Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and apparatus, belonging to the technical field of communications, and used to improve a spectrum resource utilization rate. The method comprises: when the number of frequency domain units that a terminal device can simultaneously support for communication is less than or equal to the number of frequency domain units that a network device can configure for the terminal device, then the network device, by means of scheduling information, can schedule the terminal device to switch between different frequency domain units to transmit data; for example, a network device sends first scheduling information to the terminal device in a first frequency domain unit, the first scheduling information instructing the terminal device to switch to a second frequency domain unit; and after receiving, in the first frequency domain unit, the first scheduling information sent by the network device, the terminal device switches to the second frequency domain unit, and the network device transmits data to the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit, so that a frequency domain unit configured by the network device for the terminal device is fully utilized.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411540474.5, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on October 30, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", 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 communication methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] Currently, New Radio (NR) uses carrier aggregation (CA) technology to increase the transmission bandwidth of individual terminal devices, achieving multi-frequency resource integration and thus improving the overall network resource utilization. Specifically, carrier aggregation refers to combining spectrum resources of the same or different frequency bands and allocating them to terminal devices. For a terminal device to implement carrier aggregation, it needs to support carrier aggregation capabilities and possess corresponding receiver (RX) filtering capabilities.

[0004] However, future communication scenarios may place higher demands on spectrum resource utilization, which current carrier aggregation cannot meet. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus for improving the utilization rate of spectrum resources.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a network device, or by a component of the network device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the network device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device. The method includes: sending first scheduling information to a terminal device in a first frequency domain unit, the first scheduling information instructing the terminal device to switch to a second frequency domain unit; and transmitting data with the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit. The number of frequency domain units that the terminal device can simultaneously support communication is less than or equal to the number of frequency domain units that the network device can configure for the terminal device, and the frequency domain units that the network device can configure for the terminal device include the first frequency domain unit and the second frequency domain unit.

[0008] As can be seen from the method described in the first aspect, when the number of frequency domain units that the terminal device can support for communication simultaneously is less than or equal to the number of frequency domain units that the network device can configure for the terminal device, the network device can use scheduling information to schedule the terminal device to switch between different frequency domain units to transmit data, so as to make full use of the frequency domain units configured by the network device for the terminal device, thereby improving the utilization rate of spectrum resources.

[0009] In one possible design scheme, the first frequency domain unit or the second frequency domain unit can be any of the following: frequency band, bandwidth, partial bandwidth, carrier, carrier group, subcarrier, carrier group, subcarrier, or subcarrier group. The specific choice can be flexible and unrestricted based on actual conditions. A carrier group can include multiple carriers, and the specific number can be flexibly set and unrestricted based on actual conditions. A subcarrier group can include multiple subcarriers, and the specific number can be flexibly set and unrestricted based on actual conditions.

[0010] In one possible design, before the first frequency domain unit sends the first scheduling information to the terminal device, the method further includes: receiving handover capability information reported by the terminal device. The handover capability information indicates the frequency domain units that the terminal device supports for handover, and the frequency domain units supported for handover by the terminal device include the first frequency domain unit and the second frequency domain unit. This enables the network device to switch the terminal device to a frequency domain unit it supports, avoiding communication failures caused by switching the terminal device to an unsupported frequency domain unit due to a lack of knowledge about the terminal device's capabilities.

[0011] In one possible design, before the first frequency domain unit sends the first scheduling information to the terminal device, the method further includes: receiving handover gap capability information reported by the terminal device. This handover gap capability information indicates the handover duration required for the terminal device to switch between different frequency domain units. The terminal device requires a handover duration to switch between different frequency domain units. The terminal device reports this handover duration, and the network device waits for the terminal device to complete the handover before transmitting data to the terminal device, thereby improving communication reliability.

[0012] In one possible design, an RRC message is sent to the terminal device. The RRC message includes either first indication information or second indication information. The first indication information indicates that the handover duration is included in the time domain unit corresponding to the first frequency domain unit, and the second indication information indicates that the handover duration is included in the time domain unit corresponding to the second frequency domain unit. The network device informs the terminal device, enabling the terminal device to perform reception detection at a specific time domain location within a certain time domain unit, thus avoiding unnecessary communication overhead caused by performing reception detection at the handover duration.

[0013] Optionally, the first frequency domain unit corresponds to the first time domain unit. The start time domain position of the first first time domain unit to the first time domain position of the last first time domain unit is used to carry the first scheduling information. The interval between the first time domain position and the end time domain position of the last first time domain unit is a switching duration. The terminal device can perform reception detection only at the time domain position where the first scheduling information is located, avoiding the overhead of the terminal device.

[0014] Optionally, the second frequency domain unit corresponds to the second time domain unit. The interval between the starting time domain position and the second time domain position of the first time domain unit in the second time domain unit is a switching duration. The second time domain units after the second time domain position are used to carry data. The terminal device can perform reception detection only at the time domain position where the data is located, avoiding the overhead of the terminal device.

[0015] In one possible design, after data transmission between the second frequency domain unit and the terminal device, the method further includes: receiving feedback information sent by the terminal device in the first frequency domain unit. This feedback information indicates the result of data transmission. All feedback from the terminal device is defined to occur in the first frequency domain unit to avoid excessive resource allocation for feedback, which could affect data transmission. Furthermore, since the second frequency domain unit is temporarily allocated to the terminal device for data transmission, excluding feedback reduces the time-domain resources occupied by the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit, allowing it to be allocated to more terminals and further improving frequency domain resource utilization. Additionally, by providing feedback on the data transmission result, the network device can identify which data transmissions were successful and which failed, enabling retransmission of failed data and ensuring overall communication reliability.

[0016] In one possible design, the channel state information of the second frequency domain unit is acquired periodically.

[0017] Optionally, when the network device is transmitting data with the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit, it periodically determines whether to continue transmitting data in the second frequency domain unit based on the channel state information. For example, if the channel state information of the current period indicates that the second frequency domain unit supports communication, then data transmission continues; if the channel state information of the current period indicates that the second frequency domain unit does not support communication, then it can switch to the first frequency domain unit to transmit data with the terminal device. Therefore, the communication quality between the terminal device and the network device can be guaranteed after the switch.

