Communication method, apparatus, storage medium, chip system, and communication system

Abstract

Disclosed in embodiments of the present application are a communication method, an apparatus, a storage medium, a chip system, and a communication system. The method may comprise: by introducing a reference time domain position, a terminal device can more flexibly monitor a low power wake-up signal (LP-WUS) at at least one time domain position within any discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle. The first time domain position among the at least one time domain position where the terminal device monitors the LP-WUS in a DRX cycle is determined on the basis of the reference time domain position, and the at least one time domain position may be determined on the basis of the first time domain position and an LP-WUS cycle for monitoring the LP-WUS. By using the present application, the time domain position where the terminal device monitors the LP-WUS can be flexibly determined, facilitating reducing power consumption of the terminal device.

Description

Communication methods, devices, storage media, chip systems, and communication systems

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410911196.3, filed on July 8, 2024, entitled "Communication Method, Apparatus, Storage Medium, Chip System and Communication System", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, apparatus, storage medium, chip system, and communication system. Background Technology

[0003] To conserve power in terminal devices, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) introduced the Low Power Wake-Up Signal (LP-WUS). Terminal devices can include a main receiver (MR) and a low power wake-up receiver (LR). When a terminal device is within LP-WUS coverage, it can use the LR to listen to LP-WUS. When the LP-WUS signal detected by the terminal device contains information about the packet it belongs to, and the terminal device is in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state, it can wake up the MR to listen to the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) according to network configuration. Determining the time-domain location of the terminal device listening to LP-WUS is a problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, storage medium, chip system, and communication system that can flexibly determine the time domain location of the terminal device listening to LP-WUS, which is beneficial for saving the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0005] Firstly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to a terminal device, a device within the terminal device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit), or a device compatible with the terminal device. The following description uses an application to a terminal device as an example. The terminal device can be in a connected discontinuous reception (C-DRX) mode. The method can include: listening to a low-power wake-up signal LP-WUS at at least one time-domain position within a first DRX cycle; wherein the first time-domain position is determined based on a reference time-domain position, and the at least one time-domain position is determined based on the first time-domain position and the LP-WUS cycle.

[0006] In this technical solution, the terminal device can flexibly determine the first time domain position for listening to LP-WUS within the DRX cycle based on the reference time domain position, and then periodically listen to LP-WUS based on the LP-WUS cycle. This helps to improve the flexibility of the terminal device in listening to LP-WUS and save the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the time interval between the reference time domain position and the end position of the timer within the first DRX cycle is defined as the first time unit, where the reference time domain position is later than the end position of the timer. The timer includes one or more of the following: a DRX duration timer (drx-onDurationTimer), a DRX deactivation timer (drx-InactivityTimer), and a DRX retransmission timer (such as a DRX downlink retransmission timer (drx-RetransmissionTimerDL) or a DRX uplink retransmission timer (drx-RetransmissionTimerUL)). The unit of the first time unit is a subframe, a time slot, or a symbol. In this technical solution, the reference time domain position can be a dynamically changing position depending on the data transmission status of the terminal device, which is beneficial for further improving the flexibility of the terminal device in monitoring LP-WUS.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the first time-domain position is the reference time-domain position. That is, the reference time-domain position can be used as the first time-domain position for listening to LP-WUS.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the time interval between the first time domain position and the reference time domain position is a first time domain offset; the first time domain position is later than the reference time domain position. In this technical solution, the terminal device can listen to LP-WUS at a time domain position offset from the reference time domain position by the first time domain offset. This avoids the terminal device frequently performing listening actions, which helps save power consumption of the terminal device.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving first indication information; the first indication information indicating a first time-domain offset. That is, the first time-domain offset can be configured by the network device.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the time interval between the first time-domain position and the reference time-domain position is the sum of a first time-domain offset and a second time-domain offset; the first time-domain position is later than the reference time-domain position; and the unit granularity of the second time-domain offset is smaller than that of the first time-domain offset. In this technical solution, the first time-domain position for the terminal device to monitor LP-WUS can be the reference time-domain position offset by the first time-domain offset, plus an additional second time-domain offset. Different terminal devices can correspond to different second time-domain offsets, which allows the terminal device to more precisely determine the time-domain position for monitoring LP-WUS.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving second indication information; the second indication information indicating a first time-domain offset and a second time-domain offset. That is, the first time-domain offset and the second time-domain offset can be configured by the network device.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the reference time-domain location is the starting position of the first DRX cycle.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: determining a first candidate time domain position based on a reference time domain position and the starting time domain offset corresponding to the DRX duration timer; the starting time domain offset is the time interval between the starting position of the first DRX cycle and the starting position of the DRX duration timer; the starting position of the DRX duration timer is later than the starting position of the first DRX cycle; determining at least one candidate time domain position based on the first candidate time domain position and the LP-WUS cycle; determining at least one time domain position from the at least one candidate time domain position; and ensuring that the at least one time domain position does not overlap with the active time period within the first DRX cycle. In this technical solution, the time domain position of the terminal device listening to the LP-WUS can not overlap with the active time period of listening to the PDCCH, thereby helping to save power consumption of the terminal device.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the activation time period is the duration of one or more of the following: DRX duration timer, DRX deactivation timer, and DRX retransmission timer.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the time interval between the last time-domain position in at least one time-domain location and the start position of the second DRX cycle is greater than or equal to the third time-domain offset; the second DRX cycle is the next DRX cycle after the first DRX cycle. In this technical solution, there can be a certain time interval between the time-domain position where the terminal device listens to LP-WUS and the time-domain position where it listens to PDCCH, thereby avoiding increased power consumption of the terminal device due to frequent listening actions.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving third indication information; the third indication information indicating a third time-domain offset. That is, the third time-domain offset can be configured by the network device.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the third time-domain offset is the same as the reference time-domain offset predefined by the protocol; the reference time-domain offset is the time interval between the start position of the DRX duration timer and the position of the LP-WUS listener; the position of the LP-WUS listener is earlier than the start position of the DRX duration timer.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving fourth indication information; the fourth indication information indicates that the duration of the DRX period is N times the duration of the LP-WUS period, where N is a positive integer. The network device may indicate that the duration of the DRX period is N times the duration of the LP-WUS period, or it may directly indicate the duration of the LP-WUS period.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the above method further includes: receiving fifth indication information; the fifth indication information indicates that the duration of the LP-WUS period is the duration of the reference time domain offset; the reference time domain offset is the time interval between the start position of the DRX duration timer and the position of the LP-WUS being monitored; the position of the LP-WUS being monitored is earlier than the start position of the DRX duration timer.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the method further includes: responding to the time interval between the last time-domain position and the start position of the second DRX cycle being a reference time-domain offset, and detecting LP-WUS at the last time-domain position, listening to PDCCH within the second DRX cycle; the second DRX cycle being the next DRX cycle of the first DRX cycle. In this technical solution, when the terminal device detects LP-WUS at the last time-domain position, and the time interval between the last time-domain position and the start position of the second DRX cycle is a reference time-domain offset, it can start listening to PDCCH only after the reference time-domain offset (the start position of the DRX duration timer within the second DRX cycle), thereby avoiding frequent PDCCH listening by the terminal device and saving power.

[0022] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide another communication method. This method can be applied to network devices, devices within network devices (e.g., chips, chip systems, or circuits), or devices compatible with network devices. The following description uses an application to a network device as an example. The method may include: transmitting LP-WUS within a first DRX cycle; the timing of LP-WUS listening is related to the reference time domain position.

[0023] In this technical solution, the network device sends LP-WUS to the terminal device so that the terminal device can flexibly determine the timing of LP-WUS listening based on the reference time domain location.

[0024] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the above method further includes: sending first indication information; the first indication information indicating a first time-domain offset; the first time-domain offset and a reference time-domain position being used to determine the first time-domain position for LP-WUS monitoring within the first DRX cycle. The first time-domain position can be understood as the starting position of the first LP-WUS monitoring opportunity. By configuring the first time-domain offset, the network device can improve the flexibility of LP-WUS monitoring.

[0025] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the above method further includes: sending second indication information; the second indication information indicating a first time-domain offset and a second time-domain offset; the first time-domain offset, the second time-domain offset, and the reference time-domain position are used to determine the first time-domain position for LP-WUS monitoring within the first DRX cycle. The network device can configure different second time-domain offsets for different terminal devices, which facilitates more precise LP-WUS monitoring.

[0026] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the above method further includes: sending third indication information; the third indication information indicating a third time-domain offset; the third time-domain offset being used to determine the last time-domain position of the LP-WUS being monitored within the first DRX cycle. By configuring the third time-domain offset, a certain time interval can exist between the time-domain position of the LP-WUS being monitored and the time-domain position of the PDCCH being monitored, thereby helping to save power consumption.

[0027] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the above method further includes: sending a fourth indication message; the fourth indication message indicates that the duration of the DRX period is N times the duration of the LP-WUS period for monitoring LP-WUS, where N is a positive integer. By configuring the duration of the DRX period to be N times the duration of the LP-WUS period for monitoring LP-WUS, periodic monitoring of LP-WUS can be achieved.

