Communication method and apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

Provided are a communication method and apparatus, and a storage medium. The method comprises: sending first configuration information to a user equipment (UE), wherein the first configuration information is used for configuring a candidate cell for a handover and / or a trigger condition of the candidate cell.

Description

Communication methods, devices and storage media

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202411466633.1, filed on October 18, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] As altitude increases, the number and range of cells that airborne user equipment (UE), such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), can detect also increase. Compared to ground-based UEs, UAVs can provide services from geographically distant cells. Summary of the Invention

[0004] On one hand, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a first network node. The communication method includes:

[0005] Send first configuration information to the UE; the first configuration information is used to configure candidate cells for handover and / or triggering conditions for candidate cells.

[0006] On the other hand, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a UE. The communication method includes:

[0007] Receive first configuration information sent by the first network node; the first configuration information is used to configure candidate cells for handover and / or triggering conditions for candidate cells.

[0008] In another aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device. The communication device includes: an acquisition module and a transmission module; the acquisition module is configured to acquire first configuration information; the transmission module is configured to transmit the first configuration information to a UE; the first configuration information is used to configure candidate cells for handover and / or triggering conditions for candidate cells.

[0009] In another aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device. The communication device includes: a receiving module; the receiving module is configured to receive first configuration information sent by a first network node; the first configuration information is used to configure candidate cells for handover and / or triggering conditions for the candidate cells.

[0010] In another aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the methods described in any of the above aspects.

[0011] In another aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program product including computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the methods described in any of the above aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0012] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in some embodiments of this disclosure will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely drawings of some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings.

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of a communication system according to some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method according to some embodiments.

[0016] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method according to some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an inter-node interaction according to some embodiments.

[0018] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another node interaction according to some embodiments.

[0019] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of yet another type of inter-node interaction according to some embodiments.

[0020] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method according to some embodiments.

[0021] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method according to some embodiments.

[0022] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method according to some embodiments.

[0023] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to some embodiments.

[0024] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device according to some embodiments.

[0025] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device according to some embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of this disclosure will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this disclosure, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0027] It should be noted that in this disclosure, expressions such as "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate that they are examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in this disclosure should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Specifically, the use of expressions such as "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a detailed manner.

[0028] Hereinafter, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0029] In the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist; for example, A and / or B can mean: only A, only B, and A and B. Furthermore, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more.

[0030] As described in the background section, with increasing altitude, the number and range of cells that an airborne user equipment (UE), such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), can detect increase. Compared to ground-based UEs, UAVs can be served by geographically distant cells. This increases the frequency of cell handover for UAVs, making them more susceptible to handovers to unsuitable cells, leading to decreased handover robustness (i.e., reliability).

[0031] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a mobility enhancement mechanism for airborne UEs to adapt to the characteristics of drones.

[0032] Based on this, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method in which a first network node sends first configuration information to a UE. This first configuration information is used to configure candidate cells for handover and / or triggering conditions for the candidate cells. The first configuration information is associated with an altitude range, so that the UE can configure applications for candidate cells corresponding to that specific altitude range, or evaluate and measure triggering conditions, reducing the possibility of performing unnecessary operations on unsuitable or undetectable candidate cells, and improving the robustness (reliability) of the UE during cell handover.

[0033] The mobility enhancement mechanisms mentioned in the embodiments of this disclosure may include the following:

[0034] 1. Conditional handover (CHO)

[0035] To improve handover reliability (i.e., handover robustness), 5G introduces CHO (Choice of Activated Handover). A CHO is defined as a handover performed by the UE when certain conditions are met. The UE begins evaluating the execution conditions after receiving the CHO configuration and stops evaluating them once the handover is triggered. The CHO configuration includes the candidate cell configuration generated by the candidate target node and the corresponding execution conditions for each candidate cell.

[0036] 2. Conditional Primary Secondary Cell (PSCell) Addition / Change (CPAC)

[0037] To improve the reliability (i.e., handover robustness) of PSCell / SN additions or handovers and reduce downtime, 5G introduces CPAC. CPAC is defined as a PSCell addition / modification performed by the UE when execution conditions are met. The UE begins evaluating execution conditions after receiving the CPAC configuration and stops evaluating them after triggering the PSCell addition / modification. The CPAC configuration includes the candidate PSCell configuration generated by the candidate SN and the corresponding execution conditions for the candidate PSCell. The CPAC process can be initiated by the master node (MN) or the secondary node (SN), including inter-SN CPAC and intra-SN CPAC.

[0038] Furthermore, 5G supports continuous CPAC (SCPAC). Based on the pre-configured SCPAC configuration of candidate PSCells, the UE can perform conditional PSCell addition or modification procedures after PSCell addition, PSCell modification, PCell modification, or secondary cell group (SCG) release, without reconfiguration and re-initiating the CPAC procedure. After completing PSCell addition, PSCell modification, PCell modification, or SCG release, the UE maintains the configured SCPAC configuration (in the absence of network-indicated release) and evaluates the execution conditions of the candidate PSCell (if the network provides the execution conditions for subsequent SCPAC execution). The SCPAC procedure can be initiated by the MN or SN, including inter-SN SCPAC and intra-SN SCPAC.

[0039] 3. Lower-layer triggered mobility (LTM)

[0040] To reduce handover interruption latency and handover signaling overhead, 5G introduces LTM (Low-Terminal Handover Mechanism). LTM is the process by which the base station triggers cell handover via a MAC CE-based cell handover command. The cell handover command instructs the base station to pre-configure the LTM candidate cell configuration through RRC signaling, and the UE switches to the corresponding target cell according to the handover command.

[0041] The LTM process consists of four parts: LTM preparation, advance synchronization, LTM cell handover execution, and LTM cell handover completion. Successive LTM processes can reuse pre-configured LTM candidate cell configurations, completing cell handover by repeating advance synchronization, LTM cell handover execution, and LTM cell handover completion steps, without needing to release other LTM candidate cell configurations after each LTM cell handover.

[0042] 4. Conditional lower-layer triggered mobility (LTM)

[0043] Building upon LTM, 5G further introduces condition-triggered LTM, or CLTM, which improves handover robustness while reducing handover interruption latency. The base station pre-configures LTM candidate cell configurations and corresponding execution conditions via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. Upon receiving the CLTM configuration, the UE begins evaluating the execution conditions and, when the corresponding execution conditions are met, autonomously triggers CLTM to execute on the appropriate candidate cell.

[0044] Under the new radio dual connectivity (NR-DC), LTM and CLTM can be applied to master cell group (MCG) handover and SCG handover.

[0045] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to some embodiments. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 10 includes a base station 11 and a UE 12. The base station 11 and the UE 12 can be communicatively connected.

