Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: a network device sending a first message, wherein the message comprises a characteristic configuration list, the characteristic configuration list comprises a first identifier and first information, the first information comprises configuration parameters related to a first characteristic, and the first identifier is used for identifying the first characteristic or the first information; and a terminal device updating, on the basis of the first information, a configuration related to the first characteristic, wherein the update comprises addition or modification or deletion. In the method, configuration parameters related to the same characteristic may be packaged together, and configuration parameters related to different characteristics may be isolated from each other. Compared with the use of a version extension protocol, the present application can reduce the implementation complexity of characteristics.

Description

Communication method and apparatus

[0001] Cross-reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese Patent Application No. 202410650334.7, filed on May 23, 2024, and entitled “A communication method and apparatus”, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular, to a communication method and apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0004] With the continuous development of wireless communication technology, multiple versions of wireless communication technology protocols are introduced. For example, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) protocol has evolved from the initial commercial protocol version (Release 8, R8), R9, to the related protocol versions of the advanced long term evolution (LTE-A) communication technology, R10, R11, R12, and then to the related protocol versions of the new radio (NR) communication technology, R15, R16, R17, etc. Generally speaking, more new features are introduced in the lower version than in the upper version, for example, R17 introduces “sidelink enhancement”, “mobility enhancement” and other features compared with R16.

[0005] With the evolution of communication protocol versions and the introduction of various new features, the radio resource control (RRC) protocol in the 3GPP protocol also expands accordingly. Currently, the RRC protocol is expanded according to the version, and each version contains extended parameters of different features. The coupling between different features is serious, and the complexity of feature implementation is high. SUMMARY

[0006] Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus for reducing the complexity of feature implementation.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method. The method is applied to a terminal side, for example, the method is applied to a terminal device or a component (such as a circuit, a chip or a chip system, etc.) in the terminal device, or the method is applied to a larger device including the terminal device. For the convenience of description, the following takes the method applied to the terminal device as an example.

[0008] The communication method comprises: receiving, by a terminal device, a first message, updating a first characteristic-related configuration according to first information, the updating comprising adding, modifying or deleting. The first message comprises a characteristic configuration list, the characteristic configuration list comprising a first identifier and first information, the first information comprising a configuration parameter related to the first characteristic, and the first identifier being used to identify the first characteristic or the first information.

[0009] A characteristic can be understood as a specific enhancement, or a specific function, or a specific service, or a specific terminal device type, or a specific network device type, or a specific capability. For example, a terminal device has / supports a first characteristic, and the first characteristic corresponds to a first capability, so the terminal device has the first capability. The first characteristic comprises one or more of the following characteristics: “low capability terminal Redcap”, “sidelink enhancement”, “mobility enhancement”, “multi-input multi-output (MIMO)”, “carrier aggregation (CA)”, “low latency service”, “extended reality (XR)”, “artificial intelligence (AI)”, “deterministic experience” or “dual connectivity (DC)”, etc. In this method, the configuration parameters related to the characteristics can be packaged together, wherein the configuration parameters of different characteristics are distinguished by the identifier corresponding to the characteristics. For example, the configuration parameters related to the first characteristic can be contained in a specific first information, and identified by a first identifier. The implementation of such a characteristic also does not depend on the implementation of any other characteristic, and the implementation of one version of the characteristic does not depend on another version. The configuration parameters related to different characteristics can be isolated from each other, thereby achieving complete customization of the characteristics. For example, when the terminal device does not support the characteristic, the terminal device can customize the first information after receiving the first message, and can reduce the memory space required by the terminal device to decode and store the first information. For example, the terminal device can only decode and store the first parameter corresponding to the supported characteristic, thereby reducing the implementation complexity, storage space and cost of the terminal device compared with expanding the protocol according to the version.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the characteristic configuration list is contained in second information, and the second information is used to configure: a first cell group, a first serving cell, a first bandwidth part (BWP) or a first channel.

[0011] The second information can be cell group configuration information, cell configuration information, BWP configuration information, or channel configuration information, and the second information can further include a feature configuration list. That is, the configuration parameters related to the features can be part of the cell group configuration information, the cell configuration information, the BWP configuration information, or the channel configuration information. The cell group configuration information, the cell configuration information, the BWP configuration information, or the channel configuration information can be regarded as configuration at different levels (or levels, ranks, granularities). In this method, the feature configuration list can be included in the configuration information at a certain level. The level at which the feature configuration list is located can depend on the level at which the configuration parameters related to the features in the feature configuration list are located, so as to improve the readability of the configuration list.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the first information is further used to indicate the cell group, the serving cell, the BWP, or the channel corresponding to the first information.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the first information is further used to indicate the cell group, the serving cell, the BWP, or the channel corresponding to the first information, including that the first information further includes a second identifier used to identify the cell group, the serving cell, the BWP, or the channel corresponding to the first information.

[0014] In this scheme, the cell group, the serving cell, the BWP, or the channel corresponding to the first information is explicitly indicated by the second identifier, and the terminal device can determine the correspondence between the configuration parameters related to the features and the basic parameters according to the second identifier, which is simple and direct, and can reduce the processing complexity of the terminal device. For example, the terminal device determines the cell group, or the serving cell, or the BWP, or the channel, etc. configured by the feature parameters in the first information through the second identifier.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the length of the first information is less than or equal to N bits, or the length of the first information is less than or equal to M bytes, where N or M is a positive integer, or the length of the first information is expandable.

[0016] In this scheme, the length of the first information is agreed, which can avoid the first information from introducing an additional field indicating the first length, or reduce the length of the length field, and can reduce unnecessary signaling overhead.

[0017] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a network side, for example, the method is applied to a network device or a component (such as a circuit, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) in the network device, or the method is applied to a larger device including the network device. For the convenience of description, the following takes the method applied to the network device as an example.

[0018] The communication method comprises: a network device generating a first message and sending the first message. The first message comprises a characteristic configuration list, and the characteristic configuration list comprises a first identifier and first information. The first information comprises a configuration parameter related to a first characteristic, and the first identifier is used for identifying the first characteristic or the first information.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the first characteristic comprises one or more of the following characteristics: a low-capability terminal Redcap, sidelink enhancement, mobility enhancement, MIMO, CA, low-latency service, XR, AI, deterministic experience, or DC.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the characteristic configuration list is contained in second information, and the second information is used for configuring a first cell group, a first serving cell, a first partial bandwidth BWP, or a first channel.

[0021] In a possible implementation, the first information is further used for indicating a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP, or a channel corresponding to the first information.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the first information is further used for indicating a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP, or a channel corresponding to the first information, comprising: the first information further comprises a second identifier, and the second identifier is used for identifying the cell group, the serving cell, the BWP, or the channel corresponding to the first information.

[0023] In a possible implementation, a length of the first information is less than or equal to N bits, or a length of the first information is less than or equal to M bytes, the N or M is a positive integer, or the length of the first information is extensible.

[0024] The beneficial effects of the second aspect and each implementation thereof can refer to the beneficial effects of the first aspect and each implementation thereof, which will not be repeated here.

[0025] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be executed by a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device has the function of implementing the behaviors in the method instances of the first aspect. For example, the first communication device comprises corresponding means or modules or units for executing the method of the first aspect, and the modules or means or units can be implemented by software and / or hardware. The second communication device has the function of implementing the behaviors in the method instances of the second aspect. For example, the second communication device comprises corresponding means or modules or units for executing the method of the second aspect, and the modules or means or units can be implemented by software and / or hardware. Hereinafter, the first communication device is taken as a terminal device, and the second communication device is taken as a network device as an example.

[0026] The communication method comprises: a network device sending a first message to a terminal device, the first message comprising a feature configuration list, the feature configuration list comprising a first identifier and first information, wherein the first information comprises a configuration parameter related to a first feature, and the first identifier is used for identifying the first feature or the first information; and the terminal device updating a configuration related to the first feature according to the first information, the updating comprising adding, modifying or deleting.

[0027] The beneficial effects of the third aspect can refer to the beneficial effects of the first aspect and the various implementation manners thereof, which will not be repeated here.

[0028] In a fourth aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a communication apparatus having functions of implementing the behaviors in the method examples of the first aspect or the second aspect. The beneficial effects can refer to the related descriptions of the first aspect or the second aspect, which will not be repeated here. For example, the communication apparatus can be the terminal device in the first aspect, or the communication apparatus can be an apparatus capable of supporting the functions required by the terminal device to implement the method provided by the first aspect, for example, the communication apparatus can be a chip or a chip system in the terminal device. For another example, the communication apparatus can be the network device in the second aspect, or the communication apparatus can be an apparatus capable of supporting the functions required by the network device to implement the method provided by the second aspect, for example, the communication apparatus can be a chip or a chip system in the network device.

[0029] In a possible design, the communication apparatus comprises a baseband apparatus and a radio frequency apparatus.