[0028] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation, the above method further includes: sending a fifth indication message; the fifth indication message indicates that the duration of the LP-WUS period for listening to LP-WUS is equal to the duration of the reference time domain offset; the reference time domain offset is the time interval between the start position of the DRX duration timer and the position for listening to LP-WUS; the position for listening to LP-WUS is earlier than the start position of the DRX duration timer. By configuring the duration of the LP-WUS period to be equal to the duration of the reference time domain offset, if the last time domain position of the LP-WUS is detected to overlap with the time domain position of the time interval reference time domain offset between the start position of the second DRX period, the terminal device can start listening to PDCCH only after the interval reference time domain offset (the start position of the DRX duration timer within the second DRX period), thereby saving power consumption.

[0029] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which includes modules / units for executing any method of the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect. The device can be a terminal device, a module applied to a terminal device (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device.

[0030] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which can be a terminal device or a device within a terminal device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). The communication device may include a processor coupled to a memory for storing programs or instructions. When the program or instructions are executed by the processor, the communication device performs the methods described in the above method embodiments, executed by the terminal device or a device within the terminal device.

[0031] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which can be a network device or a device within a network device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). The communication device may include a processor coupled to a memory for storing programs or instructions. When the program or instructions are executed by the processor, the communication device performs the methods described in the above method embodiments, executed by the network device or a device within the network device.

[0032] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or computer instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform any of the methods described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0033] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product containing program instructions, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the methods described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0034] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip system including at least one processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit and the at least one processor are interconnected via a circuit. The at least one processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions to cause any one of the methods described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect, to be executed. In one possible implementation, the chip system may further include at least one memory. The interface circuit, the at least one memory, and the at least one processor are interconnected via a circuit. The at least one memory stores instructions, and when these instructions are executed by the processor, any one of the methods described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect, is executed. The chip system may be composed of a chip or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0035] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system including a terminal device and a network device. When the terminal device and the network device are running in the communication system, they are used to execute any one of the methods described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of a communication system applied in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an LP-WUS-triggered PDCCH monitoring method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another LP-WUS-triggered PDCCH monitoring provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another LP-WUS-triggered PDCCH monitoring method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a reference time domain location provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the first time-domain location of LP-WUS monitoring according to an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a reference time domain position and a first time domain position provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of an LP-WUS monitoring method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of another LP-WUS monitoring method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of another type of LP-WUS monitoring provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of another type of LP-WUS monitoring provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0053] The terms "first," "second," "third," etc., used in the embodiments of this application are to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, it may include a series of steps or units, or optionally, steps or units not listed, or other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices. The terms "one embodiment" or "some embodiments," etc., mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of the embodiments of this application, do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0054] Furthermore, "at least one" refers to one or more, while "more than one" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, and c can mean: a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or b and c, or a, b, and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0055] In this application, "sending information to... (e.g., a terminal device)" can be understood as the destination of the information being the terminal device. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to the terminal device. "Receiving information from... (e.g., a terminal device)" or "receiving information from... (e.g., a terminal device)" can be understood as the source of the information being the terminal device, and can include receiving information directly or indirectly from the terminal device. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be interpreted similarly, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0056] In the description of this application, "instruction" can include direct and indirect instructions, as well as explicit and implicit instructions. The information indicated by a certain piece of information (such as the instruction information mentioned below) is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementations, there are many ways to instruct the information to be instructed. For example, the information to be instructed can be directly instructed, such as by instructing the information itself or its index. Alternatively, the information to be instructed can be indirectly indicated by instructing other information, where there is a relationship between the indicated other information and the information to be instructed. Another example is that only a part of the information to be instructed can be indicated, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. Furthermore, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (such as an agreement) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent.

[0057] To better understand the embodiments of this application, the system architecture involved in the embodiments of this application will be described first below:

[0058] This application's embodiments can be applied to long-term evolution (LTE) systems, 5th generation mobile communication (5G) systems, 6th generation mobile communication (6G) systems, and other communication systems evolving after 5G, as well as satellite communication and short-range wireless communication systems. The wireless communication systems mentioned in this application's embodiments include, but are not limited to, the three major application scenarios of 5G / 6G mobile communication systems, long-range Internet of Things (LoRa) systems, and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems. The three major application scenarios of 5G / 6G mobile communication systems are: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and massive machine-type communication (mMTC). The wireless communication system may include one or more access network devices and one or more terminal devices.

[0059] For example, please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of a communication system applied to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 1000 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 (shown by the dashed line in Figure 1) and a core network (CN) 200. The RAN 100 includes at least one access network device 110 and at least one terminal device 120. The terminal device 120 is wirelessly connected to the access network device 110. In Figure 1, the larger solid circle represents the cell coverage area of ​​the access network device 110, and the smaller solid circle represents the LP-WUS coverage area. That is, the LP-WUS coverage area can be smaller than the cell coverage area.

[0060] RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 1). Access network equipment 110 is connected to core network 200 wirelessly or via wired connection. The core network equipment in core network 200 (not shown in Figure 1) and access network equipment 110 in RAN 100 may be different physical devices, or they may be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and wireless access network logical functions.

[0061] It should be noted that RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4G, 5G mobile communication systems, or evolutionary systems beyond 5G (e.g., 6G mobile communication systems). RAN 100 can also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), etc. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0062] It should be understood that the number of access network devices and terminal devices shown in Figure 1 is merely illustrative and should not be regarded as a specific limitation of this application.

[0063] The terminal device and access network device in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below.

[0064] In this embodiment, the terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc., or a device used to provide voice or data connectivity to users, or an Internet of Things (IoT) device. For example, terminal devices include handheld devices with wireless connectivity, vehicle-mounted devices, etc. Currently, terminal devices can include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, in-vehicle devices (e.g., cars, bicycles, electric vehicles, airplanes, ships, trains, high-speed trains, etc.), satellite terminals, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, smart point-of-sale (POS) machines, customer-premises equipment (CPE), wireless terminals in industrial control, smart home devices (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.), intelligent robots, robotic arms, workshop equipment, wireless terminals in autonomous driving, wireless terminals in telemedicine, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, or wireless terminals in smart homes, and flying equipment (e.g., intelligent robots, hot air balloons, drones, airplanes), etc. Terminal devices can also be other devices with terminal functions; for example, a terminal device can also be a device that performs terminal functions in D2D communication.

[0065] The terminal device may include a main receiver (MR) and a low-power wake-up receiver (LR). For example, please refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2, when the terminal device 120 has the MR off and the LR on, it can use the LR to receive LP-WUS. The LP-WUS can indicate whether to wake up the MR or not. If the LP-WUS indicates to wake up the MR, the terminal device can use the MR to receive data after waking up. Optionally, the LP-WUS can be used in radio resource control (RRC) connected state, inactive state, idle state, etc.

[0066] It should be noted that the embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal device. The device used to implement the function of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself; it can also be a device that supports the terminal device in implementing the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete components.

[0067] In this embodiment, the access network device is a node in the radio access network (RAN), also known as a network device or an RAN node (or device), used to help terminal devices achieve wireless access.

[0068] The network equipment in this application can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmitting and receiving point (TRP), a transmitting point (TP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a next-generation base station in a 6th-generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, a satellite, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, or access network equipment in a mobile switching center non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication system, i.e., it can be deployed on a high-altitude platform or satellite, etc. The network equipment can be a macro base station, a micro base station or an indoor station, a relay node or a donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. The network equipment can also be a device that functions as a base station in device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, drone communication, or machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. Optionally, the network equipment can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment, etc. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0069] All or part of the functions of the access network device in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). The access network device in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network device.

[0070] In some implementation scenarios, multiple access network devices collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with each access network device implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, access network devices can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs). It is understood that access network devices can be CU nodes, DU nodes, or devices including both CU and DU nodes. Furthermore, a CU can be classified as an access network device in the RAN (RAN) or as an access network device in the CN (CN), without limitation.

[0071] In this embodiment, the form of the access network device is not limited. The device used to implement the function of the access network device can be the access network device itself; it can also be a device that supports the access network device in implementing the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the access network device or used in conjunction with the access network device.

[0072] For ease of understanding, the following describes the relevant terms, concepts or technologies that may be involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0073] I. Discontinuous reception (DRX)

[0074] DRX is a power-saving mode for terminal devices. In DRX mode, the terminal device can turn on the receiver when it needs to receive data and signaling, and turn off the receiver to enter sleep mode at other times, thereby saving power consumption.

