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

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application disclose a communication method, a communication apparatus, a communication system, and a storage medium, applied to the technical field of communications. The method comprises: according to a first beam, determining a second beam, the frequency of the second beam being higher than the frequency of the first beam. The first beam is a beam used by a terminal device to communicate with a first cell, and the second beam is a beam used by the terminal device to communicate with a second cell. If the terminal device is in an idle state and a reference signal received power of the first beam is greater than or equal to a first threshold, a first signal is sent using the second beam, the first signal being used by the terminal device to wake up the second cell. In the embodiments of the present application, when a terminal device needs to access a high-frequency cell from a low-frequency cell, the terminal device can determine, by means of a beam corresponding to a currently accessed cell, a beam corresponding to a cell to be accessed, thereby avoiding measuring multiple SSBs in a second cell, and reducing access delay.

Description

Communication methods, communication devices, communication systems and storage media

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411506262.5, filed on October 25, 2024, entitled "Communication Method, Communication Device, Communication System and Storage Medium", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] With the continuous increase in base station energy consumption, it has become one of the major reasons for the high operating costs of operators. How to reduce base station energy consumption has become an urgent problem to be solved.

[0004] As the frequency band increases, the available continuous bandwidth also gradually increases. One energy-saving data transmission scheme is to activate low-frequency cells at the base station for small data capacity data transmission, while keeping high-frequency cells closed and only activating them when large-capacity data transmission is needed. During the access process, the terminal device acquires spatial information, such as the synchronization signal block (SSB) beam, and selects resources from other domains based on this information. Taking random access as an example, the terminal device compares the reference signal receiving power (RSRP) of multiple SSBs in the cell to be accessed with a specified RSRP threshold, and selects an SSB that is greater than the threshold. If no SSB meets the requirements, the terminal device randomly selects an SSB and determines the available random access preamble, time-frequency resources, etc., based on that SSB. The aforementioned low-frequency cells and high-frequency cells can also be replaced with narrowband cells or high-bandwidth cells; no restrictions are placed here.

[0005] However, in scenarios where terminal devices access high-frequency cells, it is necessary to measure the SSB of the high-frequency cell and receive access assistance information before switching from a low-frequency cell to a high-frequency cell. This results in a long preparation process and reduces the access efficiency of the terminal devices. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method, communication device, communication system, and storage medium for terminal equipment to determine the beam of a high-frequency cell based on the beam of a low-frequency cell, thereby reducing access latency and improving access efficiency.

[0007] The first aspect of this application provides a communication method. Optionally, the execution subject of this method may be a first device, which may be a terminal device, a component or device applied to the terminal device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device. Taking a terminal device as an example, in this method, the terminal device determines a second beam based on a first beam, wherein the frequency of the second beam is higher than the frequency of the first beam, the first beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and a first cell, and the second beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and a second cell. If the terminal device is in an idle state and the received power of the reference signal of the first beam is greater than or equal to a first threshold value, then the terminal device uses the second beam to transmit a first signal, which is used to wake up the second cell.

[0008] Based on the first aspect of this application, since the first cell is the cell currently accessed by the terminal device, and the second cell is the cell the terminal device is preparing to access, when the terminal device needs to access a high-frequency cell from a low-frequency cell, the terminal device can determine the beam corresponding to the cell to be accessed through the beam corresponding to the currently accessed cell, thereby avoiding the need to measure multiple SSBs in the second cell and thus reducing access latency.

[0009] Based on the first aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, if the terminal device is in a connected state and the reference signal receiving power of the first beam is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, the terminal device uses the second beam to transmit the first signal, and the first signal is used for the terminal device to access the second cell.

[0010] Based on the first aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, the terminal device receives first information indicating a mapping relationship between a first beam and M third beams, wherein the second beam is one of the M third beams, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The terminal device determines the second beam based on the first beam and the mapping relationship.

[0011] In this embodiment, since there is a correlation between the beams of low-frequency cells and high-frequency cells, the terminal device can determine the second beam based on the mapping relationship between the first beam and the second beam. Therefore, the terminal device does not need to measure multiple SSBs in the second cell, thereby reducing access latency.

[0012] Based on the first aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, if the reference signal received power of the first beam is less than a first threshold, then all beams at the frequency of the second beam are used to transmit the first signal.

[0013] In this embodiment, when the received power of the reference signal of the first beam is low, since the terminal device cannot determine the specific second beam, the terminal device uses all beams on the frequency of the second beam to transmit the first signal, that is, the terminal device uses the frequency of the second beam to transmit the first signal in all directions. By limiting the way the terminal device transmits the first signal, the method by which the terminal device accesses the second cell when the received power of the reference signal of the first beam is less than a first threshold value is clarified.

[0014] Based on the first aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, the terminal device receives a second threshold value. When the received power of the reference signal of the first beam is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, the terminal device determines the second beam based on the first beam, wherein the second threshold value is less than the first threshold value.

[0015] In this embodiment, the terminal device determines whether to access the second cell based on a second threshold value. By determining whether the received power of the reference signal of the first beam is greater than the second threshold value, the conditions under which the terminal device can switch to the second cell are clarified. When the power of the reference signal of the first beam is less than the second threshold value, the terminal device does not need to access a new cell and can maintain communication with the first cell.

[0016] Based on the first aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, the terminal device receives second information, which indicates the access resources of a second cell and the frequency of the second cell, the access resources of the second cell including first time-frequency resources. The terminal device transmits a first signal on the first time-frequency resources using a second beam according to the frequency of the second cell.

[0017] In this embodiment of the application, the terminal device determines the time-frequency resources for transmitting the first signal based on the access resources of the second cell and the frequency of the second cell, thereby realizing access to the second cell.

[0018] A second aspect of this application provides a communication method. Optionally, the execution subject of this method may be a first device, which may be a terminal device, a component or device applied to the terminal device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal device's functions. Taking a terminal device as an example, in this method, the terminal device receives a third threshold value. If the received power of the reference signal of the first beam is greater than or equal to the third threshold value, the terminal device uses all beams at the frequency of the second beam to transmit the first signal. The frequency of the second beam is higher than the frequency of the first beam. The first beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and a first cell, and the second beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and a second cell. If the received power of the reference signal of the first beam is less than the third threshold value, the terminal device uses the first beam to communicate with the first cell.

[0019] Based on the second aspect of this application, by determining whether the received power of the reference signal of the first beam is greater than a third threshold, the conditions under which the terminal device can switch to the second cell are clarified. Simultaneously, the behavior of the terminal device is defined when the received power of the reference signal of the first beam reaches the cell's third threshold, thus avoiding invalid access procedures.

[0020] A third aspect of this application provides a communication method. Optionally, the execution subject of this method can be a second device, which can be a network device, a component or device applied to the network device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device (e.g., a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU)). Taking a network device as an example, in this method, the network device sends a first threshold value, which is a reference signal received power threshold value. The network device sends first information, which is used to indicate the mapping relationship between a first beam and M third beams, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The first beam is the beam through which the terminal device connects to a first cell, and the frequency of the third beams is higher than that of the first beam.

[0021] Based on the third aspect of this application, the network device provides services to the cell currently accessed by the terminal device. Therefore, the network device can send a first threshold value and first information to the terminal device, thereby assisting the terminal device in accessing a high-frequency cell from a low-frequency cell and improving the access efficiency of the terminal device.

[0022] Based on the third aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, the network device sends a second threshold value, which is used by the terminal device to determine whether to determine a second beam based on the first beam. The second threshold value is less than the first threshold value, the second beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and the second cell, and the frequency of the second beam is higher than the frequency of the first beam.

[0023] Based on a third aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, the network device sends second information, which indicates the access resources of a second cell and the frequency of the second cell, the access resources of the second cell including first time-frequency resources.

[0024] Based on a third aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, the network device receives a second signal, and the first signal is used by the terminal device to wake up the first cell.

[0025] A fourth aspect of this application provides a communication system, which includes a terminal device, a first network device, and a second network device;

[0026] A first network device is used to transmit a first threshold value, which is a reference signal received power threshold value.

