Signal resource configuration method and apparatus, and device and storage medium

Abstract

The present application belongs to the field of mobile communications. Disclosed are a signal resource configuration method and apparatus, and a device and a storage medium. The method comprises: sending configuration information to a terminal, which configuration information is used for configuring a first signal resource, wherein the first signal resource is a resource dedicated to the terminal, and the first signal resource is used for reporting the location of the terminal. A terminal reports the location thereof, such that a network device can be prevented from sending a paging message at an unnecessary location, thereby reducing the paging overheads of a network; and the terminal is identified on the basis of a first signal resource dedicated to the terminal, such that the terminal can complete location reporting / updating without sending additional signaling, thereby facilitating the energy conservation of the terminal. The present application achieves the balance between paging and energy conservation.

Description

Methods, apparatus, equipment and storage media for configuring signal resources Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of mobile communications, and in particular to a method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for configuring signal resources. Background Technology

[0002] In New Radio (NR) systems, paging of terminals by the network side mainly involves three application scenarios: paging initiated by the core network, paging initiated by the access network, and notification of System Information (SI) updates initiated by the access network.

[0003] During the paging process for a terminal, the network side needs to refer to the location of the terminal. How to balance determining the terminal location with energy saving requires further discussion and research.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a method, apparatus, device, and storage medium for configuring signal resources. The technical solution is as follows:

[0006] According to one aspect of this application, a method for configuring signal resources is provided, the method being performed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0007] Send configuration information to the terminal, the configuration information being used to configure the first signal resource;

[0008] The first signal resource is a dedicated resource for the terminal, and it is used to report the location of the terminal.

[0009] According to another aspect of this application, a method for configuring signal resources is provided, the method being executed by a terminal, the method comprising:

[0010] Receive configuration information sent by a network device, the configuration information being used to configure a first signal resource;

[0011] The first signal resource is a dedicated resource for the terminal, and it is used to report the location of the terminal.

[0012] According to another aspect of this application, a signal resource configuration apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising:

[0013] A sending module is used to send configuration information to the terminal, wherein the configuration information is used to configure the first signal resource;

[0014] The first signal resource is a dedicated resource for the terminal, and it is used to report the location of the terminal.

[0015] According to another aspect of this application, a signal resource configuration apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising:

[0016] A receiving module is used to receive configuration information sent by a network device, wherein the configuration information is used to configure a first signal resource;

[0017] The first signal resource is a dedicated resource for the device and is used to report the location of the device.

[0018] According to another aspect of this application, a network device is provided, the network device comprising: a processor; a transceiver connected to the processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the network device is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the signal resource configuration method as described above.

[0019] According to another aspect of this application, a terminal is provided, the terminal comprising: a processor; a transceiver connected to the processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the terminal is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the signal resource configuration method as described above.

[0020] According to another aspect of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein executable instructions are stored therein, which are loaded and executed by a processor to implement the signal resource configuration method as described above.

[0021] According to another aspect of this application, a chip is provided, the chip including programmable logic circuits and / or program instructions, which, when the chip is run on a computer device, are used to implement the signal resource configuration method described above based on the programmable logic circuits and / or program instructions.

[0022] According to another aspect of this application, a computer program product or computer program is provided, the computer program product or computer program including computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium, wherein a processor reads from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, causing a computer device to perform the signal resource configuration method described above.

[0023] The technical solutions provided in this application have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0024] By configuring a dedicated first signal resource for each terminal, the terminal can report its location by sending signals through this resource. This allows the network to determine / update the terminal's location based on uplink measurements, enabling paging based on the terminal's most recently reported location, thus realizing the network's paging process. Terminal location reporting avoids network devices sending paging messages at unnecessary locations, reducing network paging overhead. Furthermore, by identifying the terminal based on its dedicated first signal resource, the terminal can complete location reporting / updating without sending additional signaling, contributing to energy efficiency. This application achieves a balance between paging and energy saving. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a tracking area and a notification area provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of a communication system provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a signal resource configuration method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a signal resource configuration method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a signal transmission method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a paging process provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a signal resource configuration apparatus provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a signal resource configuration apparatus provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail here, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0036] The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0037] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used in this application to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to determination."

[0038] The technical solutions described in some embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) systems, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) systems, Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) systems, New Radio (NR) systems, evolution systems of NR systems, LTE-based access to unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) systems, NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) systems, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) systems, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) systems, and Wireless Fidelity (WF). It can be used with Fidelity (WiFi) systems, 5th generation mobile communication technology (5G) systems, cellular IoT systems, cellular passive IoT systems, and can also be used with subsequent evolution systems of 5G NR systems, as well as 6th generation mobile communication technology (6G) systems and subsequent evolution systems.

[0039] It should be understood that in some embodiments of this application, "5G" may also be referred to as "5G NR" or "NR".

[0040] It should be understood that in the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "correspondence" may indicate that there is a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or that there is an association between the two, or that there is a relationship of instruction and being instructed, configuration and being configured, etc.

[0041] An introduction to the NR system:

[0042] Currently, with people's pursuit of speed, latency, high-speed mobility, and energy efficiency, as well as the diversity and complexity of business in future life, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) international standards organization has begun to develop 5G. The main application scenarios of 5G are: Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications (URLLC), and Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC).

[0043] eMBB still aims to provide users with multimedia content, services, and data, and its demand is growing rapidly. On the other hand, because eMBB may be deployed in different scenarios, such as indoors, urban areas, and rural areas, its capabilities and needs vary considerably. Therefore, generalizations cannot be made; a detailed analysis based on the specific deployment scenario is necessary. Typical applications of URLLC include industrial automation, power automation, remote medical operations (surgery), and traffic safety assurance. Typical characteristics of mMTC include high connection density, small data volume, latency-insensitive services, low module cost, and long lifespan.

[0044] NR can also be deployed independently. In 5G network environments, to reduce air interface signaling and quickly restore wireless connections and data services, a new Radio Resource Control (RRC) state is defined: the RRC Inactive (RRC_INACTIVE) state. This state is different from the RRC Idle (RRC_IDLE) and RRC Active (RRC_ACTIVE) states.

[0045] RRC idle state: Mobility is terminal-based cell selection / reselection; paging is initiated by the core network (CN), and the paging area is configured by the CN. The base station does not store the terminal access stratum (AS) context. No RRC connection exists.

[0046] RRC Connection (RRC_CONNECTED) State: An RRC connection exists; the base station and the terminal store the terminal's AS context. The network side knows the terminal's location, and the terminal's location is at the cell level. Mobility is network-controlled. Unicast data can be transmitted between the terminal and the base station.

[0047] RRC inactive state: Mobility is terminal-based cell selection / reselection, and a connection exists between CN and NR. The terminal AS context is stored on a base station. Paging is triggered by the Radio Access Network (RAN). The RAN-based paging area is managed by the RAN, and the network side knows the terminal's location at the RAN-based paging area level.

[0048] An introduction to the paging mechanism:

[0049] There are three main application scenarios for paging in the NR system: paging initiated by the core network, paging initiated by the access network (e.g., base station / gNB), and notification of system information updates initiated by the access network (e.g., base station / gNB).

[0050] Paging initiated by the core network and mobility management in the Non-Access Stratum (NAS) state of RRC idle state are complementary processes; that is, the paging range is the tracking area (TA) currently registered by the terminal. The set tracking area is a trade-off between paging load and location update frequency. This is because a larger tracking area results in less frequent location updates, but a greater system paging load. Paging initiated by the core network is typically only for terminals in the RRC idle state. Terminals in the RRC inactive state will receive paging initiated by the access network (e.g., base station / gNB). This is because in the RRC inactive state, NR introduces a concept similar to the tracking area, namely the RAN Notification Area (RNA), also known as the notification area. For example, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the tracking area and notification area provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the range of a tracking area 101 may cover one or more notification areas 102. Terminals in the RRC inactive state only need to inform the network of new RNAs through the RNA Update (RNAU) procedure when moving across RNAs. When new downlink data or signaling (such as NAS signaling) needs to be sent to the terminal, a paging process is triggered by the access network. This paging process is initiated by the anchor access network device (gNB) in the terminal's RRC inactive state, specifically by using an RRC Release message to put the terminal into an RRC inactive state. Since a single RNA may cover multiple access network devices (gNBs), paging initiated by the access network device (gNB) also needs to be forwarded via the Xn interface.

[0051] These two paging mechanisms are not entirely independent. The core network can provide auxiliary information to the access network device (gNB) to determine the RNA size. Furthermore, paging initiated by the core network is a fallback scheme for paging initiated by the access network device (gNB). If the access network device (gNB) does not receive a paging response from the terminal after initiating a paging, it assumes that the terminal and the network have lost synchronization at the RNA level and will notify the core network. The core network will then trigger a paging process within the TA range. If the terminal receives a paging message from the core network while in an RRC inactive state, it will first enter an RRC idle state before responding to the paging message. Paging messages triggered by the core network and access network device (gNB) can be distinguished by the terminal identifier contained in the paging message. Paging messages containing the Inactive Radio Network Temporary Identity (I-RNTI) are triggered by the access network device (gNB), while those containing the NG-5G-S-TMSI (5G System Temporary Mobile Registration Number) are triggered by the core network. A comparison of the three paging message types is shown in Table 1.

[0052] Table 1

[0053] In the RRC protocol, system information updates are called Short Messages. These are actually RRC messages contained within the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). Each message contains two bits: one bit indicates whether the update is triggered by an update of system information other than Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System (ETWS) / Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) messages (such as System Information Block (SIB) 6, SIB7, and SIB8); the other bit indicates whether the update is triggered by an ETWS / CMAS message (such as SIB6, SIB7, and SIB8). Terminals in any RRC state may receive this Short Message to update their system information.

[0054] All three types of paging messages have the common paging identifier (P-RNTI) configured in the cell scrambled on the PDCCH channel. Paging messages initiated by the core network and access network equipment (gNB) can contain multiple paging records. Each paging record contains a paging message for a specific terminal.

[0055] The basic principle of the paging message sending mechanism is the same for both paging initiated by the core network and paging initiated by access network devices (gNB). From the network's perspective, it is sent on every paging opportunity (PO) within the system information update cycle. Terminals in RRC idle or RRC inactive states will only listen for POs associated with themselves. Terminals in RRC connected states may not necessarily associate the POs they listen for with their own identifier, in order to avoid conflicts with other dedicated downlink data as much as possible.

[0056] Before introducing the specific paging mechanism, it's necessary to introduce two basic concepts: Paging Frame (PF) and Paging Occasion (PO). In LTE systems, the definitions of PF and PO are simple: PF is a radio frame containing a PO within a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) cycle, and PO is a subframe within the PF where a paging message can be sent. In NR, if the PDCCH Monitoring Occasion (PMO) is defined by the paging search space in SIB1, the definition of PF can remain consistent with LTE, while the definition of PO needs to be changed to include radio slots containing multiple PMOs. The number of PMOs is equal to the number of SSBs actually transmitted in the Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) cluster (BURST) set in this cell. When the PMO is defined by search space 0 in the Master Information Block (MIB), the definition of PO can follow the new definition, but the PF is actually a reference radio frame pointing to the PO. This reference radio frame actually contains the SSB cluster. The relationship between the reference radio frame and the associated PO radio frame (as well as the radio time slot and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol) is fixed, so the terminal can accurately locate the PO based on the reference radio frame.

[0057] The protocol defines a formula for determining PF, which applies to both of the above cases:

[0058] (SFN+PF_offset)mod T=(T div N)*(UE_ID mod N);

[0059] Wherein, SFN represents the frame number of the radio frame in which the PF is located, PF_offset represents the radio frame offset, T represents the paging period, N represents the number of PFs in the paging period, and UE_ID represents the terminal identifier, which is equal to 5G-S-TMSI mod 1024.

[0060] To provide a user-centric mobility experience, concepts such as flexible cells and cell carrier decoupling are being discussed in subsequent evolutionary systems of 5G (e.g., 6G). Since idle terminals do not actually consume network resources, they can camp on supercells (where the coverage of a single cell can be much larger than that of a connected terminal), increasing the likelihood that idle terminals are located in the center of the cell and reducing the need for measurement and rereading of system information. However, the introduction of idle supercells leads to high paging overhead, requiring the network to send paging messages within a range equal to or greater than the cell's TA or RNA, which is detrimental to network energy efficiency. Therefore, to reduce the potential paging overhead of idle / inactive supercells, 6G requires idle / inactive terminals to update their location information to the network.

[0061] In 5G, paging areas are updated through two methods: Tracking Area Update (TAU) and Notification Area Update (RNAU). From the terminal's perspective, when an idle / inactive terminal moves across the TA / RNA, it needs to trigger the TA / RNA update procedure to inform the network of the new TA / RNA, i.e., TAU / RNAU, so that the network can page the terminal in the appropriate area. However, frequent triggering of TAU / RNAU is detrimental to terminal energy saving.