[0075] When DRX mode is applied to the RRC idle state, the terminal device can periodically turn on the receiver to listen for the paging occasion (PO); when DRX mode is applied to the RRC connected state, this DRX mode can also be called connected discontinuous reception (C-DRX), and the terminal device can periodically turn on the receiver to listen for the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0076] In this embodiment, the terminal device may be in C-DRX mode. In C-DRX mode, the period during which the terminal device turns on the receiver can be called the on-duration time, the duration of which can be set by the DRX duration timer (drx-onDurationTimer) configured through RRC signaling. Each DRX cycle has an on-duration time. During the period following the on-duration time within a DRX cycle, the terminal device may be in a sleep state or in an active time period. The terminal device being in an active time period can be understood as the DRX-related timers being active.

[0077] Optionally, DRX-related timers may include one or more of the following: drx-onDurationTimer, DRX inactivity timer, DRX short-cycle timer, DRX downlink retransmission timer (drx-RetransmissionTimerDL), DRX uplink retransmission timer (drx-RetransmissionTimerUL), DRX downlink hybrid automatic repeat request round-trip timer (drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL), and DRX uplink hybrid automatic repeat request round-trip timer (drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL).

[0078] The functions of each timer related to DRX are briefly introduced below.

[0079] 1. drx-onDurationTimer: Starts at the beginning of each DRX cycle, and the terminal device listens for the PDCCH within this timer. Specifically, drx-onDurationTimer can be started at the start offset of the DRX cycle (drx-startoffset).

[0080] 2. drx-InactivityTimer: During the drx-onDurationTimer period, if the terminal device learns from the scheduling information on the PDCCH channel that it needs to start an uplink or downlink initial transmission, it can start drx-InactivityTimer. Before drx-InactivityTimer expires, the terminal device can continuously listen to the PDCCH. If a new initial transmission occurs, drx-InactivityTimer is restarted. Therefore, continuous data transmission can cause drx-InactivityTimer to restart repeatedly, thus extending the DRX activation period.

[0081] 3. drx-ShortCycleTimer: This can be used to identify the number of consecutive repetitions after entering a DRX short cycle. If a DRX short cycle is configured, and drx-InactivityTimer times out, drx-ShortCycleTimer will be started or restarted.

[0082] 4. drx-RetransmissionTimerDL / drx-RetransmissionTimerUL: Defines the duration for which the terminal device waits for retransmission within the active time period. If the timer expires and the terminal device still has not received downlink / uplink retransmission data, the terminal device will no longer receive the retransmission data.

[0083] 5. drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL / drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL: This indicates that starting from the subframe where uplink / downlink data packets occur, if an error occurs and data packets need to be retransmitted, the retransmission will occur several subframes later. At the beginning of the next subframe where semi-static downlink / uplink data transmission may occur, or when the terminal device detects a new downlink / uplink data transmission subframe for one of its HARQ processes by detecting the PDCCH, it stops the drx-RetransmissionTimerDL / drx-RetransmissionTimerUL corresponding to the HARQ process and simultaneously starts drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL / drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL.

[0084] DRX cycles can be divided into long DRX cycles and short DRX cycles. Network devices can configure the DRX cycle length and drx-startoffset via RRC signaling. Taking the short DRX cycle as an example, the start time of the activation period of the terminal device within the short DRX cycle needs to satisfy the following formula (1): [(SFN×10)+subframe number]mod(shortDRX-Cycle)=(drx-startoffset)mod(shortDRX-Cycle))(1)

[0085] Wherein, SFN is the system frame number, subframe number is the subframe number, and mod represents the modulo operation.

[0086] II. Low-Power Wake-up Signal (LP-WUS)

[0087] When a terminal device is within LP-WUS range, it can listen to LP-WUS. This LP-WUS can be received using a separate receiver (i.e., LR). When LP-WUS indicates that the terminal device should be woken up, the terminal device can use MR to receive and / or send data.

[0088] In RRC connected state, network devices can wake up terminal devices in the same group as the terminal device through LP-WUS, or in other words, notify the terminal devices in the same group to wake up the MR to listen to the PDCCH through LP-WUS.

[0089] In one implementation, the terminal device can trigger PDCCH listening in C-DRX mode, combining DRX configuration and LP-WUS listening. This can be achieved through methods such as:

[0090] Option 1-1: Before the drx-onDurationTimer starts within the DRX cycle, the terminal device listens for LP-WUS. If the listened LP-WUS contains information about the packet the terminal device is in (also described as LP-WUS being listened to), the terminal device starts the drx-onDurationTimer and listens for PDCCH within the drx-onDurationTimer. If the terminal device does not listen for LP-WUS containing information about the packet the terminal device is in (also described as LP-WUS not being listened to), the terminal device does not start subsequent drx-onDurationTimers. The terminal device can listen for LP-WUS at a fixed time offset before starting the drx-onDurationTimer; this offset is also called the Option 1-1 offset, which can be predefined by the protocol.

[0091] For example, please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of LP-WUS-triggered PDCCH listening according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 3, the small rectangles represent LP-WUS listening opportunities, and the shaded areas within these rectangles indicate that LP-WUS has been detected. If the terminal device detects LP-WUS during the LP-WUS listening opportunity 301 before the start of drx-onDurationTimer within the DRX cycle 31, then the terminal device will listen to the PDCCH within the drx-onDurationTimer within the DRX cycle 31. The time interval between the starting position of LP-WUS listening opportunity 301 and the starting position of drx-onDurationTimer within the DRX cycle 31 is the offset.

[0092] Option 1-2: The LP-WUS listening time within the DRX cycle can be any time other than the activation period. Similarly, if LP-WUS is detected during the LP-WUS listening time, PDCCH listening will be triggered subsequently. If LP-WUS is not detected during the LP-WUS listening time, PDCCH will not be listened to subsequently. Specifically, Option 1-2 can include the following two implementation methods:

[0093] Option 1-2-1: Listen for LP-WUS during the time interval between drx-onDurationTimer in two adjacent DRX cycles. If LP-WUS is detected, trigger PDCCH listening.

[0094] For example, please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of another LP-WUS-triggered PDCCH listening according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4, the LP-WUS listening time can be located between the end position of drx-onDurationTimer 41 and the start position of drx-onDurationTimer 42. The terminal device listens to LP-WUS within the LP-WUS listening time 401, and then triggers PDCCH listening within window 402. There can be an offset between the end position of LP-WUS listening time 401 and the start position of window 402. This offset can be understood as the transition time for the terminal device to wake up MR to listen to PDCCH after listening to LP-WUS.

[0095] It's worth noting that if method 1-2-1 is used, energy consumption can be saved by combining it with method 1-1. The combined method involves listening for LP-WUS at a fixed offset before the start of drx-onDurationTimer within the DRX cycle. If LP-WUS is not detected, PDCCH is not listened to during the drx-onDurationTimer period within that DRX cycle. This achieves the goal of saving energy consumption of the terminal device.

[0096] Option 1-2-2: PDCCH monitoring is not triggered by drx-onDurationTimer within the DRX cycle, but only by LP-WUS. In other words, whether or not PDCCH is monitored depends on whether LP-WUS is monitored, and is unrelated to drx-onDurationTimer.

[0097] For example, please refer to Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of another LP-WUS-triggered PDCCH listening provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, the LP-WUS listening time can be located at any position within the DRX cycle. If the LP-WUS listening time within the drx-onDurationTimer period of the DRX cycle 51 does not detect LP-WUS, then PDCCH listening is not triggered. If LP-WUS is detected within the LP-WUS listening time 501, then PDCCH listening within window 502 is triggered. If LP-WUS is detected within the drx-onDurationTimer period of the next DRX cycle 503, then PDCCH listening within window 504 is triggered.

[0098] The above methods describe how to trigger PDCCH monitoring by monitoring LP-WUS within the DRX cycle. However, the issue of determining the time-domain position of LP-WUS monitoring within the DRX cycle remains unclear. Therefore, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, apparatus, storage medium, chip system, and communication system that, by introducing a reference time-domain position to determine the time-domain position of LP-WUS monitoring within the DRX cycle, improves the flexibility of LP-WUS monitoring.

[0099] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0100] In the following embodiments, the terminal device can be the terminal device in the network architecture shown in Figure 1, and the functions performed by the terminal device can also be performed by a device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) in the terminal device. In the following embodiments, the network device can be the access network device or the core network device in the network architecture shown in Figure 1, and the functions performed by the network device can also be performed by a device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit) in the network device. The embodiments in this application are described uniformly here and will not be repeated hereafter.

[0101] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0102] S601, the network device sends LP-WUS to the terminal device.

[0103] Network devices can send LP-WUS at any time, and LP-WUS can instruct whether or not to wake up terminal devices. When network devices have downlink data to send, they can wake up the corresponding terminal devices through LP-WUS so that the terminal devices can enable MR and receive downlink data in a timely manner.

[0104] S602, the terminal device listens to LP-WUS at at least one time-domain location during the first DRX cycle.

[0105] In this embodiment, the terminal device can be in connected discontinuous reception (C-DRX) mode and within the LP-WUS coverage area. The terminal device can periodically use LR to monitor LP-WUS during the first DRX cycle. The first DRX cycle can be any DRX cycle, and the period during which the terminal device monitors LP-WUS can be described as the LP-WUS cycle.