[0027] The first network device is also used to send first information, which is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the first beam and M third beams, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, the first beam is the beam through which the terminal device connects to the first cell, and the frequency of the third beam is higher than that of the first beam.

[0028] A terminal device is used to determine a second beam based on a first beam, wherein the frequency of the second beam is higher than the frequency of the first beam, and at least one first beam is used for communication between the terminal device and a first cell, and the second beam is used for communication between the terminal device and a second cell.

[0029] The terminal device is also configured to transmit a first signal using a second beam if the terminal device is in an idle state and the reference signal received power of the first beam is greater than or equal to a first threshold value. The first signal is used to wake up the second cell, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0030] The second network device is used to receive the first signal.

[0031] Based on the fourth aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, the first network device is further configured to send second information, the second information being used to indicate the access resources of the second cell and the frequency of the second cell, the access resources of the second cell including the first time-frequency resources;

[0032] Terminal equipment, used to determine a second beam based on a first beam, includes:

[0033] The terminal device is specifically used to transmit a first signal on a first time-frequency resource using a second beam according to the frequency of the second cell.

[0034] The fifth aspect of this application provides a communication device, comprising:

[0035] The processing module is used to determine the second beam based on the first beam. The frequency of the second beam is higher than that of the first beam. The first beam is the beam used for communication between the terminal device and the first cell, and the second beam is the beam used for communication between the terminal device and the second cell.

[0036] The interface module is used to send a first signal using a second beam if the terminal device is in an idle state and the reference signal received power of the first beam is greater than or equal to a first threshold value. The first signal is used to wake up the second cell.

[0037] Based on the fifth aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, the interface module is further configured to receive first information, which indicates the mapping relationship between the first beam and M third beams, wherein the second beam is one of the M third beams, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0038] The processing module, used to determine the second beam based on the first beam, includes:

[0039] The processing module is specifically used to determine the second beam based on the first beam and the mapping relationship.

[0040] Based on the fifth aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, the interface module is further configured to transmit the first signal using all beams at the frequency of the second beam if the reference signal received power of the first beam is less than a first threshold value.

[0041] Based on the fifth aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, the interface module is also used to receive a second threshold value;

[0042] The processing module, used to determine the second beam based on the first beam, includes:

[0043] The processing module is specifically used to determine the second beam based on the first beam when the received power of the reference signal of the first beam is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, wherein the second threshold value is less than the first threshold value.

[0044] Based on the fifth aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, the interface module is further configured to receive second information, the second information being used to indicate the access resources of the second cell and the frequency of the second cell, the access resources of the second cell including the first time-frequency resources;

[0045] The interface module is used to transmit the first signal using the second beam, and includes:

[0046] The interface module is specifically used to transmit the first signal on the first time-frequency resource using the second beam according to the frequency of the second cell.

[0047] A sixth aspect of this application provides a communication device, comprising:

[0048] The interface module is used to receive the third threshold value;

[0049] The processing module is used to transmit a first signal using all beams at the frequency of the second beam if the reference signal received power of the first beam is greater than or equal to a third threshold value. The frequency of the second beam is higher than the frequency of the first beam. The first beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and the first cell, and the second beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and the second cell.

[0050] The processing module is also used to communicate with the first cell using the first beam if the received power of the reference signal of the first beam is less than the third threshold value.

[0051] A seventh aspect of this application provides a communication device, comprising:

[0052] The interface module is used to send a first threshold value, which is a reference signal received power threshold value;

[0053] The processing module is used to generate the first piece of information;

[0054] The interface module is also used to send first information, which indicates the mapping relationship between the first beam and M third beams, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The first beam is the beam through which the terminal device connects to the first cell, and the frequency of the third beam is higher than that of the first beam.

[0055] Based on the seventh aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, the interface module is further configured to send a second threshold value, the second threshold value being used by the terminal device to determine whether to determine a second beam based on the first beam, the second threshold value being less than the first threshold value, the second beam being the beam for communication between the terminal device and the second cell, and the frequency of the second beam being higher than the frequency of the first beam.

[0056] Based on the seventh aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, the interface module is further configured to send second information, the second information being used to indicate the access resources of the second cell and the frequency of the second cell, the access resources of the second cell including the first time-frequency resources.

[0057] Based on the seventh aspect of this application, in some possible implementations, the interface module is further configured to receive a second signal, wherein the first signal is used for the terminal device to wake up the first cell.

[0058] An eighth aspect of this application provides a communication device, which may be a first device or a second device, or a component applied to the first device or the second device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software (e.g., CU, DU, or RU) capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first device or the second device. The communication device includes:

[0059] A processor for executing a program that causes the communication device to perform the method as described in the first, second, or third aspect of the foregoing and any possible implementation thereof.

[0060] Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory, and the processor is coupled to the memory; the memory is used to store programs.

[0061] The ninth aspect of this application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor and a communication interface, the communication interface and at least one processor being interconnected via a line, the at least one processor being used to run computer programs or instructions to perform the communication method described in any of the possible implementations of the first, second or third aspects above.

[0062] The communication interface in the chip can be an input / output interface, pins, or circuits.

[0063] In one possible implementation, the chip or chip system described above in this application further includes at least one memory storing instructions. The memory can be an internal storage unit of the chip, such as a register or cache, or it can be a storage unit of the chip itself, such as a read-only memory or random access memory.

[0064] The tenth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method described in the first aspect above, or cause the computer to perform the method described in the second aspect above, or cause the computer to perform the method described in the third aspect above.

[0065] The eleventh aspect of this application provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method described in the first aspect above, or cause the computer to perform the method described in the second aspect above, or cause the computer to perform the method described in the third aspect above. Attached Figure Description

[0066] Figure 1 is a network structure diagram in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 2 illustrates a possible application scenario of the communication method in this application embodiment;

[0068] Figure 3 shows another possible application scenario of the communication method in the embodiments of this application;

[0069] Figure 4 shows another possible application scenario of the communication method in the embodiments of this application;

[0070] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication method in this application;

[0071] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the mapping relationship between the first beam and the second beam in this application;

[0072] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the communication method in this application;

[0073] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the communication method in this application;

[0074] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the communication method in this application;

[0075] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication device in this application;

[0076] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the communication device in this application;

[0077] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the communication device in this application;

[0078] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the communication device in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0079] This application provides a communication method, communication device, communication system, and storage medium for terminal equipment to determine the beam of a high-frequency cell based on the beam of a low-frequency cell, thereby reducing access latency and improving access efficiency.

[0080] The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will recognize that, with technological advancements and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0081] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms are interchangeable where appropriate; this is merely a way of distinguishing objects with the same attributes in the description of embodiments of this application. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not explicitly listed or inherent to those processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0082] First, some technical terms involved in the embodiments of this application will be introduced.

[0083] 1) Beam;

[0084] A beam is a communication resource. A beam can be wide, narrow, or other types of beams, and the technology used to form a beam can be beamforming technology or other techniques. Beamforming technology can specifically be digital beamforming technology, analog beamforming technology, and hybrid digital / analog beamforming technology. Different beams can be considered different resources.

[0085] In the NR protocol, a beam can be referred to as a spatial domain filter, spatial filter, spatial domain parameter, spatial parameter, spatial domain setting, spatial setting, quasi-colocation (QCL) information, QCL assumption, or QCL indication, etc. The beam can be indicated by the transmission configuration indicator state (TCI-state) parameter or by the spatial relation parameter. Therefore, in this application, the beam can be replaced by spatial domain filter, spatial filter, spatial parameter, spatial parameter, spatial setting, spatial setting, QCL information, QCL assumption, QCL indication, TCI-state (including uplink TCI-state and downlink TCI-state), or spatial relation, etc. These terms are also equivalent to each other. The beam can also be replaced with other beam-related terms, which are not limited herein.

[0086] The beam used to transmit signals can be referred to as a transmission beam (Tx beam), a spatial domain transmission filter, a spatial transmission filter, a spatial domain transmission parameter, a spatial transmission parameter, a spatial domain transmission setting, or a spatial transmission setting. The transmission beam can also be called a downlink beam. In this application, the transmission beam, downlink beam, channel status information reference signal (CSI-RS), TCI State, downlink / joint transmission configuration number state (DLorjointTCI state), synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB), and tracking reference signal (TRS) can be interchanged.

