co-location relationship. For example, in case 2, the first reference signal and the second reference signal may be mapped to the same beam in different time slots, thereby satisfying a quasi co-location relationship.

[0137] Optionally, the first type of time domain position and the second type of time domain position multiplex the same SSB index. For example, assuming that the first reference signal and the second reference signal are the same SSB, and the same SSB is mapped to different types of Occasions, the first type of time domain position and the second type of time domain position multiplex the same SSB index (the same SSB index indicates the same SSB). Optionally, the TCI state of the terminal remains unchanged during subsequent switching; for example, different types of Occasions multiplex the same SSB index, and the TCI state of the terminal remains unchanged during LTM switching.

[0138] Case 3: The first reference signal is an SSB synchronization signal, the second reference signal is another type of reference signal (such as TRS, CSI-RS, etc.), and the second reference signal and the SSB synchronization signal are quasi-co-located. Alternatively, the second reference signal is an SSB synchronization signal, the first reference signal is another type of reference signal (such as TRS, CSI-RS, etc.), and the first reference signal and the SSB synchronization signal are quasi-co-located.

[0139] The first reference signal is a periodic signal, and the period of the first reference signal is a first period. For example, a typical period of the first period is a millisecond period such as 5ms, 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, or 160ms.

[0140] The second reference signal can be a non-periodic signal or a periodic signal. When the second reference signal is a periodic signal, the period of the second reference signal is the second period. For example, a typical period of the second period is a period of seconds such as 1 second, 2 seconds, 4 seconds, 8 seconds, 16 seconds, 32 seconds, 64 seconds, 128 seconds, 256 seconds, 512 seconds, or 1024 seconds. The second period is greater than the first period.

[0141] Optionally, in case three, at least one of the time domain position, frequency domain position, or polarization mode of the first reference signal and the second reference signal is different. For example, the time domain positions of the first reference signal and the second reference signal are different, such as the first reference signal and the second reference signal can be time-division multiplexed. For another example, the frequency domain positions of the first reference signal and the second reference signal are different, such as the first reference signal and the second reference signal can be frequency-division multiplexed. For another example, the first reference signal and the second reference signal use different polarization modes, which can include linear polarization, left-hand circular polarization, right-hand circular polarization, elliptical polarization, etc. The above three examples can be arbitrarily combined in pairs or all three can be satisfied simultaneously, indicating that at least one of the time domain position, frequency domain position, or polarization mode of the first reference signal and the second reference signal is different.

[0142] Optionally, the first reference signal corresponds to a predefined time domain position, and the time domain position of the second reference signal is variable. For specific examples, please refer to Table 1 and Figure 5 described in Case 1. For example, based on Table 1, the first device can determine the resource pattern of the first reference signal. The resource pattern of the second reference signal is variable, indicating that the resource pattern of the second reference signal may not be limited to the Case in Table 1, but may be more flexible (for example, the first symbol position may be variable, etc.), which is not limited in this application. Optionally, the second reference signal corresponds to a predefined time domain position, and the time domain position of the first reference signal is variable.

[0143] In one possible implementation, the first measurement configuration information includes at least one of a first condition, a measurement period of a first reference signal, a first measurement offset, or a first measurement duration. For example, the first condition is a trigger condition for triggering LTM measurement or measurement result reporting, and the measurement period of the first reference signal, the first measurement offset, and the first measurement duration are parameter configurations corresponding to the first condition, and are used to measure the first reference signal when the first condition is met.

[0144] The first condition is that the distance between the position of the first device and the first reference position is greater than the first threshold and / or the distance between the position of the first device and the second reference position is less than the second threshold. The first reference position, the second reference position, the first threshold and the second threshold are predefined parameters. For example, the first reference position is any position in the service cell on the network side, for example, it can be the center point position of the service cell, or other specified position of the service cell. The first threshold is a distance threshold value. For example, assuming that the first threshold is 1000 meters, it means that the threshold value of the distance between the position of the terminal and the first reference position is 1000 meters. When the distance between the position of the first device and the first reference position is greater than the first threshold, it means that the first condition is met; for example, when the distance between the position of the terminal and the center point of the service cell is greater than the first threshold, it means that the position of the first device is too far from the service cell, and the service cell cannot provide good service to the first device. At this time, the first condition is met. For another example, the second reference location is any location in the candidate cell on the network side, for example, it can be the center point location of the candidate cell, or other specified location of the candidate cell. The candidate cell refers to a cell that can provide service to the first device after the first device or the second device moves. For example, the first device can switch from the serving cell to the candidate cell and continue communication. The second threshold is a distance threshold value, and the specific example is similar to the first threshold. Among them, when the distance between the location of the first device and the second reference location is less than the second threshold, it means that the first condition is met; for example, when the distance between the location of the terminal and the candidate cell is less than the second threshold, it means that the location of the first device is very close to the candidate cell, and the candidate cell can provide better service (such as stronger signal strength) for the terminal, and the first condition is met at this time. For another example, the first condition can also be that the distance between the location of the first device and the first reference location is greater than the first threshold, and the distance between the location of the first device and the second reference location is less than the second threshold, indicating that the location of the first device is too far from the serving cell, and the first device is relatively close to the candidate cell, and the first condition is met at this time.