[0106] At least one time-domain location can be understood as the starting position of at least one LP-WUS listening opportunity of the terminal device within the first DRX cycle, or in other words, at least one starting time point for listening to LP-WUS. That is to say, one of the time-domain locations here can be understood as a single point in time, rather than a time interval.

[0107] The first time-domain location in at least one time-domain location can be determined based on a reference time-domain location, i.e., the first LP-WUS listening point within the first DRX cycle is related to the reference time-domain location. By combining the first time-domain location where LP-WUS listening begins within the first DRX cycle, and the LP-WUS cycle in which LP-WUS is being listened to, the terminal device can determine the time-domain location for listening to at least one LP-WUS within the first DRX cycle.

[0108] In some embodiments, the reference time domain location can be a dynamically changing location, and the terminal device can flexibly determine the reference time domain location based on the data transmission status. In this case, the reference time domain location can be located at the end of the timer within the first DRX cycle. For example, the time interval between the reference time domain location and the end of the timer within the first DRX cycle can be a first time unit. Here, the unit of the first time unit can be a subframe, a slot, or a symbol. It can be understood that the reference time domain location can be the first subframe, the first slot, or the first symbol after the end of the timer within the first DRX cycle.

[0109] Optionally, the timer may include one or more of the following: DRX duration timer (drx-onDurationTimer), DRX deactivation timer (drx-InactivityTimer), and DRX retransmission timer (such as drx-RetransmissionTimerDL, drx-RetransmissionTimerUL).

[0110] The terminal device can listen to the PDCCH during the drx-onDurationTimer period within the first DRX cycle. If the terminal device does not listen to the PDCCH carrying downlink control information (DCI) during the drx-onDurationTimer period, the reference time domain position can be the position of the first time unit after the end of drx-onDurationTimer. If the terminal device listens to the PDCCH carrying DCI during the drx-onDurationTimer period and learns that it is about to start uplink or downlink initial transmission, it can start drx-InactivityTimer, and the reference time domain position can be the position of the first time unit after the end of drx-InactivityTimer. If the terminal device listens to the PDCCH carrying DCI during the drx-onDurationTimer period, learns that it is about to start uplink or downlink initial transmission, and starts drx-InactivityTimer for data transmission, but needs to retransmit data during the data transmission process, it can start drx- When waiting for retransmission using RetransmissionTimerDL or drx-RetransmissionTimerUL, the reference time domain position can be the position of the first time unit after the end of drx-RetransmissionTimerDL or drx-RetransmissionTimerUL. The terminal device can also start drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL or drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL before starting drx-RetransmissionTimerDL or drx-RetransmissionTimerUL. In other words, if data retransmission is required due to an error, the retransmission wait can begin after the end of drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL or drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL.

[0111] For example, please refer to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of a reference time domain position provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 7, taking a subframe as the unit of the first time unit, if the terminal device does not listen to the PDCCH carrying DCI during the drx-onDurationTimer period in the first DRX cycle, then the reference time domain position of the terminal device in the first DRX cycle can be the position of the first subframe after the drx-InactivityTimer ends. If the terminal device listens to the PDCCH carrying DCI during the drx-onDurationTimer period in the second DRX cycle and learns that it is about to start uplink or downlink initial transmission, and starts drx-InactivityTimer, then the reference time domain position of the terminal device in the second DRX cycle can be the position of the first subframe after the drx-InactivityTimer ends. It can be seen that the reference time domain position in the first DRX cycle is different from the reference time domain position in the second DRX cycle, realizing that the reference time domain position changes dynamically with the data transmission status of the terminal device, which is beneficial for the terminal device to perform LP-WUS listening more flexibly based on the reference time domain position.

[0112] Optionally, the first time-domain position at which the terminal device begins listening to LP-WUS within the first DRX cycle can be the same as or different from the reference time-domain position. If the first time-domain position at which the terminal device begins listening to LP-WUS within the first DRX cycle is the same as the reference time-domain position, it means that the terminal device can begin listening to LP-WUS at the first subframe, the first time slot, or the first symbol after the end of the timer within the first DRX cycle. If the first time-domain position at which the terminal device begins listening to LP-WUS within the first DRX cycle is different from the reference time-domain position, then the first time-domain position at which the terminal device begins listening to LP-WUS can be a time-domain position offset by a first time-domain offset from the reference time-domain position, or in other words, the time interval between the first time-domain position and the reference time-domain position is the first time-domain offset, and the first time-domain position is later than the reference time-domain position.

[0113] Optionally, the network device may send first indication information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device may receive the first indication information from the network device. The first indication information may indicate a first time-domain offset. The first indication information may be carried in an RRC message; in other words, the network device can configure the first time-domain offset through an RRC message.

[0114] Optionally, the first time-domain position at which the terminal device begins listening to LP-WUS can be the time-domain position shifted backward by a first time-domain offset and then by a second time-domain offset from the reference time-domain position. That is, the time interval between the first time-domain position and the reference time-domain position is the sum of the first and second time-domain offsets, with the first time-domain position being later than the reference time-domain position. Here, the unit granularity of the second time-domain offset can be smaller than that of the first time-domain offset. For example, assuming the unit of the first time-domain offset is a subframe, the unit of the second time-domain offset can be a time slot or a symbol. Furthermore, different terminal devices can correspond to different second time-domain offsets. In this way, the time-domain position for listening to LP-WUS can be determined more precisely for different terminal devices.

[0115] For example, please refer to Figure 8, which is a schematic diagram of the first time domain position of LP-WUS monitoring provided by an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 8, a represents the reference time domain position, and b represents the first time domain position of LP-WUS monitoring within the first DRX cycle. In Figure 8 (1), the time interval between b and a is the first time domain offset, that is, the time interval between the first time domain position of LP-WUS monitoring and the reference time domain position within the first DRX cycle can be the first time domain offset; in Figure 8 (2), the time interval between b and a is the sum of the first time domain offset and the second time domain offset, that is, the time interval between the first time domain position of LP-WUS monitoring and the reference time domain position within the first DRX cycle can also be the sum of the first time domain offset and the second time domain offset.

[0116] Optionally, the network device may send second indication information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device may receive the second indication information from the network device. The second indication information may indicate a first time-domain offset and a second time-domain offset. The second indication information may be carried in an RRC message; in other words, the network device can configure the first and second time-domain offsets through an RRC message.

[0117] In some embodiments, the reference time-domain location may also be the same as the start location of the first DRX cycle. In this case, at least one time-domain location where the terminal device listens to LP-WUS within the first DRX cycle may be a time period that does not overlap with the active time period within the first DRX cycle. A DRX cycle may include a DRX active time period and a DRX inactive time period. The DRX active time period may also be referred to as the DRX active period, or simply as the active time period, active period, etc. During the active time period, the terminal device can normally listen to the PDCCH; therefore, the time-domain location for listening to LP-WUS may not overlap with the active time period for listening to the PDCCH.

[0118] Optionally, the activation period within the first DRX cycle can be the duration of one or more of the following: DRX duration timer (drx-onDurationTimer), DRX deactivation timer (drx-InactivityTimer), and DRX retransmission timer (such as drx-RetransmissionTimerDL, drx-RetransmissionTimerUL).

[0119] When the reference time domain position is the same as the start position of the first DRX cycle, the terminal device can first determine the first candidate time domain position based on the reference time domain position and the start time domain offset (i.e., drx-startoffset) corresponding to the drx-onDurationTimer. Here, the start time domain offset corresponding to the DRX duration timer can be understood as the time interval between the start position of the first DRX cycle and the start position of the drx-onDurationTimer. That is, the drx-onDurationTimer starts after offsetting this start time domain offset from the start position of the first DRX cycle. The time interval between the first candidate time domain position and the reference time domain position can be this start time domain offset, thus the first candidate time domain position and the start position of the drx-onDurationTimer are the same time domain position, or in other words, the first candidate time domain position overlaps with the start position of the drx-onDurationTimer. Therefore, based on the first candidate time domain position and the LP-WUS cycle, at least one candidate time domain position can be determined. Based on the principle that the time domain location of LP-WUS monitoring does not overlap with the activation time period of PDCCH monitoring, at least one time domain location for LP-WUS monitoring can be determined from at least one candidate time domain location. The time domain location for LP-WUS monitoring determined in this way helps save energy consumption of terminal devices.

[0120] For example, please refer to Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram of a reference time domain position and a first time domain position provided by an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 9, c represents the reference time domain position, d represents the first candidate time domain position, and e represents the first time domain position of listening to LP-WUS within the first DRX cycle. c may overlap with the start position of the first DRX cycle, d may overlap with the start position of drx-onDurationTimer, the time interval between c and d is the start time domain offset corresponding to drx-onDurationTimer, and e does not overlap with the activation time period within the first DRX cycle (i.e., the duration of drx-onDurationTimer in Figure 9).

[0121] In some embodiments, the LP-WUS cycle for listening to LP-WUS within the DRX cycle can be derived from the DRX cycle. The duration of the DRX cycle can be, for example, N times the duration of the LP-WUS cycle, where N is a positive integer.