[0087] The beam used to receive signals can be referred to as a reception beam (Rx beam), a spatial domain reception filter, a spatial reception filter, a spatial domain reception parameter, a spatial reception parameter, a spatial domain reception setting, or a spatial reception setting. The uplink transmit beam can be indicated by any of the following: spatial relation, uplink TCI-state, or sounding reference signal (SRS) resource (indicating the transmit beam using that SRS). The receive beam can also be referred to as the uplink beam. In this application, the receive beam, uplink beam, uplink transmission configuration number state (UL TCI state), DLorjointTCI state, sounding reference signal (SRS), CSI-RS, SSB, and TRS can be interchanged.

[0088] The transmitting beam can refer to the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space after a signal is transmitted through an antenna, while the receiving beam can refer to the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space of a wireless signal received from an antenna.

[0089] Furthermore, the beam can be a wide beam, a narrow beam, or other types of beam. The beamforming technology can be beamforming technology or other technologies. Specifically, beamforming technology can be digital beamforming technology, analog beamforming technology, hybrid digital beamforming technology, or hybrid analog beamforming technology, etc.

[0090] Beams are generally associated with resources. For example, during beam measurement, network devices measure different beams using different resources. The terminal devices provide feedback on the measured resource quality, allowing the network devices to determine the quality of the corresponding beam. During data transmission, beam information is also indicated through its corresponding resources. For instance, network devices use the TCI field in downlink control information (DCI) to indicate the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) beam information of the terminal devices.

[0091] In one possible implementation, multiple beams with the same or similar communication characteristics are considered as a single beam. A beam may include one or more antenna ports for transmitting data channels, control channels, and probe signals, etc. The one or more antenna ports forming a beam can also be considered as a set of antenna ports.

[0092] 2) RO-SSB mapping:

[0093] To improve performance, the base station broadcasts SSBs using different analog beams. The terminal measures the received signal strength of the SSBs under different analog beams and selects the best analog beam. To facilitate feedback from the terminal on the selected analog beam, the base station binds the SSB with the random access channel occasion (RO) to form an SSB-RO mapping. In this way, the analog beam selected by the terminal can be determined based on the preamble selected by the terminal and / or the RO position corresponding to the preamble.

[0094] 3) Network energy saving (NES):

[0095] With the continuous development of communication technology, networks are becoming increasingly dense, using more antennas, larger bandwidths, and more frequency bands to support more advanced services and applications. However, this also leads to higher energy consumption. Therefore, NES technology aims to reduce energy consumption during network operation and achieve green and sustainable network development. Common energy-saving methods include employing different depths of shutdown techniques during periods of no data transmission in the time domain; for example, symbol shutdown can be used for symbols with no data transmission. Networks can also use certain scheduling methods to aggregate data transmissions that were originally scattered in the time domain, increasing the time without data transmission and thus improving the probability of shutdown, thereby achieving network energy savings.

[0096] 4) Low-frequency cells and high-frequency cells:

[0097] Low-frequency cells typically refer to cells that use lower frequency bands (such as low-frequency radio waves) for communication. Low-frequency radio waves have longer wavelengths and better penetrating power, allowing them to penetrate buildings and other obstacles more effectively, thus generally offering advantages in coverage and signal stability.

[0098] High-frequency cells refer to cells that use higher frequency bands (such as high-frequency radio waves) for communication. High-frequency radio waves have shorter wavelengths and are more easily blocked by buildings and other obstacles, but they have higher bandwidth and capacity, and can support higher data transmission rates.

[0099] For example, the characteristics of low-frequency cells and high-frequency cells are shown in Table 1-1 below:

[0100] Table 1-1: Characteristics of Low-Frequency Cells and High-Frequency Cells

[0101] 5) Wake-up signal (WUS):

[0102] WUS can be divided into uplink WUS (UL WUS) and downlink WUS (DL WUS). DL WUS is a signal used to wake up a terminal device, allowing it to resume data reception from sleep mode. Terminal devices typically enter sleep mode to conserve battery life. Therefore, they need to be woken up when they need to receive data. The DL WUS signal can be a short message, a special signal format, or a special signal waveform, usually sent by access network devices in the network. When a terminal device receives a DL WUS, it responds by resuming from sleep mode and beginning data reception. In NR, WUS signals are very short, typically only a few milliseconds, allowing devices to wake up quickly and begin receiving data while conserving battery life. The counterpart to DL WUS is UL WUS, which is used to wake up sleep-state access network devices. When a terminal device has data to send to the access network device, it sends a UL WUS signal to wake up the target base station.

[0103] Please refer to Figure 1. The network architecture on which the communication method in this embodiment is based is briefly described below:

[0104] Figure 1 is a possible, non-limiting system schematic diagram. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 1). Terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wired connected to core network 200. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0105] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a 4G, 5G, or future mobile communication system. RAN 100 can also be an open-radio access network (ORAN), a cloud-radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0106] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and is used to help terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j accessing RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; but for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes both referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0107] In one possible scenario, access network equipment includes, but is not limited to: evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home evolved Node B, or home Node B, HNB), base band unit (BBU), access point (AP) in wireless fidelity (WIFI) system, macro base station, micro base station, wireless relay node, donor node, radio controller in CRAN scenario, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP), or transmission and reception point (TRP), etc., and can also be access network equipment in 5G mobile communication system. For example, a next-generation NodeB (gNB), TRP, or TP in an NR system; or one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) in a base station in a 5G mobile communication system; or, access network equipment can also be network nodes constituting a gNB or transmission point. Examples include centralized units (CU), distributed units (DU), centralized unit control planes (CU-CP), centralized unit user planes (CU-UP), or radio units (RU), etc. CUs and DUs can be separate or included in the same network element, such as a BBU. RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units. For example, in remote radio units (RRU), active antenna units (AAU), or remote radio heads (RRH). Alternatively, access network equipment can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment, etc. For example, the access network equipment in V2X technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). It should be understood that the aforementioned TRP can be a device or module located on the network side of the aforementioned communication system and having corresponding communication functions.The TRP typically contains communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform the corresponding communication functions. The TRP can also be configured with program instructions for the corresponding communication functions.

[0108] It should be noted that CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names in different systems, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an open radio access network (ORAN) system, CU can also be called an open centralized unit (O-CU) or an open CU, DU can also be called an open distributed unit (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open centralized unit control plane (O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open centralized unit user plane (O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an open radio unit (O-RU). This application does not limit the specific names. Any of the units CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0109] Optionally, for network elements in the ORAN system, each network element can implement the protocol layer functions shown in Table 1-2 below.

[0110] Table 1-2

[0111] It should be noted that in the ORAN system, the access network equipment in this application can be one or more network elements listed in Tables 1-2 above.

[0112] The architecture of the CU and DU of the access network equipment is described below. An access network equipment includes at least one CU and at least one DU. Optionally, the access network equipment may also include at least one RU.

[0113] The following description uses an access network device consisting of one CU and one DU as an example. The CU has some core network functions and can include CU-CP and CU-UP. The CU and DU can be configured according to the protocol layer functions of the wireless network they implement. For example, the CU may be configured to implement the functions of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer and above (e.g., RRC and / or SDAP layers). The DU may be configured to implement the functions of protocol layers below the PDCP layer (e.g., RLC, MAC, and / or physical (PHY) layers). Alternatively, the CU may be configured to implement the functions of protocol layers above the PDCP layer (e.g., RRC and / or SDAP layers), and the DU may be configured to implement the functions of protocol layers below the PDCP layer (e.g., RLC, MAC, and / or PHY layers).

[0114] When a CU includes CU-CP and CU-UP, CU-CP is used to implement the control plane functions of the CU, and CU-UP is used to implement the user plane functions of the CU. For example, when a CU is configured to implement the functions of the PDCP layer, RRC layer, and SDAP layer, CU-CP is used to implement the RRC layer functions and the control plane functions of the PDCP layer, and CU-UP is used to implement the SDAP layer functions and the user plane functions of the PDCP layer.