[0145] The measurement period of the first reference signal is the SSB-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC) period, which indicates the repetition period of the measurement action. The first measurement offset is the starting subframe of the measurement action within the measurement period of the first reference signal. The first measurement duration is the SMTC duration, which indicates the duration for which the measurement action should last after the measurement action starts. For example, if the first reference signal is SSB, the measurement period of the first reference signal can reuse the existing SMTC1 and SMTC4list configurations corresponding to the SSB, where SMTC1 contains two sub-elements periodicityAndOffset and duration. The sub-element periodicityAndOffset indicates the SMTC period and the SMTC offset, and the sub-element duration indicates the SMTC duration. Optionally, the measurement period of the first reference signal and the period of the first reference signal are usually different. The period of the first reference signal usually refers to the period for the second device to send the first reference signal, and the measurement period of the first reference signal usually refers to the repetition period of the measurement action.

[0146] For example, the SMTC period can be 5ms, 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, or 160ms. The SMTC offset value is set between 0 and the SMTC period minus 1ms with a granularity of 1ms. The granularity of the SMTC duration is also 1ms, and the length can be 1ms, 2ms, 3ms, 4ms, or 5ms. For example, when the SMTC period is 5ms, the SMTC offset value can be 0ms, 1ms, 2ms, 3ms, or 4ms, and the SMTC duration value can be 1ms, 2ms, 3ms, 4ms, or 5ms. SMTC4list can be configured with different offsets for SMTC1 to compensate for different satellite-to-terminal (propagation) delays in satellite scenarios.

[0147] Optionally, the first measurement configuration information includes at least the first condition; the first measurement configuration information may not include the measurement period of the first reference signal, the first measurement bias and the first measurement duration, and the first device may directly reuse the existing SMTC1 and SMTC4list configurations. For example, if the first measurement configuration information does not include the measurement period of the first reference signal, the first measurement bias or the first measurement duration, the first device defaults to using the periodicityAndOffset and duration in the existing SMTC1 and SMTC4list configurations. Optionally, the first measurement configuration information may include the first condition, the measurement period of the first reference signal and the first measurement bias, but does not include the first measurement duration, in which case the first device defaults to using the duration in the existing SMTC1 and SMTC4list configurations; or, the first measurement configuration information may include the first condition and the first measurement duration, but does not include the measurement period of the first reference signal and the first measurement bias, in which case the first device defaults to using the periodicityAndOffset in the existing SMTC1 and SMTC4list configurations.

[0148] In one possible implementation, the second measurement configuration information includes at least one of a second condition, a measurement period of a second reference signal, a second measurement offset, or a second measurement duration. For example, the second condition is another triggering condition for triggering LTM measurement or measurement result reporting, and the measurement period of the second reference signal, the second measurement offset, and the second measurement duration are parameter configurations corresponding to the second condition, used to measure the second reference signal when the second condition is met.

[0149] The second condition is that the local clock of the first device is in a predefined first time period. For example, the first time period is a specified time period, which can be expressed as [UTC t1 ,UTC t1 +t offset ], where UTC corresponds to Coordinated Universal Time, UTC t1 Indicates the start time of the specified time period (i.e. the first time period) in the Universal Time Coordinated Time, UTC t1 +t offset Indicates the end time of the first time period. The local clock of the first device can be expressed as UTC t0 , if UTC t0 ∈[UTC t1 ,UTC t1 +t offset ], it indicates that the local clock of the first device is in the predefined first time period. When the local clock of the first device is in the first time period, it indicates that the second condition is satisfied.

[0150] The measurement period of the second reference signal can be a measurement timing configuration period based on HO-SSB, or a measurement timing configuration period based on other reference signals, such as collectively referred to as SSB-MTC2 period, which indicates the repetition period of the measurement action. The second measurement bias is the starting subframe of the measurement action within the measurement period of the second reference signal. The second measurement duration is the SMTC duration, which indicates the duration of the measurement action after the measurement action starts. For example, for the second reference signal, the second device will add an SSB-MTC2 configuration and at least one SMTC4list_new configuration; the SSB-MTC2 period is greater than SMTC1, for example, the typical value of SSB-MTC2 can be 1s, 5s, 10s, 20s, etc.; the duration value refers to SMTC1. Optionally, when the first reference signal and the second reference signal are time-division multiplexed, the selection of the second measurement bias in SMTC4list_new needs to avoid the first measurement bias in SMTC1. For example, when the SSB-MTC2 period is 1s and the value of the first measurement bias is 1ms, the value of the second measurement bias can be 1s or other values ​​that are different from the value of the first measurement bias, thereby avoiding interference and conflict problems between the two types of reference signals. Optionally, when the first reference signal and the second reference signal use different polarization modes, the values ​​of the first measurement bias and the second measurement bias can be the same or different, and are not limited here. Optionally, the measurement period of the second reference signal is greater than the measurement period of the first reference signal. For example, the measurement period of the second reference signal can be a period of seconds such as 1s, 5s, 10s, 20s, and the measurement period of the first reference signal can be a period of milliseconds such as 5ms, 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, 160ms. Optionally, the measurement period of the second reference signal and the period of the second reference signal are usually different. The period of the second reference signal usually refers to the period in which the second device sends the second reference signal, and the measurement period of the second reference signal usually refers to the repetition period of the measurement action.