[0062] (1) For RNAU, the RNAU process can be periodically triggered by the terminal; in addition, the terminal will also trigger RNAU when the terminal selects a cell that does not belong to the configured RNA during the cell reselection process. The terminal notifies the network to update the RNA where the terminal is located through RRC Resume Request signaling. The above RRC signaling needs to be sent through message 3 (msg3) / message A (msgA) based on the 2 / 4-step Random Access (RA) procedure.

[0063] (2) For TAU, when a terminal camps on a new cell and the Tracking Area Code (TAC) broadcast by the cell is not in the terminal's stored TAC list, the TAU NAS process will be triggered. The terminal will notify the network to update the tracking area it is in via NAS signaling. This requires the idle terminal to enter the connected state, at least by sending message 5 (msg5), i.e., the first uplink message after the completion of the 2 / 4-step RA.

[0064] In summary, based on the concept of supercells, subsequent evolutionary systems of 5G (such as 6G systems) need to reconsider the paging process for terminals in order to achieve a trade-off between network paging overhead and terminal location updates.

[0065] The method provided in this application, by configuring a dedicated first signal resource for the terminal, enables the terminal to report its location by transmitting a signal through the first signal resource. This allows the network to determine / update the terminal's location based on uplink measurements, thereby enabling paging based on the terminal's most recently reported location and realizing the network's paging process. By having the terminal report its location, the network can avoid sending paging messages on unnecessary beams / cells / gNBs within the TA / RNA, thus reducing network paging overhead. Simultaneously, the first signal resource allows for lower terminal energy consumption than the TAU / RNAU, achieving a balance between network paging overhead and terminal energy saving.

[0066] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the system architecture of a communication system 200 provided in one embodiment of this application. The system architecture may include: a terminal 10, an access network device 20, and a core network device 30.

[0067] Terminal 10 can refer to UE (User Equipment), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, wireless communication device, user agent, or user equipment. Optionally, the terminal can also be a cellular phone, cordless phone, SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) phone, WLL (Wireless Local Loop) station, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, terminal in 5GS (5th Generation System), or terminal in the future evolved PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network), etc., and this application embodiment is not limited to these. For ease of description, the devices mentioned above are collectively referred to as terminals.

[0068] It should be noted that there are usually multiple terminals 10. Each access network device 20 can have one or more terminals 10 distributed within the cell it manages. Furthermore, one or more terminals 10 can also be distributed outside the cell managed by the access network device 20. Different terminals 10 can communicate with each other via sidelinks.

[0069] Access network device 20 is a device deployed in an access network to provide wireless communication functionality to terminal 10. Access network device 20 can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, access points, etc. In systems employing different wireless access technologies, the name of the device with access network device functionality may differ; for example, in a 5G NR system, it is called gNodeB or gNB. As communication technologies evolve, the name "access network device" may change. For ease of description, in this embodiment, the aforementioned devices providing wireless communication functionality to terminal 10 are collectively referred to as access network devices. Optionally, a communication relationship can be established between terminal 10 and core network device 30 through access network device 20. For example, in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, access network device 20 can be one or more eNodeBs within an EUTRAN (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network); in a 5G NR system, access network device 20 can be one or more gNBs within an RAN.

[0070] The core network equipment 30 primarily functions to provide user connectivity, manage users, and bear services, serving as an interface to external networks. For example, core network equipment in a 5G NR system may include AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) entities, UPF (User Plane Function) entities, and SMF (Session Management Function) entities. Access network equipment 20 and core network equipment 30 can be collectively referred to as network equipment.

[0071] In one example, access network device 20 and core network device 30 communicate with each other via some over-the-air technology, such as the NG interface in a 5G NR system. Access network device 20 and terminal 10 communicate with each other via some over-the-air technology, such as the Uu interface. Terminal 10 communicates with each other via some over-the-air technology, such as the PC5 interface.

[0072] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a signal resource configuration method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. This method can be performed by a network device. The method includes:

[0073] Step 302: Send configuration information to the terminal. The configuration information is used to configure the first signal resource.

[0074] The first signal resource is a terminal-specific resource, and the network device can determine the terminal corresponding to the first signal resource based on it. In some embodiments, "dedicated" can be understood as "exclusively used". In some embodiments, the first signal resources corresponding to different terminals have at least one of the following differences: the signal content of the signal corresponding to the first signal resource is different; the transmission resources occupied by the first signal resource are different; the transmission method of the signal corresponding to the first signal resource is different.

[0075] The first signal resource is used to report the location of the terminal. In some embodiments, the first signal resource is used to update the paging location of the terminal, which is the location of the terminal used / referenced by the network device when paging the terminal. In some embodiments, the first signal resource is a resource of a first signal, which includes the transmission resources corresponding to the first signal. The transmission resources include at least one of time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, spatial-domain resources, and code-domain resources. In some embodiments, the first signal includes an uplink signal, such as an uplink-wake-up signal (UL-WUS). When the first signal includes UL-WUS, the first signal resource includes UL-WUS resources, and the configuration information includes UL-WUS configuration.

[0076] In some embodiments, the first signal resources of different terminals differ in at least one of the following aspects: the time domain location of the first signal resource; the frequency domain location of the first signal resource; and the code domain resource corresponding to the first signal resource. In some embodiments, the code domain resource corresponding to the first signal resource includes at least one of a preamble carried by the first signal resource and a sequence. In some embodiments, the preamble corresponding to the first signal resource is the preamble carried by the first signal, for example, the first signal is a terminal-specific Random Access Channel (RACH) preamble. In some embodiments, the sequence corresponding to the first signal resource is the sequence carried by the first signal, in which case the signal content of the first signal is obtained by generating the sequence. Optionally, the sequence corresponding to the first signal resource includes at least one of a ZC sequence, a gold sequence, and an m sequence; this application does not limit the type of sequence corresponding to the first signal resource. In some embodiments, the first signal is a terminal-specific uplink reference signal, such as an uplink sounding reference signal (UL SRS) used for positioning.

[0077] In some embodiments, the configuration information is sent via at least one of the following messages: an RRC release message; and an RRC reconfiguration message, wherein the configuration information is carried in at least one of the RRC release and RRC reconfiguration messages. In some embodiments, the terminal receiving the above configuration information is in at least one of an RRC idle state and an RRC inactive state.

[0078] In some embodiments, the cell where the terminal camps includes at least one of a flexible cell, a carrier-decoupled cell, and a super-large cell. The method provided in this application can be applied to scenarios involving at least one of a flexible cell, a carrier-decoupled cell, and a super-large cell. In some embodiments, a super-large cell is equivalent to / can be replaced by an idle super-large cell. In some embodiments, a flexible cell refers to a cell that supports dynamic adjustment of at least one of coverage area, resource allocation, and service type according to real-time demand and environmental changes. A carrier-decoupled cell refers to a cell that supports carrier decoupling. A super-large cell refers to a cell whose coverage area is larger than the coverage area of ​​a single cell of a connected terminal. In some embodiments, the terminal is in an RRC idle state.

[0079] Regarding the effectiveness of the first signal resource:

[0080] In some embodiments, the first signal resource is used in one or more cells, and the first signal resource is valid in one or more cells. The one or more cells include the first cell where the terminal is currently camped, which is equivalent to / can be replaced by the terminal's current cell. In some embodiments, the first cell where the terminal is currently camped includes the cell where the terminal is camped at the time the configuration information is received. In some embodiments, the configuration information carries cell information, which is equivalent to / can be replaced by validity area information. The cell information includes one or more cell IDs, which are used to indicate / identify the cells where the first signal resource is valid, and the one or more cell IDs include the cell ID of the first cell. Optionally, the one or more cell IDs constitute a cell ID list.

[0081] In some embodiments, the configuration information carries conditional information indicating the conditions under which the first signal resource is valid. In some embodiments, the conditional information includes at least one of the following: a Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP) threshold; an RSRP change threshold; and a first timer duration. Optionally, the terminal can determine whether the first signal resource is valid based on the conditions indicated by the conditional information.

[0082] In some embodiments, the terminal determines whether the first signal resource is valid based on the cell it is camped on; in some embodiments, the terminal determines whether the first signal resource is valid based on the conditions indicated by the condition information; in some embodiments, the terminal determines whether the first signal resource is valid based on the cell it is camped on and the conditions indicated by the condition information.

[0083] In some embodiments, if the first signal resource is valid, the terminal will send a first signal based on the first signal resource, thereby triggering the reporting of the terminal's location. In some embodiments, if the first signal resource is invalid / failed / not valid, the terminal will not send a first signal based on the first signal resource. Optionally, the situation where the first signal resource is invalid / failed / not valid includes situations other than the situation where the first signal resource is valid.

[0084] Regarding the transmission method of the first signal:

[0085] In some embodiments, the configuration information carries a transmission configuration, which indicates the transmission method of the first signal. In some embodiments, the transmission method includes at least one of the following: event-triggered transmission; periodic transmission; and semi-persistent transmission. Event-triggered transmission means that the terminal sends the first signal when a triggering event is met, and the triggering event includes an event that triggers the terminal to send the first signal. In some embodiments, the triggering event is equivalent to / can be replaced by an event, a triggering condition, or a condition. In some embodiments, when the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission method of the first signal is event-triggered transmission, the transmission configuration also carries the triggering event, or the triggering event is pre-configured in the terminal, or the triggering event is predefined by the communication protocol. Periodic transmission means that the terminal periodically sends the first signal, and semi-persistent transmission means that the terminal sends the first signal according to the instructions of the network device, for example, periodically sending the first signal according to the instructions of the network device. In some embodiments, when the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission method is periodic transmission or semi-persistent transmission, the configuration information also carries the transmission period of the first signal. When sending the first signal, the terminal sends the first signal according to the transmission period indicated by the configuration information.

[0086] In some embodiments, the first event triggering the transmission of the first signal includes at least one of the following: the terminal camps from a first cell to a second cell; the terminal camps from a first cell to a second cell, and the second cell does not belong to the terminal's current location area; the terminal camps from a first frequency band to a second frequency band within the first cell. Wherein, the first cell is the cell where the terminal is currently camped. In some embodiments, the first cell includes the cell where the terminal camps at the time of receiving the configuration information. The second cell is a different cell from the first cell, and the second cell is equivalent to / can be replaced by a new cell. In some embodiments, the first frequency band includes the frequency band where the terminal camps in the first cell at the time of receiving the configuration information, and the second frequency band is a different frequency band from the first frequency band. In some embodiments, the above-mentioned frequency band is also referred to as a Bandwidth Part (BWP). In some embodiments, the terminal's current location area includes at least one of the terminal's current TA and RNA. The terminal's current TA includes the TA where the terminal is located at the time of receiving the configuration information, and the terminal's current RNA includes the RNA where the terminal is located at the time of receiving the configuration information.

[0087] In some embodiments, when the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission mode is semi-persistent, the network device further performs at least one of the following steps: sending a first activation signaling to the terminal, the first activation signaling being used to activate or enable the semi-persistent transmission mode; sending a first deactivation signaling to the terminal, the first deactivation signaling being used to deactivate or disable the semi-persistent transmission mode. In some embodiments, after the terminal receives the first activation signaling, the terminal begins to periodically transmit a first signal. After the terminal receives the first deactivation signaling, the terminal stops transmitting the first signal. In some embodiments, the first activation signaling includes at least one of the following: Media Access Control Control Element (MAC CE); RRC message; Downlink Control Information (DCI). In some embodiments, the first deactivation signaling includes at least one of the following: MAC CE; RRC message; DCI.

[0088] In some embodiments, when the method of transmitting the first signal is indicated, the terminal will transmit the first signal according to the indicated method of transmitting the first signal.

[0089] It should be noted that the description of the validity of the first signal resource and the description of the transmission method of the first signal resource can be implemented separately or in combination, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this. For example, if the first signal resource is valid, the terminal does not need to consider the transmission method of the first signal resource when transmitting the first signal. Alternatively, the terminal does not need to consider whether the first signal resource is valid and transmits the first signal according to the configured transmission method. Or, if the first signal resource is valid, the terminal transmits the first signal resource according to the configured transmission method.

[0090] Updates to the first signal resource:

[0091] In some embodiments, the network device receives a resource request message sent by a terminal. The resource request message is used to request or update a first signal resource. In some embodiments, the network device receives the resource request message sent by the terminal when the first signal resource is invalid / invalid / not valid. In some embodiments, the resource request message includes at least one of the following: an RRC Resume Request; an RRC Setup Request. In some embodiments, the terminal instructs the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request to be used to request or update the first signal resource by carrying a first cause value in the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request. In some embodiments, the first cause value is different from a second cause value, where the second cause value is the cause value carried in the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request when the purpose of the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request is not to request or update the first signal resource.

[0092] Regarding the paging process:

[0093] In some embodiments, the network device receives a first signal sent by the terminal, the first signal being used by the network device to record or update the paging location of the terminal. The paging location is the location of the terminal used / referenced by the network device when paging the terminal. In some embodiments, the network device determines the paging location of the terminal by measuring the first signal sent by the terminal. The location information of the terminal obtained by the network device through measuring the first signal can be understood as coarse location information. In some embodiments, the granularity of the paging location recorded or updated by the network device includes at least one of cell, TA, RNA, and other granularities. Other granularities include granularities other than cell, TA, and RNA. Optionally, the first signal is sent by the terminal based on a first signal resource.