[0030] In a possible design, the communication apparatus comprises corresponding means or modules for performing the method of the first aspect or the second aspect. For example, the communication apparatus comprises a processing unit (sometimes also referred to as a processing module or a processor) and / or a transceiving unit (sometimes also referred to as a transceiving module or a transceiver). The transceiving unit can implement the sending function and the receiving function. When the transceiving unit implements the sending function, it can be referred to as a sending unit (sometimes also referred to as a sending module). When the transceiving unit implements the receiving function, it can be referred to as a receiving unit (sometimes also referred to as a receiving module). The sending unit and the receiving unit can be the same functional unit, which is referred to as a transceiving unit and can implement the sending function and the receiving function. Alternatively, the sending unit and the receiving unit can be different functional units, and the transceiving unit refers to these functional units in general. These units (modules) can perform the corresponding functions in the method examples of the first aspect or the second aspect, which will not be repeated here for details, and the details can refer to the detailed descriptions in the method examples.

[0031] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus. The communication apparatus can be the communication apparatus in the fourth aspect of the above-mentioned embodiment, or a chip or chip system arranged in the communication apparatus in the fourth aspect. The communication apparatus comprises a communication interface and a processor, and optionally comprises a memory. The memory is configured to store a computer program or instruction or data. The processor is coupled to the memory and the communication interface. When the processor reads the computer program or instruction or data, the communication apparatus performs the method performed by the terminal device in the method embodiments, for example, the communication apparatus can be a terminal device or a functional module in the terminal device, such as a baseband chip and a radio frequency chip. Alternatively, when the processor reads the computer program or instruction or data, the communication apparatus performs the method performed by the network device in the method embodiments, for example, the communication apparatus can be a network device or a functional module in the network device, such as a baseband chip and a radio frequency chip.

[0032] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system. The chip system comprises a processor, and can comprise a communication interface for implementing the method in any of the first aspect to the fourth aspect. Optionally, the chip system further comprises a memory. The memory is configured to store a computer program (also referred to as code or instruction). The processor is configured to call and run the computer program from the memory, so that the device installed with the chip system performs the method in the first aspect or the second aspect and any implementation manner thereof. The chip system can be composed of a chip, or can comprise a chip and other discrete devices.

[0033] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus. The communication apparatus comprises an input / output interface and a logic circuit. The input / output interface is configured to input and / or output information. The input / output interface can be an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, a pin or related circuit, etc. The logic circuit is configured to perform the method in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0034] In the implementation process, the communication apparatus can be a chip, the input circuit can be an input pin, the output circuit can be an output pin, and the logic circuit can be a transistor, a gate circuit, a flip-flop and various logic circuits, etc. The input received by the input circuit can be received and input by, for example but not limited to, a receiver, the output output by the output circuit can be output to and transmitted by, for example but not limited to, a transmitter, and the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit which is used as the input circuit and the output circuit at different times. The specific implementation of the input / output interface and the logic circuit is not limited in the present application.

[0035] In an implementation, when the communication apparatus is a wireless communication device, the wireless communication device can be a terminal device such as a mobile phone, or the wireless communication device can be a network device such as a base station. The interface circuit can be a radio frequency processing chip in the wireless communication device, and the processing circuit can be a baseband processing chip in the wireless communication device.

[0036] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, the communication system comprising a terminal device and a network device, wherein the terminal device is configured to implement the functions of the method in the first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the functions of the method in the second aspect.

[0037] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer readable storage medium, the computer readable storage medium being configured to store computer programs or instructions, when the computer programs or instructions are executed, the method in the first aspect or the second aspect and any implementation thereof is implemented.

[0038] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product comprising instructions, when the computer program product is executed on a computer, the method in the first aspect or the second aspect and any implementation thereof is implemented.

[0039] The beneficial effects of the fourth aspect to the tenth aspect and the implementation thereof can refer to the beneficial effects of the first aspect or the second aspect and any implementation thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0040] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture to which embodiments of the present application are applicable;

[0041] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an RRC reconfiguration message provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a communication apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of another structure of a communication apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Embodiments of the present application provide technical solutions which can be applied to a communication system, for example, a long term evolution (LTE) communication system, a 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system, or can also be applied to a future mobile communication system, or other similar communication systems. Other similar communication systems can include wireless fidelity (WIFI), vehicle to everything (V2X), internet of things (IoT) system, and the like.

[0046] Please refer to FIG. 1, which shows a communication system to which embodiments of the present application are applicable. The communication system includes a radio access network 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system can further include the Internet (as an example in FIG. 1).

[0047] The radio access network 100 can include at least one network device and at least one terminal device. For example, the radio access network 100 includes two network devices 110a and 110b and terminal devices 120a to 120j. The number of terminal devices and / or network devices shown in FIG. 1 can be less or more. The communication system described in the embodiments of the present application is for more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the communication system to which the embodiments of the present application are applicable. For example, the communication system can further include other devices, for example, including wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, etc., which are not shown in FIG. 1. Those skilled in the art can know that, as the network architecture evolves, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems. When applying the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application to other communication systems, the devices, components, modules, etc. in the embodiments can be replaced by corresponding devices, components, modules in other communication systems, without limitation.

[0048] In embodiments of the present application, the network device refers to a radio access network (RAN) device. The RAN can be a 3GPP related cellular system, for example, a 5G / new radio (NR) mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system (for example, a 6G mobile communication system). The RAN can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a virtualized RAN (vRAN), etc. The RAN can also be a communication system that combines two or more of the above systems. The RAN device can also be referred to as a RAN node, a RAN entity, or an access node, etc.

[0049] In one possible scenario, the RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, etc. The RAN node can be a macro base station, a micro base station, an indoor station, a relay node, a donor node / host, or a radio controller, etc. The RAN node can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or a vehicle-mounted device, etc. For example, the RAN node in V2X technology can be a road side unit (RSU).

[0050] In another possible scenario, the RAN node can be a module or unit that completes part of the function of the base station; or multiple RAN nodes cooperate to assist the terminal device to implement wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of the function of the base station. For example, the RAN node can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU) that completes part of the function of the base station, etc. Any one of the CU, DU and RU can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0051] The CU and the DU can be configured according to protocol layer functions of a wireless network implemented thereby: for example, the CU is configured to implement functions of a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer and protocol layers thereabove (such as an RRC layer and / or a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, etc.); the DU is configured to implement functions of protocol layers below the PDCP layer (such as a radio link control (RLC), a media access control (MAC) layer, and / or a physical (PHY) layer, etc.). For specific descriptions of the various protocol layers described above, reference can be made to relevant technical specifications of the 3GPP or technical specifications of other applicable communication protocols.

[0052] When the RAN is an O-RAN, it can also have an AI function, for example, the O-RAN includes an intelligent controller. The intelligent controller can be a non-real-time RAN intelligent controller (non-real time RAN intelligent controller, non-RT RIC / NRT RIC), or a near-real-time RAN intelligent controller (near-real time RAN intelligent controller, near-RT RIC / nRT RIC). The non-real-time RIC can be used to implement non-real-time intelligent management of the RAN function, can implement a workflow including model training and model updating, and guide applications / functions in the nRT RIC based on a policy. The near-real-time RIC can be used to implement near-real-time intelligent management of the RAN. Through data collection and related operations on the E2 interface, near-real-time control and optimization of modules and resources of the O-RAN are implemented.

[0053] In the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the network device can be the network device itself, or a device capable of supporting the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system or a combination device or component that can implement the function of the network device, which can be installed in the network device. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the network device.

[0054] In the embodiments of the present application, all the terminal devices capable of communicating data with the base station can be regarded as terminal devices. The terminal device is also referred to as a terminal, a terminal device, a user equipment (UE), a user device, a mobile station, or a mobile terminal, etc. The terminal device can be widely applied to various scenarios, for example, the terminal device can be a mobile phone, a computer, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a station (STA), a mechanical arm, a camera, a robot, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, or a smart home device (for example, a television, an air conditioner, a sweeping machine, a sound box, a set top box), a relay, a customer premise equipment (CPE), or a terminal device in an IoT system, for example, a water meter, an electricity meter, etc.

[0055] When the terminal device is applied to V2X, it can also be referred to as a V2X device, for example, a smart car or an intelligent car, a digital car, an unmanned car or a driverless car or a pilotless car or an automobile, a self-driving car or an autonomous car, a pure EV or a Battery EV, a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a range extended EV (REEV), a plug-in HEV (PHEV), a new energy vehicle, an RSU.

[0056] The various terminal devices as introduced above can be considered as vehicle-mounted terminal devices if they are located on a vehicle (e.g., placed / installed in a vehicle). The vehicle-mounted terminal device can be built-in as one or more components or units in a vehicle-mounted module, a vehicle-mounted component, a vehicle-mounted chip, or a vehicle-mounted unit of a vehicle, and the vehicle can implement the method of the present application through the built-in vehicle-mounted module, vehicle-mounted component, vehicle-mounted chip, or vehicle-mounted unit. The vehicle-mounted terminal device can be a whole vehicle device, a vehicle-mounted module, a vehicle, an on board unit (OBU), an RSU, a telematics box (T-box), a chip, or a system on chip (SOC), etc. The chip or SOC can be installed in a vehicle, an OBU, an RSU, or a T-box.

[0057] In the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or a device capable of supporting the terminal device to implement the function, such as a chip system or a combination device or component that can implement the function of the terminal device, which can be installed in the terminal device. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal device.

[0058] Taking a network device as a base station and a terminal device as a UE as an example, the base station and the UE can be in a fixed position or can be movable. The base station and the UE can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; can also be deployed on the water surface; and can also be deployed on an airplane, a balloon, and a man-made satellite. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the application scenarios of the base station and the UE.