[0115] The CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the AMF in a 5G system. The AMF is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal device location updates, terminal device registration with the network, and terminal device handover.

[0116] CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements, such as the user plane function (UPF) in a 5G system, are responsible for forwarding and receiving data in terminal devices.

[0117] The above CU and DU configurations are merely examples; the functions of the CU and DU can be configured as needed. For instance, the CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or only some protocol layer processing functions. For example, some RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Furthermore, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements. For example, based on latency, functions that require low latency can be placed in the DU, while functions that do not require low latency can be placed in the CU.

[0118] DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, a DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and an RU can be configured to implement mid-RF functions. Another example is that a DU can be configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and an RU can be configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer can include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer can include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0119] It should be noted that the access network equipment can be a device or apparatus with a chip, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuits, or a chip, chip system, module, or control unit in the aforementioned device or apparatus; this application does not impose any specific limitation. It should also be noted that in this application, the term "access network equipment" can refer to the access network equipment itself, or to the chip, functional module, or integrated circuit within the access network equipment that performs the method provided in this application; this application does not impose any specific limitation.

[0120] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with each RAN node performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-CPs, CU-UPs, or radio units (RUs). CUs and DUs can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0121] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0122] A terminal can be a device or module that accesses the aforementioned communication system and has corresponding communication functions. A terminal can also be called a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart homes, smart offices, smart wearables, intelligent transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, transportation vehicles with wireless communication capabilities, communication modules, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. Terminals typically contain communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. Terminals can also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions.

[0123] Furthermore, the embodiments of this application can also be applied to other future communication technologies. The network architecture and service scenarios described in this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in this application. As those skilled in the art will understand, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new service scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0124] Figure 2 illustrates an application scenario applicable to an embodiment of this application. Terminal device 202 is located in a cell served by network device 201. During the process of terminal device 202 accessing the cell served by network device 201, terminal device 202 first obtains the system messages of that cell to understand how the cell is configured so that it can operate normally within that cell. The cell sends system messages to all terminal devices within the cell via a logical channel (broadcast control channel, BCCH). For initial access, terminal device 202 needs to first obtain the master information block (MIB) message before it can successively obtain other messages.

[0125] The MIB defines the most basic system messages for the cell and the parameters required to decode the system information block (SIB) message. The MIB is transmitted on the physical broadcast channel (PBCH). After successfully detecting the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and secondary synchronization signal (SSS) and obtaining the cell identifier, terminal device 202 begins receiving the PBCH. Since the PBCH carries only a limited number of system messages, after completing cell synchronization and obtaining the MIB message, terminal device 202 still needs to obtain some other necessary system messages to initiate random access. In new radio (NR) systems, these other necessary system messages are called SIB1 messages, sometimes also referred to as remaining minimum system information (RMSI) messages. SIB1 mainly includes the following types of information:

[0126] 1) Cell selection parameters: necessary information for terminal devices to determine whether the signal of the cell meets the cell dwell conditions.

[0127] 2) Access control parameters: necessary information for terminal devices to determine whether a certain type of access service is allowed to be initiated.

[0128] 3) Initial access-related channel configuration information: Channel configuration information required during the random access process.

[0129] 4) System message request configuration information.

[0130] 5) Scheduling information for other system messages.

[0131] 6) Other information, such as whether VoIP (voice over internet protocol) services are supported.

[0132] Among the above information, the cell selection parameters, access control parameters, and channel configuration information related to initial access are necessary for the terminal device 202 to camp in the cell and initiate initial access.

[0133] During the access process, the terminal device selects resources from other domains based on spatial information, such as SSB beams. Taking random access as an example, the terminal device 202 compares the reference signal receiving power (RSRP) of multiple SSBs within the cell with a specified RSRP threshold (which corresponds to the rsrp-Threshold SSB cell), and selects an SSB with a value greater than the threshold to choose the SSB with the best signal. If no SSB meets the requirements, the terminal device 202 randomly selects an SSB and determines the available random access (RA) preamble, time-frequency resources, etc., based on that SSB.

[0134] In NES scenarios, network devices enable low-frequency cells for small data transmissions, while high-frequency cells remain off and are only enabled when there is a large data transmission.

[0135] Low-frequency cells and high-frequency cells can be located on different network devices, as shown in Figure 3. Network device 301 provides services to the low-frequency cell, whose coverage area is region A. Terminal device 302 communicates with the low-frequency cell via beamforming. Network device 303 provides services to the high-frequency cell, whose coverage area is region B.

[0136] Low-frequency cells and high-frequency cells can also be on the same network device, as shown in Figure 4. Network device 401 provides services for both low-frequency and high-frequency cells. The coverage area of ​​the low-frequency cell is area A, and the coverage area of ​​the high-frequency cell is area B. Terminal device 402 communicates with the low-frequency cell via beamforming.

[0137] In the above scenario, when a terminal device needs to access a high-frequency cell, it needs to compare the RSRP of multiple SSBs in the cell with the specified RSRP threshold, which makes the preparation process time-consuming and increases the access latency.

[0138] Based on this, this application provides a method. Please refer to Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of the communication method provided in this application. The embodiment shown in Figure 5 is executed interactively by a first network device, a terminal device, and a second network device. This method can be applied to the scenario shown in Figure 3, where the first cell belongs to the first network device, the second cell belongs to the second network device, and the first cell and the second cell belong to different network devices. The first network device can be network device 301, or a component or device applied to network device 301 (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of network device 301 (e.g., a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU)). The terminal device can be terminal device 302, or a component or device applied to terminal device 302 (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of terminal device 302. The second network device can be network device 303, or a component or device applied to network device 303 (e.g., processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software (e.g., CU, DU, or RU) that can implement all or part of the functions of network device 303. This embodiment includes steps 501 to 504.

[0139] 501. The first network device sends a first threshold value to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the first threshold value from the first network device.

[0140] Specifically, the first network device provides services to the first cell, and broadcasts a first threshold value to multiple terminal devices in the first cell. Each terminal device can be any one of the multiple terminal devices. The first threshold value is used for comparing RSRP, or in other words, the first threshold value is a threshold value used for comparing RSRP.

[0141] 502. The first network device sends first information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information from the first network device.

[0142] A first network device broadcasts first information to multiple terminal devices in a first cell. This first information indicates the mapping relationship between the beam corresponding to the first cell and the beam corresponding to the second cell. The beam corresponding to the first cell includes a first beam; therefore, the mapping relationship includes the mapping relationship between the first beam and M third beams. The second beam is one of the M third beams, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The M third beams are the beams used by the second network device (the second cell). The first network device and the second network device interact through the Xn interface, enabling the first network device to obtain the first information. For example, the frequency corresponding to the second beam is higher than the frequency corresponding to the first beam; that is, the second beam is a high-frequency beam, and the first beam is a low-frequency beam.

[0143] In one possible implementation, the first information can be used to indicate the mapping relationship between the low-frequency beam and the high-frequency beam. This mapping relationship can be shown in Table 2 below:

[0144] Table 2: Mapping relationship between low-frequency beams and high-frequency beams

[0145] As shown in Table 2, the first information indicates multiple low-frequency beams and multiple high-frequency beams corresponding to each low-frequency beam. Specifically, low-frequency beam 1 corresponds to high-frequency beams 1, 2, 3, and 4; low-frequency beam 2 corresponds to high-frequency beams 5, 6, 7, and 8. Assuming the terminal device uses low-frequency beam 1 to communicate with the first cell, then low-frequency beam 1 is the first beam, high-frequency beams 1, 2, 3, and 4 are the third beam, and the second beam is one of these three beams.