[0094] In some embodiments, the network device sends a paging message to the terminal based on the terminal's paging location. In some embodiments, the paging location is used to determine the sending node, which is used to send the paging message. The sending node includes at least one of an access network device, a cell, and a Transmission and Reception Point (TRP). After determining the sending node, the network device sends the paging message to the terminal through the sending node. In some embodiments, the physical distance between the sending node and the paging location meets preset conditions; for example, the sending node is at least one of the access network device (e.g., gNB), cell, and TRP closest to the paging location.

[0095] In some embodiments, the network device sends an acknowledgment (ACK) to the terminal, indicating that the terminal's paging location record or update was successful. In some embodiments, the network device sends a restriction signaling message to the terminal, restricting the terminal's use of a first signal resource or restricting the terminal from sending a first signal corresponding to the first signal resource. Upon receiving the restriction signaling message, the terminal stops using the first signal resource or sending the first signal. In some embodiments, the restriction signaling message carries a restriction duration, indicating the duration for which the terminal is restricted from using the first signal resource or sending the first signal. In some embodiments, the restriction duration includes a second timer duration, corresponding to which a second timer triggers the terminal to stop using the first signal resource or sending the first signal. The second timer is equivalent to / can be replaced by a prohibit timer. In some embodiments, the network device sends the restriction signaling message to the terminal in response to receiving the first signal sent by the terminal. The network device can also send restriction signaling messages in other situations, which are not limited in this application. In some embodiments, the second timer is started after the terminal receives the acknowledgment. In some embodiments, the second timer is started after the terminal sends the first signal. During the operation of the second timer, the terminal stops using the first signal resource or sending the first signal; that is, the terminal cannot trigger paging location reporting / updating and send the first signal again. In some embodiments, information for configuring the duration of the second timer is carried in the above configuration information. In some embodiments, whether the terminal starts the second timer is explicitly or implicitly indicated by the network device. Optionally, an implicit indication means that the terminal will start the second timer if the network device configures the duration of the second timer for the terminal.

[0096] In summary, the method provided in this embodiment, by configuring a dedicated first signal resource for the terminal, enables the terminal to report its location by sending signals through the first signal resource. This allows the network to determine / update the terminal's location based on uplink measurements, thereby enabling paging based on the terminal's most recently reported location and realizing the network's paging process. By having the terminal report its location, network devices can avoid sending paging messages at unnecessary locations, thus reducing network paging overhead. Furthermore, by identifying the terminal based on its dedicated first signal resource, the terminal can complete location reporting / updating without sending additional signaling, which is beneficial for terminal energy saving and achieves a balance between paging and energy conservation.

[0097] The method provided in this embodiment also enables the terminal to retain the first signal resource across multiple cells, eliminating the need for the terminal to reacquire the first signal resource when cell reselection occurs and the terminal changes its camping cell, thus saving energy. By setting condition information for the validity of the first signal resource, the first signal transmitted by the terminal uplink can meet uplink synchronization requirements, avoiding uplink interference. Flexible configuration of different transmission methods for the first signal allows for significant power savings from the terminal's perspective, as event triggering enables the transmission of the first signal when needed. In both periodic and semi-persistent transmission, the network device can listen for the first signal at a predefined time-domain location, further saving network device power. Semi-persistent transmission, based on periodic transmission, provides the option for the network device to enable or disable the semi-persistent transmission mode, balancing the power consumption of the network device and the terminal to some extent. By providing multiple first events to trigger the transmission of the first signal, finer-grained paging location update trigger conditions can be provided, such as per-cell and per-bandwidth granularity. By requesting or updating the first signal resource when it is invalid, the network device can promptly provide the terminal with a valid first signal resource. Sending confirmation messages through network devices allows the terminal to know whether the network device has successfully received the terminal's first signal and whether the paging location has been successfully updated. Restricting the terminal's use of first signal resources or the sending of the first signal avoids the terminal frequently triggering paging location reporting / updating and sending the first signal, thus saving terminal power. By starting a second timer after receiving the confirmation message, the terminal is restricted from sending the first signal only if the paging location update is successful. This avoids delays in paging location updates caused by failure to send the first signal due to the second timer's restriction.

[0098] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a signal resource configuration method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. This method can be executed by a terminal. The method includes:

[0099] Step 402: Receive configuration information sent by the network device. The configuration information is used to configure the first signal resource.

[0100] The first signal resource is a terminal-specific resource, and the network device can determine the terminal corresponding to the first signal resource based on it. In some embodiments, "dedicated" can be understood as "exclusively used." In some embodiments, the first signal resources corresponding to different terminals differ in at least one of the following ways: the signal content of the signal corresponding to the first signal resource is different; the transmission resources occupied by the first signal resource are different; the transmission method of the signal corresponding to the first signal resource is different. The first signal resource is used to report the location of the terminal. In some embodiments, the first signal resource is used to update the paging location of the terminal, which is the location of the terminal used / referenced by the network device when paging the terminal. In some embodiments, the first signal resource is a resource of a first signal, which includes the transmission resources corresponding to the first signal. The transmission resources include at least one of time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, spatial-domain resources, and code-domain resources. In some embodiments, the first signal includes an uplink signal, for example, the first signal includes UL-WUS. When the first signal includes UL-WUS, the first signal resource includes UL-WUS resources, and the configuration information includes UL-WUS configuration.

[0101] In some embodiments, the first signal resources of different terminals differ in at least one of the following aspects: the time-domain location of the first signal resource; the frequency-domain location of the first signal resource; and the code domain resources corresponding to the first signal resource. In some embodiments, the code domain resources corresponding to the first signal resource include at least one of a preamble carried by the first signal resource and a sequence. In some embodiments, the preamble corresponding to the first signal resource is the preamble carried by the first signal, for example, the first signal is a terminal-specific RACH preamble. In some embodiments, the sequence corresponding to the first signal resource is the sequence carried by the first signal, in which case the signal content of the first signal is obtained by generating the sequence. Optionally, the sequence corresponding to the first signal resource includes at least one of a ZC sequence, a gold sequence, and an m-sequence; this application does not limit the type of sequence corresponding to the first signal. In some embodiments, the first signal is a terminal-specific uplink reference signal, such as a UL SRS used for positioning.

[0102] In some embodiments, the configuration information is sent via at least one of the following messages: an RRC release message; and an RRC reconfiguration message, wherein the configuration information is carried in at least one of the RRC release and RRC reconfiguration messages. In some embodiments, the terminal receiving the above configuration information is in at least one of an RRC idle state and an RRC inactive state.

[0103] In some embodiments, the cell where the terminal camps includes at least one of a flexible cell, a carrier-decoupled cell, and a super-large cell. The method provided in this application can be applied to scenarios involving at least one of a flexible cell, a carrier-decoupled cell, and a super-large cell. In some embodiments, a super-large cell is equivalent to / can be replaced by an idle super-large cell. In some embodiments, a flexible cell refers to a cell that supports dynamic adjustment of at least one of coverage area, resource allocation, and service type according to real-time demand and environmental changes. A carrier-decoupled cell refers to a cell that supports carrier decoupling. A super-large cell refers to a cell whose coverage area is larger than the coverage area of ​​a single cell of a connected terminal. In some embodiments, the terminal is in an RRC idle state.

[0104] Regarding the transmission of the first signal:

[0105] In some embodiments, after configuring the first signal resource through configuration information, the terminal sends the first signal.

[0106] Regarding the transmission method of the first signal:

[0107] In some embodiments, the configuration information carries a transmission configuration, which indicates the transmission method of the first signal. In some embodiments, the transmission method includes at least one of the following: event-triggered transmission; periodic transmission; and semi-persistent transmission. Event-triggered transmission means that the terminal sends the first signal when a triggering event is met, and the triggering event includes an event that triggers the terminal to send the first signal. In some embodiments, the triggering event is equivalent to / can be replaced by an event, a triggering condition, or a condition. In some embodiments, when the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission method of the first signal is event-triggered transmission, the transmission configuration also carries the triggering event, or the triggering event is pre-configured in the terminal, or the triggering event is predefined by the communication protocol. Periodic transmission means that the terminal periodically sends the first signal, and semi-persistent transmission means that the terminal sends the first signal according to the instructions of the network device, for example, periodically sending the first signal according to the instructions of the network device. In some embodiments, when the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission method is periodic transmission or semi-persistent transmission, the configuration information also carries the transmission period of the first signal. When sending the first signal, the terminal sends the first signal according to the transmission period indicated by the configuration information.

[0108] In some embodiments, the first event triggering the transmission of the first signal includes at least one of the following: the terminal camps from a first cell to a second cell; the terminal camps from a first cell to a second cell, and the second cell does not belong to the terminal's current location area; the terminal camps from a first frequency band to a second frequency band within the first cell. Wherein, the first cell is the cell where the terminal is currently camped. In some embodiments, the first cell includes the cell where the terminal camps at the time of receiving the configuration information. The second cell is a different cell from the first cell, and the second cell is equivalent to / can be replaced by a new cell. In some embodiments, the first frequency band includes the frequency band where the terminal camps in the first cell at the time of receiving the configuration information, and the second frequency band is a different frequency band from the first frequency band. The first cell includes multiple frequency bands that are consecutive in frequency and / or multiple frequency bands that are discontinuous in frequency. In some embodiments, the above-mentioned frequency band is also referred to as BWP. In some embodiments, the terminal's current location area includes at least one of the terminal's current TA and RNA. The terminal's current TA includes the TA where the terminal is located at the time of receiving the configuration information, and the terminal's current RNA includes the RNA where the terminal is located at the time of receiving the configuration information.

[0109] In some embodiments, when the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission mode is semi-persistent, the terminal further performs at least one of the following steps: receiving a first activation signaling sent by the network device, the first activation signaling being used to activate or enable the semi-persistent transmission mode; and receiving a first deactivation signaling sent by the network device, the first deactivation signaling being used to deactivate or disable the semi-persistent transmission mode. In some embodiments, after receiving the first activation signaling, the terminal begins to periodically transmit a first signal. After receiving the first deactivation signaling, the terminal stops transmitting the first signal. In some embodiments, the first activation signaling includes at least one of the following: MAC CE; RRC message; DCI. In some embodiments, the first deactivation signaling includes at least one of the following: MAC CE; RRC message; DCI.

[0110] In some embodiments, when the method of transmitting the first signal is indicated, the terminal will transmit the first signal according to the indicated method of transmitting the first signal.

[0111] Regarding the effectiveness of the first signal resource:

[0112] In some embodiments, if the first signal resource is valid, the terminal will send a first signal, thereby triggering the reporting of the terminal's location. In some embodiments, if the first signal resource is invalid / failed / not valid, the terminal will not send a first signal. Optionally, the invalid / failed / not valid first signal resource includes situations other than the valid first signal resource.

[0113] In some embodiments, the first signal resource is used in one or more cells, and the first signal resource is valid in one or more cells. The one or more cells include the first cell where the terminal is currently camped, which is equivalent to / can be replaced by the terminal's current cell. In some embodiments, the first cell where the terminal is currently camped includes the cell where the terminal is camped at the time the configuration information is received. In some embodiments, the configuration information carries cell information, which is equivalent to / can be replaced by validity area information. The cell area information includes one or more cell IDs, which are used to indicate / identify the cells where the first signal resource is valid, and the one or more cell IDs include the cell ID of the first cell. Optionally, the one or more cell IDs constitute a cell ID list.

[0114] In some embodiments, the configuration information carries conditional information indicating the conditions under which the first signal resource is valid. In some embodiments, the conditional information includes at least one of the following: an RSRP threshold; an RSRP change threshold; and a first timer duration. Optionally, the terminal can determine whether the first signal resource is valid based on the conditions indicated by the conditional information.

[0115] In some embodiments, the terminal determines that the first signal resource is valid if the RSRP measured by the terminal is less than or equal to an RSRP threshold. Optionally, the RSRP measured by the terminal includes the SSB-RSRP measured by the terminal. In some embodiments, the terminal determines that the first signal resource is valid if the change in the RSRP measured by the terminal is less than or equal to an RSRP change threshold. Optionally, the RSRP change is determined based on the difference between the first RSRP and the second RSRP. The first RSRP is the RSRP currently measured by the terminal, and the second RSRP is the RSRP measured by the terminal at a first moment, which includes at least one of the moment of receiving configuration information and the moment of receiving the first activation signaling. The first RSRP is equivalent to / can be replaced with Current RSRP, the second RSRP is equivalent to / can be replaced with stored RSRP, and the RSRP change threshold is equivalent to / can be replaced with RSRP-ChangeThreshold. In some embodiments, the terminal determines that the first signal resource is valid during the operation of a first timer running based on the duration of the first timer. The first timer is equivalent to / can be replaced with a TimeAlignmentTimer. In some embodiments, the terminal starts or restarts a first timer at a first moment, which includes at least one of the moments of receiving configuration information and receiving a first activation signaling. In some embodiments, the terminal starts or restarts the first timer upon receiving a Timing Advance (TA) command. In some embodiments, the terminal stops the first timer when it moves from a first cell to a second cell. In some embodiments, the first timer stops when the terminal moves from a first cell to a second cell, and the second cell is not in the terminal's current location area.