[0059] The roles of the base station and the UE can be relative, for example, the helicopter or the unmanned aerial vehicle 120i in FIG. 1 can be configured as a mobile base station, and for the UE 120j that accesses the wireless access network 100 through 120i, the UE 120i is a base station; but for the base station 110a, 120i is a UE, that is, 110a and 120i communicate through a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate through a base station-to-base station interface protocol, and in this case, 120i is also a base station relative to 110a. Therefore, the base station and the UE can be collectively referred to as a communication device, and 110a and 110b in FIG. 1 can be referred to as a communication device with a base station function, and 120a-120j in FIG. 1 can be referred to as a communication device with a UE function.

[0060] In the embodiments of the present application, "sending" and "receiving" represent the direction of signal transmission. For example, "sending information to XX" can be understood as that the destination of the information is XX, which can include direct sending through the air interface, and also includes indirect sending through the air interface by other units or modules. "Receiving information from YY" can be understood as that the source of the information is YY, which can include direct receiving from YY through the air interface, and also includes indirect receiving from YY through the air interface by other units or modules. "Sending" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receiving" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface. In other words, sending and receiving can be carried out between devices, for example, between network devices and terminal devices, or can be carried out within a device, for example, between components, between modules, between chips, between software modules or hardware modules within a device through a bus, wire or interface. It can be understood that the information between the source and the destination of the information transmission can be processed as necessary, such as encoding and modulation, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in the present application can be similarly understood and will not be repeated.

[0061] In the embodiments of the present application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three kinds of relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent the following three cases: A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after it. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions means any combination of the ten items, including any combination of single item or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, or a-b-c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0062] In addition, unless otherwise stated, the ordinal numbers "first", "second", etc. mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish a plurality of objects, and are not used to limit the order, time sequence, priority or importance of the plurality of objects. For example, the first characteristic and the second characteristic are only used to distinguish different characteristics, and do not represent the difference in priority or importance of the two characteristics. For a technical feature, the technical features in the technical feature are distinguished by "A", "B", "C" and "D", and there is no order or size order between the technical features described by "A", "B", "C" and "D". For example, the RRC reconfiguration message A and the RRC reconfiguration message B in the present application are only used to distinguish different RRC reconfiguration messages, and do not limit the order or size order between the RRC reconfiguration message A and the RRC reconfiguration message B, as well as the priority or importance.

[0063] In embodiments of the present application, "when", "if" and "in the case of" all refer to the device making a corresponding processing under certain objective conditions, and are not limited in time, and do not require the device to have a judgment action when implemented, nor does it mean that there are other limitations. Unless otherwise specified, "if" and "if" can be replaced, and "when" and "in the case of" can be replaced. "When" and "if" / "if" can be replaced. The words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate an example, illustration or description. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the present application should not be interpreted as more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concept in a specific manner.

[0064] As described above, with the continuous development of wireless communication technology, multiple versions (releases, R) of wireless communication technology protocols are introduced. Generally speaking, more new features are introduced in the lower version than in the upper version, for example, R16 introduces more new features than R15. The new features are also relative, and the so-called "new" is relative to the upper version from the lower version, for example, R16 introduces "ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC) features" compared to R15; R17 introduces "low-cost 5G terminal (Redcap)", "sidelink enhancement", "mobility enhancement" and other features compared to R16.

[0065] With the evolution of communication protocol versions and the introduction of various new features, the RRC protocol in the 3GPP protocol will also be expanded accordingly. One way of expansion, the RRC protocol is expanded according to the version, each version contains different feature parameters or extended parameters, and the RRC protocol contains more and more parameters, so the RRC protocol contains more and more parameters. The current RRC protocol is encoded using abstract syntax notation one (ASN.1). ASN.1 is a standard that describes a data format for representing, encoding, transmitting and decoding data, or in other words, ASN.1 provides a set of formats for describing the structure of an object. Where information needs to be sent in a digital manner, various forms of information can be sent based on ASN.1.

[0066] The following example, using RRC reconfiguration messages from R18, illustrates why the protocol contains an increasing number of parameters. In the following RRC reconfiguration message A, “radioBearerConfig,” “secondaryCellGroup,” “measConfig,” “RRCReconfiguration-v1530,” “RRCReconfiguration-v1540,” and “RRCReconfiguration-v1560” are configurations introduced in NR R15, primarily including basic parameters required for terminal devices to establish connections or conduct communication. “RRCReconfiguration-v1610” is a configuration introduced in NR R16, including feature parameters introduced in NR R16. For example, feature parameters introduced in NR R16 include those introduced by the backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP), mobility enhancement, and sidelink (SL). “RRCReconfiguration-v1700” is a configuration introduced in NR R17, including feature parameters introduced in NR R17. For example, the feature parameters introduced in NR R17 include those introduced by terminal equipment with reduced capabilities, those introduced by small packet data transmission, and those introduced by wireless slicing enhancements. "RRCReconfiguration-v1800" is a configuration introduced in NR R18, including the feature parameters introduced in NR R18. For example, the feature parameters introduced in NR R18 include those introduced by further mobility enhancements and those introduced by XR. It should be noted that, for simplicity, not all feature parameters introduced in R16 to R18 are shown below; they are indicated by "=== omitted ===".

[0067] RRC Reconfiguration Message A

[0068] As can be seen from RRC reconfiguration message A, with the expansion of the RRC protocol version, the number of feature parameters in each version is also increasing. ASN.1 contains more and more parameters, and the memory occupied by encoding / decoding ASN.1 is also increasing. Furthermore, with the expansion of the RRC protocol version, the following drawbacks also exist:

[0069] 1) The implementation of the features of the next version is based on the implementation of the previous version. For example, "RRCReconfiguration-v1610-IEs" is included in the non-critical extension of "RRCReconfiguration-v1560-IEs"; "RRCReconfiguration-v1700-IEs" is included in the non-critical extension of "RRCReconfiguration-v1610-IEs"; "RRCReconfiguration-v1800-IEs" is included in the non-critical extension of "RRCReconfiguration-v1700-IEs", and so on. Therefore, if a terminal device wants to implement a certain feature of R18, it needs to implement the parsing and storage of the parameters of R15-R18 in sequence from R15, in order to complete the implementation of the R18 feature. As can be seen, with the expansion of the RRC protocol, the coupling between different versions is serious, and the implementation of the features of a certain version depends on the implementation of the features of the previous version, and the implementation complexity is high.

[0070] 2) The coupling relationship between different features is strong. Taking "RRCReconfiguration-v1700-IEs" introduced in R17 as an example, RRCReconfiguration-v1700-IEs includes the parameters of all features introduced in v1700 version. If a terminal device wants to implement a certain feature (for example, the configuration corresponding to the feature is appLayerMeasConfig-r17), the terminal device needs to parse all the parameters before the feature parameter (for example, otherConfig-v1700, sl-L2RelayUE-Config-r17, and ul-GapFR2-Config-r17, etc.). And even if the terminal device does not support the features corresponding to these parameters, the terminal device still needs to parse all the parameters before the feature parameter in order to implement a certain feature. Therefore, the coupling between features also increases the implementation complexity and memory overhead of the terminal device.

[0071] 3) The parameters introduced by the features of the same / different versions depend on each other, so that each version needs to wait until all features are stable and the protocol is sealed before developing for a specific feature, and the development cycle is long.

[0072] To solve the above technical problems, the scheme provided in the embodiments of the present application is provided. In the embodiments of the present application, the parameters newly added in each version are isolated and designed according to characteristics. Compared with extending the RRC protocol according to the version, the related parameters of the characteristics are packaged together to achieve isolation between the characteristics, so that complete pruning based on the characteristics can be achieved. For example, on the basis of implementing R15, without implementing the characteristics of R16 extension, the characteristics of R17 extension can be directly implemented. For another example, when implementing a certain characteristic in R17 version, without parsing all parameters before the characteristic in R17 version, or without implementing any other characteristics in R17 version. Compared with extending the RRC protocol according to the version, the complexity of implementing the certain characteristic or characteristics is lower. And, due to the isolation between the characteristics of the same / different versions, for each version, without waiting for all characteristics to be stable and the protocol to be sealed, development can be carried out for specific characteristics, which can shorten the development cycle.

[0073] The scheme provided in the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0074] The communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application is applied to the network architecture shown in FIG. 1 as an example. The communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be executed by a first communication device and a second communication device. The steps executed by the first communication device can be implemented by the first communication device itself, or can be implemented by a component (such as a baseband chip, or other processing unit or processor module) in the first communication device, or can be implemented by a larger device including the first communication device. For example, the first communication device is the terminal device 120a shown in FIG. 1, and the steps executed by the first communication device can be implemented by the terminal device itself, or can be implemented by a component (such as a chip, a processing unit, or a processor module) in the terminal device. The steps executed by the second communication device can be implemented by the second communication device itself, or can be implemented by a component (such as a baseband chip, or other processing unit or processor module) in the second communication device, or can be implemented by a larger device including the second communication device. For example, the second communication device can be the network device 110a in FIG. 1, and the steps executed by the second communication device can be implemented by the RAN device itself, or can be implemented by a component (such as a baseband chip, or other processing unit or processor module) in the RAN device. The specific forms of the first communication device and the second communication device are not limited, for example, the first communication device can be a chip, and the second communication device can be a device; or the first communication device and the second communication device are both chips or devices. For the convenience of description, the first communication device is taken as a terminal device, and the second communication device is taken as a network device as an example, that is, the method provided in the embodiments of the present application is executed by a terminal device and a network device as an example.