[0018] Optionally, the second frequency domain unit sends second scheduling information to the terminal device, instructing the terminal device to switch to the first frequency domain unit; data transmission continues in the first frequency domain unit with the terminal device. Therefore, after switching to the second frequency domain unit for data transmission, it can switch back to the first frequency domain unit at any time, increasing the flexibility of resource configuration; and the network device can generate second scheduling information when it detects that the channel state information of the current period indicates that the second frequency domain unit does not support communication, thus switching back to the first frequency domain unit to continue data transmission even when the second frequency domain unit does not support communication, ensuring the reliability of communication.

[0019] Optionally, before the first frequency domain unit sends the first scheduling information to the terminal device, the channel state information of the second frequency domain unit for the current period is obtained. If the channel state information for the current period indicates that the second frequency domain unit supports communication, the first scheduling information is generated and sent to the terminal device from the first frequency domain unit. If the channel state information for the current period indicates that the second frequency domain unit does not support communication, the first scheduling information is not generated, and the terminal device is not instructed to switch frequency domain units. Therefore, by considering the channel state quality of the second frequency domain unit before instructing the terminal device to switch frequency domain units, better scheduling can be performed, ensuring communication quality.

[0020] Optionally, the channel state information for the current period of the second frequency domain unit is determined based on the channel state information of the previous period. This reduces the number of channel state quality measurements, lowers measurement overhead, and helps terminal devices save energy. Predicting the channel state information for the current period using the channel state information of the previous period reduces the use of spectrum resources from terminal and network devices for channel state quality measurements, thus saving spectrum resources.

[0021] Optionally, a reference signal CSI-RS for channel state measurement is periodically sent to the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit; the channel state information of the second frequency domain unit fed back by the terminal device is received; the communication quality of the second frequency domain unit can be monitored at any time, which facilitates frequency domain unit switching or can ensure communication quality.

[0022] In one possible design, the synchronization conditions between the first and second frequency domain units are obtained. These synchronization conditions include at least one of the following: receive delay difference or receive power difference. Data transmission with the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit includes: transmitting data with the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit according to the synchronization conditions. The terminal device has already synchronized with the network device in the first frequency domain unit, meaning some synchronization parameters, such as delay and power, have been determined. If the synchronization conditions are pre-configured, when the terminal switches to the second frequency domain unit, it can synchronize with the network device in the second frequency domain unit solely based on the synchronization conditions and the aforementioned synchronization parameters, without needing to perform the communication synchronization process in the second frequency domain unit again, thus avoiding the overhead of performing the synchronization process.

[0023] In one possible design, if behavioral restrictions are detected on the terminal device, communication with the terminal device will not occur in other frequency domain units while the terminal device is communicating with the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit. This avoids interference with the communication in the second frequency domain unit caused by communication in other frequency domain units.

[0024] In one possible design scheme, based on the channel state information and load information of the multiple frequency domain units supported by the terminal device for switching, a second frequency domain unit is determined from the multiple frequency domain units, and first scheduling information is generated; considering the channel state quality and load of the frequency domain units in the whole network, a relatively idle frequency domain unit is selected to improve the spectrum resource utilization of the whole network and make the load of the whole network balanced.

[0025] In one possible design, at least one time domain unit corresponding to the first frequency domain unit is configured as a time domain unit for uplink transmission. The method further includes: if downlink transmission is required between the terminal device and the network device within at least one time domain unit, a second frequency domain unit is determined from a plurality of frequency domain units that the terminal device supports switching. The at least one time domain unit corresponding to the second frequency domain unit is configured as a time domain unit for uplink transmission to meet the downlink transmission requirements between the terminal device and the network device.

[0026] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a terminal device, or by a component of the terminal device, such as the terminal device's processor, chip, or chip system, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal device. The method includes:

[0027] The terminal device receives first scheduling information sent by the network device in the first frequency domain unit, and the first scheduling information instructs the terminal device to switch to the second frequency domain unit; the terminal device transmits data with the network device in the second frequency domain unit; wherein the number of frequency domain units that the terminal device can support for communication at the same time is less than or equal to the number of frequency domain units that the network device can configure for the terminal device, and the frequency domain units that the network device can configure for the terminal device include the first frequency domain unit and the second frequency domain unit.

[0028] In one possible design, the first frequency domain unit or the second frequency domain unit is any of the following: frequency band, bandwidth, partial bandwidth, carrier, carrier group, subcarrier, or subcarrier group.

[0029] In one possible design, before the first frequency domain unit receives the first scheduling information sent by the network device, it further includes: reporting handover capability information to the network device, the handover capability information indicating the frequency domain units that the terminal device supports for handover, and the frequency domain units that the terminal device supports for handover include the first frequency domain unit and the second frequency domain unit.

[0030] In one possible design, before the first frequency domain unit receives the first scheduling information sent by the network device, it further includes: reporting handover gap capability information to the network device, wherein the handover gap capability information indicates the handover duration required for the terminal device to switch between different frequency domain units.

[0031] In one possible design, an RRC message sent by a network device is received. The RRC message includes a first indication information or a second indication information. The first indication information indicates that the handover duration is included in the time domain unit corresponding to the first frequency domain unit, and the second indication information indicates that the handover duration is included in the time domain unit corresponding to the second frequency domain unit.

[0032] Optionally, the first frequency domain unit corresponds to the first time domain unit. The starting time domain position of the first first time domain unit to the first time domain position of the last first time domain unit is used to carry the first scheduling information. The first time domain position and the ending time domain position of the last first time domain unit are separated by a switching time interval.

[0033] Optionally, the second frequency domain unit corresponds to the second time domain unit, and the interval between the starting time domain position and the second time domain position of the first time domain unit in the second time domain unit is the switching time. The second time domain unit after the second time domain position is used to carry data.

[0034] In one possible design, after the second frequency domain unit completes data transmission with the terminal device, the system switches to the first frequency domain unit to send feedback information to the network device. The feedback information is used to indicate the result of data transmission.