[0116] In some embodiments, the terminal determines whether the first signal resource is valid based on the cell it is camped on; in some embodiments, the terminal determines whether the first signal resource is valid based on the conditions indicated by the condition information; in some embodiments, the terminal determines whether the first signal resource is valid based on the cell it is camped on and the conditions indicated by the condition information.

[0117] It should be noted that the description of the validity of the first signal resource and the description of the transmission method of the first signal resource can be implemented separately or in combination, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this. For example, if the first signal resource is valid, the terminal does not need to consider the transmission method of the first signal resource when transmitting the first signal. Alternatively, the terminal does not need to consider whether the first signal resource is valid and transmits the first signal according to the configured transmission method. Or, if the first signal resource is valid, the terminal transmits the first signal resource according to the configured transmission method.

[0118] Updates to the first signal resource:

[0119] In some embodiments, when the first signal resource is invalid / ineffective / not valid, the terminal sends a resource request message to the network device. The resource request message is used to request or update the first signal resource. In some embodiments, the resource request message includes at least one of the following: an RRC Resume Request; or an RRC Setup Request. In some embodiments, the terminal instructs the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request to be used to request or update the first signal resource by carrying a first cause value in the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request. In some embodiments, the first cause value is different from the second cause value, where the second cause value is the cause value carried in the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request when the purpose of the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request is not to request or update the first signal resource.

[0120] Regarding the paging process:

[0121] In some embodiments, after the terminal sends a first signal to the network device, the network device records or updates the terminal's paging location based on the first signal. The paging location is the location of the terminal used / referenced by the network device when paging the terminal. In some embodiments, the network device determines the terminal's paging location by measuring the first signal sent by the terminal. The location information of the terminal obtained by the network device by measuring the first signal can be understood as coarse location information. In some embodiments, the granularity of the paging location recorded or updated by the network device includes at least one of cell, TA, RNA, and other granularities. Other granularities include granularities other than cell, TA, and RNA. Optionally, the first signal is sent by the terminal based on a first signal resource.

[0122] In some embodiments, the network device sends a paging message to the terminal based on the terminal's paging location. For example, the network device sends the paging message to the terminal at the location closest to the updated paging location. In some embodiments, the paging location is used to determine the sending node, which is used to send the paging message. The sending node includes at least one of an access network device, a cell, and a TRP. After determining the sending node, the network device sends the paging message to the terminal through the sending node. In some embodiments, the physical distance between the sending node and the paging location meets preset conditions, such as the sending node being at least one of the access network device (e.g., gNB), a cell, and a TRP closest to the paging location.

[0123] In some embodiments, the terminal receives an acknowledgment (ACK) from the network device, which indicates that the terminal's paging location record or update was successful. In some embodiments, the terminal receives a restriction signaling from the network device, which restricts the terminal's use of a first signal resource or restricts the terminal from sending a first signal corresponding to the first signal resource. Upon receiving the restriction signaling, the terminal will stop using the first signal resource or sending the first signal. In some embodiments, the restriction signaling carries a restriction duration, which indicates the duration for which the terminal is restricted from using the first signal resource or sending the first signal. In some embodiments, the restriction duration includes a second timer duration, and the second timer corresponding to the second timer duration is used to trigger the terminal to stop using the first signal resource or sending the first signal. The second timer is equivalent to / can be replaced by a prohibit timer. In some embodiments, in response to receiving the first signal sent by the terminal, the network device sends a restriction signaling to the terminal. The network device can also send restriction signaling in other situations, which is not limited in this application. In some embodiments, the second timer is started after the terminal receives the acknowledgment. In some embodiments, the second timer is started after the terminal sends the first signal. During the operation of the second timer, the terminal stops using the first signal resource or sending the first signal; that is, the terminal cannot trigger paging location reporting / updating and send the first signal again. In some embodiments, information for configuring the duration of the second timer is carried in the above configuration information. In some embodiments, whether the terminal starts the second timer is explicitly or implicitly indicated by the network device. Optionally, an implicit indication means that the terminal will start the second timer if the network device configures the duration of the second timer for the terminal.

[0124] In summary, the method provided in this embodiment, by configuring a dedicated first signal resource for the terminal, enables the terminal to report its location by sending signals through the first signal resource. This allows the network to determine / update the terminal's location based on uplink measurements, thereby enabling paging based on the terminal's most recently reported location and realizing the network's paging process. By having the terminal report its location, network devices can avoid sending paging messages at unnecessary locations, thus reducing network paging overhead. Furthermore, by identifying the terminal based on its dedicated first signal resource, the terminal can complete location reporting / updating without sending additional signaling, which is beneficial for terminal energy saving and achieves a balance between paging and energy conservation.

[0125] The method provided in this embodiment also enables the terminal to retain the first signal resource across multiple cells, eliminating the need for the terminal to reacquire the first signal resource when cell reselection occurs and the terminal changes its camping cell, thus saving energy. By setting condition information for the validity of the first signal resource, the first signal transmitted by the terminal uplink can meet uplink synchronization requirements, avoiding uplink interference. Flexible configuration of different transmission methods for the first signal allows for significant power savings from the terminal's perspective, as event triggering enables the transmission of the first signal when needed. In both periodic and semi-persistent transmission, the network device can listen for the first signal at a predefined time-domain location, further saving network device power. Semi-persistent transmission, based on periodic transmission, provides the option for the network device to enable or disable the semi-persistent transmission mode, balancing the power consumption of the network device and the terminal to some extent. By providing multiple first events to trigger the transmission of the first signal, finer-grained paging location update trigger conditions can be provided, such as per-cell and per-bandwidth granularity. By requesting or updating the first signal resource when it is invalid, the network device can promptly provide the terminal with a valid first signal resource. Sending confirmation messages through network devices allows the terminal to know whether the network device has successfully received the terminal's first signal and whether the paging location has been successfully updated. Restricting the terminal's use of first signal resources or the sending of the first signal avoids the terminal frequently triggering paging location reporting / updating and sending the first signal, thus saving terminal power. By starting a second timer after receiving the confirmation message, the terminal is restricted from sending the first signal only if the paging location update is successful. This avoids delays in paging location updates caused by failure to send the first signal due to the second timer's restriction.

[0126] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a signal transmission method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. This method can be used in the system shown in Figure 2. The method includes:

[0127] Step 502: The network device sends configuration information to the terminal.

[0128] The configuration information is used to configure the first signal resource. The first signal resource is a terminal-specific resource, and the network device can determine the terminal corresponding to the first signal resource based on it. In some embodiments, "dedicated" can be understood as "exclusively used." In some embodiments, the first signal resources corresponding to different terminals differ in at least one of the following ways: the signal content of the signal corresponding to the first signal resource is different; the transmission resources occupied by the first signal resource are different; the transmission method of the signal corresponding to the first signal resource is different. The first signal resource is used to report the terminal's location. In some embodiments, the first signal resource is used to update the terminal's paging location, which is the location of the terminal used / referenced by the network device when paging the terminal. In some embodiments, the first signal resource is a resource of a first signal, including the transmission resources corresponding to the first signal. The transmission resources include at least one of time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, spatial-domain resources, and code-domain resources. In some embodiments, the first signal includes an uplink signal, for example, the first signal includes UL-WUS. When the first signal includes UL-WUS, the first signal resource includes UL-WUS resources, and the configuration information includes UL-WUS configuration.

[0129] In some embodiments, the first signal resources of different terminals differ in at least one of the following aspects: the time-domain location of the first signal resource; the frequency-domain location of the first signal resource; and the code domain resources corresponding to the first signal resource. In some embodiments, the code domain resources corresponding to the first signal resource include at least one of a preamble carried by the first signal resource and a sequence. In some embodiments, the preamble corresponding to the first signal resource is the preamble carried by the first signal, for example, the first signal is a terminal-specific RACH preamble. In some embodiments, the sequence corresponding to the first signal resource is the sequence carried by the first signal, in which case the signal content of the first signal is obtained by generating the sequence. Optionally, the sequence corresponding to the first signal resource includes at least one of a ZC sequence, a gold sequence, and an m-sequence; this application does not limit the type of sequence corresponding to the first signal resource. In some embodiments, the first signal is a terminal-specific uplink reference signal, such as a UL SRS used for positioning.

[0130] In some embodiments, the configuration information is sent via at least one of the following messages: an RRC release message; and an RRC reconfiguration message, wherein the configuration information is carried in at least one of the RRC release and RRC reconfiguration messages. In some embodiments, the terminal receiving the above configuration information is in at least one of an RRC idle state and an RRC inactive state.

[0131] In some embodiments, the cell where the terminal camps includes at least one of a flexible cell, a carrier-decoupled cell, and a super-large cell. The method provided in this application can be applied to scenarios involving at least one of a flexible cell, a carrier-decoupled cell, and a super-large cell. In some embodiments, a super-large cell is equivalent to / can be replaced by an idle super-large cell. In some embodiments, a flexible cell refers to a cell that supports dynamic adjustment of at least one of coverage area, resource allocation, and service type according to real-time demand and environmental changes. A carrier-decoupled cell refers to a cell that supports carrier decoupling. A super-large cell refers to a cell whose coverage area is larger than the coverage area of ​​a single cell of a connected terminal. In some embodiments, the terminal is in an RRC idle state.

[0132] Step 504: The terminal sends the first signal to the network device.

[0133] After configuring the first signal resource of the first signal through the configuration information, the terminal will send the first signal to the network device.

[0134] Regarding the transmission method of the first signal:

[0135] In some embodiments, the configuration information carries a transmission configuration, which indicates the transmission method of the first signal. In some embodiments, the transmission method includes at least one of the following: event-triggered transmission; periodic transmission; and semi-persistent transmission. Event-triggered transmission means that the terminal sends the first signal when a triggering event is met, and the triggering event includes an event that triggers the terminal to send the first signal. In some embodiments, the triggering event is equivalent to / can be replaced by an event, a triggering condition, or a condition. In some embodiments, when the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission method of the first signal is event-triggered transmission, the transmission configuration also carries the triggering event, or the triggering event is pre-configured in the terminal, or the triggering event is predefined by the communication protocol. Periodic transmission means that the terminal periodically sends the first signal, and semi-persistent transmission means that the terminal sends the first signal according to the instructions of the network device, for example, periodically sending the first signal according to the instructions of the network device. In some embodiments, when the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission method is periodic transmission or semi-persistent transmission, the configuration information also carries the transmission period of the first signal. When sending the first signal, the terminal sends the first signal according to the transmission period indicated by the configuration information.

[0136] In some embodiments, the first event triggering the transmission of the first signal includes at least one of the following: the terminal camps from a first cell to a second cell; the terminal camps from a first cell to a second cell, and the second cell does not belong to the terminal's current location area; the terminal camps from a first frequency band to a second frequency band within the first cell. Wherein, the first cell is the cell where the terminal is currently camped. In some embodiments, the first cell includes the cell where the terminal camps at the time of receiving the configuration information. The second cell is a different cell from the first cell, and the second cell is equivalent to / can be replaced by a new cell. In some embodiments, the first frequency band includes the frequency band where the terminal camps in the first cell at the time of receiving the configuration information, and the second frequency band is a different frequency band from the first frequency band. The first cell includes multiple frequency bands that are consecutive in frequency and / or multiple frequency bands that are discontinuous in frequency. In some embodiments, the above-mentioned frequency band is also referred to as BWP. In some embodiments, the terminal's current location area includes at least one of the terminal's current TA and RNA. The terminal's current TA includes the TA where the terminal is located at the time of receiving the configuration information, and the terminal's current RNA includes the RNA where the terminal is located at the time of receiving the configuration information.

[0137] In some embodiments, when the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission mode is semi-persistent, the terminal further performs at least one of the following steps: receiving a first activation signaling sent by the network device, the first activation signaling being used to activate or enable the semi-persistent transmission mode; and receiving a first deactivation signaling sent by the network device, the first deactivation signaling being used to deactivate or disable the semi-persistent transmission mode. In some embodiments, after receiving the first activation signaling, the terminal begins to periodically transmit a first signal. After receiving the first deactivation signaling, the terminal stops transmitting the first signal. In some embodiments, the first activation signaling includes at least one of the following: MAC CE; RRC message; DCI. In some embodiments, the first deactivation signaling includes at least one of the following: MAC CE; RRC message; DCI.

[0138] In some embodiments, when the method of transmitting the first signal is indicated, the terminal will transmit the first signal according to the indicated method of transmitting the first signal.