[0075] Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 2 introduces the method from the perspective of interaction between a network device and a terminal device. It should be understood that the communication method can also be implemented by other devices, for example, the communication method can be executed by a chip or a communication device with communication function. As shown in FIG. 2, the flow of the communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application is as follows.

[0076] S201, the network device sends a first message, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first message.

[0077] The first message can include parameters configured for the terminal device, and the terminal device can work based on the configured parameters, for example, the terminal device can perform uplink and downlink data transmission or uplink and downlink signaling transmission or measurement according to the configuration. For example, the first message can include one or more of radio bearer configuration, measurement configuration, primary cell group configuration, secondary cell group configuration, sidelink configuration, serving cell configuration, or BWP configuration. For each configuration, the first message can include one or more, and each configuration includes at least one parameter or at least one parameter.

[0078] Embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific name of the first message, for example, the first message can be an RRC reconfiguration message, an RRC recovery message, an RRC reestablishment message, an RRC connection establishment message, a system information (SI) message, etc.

[0079] The configurations included in the first message as listed above are only examples, and the first message can also include other configuration parameters. For example, the first message can also include configuration parameters related to characteristics. Characteristics can be understood as specific enhancements, or specific functions, or specific services, or specific terminal device types, or specific network device types, or specific capabilities. Characteristics have corresponding capabilities, for example, a terminal device has / supports a first characteristic, the first characteristic corresponds to a first capability, and then the terminal device has the first capability; or the first capability corresponds to the first characteristic, and then the terminal device having the first capability can indicate that the terminal device supports the first characteristic. With the continuous development of communication technology, the 3GPP protocol is also evolving, and each evolution will correspondingly produce one or more characteristics. For example, 3GPP R16 introduced the URLLC characteristic compared to R15; R17 introduced the “Redcap”, “sidelink enhancement”, “mobility enhancement” and other characteristics compared to R16. The first characteristic can be one or more characteristics introduced by multiple versions, and the multiple versions include future versions. For example, the first characteristic includes one or more of the following characteristics: “Redcap”, “sidelink enhancement”, “mobility enhancement”, “MIMO”, “CA”, “low latency service”, “XR”, “AI”, “deterministic experience” or “DC” and the like.

[0080] With the increase of the features, the configuration parameters included in the first message also increase. In view of the fact that the RRC protocol is extended according to the version, the features between different versions are coupled seriously, and the implementation complexity of a certain feature is high, embodiments of the present application encapsulate the configuration parameters related to the features together based on the feature extension of the RRC protocol. Different features or the configuration parameters related to different features are identified by different identifiers. For example, the first message can include at least one feature-related configuration parameter / configuration parameter of at least one feature and an identifier (ID) of at least one feature. It can be considered that each feature-related configuration parameter is encapsulated together, and the configuration parameters of different features correspond to different IDs. For example, the configuration parameters of a feature can be encapsulated in a container, and different containers correspond to different IDs.

[0081] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation form of the at least one feature-related configuration parameter included in the first message. For example, the at least one feature-related configuration parameter exists in the form of a table, which can be referred to as a feature configuration list. For example, the first message includes a feature configuration list, and the feature configuration list includes a first identifier and first information, wherein the first information includes the first feature-related configuration parameter, and the first identifier is used to identify the first feature or the first information. The feature configuration list can contain one feature (for example, the first feature). For example, the first feature is feature A, and the first message includes a feature configuration list, and the feature configuration list includes identifier A and information A, wherein the information A includes the configuration parameter related to the feature A, and the identifier A is used to identify the feature A. The feature configuration list can contain multiple features (for example, the first feature and the second feature). For example, the first feature is feature A, and the second feature is feature B, and the first message includes a feature configuration list, and the feature configuration list can include identifier A and information A, and identifier B and information B, wherein the information A includes the configuration parameter related to the feature A, and the identifier A is used to identify the feature A or the information A; the information B includes the configuration parameter related to the feature B, and the identifier B is used to identify the feature B or the information.

[0082] Optionally, the correspondence between the features and the identifiers can be pre-defined by the protocol or configured by the network. For example, the protocol stipulates that the identifier of the first feature is the first identifier, the identifier of the second feature is the second identifier, and so on. For another example, the network side indicates the correspondence between the features and the identifiers through signaling (for example, system information), and the correspondence includes that the first feature corresponds to the first identifier, the second feature corresponds to the second identifier, and so on. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation form of the correspondence between the features and the identifiers, for example, the correspondence between the features and the identifiers is shown in Table 1.

[0083] Table 1

[0084] The following illustrates a specific implementation of the first message taking the first message as an RRC reconfiguration message as an example. For example, the first message is an RRC reconfiguration message B as follows, and the specific implementation of the RRC reconfiguration message B is as follows.

[0085] RRC reconfiguration message B

[0086] The “FeatureConfigList” in the RRC reconfiguration message B is a feature configuration list. The at least one “FeatureConfig” included in the FeatureConfigList is a feature configuration, including a configuration parameter of the feature and an identifier of the feature. For example, each “FeatureConfig” includes a feature identifier “featureConfigId” and feature configuration information “featureConfigInfo”. The “featureConfigInfo” can be a bit string or an octet string (the RRC reconfiguration message B takes this as an example), including the configuration parameter of the feature corresponding to the featureConfigId. For example, the “featureConfigId” is a first identifier, and the “featureConfigInfo” is first information, including a configuration parameter related to a first feature. Assuming that the first feature is a RedCap feature, the “featureConfigId” indicates the RedCap feature, and the “featureConfigInfo” includes a configuration parameter related to the RedCap. Optionally, the configuration parameter included in the “featureConfigInfo” can be encapsulated in a container.

[0087] When the terminal device receives the above-mentioned RRC reconfiguration message B, if the “featureConfigId” indicates the first identifier, the terminal device determines that the “featureConfigInfo” defines the first information. The terminal device decodes the “featureConfigInfo” according to the format of the first information. For example, when the “featureConfigId” indicates the RedCap feature, the terminal device decodes the “featureConfigInfo” according to the information format related to the RedCap. For another example, when the “featureConfigId” indicates an AI feature, the terminal device decodes the “featureConfigInfo” according to the information format related to the AI.

[0088] Optionally, the first information includes a parameter of a first feature extension. The parameter of the feature extension includes a parameter introduced additionally compared with a basic parameter. For example, the basic parameter includes “radioBearerConfig”, “secondaryCellGroup”, “measConfig”, etc., and the first information includes a parameter introduced additionally compared with the basic parameter. Or, the parameter of the feature extension includes a parameter introduced additionally compared with a parameter introduced previously. For another example, the first information includes a parameter introduced additionally compared with a parameter introduced previously.

[0089] As can be seen from the comparison between the RRC reconfiguration message A and the RRC reconfiguration message B, the RRC reconfiguration B is based on the feature configuration list, which can isolate the configuration parameters related to different features from each other. That is, the implementation of one feature does not depend on the implementation of any other feature, and the implementation of one version of feature does not depend on another version, and the configuration parameters related to different features can be isolated from each other, thereby realizing complete tailoring of the features. For example, based on the implementation of R15, without implementing the features of R16 extension, the features of R17 extension can be directly implemented, which can reduce the implementation complexity of the features compared with the version extension protocol. For another example, if the terminal device does not support a certain feature, the terminal device can tailor the first information after receiving the first message, for example, the terminal device can only decode and store the first parameters corresponding to the features supported by the terminal device, which can reduce the memory space required by the terminal device to decode and store the first information. For example, the terminal device can only implement the decoding and storage of feature 1 in R17 version, and completely tailor the R17 feature 2 not supported by the terminal device. Compared with the version extension protocol, the implementation complexity, storage space and cost of the terminal device can be reduced.

[0090] In addition, due to the isolation between different features, after the parameters of a certain feature are all determined, the terminal device can develop for the specific feature. For each version, it is not necessary to wait for all the features of the version to be stable and the protocol to be finalized before starting development. Compared with the version extension protocol, which needs to wait for the end of the discussion of all features before determining the position of the information element (IE) corresponding to the feature, the feature extension protocol can shorten the development cycle.

[0091] For the convenience of understanding, the following takes CellGroupConfig as an example to explain the reason for the long development cycle according to the version extension protocol. For brevity, the configuration parameters not shown are indicated by “====== omitted ====== ” in the following CellGroupConfig.

[0092] As can be seen from the CellGroupConfig, to implement the "rlc-BearerToRealeaseListExt-r17", all features before the "rlc-BearerToRealeaseListExt-r17" need to be discussed, stabilized, and determined, and then the location of the information element (IE) corresponding to the rlc-BearerToRealeaseListExt-r17 can be determined, and therefore the development cycle is relatively long. In contrast, in the embodiments of the present application, the configuration parameters related to the features are encapsulated together, and for a certain feature, as long as the discussion of the feature is over, the configuration parameters related to the feature can be determined, and the development of the feature can be implemented, the implementation of the features is decoupled, and the development can be performed without waiting for the discussion of all features to be over, and therefore the development cycle can be shortened.