[0046] In some embodiments, base station 11 is used to provide radio access services to multiple UEs 12. For example, a base station 11 provides a service coverage area (also known as a cell). UEs 12 entering this area can communicate with base station 11 via radio signals to receive the radio access services provided by base station 11. The service coverage areas of base stations 11 may overlap, and UEs 12 in overlapping areas can receive radio signals from multiple base stations 11.

[0047] In some embodiments, base station 11 can connect multiple UE 12 devices, for example, base station 11 can connect UE 12 and UE 12. UE 12 and UE 12 can be located in the same cell, or they can be located in different cells. That is, one base station 11 can provide network services to UE 12 in one cell, or it can provide network services to UE 12 in multiple cells simultaneously.

[0048] In some embodiments, base station 11 may be a base station in Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTEA), or an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB), a base station in a 5G network, or a base station in a future communication system. The base station may include various macro base stations, micro base stations, home base stations, wireless remote devices, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), routers, wireless fidelity (WIFI) devices, or various network-side devices such as primary cells and secondary cells.

[0049] In some embodiments, the UE 12 can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, which can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld, wearable, or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on water (such as on ships); and it can also be deployed in the air (e.g., on airplanes, balloons, and satellites). The UE can be a mobile phone, drone, tablet, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminal, augmented reality (AR) terminal, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in self-driving, wireless terminal in remote medical care, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, wireless terminal in smart home, etc. The embodiments disclosed herein do not limit the application scenarios. UE may also be referred to as user, access terminal, UE unit, UE station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, UE terminal, wireless communication device, UE agent, or UE device, etc., and the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to these terms.

[0050] This disclosure uses an example of a drone as the UE for illustration.

[0051] It should be understood that Figure 1 is an exemplary structural diagram, and the number of devices included in the communication system shown in Figure 1 is not limited, for example, the number of base stations and the number of UEs are not limited. Furthermore, in addition to the devices shown in Figure 1, the communication system shown in Figure 1 may also include other devices, and this is not limited.

[0052] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to some embodiments. Exemplarily, the communication method provided in this disclosure can be applied to the communication system shown in Figure 1, for example, to a first network node, such as a base station.

[0053] As shown in Figure 2, the communication method provided in this disclosure may include the following: S201.

[0054] S201, The first network node sends the first configuration information to the UE.

[0055] The first configuration information is used to configure the candidate cells and / or the triggering conditions for the candidate cells used for handover.

[0056] In some embodiments, the first configuration information includes at least one of the following:

[0057] Information on candidate cells that are highly correlated with the data;

[0058] Triggering conditions that are highly relevant;

[0059] Configuration of candidate cells with high correlation;

[0060] Configuration of measurement reference signals with high correlation;

[0061] Configuration of highly correlated random access channel (RACH) resources;

[0062] Configured with a highly associated transmission configuration indicator state (TCI-state).

[0063] For example, the aforementioned candidate cell information associated with altitude can be a CHO / CPAC / SCPAC / (C)LTM candidate cell list configured on the network (NW) side. This list includes the identifiers of the candidate cells (e.g., candidate cell configuration index, cell global identity (CGI), physical cell identifier (PCI), or frequency point + PCI, etc.) and their corresponding altitude ranges. It should be understood that by configuring altitude-associated candidate cell information for the UE, when the UE is within a certain altitude range, the UE only needs to evaluate or measure the candidate cells associated with that altitude range.

[0064] The aforementioned highly correlated candidate cell configuration can be at least one of the following: conditional candidate configuration, such as CHO / CPAC candidate configuration CondReconfiToAddMod-r16; LTM / CLTM candidate configuration, such as LTM-Candidate-r18.

[0065] For example, taking a conditional candidate configuration as an example, an ASN.1 signaling structure for a highly associated candidate configuration is shown below:

[0066] ConditionalReconfiguration information element

[0067] It should be understood that for highly relevant candidate configurations, one or more candidate configurations can be associated with an altitude range. When the UE is within a certain altitude range, the UE only needs to evaluate or measure the candidate cells associated with that altitude / height range.

[0068] For example, one implementation of condition-related candidate configurations (e.g., CHO, CPAC, SCPAC, CLTM) is that the network side provides / configures different execution conditions (e.g., different triggering events, different event thresholds, etc.) for each candidate cell within different altitude / height ranges. When the UE is within a certain altitude range, the UE can apply the execution conditions related to that altitude / height range to evaluate / measure the conditional candidate cells.

[0069] For example, taking a conditional candidate configuration as an example, an ASN.1 signaling structure is shown below:

[0070] CondReconfigToAddModList information element

[0071] For LTM or CLTM, the network side can also provide different candidate configurations for each candidate cell within different altitude ranges. For example, altitude-based L1 measurement reference signal (such as SSB, CSI-RS) configurations, such as ssb-PositionsInBurst; altitude-based RACH resource configurations for early synchronization, such as ltm-EarlyUL-SyncConfig / ltm-EarlyUL-SyncConfigSUL; and altitude-based TCI-state configurations, such as ltm-TCI-Info. When the UE is within a certain altitude range, the UE can apply the configuration related to that altitude range to perform corresponding operations for that candidate cell, such as performing L1 measurements, early uplink synchronization, and TCI-state activation.

[0072] It should be noted that the information or configuration highly associated with this disclosure may include at least one of the following:

[0073] Minimum height threshold, such as altitudeMin;

[0074] Maximum height threshold, such as altitudeMax;

[0075] Determine the hysteresis coefficient for the altitude range, such as altitudeHyst.

[0076] For each altitude range, the minimum altitude threshold represents the minimum altitude relative to sea level (e.g., in meters), and the maximum altitude threshold represents the maximum altitude relative to sea level (e.g., in meters). Therefore, altitude can also be replaced by elevation.

[0077] The hysteresis coefficient represents the hysteresis (e.g., in meters) in determining the altitude range. For example, when the altitude range configuration includes a hysteresis coefficient, if the minimum altitude threshold ≤ UE altitude ≤ maximum altitude threshold, the UE considers itself to have entered that altitude range; after the UE has entered that altitude range, if (minimum altitude threshold – hysteresis coefficient) ≤ UE altitude ≤ (maximum altitude threshold + hysteresis coefficient), the UE considers itself still within that altitude range. When the UE is within a certain altitude range, the UE can apply candidate configurations associated with that altitude range; for example, the UE can perform condition evaluations or measurements on candidate cells associated with that altitude range.