[0122] Optionally, the network device may send a fourth indication message to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device may receive the fourth indication message from the network device. The fourth indication message may indicate that the duration of the DRX period is N times the duration of the LP-WUS period, or it may directly indicate the duration of the LP-WUS period. The fourth indication message may be carried in an RRC message; in other words, the network device can configure the duration of the DRX period to be N times the duration of the LP-WUS period through an RRC message.

[0123] In some embodiments, the time interval between the last time-domain position of the LP-WUS monitored by the terminal device in the first DRX cycle and the starting position of the second DRX cycle can be greater than or equal to a third time-domain offset (guardoffset), or it can be greater than or equal to the starting position of the drx-onDurationTimer in the second DRX cycle. Here, the second DRX cycle is the cycle following the first DRX cycle. In this way, a certain time interval can be maintained between the time-domain position of LP-WUS monitoring and the time-domain position of PDCCH monitoring, thereby avoiding increased power consumption of the terminal device due to frequent monitoring actions.

[0124] Optionally, the network device may send third indication information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device may receive the third indication information from the network device. The third indication information may indicate a third time-domain offset. This third indication information may be carried in an RRC message; in other words, the network device can configure the third time-domain offset via an RRC message.

[0125] Optionally, the third time-domain offset can be the same as the reference time-domain offset predefined in the protocol. The reference time-domain offset can be understood as the time interval between the starting position of the drx-onDurationTimer within the first DRX cycle and the time-domain position of the LP-WUS listener before the drx-onDurationTimer starts. The reference time-domain offset can be the offset described in Method 1-1 above (as shown in Figure 3), or it can be called Option 1-1 offset.

[0126] In some embodiments, the duration of the LP-WUS period listening to LP-WUS within the DRX period can also be the same as the reference time domain offset (Option 1-1 offset). Optionally, the network device can send a fifth indication information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device can receive the fifth indication information from the network device. The fifth indication information can indicate that the duration of the LP-WUS period is the duration of the reference time domain offset. The fifth indication information can be carried in an RRC message; in other words, the network device can configure the duration of the LP-WUS period to be the duration of the reference time domain offset via an RRC message. Optionally, the duration of the DRX period can be configured to be N times the reference time domain offset.

[0127] If the duration of the LP-WUS period is the same as the reference time-domain offset (Option 1-1 offset), and the terminal device determines that the last time-domain position of LP-WUS listening in the first DRX period is the same as the time-domain position of LP-WUS listening in Method 1-1 above, and detects LP-WUS containing information about the packet where the terminal device is located at the last time-domain position, or in other words, detects LP-WUS at the last time-domain position, then the terminal device can listen to the PDCCH in the second DRX period. Here, the terminal device detecting LP-WUS at the last time-domain position can be understood as the terminal device detecting LP-WUS within the listening time corresponding to the last time-domain position.

[0128] When the terminal device detects LP-WUS, it can start listening to PDCCH in a window after an interval of time-domain offset A (as shown in Figure 4 above, method 1-2-1). Because the time-domain offset A may not be the same as Option 1-1 offset (for example, it may be smaller than Option 1-1 offset), if LP-WUS is detected at the last time-domain position of the first DRX cycle, and then PDCCH is listened to after both the interval of time-domain offset A and Option 1-1 offset, the terminal device will frequently listen to PDCCH. Therefore, the terminal device can start listening to PDCCH only after the interval of Option 1-1 offset (i.e., the starting position of drx-onDurationTimer in the second DRX cycle), thus avoiding frequent PDCCH listening and saving power.

[0129] In this embodiment, by introducing a reference time-domain position, the terminal device can more flexibly determine the time-domain position for listening to LP-WUS within the DRX cycle, which helps reduce the power consumption of the terminal device. In addition, an LP-WUS cycle derived from the DRX cycle can be configured to periodically listen to LP-WUS within the DRX cycle.

[0130] To facilitate understanding, the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with specific examples.

[0131] Based on the description of the above embodiments, the terminal device can determine the first time domain position for starting LP-WUS listening within a DRX cycle based on a reference time domain position within a DRX cycle. Then, based on the first time domain position and the LP-WUS cycle, it can determine at least one time domain position for LP-WUS listening within the DRX cycle. The configuration of the reference time domain position and the LP-WUS cycle can include the following cases:

[0132] Case 1: The reference time domain location is the first time unit after the end of the timer within the DRX cycle; the duration of the DRX cycle is N times the duration of the LP-WUS cycle.

[0133] For example, please refer to Figure 10, which is a schematic diagram of LP-WUS monitoring provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 10, q represents the reference time domain position, w represents the first time domain position of LP-WUS monitoring within one DRX cycle, S represents the time interval between the first time domain position w of LP-WUS monitoring within one DRX cycle and the reference time domain position q, and E represents the time interval between the last time domain position of LP-WUS monitoring within one DRX cycle and the start position of the next DRX cycle.

[0134] Specifically, in the first DRX cycle, if the terminal device does not detect the PDCCH carrying DCI within the drx-onDurationTimer period, the reference time domain position q can be the first time unit after the end of drx-onDurationTimer. In the second DRX cycle, if the terminal device detects the PDCCH carrying DCI within the drx-onDurationTimer period and learns that it is about to start uplink or downlink initial transmission, it starts drx-InactivityTimer, and the reference time domain position q can be the first time unit after the end of drx-InactivityTimer. In the third DRX cycle, if the terminal device detects the PDCCH carrying DCI within the drx-onDurationTimer period and learns that it is about to start uplink or downlink initial transmission, it starts drx-InactivityTimer for data transmission. However, if data needs to be retransmitted during data transmission, an RTT Timer (drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL or drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL) is started. After the Timer ends, a RetransmissionTimer (drx-RetransmissionTimerDL or drx-RetransmissionTimerUL) is started to wait for retransmission of data. The reference time domain position q can be the first time unit after the RetransmissionTimer ends. Therefore, the reference time domain position q is different in the first, second, and third DRX cycles. The reference time domain position q can dynamically change according to the data transmission status of the terminal device, thus enabling an alternating LP-WUS monitoring scheme.

[0135] The time interval S between the first time domain position w of the LP-WUS and the reference time domain position q within a DRX cycle can be the first time domain offset, or the sum of the first time domain offset and the second time domain offset. For details, please refer to the relevant description in Figure 8 of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0136] The time interval E between the last time-domain position of LP-WUS monitoring within a DRX cycle and the starting position of drx-ondurationTime in the next DRX cycle can be greater than or equal to the third time-domain offset. This avoids the terminal device's LP-WUS monitoring position and PDCCH monitoring position being too close together, which helps save power consumption of the terminal device. Optionally, the third time-domain offset can be the same as Option 1-1 offset.

[0137] Based on this, the terminal device can listen to at least one time-domain location of LP-WUS in the following formulas (2) and (3): [(SFN×10)+subframe number]mod(lp-cycle)=(ref-subframe+lp-startoffset)mod(lp-cycle) (2) [(SFN×10)+subframe number]< (DRX-cycle×N-guardoffset)mod10240 (3)

[0138] Wherein, SFN is the system frame, subframe number is the subframe number, mod indicates modulo operation, lp-cycle indicates the length of the LP-WUS cycle, ref-subframe indicates the reference time domain position, lp-startoffset indicates the time interval between the first time domain position of starting to listen to LP-WUS within the DRX cycle and the reference time domain position (i.e., S in Figure 10), DRX-cycle indicates the length of the DRX cycle, N indicates the sequence number of the DRX cycle (N is 1 for the first DRX cycle, N is 2 for the second DRX cycle, and so on), guardoffset indicates the time interval between the last time domain position of listening to LP-WUS within a DRX cycle and the starting position of drx-ondurationTime in the next DRX cycle (i.e., E in Figure 10), and 10240 indicates the length of the superframe.

[0139] For example, taking the first DRX cycle in Figure 10 as an example, assuming that the DRX-cycle is 160ms, the drx-onDurationTimer is 10ms, the lp-startoffset is 5ms, the lp-cycle is 16ms, and the guardoffset is 10ms. Using the above formula (2), at least one candidate time-domain position for monitoring LP-WUS in the first DRX cycle can be calculated, including {15ms, 31ms, 47ms, 63ms, 79ms, 95ms, 111ms, 127ms, 143ms, 159ms}. Among them, (10+5)mod 16=15, the 15ms is the first time-domain position, 15+16=31, the 31ms is the second time-domain position, 15+16*2=47, the 47ms is the third time-domain position, and so on. It is worth noting that since the time interval between 159ms and the start of the second DRX cycle is less than 10ms (guardoffset), LP-WUS monitoring can be omitted at 159ms. Ultimately, at least one time-domain position for LP-WUS monitoring within the first DRX cycle, determined from at least one candidate time-domain position, can include {15ms, 31ms, 47ms, 63ms, 79ms, 95ms, 111ms, 127ms, 143ms}.