[0093] It can be understood that the network device can be configured for a cell group, for example, the network device can configure at least one cell group, and each cell group includes at least one cell. The network device can further configure a scheduled bandwidth part (BWP) or a channel for each cell. It can also be considered that the configuration parameters have multiple levels (or referred to as configuration levels or levels or levels or granularity), for example, a terminal device level, a cell group level, a cell group, a BWP level, or a channel level, and the like.

[0094] Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a structure diagram of an RRC reconfiguration message provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 3, the RRC configuration parameters can include configuration parameters of various levels. For example, the RRC reconfiguration message can include parameters for a UE, such as a radio bearer configuration. Of course, the parameters for the UE can also include other possible parameters, such as a measurement configuration, etc. The radio bearer configuration can include parameters of one or more signalling radio bearers (SRBs) and data radio bearers (DRBs). The RRC reconfiguration message can also include cell group related parameters, which can include a primary cell group related configuration and a secondary cell group related configuration. Each cell group related configuration can include configuration of one or more RLC bearers, MAC related configuration, configuration of one or more buffer status reports (BSRs), PHY configuration, and configuration of one or more serving cells, etc. The configuration of one or more serving cells can include a primary cell configuration or a secondary cell configuration. The serving cell configuration can also include configuration of one or more BWPs. The configuration of each BWP can also include configuration of one or more channels. The one or more channels can be physical uplink control channels (PUCCHs), physical uplink shared channels (PUSCHs), physical downlink control channels (PDCCHs), physical downlink shared channels (PDSCHs), etc. The RRC reconfiguration message can also include other configurations, which are not described in detail herein. In an embodiment of the present application, the above different configurations (such as the radio bearer related configuration, the RLC bearer related configuration, the BSR related configuration, the serving cell related configuration, the BWP related configuration, the channel related configuration, etc.) are referred to as configuration information of different levels (or grades, ranks). The level related configuration can also include new levels added in the future, in addition to the above existing related classification methods. In the following description, the parameters of different levels are described by taking cell groups, serving cells, BWPs, or channels as examples.

[0095] In the embodiments of the present application, the characteristic configuration list can be included in one or more levels of configuration information. For example, the characteristic configuration list can be included in second information, which can be used to configure a first cell group, a first serving cell, a first BWP, or a first channel. The second information can also be bearer configuration, RLC configuration, scheduling request configuration, etc. The level in which the characteristic configuration list is located can depend on the level of the characteristic-related configuration parameters in the characteristic configuration list, so as to improve the readability of the configuration list.

[0096] For example, the second information is cell group configuration information, which is used to configure a first cell group. The second information can be CellGroupConfig. The first cell group can be a master cell group or a secondary cell group. The characteristic configuration list can be included in the cell group configuration information, in which case the first information included in the characteristic configuration list includes cell group configuration information of the first characteristic. The cell group configuration information can include serving cell configuration information and BWP configuration information, etc.

[0097] For another example, the second information is serving cell configuration information, which is used to configure a first cell. The second information can be ServingCellConfig or ServingCellConfigCommon or ServingCellConfigCommonSIB. The first cell can be a master cell or a secondary cell. The characteristic configuration list can be included in the serving cell configuration information, in which case the first information included in the characteristic configuration list includes serving cell configuration information of the first characteristic.

[0098] For another example, the second information is BWP configuration information, which is used to configure a first BWP. The second information can be BWP or BWP-Downlink or BWP-Uplink or UplinkConfigCommon or DownlinkConfigCommon. The first BWP can be an uplink BWP or a downlink BWP. The characteristic configuration list can be included in the BWP configuration information, in which case the first information included in the characteristic configuration list includes BWP configuration information of the first characteristic.

[0099] Optionally, for any one characteristic configuration (for example, the first information or the container in which the first information is located), configuration parameters of each level can be extended in the characteristic configuration. The level of the configuration information in which the first information is located can be the highest level corresponding to the characteristic-related configuration parameters included in the first information. For example, if the highest level corresponding to the characteristic-related configuration parameters included in the first information is the cell group level, the second information is cell group configuration information.

[0100] For example, the first message includes one feature configuration list, which is directly included in the RRC message or the second information, and in this case, the first information included in the feature configuration list includes all parameters of the first feature extension (e.g., parameters specific to terminal devices, or cell group configuration information, serving cell configuration information, BWP configuration information, etc.). For another example, the first message includes multiple feature configuration lists, which are included in different second information. For example, the first information included in the feature configuration list in the cell group configuration information includes the cell group configuration information of the first feature, and the first information included in the feature configuration list in the serving cell configuration information includes the serving cell configuration information of the first feature. It can be seen that the level of the parameters included in the first information in the feature configuration list corresponds to the level of the second information in which the first information is located.

[0101] Optionally, the first information is further used to indicate the cell group, serving cell, BWP or channel to which the parameters in the first information correspond. For example, the first information indicates that the cell group configuration parameter in the first information is the configuration parameter of the first cell group (or the second cell group). It can also be understood that the extension parameter at a certain level in the feature configuration can correspond to the configuration at the same level in the basic parameter, or the first information indicates the correspondence between the entry in the feature configuration and the entry in the basic parameter. For example, the extension parameter at a certain level is included in at least one entry, the number of the at least one entry is the same as the number of the configuration entry at the level in the basic parameter, and the entry in the feature configuration corresponds to the entry in the basic parameter one by one.

[0102] For example, a certain feature (e.g., referred to as Feature A) has a container including one or more of UE-level feature parameters, cell group-level feature parameters, cell-level feature parameters, and BWP-level feature parameters. The base parameters include one or more of UE-level parameters, cell group-level parameters, cell-level parameters, and BWP-level parameters. The feature parameters of Feature A include RB (level) / RB-level extension parameters, which are included in N entries, respectively, for configuring N RBs. The base parameters in the first message include N RB-level entries, and the N entries of the UE-level feature parameters correspond one-to-one to the N entries of the base parameters. The cell group-level feature parameters include RLC (or logical channel) related extension parameters, which are included in M RLC configuration entries, respectively, for configuring M RLCs. The base parameters in the first message include M RLC entries, and the M entries of the RLC related extension parameters correspond one-to-one to the M entries of the base parameters. The cell group-level feature configuration parameters include MAC related extension parameters, which are included in P SR resource configuration entries, respectively, for configuring P SR resources. The base parameters in the first message include P SR resource configuration entries, and the P entries of the MAC related extension parameters correspond one-to-one to the P entries of the base parameters. For another example, the cell group-level feature configuration parameters include cell-level extension parameters, which are included in T serving cell configuration entries, respectively, for configuring T serving cells. The base parameters in the first message include T serving cell level entries, and the T entries of the cell-level extension parameters correspond one-to-one to the T entries of the base parameters. For another example, the cell group-level feature configuration parameters include BWP-level extension parameters, which are included in R entries, respectively, for configuring R BWPs. The base parameters in the first message include R BWP level entries, and the R entries of the BWP-level extension parameters correspond to the R entries of the base parameters, respectively.

[0103] The correspondence between the entries in the characteristic configuration and the entries in the base parameters can be explicitly indicated by the network device through signaling, or implicitly indicated based on predefined rules. For example, the first information indicating the cell group, serving cell, BWP or channel corresponding to the first information includes two ways (i.e., the first way and the second way), which are introduced in turn as follows. Relatively speaking, the first way is an explicit indication way, and the second way is an implicit indication way.

[0104] In the first way, the first information further includes a second identifier, which is used to identify the cell group, serving cell, BWP or channel corresponding to the first information. The second identifier can also be used to identify the RLC entity, logical channel, scheduling request (SR), timing advance group (TAG), RB, etc. corresponding to the first information, which will not be described here. The terminal device can determine the parameters of the cell group, serving cell, BWP or channel indicated by the second identifier in the first information and the parameters of the cell group, serving cell, BWP or channel indicated by the second identifier in the base parameters as the parameters of the cell group, serving cell, BWP or channel.

[0105] For example, the characteristic configuration list includes first information and a first identifier, and the first information includes a second identifier. The first information includes configuration parameters related to the first characteristic, the first identifier is used to identify the first characteristic or the first information, and the second identifier is used to identify the cell group, serving cell, BWP or channel corresponding to the first information. For another example, the characteristic configuration list includes information A and identifier A and information B and identifier B, where information A includes identifier A', and information B includes identifier B'. Information A includes configuration parameters related to characteristic A, identifier A is used to identify characteristic A or information A, and identifier A' is used to identify the cell group, serving cell, BWP or channel corresponding to information A. Information B includes configuration parameters related to characteristic B, identifier B is used to identify characteristic B or information B, and identifier B' is used to identify the cell group, serving cell, BWP or channel corresponding to information B. It can be understood that identifier A' and identifier B' can have multiple identifiers, which are used to identify different cell groups, serving cells, BWPs or channels, etc.

[0106] Taking RedCap as the first characteristic, the first information includes RedCap-related configuration parameters and a second identifier. The implementation of the RedCap-related configuration parameters "FeatureConfigRedCap" can be as follows.