[0078] In some embodiments, the triggering condition includes at least one of the following:

[0079] The conditions are related to the signal quality of the first cell and highly related to the UE; the first cell is the serving cell and / or a candidate cell;

[0080] Conditions associated with the UE's timestamp information;

[0081] Conditions associated with the UE's location;

[0082] Conditions that are associated with the UE's location and height.

[0083] In some embodiments, signal quality is obtained based on radio resource management (RRM) measurements or based on layer 1 beam measurements.

[0084] It should be noted that for condition-related candidate configurations (e.g., CHO, CPAC, SCPAC, CLTM), the network side can provide / configure corresponding execution conditions for each candidate cell. An execution condition can contain one or more trigger conditions, and each of the one or more trigger conditions is associated with a condition event (e.g., condition events CondEvent A3 / A4 / A5). If an execution condition contains multiple trigger conditions, the UE considers the execution condition satisfied only when each of the multiple trigger conditions is satisfied, and triggers a conditional handover to the candidate cell corresponding to that execution condition.

[0085] In addition, when the UE is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), besides traditional RRM and / or L1 measurement results, such as the cell's reference signal receiving power (RSRP), reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ), and signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR), the UE can also report its altitude information and / or flight path information. The network side can predict the UE's handover target cell and / or handover timing based on the UAV's altitude and / or flight path information. Therefore, for UE-triggered conditional handovers, the network side can also provide / configure execution / triggering conditions based on altitude or flight path information.

[0086] As an example, a conditional event based on an RRM measurement (such as RSRP, RSRQ, or SINR) includes at least one of the following:

[0087] CondEvent A3: The signal quality of the candidate cell for conditional reconfiguration is higher than {PCell / PSCell signal quality + offset value};

[0088] CondEvent A4: The signal quality of the candidate cell for conditional reconfiguration is higher than a threshold;

[0089] CondEvent A5: The PCell / PSCell signal quality is below a threshold 1, and the quality of the conditional reconfiguration candidate cell is above another threshold 2;

[0090] Height-based conditional events include at least one of the following:

[0091] CondEvent H1: (Airborne) UE altitude is above a threshold;

[0092] CondEvent H2: (Airborne) UE altitude is below a threshold.

[0093] Combining the conditional events of Ax and Hy mentioned above, the conditions that are associated with the signal quality of the first cell and highly associated with the UE may include at least one of the following:

[0094] CondEvent A3H1: The signal quality of the candidate cell for conditional reconfiguration is higher than {PCell / PSCell signal quality + offset value}, and the altitude of the (air) UE is higher than a threshold.

[0095] CondEvent A3H2: The signal quality of the candidate cell for conditional reconfiguration is higher than {PCell / PSCell signal quality + offset value}, and the altitude of the (air) UE is lower than a threshold.

[0096] CondEvent A4H1: The signal quality of the candidate cell for conditional reconfiguration is higher than a threshold, and the altitude of the (air) UE is higher than a threshold;

[0097] CondEvent A4H2: The signal quality of the candidate cell for conditional reconfiguration is higher than a threshold, and the altitude of the (air) UE is lower than a threshold;

[0098] CondEvent A5H1: The PCell / PSCell signal quality is below a threshold 1, and the quality of the conditional reconfiguration candidate cell is above another threshold 2, and the (air) UE altitude is above another threshold 3;

[0099] CondEvent A5H2: The PCell / PSCell signal quality is below an absolute threshold 1, and the quality of the conditional reconfiguration candidate cell is above another threshold 2, and the (air) UE altitude is below another threshold 3.

[0100] As an example, a conditional event associated with the UE's timestamp information may include at least one of the following:

[0101] CondEvent T1: (Over-the-air) The time measured by the UE is greater than the time threshold 1 but less than {time threshold 1 + duration or bias value}; here, the duration refers to a period of time.

[0102] CondEvent T2: (Airborne) The time measured by the UE is greater than time threshold 1 but less than time threshold 2.

[0103] For example, the time is expressed in seconds of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) since January 1, 1900, 00:00:00, calculated in units of 10 milliseconds.

[0104] As an example, conditional events associated with the UE's location may include the following:

[0105] CondEvent Dx: The distance between the (air) UE and reference position 1 is greater than a distance threshold 1, and the distance between the (air) UE and reference position 2 is less than a distance threshold 2;

[0106] CondEvent Dy: The distance between the (airborne) UE and reference position 2 is greater than {the (airborne) distance between the UE and reference position 1 + the offset value};

[0107] As an example, conditions associated with the UE's location and with the UE's height may include the following:

[0108] CondEvent DxH1: The distance between the (air) UE and reference position 1 is greater than a distance threshold 1, and the distance between the (air) UE and reference position 2 is less than a distance threshold 2, and the height of the (air) UE is higher than a height threshold 3;

[0109] CondEvent DxH2: The distance between the (air) UE and reference position 1 is greater than a distance threshold 1, and the distance between the (air) UE and reference position 2 is less than a distance threshold 2, and the height of the (air) UE is less than a height threshold 3;

[0110] CondEvent DxH3: The distance between the (air) UE and reference position 1 is greater than a distance threshold 1, and the distance between the (air) UE and reference position 2 is less than a distance threshold 2, and the height of the (air) UE is higher than a height threshold 3 but lower than a height threshold 4 or {height threshold 3 + height range / offset}.

[0111] CondEvent DyH1: The distance between the (airborne) UE and the reference position 2 is greater than {the distance between the (airborne) UE and the reference position 1 + the offset value}, and the height of the (airborne) UE is higher than a height threshold;

[0112] CondEvent DyH2: The distance between the (airborne) UE and the reference position 2 is greater than {the distance between the (airborne) UE and the reference position 1 + the offset value}, and the height of the (airborne) UE is lower than a height threshold 3;

[0113] CondEvent DyH3: The distance between the (air) UE and the reference position 2 is greater than {the distance between the (air) UE and the reference position 1 + the offset value}, and the height of the (air) UE is higher than a height threshold 3 but lower than a height threshold 4 or {height threshold 3 + height range / offset}.

[0114] Reference location 1 is associated with / represents the location information of the serving cell (e.g., PCell / PSCell), and reference location 2 is associated with / represents the location information of the candidate cell (for conditional reconfiguration). The reference location information can be at least one of the following:

[0115] 3D location information (such as longitude, latitude, altitude / altitude, Southern / Northern Hemisphere indication, etc.);

[0116] 2D location information (such as longitude, latitude, Southern / Northern Hemisphere indication, etc.);

[0117] Associated waypoint information, such as a waypoint included in the flight path information.

[0118] It should be noted that for DyH1, DyH2, and DyH3, the reference location information can be 2D location information. Altitude information can be determined by comparing the (air-to-air) UE's altitude with an altitude threshold. Reference location information can be configured / sent to the UE via dedicated RRC signaling (such as RRC reconfiguration messages) or system messages.