[0151] Optionally, the second measurement configuration information includes at least the second condition; the second measurement configuration information may not include the measurement period of the second reference signal, the second measurement offset, and the second measurement duration. Assuming that the protocol predefines an SSB-MTC2 configuration and at least one SMTC4list_new configuration, the first device may preconfigure the SSB-MTC2 configuration and at least one SMTC4list_new configuration newly added to the protocol. For example, if the second measurement configuration information does not include the measurement period of the second reference signal, the second measurement offset, or the second measurement duration, the first device defaults to using the periodicityAndOffset and duration in the preconfigured SSB-MTC2 and SMTC4list_new configurations. Optionally, the second measurement configuration information may include the second condition, the measurement period of the second reference signal, and the second measurement bias, but does not include the second measurement duration. In this case, the first device uses the duration in the pre-configured SSB-MTC2 and SMTC4list_new configuration by default; or, the second measurement configuration information may include the second condition, the second measurement duration, but does not include the measurement period of the second reference signal, and the second measurement bias. In this case, the first device uses the periodicityAndOffset in the pre-configured SSB-MTC2 and SMTC4list_new configuration by default.

[0152] In one possible implementation, the second device sends first measurement configuration information of the first reference signal and second measurement configuration information of the second reference signal. Specifically, the second device may define an LTM-CSI-SSB-ResourceSet information element and carry the first measurement configuration information or the second measurement configuration information through the LTM-CSI-SSB-ResourceSet information element. For example, under the first condition, the LTM-CSI-SSB-ResourceSet information element corresponds to the first measurement configuration information, which is used for measurement and / or measurement reporting configuration of the first reference signal; for another example, under the second condition, the LTM-CSI-SSB-ResourceSet information element corresponds to the second measurement configuration information, which is used for measurement and / or measurement reporting configuration of the second reference signal.

[0153] Optionally, S101 also includes the following process:

[0154] The second device sends the first reference signal and the second reference signal; correspondingly, the first device receives the first reference signal and the second reference signal. For example, the second device may first send the first reference signal and the second reference signal, and then send the first measurement configuration information and the second measurement configuration information, that is, the reference signal and the corresponding measurement configuration information may be transmitted through different messages. For another example, the second device may send the first reference signal and the second reference signal, as well as the first measurement configuration information and the second measurement configuration information, that is, the reference signal and the corresponding measurement configuration information may be transmitted through the same message.

[0155] S102a: When a first condition is met, the first device measures a first reference signal based on first measurement configuration information.

[0156] In one possible implementation, when a first condition is met, that is, when the distance between the location of the first device and the reference location is greater than a first threshold, the first device performs an LTM measurement on the first reference signal based on the first measurement configuration information. For example, when the first condition is met, typically due to a cell handover (handover or cell switch) triggered by the terminal's own mobility, and characterized by a short handover period, the first device performs an L1 measurement of the first reference signal and / or reports the L1 measurement result.

[0157] Optionally, the first device performs L1 measurement of the first reference signal. Please refer to the corresponding description in Figure 3. For example, the terminal performs L1 measurement related to the candidate cell (for example, L1 measurement based on SSB) to determine the L1 measurement result of the first reference signal.

[0158] Optionally, the first device sends the first measurement result of the first reference signal to the second device. For example, the first device may refer to the existing SSB measurement result reporting process to send the first measurement result of the first reference signal (ie, L1 measurement result) to the second device.

[0159] S102b: When the second condition is met, the first device measures the second reference signal based on the second measurement configuration information.

[0160] In one possible implementation, when the second condition is met, that is, when the local clock of the first device is in the first time period, the first device performs LTM measurement on the second reference signal based on the second measurement configuration information. For example, when the second condition is met, which is typically a cell handover (or cell switch) triggered by network-side mobility (such as satellite mobility) and has long-term, predictable characteristics, the first device performs L1 measurement of the second reference signal and / or reports the L1 measurement result.