[0107] FeatureConfigRedCap

[0108] The FeatureConfigRedCap above is only an example. As can be seen from the FeatureConfigRedCap, the FeatureConfigRedCap includes extended parameters such as an extended parameter under RadioBearerConfig (for example, radioBearerConfigRedCap), an extended parameter under cell group configuration (for example, masterCellGroupRedCap), and the like. Among them, the RadioBearerId can be a second identifier, used to identify an RB or a related configuration thereof; the logicalChannelIdentity can be a second identifier, used to identify an RLC or a related configuration thereof; the servCellIndex can be a second identifier, used to identify a serving cell or a related configuration thereof, and the bwp-Id can be a second identifier, used to identify a BWP or a related configuration thereof. For example, the radioBearerConfigRedCap includes the RadioBearerId, which is associated with the RB entry in the basic parameters, and can indicate the RB corresponding to the radio bearer configuration in the first information. For example, the srb-Identity in the radioBearerConfigRedCap is 1, and the terminal device can associate the corresponding parameterperRB configuration with the SRB1 in the basic parameters, and the parameters of the SRB1 in the basic parameters to form the configuration of the SRB1.

[0109] The first way can also be understood as introducing an ID in the first information to indicate the entry, so that the entry in the first information corresponds to the entry in the basic parameters, thereby the cell group, the serving cell, the BWP or the channel configuration corresponding to the entry in the basic parameters can be associated with the cell group, the serving cell, the BWP or the channel configuration in the first information.

[0110] The second way is to determine the cell group, the cell, the BWP or the channel corresponding to the first information based on the corresponding relationship between the entry in the characteristic configuration and the entry in the basic parameters.

[0111] Compared with the first mode, the second mode introduces a rule for determining the correspondence between the entries in the feature configuration and the entries in the base parameters. The rule can be predefined or agreed. For example, the extension parameters of a certain level are contained in at least one entry, which is one-to-one corresponding to the configuration entry entry of the level in the base parameters. For example, the feature parameters of feature A include the RB (level) / RB-level extension parameters, which are contained in N entries for configuring N RBs, respectively. The base parameters in the first message include N RB-level entries, and the N entries in the UE-level feature parameters are one-to-one corresponding to the N entries in the base parameters. In the second mode, it can be specified that the entries corresponding to the extension parameters of the feature and the entries in the base parameters are one-to-one corresponding in the order of index from small to large or from large to small, so that the extension parameters of the feature can be determined based on the base parameters based on the rule. For example, the first entry corresponding to the extension parameters of a certain feature corresponds to the first entry in the base parameters; the second entry corresponding to the extension parameters of a certain feature corresponds to the second entry in the base parameters, and so on. It can also be considered that the configuration of a certain level has the same index in the first information and the configuration of the level in the base parameters.

[0112] Taking the first feature as RedCap, the first information includes RedCap-related configuration parameters. For example, the implementation of the RedCap-related configuration parameter "FeatureConfigRedCap" can be as follows.

[0113] FeatureConfigRedCap

[0114] The FeatureConfigRedCap above is just an example. In the FeatureConfigRedCap, the "rrm-MeasRelaxationReportingConfig" is a RedCap-related UE-level configuration parameter, the "parameterperCell" includes RedCap-related cell-level configuration parameters, and the "parameterperBWP" includes RedCap-related BWP-level configuration parameters. The "radioBearerConfigRedCap" includes RedCap-related RB configurations, the number of configured RBs is the same as that in the basic parameters, and the RB configurations configured by the radioBearerConfigRedCap correspond one-to-one to the RB configurations in the basic parameters. Similarly, the "rlc-BearerConfigRedCap" includes RLC configurations, the number of configured RLCs is the same as that in the basic parameters, and the RLC configurations configured by the radioBearerConfigRedCap correspond one-to-one to the RLC configurations in the basic parameters. The "cellGroupRedCap" includes cell configurations, the number of configured cells is the same as that of the serving cells in the basic parameters, and the cell configurations configured by the cellGroupRedCap correspond one-to-one to the serving cells in the basic parameters. The "schedulingRequestRedCap" includes SR resource configurations, the number of configured SR resources is the same as that in the basic parameters, and the SR resources configured by the schedulingRequestRedCap correspond one-to-one to the SR resources in the basic parameters. The "bwpConfigRedCap" includes BWP configurations, the number of configured BWPs is the same as that in the basic parameters, and the BWP configurations configured by the bwpConfigRedCap correspond one-to-one to the BWPs in the basic parameters.

[0115] The first and second manners substantially indicate how to configure parameters of each level in a configuration parameter of one feature. As an alternative implementation manner, a feature-based configuration parameter can be added in one or more levels of configuration parameters. For example, one or more feature configuration lists can be added in one or more levels of configuration parameters. Each feature configuration list can include feature extension parameters of the one or more levels. The feature configuration list can be included in multiple second information, wherein different feature configuration lists in different second information include feature-related parameters corresponding to different levels.

[0116] Taking the first message as the RRC reconfiguration message C and the first feature as RedCap as an example, the RRC reconfiguration message C can include a feature configuration list, and the first information in the feature configuration list includes a UE-level parameter (for example, RB-related configuration) or a measurement-related configuration (for example, rrm-MeasRelaxationReportingConfig) related to the first feature. The cell group configuration (CellGroupConfig) included in the RRC reconfiguration message C can also include a feature configuration list, and the first information in the feature configuration list includes a cell group-related configuration, a MAC configuration or an RLC configuration and the like related to the first feature. The first information can also include a serving cell configuration, a BWP configuration and the like related to the first feature. The serving cell configuration (ServingCellConfig) of the cell group configuration (CellGroupConfig) in the RRC reconfiguration message C can also include a feature configuration list, and the first information in the feature configuration list includes a serving cell configuration related to the first feature. The first information can also include a BWP configuration and the like related to the first feature, and so on.

[0117] RRC reconfiguration message C

[0118] As can be seen from the RRC reconfiguration message C, if the extended RedCap is based on the UE-level configuration parameter, the configuration parameter of the RedCap can be extended in the RRC reconfiguration IE. For example, the configuration parameter of the RedCap can be extended in “radioBearerConfig”, and “RadioBearerConfigRedCap” includes the extended parameter under the RedCap. Alternatively, if the UE-level configuration parameter includes multiple entries, taking the RB entry as an example, the number of RB entries included in RadioBearerConfigRedCap is the same as the number of RB entries included in radioBearerConfig, and the RB entries included in RadioBearerConfigRedCap and the RB entries included in radioBearerConfig one-to-one correspond in the foregoing manner.

[0119] For another example, the possible implementation of the CellGroupConfig IE is as follows:

[0120] CellGroupConfig

[0121] As can be seen from the CellGroupConfig, if the extended RedCap is based on the configuration parameters at the cell group level, the configuration parameters of RedCap can be extended in the CellGroupConfig IE. For example, the configuration parameters of RedCap can be extended in "rlc-BearerConfig", wherein "rlc-BearerConfigRedCap" includes the extended parameters under RedCap. Alternatively, if the configuration parameters at the cell group level include multiple entries, taking the RB entry as an example, the number of RB entries included in rlc-BearerConfigRedCap is the same as the number of RB entries included in rlc-BearerConfig, and the RB entries included in rlc-BearerConfigRedCap correspond one-to-one to the RB entries included in rlc-BearerConfig in the aforementioned manner.

[0122] The embodiments of the present application are based on characteristic extension parameters, or in other words, implement parameter extension based on characteristics, which may cause the length of the first information to be different. In order to enable the terminal device to determine the size of the first information to achieve correct decoding, the length (length) field of the first information is also needed to indicate the size of the first information, which increases the signaling overhead. For example, the extension parameters of a certain characteristic occupy 2 bits, and the length field occupies 1 byte, so introducing the length indication increases the overhead. For characteristics that introduce fewer parameters or for system information that is more sensitive to signaling overhead, the utilization rate of system resources is low.

[0123] Therefore, in order to reduce the introduction of the length field in the first information causing additional overhead, in the embodiments of the present application, the length of the first information can be limited or agreed in the protocol, that is, the size of the overhead occupied by the extension parameters of a certain characteristic is agreed.

[0124] For example, the length of the first information is less than or equal to N bits, and N is a positive integer. For another example, the length of the first information is less than or equal to M bytes, and M is a positive integer. For example, the protocol limits or agrees that the container (i.e., the first information) of the RedCap characteristic is encoded as OCTET STRING(SIZE(3)).

[0125] For example, the length of the first information is N1 or N2 bits, where N1 and N2 are positive integers. Alternatively, the length of the first information is M1 or M2 bytes, where M1 and M2 are positive integers. It should be noted that N1, N2, M1, and M2 are only examples, indicating that the length of the first information is limited to enumerated values. Thus, only the length of the first information needs to be indicated as one of the enumerated values, achieving the purpose of saving signaling overhead. For example, the protocol limits or stipulates that the container (i.e., the first information) in which the RedCap feature is located is encoded as OCTET STRING (SIZE (3, 4, 5, 6)). Only two bits of information are needed to indicate the length of the first information as one of 3 to 6, which effectively reduces the signaling overhead compared to the length indication overhead of about 1 byte.