[0140] Case 1-1: The reference time domain position is the first time unit after the end of the timer within the DRX cycle; the duration of the LP-WUS cycle is the same as the offset of Option 1-1.

[0141] For example, please refer to Figure 11, which is a schematic diagram of another method for monitoring LP-WUS provided in this application embodiment. As shown in Figure 11, p represents the last time-domain position of LP-WUS monitoring within the first DRX cycle. The shaded area in the box corresponding to p indicates that LP-WUS was monitored. k represents the time-domain position of LP-WUS monitoring in method 1-1, and d represents the time-domain position of starting PDCCH monitoring after LP-WUS is monitored. Wherein, p and k coincide, indicating that the last time-domain position of LP-WUS monitoring within the first DRX cycle can be the same as the time-domain position of LP-WUS monitoring in method 1-1.

[0142] In this case, the description of the reference time domain position and the first time domain position for listening to LP-WUS within the DRX cycle is similar to that in Case 1, and will not be repeated here. It is worth noting that after the terminal device detects LP-WUS within the listening opportunity corresponding to the last time domain position p in the first DRX cycle, it can listen to PDCCH within the drx-onDurationTimer period in the second DRX cycle, without needing to listen to PDCCH within the listening opportunity corresponding to d in Figure 11, thereby saving power consumption of the terminal device.

[0143] Case 2: The reference time domain position is the same as the starting position of the DRX cycle; the duration of the DRX cycle is N times the duration of the LP-WUS cycle.

[0144] For example, please refer to Figure 12, which is a schematic diagram of another LP-WUS monitoring method provided by an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 12, h represents the reference time domain position within one DRX cycle, f represents the start position of the DRX cycle, j represents the first time domain position for LP-WUS monitoring within one DRX cycle, x represents the first candidate time domain position within one DRX cycle, g represents the start position of drx-onDurationTimer, and M represents the time interval (drx-startoffset) between the start position of the DRX cycle and the start position of drx-onDurationTimer. Where h and f coincide, it indicates that the reference time domain position and the start position of the DRX cycle can be the same. x and g coincide, it indicates that the first candidate time domain position and the start position of drx-onDurationTimer can be the same, that is, the time interval between the first candidate time domain position x and the start position f of the DRX cycle can be drx-startoffset.

[0145] The terminal device can determine at least one candidate time-domain position based on the first candidate time-domain position and the LP-WUS period (as shown by the dashed box in Figure 12). Considering that the terminal device can normally listen to the PDCCH during the active time period within the DRX period, to save power consumption, the time-domain position for listening to LP-WUS can not overlap with the active time period within the DRX period. For a description of the active time period within the DRX period, please refer to the above embodiment. Similar to Case 1, the time interval between the last time-domain position for listening to LP-WUS within the DRX period and the starting position of drx-ondurationTime in the next DRX period can be greater than or equal to the third time-domain offset (guardoffset). Optionally, the third time-domain offset can be the same as Option 1-1offset. Thus, at least one time-domain position for listening to LP-WUS within the DRX period can be determined from at least one candidate time-domain position.

[0146] Based on this, the terminal device can listen to at least one time-domain location of LP-WUS in the following formulas (4) and (5): [(SFN×10)+subframe number]mod(lp-cycle)=(lp-startoffset')mod(lp-cycle) (4) [(SFN×10)+subframe number]< (DRX-cycle×N-guardoffset)mod10240 (5)

[0147] Wherein, SFN is the system frame, subframe number is the subframe number, mod represents the modulo operation, lp-cycle represents the length of the LP-WUS cycle, and lp-startoffset' represents the time interval between the first candidate time domain position and the reference time domain position, which can be the same as drx-startoffset (i.e., M in Figure 12). Formula (5) has the same meaning as formula (3) above, and will not be repeated here.

[0148] For example, taking the first DRX cycle in Figure 12 as an example, assuming the drx-startoffset is 0ms (i.e., the starting position of the first DRX cycle is the same as the starting position of drx-onDurationTimer), the drx-onDurationTimer is 30ms, the duration of the DRX cycle is 200ms, the duration of the LP-WUS cycle is 20ms, and the guardoffset is 10ms. Using the above formula (4), at least one candidate time-domain position for monitoring LP-WUS in the first DRX cycle can be calculated, including {20ms, 40ms, 60ms, 80ms, 100ms, 120ms, 140ms, 160ms, 180ms, 200ms}. Wherein, 0mod 20=20, the 20ms is the first candidate time-domain position, 20+20=40, the 40ms is the second candidate time-domain position, and so on. Since the 20ms interval overlaps with the drx-onDurationTimer time period, LP-WUS listening can be omitted at the 20ms interval. Also, since the time interval between the 200ms interval and the start position of the drx-onDurationTimer within the second DRX cycle is less than 10ms, LP-WUS listening can also be omitted at the 200ms interval. Finally, determining at least one time-domain position for LP-WUS listening within the first DRX cycle from at least one candidate time-domain position can include {40ms, 60ms, 80ms, 100ms, 120ms, 140ms, 160ms, 180ms}.

[0149] Case 2-1: The reference time domain position is the same as the starting position of the DRX cycle; the duration of the LP-WUS cycle is the same as the Option 1-1 offset.

[0150] For example, please refer to Figure 13, which is a schematic diagram of another method for monitoring LP-WUS provided in this application embodiment. As shown in Figure 13, v represents the last time-domain position of LP-WUS monitoring within the first DRX cycle. The shaded area in the box corresponding to v indicates that LP-WUS has been monitored. t represents the time-domain position of LP-WUS monitoring in method 1-1, and z represents the time-domain position of starting PDCCH monitoring after LP-WUS has been monitored. Wherein, v and t coincide, indicating that the last time-domain position of LP-WUS monitoring within the first DRX cycle can be the same as the time-domain position of LP-WUS monitoring in method 1-1.

[0151] In this case, the description of the reference time domain position and the first time domain position for listening to LP-WUS within the DRX cycle is similar to that in Case 2, and will not be repeated here. It is worth noting that after the terminal device detects LP-WUS within the listening opportunity corresponding to the last time domain position p in the first DRX cycle, it can listen to PDCCH within the drx-onDurationTimer period in the second DRX cycle, without needing to listen to PDCCH within the listening opportunity corresponding to z in Figure 13, thereby saving power consumption of the terminal device.

[0152] Based on this, the above formula (4) can be expressed as follows: [(SFN×10)+subframe number]mod(Option 1-1offset)=(drx-startoffset)mod(Option 1-1offset t)

[0153] For example, taking the first DRX cycle in Figure 13 as an example, assuming the drx-startoffset is 0ms (i.e., the start position of the first DRX cycle is the same as the start position of drx-onDurationTimer), the drx-onDurationTimer is 30ms, the Option 1-1 offset is 16ms, the duration of the DRX cycle is 160ms, and the guardoffset is the same as the Option 1-1 offset (i.e., 16ms). The calculated candidate time-domain positions for monitoring LP-WUS within the first DRX cycle include {16ms, 32ms, 48ms, 64ms, 80ms, 96ms, 112ms, 128ms, 144ms, 160ms}. Here, 0 mod 16 = 16, so 16ms is the first candidate time-domain position. Optionally, the first candidate time-domain position can also start from 0ms. 16 + 16 = 32, so the 32ms position is the second candidate time domain position, and so on. Since the 16ms position overlaps with the drx-onDurationTimer time period, LP-WUS monitoring can be omitted at the 16ms position. Also, since the time interval between the 160ms position and the start position of the drx-onDurationTimer within the second DRX cycle is less than 16ms, LP-WUS monitoring can also be omitted at the 160ms position. Finally, determining at least one time domain position for LP-WUS monitoring within the first DRX cycle from at least one candidate time domain position can include {32ms, 48ms, 64ms, 80ms, 96ms, 112ms, 128ms, 144ms}. Determining at least one time domain position for LP-WUS monitoring within the DRX cycle in this way helps save power consumption of the terminal device.

[0154] The foregoing describes the method embodiments provided in this application. In order to facilitate better implementation of the above-described solutions of the embodiments of this application, the embodiments of this application also provide corresponding communication devices.

[0155] In some embodiments, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function in order to achieve the above-described functions. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those 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 this application.

[0156] This application embodiment can divide the communication device into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0157] Please refer to Figure 14, which is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 140 can be a terminal device or a device within a terminal device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). Alternatively, the communication device 140 can be a network device or a device within a network device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). As shown in Figure 14, the communication device 140 includes at least a communication unit 1401 and a processing unit 1402.

[0158] For cases where the communication device is used to implement the functions of the terminal device in the embodiments of this application:

[0159] Processing unit 1402 is used to call communication unit 1401 to listen for low-power wake-up signal LP-WUS at at least one time-domain position within the first DRX cycle; wherein, the first time-domain position among the at least one time-domain positions is determined based on a reference time-domain position, and the at least one time-domain position is determined based on the first time-domain position and the LP-WUS cycle.