[0161] Optionally, the first device performs L1 measurement of the second reference signal, which is similar to the first device performing L1 measurement of the first reference signal, for example, performing L1 measurement based on HO-SSB and in combination with the second measurement configuration information to determine the L1 measurement result of the second reference signal.

[0162] Optionally, the first device sends a second measurement result of the second reference signal to the second device. The second measurement result includes a resource identifier of the second reference signal, and the resource corresponding to the resource identifier of the second reference signal belongs to a preconfigured second resource set; or the second measurement result includes a cell identifier and a reference signal identifier of the second reference signal, and the cell identifier and the reference signal identifier of the second reference signal belong to a set of preconfigured candidate cells and reference signal identifiers of each cell. Specifically, the reporting method of the second measurement result of the second reference signal may include but is not limited to the following two methods:

[0163] Method 1: Reporting based on a pre-configured second resource set (ResourceSet). For example, the second device may pre-configure a second resource set for the second reference signal, the second resource set including the resource configuration of the second reference signal, for example, including one or more resource identifiers (resource index, RI), and resources associated with each resource identifier (such as time domain resources, frequency domain resources of HO-SSB, etc.). For example, the LTM-CSI-ResourceConfig information element contains the resource configuration of the second reference signal. Among them, a resource identifier is usually associated with one or more resources. For example, assuming that the second reference signal is HO-SSB, the resource identifier of the second reference signal includes HO-SSB RI#1, HO-SSB RI#2, etc., and assuming that a resource identifier is associated with a resource, such as HO-SSB RI#1 is associated with resource#1, HO-SSB RI#2 is associated with resource#2, then the second resource set includes resource identifiers HO-SSB RI#1, HO-SSB RI#2, etc., and resource#1, resource#2, etc. associated with the resource identifiers. The first device receives a second reference signal and performs L1 measurement based on the second reference signal to obtain a second measurement result (such as reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal interference noise ratio (SINR), etc.), and associates the second measurement result with the resource identifier of the second reference signal.

[0164] For example, Table 2 is a table showing a relationship between a resource identifier of a second reference signal and a second measurement result. Table 2 is described by taking the second reference signal being HO-SSB as an example.

[0165] Table 2: Relationship between the resource identifier of the second reference signal and the second measurement result.

[0166] Among them, the resource identifier of the second reference signal is associated with the corresponding measurement result, for example, HO-SSB RI#1 is associated with RSRP#1 and SINR#1, and HO-SSB RI#2 is associated with RSRP#2 and SINR#2. The first device can report the corresponding L1 measurement result based on the resource identifier in the preconfigured second resource set.

[0167] Method 2: Reporting based on cell identifier and reference signal identifier. For example, the second device can pre-configure a set of candidate cells for the second reference signal (including one or more candidate cells) and a set of reference signal identifiers in each candidate cell. For example, the LTM-CSI-ResourceConfig information element contains the cell identifier and reference signal identifier of the second reference signal. The first device receives the second reference signal, and performs L1 measurement based on the second reference signal to obtain a second measurement result (such as RSRP\RSRQ\SINR, etc.), and associates the second measurement result with the cell identifier and reference signal identifier of the second reference signal.

[0168] For example, Table 3 is a table showing a relationship between a cell identifier, a reference signal identifier, and a second measurement result of a second reference signal. Table 3 is described using the example of the second reference signal being HO-SSB.

[0169] Table 3: Relationship between the cell identifier of the second reference signal, the reference signal identifier and the second measurement result.

[0170] The second measurement result shown in Table 3 is expressed in differential form. For example, assuming that the candidate cell Cell A includes reference signal identifiers HO-SSB-1 and HO-SSB-5, the measurement result associated with HO-SSB-1 is RSRP X; based on RSRP X, the measurement result associated with HO-SSB-5 is Δ X1 , that is, the measurement results of HO-SSB-5 association meet RSRP X and Δ X1 The difference between the two (such as RSRP X+Δ X1 Similarly, assume that the candidate cell Cell B includes reference signal identifiers HO-SSB-2 and HO-SSB-6. Taking RSRP X as the benchmark, the measurement result associated with HO-SSB-2 is Δ Y1, that is, the measurement results of HO-SSB-2 association meet RSRP X and Δ Y1 The difference between the two (such as RSRP X+Δ Y1 ), other examples are not repeated here. Optionally, Table 3 is only an example, and the second measurement result in Table 3 can also be similar to the second measurement result in Table 2 and directly reported without differential processing.

[0171] Optionally, S102a and S102b can be regarded as two possible parallel implementation methods. It is only necessary to judge the trigger condition to determine which specific step to execute. For example, if S102a is executed, S102b may not be executed, and if S102b is executed, S102a may not be executed.

[0172] In a possible implementation, in addition to the LTM measurement in S102a and S102b, the condition-triggered LTM measurement by the first apparatus further includes the following:

[0173] Case 1: When the first condition and the second condition are met, the first device measures the first reference signal or the second reference signal in time-sharing according to a preconfigured measurement gap.