[0139] Regarding the effectiveness of the first signal resource:

[0140] In some embodiments, if the first signal resource is valid, the terminal sends a first signal, thereby triggering an update of the terminal's location. In some embodiments, if the first signal resource is invalid / failed / not valid, the terminal does not send a first signal. Optionally, the invalid / failed / not valid first signal resource includes situations other than the valid first signal resource.

[0141] In some embodiments, the first signal resource is used in one or more cells, and the first signal resource is valid in one or more cells. The one or more cells include the first cell where the terminal is currently camped, which is equivalent to / can be replaced with the terminal's current cell. In some embodiments, the first cell where the terminal is currently camped includes the cell where the terminal is camped at the time the configuration information is received. In some embodiments, the configuration information carries cell information, which is equivalent to / can be replaced with validity area information. The cell information includes one or more cell IDs, which are used to indicate / identify the cells where the first signal resource is valid, and the one or more cell IDs include the cell ID of the first cell. Optionally, the one or more cell IDs constitute a cell ID list.

[0142] In some embodiments, the configuration information carries conditional information indicating the conditions under which the first signal resource is valid. In some embodiments, the conditional information includes at least one of the following: an RSRP threshold; an RSRP change threshold; and a first timer duration. Optionally, the terminal can determine whether the first signal resource is valid based on the conditions indicated by the conditional information.

[0143] In some embodiments, the terminal determines that the first signal resource is valid if the RSRP measured by the terminal is less than or equal to an RSRP threshold. Optionally, the RSRP measured by the terminal includes the SSB-RSRP measured by the terminal. In some embodiments, the terminal determines that the first signal resource is valid if the change in the RSRP measured by the terminal is less than or equal to an RSRP change threshold. Optionally, the RSRP change is determined based on the difference between the first RSRP and the second RSRP. The first RSRP is the RSRP currently measured by the terminal, and the second RSRP is the RSRP measured by the terminal at a first moment, which includes at least one of the moment of receiving configuration information and the moment of receiving the first activation signaling. The first RSRP is equivalent to / can be replaced with Current RSRP, the second RSRP is equivalent to / can be replaced with stored RSRP, and the RSRP change threshold is equivalent to / can be replaced with RSRP-ChangeThreshold. In some embodiments, the terminal determines that the first signal resource is valid during the operation of a first timer running based on the duration of the first timer. The first timer is equivalent to / can be replaced with a TimeAlignmentTimer. In some embodiments, the terminal starts or restarts a first timer at a first moment, which includes at least one of the moments of receiving configuration information and receiving a first activation signaling. In some embodiments, the terminal starts or restarts the first timer upon receiving a Timing Advance (TA) command. In some embodiments, the terminal stops the first timer when it moves from a first cell to a second cell. In some embodiments, the first timer stops when the terminal moves from a first cell to a second cell, and the second cell is not in the terminal's current location area.

[0144] In some embodiments, the terminal determines whether the first signal resource is valid based on the cell it is camped on; in some embodiments, the terminal determines whether the first signal resource is valid based on the conditions indicated by the condition information; in some embodiments, the terminal determines whether the first signal resource is valid based on the cell it is camped on and the conditions indicated by the condition information.

[0145] It should be noted that the description of the validity of the first signal resource and the description of the transmission method of the first signal resource can be implemented separately or in combination, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this. For example, if the first signal resource is valid, the terminal does not need to consider the transmission method of the first signal resource when transmitting the first signal. Alternatively, the terminal does not need to consider whether the first signal resource is valid and transmits the first signal according to the configured transmission method. Or, if the first signal resource is valid, the terminal transmits the first signal resource according to the configured transmission method.

[0146] Updates to the first signal resource:

[0147] In some embodiments, when the first signal resource is invalid / ineffective / not valid, the terminal sends a resource request message to the network device. The resource request message is used to request or update the first signal resource. In some embodiments, the resource request message includes at least one of the following: an RRC Resume Request; or an RRC Setup Request. In some embodiments, the terminal instructs the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request to be used to request or update the first signal resource by carrying a first cause value in the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request. In some embodiments, the first cause value is different from the second cause value, where the second cause value is the cause value carried in the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request when the purpose of the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request is not to request or update the first signal resource.

[0148] Step 506: The network device sends a paging message to the terminal.

[0149] In some embodiments, the first signal is used by the network device to record or update the paging location of a terminal. The paging location is the location of the terminal used / referenced by the network device when paging the terminal. In some embodiments, the network device determines the updated paging location of the terminal by measuring the first signal sent by the terminal. The location information of the terminal obtained by the network device through measuring the first signal can be understood as coarse location information. In some embodiments, the granularity of the paging location recorded or updated by the network device includes at least one of cell, TA, RNA, and other granularities. Other granularities include granularities other than cell, TA, and RNA. Optionally, the first signal is sent by the terminal based on a first signal resource.

[0150] In some embodiments, the network device sends a paging message to the terminal based on the terminal's paging location. In some embodiments, the paging location is used to determine the sending node, which is used to send the paging message. The sending node includes at least one of an access network device, a cell, and a TRP. After determining the sending node, the network device sends the paging message to the terminal through the sending node. In some embodiments, the physical distance between the sending node and the paging location meets preset conditions; for example, the sending node is at least one of the access network device (e.g., gNB), cell, and TRP closest to the paging location.

[0151] In some embodiments, the network device sends an acknowledgment (ACK) to the terminal, indicating that the terminal's paging location record or update was successful. In some embodiments, the network device sends a restriction signaling message to the terminal, restricting the terminal's use of a first signal resource or restricting the terminal from sending a first signal corresponding to the first signal resource. Upon receiving the restriction signaling message, the terminal stops using the first signal resource or sending the first signal. In some embodiments, the restriction signaling message carries a restriction duration, indicating the duration for which the terminal is restricted from using the first signal resource or sending the first signal. In some embodiments, the restriction duration includes a second timer duration, corresponding to which a second timer triggers the terminal to stop using the first signal resource or sending the first signal. The second timer is equivalent to / can be replaced by a prohibit timer. In some embodiments, the network device sends the restriction signaling message to the terminal in response to receiving the first signal sent by the terminal. The network device can also send restriction signaling messages in other situations, which are not limited in this application. In some embodiments, the second timer is started after the terminal receives the acknowledgment. In some embodiments, the second timer is started after the terminal sends the first signal. During the operation of the second timer, the terminal stops using the first signal resource or sending the first signal; that is, the terminal cannot trigger paging location reporting / updating and send the first signal again. In some embodiments, information for configuring the duration of the second timer is carried in the above configuration information. In some embodiments, whether the terminal starts the second timer is explicitly or implicitly indicated by the network device. Optionally, an implicit indication means that the terminal will start the second timer if the network device configures the duration of the second timer for the terminal.

[0152] For example, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a paging process provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, in step S1, the network device sends a UE-specific UL-WUS configuration to the terminal. The UL-WUS configuration is used to configure the terminal-specific UL-WUS, which is used to update the terminal's paging location. In step S2, the terminal triggers a paging location update. For example, if UL-WUS resources are available and the event that triggers sending UL-WUS is met, the terminal determines to trigger a paging location update. In step S3, the terminal sends UL-WUS to the network device to update the terminal's paging location. In step S4, the network device can update the terminal's paging location by measuring the terminal's UL-WUS, and then initiates paging for the terminal based on the updated paging location.

[0153] In this embodiment, steps 502, 504, and 506 are optional. In different embodiments, one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted.

[0154] Step 502 can be implemented as a standalone embodiment, such as a method for configuring signal resources on the network device side or a method for configuring signal resources on the terminal side. Step 504 can be implemented as a standalone embodiment, such as a method for receiving signals on the network device side or a method for transmitting signals on the terminal side. Step 506 can be implemented as a standalone embodiment, such as a paging method on the network device side or a paging method on the terminal side.

[0155] In summary, the method provided in this embodiment, by configuring a dedicated first signal resource for the terminal, enables the terminal to report its location by sending signals through the first signal resource. This allows the network to determine / update the terminal's location based on uplink measurements, thereby enabling paging based on the terminal's most recently reported location and realizing the network's paging process. By having the terminal report its location, network devices can avoid sending paging messages at unnecessary locations, thus reducing network paging overhead. Furthermore, by identifying the terminal based on its dedicated first signal resource, the terminal can complete location reporting / updating without sending additional signaling, which is beneficial for terminal energy saving and achieves a balance between paging and energy conservation.

[0156] The method provided in this embodiment also enables the terminal to retain the first signal resource across multiple cells, eliminating the need for the terminal to reacquire the first signal resource when cell reselection occurs and the terminal changes its camping cell, thus saving energy. By setting condition information for the validity of the first signal resource, the first signal transmitted by the terminal uplink can meet uplink synchronization requirements, avoiding uplink interference. Flexible configuration of different transmission methods for the first signal allows for significant power savings from the terminal's perspective, as event triggering enables the transmission of the first signal when needed. In both periodic and semi-persistent transmission, the network device can listen for the first signal at a predefined time-domain location, further saving network device power. Semi-persistent transmission, based on periodic transmission, provides the option for the network device to enable or disable the semi-persistent transmission mode, balancing the power consumption of the network device and the terminal to some extent. By providing multiple first events to trigger the transmission of the first signal, finer-grained paging location update trigger conditions can be provided, such as per-cell and per-bandwidth granularity. By requesting or updating the first signal resource when it is invalid, the network device can promptly provide the terminal with a valid first signal resource. Sending confirmation messages through network devices allows the terminal to know whether the network device has successfully received the terminal's first signal and whether the paging location has been successfully updated. Restricting the terminal's use of first signal resources or the sending of the first signal avoids the terminal frequently triggering paging location reporting / updating and sending the first signal, thus saving terminal power. By starting a second timer after receiving the confirmation message, the terminal is restricted from sending the first signal only if the paging location update is successful. This avoids delays in paging location updates caused by failure to send the first signal due to the second timer's restriction.

[0157] It should be noted that the order of the method steps provided in the embodiments of this application can be appropriately adjusted, and the steps can be added or removed as appropriate. Furthermore, different steps can be freely combined to form new embodiments. Any variations that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the protection scope of this application, and therefore will not be elaborated further. In addition, the order of the different situations described above does not have a preferred meaning, but is only for convenience of description.

[0158] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a signal resource configuration apparatus provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. This apparatus can be implemented as a network device, or as part of a network device, through software, hardware, or a combination of both. The apparatus includes a transmitting module 701 and a receiving module 702.

[0159] The sending module 701 is used to send configuration information to the terminal, and the configuration information is used to configure the first signal resource.

[0160] The first signal resource is a terminal-specific resource, and the device can determine the terminal corresponding to the first signal resource based on it. In some embodiments, "dedicated" can be understood as "exclusively used." In some embodiments, the first signal resources corresponding to different terminals differ in at least one of the following ways: the signal content of the signals corresponding to the first signal resources is different; the transmission resources occupied by the first signal resources are different; the transmission methods of the signals corresponding to the first signal resources are different. The first signal resource is used to report the location of the terminal. In some embodiments, the first signal resource is used to update the paging location of the terminal, which is the location of the terminal used / referenced by the device when paging the terminal. In some embodiments, the first signal resource is a resource of a first signal, which includes the transmission resources corresponding to the first signal. The transmission resources include at least one of time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, spatial-domain resources, and code-domain resources. In some embodiments, the first signal includes an uplink signal, for example, the first signal includes UL-WUS. When the first signal includes UL-WUS, the first signal resource includes UL-WUS resources, and the configuration information includes UL-WUS configuration.

[0161] In some embodiments, the first signal resources of different terminals differ in at least one of the following aspects: the time domain location of the first signal resource; the frequency domain location of the first signal resource; and the code domain resource corresponding to the first signal resource. In some embodiments, the code domain resource corresponding to the first signal resource includes at least one of a preamble carried by the first signal resource and a sequence. In some embodiments, the preamble corresponding to the first signal resource is the preamble carried by the first signal, for example, the first signal is a terminal-specific Random Access Channel (RACH) preamble. In some embodiments, the sequence corresponding to the first signal resource is the sequence carried by the first signal, in which case the signal content of the first signal is obtained by generating the sequence. Optionally, the sequence corresponding to the first signal resource includes at least one of a ZC sequence, a gold sequence, and an m-sequence; this application does not limit the type of sequence corresponding to the first signal resource. In some embodiments, the first signal is a terminal-specific uplink reference signal, such as a UL SRS used for positioning.

[0162] In some embodiments, the configuration information is sent via at least one of the following messages: an RRC release message; and an RRC reconfiguration message, wherein the configuration information is carried in at least one of the RRC release and RRC reconfiguration messages. In some embodiments, the terminal receiving the above configuration information is in at least one of an RRC idle state and an RRC inactive state.

[0163] In some embodiments, the cell where the terminal camps includes at least one of a flexible cell, a carrier-decoupled cell, and a super-large cell. The method provided in this application can be applied to scenarios involving at least one of a flexible cell, a carrier-decoupled cell, and a super-large cell. In some embodiments, a super-large cell is equivalent to / can be replaced by an idle super-large cell. In some embodiments, a flexible cell refers to a cell that supports dynamic adjustment of at least one of coverage area, resource allocation, and service type according to real-time demand and environmental changes. A carrier-decoupled cell refers to a cell that supports carrier decoupling. A super-large cell refers to a cell whose coverage area is larger than the coverage area of ​​a single cell of a connected terminal. In some embodiments, the terminal is in an RRC idle state.