[0146] In another possible implementation, the first information can be used to indicate the mapping relationship between the signal corresponding to the low-frequency beam and the signal corresponding to the high-frequency beam. For example, the signal corresponding to the low-frequency beam can be the SSB corresponding to the low-frequency beam (also referred to as the low-frequency SSB), and the signal corresponding to the high-frequency beam can be the SSB corresponding to the high-frequency beam (also referred to as the high-frequency SSB). The mapping relationship can be shown in Table 3 below:

[0147] Table 3: Mapping relationship between low-frequency SSB and high-frequency SSB

[0148] As shown in Table 3, the first information indicates multiple low-frequency SSBs and multiple high-frequency SSBs corresponding to each low-frequency SSB. Specifically, low-frequency SSB1 corresponds to high-frequency SSB1, SSB2, SSB3, and SSB4; low-frequency SSB2 corresponds to high-frequency SSB5, SSB6, SSB7, and SSB8. Assuming the terminal device uses low-frequency SSB1 to communicate with the first cell, then low-frequency SSB1 can be understood as the SSB corresponding to the first beam; high-frequency SSB1, SSB2, SSB3, and SSB4 can be understood as the SSBs corresponding to the third beam; and the SSB corresponding to the second beam is one of the high-frequency SSBs: SSB1, SSB2, SSB3, and SSB4.

[0149] Optionally, the first information can also be used to indicate the mapping relationship between the signal corresponding to the low-frequency beam and the uplink resources associated with the high-frequency beam. For example, the mapping relationship can be the spatial mapping relationship between the SSB corresponding to the first beam and the wake-up signal (WUS) resources corresponding to M second beams. Here, the WUS resources are used by the terminal device to send uplink WUS signals, i.e., the first signal, for purposes such as waking up the base station. The WUS resources / signals can be other uplink resources / signals, such as preamble resources / signals, which can be used for random access by the terminal device. The WUS resources / signals can also be SRS resources / signals, used by the network device to obtain the CSI of the terminal device; specific details are not limited here. The mapping relationship can be shown in Table 4 below:

[0150] Table 4: Mapping relationship between low-frequency SSB and high-frequency WUS resources

[0151] As shown in Table 4, the first information indicates multiple low-frequency SSBs and multiple high-frequency WUS resources corresponding to each low-frequency SSB. Specifically, low-frequency SSB1 corresponds to high-frequency WUS resources 1, 2, 3, and 4; low-frequency SSB2 corresponds to high-frequency WUS resources 5, 6, 7, and 8. Assuming the terminal device uses low-frequency SSB1 to communicate with the first cell, then low-frequency SSB1 can be understood as the SSB corresponding to the first beam; high-frequency WUS resources 1, 2, 3, and 4 can be understood as the WUS resources corresponding to the third beam; and the WUS resource corresponding to the second beam is one of the high-frequency WUS resources 1, 2, 3, and 4.

[0152] Taking WUS resources as RO resources used for random access as an example, the information format broadcast by network devices can be as follows:

[0153] The parameter ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSBotherFrequency indicates the mapping relationship 1 between SSB and RO at frequency frequency 1 (i.e., ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB). It should be noted that the mapping relationship between SSB and RO can be either the mapping relationship between the SSB corresponding to the first beam and the RO corresponding to the second cell, or it can be the mapping relationship between the SSB corresponding to the second beam and the RO corresponding to the second cell; the specific mapping is not limited here.

[0154] If multiple frequency points exist, they are represented as a list, with the mapping relationship for each frequency point represented as ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSBotherFrequency. For example, if the mapping relationship for frequency point Frequency2 is also included, the above information would also include:

[0155] ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSBotherFrequency SEQUENCE{

[0156] ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB

[0157] Frequency2

[0158] }

[0159] Optionally, the first information can also be used to instruct the terminal device to determine the mapping relationship between the beam corresponding to the first cell and the beam corresponding to the second cell. For example, the terminal device can determine the real-time beam based on real-time information, such as the terminal device's location, moving speed, and the carrier frequency used, thereby determining the mapping relationship.

[0160] It should be understood that the timing between steps 501 and 502 is not limited in the embodiments of this application. Step 501 may be executed before or after step 502, and the specific timing is not limited here.

[0161] 503. The terminal equipment determines the second beam based on the first beam.

[0162] The first beam is used for communication between the terminal device and the first cell, and the second beam is used for communication between the terminal device and the second cell. The frequencies of the first and second beams are different. The beam frequency refers to the frequency of the frequency band in which the beam resides. In other words, the frequency band of the first beam is different from the frequency band of the second beam, or the first and second beams are located in different frequency bands. The terminal device determines the second beam based on the mapping relationship included in the first information and the first beam.

[0163] For example, the frequency corresponding to the second beam is higher than the frequency corresponding to the first beam, meaning the second beam is a high-frequency beam and the first beam is a low-frequency beam. In other words, the first cell is a low-frequency cell, and the second cell is a high-frequency cell. In one possible approach, the low-frequency and high-frequency beams with a mapping relationship correspond or are associated in the physical environment. For example, the first and second beams may have the same direction. The terminal device can determine the high-frequency beam for communication with the high-frequency cell based on the association between the low-frequency and high-frequency beams, according to the low-frequency beam used by the low-frequency cell. As shown in Table 2 above, for example, if the first beam is low-frequency beam 1, then the terminal device determines high-frequency beam 3, i.e., the second beam, for communication with the high-frequency cell, according to the mapping relationship shown in Table 2.

[0164] In another possible implementation, the terminal device can also determine the signal corresponding to the high-frequency beam communicating with the high-frequency cell based on the mapping relationship between the signals corresponding to the low-frequency beam and the signals corresponding to the high-frequency beam. As shown in Table 3 above, for example, if the signal corresponding to the first beam is low-frequency SSB1, then the terminal device can determine that high-frequency SSB3 is the SSB corresponding to the high-frequency beam communicating with the high-frequency cell based on the correlation between low-frequency SSB1 and high-frequency SSBs. In other words, high-frequency SSB3 is the signal corresponding to the second beam.

[0165] Optionally, the terminal device can also determine the high-frequency beam for communication with the high-frequency cell based on the mapping relationship between the signal corresponding to the low-frequency beam and the uplink resources associated with the high-frequency beam. As shown in Table 4 above, for example, if the signal corresponding to the first beam is low-frequency SSB1 and the WUS resource is RO, then the terminal device can determine the RO corresponding to the high-frequency beam for communication with the high-frequency cell based on the association relationship between low-frequency SSB1 and high-frequency RO, according to the SSB corresponding to the low-frequency beam used by the low-frequency cell, thereby determining the high-frequency beam based on the RO corresponding to the high-frequency beam.

[0166] In this embodiment, since the first cell is the cell that the terminal device is currently accessing and the second cell is the cell that the terminal device is preparing to access, the terminal device can determine the beam corresponding to the cell to be accessed by using the beam corresponding to the cell that is currently accessing. This avoids the problem of increased latency caused by needing to measure multiple SSBs in the second cell to obtain the beam corresponding to the cell to be accessed, thereby reducing access latency.

[0167] Furthermore, since high-frequency cells are usually in a closed state in the NES scenario, in the scenario shown in Figure 3, the terminal device can determine the beam of the high-frequency cell based on the beam of the low-frequency cell. This allows the terminal device to obtain the beam information of the high-frequency cell even when the high-frequency cell is in a closed state, thus not affecting the network energy saving of the high-frequency cell and reducing the latency of accessing the high-frequency cell.

[0168] It should be noted that the terminal device can determine M third beams based on the first beam and the mapping relationship, and then select the second beam based on the M third beams; or it can directly determine the second beam based on the first beam and the mapping relationship.

[0169] It should be noted that the second beam can be determined in several ways. As shown in Figure 6, the terminal device determines the correspondence between the first beam and the third beams A and B based on the first beam and the mapping relationship. Therefore, the terminal device selects one beam from the third beams A and B as the second beam. The selection method can be that the terminal device arbitrarily selects a beam, or it can select a beam based on predefined rules; the specific method is not limited here.

[0170] As an example, the terminal device will also receive indication information, which indicates SSB1 as shown in Figure 6. The terminal device determines the beam corresponding to SSB1 as the second beam based on the SSB corresponding to the first beam, the indication information, and the mapping relationship; the specifics are not limited here.

[0171] Optionally, when the RSRP of the first beam is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, the terminal device determines the second beam based on the first beam.