[0160] In one possible implementation, the time interval between the reference time domain position and the end position of the timer within the first DRX cycle is a first time unit, and the reference time domain position is later than the end position of the timer; wherein, the timer includes one or more of the following: DRX duration timer, DRX deactivation timer, and DRX retransmission timer; the unit of the first time unit is a subframe, a time slot, or a symbol.

[0161] In one possible implementation, the first time-domain location is the reference time-domain location.

[0162] In one possible implementation, the time interval between the first time domain position and the reference time domain position is the first time domain offset; the first time domain position is later than the reference time domain position.

[0163] In one possible implementation, the communication unit 1401 is further configured to receive first indication information; the first indication information indicates a first time domain offset.

[0164] In one possible implementation, the time interval between the first time domain position and the reference time domain position is the sum of the first time domain offset and the second time domain offset; the first time domain position is later than the reference time domain position; and the unit granularity of the second time domain offset is smaller than the unit granularity of the first time domain offset.

[0165] In one possible implementation, the communication unit 1401 is further configured to receive second indication information; the second indication information indicates a first time domain offset and a second time domain offset.

[0166] In one possible implementation, the reference time-domain location is the starting position of the first DRX cycle.

[0167] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 1402 is further configured to determine a first candidate time domain position based on a reference time domain position and a start time domain offset corresponding to a DRX duration timer; the start time domain offset is the time interval between the start position of the first DRX cycle and the start position of the DRX duration timer; the start position of the DRX duration timer is later than the start position of the first DRX cycle; determine at least one candidate time domain position based on the first candidate time domain position and the period of LP-WUS; determine at least one time domain position from the at least one candidate time domain position; the at least one time domain position does not overlap with the activation time period within the first DRX cycle.

[0168] In one possible implementation, the activation period is the duration of one or more of the following: DRX duration timer, DRX deactivation timer, and DRX retransmission timer.

[0169] In one possible implementation, the time interval between the last time-domain position in at least one time-domain position and the start position of the second DRX cycle is greater than or equal to a third time-domain offset; the second DRX cycle is the next DRX cycle after the first DRX cycle.

[0170] In one possible implementation, the communication unit 1401 is also configured to receive third indication information; the third indication information indicates a third time-domain offset.

[0171] In one possible implementation, the third time-domain offset is the same as the reference time-domain offset predefined by the protocol; the reference time-domain offset is the time interval between the start position of the DRX duration timer and the position of the LP-WUS listener; the position of the LP-WUS listener is earlier than the start position of the DRX duration timer.

[0172] In one possible implementation, the communication unit 1401 is further configured to receive fourth indication information; the fourth indication information indicates that the duration of the DRX cycle is N times the duration of the LP-WUS cycle, where N is a positive integer.

[0173] In one possible implementation, the communication unit 1401 is further configured to receive fifth indication information; the fifth indication information indicates that the duration of the LP-WUS period is the duration of the reference time domain offset; the reference time domain offset is the time interval between the start position of the DRX duration timer and the position of the LP-WUS being monitored; the position of the LP-WUS being monitored is earlier than the start position of the DRX duration timer.

[0174] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 1402 is further configured to, in response to the time interval between the last time domain position in at least one time domain position and the start position of the second DRX cycle being a reference time domain offset, and to listen to LP-WUS at the last time domain position, call the communication unit 1401 to listen to PDCCH in the second DRX cycle; the second DRX cycle is the next DRX cycle of the first DRX cycle.

[0175] For a more detailed description of the communication unit 1401 and the processing unit 1402, please refer to the relevant description of the terminal device in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0176] For cases where the communication device is used to implement the functions of the network device in the embodiments of this application:

[0177] Communication unit 1401 is used to transmit LP-WUS during the first DRX cycle; the timing of LP-WUS listening is related to the reference time domain position.

[0178] In one possible implementation, the communication unit 1401 is further configured to send first indication information; the first indication information indicates a first time domain offset; the first time domain offset and the reference time domain position are used to determine the first time domain position of listening to LP-WUS within the first DRX cycle.

[0179] In one possible implementation, the communication unit 1401 is further configured to send second indication information; the second indication information indicates a first time domain offset and a second time domain offset; the first time domain offset, the second time domain offset, and the reference time domain position are used to determine the first time domain position for listening to LP-WUS within the first DRX cycle.

[0180] In one possible implementation, the communication unit 1401 is further configured to send third indication information; the third indication information indicates a third time-domain offset; the third time-domain offset is used to determine the last time-domain position of the LP-WUS being monitored during the first DRX cycle.

[0181] In one possible implementation, the communication unit 1401 is also used to send a fourth indication message; the fourth indication message indicates that the duration of the DRX cycle is N times the duration of the LP-WUS cycle being monitored, where N is a positive integer.

[0182] In one possible implementation, the communication unit 1401 is further configured to send a fifth indication message; the fifth indication message indicates that the duration of the LP-WUS period for listening to LP-WUS is the duration of a reference time domain offset; the reference time domain offset is the time interval between the start position of the DRX duration timer and the position of listening to LP-WUS; the position of listening to LP-WUS is earlier than the start position of the DRX duration timer.

[0183] For a more detailed description of the communication unit 1401, please refer to the relevant description of the network device in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0184] Please refer to Figure 15, which is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 15, the communication device 150 may include one or more processors 1501, which may also be called processing units, and can implement certain control functions. The processor 1501 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, etc. For example, it may be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (such as a base station, baseband chip, terminal, terminal chip, DU or CU, etc.), execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs.

[0185] In an alternative design, the processor 1501 may also store instructions 1503 and / or data, which can be executed by the processor to cause the communication device 150 to perform the method described in the above method embodiments.

[0186] In another alternative design, the processor 1501 may include a transceiver unit for implementing receiving and transmitting functions. For example, this transceiver unit may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, an interface circuit, or a communication interface. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit for implementing receiving and transmitting functions may be separate or integrated. The aforementioned transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit can be used for reading and writing code / data, or it can be used for transmitting or relaying signals.

[0187] In another possible design, the communication device 150 may include circuitry that can perform the functions of sending, receiving, or communicating in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0188] Optionally, the communication device 150 may include one or more memories 1502, which may store instructions 1504 and / or data. The instructions 1504 and / or data can be executed on a processor, causing the communication device 150 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, the memory may also store data. Optionally, the processor may also store instructions and / or data. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together. For example, the correspondence described in the above method embodiments may be stored in the memory or in the processor.

[0189] Optionally, the communication device 150 may further include a transceiver 1505 and / or an antenna 1506. The processor 1501, which may be referred to as a processing unit, controls the communication device 150. The transceiver 1505, which may be referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, transceiver device, or transceiver module, is used to implement transceiver functions.

[0190] Optionally, the communication device 150 in this application embodiment can be used to execute the method described in FIG6 in this application embodiment.

[0191] In one embodiment, the communication device 150 can be a terminal device or a device within the terminal device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). When the computer program instructions stored in the memory 1502 are executed, the transceiver 1505 is used to perform the operations performed by the communication unit 1401 in the above embodiments. The transceiver 1505 is also used to send information to other communication devices besides the communication device. The terminal device or the device within the terminal device can also be used to perform various methods performed by the terminal device in the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated further.

[0192] In one embodiment, the communication device 150 can be a network device or a device within a network device (e.g., a chip, a chip system, or a circuit). When the computer program instructions stored in the memory 1502 are executed, the transceiver 1505 is used to perform the operations performed by the communication unit 1401 in the above embodiments. The network device or the device within the network device can also be used to perform various methods performed by the network device in the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated further.

[0193] The processor and transceiver described in this application can be implemented on integrated circuits (ICs), analog ICs, radio frequency interface chips (RFICs), mixed-signal ICs, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), printed circuit boards (PCBs), electronic devices, etc. The processor and transceiver can also be manufactured using various IC process technologies, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS), n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS), p-type metal oxide semiconductors (PMOS), bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), etc.

[0194] The structure of the device described in this application is not limited to Figure 14. The device can be a standalone device or part of a larger device. For example, the device can be:

[0195] (1) An independent integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem;

[0196] (2) A collection of one or more ICs, optionally including a storage component for storing data and / or instructions;

[0197] (3) ASIC, such as Mobile Station Modem (MSM);

[0198] (4) Modules that can be embedded in other devices;

[0199] (5) Receivers, terminals, smart terminals, cellular phones, wireless devices, handheld devices, mobile units, vehicle-mounted devices, network devices, cloud devices, artificial intelligence devices, machinery, home appliances, medical devices, industrial equipment, etc.

[0200] (6) Others, etc.

[0201] Please refer to Figure 16, which is a schematic diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application. For ease of explanation, Figure 16 only shows the main components of the terminal device. As shown in Figure 16, the terminal device 160 includes a processor, a memory, a control circuit, an antenna, and input / output devices. The processor is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire terminal device, execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs. The memory is mainly used to store software programs and data. The radio frequency circuit is mainly used for the conversion between baseband signals and radio frequency signals and the processing of radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touch screens, displays, and keyboards, are mainly used to receive user input data and output data to the user.