[0174] If the first condition and the second condition are simultaneously met, the first device needs to activate the measurement gap to measure different reference signals in a time-sharing manner. For example, dividing time into multiple measurement time periods according to the measurement gap, assuming that the measurement gap includes a first measurement time period and a second measurement time period (the first measurement time period and the second measurement time period do not overlap or partially overlap), performing L1 measurement and / or L1 measurement reporting on the first reference signal in the first measurement time period, and performing L1 measurement and / or L1 measurement reporting on the second reference signal in the second measurement time period, is conducive to reducing interference between the two different reference signals.

[0175] Case 2: When the first condition and the second condition are met, the first device performs LTM measurement on a reference signal with a higher priority, wherein the priority of the reference signal is pre-configured information.

[0176] If both the first and second conditions are met, the first device may, according to the pre-configured reference signal priorities, only need to measure the reference signal of a higher priority type, thereby reducing mobility interruption time and improving the effectiveness of LTM measurements. For example, assuming that the first reference signal has a first priority and the second reference signal has a second priority, and the first priority is higher than the second priority, then when both the first and second conditions are met, the first device only performs L1 measurements and / or L1 measurement reports on the first reference signal of higher priority.

[0177] Case 3: When the first condition and the second condition are not met, the first device performs LTM measurement on the first reference signal.

[0178] If neither the first condition nor the second condition is met, for example, the distance between the location of the first device and the reference location is less than or equal to the first threshold (such as the terminal has not moved), and the local clock of the first device is not located in the first time period (such as the network side has not moved or the network side has not moved to the specified location), then the first device generally only needs to perform L1 measurement and / or L1 measurement reporting on the first reference signal.

[0179] Case 4: If only the first condition is met, the first device measures the first reference signal in time-sharing according to the preconfigured measurement gap; if only the second condition is met, the first device measures the second reference signal in time-sharing according to the preconfigured measurement gap.

[0180] If only the first condition is met, the first device performs LTM measurement on the first reference signal with a higher priority; if only the second condition is met, the second device performs LTM measurement on the second reference signal with a higher priority.

[0181] In one possible implementation, the first reference signal and the second reference signal are associated with a TCI state to achieve LTM communication. Specifically, the first reference signal and the TCI state may be associated with an identifier (e.g., an SSB index) of the first reference signal. Optionally, the association of the first reference signal with the TCI state can be a one-to-one relationship, e.g., one first reference signal is associated with one TCI state, or a one-to-many relationship, e.g., one TCI state is associated with multiple first reference signals.

[0182] The specific manners of associating the second reference signal with the TCI state include the following two:

[0183] Method 1: The second reference signal is associated with the TCI state. Specifically, the second reference signal identifier (such as the HO-SSB index) can be associated with the TCI state. For example, Table 4 shows a relationship table of the second reference signal associated with the TCI state. Table 4 uses the HO-SSB index and TCI state as an example.

[0184] Table 4: A relationship table of the second reference signal and the TCI state.

[0185] The second reference signal is associated with the TCI state, which can be a one-to-one association relationship, for example, one second reference signal is associated with one TCI state (such as HO-SSB index A1 is associated with TCI state C1 as shown in Table 4); or a one-to-many association relationship, for example, one TCI state is associated with multiple second reference signals (such as HO-SSB index A2 and HO-SSB index A3 are both associated with TCI state C2 as shown in Table 4).

[0186] Optionally, in method 1, after the new TCI state takes effect, the second reference signal is not configured as the reference signal associated with the TCI state, and the TCI state information can be carried by the LTM-Candidate-TCI-State-r18 information element or a newly defined information element.

[0187] Method 2: The second reference signal is associated with the first reference signal, and the first reference signal is associated with the TCI state, thereby associating the second reference signal with the TCI state. Method 2 can specifically associate the identifier of the second reference signal (e.g., HO-SSB index) with the identifier of the first reference signal (e.g., SSB index), and the SSB index with the TCI state. For example, Table 5 shows another relationship table for associating the second reference signal with the TCI state. Table 5 uses the HO-SSB index, SSB index, and TCI state as examples for description.

[0188] Table 5: Another relationship table of the second reference signal and the TCI state.

[0189] The second reference signal is associated with the first reference signal, which can be a one-to-one association, for example, one second reference signal is associated with one second reference signal (such as HO-SSB index A1 is associated with SSB index B1 as shown in Table 5); or a one-to-many association, for example, one first reference signal is associated with multiple second reference signals (such as HO-SSB index A2 and HO-SSB index A3 are both associated with SSB index B2 as shown in Table 5). For example, assuming that the strongest reference signal received by the terminal is HO-SSB index A4, the terminal can obtain the strongest reference signal-associated first reference signal SSB index B3 based on Table 5, and use the TCI state C3 corresponding to the reference signal as its own TCI state for LTM communication.