[0172] 504. The terminal device sends a first signal to the second network device, and correspondingly, the second network device receives the first signal from the terminal device.

[0173] In this embodiment, the first signal is essentially an uplink WUS signal. If the terminal device is in an idle state and the RSRP of the first beam is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, the terminal device uses the second beam to transmit the first signal. The first signal is used by the terminal device to wake up the second cell. Wake-up can be understood as the second cell previously being in a dormant state, for example, the downlink transmission module being dormant or partially dormant. However, the second cell can receive a wake-up signal, such as from the terminal device or other network devices, thereby switching the dormant downlink transmission module to an active state, enabling the second cell to provide downlink services to the terminal.

[0174] For example, the terminal device uses a second beam to send a first signal to wake up the second cell, thereby enabling the terminal device to complete camping in the second cell.

[0175] It should be noted that for connected terminal devices, since the terminal device does not need to wake up the second cell, the first signal is used for the terminal device to access the second cell. This means that the connected terminal device does not need to measure multiple SSBs to obtain the beam corresponding to the cell to be accessed during the access process, thereby reducing the access latency of the connected terminal device.

[0176] It should be understood that when a terminal device accesses a second cell from a first cell, it can also be referred to as the terminal device reselecting or the terminal device selecting a second cell; the specific meaning is not limited here.

[0177] Optionally, if the terminal device is in a connected state and the RSRP of the first beam is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, then the second beam is used to send the first signal, which is used by the terminal device to access the second cell.

[0178] If the RSRP of the first beam is less than the first threshold, the terminal device transmits the first signal using all beams on the frequency of the second beam. In other words, the terminal device transmits the first signal omnidirectionally on the frequency of the second beam.

[0179] In this embodiment, the terminal device determines which cell access method to use based on a first threshold value, and according to the mapping relationship between the first beam and the second beam, the terminal device does not need to perform SSB measurement, thereby reducing access latency.

[0180] Optionally, the embodiment shown in FIG5 further includes step 501a. Step 501a may be performed before step 503.

[0181] 501a. The first network device sends a second threshold value to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the second threshold value from the first network device.

[0182] The terminal device determines whether to determine the second beam based on the first beam based on a second threshold value. Specifically, if the RSRP of the first beam is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, the terminal device executes step 503, where the second threshold value is less than the first threshold value. The second threshold value can also be referred to as the activation threshold, but this is not specifically defined here.

[0183] If the RSRP of the first beam is less than the second threshold, the terminal device maintains its connection with the first cell. For a terminal device in idle state, maintaining a connection with the first cell can be understood as residing in the first cell or accessing the first cell and transmitting data. If the RSRP of the first beam is less than the second threshold, the terminal device can also choose to access other cells; specific details are not limited here.

[0184] The timing between steps 501a and 501 is not limited in this embodiment. Step 501a can be executed before or after step 501, and is not specifically limited here.

[0185] Optionally, the embodiment shown in FIG5 further includes step 502a. Step 502a may be performed before step 503.

[0186] 502a. The first network device sends the second information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second information from the first network device.

[0187] A first network device broadcasts second information to multiple terminal devices in a first cell. The second information indicates the access resources or frequency of a second cell, and the access resources of the second cell include first time-frequency resources. The terminal devices, based on the frequency of the second cell, use a second beam to transmit a first signal on the first time-frequency resources.

[0188] Optionally, the second information can also be used to indicate the physical cell identifier (PCI) of the second cell.

[0189] Please refer to Figure 7, which is another schematic diagram of the communication method provided in this application embodiment. The embodiment shown in Figure 7 is executed interactively by a network device and a terminal device. This method can be applied to the scenario shown in Figure 4. The network device can be network device 401, or a component or device applied to network device 401 (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software (e.g., CU, DU, or RU) that can implement all or part of the functions of network device 401. The terminal device can be terminal device 402, or a component or device applied to terminal device 402 (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of terminal device 402. This embodiment includes steps 701 to 704.

[0190] 701. The network device sends a first threshold value to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the first threshold value from the network device accordingly.

[0191] 702. The network device sends the first information to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the first information from the network device accordingly.

[0192] 703. The terminal equipment determines the second beam based on the first beam.

[0193] In this embodiment, steps 701 to 703 are similar to steps 501 to 503 in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0194] 704. The terminal device sends a first signal to the network device, and the network device receives the first signal from the terminal device accordingly.

[0195] In the scenario shown in Figure 4, the network device provides services to the first cell and the second cell. Therefore, when the terminal device needs to access the second cell, the terminal device sends a first signal to the network device.

[0196] Specifically, if the terminal device is in an idle state and the RSRP of the first beam is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, the terminal device uses the second beam to send a first signal, which is used to wake up the second cell.

[0197] Optionally, if the terminal device is in a connected state and the RSRP of the first beam is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, then the second beam is used to send the first signal, which is used by the terminal device to access the second cell.

[0198] If the RSRP of the first beam is less than the first threshold, the terminal device transmits the first signal using all beams on the frequency of the second beam. In other words, the terminal device transmits the first signal omnidirectionally on the frequency of the second beam.

[0199] Optionally, the embodiment shown in FIG7 further includes step 701a. Step 701a may be performed before step 703.

[0200] 701a. The network device sends a second threshold value to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the second threshold value from the network device accordingly.

[0201] Optionally, the embodiment shown in FIG7 further includes step 702a. Step 702a may be performed before step 703.

[0202] 702a. The network device sends a second message to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the second message from the network device accordingly.

[0203] In this embodiment, steps 701a to 702a are similar to steps 501a to 502a in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0204] Please refer to Figure 8, which is another schematic diagram of the communication method provided in this application embodiment. The embodiment shown in Figure 8 is executed interactively by a first network device, a terminal device, and a second network device. This method can be applied to the scenario shown in Figure 3. The first network device can be network device 301, or a component or device applied to network device 301 (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software (e.g., CU, DU, or RU) capable of implementing all or part of the functions of network device 301. The terminal device can be terminal device 302, or a component or device applied to terminal device 302 (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of terminal device 302. The second network device can be network device 303, or a component or device applied to network device 303 (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software (e.g., CU, DU, or RU) capable of implementing all or part of the functions of network device 303. This embodiment includes steps 801 to 803.

[0205] 801. The first network device sends a third threshold value to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the third threshold value from the first network device.

[0206] The third threshold is the RSRP threshold. Optionally, the third threshold is the same as the second threshold mentioned above. The terminal device determines whether the RSRP of the first beam is greater than the third threshold. The third threshold can also be called the activation threshold, but this is not specifically defined here.

[0207] If the RSRP of the first beam is greater than or equal to the third threshold value, the terminal device executes step 802.

[0208] If the RSRP of the first beam is less than the third threshold, the terminal device executes step 803.

[0209] 802. The terminal device uses all beams on the frequency of the second beam to transmit the first signal.

[0210] If the RSRP of the first beam is greater than or equal to the third threshold value, the terminal device transmits the first signal in all directions on the frequency of the second beam.

[0211] 803. The terminal device uses the first beam to communicate with the first cell.

[0212] If the RSRP of the first beam is less than the third threshold, the terminal device maintains the connection with the first cell.

[0213] Optionally, the embodiment shown in FIG8 further includes step 801a. Step 801a may be performed before step 802.

[0214] 801a. The first network device sends second information to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the second information from the first network device.

[0215] Step 801a in this embodiment is similar to step 502a in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0216] Please refer to Figure 9, which is another schematic diagram of the communication method provided in this application embodiment. The embodiment shown in Figure 9 is executed interactively by a network device and a terminal device. This method can be applied to the scenario shown in Figure 4. The network device can be network device 401, or a component or device applied to network device 401 (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software (e.g., CU, DU, or RU) that can implement all or part of the functions of network device 401. The terminal device can be terminal device 402, or a component or device applied to terminal device 402 (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of terminal device 402. This embodiment includes steps 901 to 903.

[0217] 901. The network device sends a third threshold value to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the third threshold value from the network device accordingly.