[0119] As an example, for LTM / CLTM, cell handover can be triggered by L1 measurement results. Therefore, conditional events based on L1 measurement results (such as L1-RSRP, L1-RSRQ, or L1-SINR) include at least one of the following:

[0120] CondEvent L3: The beam signal quality of the candidate cell for conditional reconfiguration is higher than {the beam signal quality of PCell / PSCell + the offset value};

[0121] CondEvent L4: The beam signal quality of the candidate cell for conditional reconfiguration is higher than a threshold;

[0122] CondEvent L5: The beam signal quality of PCell / PSCell is below a threshold 1, and the beam quality of the conditional reconfiguration candidate cell is above another threshold 2.

[0123] The conditional events for beam-based Layer 1 measurements and height measurements may include at least one of the following:

[0124] CondEvent LTM3H1: The beam signal quality of the candidate cell for conditional reconfiguration is higher than {the beam signal quality of the PCell / PSCell + the offset value}, and the altitude of the (air) UE is higher than a threshold.

[0125] CondEvent LTM3H2: The beam signal quality of the candidate cell for conditional reconfiguration is higher than {the beam signal quality of the PCell / PSCell + the offset value}, and the altitude of the (air) UE is lower than a threshold.

[0126] CondEvent LTM4H1: The beam signal quality of the candidate cell for conditional reconfiguration is higher than a threshold, and the altitude of the (air) UE is higher than a threshold.

[0127] CondEvent LTM4H2: The beam signal quality of the candidate cell for conditional reconfiguration is higher than a threshold, and the altitude of the (air) UE is lower than a threshold.

[0128] CondEvent LTM5H1: The beam signal quality of the PCell / PSCell is below a threshold 1, and the beam signal quality of the conditional reconfiguration candidate cell is above another threshold 2, and the altitude of the (air) UE is above another threshold 3.

[0129] CondEvent LTM5H2: The beam signal quality of PCell / PSCell is below an absolute threshold 1, and the beam signal quality of the conditional reconfiguration candidate cell is above another threshold 2, and the altitude of the (air) UE is below another threshold 3.

[0130] The beam of a candidate cell can be any beam in the network-side configuration of the candidate cell's reference signal resource (i.e., any beam configured for LTM event evaluation). The beam of a PCell / PSCell refers to the currently serving beam, such as the beam associated with the TCI-state indicated / activated by the network side, or a beam of the same type as the candidate cell beam associated with the TCI-state. The aforementioned beam can be an SSB or a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) beam.

[0131] It should be understood that the aforementioned conditional events can be configured individually as an execution condition. Alternatively, multiple conditional events (e.g., one conditional event based on RRM / L1 measurement, and another based on location / time / altitude information) can be combined into a single execution condition. That is, the execution condition associated with a candidate cell contains multiple conditional events; only when all multiple conditional events are met does the UE consider the execution condition satisfied and trigger a conditional handover to the candidate cell corresponding to that execution condition.

[0132] In some scenarios, to reduce unnecessary evaluation / measurement of certain unavailable / undetectable candidate cells, the network side can activate or deactivate some pre-configured candidate cells based on the altitude information and / or flight path information reported by the drone, i.e., perform the following:

[0133] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2 and FIG3, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes S202.

[0134] S202, the first network node sends second configuration information to the UE. The second configuration information is used to configure the triggering conditions for activating or deactivating operations for candidate cells. Operations for candidate cells include evaluating the triggering conditions for candidate cells or performing Layer 1 measurements for candidate cells.

[0135] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3 and FIG4, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes S203.

[0136] S203, The first network node receives the activation status information of the operation for the candidate cell sent by the UE.

[0137] It should be understood that when the UE detects that the corresponding triggering event is met, the UE can autonomously activate or deactivate the corresponding candidate cell.

[0138] The activation / deactivation trigger can be associated with a candidate cell or a group of candidate cells. If it is associated with a group of candidate cells, the UE will automatically activate or deactivate the associated group of candidate cells when the corresponding trigger condition is met.

[0139] In one implementation, the aforementioned activation status information can be transmitted via UE assistant info (UAI) messages. This activation status information may include an activation or deactivation identifier, candidate cell identifiers (such as PCI information, candidate cell configuration index, etc.), or a set of candidate cell identifiers.

[0140] In one implementation, after receiving the activation status information, the first network node can start or stop certain operations for the candidate cell, such as starting / stopping / pausing early data forwarding, acquiring early timing advance (TA) triggered by the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and activating TCI status.

[0141] In other embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: a first network node sending signaling, such as a media access control control element (MAC CE), to the UE to dynamically instruct the UE to activate or deactivate one or more candidate cells. This signaling may include an activation or deactivation indicator, and identifiers of the candidate cells (such as PCI information, candidate cell configuration index, etc.). For activated candidate cells, the UE may perform L1 measurements or evaluate execution conditions; for deactivated candidate cells, the UE stops L1 measurements or evaluates execution conditions.

[0142] In some scenarios, since the first configuration information (e.g., candidate cell configuration, candidate cell measurement reference signal configuration, candidate cell random access RACH resource configuration, or candidate cell transmission configuration indication state (TCI-state) configuration) is specific to the candidate cell, the first configuration information can be prepared by the candidate node, and the corresponding altitude information is also determined / provided by the candidate node. For example, this can be implemented using the following methods one and two.

[0143] Method 1

[0144] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5, before S201 above, the communication method further includes: S501 to S502.

[0145] S501, The first network node sends a first request to the second network node.

[0146] The second network node is the candidate node to which the UE's candidate cell belongs, and the first request is used to request the first configuration information that is highly associated with it.

[0147] S502, the first network node receives highly associated first configuration information from the second network node.

[0148] For example, the first request may carry an indicator that represents the first configuration information associated with the height. The second network node then feeds back the first configuration information associated with the height to the first network node based on the indicator.

[0149] Method 2

[0150] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6, before S201 above, the communication method further includes: S601 to S602.

[0151] S601, The first network node sends a second request to the second network node.

[0152] The second network node is the candidate node to which the UE's candidate cell belongs, and the second request is used to request the first configuration information.

[0153] S602, the first network node receives highly associated first configuration information or existing first configuration information from the second network node.

[0154] For example, the second request does not carry the aforementioned indicator. After receiving the second request, the second network node can decide independently (e.g., based on factors such as the number of beams, beam orientation, or coverage area) whether to prepare the first configuration information associated with the height. Then, it feeds back the first configuration information associated with the height, or the existing first configuration information, to the first network node.

[0155] The implementation process of Figures 5 and 6 above will be explained below with detailed examples.