[0126] Alternatively, the length of the first information is extensible. For example, an extensible bit is reserved in the length indication of the first information. For example, the container in which the RedCap feature is located is encoded as OCTET STRING (SIZE (3, …)). When subsequent versions add parameters to the feature and exceed the original 3 bytes, the encoding can be updated to OCTET STRING (SIZE (3, …, 5)), thereby extending to 5 bytes. By reserving an extension bit, the length of the first information can be more flexible, and compared to not limiting the length, only the extension bit (about 1 bit) needs to be indicated to achieve the purpose of saving signaling overhead.

[0127] S202, the terminal device updates the configuration related to the first feature according to the first information, and the update includes adding, modifying, or deleting.

[0128] The terminal device receives the first message and can determine the configuration parameters related to the first feature according to the first information. The terminal device can update the configuration related to the first feature according to the configuration parameters related to the first feature.

[0129] The update includes adding, for example, the first feature is RedCap, the first information includes configuration information of the BWP for RedCap, and the terminal device is a RedCap terminal. Then, the terminal device can add the BWP specific to RedCap according to the first information.

[0130] The update can also include modification, for example, the first feature is RedCap, and the first information includes configuration information for modifying the BWP for RedCap. Then, the terminal device modifies the configuration information of the BWP for RedCap according to the first information.

[0131] The update can also include deletion, for example, the first characteristic is RedCap, the first information indicates in the first message to delete the BWP for RedCap, and the terminal device deletes the BWP specific to RedCap.

[0132] Optionally, the terminal device receives the first message, determines the length of the first information, and obtains the first information from the first message. It should be noted that the above takes the first characteristic as RedCap as an example, and is similar to other characteristics. The update includes addition, modification, or deletion.

[0133] The above describes the method provided by the embodiments of the present application by taking the terminal device and the network device as an example. In the present application, each embodiment can be independently implemented or implemented based on certain internal relationship. In each embodiment, different implementation manners can be combined or independently implemented. In order to implement the functions in the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the steps performed by the terminal device can be implemented by different functional entities constituting the terminal device. The steps performed by the network device can be implemented by different functional entities constituting the network device. For example, the network device can be a CU-DU architecture, the CU can generate a synchronization signal, and the DU can send the synchronization signal. In order to implement the functions in the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device and the network device can include hardware structures and / or software modules, and the above functions are implemented in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or hardware structures and software modules. Whether a certain function in the above functions is executed in the form of hardware structure, software module, or hardware structure and software module depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0134] Based on the same inventive concept as the method embodiments, the embodiments of the present application provide a communication device. The communication device used to implement the above method in the embodiments of the present application is introduced below in conjunction with the drawings. The content in the above can be used in the subsequent embodiments, and the repeated content will not be described again.

[0135] FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a communication apparatus 400 provided by the embodiments of the present application. The communication apparatus 400 can be the terminal device or the network device in the above embodiments. For example, the communication apparatus 400 can be the terminal device in FIG. 1; or the communication apparatus 400 is a chip (system) in the terminal device; or the communication apparatus 400 is a software module of the terminal device. The communication apparatus 400 can correspond to implement the functions or steps implemented by the terminal device in the above various method embodiments. For another example, the communication apparatus 400 can be the network device in FIG. 1; or the communication apparatus 400 is a chip (system) in the network device; or the communication apparatus 400 is a software module of the network device. The communication apparatus 400 can correspond to implement the functions or steps implemented by the network device in the above various method embodiments. The communication apparatus 400 can include a processing module 410 and a transceiver module 420. Optionally, the communication apparatus 400 can further include a storage module, which can be used to store instructions (codes or programs) and / or data. The storage module can be, for example, a memory. The processing module 410 and the transceiver module 420 can be coupled with the storage module. For example, the processing module 410 can read the instructions (codes or programs) and / or data in the storage module to implement the corresponding method. When the communication apparatus 400 is a chip in the terminal device or the network device, the storage module can be a storage module in the chip, such as a register, a cache, etc. For example, the storage module can also be a storage module outside the chip in the terminal device or the network device, such as a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM), etc. The above various units can be independently arranged, or partially or entirely integrated.

[0136] The processing module 410 can be a processor or a controller, for example, can be a general central processing unit (CPU), a general processor, a digital signal processing (DSP), an application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logical blocks, modules and circuits described in combination with the disclosure. The processor can also be a combination of computing functions, such as including one or more microprocessor combinations, combinations of DSP and microprocessor, etc. The transceiver module 420 is a transceiver, interface circuit, bus, pin or other possible communication interface for receiving signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented in the form of a chip, the transceiver module 420 is an interface circuit of the chip for receiving signals from other chips or devices, or is an interface circuit of the chip for transmitting signals to other chips or devices.

[0137] In an implementation manner, the communication device 400 can correspondingly implement the behaviors and functions of the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 400 can be a terminal device, can be a component (for example, a chip or a circuit) applied to the terminal device, can be a chip or a part of a chip set in the terminal device for executing related method functions, or can be a software module capable of implementing the method executed by the terminal device in the above communication method, without limitation. For details, reference can be made to the related content of the above method embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0138] For example, the transceiver module 420 is configured to receive a first message, the first message comprising a feature configuration list, the feature configuration list comprising a first identifier and first information, wherein the first information comprises configuration parameters related to a first feature, and the first identifier is used to identify the first feature or the first information. The processing module 410 is configured to update the configuration related to the first feature according to the first information, and the updating comprises adding, modifying or deleting.

[0139] As an optional implementation manner, the first feature comprises one or more of the following features: sidelink enhancement, mobility enhancement or low-capability terminal device.

[0140] As an optional implementation manner, the feature configuration list is contained in second information, and the second information is used to configure: a first cell group, a first serving cell, a first BWP or a first channel.

[0141] As an optional implementation, the first information is further used to indicate a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP or a channel corresponding to the first information.

[0142] As an optional implementation, the first information is further used to indicate a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP or a channel corresponding to the first information, including that the first information further comprises a second identifier used to identify the cell group, the serving cell, the BWP or the channel corresponding to the first information.

[0143] As an optional implementation, the length of the first information is less than or equal to N bits, N is a positive integer; or, the length of the first information is less than or equal to M bytes, M is a positive integer; or, the length of the first information is extensible.

[0144] In another implementation, the communication apparatus 400 can correspondingly implement the behaviors and functions of the network device in the above method embodiments. The communication apparatus 400 can be a network device, or a component (such as a chip or circuit) in the network device, or a part in a chip or chip set for executing related method functions in the network device, or a software module in the network device capable of implementing the above communication method, which is not limited. For details, reference can be made to the related content of the above method embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0145] For example, the processing module 410 is configured to generate a first message, the first message comprising a feature configuration list, the feature configuration list comprising a first identifier and first information, wherein the first information comprises a configuration parameter related to a first feature, and the first identifier is used to identify the first feature or the first information. The transceiver module 420 is configured to transmit the first message.

[0146] As an optional implementation, the first feature comprises one or more of the following features: sidelink enhancement, mobility enhancement or low-capability terminal device.

[0147] As an optional implementation, the feature configuration list is contained in second information, and the second information is used to configure: a first cell group, a first serving cell, a first BWP or a first channel.

[0148] As an optional implementation, the first information is further used to indicate a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP or a channel corresponding to the first information.

[0149] As an optional implementation, the first information is further used to indicate a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP or a channel corresponding to the first information, including that the first information further comprises a second identifier used to identify the cell group, the serving cell, the BWP or the channel corresponding to the first information.

[0150] As an optional implementation, the length of the first information is less than or equal to N bits, N is a positive integer; or, the length of the first information is less than or equal to M bytes, M is a positive integer; or, the length of the first information is scalable.

[0151] When the communication apparatus 400 is a chip type apparatus or circuit, the transceiver module can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface; the processing module is an integrated processor or microprocessor or integrated circuit.

[0152] FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a communication apparatus 500 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication apparatus 500 can be a terminal device or a network device in the above embodiments. For example, the communication apparatus 500 can be a terminal device or a chip (system) in the terminal device in FIG. 1. In an embodiment of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices. The specific functions can be referred to the description in the method embodiments. For another example, the communication apparatus 500 can be a network device or a chip (system) in the network device in FIG. 1. In an embodiment of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices. The specific functions can be referred to the description in the method embodiments.

[0153] The communication apparatus 500 includes one or more processors 501 for implementing or for supporting implementation of the functions of the terminal device or the network device in the methods provided by the embodiments of the present application. For details, refer to the detailed description in the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here. The processor 501 can also be referred to as a processing unit or a processing module, and can implement certain control functions. The processor 501 can be a general purpose processor or a special purpose processor, etc. For example, including: a baseband processor, a central processing unit, an application processor, a modem processor, a graphics processor, an image signal processor, a digital signal processor, a video coding and decoding processor, a controller, a memory, and / or a neural network processor, etc. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data. The central processing unit can be used to control the communication apparatus 500 (such as a network device or a terminal device), execute software programs and / or process data. Different processors can be independent devices, or can be integrated into one or more processors, for example, integrated into one or more application specific integrated circuits.

[0154] In one design, the processor 501 can include a program 503 (which can also be referred to as code or instructions at times) that can be run on the processor 501 to cause the communication apparatus 500 to perform the methods described in the following embodiments. In another possible design, the communication apparatus 500 includes a circuit (not shown in FIG. 5) for implementing the functions of the terminal device or the network device in the above embodiments.