[0035] In one possible design, the terminal device receives second scheduling information from the network device in the second frequency domain unit. The second scheduling information instructs the terminal device to switch to the first frequency domain unit. In the first frequency domain unit, the terminal device continues to transmit data with the network device.

[0036] In one possible design, obtaining the synchronization conditions between the first frequency domain unit and the second frequency domain unit, the synchronization conditions include at least one of the receive delay difference and the receive power difference; transmitting data with the network device in the second frequency domain unit includes: transmitting data with the network device in the second frequency domain unit according to the synchronization conditions.

[0037] In one possible design, the system periodically receives a Channel State Reference Signal (CSI-RS) sent by the network device for channel state measurement in the second frequency domain unit; performs channel state measurement on the second frequency domain unit based on the CSI-RS to obtain channel state information; and feeds back the channel state information of the second frequency domain unit to the network device.

[0038] Furthermore, other technical effects of the communication method described in the second aspect can be referred to the technical effects of the communication method described in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0039] Thirdly, a communication device is provided. This communication device is used to perform the communication method described in either the first or second aspect.

[0040] In this application, the communication device described in the third aspect can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the terminal device or network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the terminal device or network device.

[0041] It should be understood that the communication apparatus described in the third aspect includes modules, units, or means that implement the communication method described in either the first or second aspect. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units for performing the functions involved in the aforementioned communication method.

[0042] Fourthly, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor configured to execute the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0043] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the fourth aspect and other communication devices.

[0044] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may further include a memory. This memory may be integrated with the processor or disposed separately. The memory may be used to store computer programs and / or data related to the communication method described in either the first or second aspect.

[0045] In this application, the communication device described in the fourth aspect can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the terminal device or network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the terminal device or network device.

[0046] Fifthly, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor coupled to a memory, the processor executing a computer program stored in the memory, such that the communication device performs the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0047] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fifth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the fifth aspect and other communication devices.

[0048] In this application, the communication device described in the fifth aspect can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the terminal device or network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the terminal device or network device.

[0049] A sixth aspect provides a communication device, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory being used to store a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, causes the communication device to perform the communication method described in either the first or second aspect.

[0050] In one possible design, the communication device described in the sixth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the sixth aspect and other communication devices.

[0051] In this application, the communication device described in the sixth aspect can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the terminal device or network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the terminal device or network device.

[0052] A seventh aspect provides a communication device comprising: a processor; the processor being configured to be coupled to a memory, and after reading a computer program from the memory, to execute a communication method as described in any implementation of the first or second aspect according to the computer program.

[0053] In one possible design, the communication device described in the seventh aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the seventh aspect and other communication devices.

[0054] In this application, the communication device described in the seventh aspect can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the terminal device or network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the terminal device or network device.

[0055] Eighthly, a processor is provided. The processor is configured to execute the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0056] Ninthly, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes one or more terminal devices and one or more network devices.

[0057] A tenth aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium comprising: a computer program or instructions; which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0058] Eleventhly, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0059] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication devices described in the third to eleventh aspects above can be referred to the technical effects of the communication methods described in the first or second aspects above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0060] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of carrier aggregation;

[0061] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of RRC reassortment;

[0062] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the switching between the active and deactivated states of the secondary cell;

[0063] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario for frequency domain unit switching provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the second application scenario of frequency domain unit switching provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0068] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the third application scenario of frequency domain unit switching provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0069] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in the embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0071] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as Wi-Fi wireless network systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication systems, such as long-term evolution (LTE) systems, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, 5G mobile communication systems, such as new radio (NR) systems, and future communication systems.

[0072] The technical terms and related technical solutions in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0073] Carrier aggregation:

[0074] The CA (Carrier Component) technology in NR (Network Radio) enables multi-frequency resource integration, aggregating spectrum resources in the same or different frequency bands for terminal use. This increases the transmission bandwidth of individual user equipment (UE), thereby improving overall network resource utilization and enhancing user experience. Specifically, CA aggregates two or more component carriers (CCs) to support greater transmission bandwidth. As shown in Figure 1, it can aggregate the primary component carrier (PCC) of the primary cell (PCell) and the secondary component carriers (SCCs) of multiple secondary cells (SCells), and can carry radio resource control (RRC) information on the primary component carrier of the primary cell.

[0075] Specifically, the primary cell is the cell where the user terminal establishes the initial connection, the cell where radio resource control connection reconstruction is performed, or the primary cell designated during handover. The PCell is responsible for RRC communication with the UE. The carrier element corresponding to the PCell is called the primary carrier. The downlink carrier of the PCell is called the DL PCC, and the uplink carrier is called the UL PCC.

[0076] A secondary cell (SCell) is added during RRC reconfiguration to provide additional radio resources. There is no RRC communication between the SCell and the UE. The carrier element corresponding to the SCell is called the secondary carrier. Specifically, the downlink carrier of the SCell is called the DL SCC, and the uplink carrier is called the UL SCC.

[0077] When configuring and adding a SCell, network devices manually establish a CA frequency point set and its included frequencies. The cells corresponding to these frequencies are candidate SCells. After the UE establishes an RRC connection with the PCell, the PCell combines the candidate SCells and the UE's capabilities to determine the SCell the UE needs to add. It then sends the relevant information of these SCells to the UE via an RRC reconfiguration message. The UE adds the SCell based on this information, as illustrated in Figure 2, which demonstrates the reconfiguration interaction process between the UE and the PCell. There are two ways for the UE to configure SCells: blind configuration and measurement-based configuration. In blind configuration, the UE directly configures the SCell based on the SCell information sent by the network device gNodeB. In measurement-based configuration, the cell's signal quality must also be considered; only when the cell's signal quality meets certain conditions can the cell be configured as an SCell.

[0078] In Release 15 (R15), NR defines two states for secondary cells: active and deactivated. When a secondary cell is active and configured with a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the UE needs to receive and detect the PDCCH of that cell and perform signal transmission based on network configuration and uplink / downlink scheduling information. When a secondary cell is deactivated, the UE does not need to perform any uplink / downlink signal monitoring or transmission in that secondary cell.