[0156] Example 1

[0157] For Method 1, during the preparation phase of CHO / (C)LTM, the interaction can be based on the following steps:

[0158] Step 1: The first network node sends a HO request message to the second network node to request a CHO or (C)LTM. The HO request message may include indicators requesting highly relevant candidate configurations, such as requesting highly relevant candidate cell configurations, requesting highly relevant SSB or CSI-RS configurations, requesting highly relevant RACH configurations for early synchronization, or requesting highly relevant TCI-state configurations, etc.

[0159] Step 2: The second network node sends a HO request confirmation message to the first network node, including the configuration of the candidate cells. This HO request confirmation message may also include altitude / elevation range information associated with the candidate cells. For example, in response to an indicator in the HO request message requesting altitude-related candidate configurations, the HO request confirmation message may include altitude / elevation ranges associated with one or more candidate cells (e.g., indicated by CGI, PCI, or candidate configuration index). For (C)LTM, the HO request confirmation message may also include L1 measurement configurations (such as SSB, CSI-RS resource configurations) associated with the altitude / elevation range, RACH resource configurations for advance synchronization, or TCI-state configurations, etc.

[0160] For method two, it is not necessary to carry an indicator for requesting highly relevant candidate configurations in step 1.

[0161] Example 2

[0162] For Method 1, during the preparation phase of CPAC / SCPAC / SCG(C)LTM, interaction can be performed based on the following steps:

[0163] Step 1: The MN sends an SN Add Request message to the (candidate) SN to request CPAC, SCPAC, or SCG(C)LTM. The SN Add Request message may include indicators requesting highly relevant candidate configurations, such as requesting highly relevant candidate cell configurations, requesting highly relevant SSB or CSI-RS configurations, requesting highly relevant RACH configurations for early synchronization, or requesting highly relevant TCI-state configurations, etc.

[0164] Step 2: The (candidate) SN sends an SN Add Request Confirmation Message to the MN, including the configuration of the candidate cell (e.g., PSCell). This message may also include altitude / elevation range information associated with the candidate cell. For example, in response to an indicator requesting altitude-related candidate configuration in the SN Add Request Message, the SN Add Request Confirmation Message may include the altitude / elevation range associated with one or more candidate cells (e.g., indicated by CGI, PCI, or candidate configuration index). For SCG(C)LTM, the SN Add Request Confirmation Message may also include L1 measurement configurations associated with the altitude / elevation range (e.g., SSB, CSI-RS resource configuration), RACH resource configuration for advance synchronization, or TCI-state configuration, etc.

[0165] For method two, it is not necessary to carry an indicator for requesting highly relevant candidate configurations in step 1.

[0166] Furthermore, for CPAC / SCPAC / SCG(C)LTM initiated by the SN, whether to request / configure highly relevant candidate configuration information can be determined by the source SN. Therefore, before steps 1 and 2 above (as shown in step 1 of Figure 7), the source SN can include an indicator requesting highly relevant candidate configuration in the SN change request message sent to the MN. For example, it can request highly relevant candidate cell configuration, highly relevant SSB or CSI-RS configuration, highly relevant RACH configuration for early synchronization, or highly relevant TCI-state configuration, etc. Based on the indicator requesting highly relevant candidate configuration in the received SN change request message, the MN includes the corresponding indicator in the SN add request message sent to the (candidate) SN, i.e., step 1 above.

[0167] Example 3

[0168] For Method 1, during the preparation phase of (C)LTM, the interaction can be based on the following steps:

[0169] Step 1: The centralized unit (CU) sends a UE context establishment / modification request message to the (candidate) distributed unit (DU) of (C)LTM. The UE context establishment / modification request message may include indicators requesting highly relevant candidate configurations, such as requesting highly relevant candidate cell configurations, requesting highly relevant SSB or CSI-RS configurations, requesting highly relevant RACH configurations for early synchronization, or requesting highly relevant TCI-state configurations, etc.

[0170] Step 2: The (candidate) DU sends a UE context request / modification response message to the CU, including the low-level configuration of the candidate cell. This message may also include altitude range information associated with the candidate cell. For example, in response to an indicator requesting altitude-related candidate configuration in the UE context establishment / modification request message, the UE context establishment / modification request response message may include altitude / altitude ranges associated with one or more candidate cells (e.g., indicated by CGI, PCI, or candidate configuration index). For (C)LTM, the UE context establishment / modification request response message may also include L1 measurement configurations (such as SSB, CSI-RS resource configuration) associated with the altitude / altitude range, RACH resource configurations for advance synchronization, or TCI-state configurations, etc.

[0171] For method two, the indicator for requesting highly relevant candidate configurations can be omitted in step 1.

[0172] In some scenarios, during the handover preparation phase, the first network node can send the flight path information reported by the UE to the second network node (e.g., via the RRC message HandoverPreparationInformation included in the handover request message) to help the target / candidate node prepare handover resources for the target / candidate cell. Furthermore, when changes to the flight path information reach certain conditions, the UE can send an updated flight path information indication to the network side, and correspondingly, the network side can request the UE to report the updated flight path information.

[0173] For conditional or continuous handovers, such as CHO, CPAC, SCPAC, and (C)LTM, the first network node can send updated flight path information to the second network node. The second network node can then adjust (e.g., add, modify, or delete) the prepared target / candidate cells and handover resources based on the updated flight path information.

[0174] Updated flight path information can be transmitted via Xn interface messages, such as switch request / update messages, SN add / update request messages, RRC transfer messages, or new Xn messages. Alternatively, it can be transmitted via RRC messages contained within Xn interface messages, such as HandoverPreparationInformation, CG-ConfigInfo, CG-Config messages, or new RRC messages.

[0175] In some scenarios, to improve measurement efficiency and reduce the power consumption of UAVs, NR UAVs introduce altitude-based measurement reference signal configuration (SSB-ToMeasure). In RRC connected mode, the base station can pre-configure a series of SSB beamsets (SSB-ToMeasure) and / or CSI-RS beamsets to be measured for the UAV, as well as the corresponding altitude ranges of the beamsets. When the UAV's altitude reaches a specific altitude range, the UAV will autonomously apply the SSB beamset and / or CSI-RS beamset corresponding to that altitude range for measurement.

[0176] For RRC idle / inactive state measurement, the base station can also pre-configure a series of SSB beam sets (e.g., SSB-ToMeasure) and / or CSI-RS beam sets to be measured for the UAV, as well as the corresponding altitude range of the beam sets. When the UAV reaches the altitude within a specific altitude range, the UAV will autonomously apply the beam set corresponding to that altitude range to perform RRC idle / inactive state measurement.