[0155] In an example design, one or more memories 502 can be included in the communication device 500, on which a program 504 (which can also be referred to as code or instructions) can be stored, and the program 504 can be run on the processor 501 so that the communication device 500 performs the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0156] In an example design, an artificial intelligence (AI) module 507 can be included in the processor 501 and / or the memory 502, and the AI module 507 is configured to implement AI-related functions. The AI module 507 can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. For example, the AI module 507 can include a RAN intelligent controller (RIC) module. The AI module 507 can be a near-real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

[0157] In an example design, the processor 501 and / or the memory 502 can also store data. The processor and the memory can be separately arranged, or integrated together.

[0158] In an example design, the communication device 500 can also include a transceiver 505 and / or an antenna 506. The processor 501 can also be referred to as a processing unit, and can control the communication device 500. The transceiver 505 can also be referred to as a transceiving unit, a transceiver, a transceiving circuit, or a transceiver, and can be configured to perform the transceiving functions of the communication device 500 via the antenna 506.

[0159] In an example design, the communication device 500 can also include one or more of the following components: a wireless communication module, an audio module, an external memory interface, an internal memory, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a power management module, an antenna, a speaker, a microphone, an input / output module, a sensor module, a motor, a camera, or a display screen, among other components. It can be understood that, in some embodiments, the communication device 500 can include more or fewer components, or some components can be integrated, or some components can be split. These components can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0160] The communication apparatus in the above embodiments can be a terminal device, can be a circuit, can be a chip applied in the terminal device, or other combination device, component, etc. with the terminal device. Alternatively, the communication apparatus in the above embodiments can be a network device, can be a circuit, can be a chip applied in the network device, or other combination device, component, etc. with the network device. When the communication apparatus is a terminal device or a network device, the transceiver module can be a transceiver, can include an antenna and a radio frequency circuit, etc., and the processing module can be a processor, for example, a CPU. When the communication apparatus is a chip system, the communication apparatus can be an FPGA, can be a dedicated ASIC, can be a system chip (SoC), can be a CPU, can be a network processor (NP), can be a DSP, can be a micro controller unit (MCU), can be a programmable logic device (PLD), or other integrated chip. The processing module can be a processor of the chip system. The transceiver module or the communication interface can be an input / output interface or an interface circuit of the chip system. For example, the interface circuit can be a code / data read / write interface circuit. The interface circuit can be used to receive code instructions (the code instructions are stored in a memory, can be directly read from the memory, or can be read from the memory through other devices) and transmit to the processor; the processor can be used to run the code instructions to execute the method in the above method embodiments. For another example, the interface circuit can also be a signal transmission interface circuit between the communication processor and the transceiver.

[0161] The embodiments of the present application further provide a communication system, which includes at least one terminal device and at least one network device. The terminal device is a terminal device for implementing the functions related to the above communication method, and the network device is a network device for implementing the functions related to the above communication method. The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer readable storage medium, which includes instructions, when the instructions are executed on a computer, cause the computer to execute the method performed by the terminal device or the network device in the above communication method.

[0162] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product, which includes computer program codes, when the computer program codes are executed, cause a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal device or the network device in the above communication method.

[0163] The embodiments of the present application provide a chip system, which includes a processor, and can further include a memory, for implementing the functions of the terminal device or the network device in the above communication method. The chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0164] To implement the functions of the communication apparatuses in FIGS. 4-5, the embodiments of the present application further provide a chip including a processor for supporting the communication apparatus to implement the functions of the terminal device or the network device involved in the methods in the above embodiments. In a possible design, the chip is connected with a memory or the chip includes a memory, and the memory is used to store the computer programs or instructions and data necessary for the communication apparatus.

[0165] It should be understood that, in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the sequence number of each process described above does not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of each process should be determined according to its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0166] Those skilled in the art can appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether the functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. A person skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present application.

[0167] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of the description, the specific working processes of the above-described system, apparatus and unit can refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0168] In several embodiments provided by the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, apparatus and method can be implemented by other manners. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative, for example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and actual implementation can have another division manner, for example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the units shown or discussed can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0169] The units described as separate components can or can not be physically separated, and the components shown as units can or can not be physical units, i.e., they can be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Part or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiments.

[0170] If the functions are implemented in the form of software function units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the part of the technical solutions of the present application that essentially contributes or the part of the technical solutions can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes a plurality of instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in the various embodiments of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc.

[0171] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: receiving a first message, the first message comprising a feature configuration list, the feature configuration list comprising a first identity and first information, the first information comprising configuration parameters related to a first feature, the first identity being used to identify the first feature or the first information; updating configuration related to the first feature according to the first information, the updating comprising adding or modifying or deleting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first feature comprises one or more of the following features: sidelink enhancement, mobility enhancement, or low-capability terminal device.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The feature configuration list is contained in second information, the second information being used to configure: a first cell group, a first serving cell, a first bandwidth part (BWP), or a first channel.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first information is further used to indicate a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP, or a channel corresponding to the first information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The first information is further used to indicate a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP, or a channel corresponding to the first information, comprising: The first information further comprises a second identity, the second identity being used to identify a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP, or a channel corresponding to the first information.

6. The method of any one of claims 1-5, wherein: a length of the first information is less than or equal to N bits, N being a positive integer; or a length of the first information is less than or equal to M bytes, M being a positive integer; or the length of the first information is scalable.

7. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: generating a first message, the first message comprising a feature configuration list, the feature configuration list comprising a first identity and first information, the first information comprising configuration parameters related to a first feature, the first identity being used to identify the first feature or the first information; sending the first message.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The first feature comprises one or more of the following features: sidelink enhancement, mobility enhancement, or low-capability terminal device.

9. The method of claim 7 or 8, wherein, The feature configuration list is contained in second information, the second information being used to configure: a first cell group, a first serving cell, a first bandwidth part (BWP), or a first channel.

10. The method of any one of claims 7-9, wherein, The first information is further used to indicate a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP, or a channel corresponding to the first information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The first information is further used to indicate a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP, or a channel corresponding to the first information, comprising: The first information further comprises a second identity, the second identity being used to identify a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP, or a channel corresponding to the first information.

12. The method of any one of claims 7-11, wherein: a length of the first information is less than or equal to N bits, N being a positive integer; or a length of the first information is less than or equal to M bytes, M being a positive integer; or the length of the first information is scalable.

13. A communications device, characterized by The method comprises: a transceiver module, configured to receive a first message, the first message comprising a feature configuration list, the feature configuration list comprising a first identity and first information, the first information comprising configuration parameters related to a first feature, the first identity being used to identify the first feature or the first information; The processing module is configured to update the configuration related to the first feature according to the first information, and the updating comprises adding or modifying or deleting.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein, The first feature comprises one or more of the following features: sidelink enhancement, mobility enhancement, or low-capability terminal device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 or 14, wherein, The feature configuration list is contained in second information, and the second information is used to configure: a first cell group, a first serving cell, a first bandwidth part (BWP), or a first channel.

16. The apparatus of any one of claims 13-15, wherein, The first information is further used to indicate a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP, or a channel corresponding to the first information.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, The first information is further used to indicate a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP, or a channel corresponding to the first information, comprising: The first information further comprises a second identifier, and the second identifier is used to identify a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP, or a channel corresponding to the first information.

18. The apparatus of any of claims 13-17, wherein: The length of the first information is less than or equal to N bits, and the N is a positive integer; or The length of the first information is less than or equal to M bytes, and the M is a positive integer; or The length of the first information is extensible.

19. A communications device, characterized by comprising: The processing module is configured to generate a first message, and the first message comprises a feature configuration list, the feature configuration list comprises a first identifier and first information, the first information comprises configuration parameters related to a first feature, and the first identifier is used to identify the first feature or the first information. The transceiver module is configured to send the first message.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein, The first feature comprises one or more of the following features: sidelink enhancement, mobility enhancement, or low-capability terminal device.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 or 20, wherein, The feature configuration list is contained in second information, and the second information is used to configure: a first cell group, a first serving cell, a first bandwidth part (BWP), or a first channel.

22. The apparatus of any one of claims 19-21, wherein, The first information is further used to indicate a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP, or a channel corresponding to the first information.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein, The first information is further used to indicate a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP, or a channel corresponding to the first information, comprising: The first information further comprises a second identifier, and the second identifier is used to identify a cell group, a serving cell, a BWP, or a channel corresponding to the first information.

24. The apparatus of any of claims 19-23, wherein: The length of the first information is less than or equal to N bits, and the N is a positive integer; or The length of the first information is less than or equal to M bytes, and the M is a positive integer; or The length of the first information is extensible.

25. A communications device, characterized by The communication apparatus comprises a processor and a memory, the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to execute the computer program stored on the memory, so that the communication apparatus executes the method in any one of claims 1-6, or so that the communication apparatus executes the method in any one of claims 7-12.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium is configured to store a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1-6, or causes the computer to perform the method of any one of claims 7-12.

27. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product comprises a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1-6, or causes the computer to perform the method of any one of claims 7-12.

28. A chip system, characterized by The chip system comprises: a processor and an interface, the processor being configured to call and execute instructions from the interface, when the processor executes the instructions, the method of any one of claims 1-6 is implemented, or the method of any one of claims 7-12 is implemented.

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