[0190] In one possible implementation, after performing LTM measurement, the first device may also determine to switch to the corresponding first cell or second cell based on the measurement result (e.g., the signal quality of the reference signal) and the first condition or the second condition, thereby achieving LTM switching. For example, when the first condition is met, the first device switches to the first cell, where the first device measures a signal quality of the first reference signal greater than a first signal quality threshold. For another example, when the second condition is met, the first device switches to the second cell, where the first device measures a signal quality of the second reference signal greater than a second signal quality threshold.

[0191] In this embodiment, the first device can receive first measurement configuration information and second measurement configuration information for two different types of reference signals from the second device. For example, the first measurement configuration information is LTM measurement configuration information corresponding to the first reference signal, and the second measurement configuration information is LTM measurement configuration information corresponding to the second reference signal. The first device performs LTM measurements on two different types of reference signals based on different trigger conditions (such as the first condition or the second condition), which can reduce mobile interruption time and improve the effectiveness of LTM measurements. In addition, the first device triggers the measurement of one type of reference signal based on different trigger conditions when the trigger conditions are met, which is beneficial to reducing interference between the two different types of reference signals.

[0192] It is understood that in order to implement the functions of the above-mentioned device embodiments, the base station and the terminal include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily appreciate that, in conjunction with the various exemplary units and method steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or in a computer software-driven hardware manner depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0193] Figures 7 and 8 are schematic diagrams of possible communication devices provided in this application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the first device (such as a network-side device, such as a base station) or the second device (such as a terminal-side device) in the above method embodiment, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiment. In the embodiment of the present application, the communication device can be a terminal as shown in Figure 1, or an access network device as shown in Figure 1, or a module (such as a chip) applied to the terminal side or the terminal side.

[0194] As shown in Figure 7, communication device 700 includes a processing unit 710 and a transceiver unit 720. Communication device 700 is used to implement the functions of a terminal or access network device in the method embodiments shown in Figures 4 to 6 above. Optionally, transceiver unit 720 includes a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, and transceiver unit 720 can also be referred to as a communication unit.

[0195] When the communication device 700 is used to implement the functions of a terminal in the method embodiment shown in FIG4 , the transceiver unit 720 is configured to receive first measurement configuration information for a first reference signal and second measurement configuration information for a second reference signal. The processing unit 710 is configured to measure the first reference signal based on the first measurement configuration information when a first condition is met, and to measure the second reference signal based on the second measurement configuration information when a second condition is met.

[0196] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 710 is configured to measure the first reference signal based on the first measurement configuration information when the first condition is met, including:

[0197] When the distance between the position of the first device and the reference position is greater than a first threshold, LTM measurement is performed on the first reference signal based on the first measurement configuration information.

[0198] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 710 is configured to measure the second reference signal based on the second measurement configuration information when the second condition is met, including:

[0199] When the local clock of the first device is in the first time period, the first device performs LTM measurement on the second reference signal based on the second measurement configuration information.

[0200] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 710 is further configured to:

[0201] When the first condition and the second condition are met, the first reference signal or the second reference signal is measured in time-sharing manner according to a preconfigured measurement gap.

[0202] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 710 is further configured to:

[0203] When the first condition and the second condition are met, LTM measurement is performed on a reference signal with a higher priority, wherein the priority of the reference signal is pre-configured information.

[0204] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 710 is further configured to:

[0205] When the first condition and the second condition are not satisfied, LTM measurement is performed on the first reference signal.

[0206] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 710 is further configured to:

[0207] When the first condition is met, switching to the first cell, the first cell being a cell where the signal quality of the first reference signal measured by the first device is greater than the first signal quality threshold; or,

[0208] When the second condition is met, switching to the second cell is performed, where the second cell is a cell where the signal quality of the second reference signal measured by the first device is greater than a second signal quality threshold.

[0209] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 720 is further configured to:

[0210] Sending a first measurement result of a first reference signal and / or a second measurement result of a second reference signal, wherein the second measurement result includes a resource identifier of the second reference signal, and the resource corresponding to the resource identifier of the second reference signal belongs to a preconfigured second resource set; or, the second measurement result includes a cell identifier and a reference signal identifier of the second reference signal, and the cell identifier and the reference signal identifier of the second reference signal belong to a preconfigured set of candidate cells and reference signal identifiers for each cell.

[0211] It can be seen that when the communication device 700 is used to implement the functions of the terminal in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4, the communication device 700 can receive first measurement configuration information and second measurement configuration information for two different types of reference signals, and based on different trigger conditions (such as the first condition or the second condition), perform LTM measurements on the two different types of reference signals, which can reduce mobile interruption time and improve the effectiveness of LTM measurements. In addition, based on different trigger conditions, when the trigger conditions are met, triggering the measurement of one type of reference signal is beneficial to reducing interference between the two different types of reference signals.