[0079] When a secondary cell is added, the default state of the SCell is deactivated. The network can instruct the UE to activate or deactivate the SCell via activation / deactivation control element (MAC CE) signaling. The switching between the secondary cell activation and deactivation states is shown in Figure 3. When the SCell is activated, the UE performs corresponding signal transmissions in that cell. Furthermore, the network can configure a deactivation timer for the terminal device. When the timer expires, the UE considers the SCell's state to have transitioned from active to deactivated.

[0080] However, future communication scenarios may place higher demands on spectrum resource utilization, which current carrier aggregation cannot meet. For example, if a terminal device supports carrier aggregation, although carrier aggregation can increase bandwidth, the terminal device can only communicate on the carriers configured for carrier aggregation, resulting in limited communication. For instance, taking the Telus operator's frequency bands, the n12 band is a frequency division duplex (FDD) band, and n29 is a supplementary downlink (SDL) band. The n29 band happens to be within the guard band of the n12 band, and there is only a 1MHz isolation bandwidth between the n29 and n12 bands. Using this bandwidth for carrier aggregation might cause interference, so they cannot be used simultaneously, leading to low utilization of the n29 band. Furthermore, even if a terminal device supports carrier aggregation, the number of carriers used for the supported aggregation is still less than the number of carriers that the network equipment can configure for the terminal device, resulting in underutilization of spectrum resources. Consequently, communication becomes even more restricted for terminal devices that do not support carrier aggregation, potentially causing them to be unable to use multiple carrier resources at all, resulting in resource congestion on a certain frequency band.

[0081] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application proposes the following technical solutions. The technical solutions in this application will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0082] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features relating to systems that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that individual systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, combinations of these approaches are also possible.

[0083] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" and "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being better or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the word "example" is intended to present the concept in a specific manner.

[0084] First, in this application, "for indicating" can include both direct and indirect indication. When describing "information" for indicating A, it can include whether the information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but does not necessarily mean that the information carries A.

[0085] The information indicated by a given piece of information is called the information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or its index. It can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be indicated. It can also indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the indication of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing the indication overhead to some extent. At the same time, common parts of various pieces of information can be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the indication overhead caused by individually indicating the same information.

[0086] Furthermore, the specific indication method can also be any existing indication method, such as, but not limited to, the above-mentioned indication methods and their various combinations. Specific details of various indication methods can be found in existing technologies, and will not be repeated here. As described above, for example, when multiple pieces of information of the same type need to be indicated, the indication methods for different pieces of information may differ. In the specific implementation process, the required indication method can be selected according to specific needs. This application embodiment does not limit the selected indication method; therefore, the indication methods involved in this application embodiment should be understood to cover various methods that enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated.

[0087] The information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information messages, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific sending method. The sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be predefined, for example, according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device. This configuration information can include, for example, but not limited to, one or a combination of at least two of radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) layer signaling, and physical layer signaling. MAC layer signaling includes, for example, a MAC control element (CE); physical (PHY) layer signaling includes, for example, downlink control information (DCI).

[0088] Second, in the embodiments shown below, the first, second, and various numerical designations are merely distinctions for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, to distinguish different indication information.

[0089] Third, "pre-defined," "pre-configured," or "pre-specified" can be achieved by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables, or other means of indicating relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminal devices and network devices), or by pre-defining them in a protocol. This application does not limit the specific implementation method. "Saving" can refer to saving in one or more memories. These memories can be separate installations or integrated into the encoder, decoder, processor, or communication device. Alternatively, some memories can be separately installed, while others are integrated into the decoder, processor, or communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and this application does not limit this.

[0090] Fourth, the “protocol” involved in the embodiments of this application may refer to standard protocols in the field of communication, such as 3GPP’s LTE protocols (such as technical specification (TS) 36, i.e., the TS36 series of technical specifications), NR protocols (such as the TS38 series of technical specifications), and related protocols applied to future communication systems. This application does not limit this.

[0091] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0092] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0093] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application will be described in detail first using the communication system shown in FIG4 as an example. Exemplarily, FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system to which the method provided in the embodiments of this application is applicable.

[0094] For example, the network devices may include network devices 201a to 201c, and the terminal devices may include terminal devices 202a to 202f. The terminal devices can be connected to the network devices wirelessly, and the network can be connected to the core network (not shown in Figure 4) via wired or wireless means.

[0095] Among them, network devices and terminal devices can exchange information.

[0096] Terminal equipment can be a terminal with transceiver capabilities, or it can be a chip or chip system installed in the terminal equipment. This terminal equipment can also be referred to as User Equipment (UE), Access Terminal, Subscriber Unit, User Station, Mobile Station (MS), Mobile Station, Remote Station, Remote Terminal, Mobile Equipment, User Terminal, Terminal, Wireless Communication Equipment, User Agent, or User Device. The terminal devices in the embodiments of this application may be mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, tablets, wireless data cards, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless modems, handsets, laptop computers, machine-type communication (MTC) terminals, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, smart home devices (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.), intelligent robots, robotic arms, workshop equipment, wireless terminals in autonomous driving, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in telemedicine, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, vehicle-mounted terminals, and roadside units with terminal functions. The terminal device in this application can also be an onboard module, onboard unit, onboard component, onboard chip, or onboard unit built into a vehicle as one or more components or units. The terminal device can also be other devices with terminal functions; for example, it can be a device that performs terminal functions in D2D communication. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal device. The device used to implement the terminal function can be a terminal device; it can also be a device that supports the terminal in implementing the function, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the terminal or used in conjunction with the terminal. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or include chips and other discrete devices.