[0177] For a CSI-RS beamset, it may contain at least one of the following pieces of information:

[0178] - Configure CSI-RS index / ID;

[0179] - CSI-RS frequency;

[0180] - Subcarrier spacing;

[0181] - Associated cell information (e.g., PCI);

[0182] - Associated SSB configuration index / ID;

[0183] - CSI-RS resource configuration, such as CSI-RS measurement bandwidth (e.g., the starting PRB index and the number of allowed PRBs containing the measurement bandwidth), CSI-RS resource frequency domain density, CSI-RS period, slot offset, RE power offset, OFDM symbol position in the slot, and subcarrier occupancy rate in the PRB of the CSI-RS resource, scrambling ID, absolute frequency point A, or power control related parameters, etc.

[0184] In addition, for RRC idle / inactive state measurements based on cell reselection (i.e., when / after the UE enters the connected state, it can report an early measurement report based on cell reselection measurement results), the base station can control which reselection measurement results the UE reports by providing the frequency list in RRC Release / SIB11, i.e., indicated by measReselectionCarrierListNR IE.

[0185] Since the number and range of detectable cells increase with the drone's altitude, the network may want to acquire only certain measurement results for specific cells / frequencyes, such as excluding measurements of distant cells to reduce unnecessary measurement reports. Therefore, the network can provide a height-related cell selection / reselection measurement result reporting list (e.g., measReselectionCarrierListNR) for idle / inactive state measurements. This list can contain a series of carrier frequency information (e.g., ARFCN-ValueNR) and / or cell information (e.g., PCI) requested by the network. For example, a height-related cell selection / reselection measurement result reporting list (measReselectionCarrierListNR list), each list associated with an altitude / altitude range. When the UE is within a certain altitude range, the UE only needs to report the measurement results of the frequencies / cells included in the cell selection / reselection measurement result reporting list associated with that altitude range.

[0186] In some scenarios, to improve the efficiency of random access resource utilization, the base station can configure a series of height-based random access resource configurations for the UAV UE. The height-based random access resource configuration includes the random access resource configuration and the corresponding height range. When the UAV UE needs to initiate a random access procedure (such as initial access, RRC re-establishment process, random access to the target cell during handover, beam failure recovery, scheduling request (SR) failure, etc.) and the UAV UE's height reaches a certain height range, the UAV UE will autonomously apply / select the random access resources corresponding to that height range to initiate random access. Height-based random access resources may include at least one of the following:

[0187] Dedicated RACH resources (such as RACH-ConfigDedicated IE);

[0188] General RACH resources (such as RACH-ConfigCommon IE, RACH-ConfigGeneric IE);

[0189] RACH resources for 2TA (such as RACH-ConfigTwoTA IE);

[0190] RACH resources used for early uplink synchronization (such as EarlyUL-SyncConfig IE);

[0191] CFRA resources (such as CFRA IE);

[0192] 2-step RACH resources (such as CFRA-TwoStep IE, RACH-ConfigGenericTwoStepRA IE);

[0193] CFRA resources (such as CFRA-SSB-Resource IE) or a list of resources associated with SSB;

[0194] CFRA resources (such as CFRA-CSIRS-Resource IE) or a list of resources associated with CSI-RS;

[0195] RACH / CFRA / 2-step RACH resource slots (such as occasions IE, ra-OccasionList IE);

[0196] Random access preamble (e.g., ra-PreambleIndex IE);

[0197] Random access mask (e.g., ra-ssb-OccasionMaskIndex IE);

[0198] SSB / CSI-RS beam selector corresponds to the RSRP threshold (e.g., rsrp-ThresholdSSB IE, rsrp-ThresholdSSB-SUL IE, rsrp-ThresholdCSI-RS IE);

[0199] The number of times Msg1 is retransmitted (e.g., msg1-RepetitionNum IE).

[0200] Furthermore, the base station can determine the altitude or altitude range of the UAV UE based on the random access resources selected / used by the UE, such as the random access beam, preamble, mask, and / or timeslot used by the UE. This assists the base station in subsequent resource scheduling, handover decisions, and other operations.

[0201] Figure 8 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to some embodiments. Exemplarily, the communication method provided in this disclosure can be applied to the communication system shown in Figure 1, for example, it can be executed by a UE, such as an airborne UE / UAV.

[0202] As shown in Figure 8, the communication method provided in this disclosure may include: S801.

[0203] S801, the UE receives the first configuration information sent by the first network node.

[0204] The first configuration information is used to configure the candidate cells and / or the triggering conditions for the candidate cells used for handover.

[0205] In some embodiments, the first configuration information includes at least one of the following:

[0206] Information on candidate cells that are highly correlated with the data;

[0207] Triggering conditions that are highly relevant;

[0208] Configuration of candidate cells with high correlation;

[0209] Configuration of measurement reference signals with high correlation;

[0210] Configuration of RACH (Random Access Channel) resources with high correlation;

[0211] With highly associated TCI-state configuration.

[0212] In some embodiments, the triggering condition includes at least one of the following:

[0213] The conditions are related to the signal quality of the first cell and highly related to the UE; the first cell is the serving cell and / or a candidate cell;

[0214] Conditions associated with the UE's timestamp information;

[0215] Conditions associated with the UE's location;

[0216] Conditions that are associated with the UE's location and height.

[0217] In some embodiments, signal quality is obtained based on RRM measurements or based on layer 1 measurements of the beam.

[0218] It should be noted that detailed information on the first configuration and triggering conditions can be found in the relevant descriptions on the network side, and will not be repeated here.

[0219] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8 and FIG9, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: S802.

[0220] S802. When the UE's height is within the first height range, apply the first configuration information associated with the first height range.

[0221] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8 and FIG10, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: S803 to S804.

[0222] S803, Evaluate the triggering conditions for candidate cells;

[0223] S804. When the triggering conditions of the candidate cell are met, the candidate cell handover is performed.

[0224] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes the following.

[0225] Step a: Receive second configuration information sent by the first network node; the second configuration information is used to configure the triggering conditions for activating or deactivating the operation for the candidate cell; the operation for the candidate cell includes evaluating the triggering conditions of the candidate cell or performing a layer 1 measurement for the candidate cell.

[0226] Step b: Activate or deactivate the operation for the candidate cell when the triggering condition is met;

[0227] Step c: Send the activation status information of the operation for the candidate cell to the first network node.

[0228] It should be noted that detailed information on the second configuration information and activation status information can be found in the relevant descriptions on the network side, and will not be repeated here.

[0229] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: the UE sending first indication information to a first network node. Correspondingly, the first network node receives the first indication information from the UE. This first indication information is used to instruct the UE on the operations requested before entering the no-transmit zone (NTZ).