[0212] When the communication device 700 is used to implement the functions of the base station in the method embodiment shown in FIG4 , the transceiver unit 720 is configured to transmit first measurement configuration information for a first reference signal and second measurement configuration information for a second reference signal, and transmit the first reference signal and the second reference signal. The first reference signal is used to measure the first reference signal based on the first measurement configuration information when the first device meets a first condition; and the second reference signal is used to measure the second reference signal based on the second measurement configuration information when the first device meets a second condition.

[0213] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 720 is further configured to:

[0214] and receiving a first measurement result of a first reference signal and / or a second measurement result of a second reference signal. The second measurement result includes a resource identifier of the second reference signal, where the resource corresponding to the resource identifier of the second reference signal belongs to a preconfigured second resource set; or the second measurement result includes a cell identifier and a reference signal identifier of the second reference signal, where the cell identifier and the reference signal identifier of the second reference signal belong to a preconfigured set of candidate cells and reference signal identifiers for each cell.

[0215] It can be seen that when the communication device 700 is used to implement the function of the base station in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4, the communication device 700 can send two different types of reference signals, as well as first measurement configuration information and second measurement configuration information corresponding to the two different types of reference signals, thereby triggering LTM measurements of different types of reference signals based on different conditions, which is conducive to reducing interference between the two different types of reference signals.

[0216] For a more detailed description of the processing unit 710 and the transceiver unit 720 , reference may be made to the relevant descriptions in the method embodiments shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6 .

[0217] As shown in Figure 8, the communication device 800 includes a processor 810 and an interface circuit 820. The processor 810 and the interface circuit 820 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the interface circuit 820 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication device 800 may also include a memory 830 for storing instructions executed by the processor 810, or storing input data required by the processor 810 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 810 executes instructions. Sometimes, the interface circuit 820 can also be understood as a part of the processor 810, in which case the communication device 800 includes the processor 810. Optionally, the transceiver includes a transmitter and a receiver.

[0218] When the communication device 800 is used to implement the method embodiments shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6 , the processor 810 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 710 , and the interface circuit 820 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 720 .

[0219] When the above-mentioned communication device is a chip applied to a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above-mentioned method embodiment. When the terminal chip receives information from the base station, it can be understood that the information is first received by other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the terminal chip by these modules. When the terminal chip sends information to the base station, it can be understood that the information is first sent to other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the base station by these modules.

[0220] When the above-mentioned communication device is a chip applied to a base station, the base station chip implements the functions of the base station in the above-mentioned method embodiment. When the base station chip receives information from the terminal, it can be understood that the information is first received by other modules in the base station (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the base station chip by these modules. When the base station chip sends information to the terminal, it can be understood that the information is sent to other modules in the base station (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) and then sent to the terminal by these modules.

[0221] In this application, when entity A sends information to entity B, it can be done directly from A to B or indirectly through another entity. Similarly, when entity B receives information from entity A, it can be done directly from entity B or indirectly through another entity. Entities A and B herein can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules within a RAN node or terminal. The sending and receiving of information can be information exchange between a RAN node and a terminal, for example, between a base station and a terminal; the sending and receiving of information can also be information exchange between two RAN nodes, for example, between a CU and a DU; the sending and receiving of information can also be information exchange between different modules within a device, for example, between a terminal chip and other modules in the terminal, or between a base station chip and other modules within the base station.

[0222] In other words, sending and receiving can be performed between devices, for example, between a network device and a terminal device, or can be performed within a device, for example, sending or receiving between components, modules, chips, software modules or hardware modules within the device through a bus, wiring or interface.

[0223] It is understandable that information may be processed between the source and destination of information transmission, such as coding, modulation, etc., but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood similarly and will not be repeated.

[0224] 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.

[0225] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions that can be executed by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disk, mobile hard disk, CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a base station or a terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist in a base station or a terminal as discrete components.

[0226] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions may be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0227] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is any logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0228] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the text description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship; in the formula of this application, the character " / " indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in a "division" relationship. "Including at least one of A, B and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B and C.

[0229] In this application, words such as "first" and "second" can be used to distinguish technical features with the same or similar functions. The words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and the words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily limit them to be different. In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design. The use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way for easy understanding.

[0230] In the embodiments of the present application, "indication" may include direct indication and indirect indication, and may also include explicit indication and implicit indication. The information indicated by a certain information (such as the indication information described below) is called information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as but not limited to, the information to be indicated can be directly indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or the index of the information to be indicated. The information to be indicated can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, wherein there is an association between the other information and the information to be indicated; it is also possible to indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts of the information to be indicated are known or agreed in advance, for example, the indication of specific information can be achieved with the help of the arrangement order of each information agreed in advance (such as predefined by the protocol), thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent. The present application does not limit the specific method of indication. It is understandable that, for the sender of the indication information, the indication information can be used to indicate the information to be indicated, and for the receiver of the indication information, the indication information can be used to determine the information to be indicated.