[0097] Network devices can be devices with wireless transceiver capabilities, or they can be chips or chip systems located in the access network (AN) of a communication system to provide access services to terminals. For example, network devices can be called radio access network (RAN) devices, and can be RAN devices of 5G or future mobile communication systems. In future mobile communication systems, network devices may also have other naming conventions, all of which are covered within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application, and this application does not impose any limitations on them. Alternatively, network equipment can also include 5G, such as a 5G base station (next-generation node B, gNB) in a new radio (NR) system, or one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a 5G base station. It can also be network nodes constituting a gNB, transmission and reception point (TRP) or transmission point (TP), or transmission measurement function (TMF), such as a central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), CU-control plane (CP), CU-user plane (UP), or radio unit (RU), RSU with base station functionality, or wired access gateway, or 5G core network elements, etc. Alternatively, network equipment can also include: access points (APs) in WiFi systems, wireless relay nodes, wireless backhaul nodes, various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small cells), relay stations, access points, wearable devices, vehicle-mounted equipment, etc.

[0098] CU and DU can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RU can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs). It is understood that network equipment can be CU nodes, DU nodes, or a combination of CU and DU nodes. Furthermore, CUs can be classified as network equipment in the access network (RAN) or the core network (CN), without limitation. In different systems, CUs (or CU-CPs and CU-UPs), DUs, or RUs may have different names, but their meanings will be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in an ORAN system, a CU can also be called an O-CU (open CU), a DU can also be called an O-DU, a CU-CP can also be called an O-CU-CP, a CU-UP can also be called an O-CU-UP, and a RU can also be called an 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. In the embodiments of this application, the form of the network device is not limited; the device used to implement the function of the network device can be the network device itself; it can also be a device capable of supporting the network device in implementing that function, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device.

[0099] When the number of frequency domain units that a terminal device can simultaneously support for communication is less than or equal to the number of frequency domain units that a network device can configure for the terminal device, the network device can use scheduling information to schedule the terminal device to switch between different frequency domain units to transmit data. For example, the network device sends a first scheduling message to the terminal device in the first frequency domain unit, instructing the terminal device to switch to the second frequency domain unit. After receiving the first scheduling message from the network device in the first frequency domain unit, the terminal device switches to the second frequency domain unit, and the network device transmits data with the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit, thereby making full use of the frequency domain units configured by the network device for the terminal device. Therefore, the utilization rate of spectrum resources can be improved.

[0100] As shown in Figure 5, the network device includes an RRC signaling interaction module (RRC in Figure 5), a MAC signaling interaction module (MAC in Figure 5), and a PHY signaling and data interaction module (PHY in Figure 5). The terminal device includes an RRC signaling interaction module, a MAC signaling interaction module, and a PHY signaling and data interaction module.

[0101] Network devices and terminal devices can exchange RRC signaling via the RRC signaling interaction module. Network devices and terminal devices can exchange Media Access MAC CE signaling via the MAC signaling interaction module. Network devices and terminal devices can exchange one or more of the following via the PHY interaction module: uplink control signaling, downlink control signaling (such as DCI), uplink data, and downlink data.

[0102] It should be understood that the communication method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to the device shown in Figure 4, such as between a terminal device and a network device. Specific implementations can be found in the following method embodiments, which will not be repeated here. The solutions in this application embodiment can also be applied to other communication systems, and the corresponding names can be replaced with the names of the corresponding functions in other communication systems.

[0103] It should also be understood that Figure 4 is a simplified schematic diagram for ease of understanding only, and the communication system may also include other network devices and / or other terminal devices, which are not shown in Figure 4.

[0104] The interaction process between devices in the above-described communication system will be specifically described below with reference to Figure 6, through a method embodiment. The communication method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to the above-described communication system, such as the interaction between terminal devices and network devices, which will be described in detail below.

[0105] As shown in Figure 6, the flow of this communication method is as follows:

[0106] S601, the network device sends first scheduling information to the terminal device in the first frequency domain unit; correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first scheduling information sent by the network device in the first frequency domain unit.

[0107] The first scheduling information can instruct the terminal device to switch to the second frequency domain unit.

[0108] The first or second frequency domain unit can be any of the following: frequency band, bandwidth (BW), bandwidth-part (BWP), carrier, carrier group, subcarrier, or subcarrier group. The specific choice can be flexible and unrestricted based on actual conditions. A carrier group can include multiple carriers, and the specific number can be flexibly set and unrestricted based on actual conditions, such as a combination of 2, 3, or 6 carriers. A subcarrier group can include multiple subcarriers, and the specific number can be flexibly set and unrestricted based on actual conditions, such as a combination of 2, 3, or 6 subcarriers. For ease of understanding and description, this embodiment will subsequently use frequency domain units as frequency bands / carriers for examples.

[0109] For example, when the frequency domain unit is a carrier, this embodiment does not restrict whether the frequency domain unit belongs to the primary or secondary cell of the terminal device. For instance, the first frequency domain unit can be the primary carrier of the primary cell of the terminal device, and the second frequency domain unit can be the secondary carrier of the secondary cell of the terminal device. Furthermore, this embodiment does not restrict whether the frequency domain unit is a frequency domain unit in a time division duplex (TDD) system, an FDD system, or a carrier in a CA system. For instance, the first frequency domain unit can be a single carrier in an FDD system, and the second frequency domain unit can be a single carrier in a TDD system; or the first frequency domain unit can be multiple carriers in a CA system, and the second frequency domain unit can be a single carrier in a TDD system; and so on.

[0110] For example, when the frequency domain unit is a frequency band, taking the Telus operator frequency band as an example, the first frequency domain unit can be the n29 frequency band and the second frequency domain unit can be the n12 frequency band; or the first frequency domain unit can be the n29 frequency band and the second frequency domain unit can be the n12 frequency band and the SDL / FDD frequency band, and vice versa; and so on.

[0111] Before sending the first scheduling information to the terminal device from the first frequency domain unit, the network device needs to determine the second frequency domain unit to which it needs to switch. This second frequency domain unit can be a frequency domain unit that the terminal device supports switching to; that is, the network device can determine the second frequency domain unit based on the capabilities of the terminal device. The capabilities of the terminal device can indicate that the terminal device supports switching communication with the network device between different frequency domain units.

[0112] Network devices can pre-configure / predefine the capabilities of terminal devices. Alternatively, network devices can dynamically acquire the capabilities of terminal devices. One possible implementation involves the terminal device reporting handover capability information to the network device, which in turn receives this information. The handover capability information indicates the frequency domain units supported by the terminal device, including a first frequency domain unit and a second frequency domain unit. This allows the network device to switch the terminal device to its supported frequency domain units, avoiding communication failures caused by switching to unsupported frequency domain units due to a lack of awareness of the terminal device's capabilities.