[0218] 902. The terminal device uses all beams on the frequency of the second beam to transmit the first signal.

[0219] 903. The terminal device uses the first beam to communicate with the first cell.

[0220] Steps 901 to 903 in this embodiment are similar to steps 801 to 803 in the embodiment shown in Figure 8 above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0221] Optionally, the embodiment shown in FIG9 further includes step 901a. Step 901a may be performed before step 902.

[0222] 901a. The network device sends second information to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the second information from the network device accordingly.

[0223] Step 901a in this embodiment is similar to step 702a in the embodiment shown in Figure 7 above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0224] The communication method in the embodiments of this application has been described above. The communication device in the embodiments of this application is described below. Referring to Figure 10, the communication device 1000 can be used to execute the process performed by the terminal device in the embodiments shown in Figures 5, 7, 8, or 9. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the foregoing method embodiments. The communication device can be a terminal device, a component or device applied to the terminal device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device.

[0225] The communication device 1000 includes an interface module 1001 and a processing module 1002.

[0226] The processing module 1002 is used for data processing. The interface module 1001 can implement corresponding communication functions. The interface module 1001 can also be called a communication interface or a communication module.

[0227] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include a storage module, which can be used to store program code, program instructions and / or data. The processing module 1002 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage module so that the communication device 1000 can implement the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0228] The communication device 1000 can be used to perform the actions performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiments. For example, it can be a terminal device, a communication module within a terminal device, or a circuit or chip within a terminal device responsible for communication functions. The communication device 1000 can be a terminal device or a component configurable on a terminal device. The processing module 1002 is used to perform processing-related operations on the terminal device side in the above method embodiments. The interface module 1001 is used to perform receiving-related operations on the terminal device side in the above method embodiments.

[0229] Optionally, the interface module 1001 may include a sending module and a receiving module. The sending module is used to perform the sending operation in the above method embodiments. The receiving module is used to perform the receiving operation in the above method embodiments.

[0230] It should be noted that the communication device 1000 may include a transmitting module but not a receiving module. Alternatively, the communication device 1000 may include a receiving module but not a transmitting module. Specifically, it depends on whether the above-described scheme executed by the communication device 1000 includes both transmitting and receiving actions. For example, the communication device 1000 is used to execute the actions performed by the terminal device in the embodiments shown in Figures 5, 7, 8, or 9. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the embodiments shown in Figures 5, 7, 8, or 9; these will not be elaborated upon here.

[0231] For example, the communication device 1000 is used to execute the following scheme:

[0232] The processing module 1002 is used to determine the second beam based on the first beam. The frequency of the second beam is higher than the frequency of the first beam. The first beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and the first cell, and the second beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and the second cell.

[0233] The interface module 1001 is used to send a first signal using a second beam if the terminal device is in an idle state and the reference signal receiving power of the first beam is greater than or equal to a first threshold value. The first signal is used to wake up the second cell.

[0234] In one possible implementation, the interface module 1001 is further configured to receive first information, which indicates the mapping relationship between the first beam and M third beams, wherein the second beam is one of the M third beams, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0235] Processing module 1002, used to determine the second beam based on the first beam, includes:

[0236] The processing module 1002 is specifically used to determine the second beam based on the first beam and the mapping relationship.

[0237] In another possible implementation, the interface module 1001 is further configured to transmit the first signal using all beams at the frequency of the second beam if the reference signal received power of the first beam is less than a first threshold.

[0238] In another possible implementation, interface module 1001 is also used to receive a second threshold value;

[0239] Processing module 1002, used to determine the second beam based on the first beam, includes:

[0240] The processing module 1002 is specifically used to determine the second beam based on the first beam when the received power of the reference signal of the first beam is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, wherein the second threshold value is less than the first threshold value.

[0241] In another possible implementation, the interface module 1001 is also used to receive second information, which indicates the access resources of the second cell and the frequency of the second cell, the access resources of the second cell including the first time-frequency resources;

[0242] Interface module 1001 is used to transmit a first signal using a second beam, including:

[0243] The interface module 1001 is specifically used to transmit a first signal on the first time-frequency resource using a second beam according to the frequency of the second cell.

[0244] For example, the communication device 1000 is used to execute the following scheme:

[0245] Interface module 1001 is used to receive the third threshold value;

[0246] The processing module 1002 is used to transmit a first signal using all beams at the frequency of the second beam if the reference signal received power of the first beam is greater than or equal to a third threshold value. The frequency of the second beam is higher than the frequency of the first beam. The first beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and the first cell, and the second beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and the second cell.

[0247] The processing module 1002 is also used to communicate with the first cell using the first beam if the reference signal received power of the first beam is less than the third threshold value.

[0248] It should be understood that the specific procedures for each module to perform the above-mentioned corresponding processes have been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0249] Optionally, when the communication device 1000 is a terminal device or a communication module within a terminal device, the processing module 1002 in the above embodiments can be implemented by at least one processor or processor-related circuitry. Specifically, the processor may include a modem chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip. The interface module 1001 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuitry. The interface module 1001 may also be referred to as a communication module or communication interface. The storage module can be implemented by at least one memory.

[0250] Optionally, when the communication device 1000 is a circuit or chip in a terminal device responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core, the function of the processing module 1002 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processing cores. The function of the interface module 1001 can be implemented by the interface circuit or data transceiver circuit on the aforementioned chip.

[0251] The following is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application. Referring to FIG11, the communication device can be used to execute the process performed by the network device in the embodiments shown in FIG5, FIG7, FIG8 or FIG9. For details, please refer to the relevant description in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0252] The communication device 1100 includes an interface module 1101. Optionally, a processing module 1102.

[0253] The processing module 1102 is used for data processing. The interface module 1101 can implement corresponding communication functions. The interface module 1101 can also be called a communication interface or a communication module.

[0254] Optionally, the communication device 1100 may further include a storage module, which can be used to store program code, program instructions and / or data. The processing module 1102 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage module so that the communication device 1100 can implement the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0255] The communication device 1100 can be used to perform the actions performed by the network device in the above method embodiments. For example, it can be a network device or a communication module within a network device, or a circuit or chip within a network device responsible for communication functions. The communication device 1100 can be a network device or a component configurable within a network device. The processing module 1102 is used to perform processing-related operations on the network device side in the above method embodiments. The interface module 1101 is used to perform reception-related operations on the network device side in the above method embodiments.

[0256] Optionally, interface module 1101 may include a sending module and a receiving module. The sending module is used to perform the sending operation in the above method embodiments. The receiving module is used to perform the receiving operation in the above method embodiments.

[0257] It should be noted that the communication device 1100 may include a transmitting module but not a receiving module. Alternatively, the communication device 1100 may include a receiving module but not a transmitting module. Specifically, it depends on whether the above-described scheme performed by the communication device 1100 includes both transmitting and receiving actions. For example, the communication device 1100 is used to perform the actions performed by the network device in the embodiments shown in Figures 5, 7, 8, or 9. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the embodiments shown in Figures 5, 7, 8, or 9; these will not be elaborated upon here.

[0258] For example, the communication device 1100 is used to execute the following scheme:

[0259] Interface module 1101 is used to send a first threshold value, which is a reference signal received power threshold value;

[0260] Processing module 1102 is used to generate the first information;

[0261] The interface module 1101 is also used to send first information, which indicates the mapping relationship between the first beam and M third beams, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, the first beam is the beam through which the terminal device connects to the first cell, and the frequency of the third beam is higher than that of the first beam.

[0262] In one possible implementation, the interface module 1101 is further configured to send a second threshold value, which is used by the terminal device to determine whether to determine the second beam based on the first beam. The second threshold value is less than the first threshold value, and the second beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and the second cell. The frequency of the second beam is higher than the frequency of the first beam.

[0263] In another possible implementation, the interface module 1101 is also used to send second information, which indicates the access resources of the second cell and the frequency of the second cell, the access resources of the second cell including the first time-frequency resources.

[0264] In another possible implementation, the interface module 1101 is also used to receive a second signal, and the first signal is used for the terminal device to wake up the first cell.