[0230] In other embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: sending a first indication message or measurement report to a first network node when the distance between the UE and the NTZ is detected to be less than a preset distance threshold.

[0231] In some embodiments, the first indication information includes at least one of the following:

[0232] Instructions requesting the release of the RRC connection;

[0233] Indication information for requesting a switch (e.g., occupying one bit, the first value indicates an indication of a switch, and the second value indicates no indication of a switch);

[0234] Information indicating that the signal quality of the current serving cell / frequency is less than a quality threshold;

[0235] Instructing the UE to stop / suspend uplink transmission;

[0236] Instructs the UE to request the target cell / frequency information for handover.

[0237] It should be understood that, taking a drone as an example, due to regulatory requirements, drones must comply with NTZ regulations. This means that when a drone is within an NTZ area, it is not allowed to transmit uplink data / signaling on restricted frequency bands (but downlink data / signaling transmission is acceptable, as long as it does not violate regulatory requirements). An NTZ is a list of restricted frequency bands within a specific geographical area (e.g., a coordinate location including latitude, longitude, and / or altitude restrictions). An NTZ can be mapped to one or more cells or a portion of a cell, or overlap with different cells in a mobile operator's network. Drones that support NTZ are pre-configured / stored with NTZ information, so the UE can be aware of the NTZ's existence.

[0238] Uplink transmission is not possible when the drone is within the NTZ area. Loss of uplink data transmission may cause a radio link failure (RLF) in the UE. To avoid this, the following can be performed:

[0239] Method 1: Before the UE enters the NTZ, for example, if the distance between the UE and the NTZ range is detected to be lower than the set distance threshold, the UE can send indication information to the network side through uplink messages (such as UAI messages or other RRC messages), such as an indication to request the release of the RRC connection, an indication to request a handover, an indication that the current serving frequency / cell signal quality is no longer good, an indication that the current serving cell will experience RLF, or an indication that the UE expects to stop / suspend uplink transmission, etc.

[0240] The uplink message may also include the time when the UE expects the indicated event to occur, such as the time when the RRC connection needs to be released, the time when a handover is required, the time when the current serving frequency / cell quality becomes undesirable, the time when an RLF event will occur in the current serving cell, or the time when the UE expects to stop / suspend uplink transmission.

[0241] The uplink message may also contain the target frequency / cell information (such as frequency, or frequency point + PCI) that the UE wants to switch to, if the indication is a request for handover.

[0242] Method 2: Before the UE enters the NTZ, for example, if the distance between the UE and the NTZ range is detected to be lower than a set distance threshold, the UE will trigger a (false) measurement report to the NW. The measurement report may indicate that the quality of the NTZ frequency is poor (e.g., below a certain threshold), and / or the quality of the non-NTZ frequency (e.g., the frequency to which the UE is expected to switch) is good (e.g., above a certain threshold).

[0243] The aforementioned distance threshold can be configured / provided by the NW, or it can be pre-configured in the UAV UE (e.g., pre-configuration similar to NTZ information).

[0244] Accordingly, after receiving the above information reported by the UE, the network side can perform corresponding operations, such as releasing the UE's RRC connection (causing the UE to enter the RRC idle state and initiate a new access procedure on a cell that is not NTZ restricted frequency band), or initiating a handover procedure (causing the UE to switch to a cell that is not NTZ restricted frequency band).

[0245] It should be noted that, in order to prevent drones that support NTZ from selecting / reselecting cells affected by NTZ, drones that support NTZ can treat cells belonging to NTZ or partially overlapping with NTZ as "prohibited" during cell selection / reselection.

[0246] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes sending a failure report in the event of an MCG failure or an SCG failure in the UE.

[0247] Failure reports include at least one of the following:

[0248] Information on candidate cells that are highly correlated with the data;

[0249] Configuration of candidate cells with high correlation;

[0250] Measurement configurations highly correlated with the target area;

[0251] With highly correlated RACH resource configuration;

[0252] With highly correlated TCI-state configuration;

[0253] Triggering conditions for candidate cells.

[0254] In addition, failure reports may also include the following:

[0255] UE location, altitude, or speed information;

[0256] UE's flight path information, such as the flight path information most recently obtained by the UE and the flight path information recently reported by the UE to the network side;

[0257] The type of the last switch can include, for example, CHO, CPAC, SCPAC, LTM, or CLTM.

[0258] It should be noted that the failure report mentioned here can be an RLF report, a random access report, an MCG failure message, an SCG failure message, etc., and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0259] In some scenarios, to achieve applications such as drone trajectory recognition and sensor integration, the base station may need to know the drone's identification information, for example, to match the drone's communication identification and perception identification. Therefore, the drone can report its identification information (e.g., UE remote ID) to the base station, for example, through UAI messages or measurement reports.

[0260] Furthermore, the base station does not know whether the UE supports UAV / air functionality until it receives the UE capability report. Early identification of UEs with UAV / air capabilities helps the base station select a core network (such as the AMF) that supports UAV / air services. Therefore, the UE can include an indicator in its Msg5 message (e.g., the RRCSetupComplete message) to indicate whether it supports UAV / air functionality. Additionally, the core network (such as the AMF) can also send indication information to the base station indicating whether it supports UAV / air service functionality.

[0261] This disclosure provides a communication method in which a first network node sends first configuration information to a UE. This first configuration information is used to configure candidate cells for handover and / or triggering conditions for the candidate cells. The first configuration information is associated with an altitude range, so that the UE can configure applications for candidate cells corresponding to that specific altitude range, or evaluate and measure triggering conditions, reducing the possibility of performing unnecessary operations on unsuitable or undetectable candidate cells, and improving the robustness (reliability) of the UE during cell handover.

[0262] It is understood that, in order to achieve the above-mentioned functions, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the algorithmic steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments of this disclosure, this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0263] This disclosure embodiment can divide the communication device into functional modules according to the above method embodiment. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or software. It should be noted that the module division in this disclosure embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The following description uses the example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0264] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to some embodiments. The communication device can execute the communication method provided in the above-described method embodiments. As shown in Figure 11, the communication device includes a transmitting module 1101.

[0265] The sending module 1101 is used to send first configuration information to the UE; the first configuration information is used to configure candidate cells for handover and / or triggering conditions for candidate cells.

[0266] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of another communication device according to some embodiments, which can perform the communication method provided in the above-described method embodiments. As shown in Figure 12, the communication device includes a receiving module 1201.

[0267] The receiving module 1201 is used to receive first configuration information sent by the first network node; the first configuration information is used to configure candidate cells for handover and / or triggering conditions for candidate cells.