[0113] For example, the capability information of a terminal device may include identifiers / indexes of multiple frequency domain units to indicate that the terminal device supports switching between these multiple frequency domain units, including a first frequency domain unit and a second frequency domain unit. Alternatively, the capability information of the terminal device may also include a bitmap, where the combination of multiple bit values ​​in the bitmap indicates which frequency domain units (including the first and second frequency domain units) the terminal device supports switching between. For example, a bitmap of 000 indicates that the terminal device supports switching between frequency domain unit 1 and frequency domain unit 2; a bitmap of 001 indicates that the terminal device supports switching between frequency domain unit 1 and frequency domain unit 3; a bitmap of 010 indicates that the terminal device supports switching between frequency domain unit 1 and frequency domain unit 2, and also supports switching between frequency domain unit 1 and frequency domain unit 3, and so on, without further elaboration.

[0114] For example, if the frequency domain unit is a frequency band, the handover capability information indicates that the terminal device supports handover between frequency band A and frequency band B, and between frequency band A and frequency band C. The network device can schedule the terminal device to handover from frequency band A to frequency band B, from frequency band A to frequency band C, or from frequency band A to any one of frequency band B and frequency band C. Furthermore, if the handover capability information indicates that the terminal device supports handover between any two frequency bands among frequency bands A, B, and C, the network device can schedule the terminal device to handover from frequency band A to frequency band B, from frequency band A to frequency band C, from frequency band A to frequency band B and frequency band C, from frequency band B to frequency band C, from frequency band B to frequency band C and frequency band A, or from frequency band C to frequency band B and frequency band A.

[0115] For example, as shown in Figure 7, this is a schematic diagram of frequency band switching provided in this embodiment; as shown in Figure 7 (1), the terminal device can switch from the n29 frequency band to the n12 frequency band. As shown in Figure 7 (2), the terminal device can switch from the n29 frequency band to the n12 frequency band and the SDL / FDD frequency band.

[0116] It is understandable that determining the second frequency domain unit based on the capabilities of the terminal device is only one example. For instance, the terminal device may support multiple frequency domain units for handover, and the network device can also comprehensively determine the second frequency domain unit based on factors such as communication quality and communication load, combined with the capabilities of the terminal device. In one possible design, the network device determines the second frequency domain unit from multiple frequency domain units based on their respective channel state information and load information, and generates first scheduling information; considering the channel state quality and load of frequency domain units in the entire network, the selected frequency domain unit is relatively idle and supported by the terminal device, thereby improving the spectrum resource utilization of the entire network and balancing the network load.

[0117] In addition, network devices can determine the second frequency domain unit based on whether the time domain unit on the frequency domain unit that the terminal device supports switching is configured for uplink or downlink transmission. In one possible design, at least one time domain unit corresponding to the first frequency domain unit is configured for uplink transmission. If downlink transmission is required between the terminal device and the network device within at least one time domain unit, a second frequency domain unit is determined from the multiple frequency domain units that the terminal device supports switching. At least one time domain unit corresponding to the second frequency domain unit is configured for uplink transmission to meet the downlink transmission requirements between the terminal device and the network device. For example, the time domain unit of carrier 1 is configured as DDDDUDUU, where D indicates that it is configured for downlink transmission and U indicates that it is configured for uplink transmission; the time domain unit of carrier 2 is configured as DDDDDDDDD. When the terminal user communicates with the network device on carrier 1, the fifth time domain unit is configured for uplink transmission and cannot transmit downlink data, but the terminal device still has downlink transmission requirements. Therefore, the network device can transmit data in the five time domain units (D) on carrier 2, and the terminal device can switch to the five time domain units (D) on carrier 2 for reception detection.

[0118] Furthermore, throughout the entire communication process between the network device and the terminal device, the network device can periodically acquire the channel state information of the second frequency domain unit. Before the first frequency domain unit sends the first scheduling information to the terminal device, the network device acquires the channel state information of the second frequency domain unit for the current period. If the channel state information for the current period indicates that the second frequency domain unit supports communication, then the first scheduling information is generated and sent to the terminal device from the first frequency domain unit; if the channel state information for the current period indicates that the second frequency domain unit does not support communication, then the first scheduling information is not generated, and the terminal device is not instructed to switch frequency domain units. Therefore, by considering the channel state quality of the second frequency domain unit before instructing the terminal device to switch frequency domain units, better scheduling can be performed, ensuring communication quality.

[0119] The specific implementation method for the network device to periodically acquire channel state information of the second frequency domain unit is not limited.

[0120] In one possible design, the channel state information for the current period of the second frequency domain unit is determined based on the channel state information of the previous period. For example, the channel state information of the previous period can be input into an artificial intelligence prediction model to predict the channel state information for the current period. This reduces the number of channel state quality measurements, lowers measurement overhead, and helps save energy for terminal devices. Predicting the channel state information for the current period using the channel state information of the previous period reduces the use of spectrum resources from terminal and network devices for channel state quality measurements, thus conserving spectrum resources.

[0121] In one possible design, the terminal device periodically performs Channel State Information (CSI) measurements in the second frequency domain unit. The terminal device periodically switches to the second frequency domain unit to acquire CSI, and the protocol defines the CSI measurement period and the switching gap during CSI measurements. For example, the network device periodically sends a reference signal (CSI-RS) for channel state measurement to the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit; correspondingly, the terminal device periodically receives the CSI-RS sent by the network device in the second frequency domain unit; the terminal device performs channel state measurements on the second frequency domain unit based on the CSI-RS to obtain channel state information; then, the terminal device feeds back the channel state information of the second frequency domain unit to the network device; correspondingly, the network device receives the channel state information of the second frequency domain unit fed back by the terminal device.

[0122] In one possible design, the network device can obtain the channel state information for the current period based on the channel state information of the previous period, thus enabling the reuse of the channel state information.