[0265] It should be understood that the specific procedures for each module to perform the above-mentioned corresponding processes have been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0266] The processing module 1102 in the above embodiments can be implemented by at least one processor or processor-related circuitry. The interface module 1101 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuitry. The interface module 1101 can also be referred to as a communication module or communication interface. The storage module can be implemented by at least one memory.

[0267] The following describes a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Please refer to Figure 12, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device can be a network device or a terminal device in the above method embodiments, or it can be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device or terminal device in implementing the above methods. This communication device can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments, and for details, please refer to the description in the above method embodiments.

[0268] The communication device may include one or more processors 1201, which are connected to a memory 1202, an input / output unit 1203, and a bus 1204. The processor 1201 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control the communication device (e.g., base station, baseband chip, terminal, terminal chip, DU or CU, etc.), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0269] Optionally, the communication device may include one or more memories 1202, which may store instructions that can be executed on the processor 1201 to cause the communication device to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, the memories 1202 may also store data. The processor 1201 and the memories 1202 may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0270] Optionally, the communication device may also include a transceiver and an antenna. A transceiver, also called a transceiver unit, transceiver, or transceiver circuit, is used to implement transmission and reception functions. A transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter; the receiver, also called a receiver circuit, is used to implement the receiving function; the transmitter, also called a transmitter or transmitting circuit, is used to implement the transmitting function.

[0271] In another possible design, the processor 1201 may include a transceiver for implementing receive and transmit functions. For example, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, or an interface circuit. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit for implementing receive and transmit functions may be separate or integrated. The aforementioned transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit may be used for reading and writing code / data, or it may be used for transmitting or relaying signals.

[0272] In another possible design, the processor 1201 may optionally store instructions that, when executed, cause the communication device to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The instructions may be stored in the processor 1201; in this case, the processor 1201 may be implemented in hardware.

[0273] In another possible design, the communication device may include a circuit that can perform the sending or receiving or communication functions of the network device or terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiments. The processor and transceiver described in this application embodiment can be implemented on integrated circuits (ICs), analog ICs, radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), mixed-signal ICs, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), printed circuit boards (PCBs), electronic devices, etc. The processor and transceiver can also be manufactured using various IC process technologies, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS), n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS), p-type metal oxide semiconductors (PMOS), bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), etc.

[0274] The communication device described in the above embodiments can be a network device or a terminal device, but the scope of the communication device described in the embodiments of this application is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device is not limited to FIG12. The communication device can be a standalone device or part of a larger device. For example, the communication device can be:

[0275] (1) Independent integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem;

[0276] (2) A collection of one or more ICs, optionally including a storage component for storing data and instructions;

[0277] (3) ASIC, such as modem;

[0278] (4) Modules that can be embedded in other devices;

[0279] (5) Receivers, terminals, smart terminals, cellular phones, wireless devices, handheld devices, mobile units, vehicle-mounted devices, network devices, cloud devices, artificial intelligence devices, etc.

[0280] (6) Others, etc.

[0281] For communication devices that can be chips or chip systems, please refer to the schematic diagram of the chip structure shown in Figure 13. The chip 1300 shown in Figure 13 includes a processor 1301 and an interface 1302. Optionally, it may also include a memory 1303. The number of processors 1301 can be one or more, and the number of interfaces 1302 can be multiple.

[0282] For cases where the chip is used to implement the functions of the network device or terminal device in the embodiments of this application:

[0283] The interface 1302 is used to receive or output signals;

[0284] The processor 1301 is used to perform data processing operations of network devices or terminal devices.

[0285] It is understood that some optional features in the embodiments of this application can be implemented independently in certain scenarios without relying on other features, such as the current solution on which they are based, to solve the corresponding technical problems and achieve the corresponding effects. Alternatively, they can be combined with other features as needed in certain scenarios. Correspondingly, the communication device given in the embodiments of this application can also implement these features or functions, which will not be elaborated here.

[0286] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, the steps of the above method embodiments can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor described above can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components.

[0287] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAK are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0288] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0289] This application also provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0290] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0291] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be an indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units through some interfaces, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0292] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0293] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0294] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0295] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: A second beam is determined based on a first beam, wherein the frequency of the second beam is higher than that of the first beam, the first beam is the beam used by the terminal device to communicate with the first cell, and the second beam is the beam used by the terminal device to communicate with the second cell. If the terminal device is in an idle state and the reference signal received power of the first beam is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, then the second beam is used to send a first signal, which is used by the terminal device to wake up the second cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive first information, the first information being used to indicate the mapping relationship between the first beam and M third beams, the second beam being one of the M third beams, and M being an integer greater than or equal to 1; The step of determining the second beam based on the first beam includes: The second beam is determined based on the first beam and the mapping relationship.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the reference signal received power of the first beam is less than the first threshold, then the first signal is transmitted using all beams at the frequency of the second beam.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the second threshold value; The step of determining the second beam based on the first beam includes: When the received power of the reference signal of the first beam is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, the second beam is determined based on the first beam, and the second threshold value is less than the first threshold value.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second information, the second information being used to indicate the access resources of the second cell and the frequency of the second cell, the access resources of the second cell including first time-frequency resources; The step of transmitting the first signal using the second beam includes: The first signal is transmitted on the first time-frequency resource using the second beam according to the frequency of the second cell.

6. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive the third threshold value; If the reference signal received power of the first beam is greater than or equal to the third threshold, then the first signal is transmitted using all beams at the frequency of the second beam, the frequency of the second beam is higher than the frequency of the first beam, the first beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and the first cell, and the second beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and the second cell. If the reference signal received power of the first beam is less than the third threshold, then the first beam is used to communicate with the first cell.

7. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send a first threshold value, where the first threshold value is a threshold value for the reference signal received power; Send first information, which is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the first beam and M third beams, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, the first beam is the beam through which the terminal device connects to the first cell, and the frequency of the third beam is higher than that of the first beam.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: A second threshold value is sent, which is used by the terminal device to determine whether to determine a second beam based on the first beam. The second threshold value is less than the first threshold value. The second beam is the beam used by the terminal device to communicate with the second cell. The second beam is one of the M third beams. The frequency of the second beam is higher than the frequency of the first beam.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second message, which indicates the access resources of the second cell and the frequency of the second cell, wherein the access resources of the second cell include a first time-frequency resource.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second signal is received, and the first signal is used by the terminal device to wake up the first cell.

11. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes a terminal device, a first network device, and a second network device; The first network device is configured to transmit a first threshold value, wherein the first threshold value is a reference signal received power threshold value; The first network device is further configured to send first information, the first information being used to indicate the mapping relationship between a first beam and M third beams, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, the first beam being the beam through which the terminal device connects to the first cell, and the frequency of the third beam being higher than that of the first beam. The terminal device is configured to determine a second beam based on a first beam, wherein the second beam is one of the M third beams, the frequency of the second beam is higher than the frequency of the first beam, the at least one first beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and a first cell, and the second beam is the beam for communication between the terminal device and a second cell. The terminal device is further configured to transmit a first signal using the second beam if the terminal device is in an idle state and the reference signal receiving power of the first beam is greater than or equal to a first threshold value. The first signal is used to wake up the second cell, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The second network device is used to receive the first signal.

12. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first network device is further configured to send second information, the second information being used to indicate the access resources of the second cell and the frequency of the second cell, the access resources of the second cell including first time-frequency resources; The terminal device is configured to determine the second beam based on the first beam, including: The terminal device is specifically used to transmit the first signal on the first time-frequency resource using the second beam according to the frequency of the second cell.

13. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes modules or units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

14. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes modules or units for performing the method as described in claim 6.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes modules or units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 7 to 10.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor for executing a program that causes the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor for executing a program that causes the communication device to perform the method as described in claim 6.

18. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor for executing a program that causes the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 7 to 10.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The instructions include, when executed on a computer, causing the computer to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, or causing the computer to perform the method as claimed in claim 6, or causing the computer to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10.

20. A computer program product containing instructions, characterized in that, When it is run on a computer, it causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, or causes the computer to perform the method as described in claim 6, or causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 7 to 10.

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