[0164] Regarding the effectiveness of the first signal resource:

[0165] In some embodiments, the first signal resource is used in one or more cells, and the first signal resource is valid in one or more cells. The one or more cells include the first cell where the terminal is currently camped, which is equivalent to / can be replaced with the terminal's current cell. In some embodiments, the first cell where the terminal is currently camped includes the cell where the terminal is camped at the time the configuration information is received. In some embodiments, the configuration information carries cell information, which is equivalent to / can be replaced with validity area information. The cell information includes one or more cell IDs, which are used to indicate / identify the cells where the first signal resource is valid, and the one or more cell IDs include the cell ID of the first cell. Optionally, the one or more cell IDs constitute a cell ID list.

[0166] In some embodiments, the configuration information carries conditional information indicating the conditions under which the first signal resource is valid. In some embodiments, the conditional information includes at least one of the following: an RSRP threshold; an RSRP change threshold; and a first timer duration. Optionally, the terminal can determine whether the first signal resource is valid based on the conditions indicated by the conditional information.

[0167] In some embodiments, the terminal determines whether the first signal resource is valid based on the cell it is camped on; in some embodiments, the terminal determines whether the first signal resource is valid based on the conditions indicated by the condition information; in some embodiments, the terminal determines whether the first signal resource is valid based on the cell it is camped on and the conditions indicated by the condition information.

[0168] In some embodiments, if the first signal resource is valid, the terminal will send a first signal based on the first signal resource, thereby triggering the reporting of the terminal's location. In some embodiments, if the first signal resource is invalid / failed / not valid, the terminal will not send a first signal based on the first signal resource. Optionally, the situation where the first signal resource is invalid / failed / not valid includes situations other than the situation where the first signal resource is valid.

[0169] Regarding the transmission method of the first signal:

[0170] In some embodiments, the configuration information carries a transmission configuration, which indicates the transmission method of the first signal. In some embodiments, the transmission method includes at least one of the following: event-triggered transmission; periodic transmission; and semi-persistent transmission. Event-triggered transmission means that the terminal sends the first signal when a triggering event is met, and the triggering event includes an event that triggers the terminal to send the first signal. In some embodiments, the triggering event is equivalent to / can be replaced by an event, a triggering condition, or a condition. In some embodiments, when the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission method of the first signal is event-triggered transmission, the transmission configuration also carries the triggering event, or the triggering event is pre-configured in the terminal, or the triggering event is predefined by the communication protocol. Periodic transmission means that the terminal periodically sends the first signal, and semi-persistent transmission means that the terminal sends the first signal according to the instructions of the device, for example, periodically sending the first signal according to the instructions of the device. In some embodiments, when the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission method is periodic transmission or semi-persistent transmission, the configuration information also carries the transmission period of the first signal. When sending the first signal, the terminal sends the first signal according to the transmission period indicated by the configuration information.

[0171] In some embodiments, the first event triggering the transmission of the first signal includes at least one of the following: the terminal camps from a first cell to a second cell; the terminal camps from a first cell to a second cell, and the second cell does not belong to the terminal's current location area; the terminal camps from a first frequency band to a second frequency band within the first cell. Wherein, the first cell is the cell where the terminal is currently camped. In some embodiments, the first cell includes the cell where the terminal camps at the time of receiving the configuration information. The second cell is a different cell from the first cell, and the second cell is equivalent to / can be replaced by a new cell. In some embodiments, the first frequency band includes the frequency band where the terminal camps in the first cell at the time of receiving the configuration information, and the second frequency band is a different frequency band from the first frequency band. In some embodiments, the above-mentioned frequency band is also referred to as BWP. In some embodiments, the terminal's current location area includes at least one of the terminal's current TA and RNA. The terminal's current TA includes the TA where the terminal is located at the time of receiving the configuration information, and the terminal's current RNA includes the RNA where the terminal is located at the time of receiving the configuration information.

[0172] In some embodiments, when the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission mode is semi-persistent transmission, the transmission module 701 is used to: send a first activation signaling to the terminal, the first activation signaling being used to activate or enable the semi-persistent transmission mode; send a first deactivation signaling to the terminal, the first deactivation signaling being used to deactivate or disable the semi-persistent transmission mode. In some embodiments, after the terminal receives the first activation signaling, the terminal begins to periodically transmit the first signal. After the terminal receives the first deactivation signaling, the terminal stops transmitting the first signal. In some embodiments, the first activation signaling includes at least one of the following: MAC CE; RRC message; DCI. In some embodiments, the first deactivation signaling includes at least one of the following: MAC CE; RRC message; DCI.

[0173] In some embodiments, when the method of transmitting the first signal is indicated, the terminal will transmit the first signal according to the indicated method of transmitting the first signal.

[0174] It should be noted that the description of the validity of the first signal resource and the description of the transmission method of the first signal resource can be implemented separately or in combination, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this. For example, if the first signal resource is valid, the terminal does not need to consider the transmission method of the first signal resource when transmitting the first signal. Alternatively, the terminal does not need to consider whether the first signal resource is valid and transmits the first signal according to the configured transmission method. Or, if the first signal resource is valid, the terminal transmits the first signal resource according to the configured transmission method.

[0175] Updates to the first signal resource:

[0176] In some embodiments, the receiving module 702 is configured to receive a resource request message sent by a terminal. The resource request message is used to request or update a first signal resource. In some embodiments, the device receives the resource request message sent by the terminal when the first signal resource is invalid / ineffective / not valid. In some embodiments, the resource request message includes at least one of the following: an RRC Resume Request; an RRC Setup Request. In some embodiments, the terminal indicates that the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request is used to request or update the first signal resource by carrying a first cause value in the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request. In some embodiments, the first cause value is different from a second cause value, where the second cause value is the cause value carried in the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request when the purpose of the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request is not to request or update the first signal resource.

[0177] Regarding the paging process:

[0178] In some embodiments, the receiving module 702 is configured to receive a first signal sent by the terminal, the first signal being used by the device to record or update the paging location of the terminal. The paging location is the location of the terminal used / referenced by the device when paging the terminal. In some embodiments, the device determines the updated paging location of the terminal by measuring the first signal sent by the terminal. The location information of the terminal obtained by the device through measuring the first signal can be understood as coarse location information. In some embodiments, the granularity of the paging location recorded or updated by the device includes at least one of cell, TA, RNA, and other granularities. Other granularities include granularities other than cell, TA, and RNA. Optionally, the first signal is sent by the terminal based on a first signal resource.

[0179] In some embodiments, the sending module 701 is used to send a paging message to the terminal based on the paging location of the terminal. In some embodiments, the paging location is used to determine the sending node, which is used to send the paging message. The sending node includes at least one of an access network device, a cell, and a TRP. After determining the sending node, the device sends the paging message to the terminal through the sending node. In some embodiments, the physical distance between the sending node and the paging location meets preset conditions, for example, the sending node is at least one of the access network device (e.g., gNB), cell, and TRP closest to the paging location.

[0180] In some embodiments, when the paging location of the terminal is successfully updated, the sending module 701 sends an acknowledgment (ACK) to the terminal, indicating that the paging location record or update of the terminal was successful. In some embodiments, the device sends a restriction signaling to the terminal, which restricts the terminal from using the first signal resource or from sending the first signal corresponding to the first signal resource. Upon receiving the restriction signaling, the terminal stops using the first signal resource or sending the first signal. In some embodiments, the restriction signaling carries a restriction duration, which indicates the duration for which the terminal is restricted from using the first signal resource or sending the first signal. In some embodiments, the restriction duration includes a second timer duration, and the second timer corresponding to the second timer duration triggers the terminal to stop using the first signal resource or sending the first signal. The second timer is equivalent to / can be replaced by a prohibit timer. In some embodiments, the device sends a restriction signaling to the terminal in response to receiving the first signal sent by the terminal. The device can also send restriction signaling in other situations, which is not limited in this application. In some embodiments, the second timer is started after the terminal receives the acknowledgment. In some embodiments, a second timer is started after the terminal sends the first signal. During the operation of the second timer, the terminal stops using the first signal resource or sending the first signal; that is, the terminal cannot trigger paging location reporting / updating and send the first signal again. In some embodiments, information for configuring the duration of the second timer is carried in the above configuration information. In some embodiments, whether the terminal starts the second timer is indicated explicitly or implicitly by the device. Optionally, an implicit indication means that the terminal will start the second timer if the device configures the duration of the second timer for the terminal.

[0181] In some embodiments, the apparatus provided in this application includes a sending module 701, which supports executing all the sending-related steps performed by the network device in the various embodiments described above. In some embodiments, the apparatus provided in this application includes multiple sending modules 701, which respectively support executing some of the sending-related steps performed by the network device in the various embodiments described above. In some embodiments, the steps performed by different sending modules 701 are exactly the same, partially the same, or completely different.

[0182] In some embodiments, the apparatus provided in this application includes a receiving module 702, which supports executing all the receiving-related steps performed by the network device in the various embodiments described above. In some embodiments, the apparatus provided in this application includes multiple receiving modules 702, which respectively support executing some of the receiving-related steps performed by the network device in the various embodiments described above. In some embodiments, the steps performed by different receiving modules 702 are exactly the same, partially the same, or completely different.

[0183] In summary, the device provided in this embodiment, by configuring a dedicated first signal resource for the terminal, enables the terminal to report its location by sending signals through the first signal resource. This allows the device to determine / update the terminal's location based on uplink measurements, thereby enabling paging based on the terminal's most recently reported location, thus realizing the paging process. By having the terminal report its location, the device avoids sending paging messages at unnecessary locations, thereby reducing paging overhead. Furthermore, by identifying the terminal based on its dedicated first signal resource, the terminal can complete location reporting / updating without sending additional signaling, which is beneficial for energy saving and achieves a balance between paging and energy efficiency.

[0184] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a signal resource configuration apparatus provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. This apparatus can be implemented as a terminal, or as part of a terminal, through software, hardware, or a combination of both. The apparatus includes a receiving module 801, a transmitting module 802, a determining module 803, and a processing module 804.

[0185] The receiving module 801 is used to receive configuration information sent by the network device. The configuration information is used to configure the first signal resource.

[0186] The first signal resource is a device-specific resource, and the network device can determine the device corresponding to the first signal resource based on it. In some embodiments, "dedicated" can be understood as "exclusively used." In some embodiments, the first signal resources corresponding to different devices differ in at least one of the following ways: the signal content of the signal corresponding to the first signal resource is different; the transmission resources occupied by the first signal resource are different; the transmission method of the signal corresponding to the first signal resource is different. The first signal resource is used to report the location of the device. In some embodiments, the first signal resource is used to update the paging location of the device, which is the location of the device used / referenced by the network device when paging the device. In some embodiments, the first signal resource is a resource of a first signal, which includes the transmission resources corresponding to the first signal. The transmission resources include at least one of time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, spatial-domain resources, and code-domain resources. In some embodiments, the first signal includes an uplink signal, for example, the first signal includes UL-WUS. When the first signal includes UL-WUS, the first signal resource includes UL-WUS resources, and the configuration information includes UL-WUS configuration.

[0187] In some embodiments, the first signal resources of different devices differ in at least one aspect: the time-domain location of the first signal resource; the frequency-domain location of the first signal resource; and the code domain resource corresponding to the first signal resource. In some embodiments, the code domain resource corresponding to the first signal resource includes at least one of a preamble carried by the first signal resource and a sequence. In some embodiments, the preamble corresponding to the first signal resource is the preamble carried by the first signal, for example, the first signal is a device-specific RACH preamble. In some embodiments, the sequence corresponding to the first signal resource is the sequence carried by the first signal, in which case the signal content of the first signal is obtained by generating the sequence. Optionally, the sequence corresponding to the first signal includes at least one of a ZC sequence, a gold sequence, and an m-sequence; this application does not limit the type of sequence corresponding to the first signal. In some embodiments, the first signal is a device-specific uplink reference signal, such as a UL SRS used for positioning.

[0188] In some embodiments, the configuration information is sent via at least one of the following messages: an RRC release message; and an RRC reconfiguration message, wherein the configuration information is carried in at least one of the RRC release message and the RRC reconfiguration message. In some embodiments, the device receiving the above configuration information is in at least one of an RRC idle state and an RRC inactive state.

[0189] In some embodiments, the cell where the device camps includes at least one of a flexible cell, a carrier-decoupled cell, and a super-large cell. The method provided in this application can be applied to scenarios involving at least one of a flexible cell, a carrier-decoupled cell, and a super-large cell. In some embodiments, a super-large cell is equivalent to / can be replaced by an idle super-large cell. In some embodiments, a flexible cell refers to a cell that supports dynamic adjustment of at least one of coverage area, resource allocation, and service type based on real-time demand and environmental changes. A carrier-decoupled cell refers to a cell that supports carrier decoupling. A super-large cell refers to a cell whose coverage area is larger than the coverage area of ​​a single cell of a connected device. In some embodiments, the device is in an RRC idle state.