[0123] Based on the above, the first scheduling information can instruct the terminal device to switch to the second frequency domain unit, such as switching between different carriers or between different frequency bands. Specifically, the first scheduling information may include information for indicating the second frequency domain unit, such as the frequency point of the second frequency domain unit, the index of the second frequency domain unit (such as the index of a carrier, or the identifier of a frequency band, such as n29 or n12), or the frequency domain position offset of the second frequency domain unit. The frequency domain position offset of the second frequency domain unit can be the offset of any frequency point in the second frequency domain unit (such as the center frequency point, the start / end frequency point) relative to a certain reference frequency point.

[0124] Optionally, the first scheduling information may also include handover indication information to indicate a frequency domain unit switch. That is, the handover indication information, together with the information indicating the second frequency domain unit, instructs the terminal device to switch to the second frequency domain unit. Alternatively, the handover indication information may be implicit; for example, the first scheduling information carrying the information indicating the second frequency domain unit may implicitly indicate that a switch to the second frequency domain unit is required.

[0125] The first scheduling information can carry any possible message / signaling / channel. In one possible approach, the first scheduling information can be carried in the PDCCH, which the network device transmits in the first frequency domain unit. In this way, the terminal device can receive the PDCCH and obtain the first scheduling information by performing receive detection in the first frequency domain unit and at a time domain position predefined by the protocol. Of course, the first scheduling information can also be carried in other messages / signaling, such as RRC messages.

[0126] S602, the network device transmits data with the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit; correspondingly, the terminal device transmits data with the network device in the second frequency domain unit.

[0127] The data can be the terminal's business data, and there are no restrictions on the specific type.

[0128] Data can be carried in downlink data channels, such as the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH). In future communication systems, downlink data channels may have other names or implementations, without any specific limitations. As shown in Figure 8, an exemplary diagram illustrates the switching of frequency domain units for data transmission by a terminal device. The network device can send a PDCCH carrying the first scheduling information to the terminal device in the n29 frequency band. After the switching interval (i.e., the interval between the PDCCH and PDSCH needs to be greater than the switching interval), the network device can send a PDSCH carrying data to the terminal device in the n12 frequency band.

[0129] The specific implementation method for data transmission between network devices and terminal devices in the second frequency domain unit is not limited. In one possible design, synchronization requirements between the first and second frequency domain units are obtained. These requirements include at least one of the following: reception delay difference or reception power difference. When transmitting data with the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit, data can be transmitted in the second frequency domain unit according to the synchronization requirements. The reception delay difference can be the difference in the delay at which the terminal device receives data packets in the first and second frequency domain units, i.e., assuming the network device sends a data packet simultaneously in both the first and second frequency domain units, the difference between the times the terminal device receives the data packet in each of the two frequency domain units. The reception power difference can refer to the difference in the power required for the terminal device to receive data packets in the two frequency domain units. The terminal device has already synchronized with the network device in the first frequency domain unit, meaning some synchronization parameters, such as latency and power, have been determined. If synchronization conditions are pre-configured, when the terminal switches to the second frequency domain unit, it can synchronize with the network device in the second frequency domain unit solely based on the synchronization conditions and the aforementioned synchronization parameters, without needing to perform the communication synchronization process in the second frequency domain unit again, thus avoiding the overhead of performing the synchronization process. In one possible design, the MCS of the current period of the second frequency domain unit can be determined based on the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) of the previous period of the second frequency domain unit. The network device then transmits data with the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit according to the MCS of the current period.

[0130] In summary, when the number of frequency domain units that a terminal device can simultaneously support for communication is less than or equal to the number of frequency domain units that a network device can configure for the terminal device, the network device can use scheduling information to schedule the terminal device to switch between different frequency domain units to transmit data, thereby making full use of the frequency domain units configured by the network device for the terminal device and thus improving the utilization rate of spectrum resources; and the switched frequency domain units are relatively idle, which can balance the load of the entire network.

[0131] In the embodiments of the above communication method, the terminal device needs a switching time to perform reception detection when switching between different frequency domain units, and the switching time may vary between different terminals. Therefore, before receiving the first scheduling information sent by the network device in the first frequency domain unit, the terminal device reports the switching gap capability information to the network device. Correspondingly, the network device also receives the switching gap capability information reported by the terminal device. The switching gap capability information indicates the switching time required for the terminal device to switch between different frequency domain units. Here, the switching time can refer to the time required for the terminal device to switch from the previous frequency domain unit to the next frequency domain unit for reception detection, including the hardware (such as the receiver RF link, RX chain) and / or software. For example, the time required for the terminal device to switch from performing reception detection on the n29 band to preparing to perform reception detection on the n12 band. The specific value of the switching time is not limited, such as 35us, 210us, etc. When a terminal device switches between different frequency domain units, a switching time is required. The terminal device reports the switching time, and the network device waits for the terminal device to complete the switching before transmitting data to the terminal device. At this time, the terminal device is ready to receive detection in the switched frequency domain unit, thus improving the reliability of communication.

[0132] In conjunction with the above embodiments, after receiving the handover gap capability information reported by the terminal device, the network device can determine which frequency unit corresponds to which time unit the handover duration is specifically configured in when scheduling the terminal device to switch to the second frequency unit for data transmission, and inform the terminal device. This allows the terminal device to perform reception detection at a specific time position in a certain time unit, avoiding unnecessary communication overhead caused by performing reception detection during the handover duration. In one possible design, the network device sends an RRC message to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the RRC message sent by the network device accordingly. The RRC message includes first indication information or second indication information. The first indication information indicates that the handover duration is included in the time unit corresponding to the first frequency unit, and the second indication information indicates that the handover duration is included in the time unit corresponding to the second frequency unit. Here, the time unit can refer to any one of a frame, subframe, time slot, or slot, and the slot can be an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol.