[0202] When the terminal device is powered on, the processor can read the software program from the storage unit, parse and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit processes the baseband signal to obtain the RF signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the terminal device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna. This RF signal is further converted into a baseband signal and output to the processor. The processor converts the baseband signal back into data and processes the data.

[0203] For ease of explanation, Figure 16 shows only one memory and processor. In actual terminal devices, multiple processors and memories may exist. Memory can also be called storage medium or storage device, etc., and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0204] As an optional implementation, the processor may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor is mainly used for processing communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU is mainly used for controlling the entire terminal device, executing software programs, and processing the data in the software programs. The processor in Figure 16 integrates the functions of a baseband processor and a CPU. Those skilled in the art will understand that the baseband processor and CPU can also be independent processors interconnected via technologies such as buses. Those skilled in the art will understand that a terminal device may include multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network standards, and a terminal device may include multiple CPUs to enhance its processing capabilities. The various components of the terminal device can be connected via various buses. The baseband processor can also be described as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The CPU can also be described as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built into the processor or stored in the memory unit as a software program, which is then executed by the processor to implement the baseband processing function.

[0205] In one example, the antenna and control circuit with transceiver functions can be considered as the transceiver unit 1601 of the terminal device 160, and the processor with processing functions can be considered as the processing unit 1602 of the terminal device 160. As shown in Figure 16, the terminal device 160 includes the transceiver unit 1601 and the processing unit 1602. The transceiver unit can also be called a transceiver, transceiver device, transceiver apparatus, etc. Optionally, the device in the transceiver unit 1601 used to implement the receiving function can be considered as the receiving unit, and the device in the transceiver unit 1601 used to implement the transmitting function can be considered as the transmitting unit, that is, the transceiver unit 1601 includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. For example, the receiving unit can also be called a receiver, receiver circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit can be called a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit, etc. Optionally, the above-mentioned receiving unit and transmitting unit can be integrated into one unit, or they can be multiple independent units. The above-mentioned receiving unit and transmitting unit can be in one geographical location or distributed in multiple geographical locations.

[0206] In one embodiment, the transceiver unit 1601 is used to perform the operations performed by the communication unit 1401 in the above embodiments. The terminal device 160 can also be used to perform various methods performed by the terminal device in the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0207] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, can implement the processes related to the terminal device in the methods provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0208] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, can implement the network device-related processes in the methods provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0209] This application also provides a computer program product that, when run on a computer or processor, causes the computer or processor to perform one or more steps of any of the methods described above. If the constituent modules of the aforementioned devices are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0210] This application also provides a chip system including at least one processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit and the at least one processor are interconnected via a circuit. The at least one processor is used to execute computer programs or instructions to cause some or all of the steps described in the above embodiments to be executed. In one possible implementation, the chip system may further include at least one memory. The interface circuit, the at least one memory, and the at least one processor are interconnected via a circuit. The at least one memory stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the processor, some or all of the steps described in the above embodiments are executed. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0211] This application also provides a communication system, which includes a terminal device and a network device. For a detailed description, please refer to the method shown in the corresponding embodiment of FIG6.

[0212] It should be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). Memory is any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code having an instruction or data structure form and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiments of this application may also be circuitry or any other means capable of implementing storage functions for storing program instructions and / or data.

[0213] It should also be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0214] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) is integrated into the processor.

[0215] It should be noted that the memories described herein are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memories.

[0216] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0217] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments provided herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those 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 this application.

[0218] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0219] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0220] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0221] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0222] If a function is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0223] The steps in the method of this application embodiment can be adjusted, combined, or deleted according to actual needs.

[0224] The modules / units in the device of this application embodiment can be merged, divided, and deleted according to actual needs.

[0225] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a terminal device, the terminal device being in a connected, discontinuous reception C-DRX mode, the method comprising: Listen for the low-power wake-up signal LP-WUS at at least one time-domain location within the first DRX cycle; Wherein, the first time-domain position in the at least one time-domain position is determined based on a reference time-domain position, and the at least one time-domain position is determined based on the first time-domain position and the LP-WUS period.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The time interval between the reference time domain position and the end position of the timer in the first DRX cycle is a first time unit, and the reference time domain position is later than the end position of the timer. The timer includes one or more of the following: DRX duration timer, DRX deactivation timer, and DRX retransmission timer; the unit of the first time unit is a subframe, a time slot, or a symbol.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first time domain position is the reference time domain position.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The time interval between the first time domain position and the reference time domain position is the first time domain offset; the first time domain position is later than the reference time domain position.

5. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive first indication information; the first indication information indicates the first time domain offset.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The time interval between the first time domain position and the reference time domain position is the sum of the first time domain offset and the second time domain offset; the first time domain position is later than the reference time domain position; the unit granularity of the second time domain offset is smaller than the unit granularity of the first time domain offset.

7. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second indication information; the second indication information indicates the first time domain offset and the second time domain offset.

8. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The reference time domain position is the starting position of the first DRX cycle.

9. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the reference time domain position and the starting time domain offset corresponding to the DRX duration timer, a first candidate time domain position is determined; the starting time domain offset is the time interval between the starting position of the first DRX cycle and the starting position of the DRX duration timer; the starting position of the DRX duration timer is later than the starting position of the first DRX cycle. Based on the first candidate time-domain location and the period of the LP-WUS, at least one candidate time-domain location is determined; From the at least one candidate time-domain location, at least one time-domain location is determined; the at least one time-domain location does not overlap with the activation time period within the first DRX cycle.

10. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The activation time period is the duration of one or more of the DRX duration timer, DRX deactivation timer, and DRX retransmission timer.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The time interval between the last time-domain position in the at least one time-domain position and the start position of the second DRX cycle is greater than or equal to the third time-domain offset; the second DRX cycle is the next DRX cycle of the first DRX cycle.

12. The method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive third indication information; the third indication information indicates the third time domain offset.

13. The method as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The third time-domain offset is the same as the reference time-domain offset predefined by the protocol; the reference time-domain offset is the time interval between the start position of the DRX duration timer and the position of the listening LP-WUS; the position of the listening LP-WUS is earlier than the start position of the DRX duration timer.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive fourth indication information; the fourth indication information indicates that the duration of the DRX cycle is N times the duration of the LP-WUS cycle, where N is a positive integer.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1-14, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a fifth indication message; the fifth indication message indicates that the duration of the LP-WUS period is the duration of the reference time domain offset; the reference time domain offset is the time interval between the start position of the DRX duration timer and the position of the LP-WUS monitoring; the position of the LP-WUS monitoring is earlier than the start position of the DRX duration timer.

16. The method as described in claim 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to the time interval between the last time domain position in the at least one time domain position and the start position of the second DRX period being the reference time domain offset, and the LP-WUS being detected at the last time domain position, the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) is monitored during the second DRX period; the second DRX period is the next DRX period of the first DRX period.

17. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a network device, and the method includes: LP-WUS is transmitted during the first DRX cycle; the timing of the LP-WUS listening is related to the reference time domain location.

18. The method as described in claim 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first indication message; the first indication message indicates a first time domain offset; the first time domain offset and the reference time domain position are used to determine the first time domain position for listening to the LP-WUS within the first DRX cycle.

19. The method as described in claim 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second indication message; the second indication message indicates a first time domain offset and a second time domain offset; the first time domain offset, the second time domain offset, and the reference time domain position are used to determine the first time domain position for listening to the LP-WUS within the first DRX cycle.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17-19, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a third indication message; the third indication message indicates a third time domain offset; the third time domain offset is used to determine the last time domain position of the LP-WUS being monitored within the first DRX cycle.

21. The method according to any one of claims 17-20, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a fourth indication message; the fourth indication message indicates that the duration of the DRX cycle is N times the duration of the LP-WUS cycle being monitored, where N is a positive integer.

22. The method according to any one of claims 17-21, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a fifth indication message; the fifth indication message indicates that the duration of the LP-WUS period for monitoring the LP-WUS is the duration of the reference time domain offset; the reference time domain offset is the time interval between the start position of the DRX duration timer and the position for monitoring the LP-WUS; the position for monitoring the LP-WUS is earlier than the start position of the DRX duration timer.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a unit for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-16; or, it includes a unit for performing the method as described in any one of claims 17-22.

24. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor for executing a computer program or instructions in memory, which, when executed by the processor, cause the device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-16, or the method as described in any one of claims 17-22.

25. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a terminal device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-16, or cause a network device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 17-22.

26. A chip system, characterized in that, The device includes at least one processor, at least one memory, and an interface circuit. The at least one memory, the interface circuit, and the at least one processor are interconnected via a line. The at least one memory stores instructions. When the instructions are executed by the processor, they cause a terminal device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-16, or cause a network device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 17-22.

27. A communication system, characterized in that, The method includes a terminal device and a network device, wherein the terminal device is configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-16, and the network device is configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 17-22.

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