[0190] Regarding the transmission of the first signal:

[0191] In some embodiments, after configuring the first signal resource of the first signal through configuration information, the transmitting module 802 is used to transmit the first signal.

[0192] Regarding the transmission method of the first signal:

[0193] In some embodiments, the configuration information carries a transmission configuration, which indicates the transmission method of the first signal. In some embodiments, the transmission method includes at least one of the following: event-triggered transmission; periodic transmission; and semi-persistent transmission. Event-triggered transmission means that the device transmits the first signal when a triggering event is met, and the triggering event includes an event that triggers the device to transmit the first signal. In some embodiments, the triggering event is equivalent to / can be replaced by an event, a triggering condition, or a condition. In some embodiments, when the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission method of the first signal is event-triggered transmission, the transmission configuration also carries the triggering event, or the triggering event is pre-configured in the device, or the triggering event is predefined by the communication protocol. Periodic transmission means that the device periodically transmits the first signal, and semi-persistent transmission means that the device transmits the first signal according to the instructions of the network device, for example, periodically transmitting the first signal according to the instructions of the network device. In some embodiments, when the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission method is periodic transmission or semi-persistent transmission, the configuration information also carries the transmission period of the first signal. When transmitting the first signal, the device transmits the first signal according to the transmission period indicated by the configuration information.

[0194] In some embodiments, the first event triggering the transmission of the first signal includes at least one of the following: the device camps from a first cell to a second cell; the device camps from a first cell to a second cell, and the second cell is not part of the device's current location area; the device camps from a first frequency band to a second frequency band within the first cell. Wherein, the first cell is the cell where the device is currently camped. In some embodiments, the first cell includes the cell where the device camps at the time of receiving the configuration information. The second cell is a different cell from the first cell, and the second cell is equivalent to / can be replaced by a new cell. In some embodiments, the first frequency band includes the frequency band where the device camps in the first cell at the time of receiving the configuration information, the second frequency band is a different frequency band from the first frequency band, and the first cell includes multiple frequency bands that are consecutive in frequency and / or multiple frequency bands that are discontinuous in frequency. In some embodiments, the above-mentioned frequency band is also referred to as BWP. In some embodiments, the device's current location area includes at least one of the device's current TA and RNA. The device's current TA includes the TA where the device is located at the time of receiving the configuration information, and the device's current RNA includes the RNA where the device is located at the time of receiving the configuration information.

[0195] In some embodiments, when the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission mode is semi-persistent, the receiving module 801 is configured to: receive a first activation signaling sent by the network device, the first activation signaling being used to activate or enable the semi-persistent transmission mode; and receive a first deactivation signaling sent by the network device, the first deactivation signaling being used to deactivate or disable the semi-persistent transmission mode. In some embodiments, after receiving the first activation signaling, the device begins to periodically transmit a first signal. After receiving the first deactivation signaling, the device stops transmitting the first signal. In some embodiments, the first activation signaling includes at least one of the following: MAC CE; RRC message; DCI. In some embodiments, the first deactivation signaling includes at least one of the following: MAC CE; RRC message; DCI.

[0196] In some embodiments, when a method for transmitting the first signal is indicated, the device transmits the first signal according to the indicated method for transmitting the first signal.

[0197] Regarding the effectiveness of the first signal resource:

[0198] In some embodiments, the sending module 802 is configured to send a first signal when the first signal resource is valid, thereby triggering the location reporting device. In some embodiments, the device will not send the first signal when the first signal resource is invalid / failed / not valid. Optionally, the invalid / failed / not valid first signal resource includes situations other than the valid first signal resource.

[0199] In some embodiments, the first signal resource is used in one or more cells, and the first signal resource is valid in one or more cells. The one or more cells include the first cell in which the device currently camps, which is equivalent to / can be replaced by the device's current cell. In some embodiments, the first cell in which the device currently camps includes the cell in which the device camps at the time the configuration information is received. In some embodiments, the configuration information carries cell information, which is equivalent to / can be replaced by validity area information. The cell area information includes one or more cell IDs, which are used to indicate / identify the cells in which the first signal resource is valid, and the one or more cell IDs include the cell ID of the first cell. Optionally, the one or more cell IDs constitute a cell ID list.

[0200] In some embodiments, the configuration information carries conditional information indicating the conditions under which the first signal resource is valid. In some embodiments, the conditional information includes at least one of the following: an RSRP threshold; an RSRP change threshold; and a first timer duration. Optionally, the device can determine whether the first signal resource is valid based on the conditions indicated by the conditional information.

[0201] In some embodiments, the determining module 803 is configured to determine that the first signal resource is valid if the RSRP measured by the device is less than or equal to an RSRP threshold. Optionally, the RSRP measured by the device includes the SSB-RSRP measured by the device. In some embodiments, the determining module 803 is configured to determine that the first signal resource is valid if the change in the RSRP measured by the device is less than or equal to an RSRP change threshold. Optionally, the RSRP change is determined based on the difference between the first RSRP and the second RSRP. The first RSRP is the RSRP currently measured by the device, and the second RSRP is the RSRP measured by the device at a first moment, the first moment including at least one of the moment of receiving configuration information and the moment of receiving the first activation signaling. The first RSRP is equivalent to / can be replaced by Current RSRP, the second RSRP is equivalent to / can be replaced by stored RSRP, and the RSRP change threshold is equivalent to / can be replaced by RSRP-ChangeThreshold. In some embodiments, the determining module 803 is configured to determine that the first signal resource is valid during the operation of a first timer running based on a first timer duration. The first timer is equivalent to / can be replaced by a time alignment timer. In some embodiments, processing module 804 is configured to start or restart the first timer at a first moment, the first moment including at least one of the moment of receiving configuration information and the moment of receiving a first activation signaling. In some embodiments, processing module 804 is configured to start or restart the first timer upon receiving a TA command. In some embodiments, processing module 804 is configured to stop the first timer when the device camps from a first cell to a second cell. In some embodiments, processing module 804 is configured to stop the first timer when the device camps from a first cell to a second cell, and the second cell is not in the device's current area.

[0202] In some embodiments, the device determines whether the first signal resource is valid based on the cell where it is camped; in some embodiments, the device determines whether the first signal resource is valid based on the conditions indicated by the condition information; in some embodiments, the device determines whether the first signal resource is valid based on the cell where it is camped and the conditions indicated by the condition information.

[0203] It should be noted that the description of the validity of the first signal resource and the description of the transmission method of the first signal resource can be implemented separately or in combination, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this. For example, if the first signal resource is valid, the device does not need to consider the transmission method of the first signal resource when transmitting the first signal. Alternatively, the device does not need to consider whether the first signal resource is valid and transmits the first signal according to the configured transmission method. Or, if the first signal resource is valid, the device transmits the first signal resource according to the configured transmission method.

[0204] Updates to the first signal resource:

[0205] In some embodiments, when the first signal resource is invalid / ineffective / not valid, the sending module 802 is configured to send a resource request message to the network device. The resource request message is used to request or update the first signal resource. In some embodiments, the resource request message includes at least one of the following: an RRC Resume Request; or an RRC Setup Request. In some embodiments, the device indicates that the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request sent by the device is for requesting or updating the first signal resource by carrying a first cause value in the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request. In some embodiments, the first cause value is different from a second cause value, where the second cause value is the cause value carried in the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request when the purpose of the RRC Resume Request / RRC Setup Request is not to request or update the first signal resource.

[0206] Regarding the paging process:

[0207] In some embodiments, after the device sends a first signal to the network device, the network device records or updates the paging location of the device based on the first signal. The paging location is the location of the device used / referenced by the network device when paging the device. In some embodiments, the network device determines the paging location of the device by measuring the first signal sent by the device. The location information of the device obtained by the network device by measuring the first signal can be understood as coarse location information. In some embodiments, the granularity of the paging location recorded or updated by the network device includes at least one of cell, TA, RNA, and other granularities. Other granularities include granularities other than cell, TA, and RNA. Optionally, the first signal is sent by the device based on a first signal resource.

[0208] In some embodiments, the network device sends a paging message to the device based on the device's paging location. For example, the network device sends the paging message to the device at the location closest to the updated paging location. In some embodiments, the paging location is used to determine a sending node, which is used to send the paging message. The sending node includes at least one of an access network device, a cell, and a TRP. After determining the sending node, the network device sends the paging message to the device through the sending node. In some embodiments, the physical distance between the sending node and the paging location meets preset conditions, such as the sending node being at least one of the access network device (e.g., gNB), a cell, and a TRP closest to the paging location.

[0209] In some embodiments, the receiving module 801 is configured to receive an acknowledgment (ACK) sent by the network device, the acknowledgment indicating that the paging location record or update of the device has been successful. In some embodiments, the device receives a restriction signaling sent by the network device, the restriction signaling being used to restrict the device from using a first signal resource or to restrict the device from sending a first signal corresponding to the first signal resource. Upon receiving the restriction signaling, the device will stop using the first signal resource or sending the first signal. In some embodiments, the restriction signaling carries a restriction duration, the restriction duration being used to indicate the duration for which the device is restricted from using the first signal resource or sending the first signal. In some embodiments, the restriction duration includes a second timer duration, the second timer corresponding to the second timer duration being used to trigger the device to stop using the first signal resource or sending the first signal. The second timer is equivalent to / can be replaced by a prohibit timer. In some embodiments, in response to receiving the first signal sent by the device, the network device sends a restriction signaling to the device. The network device can also send restriction signaling in other circumstances, which is not limited in this application. In some embodiments, the processing module 804 is configured to start the second timer after the device receives the acknowledgment. In some embodiments, processing module 804 is configured to start a second timer after the device sends a first signal. During the operation of the second timer, the device stops using the first signal resource or sending the first signal; that is, the device cannot trigger paging location reporting / updating and send the first signal again. In some embodiments, information for configuring the duration of the second timer is carried in the above-mentioned configuration information. In some embodiments, whether the device starts the second timer is indicated explicitly or implicitly by the network device. Optionally, an implicit indication means that the device will start the second timer if the network device configures the duration of the second timer for the device.

[0210] In some embodiments, the apparatus provided in this application includes a receiving module 801, which supports executing all the receiving-related steps performed by the terminal in the various embodiments described above. In some embodiments, the apparatus provided in this application includes multiple receiving modules 801, which respectively support executing some of the receiving-related steps performed by the terminal in the various embodiments described above. In some embodiments, the steps performed by different receiving modules 801 are exactly the same, partially the same, or completely different.

[0211] In some embodiments, the apparatus provided in this application includes a sending module 802, which supports executing all sending-related steps performed by the terminal in the various embodiments described above. In some embodiments, the apparatus provided in this application includes multiple sending modules 802, which respectively support executing some of the sending-related steps performed by the terminal in the various embodiments described above. In some embodiments, the steps performed by different sending modules 802 are exactly the same, partially the same, or completely different.

[0212] In some embodiments, the apparatus provided in this application includes a determining module 803, which supports executing all the determining-related steps performed by the terminal in the various embodiments described above. In some embodiments, the apparatus provided in this application includes multiple determining modules 803, which respectively support executing some of the determining-related steps performed by the terminal in the various embodiments described above. In some embodiments, the steps performed by different determining modules 803 are exactly the same, partially the same, or completely different.

[0213] In some embodiments, the apparatus provided in this application includes a processing module 804, which supports executing all processing-related steps performed by the terminal in the various embodiments described above. In some embodiments, the apparatus provided in this application includes multiple processing modules 804, which respectively support executing some processing-related steps performed by the terminal in the various embodiments described above. In some embodiments, the steps executed by different processing modules 804 are exactly the same, partially the same, or completely different.

[0214] In summary, the device provided in this embodiment, by configuring a dedicated first signal resource for the device, enables the device to report its location by sending a signal through the first signal resource. This allows the network to determine / update the device's location based on uplink measurements, thereby enabling paging based on the device's most recently reported location and realizing the network's paging process. By having the device report its location, network devices can avoid sending paging messages at unnecessary locations, thus reducing network paging overhead. Furthermore, by identifying the device based on its dedicated first signal resource, the device can complete location reporting / updating without sending additional signaling, which is beneficial for energy saving and achieves a balance between paging and energy efficiency.

[0215] It should be noted that the device provided in the above embodiments is only illustrated by the division of the above functional modules when implementing its functions. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules according to actual needs, that is, the content structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0216] Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiments, the specific manner in which each module performs its operation has been described in detail in the embodiments related to the method, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0217] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. The communication device is a network device or a terminal. The communication device 900 includes: a processor 901, a receiver 902, a transmitter 903, a memory 904, and a bus 905.

[0218] The processor 901 includes one or more processing cores. The processor 901 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules.

[0219] The receiver 902 and the transmitter 903 can be implemented as a communication component, which can be a communication chip.