[0231] It is understood that the various numbers used in the embodiments of this application are merely for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving first measurement configuration information of a first reference signal and second measurement configuration information of a second reference signal; When a first condition is met, measuring the first reference signal based on the first measurement configuration information; When the second condition is met, the second reference signal is measured based on the second measurement configuration information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first condition is that the distance between the position of the first device and the first reference position is greater than a first threshold and / or the distance between the position of the first device and the second reference position is less than a second threshold, and the first reference position, the second reference position, the first threshold and the second threshold are predefined parameters.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The measuring the first reference signal based on the first measurement configuration information when the first condition is met includes: When the distance between the position of the first device and the first reference position is greater than a first threshold and / or the distance between the position of the first device and the second reference position is less than a second threshold, layer 1 / layer 2 mobility LTM measurement is performed on the first reference signal based on the first measurement configuration information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The second condition is that the local clock of the first device is within a predefined first time period.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The measuring the second reference signal based on the second measurement configuration information when the second condition is met includes: When the local clock of the first device is in the first time period, LTM measurement is performed on the second reference signal based on the second measurement configuration information.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The period of the first reference signal is a first period, the second reference signal is a non-periodic signal or the period of the second reference signal is a second period, and the second period is greater than the first period.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The first reference signal and the second reference signal are reference signals of different types.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The first reference signal and the second reference signal satisfy a quasi co-location relationship.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The first reference signal and the second reference signal are different in at least one of a time domain position, a frequency domain position, or a polarization mode.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The first reference signal corresponds to a predefined time domain position, and the time domain position of the second reference signal is variable.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that A second reference signal is associated with a transmission configuration indication state; Alternatively, a second reference signal is associated with a first reference signal, and a first reference signal is associated with a transmission configuration indication state.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The first reference signal and the second reference signal are SSB synchronization signals, the first reference signal is mapped to a first type of time domain position, and the second reference signal is mapped to a second type of time domain position; The time domain positions of the first type satisfy a first period; The second type of time domain position is non-periodic or satisfies a second period, and the second period is greater than the first period.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The first type of time domain position and the second type of time domain position multiplex the same SSB index.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first measurement configuration information includes at least one of the first condition, a measurement period of the first reference signal, a first measurement offset, or a first measurement duration; The second measurement configuration information includes at least one of the second condition, a measurement period of a second reference signal, a second measurement offset, or a second measurement duration.

15. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Sending first measurement configuration information of a first reference signal and second measurement configuration information of a second reference signal; sending the first reference signal and the second reference signal; The first reference signal is used to measure the first reference signal based on the first measurement configuration information when the first device meets the first condition; The second reference signal is used to measure the second reference signal based on the second measurement configuration information when the first device meets the second condition.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The first condition is that the distance between the position of the first device and the first reference position is greater than a first threshold and / or the distance between the position of the first device and the second reference position is less than a second threshold, and the first reference position, the second reference position, the first threshold and the second threshold are predefined parameters.

17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The second condition is that the local clock of the first device is within a predefined first time period.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that The period of the first reference signal is a first period, the second reference signal is a non-periodic signal or the period of the second reference signal is a second period, and the second period is greater than the first period.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that The first reference signal and the second reference signal are reference signals of different types.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that The first reference signal and the second reference signal satisfy a quasi co-location relationship.

21. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that The first reference signal and the second reference signal are different in at least one of a time domain position, a frequency domain position, or a polarization mode.

22. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that The first reference signal and the second reference signal are SSB synchronization signals, the first reference signal is mapped to a first type of time domain position, and the second reference signal is mapped to a second type of time domain position; The time domain position of the first type satisfies the first period; The second type of time domain position is non-periodic or satisfies the second period.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that The first type of time domain position and the second type of time domain position multiplex the same SSB index.

24. The method according to claim 15, wherein The first measurement configuration information includes at least one of the first condition, a measurement period of the first reference signal, a first measurement offset, or a first measurement duration; The second measurement configuration information includes at least one of the second condition, a measurement period of a second reference signal, a second measurement offset, or a second measurement duration.

25. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that A second reference signal is associated with a transmission configuration indication state; Alternatively, a second reference signal is associated with a first reference signal, and a first reference signal is associated with a transmission configuration indication state.

26. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a communication unit and a processing unit, wherein the communication unit and the processing unit are configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16 or claims 17 to 25.

27. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices, and the processor is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16 or claims 17 to 25 through a logic circuit or executing code instructions.

28. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed by the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16 or claims 17 to 25 is implemented.

29. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16 or claims 17 to 25.

30. A chip or a chip system, characterized in that: The chip or chip system comprises a processor configured to execute a computer program so that the chip or chip system implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16 or claims 17 to 25.

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