[0268] In the case of implementing the functions of the integrated modules described above in hardware, this disclosure provides another structure of the communication device involved in the above embodiments. As shown in FIG13, the communication device 1300 includes: a processor 1302 and a bus 1304. In some embodiments, the communication device may further include a memory 1301; in some embodiments, the communication device may further include a communication interface 1303.

[0269] Processor 1302 may implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with embodiments of this disclosure. Processor 1302 may be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. Processor 1302 may implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with embodiments of this disclosure. Processor 1302 may also be a combination of functions implementing computation, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, etc.

[0270] The communication interface 1303 is used to connect to other devices via a communication network. This communication network can be Ethernet, wireless access network, wireless local area network (WLAN), etc.

[0271] The memory 1301 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0272] In one implementation, the memory 1301 can exist independently of the processor 1302. The memory 1301 can be connected to the processor 1302 via a bus 1304 and is used to store instructions or program code. When the processor 1302 calls and executes the instructions or program code stored in the memory 1301, it can implement the method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0273] In another implementation, the memory 1301 can also be integrated with the processor 1302.

[0274] Bus 1304 can be an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Bus 1304 can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used to represent it in Figure 13, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0275] In some embodiments, the memory 1301 stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor 1302, cause the communication device to perform the method described in any of the embodiments described above.

[0276] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) storing computer program instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0277] Exemplary examples show that the aforementioned computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, or magnetic tapes), optical discs (e.g., compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMs), cards, sticks, or key drives, etc.). The various computer-readable storage media described in this disclosure may represent one or more devices for storing information and / or other machine-readable storage media. The term "machine-readable storage media" may include, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing, and / or carrying instructions and / or data.

[0278] This disclosure provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0279] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, wherein, The method is executed by a first network node, and the method includes: Send the first configuration information to the user equipment (UE); The first configuration information is used to configure the candidate cells for handover and / or the triggering conditions for the candidate cells.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first configuration information includes at least one of the following: Information on candidate cells that are highly correlated with the data; Triggering conditions that are highly relevant; Configuration of candidate cells with high correlation; Configuration of measurement reference signals with high correlation; Configuration of RACH (Random Access Channel) resources with high correlation; The highly associated transport configuration indicates the TCI-state configuration.

3. The method of any one of claims 1-2, wherein, The triggering condition includes at least one of the following: The conditions are associated with the signal quality of the first cell and highly associated with the UE; wherein the first cell is a serving cell and / or a candidate cell; Conditions associated with the timestamp information of the UE; Conditions associated with the location of the UE; Conditions associated with the location of the UE and with the height of the UE.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The signal quality is obtained based on Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements or based on Layer 1 beam measurements.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: Send the second configuration information to the UE; The second configuration information is used to configure the triggering conditions for activating or deactivating the operation for the candidate cell; The operations performed on the candidate cell include evaluating the triggering conditions of the candidate cell or performing a Layer 1 measurement on the candidate cell.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: Receive the activation status information of the operation for the candidate cell sent by the UE.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, Before sending the first configuration information to the UE, the method further includes: A first request is sent to a second network node; the second network node is a candidate node to which the candidate cell of the UE belongs; the first request is used to request the first configuration information that is highly associated with it; Receive the highly associated first configuration information from the second network node.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: Receive first indication information from the UE; The first indication information is used to indicate the operation requested by the UE before entering the no-transmission zone (NTZ).

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The first indication information includes at least one of the following: Instructions requesting the release of the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection; Instructions requesting a switchover; Information indicating that the signal quality of the current serving cell / frequency is less than a quality threshold; Information indicating that the UE will stop / suspend uplink transmission; Indicates the target cell / frequency information for the UE to request handover.

10. A communication method, wherein, The method is performed by a user equipment (UE), and the method includes: Receive first configuration information sent by the first network node; the first configuration information is used to configure candidate cells for handover and / or triggering conditions for candidate cells.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The first configuration information includes at least one of the following: Information on candidate cells that are highly correlated with the data; Triggering conditions that are highly relevant; Configuration of candidate cells with high correlation; Configuration of measurement reference signals with high correlation; Configuration of RACH (Random Access Channel) resources with high correlation; The highly associated transport configuration indicates the TCI-state configuration.

12. The method of any one of claims 10-11, wherein, The triggering condition includes at least one of the following: The conditions are associated with the signal quality of the first cell and highly associated with the UE; the first cell is a serving cell and / or a candidate cell; Conditions associated with the timestamp information of the UE; Conditions associated with the location of the UE; Conditions associated with the location of the UE and with the height of the UE.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The signal quality is obtained based on Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements or based on Layer 1 beam measurements.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, further comprising: When the height of the UE is within a first height range, the first configuration information associated with the first height range is applied.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, further comprising: Evaluate the triggering conditions of the candidate cells; When the triggering conditions of the candidate cell are met, a handover to the candidate cell is performed.

16. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 15, further comprising: Receive the second configuration information sent by the first network node; The second configuration information is used to configure the triggering conditions for activating or deactivating the operation for the candidate cell; The operations performed on the candidate cell include evaluating the triggering conditions of the candidate cell or performing a Layer 1 measurement on the candidate cell.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The method further includes at least one of the following: Activate or deactivate the operation for the candidate cell when the triggering condition is met; The activation status information of the operation for the candidate cell is sent to the first network node.

18. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 17, further comprising: Send the first instruction information to the first network node; The first indication information is used to indicate the operation requested by the UE before entering the no-transmission zone (NTZ).

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, The first indication information includes at least one of the following: Instructions requesting the release of the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection; Instructions requesting a switchover; Information indicating that the signal quality of the current serving cell / frequency is less than a quality threshold; Information indicating that the UE will stop / suspend uplink transmission; Indicates the target cell / frequency information for the UE to request handover.

20. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 19, further comprising: If the distance between the UE and the NTZ is detected to be less than a preset distance threshold, a first indication message or measurement report is sent to the first network node.

21. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 20, further comprising: In the event of a primary cell group (MCG) failure or a secondary cell group (SCG) failure occurring in the UE, a failure report is sent; the failure report includes at least one of the following: Information on candidate cells that are highly correlated with the data; Configuration of candidate cells with high correlation; Measurement configurations highly correlated with the target area; With highly correlated RACH resource configuration; With highly correlated TCI-state configuration; Triggering conditions for candidate cells.

22. A communications device comprising: A processor and a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; The processor is configured to execute the instructions, causing the communication device to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1-9 or 10-21.

23. A computer readable storage medium, wherein, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1-9 or 10-21.

24. A computer program product, wherein, The computer program product includes computer instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1-9 or 10-21.

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