[0220] The memory 904 is connected to the processor 901 via a bus 905. The memory 904 can be used to store at least one instruction, which the processor 901 uses to execute to implement the various steps in the above method embodiments.

[0221] Furthermore, the memory 904 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, including but not limited to: magnetic disks or optical disks, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), static random-access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, and programmable read-only memory (PROM).

[0222] In some embodiments, when the communication device is implemented as a network device, the processor 901 is configured to send configuration information to the terminal, the configuration information being used to configure a first signal resource; wherein, the first signal resource is a resource dedicated to the terminal, and the first signal resource is used to report the location of the terminal. In some embodiments, the processor 901 is also configured to perform other processing-related steps in the above method embodiments.

[0223] In some embodiments, when the communication device is implemented as a terminal, the processor 901 is configured to receive configuration information sent by the network device, the configuration information being used to configure a first signal resource; wherein, the first signal resource is a resource dedicated to the terminal, and the first signal resource is used to report the location of the terminal. In some embodiments, the processor 901 is also configured to perform other processing-related steps in the above method embodiments.

[0224] In some embodiments, the receiver 902 receives signals / data independently, or the processor 901 controls the receiver 902 to receive signals / data, or the processor 901 requests the receiver 902 to receive signals / data, or the processor 901 cooperates with the receiver 902 to receive signals / data.

[0225] In some embodiments, the transmitter 903 independently transmits signals / data, or the processor 901 controls the transmitter 903 to transmit signals / data, or the processor 901 requests the transmitter 903 to transmit signals / data, or the processor 901 cooperates with the transmitter 903 to transmit signals / data.

[0226] In some embodiments, the processor 901 and the receiver 902 may be implemented as a single module, or the processor 901 may be implemented as part of the receiver 902.

[0227] In some embodiments, receiver 902 may be implemented as a receiver. Optionally, the receiver may include processor 901 or may not include processor 901.

[0228] In some embodiments, the processor 901 and the transmitter 903 may be implemented as a single module, or the processor 901 may be implemented as part of the transmitter 903.

[0229] In some embodiments, the transmitter 903 may be implemented as a transmitter. Optionally, the receiver may include a processor 901 or may not include a processor 901.

[0230] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which stores at least one instruction, at least one program, code set, or instruction set, wherein the at least one instruction, the at least one program, the code set, or the instruction set is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the signal resource configuration method provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0231] In an exemplary embodiment, a chip is also provided, the chip including programmable logic circuits and / or program instructions, which, when the chip is run on a communication device, are used to implement the signal resource configuration method provided in the above-described method embodiments based on the programmable logic circuits and / or program instructions.

[0232] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is also provided, which, when run on the processor of a computer device, causes the computer device to execute the above-described signal resource configuration method.

[0233] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer program is also provided, the computer program including computer instructions, wherein a processor of a computer device executes the computer instructions, causing the computer device to perform the above-described signal resource configuration method.

[0234] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the functions described in the embodiments of this application in one or more of the above examples can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, these functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein communication media include any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Storage media can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0235] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for configuring signal resources, characterized in that, The method is performed by a network device, and the method includes: Send configuration information to the terminal, the configuration information being used to configure the first signal resource; The first signal resource is a dedicated resource for the terminal, and it is used to report the location of the terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first signal resources of different terminals differ in at least one of the following aspects: the time domain location of the first signal resource; the frequency domain location of the first signal resource; and the code domain resources corresponding to the first signal resource.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first signal resource is valid in one or more cells, and the one or more cells include the first cell where the terminal is currently camped.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The configuration information carries cell information; the cell information includes one or more cell identifiers, and the cell information is used to indicate the cell where the first signal resource is valid.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The configuration information carries conditional information, which indicates the conditions under which the first signal resource is valid.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The condition information includes at least one of the following: the reference signal received power (RSRP) threshold; the RSRP change threshold; and the duration of the first timer.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The configuration information carries a transmission configuration, which is used to indicate the transmission method of the first signal corresponding to the first signal resource.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The sending method includes at least one of the following: event-triggered sending; periodic sending; semi-continuous sending.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first event that triggers the transmission of the first signal includes at least one of the following: the terminal camps from the first cell to the second cell; the terminal camps from the first cell to the second cell, and the second cell does not belong to the area where the terminal is currently located; The terminal in the first cell will switch from the first frequency band to the second frequency band.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The current location of the terminal includes at least one of the terminal's current tracking area (TA) and notification area (RNA).

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that, When the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission method is periodic transmission or semi-continuous transmission, the configuration information also carries the transmission period of the first signal.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that, When the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission mode is semi-continuous transmission, the method further includes at least one of the following: Send a first activation signaling to the terminal, the first activation signaling being used to activate or enable the semi-persistent transmission mode; send a first deactivation signaling to the terminal, the first deactivation signaling being used to deactivate or disable the semi-persistent transmission mode.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first activation signaling and the first deactivation signaling include at least one of the following: Media Access Control Controller (MAC CE); Radio Resource Control (RRC) message; Downlink Control Information (DCI).

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive resource request messages sent by the terminal; The resource request message is used to request or update the first signal resource.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The resource request message includes at least one of the following: RRC recovery request; RRC setting request.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: The network device receives a first signal corresponding to the first signal resource sent by the terminal, and the first signal is used to record or update the paging location of the terminal.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The paging location is used to determine the sending node, which is used to send paging messages. The sending node includes at least one of the following: access network equipment, cell, and Transmit / Receive Point (TRP).

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The physical distance between the sending node and the paging location meets the preset conditions.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that, The method further includes: A confirmation message is sent to the terminal, which indicates that the terminal's paging location record or update was successful.

20. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that, The method further includes: A restriction signaling is sent to the terminal, the restriction signaling being used to restrict the terminal from using the first signal resource or to restrict the terminal from sending the first signal corresponding to the first signal resource.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The restriction signaling carries a restriction duration, which is used to indicate the duration for which the terminal is restricted from using the first signal resource or from sending the first signal.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that, Sending the restriction signaling to the terminal includes: In response to receiving the first signal sent by the terminal, the restriction signaling is sent to the terminal.

23. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that, The configuration information is sent via at least one of the following messages: RRC release message; RRC reconfiguration message.

24. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that, The first signal corresponding to the first signal resource includes the uplink wake-up signal UL-WUS.

25. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that, The cell in which the terminal resides includes at least one of flexible cell, carrier decoupling cell, and super-large cell.

26. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 25, characterized in that, The terminal is in RRC idle state.

27. A method for configuring signal resources, characterized in that, The method is executed by a terminal, and the method includes: Receive configuration information sent by a network device, the configuration information being used to configure a first signal resource; The first signal resource is a dedicated resource for the terminal, and it is used to report the location of the terminal.

28. The method according to claim 27, characterized in that, The first signal resources of different terminals differ in at least one of the following aspects: the time domain location of the first signal resource; the frequency domain location of the first signal resource; and the code domain resources corresponding to the first signal resource.

29. The method according to claim 27 or 28, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send the first signal corresponding to the first signal resource.

30. The method according to claim 29, characterized in that, The configuration information carries a transmission configuration, which is used to indicate the transmission method of the first signal.

31. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that, The sending method includes at least one of the following: event-triggered sending; periodic sending; semi-continuous sending.

32. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that, The first event that triggers the transmission of the first signal includes at least one of the following: the terminal camps from the first cell to the second cell; the terminal camps from the first cell to the second cell, and the second cell does not belong to the area where the terminal is currently located; The terminal in the first cell will switch from the first frequency band to the second frequency band.

33. The method according to claim 32, characterized in that, The current location of the terminal includes at least one of the terminal's current TA and RNA.

34. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 33, characterized in that, When the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission method is periodic transmission or semi-continuous transmission, the configuration information also carries the transmission period of the first signal.

35. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 34, characterized in that, When the transmission configuration indicates that the transmission mode is semi-continuous transmission, the method further includes at least one of the following: The system receives a first activation signaling sent by the network device, the first activation signaling being used to activate or enable the semi-persistent transmission mode; and receives a first deactivation signaling sent by the network device, the first deactivation signaling being used to deactivate or disable the semi-persistent transmission mode.

36. The method according to claim 35, characterized in that, The first activation signaling and the first deactivation signaling include at least one of the following: MAC CE; RRC message; DCI.

37. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 36, characterized in that, Sending the first signal corresponding to the first signal resource includes: If the first signal resource is available, send the first signal.

38. The method according to claim 37, characterized in that, The first signal resource is valid in one or more cells, and the one or more cells include the first cell where the terminal is currently camped.

39. The method according to claim 38, characterized in that, The configuration information carries cell information; the cell information includes one or more cell identifiers, and the cell information is used to indicate the cell where the first signal resource is valid.

40. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 39, characterized in that, The configuration information carries conditional information, which indicates the conditions under which the first signal resource is valid.

41. The method according to claim 40, characterized in that, The condition information includes at least one of the following: RSRP threshold; RSRP change threshold; first timer duration.

42. The method according to claim 41, characterized in that, The method further includes at least one of the following: The first signal resource is determined to be valid if the RSRP measured by the terminal is less than or equal to the RSRP threshold; the first signal resource is determined to be valid if the change in RSRP measured by the terminal is less than or equal to the RSRP change threshold; and the first signal resource is determined to be valid during the operation of the first timer.

43. The method according to claim 42, characterized in that, The change in RSRP is determined based on the difference between the first RSRP and the second RSRP; the first RSRP is the RSRP currently measured by the terminal, and the second RSRP is the RSRP measured by the terminal at a first moment, the first moment including at least one of the moment of receiving the configuration information and the moment of receiving the first activation signaling.

44. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 43, characterized in that, The method further includes at least one of the following: The first timer is started or restarted at a first moment, the first moment including at least one of the moment of receiving the configuration information and the moment of receiving the first activation signaling; the first timer is started or restarted when a timed advance TA command is received; the first timer is stopped when the terminal camps from the first cell to the second cell; the first timer is stopped when the terminal camps from the first cell to the second cell and the second cell does not belong to the current area of ​​the terminal.

45. The method according to any one of claims 27 to 44, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the first signal resource is invalid, a resource request message is sent to the network device; The resource request message is used to request or update the first signal resource.

46. ​​The method according to claim 45, characterized in that, The resource request message includes at least one of the following: RRC recovery request; RRC setting request.

47. The method according to any one of claims 27 to 46, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal receives an acknowledgment message sent by the network device, the acknowledgment message being used to indicate that the paging location record or update of the terminal was successful.

48. The method according to any one of claims 27 to 47, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal receives a restriction signaling message sent by the network device, the restriction signaling message being used to restrict the terminal from using the first signal resource or to restrict the terminal from sending the first signal corresponding to the first signal resource.

49. The method according to claim 48, characterized in that, The restriction signaling carries a restriction duration, which is used to indicate the duration for which the terminal is restricted from using the first signal resource or from sending the first signal.

50. The method according to claim 48 or 49, characterized in that, The restriction signaling is sent by the network device in response to receiving the first signal sent by the terminal.

51. The method according to any one of claims 27 to 50, characterized in that, The configuration information is sent via at least one of the following messages: RRC release message; RRC reconfiguration message.

52. The method according to any one of claims 27 to 51, characterized in that, The first signal corresponding to the first signal resource includes UL-WUS.

53. The method according to any one of claims 27 to 52, characterized in that, The cell in which the terminal resides includes at least one of flexible cell, carrier decoupling cell, and super-large cell.

54. The method according to any one of claims 27 to 53, characterized in that, The terminal is in RRC idle state.

55. A signal resource configuration device, characterized in that, The device includes: A sending module is used to send configuration information to the terminal, wherein the configuration information is used to configure the first signal resource; The first signal resource is a dedicated resource for the terminal, and it is used to report the location of the terminal.

56. A signal resource configuration device, characterized in that, The device includes: A receiving module is used to receive configuration information sent by a network device, wherein the configuration information is used to configure a first signal resource; The first signal resource is a dedicated resource for the device and is used to report the location of the device.

57. A network device, characterized in that, The network device includes: processor; A transceiver connected to the processor; Memory for storing the executable instructions of the processor; The network device is configured to send configuration information to the terminal, the configuration information being used to configure a first signal resource; The first signal resource is a dedicated resource for the terminal, and it is used to report the location of the terminal.

58. A terminal, characterized in that, The terminal includes: processor; A transceiver connected to the processor; Memory for storing the executable instructions of the processor; The terminal is configured to receive configuration information sent by a network device, the configuration information being used to configure a first signal resource; The first signal resource is a dedicated resource for the terminal, and it is used to report the location of the terminal.

59. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The readable storage medium stores executable instructions, which are loaded and executed by a processor to implement the method for configuring signal resources as described in any one of claims 1 to 54.

60. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes a programmable logic circuit or a program, and the chip is used to implement the signal resource configuration method as described in any one of claims 1 to 54 based on the programmable logic circuit or program.

61. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium, a processor of a computer device reading the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executing the computer instructions to cause the computer device to perform the signal resource configuration method as described in any one of claims 1 to 54.

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