[0133] Optionally, the first frequency domain unit corresponds to the first time domain unit. The starting time domain position of the first first time domain unit to the first time domain position of the last first time domain unit is used to carry the first scheduling information. The interval between the first time domain position and the ending time domain position of the last first time domain unit is the switching time. The number of first time domain units is not limited and is determined by the actual application requirements. The first time domain unit can refer to the time domain unit corresponding to the first frequency domain unit after the network device determines that the scheduling terminal device has switched from the first frequency domain unit to the second frequency domain unit. The last first time domain unit can refer to the last time domain unit configured for the terminal device before the network device switches to the second frequency domain unit to transmit data with the terminal device. Assuming the time domain unit is a slot, the starting time domain position can be the beginning position of a slot, and the ending time domain position can be the end position of a slot. The first time domain position is not limited and is related to the switching time and the duration of a time domain unit. Therefore, the terminal device does not perform reception detection between the first time domain position and the end time domain position of the last first time domain unit, but performs reception detection before the first time domain position. This allows reception detection to be performed only at the time domain position where the first scheduling information is located, thus avoiding the overhead of the terminal device.

[0134] Optionally, the second frequency domain unit corresponds to the second time domain unit. The interval between the starting time domain position of the first first time domain unit in the second time domain unit and the second time domain position is the switching time. The second time domain units after the second time domain position are used to carry data. The second time domain unit can refer to the time domain unit configured for the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit after the network device determines that the terminal device is switching from the first frequency domain unit to the second frequency domain unit. The second time domain position is not limited and is related to the switching time and the duration of a time domain unit. The terminal device does not perform reception detection between the starting time domain position of the first first time domain unit in the second time domain unit and the second time domain position, and performs reception detection after the second time domain position. This allows reception detection to be performed only at the time domain position where the data is located, avoiding the overhead of the terminal device.

[0135] For example, as shown in Figure 9, the figure exemplarily shows 10 time-domain units corresponding to the n29 frequency band and 10 time-domain units corresponding to the n12 frequency band. Here, a time-domain unit can refer to a slot. As shown in Figure 9 (1), the first time-domain unit can include the first slot (first first time-domain unit) and the second slot (last time-domain unit) of the n29 frequency band. The time-domain position from the start of the first slot to the first time-domain position of the second slot is used to carry PDCCH. The time interval between the first time-domain position and the end time-domain position of the second slot is a switching duration. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 9 (2), the second time-domain unit can include the third slot (first second time-domain unit) of the n12 frequency band and the slots thereafter. The time interval between the start of the third slot and the second time-domain position is a switching duration. The slots after the second time-domain position are used to carry data.

[0136] In conjunction with the above embodiments, when the network device transmits data with the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit, it can periodically determine whether to continue transmitting data in the second frequency domain unit based on the channel state information. If the channel state information of the second frequency domain unit indicates that communication is not supported, the terminal device can also switch frequency domain units to continue transmitting data. In one possible design, the channel state information of the second frequency domain unit is periodically determined. When the network device transmits data with the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit, it determines whether to continue transmitting data in the second frequency domain unit based on the channel state information of the current period. For example, if the channel state information of the current period indicates that the second frequency domain unit supports communication, then data transmission continues. If the channel state information of the current period indicates that the second frequency domain unit does not support communication, it can switch back to the first frequency domain unit to transmit data with the terminal device, or it can switch to another frequency domain unit that supports communication to transmit data with the terminal device. This frequency domain unit is one that the terminal device can switch to. Therefore, when the second frequency domain unit does not support communication, it can switch to another frequency domain unit that supports communication, thereby ensuring the communication quality between the terminal device and the network device after the switch.

[0137] If the channel state information of the current period indicates that the second frequency domain unit does not support communication, the specific implementation of switching back to the first frequency domain unit to transmit data with the terminal device is not limited; for example, the second frequency domain unit sends a second scheduling information to the terminal device, and the terminal device receives the second scheduling information accordingly; the second scheduling information instructs the terminal device to switch to the first frequency domain unit; and data transmission continues with the terminal device in the first frequency domain unit. Therefore, after switching to the second frequency domain unit to transmit data, it can switch back to the first frequency domain unit at any time, increasing the flexibility of resource configuration; and the network device can generate second scheduling information when it detects that the channel state information of the current period indicates that the second frequency domain unit does not support communication, so that even if the second frequency domain unit does not support communication, it can switch back to the first frequency domain unit to continue transmitting data, ensuring the reliability of communication.

[0138] In conjunction with the above embodiments, after the terminal device completes data transmission with the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit, it can immediately switch back to the first frequency domain unit to monitor the PDCCH, thus avoiding excessive configuration of resources for scheduling that could affect data transmission.

[0139] After the terminal device completes data transmission with the network device in the second frequency domain unit, it may need to provide feedback on the data transmission result. There is no restriction on whether the feedback is provided in the first or second frequency domain unit. In one possible design, after the terminal device completes data transmission with the network device in the second frequency domain unit, it switches to the first frequency domain unit to send feedback information to the network device. Correspondingly, the network device receives the feedback information sent by the terminal device in the first frequency domain unit. The feedback information indicates the result of the data transmission. Defining that all feedback from the terminal device is provided in the first frequency domain unit avoids excessive resource allocation for feedback, which could affect data transmission. The second frequency domain unit is temporarily allocated to the terminal device for data transmission; excluding feedback reduces the time domain resources occupied by the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit, allowing it to be allocated to more terminals and further improving frequency domain resource utilization. Furthermore, by providing feedback on the data transmission result, the network device can know which data transmissions were successful and which failed, enabling retransmission of failed data and ensuring overall communication reliability.

[0140] In conjunction with the above embodiments, if a behavioral restriction is detected in the terminal device, communication with the terminal device will not occur in other frequency domain units while the terminal device is communicating with the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit. For example, when the terminal device and the network device are transmitting data on an FDD carrier, the terminal device does not want to send or receive data on a TDD carrier. This avoids interference with the communication of the second frequency domain unit caused by communication in other frequency domain units.

[0141] The communication method provided by the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to Figures 6-9. The communication apparatus used to perform the communication method provided by the embodiments of this application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 10 and 11.

[0142] For example, FIG10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in FIG10, the communication device 1000 includes a transceiver module 1001. For ease of explanation, FIG10 only shows the main components of the communication device.

[0143] In some embodiments, the communication device 1000 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG5 to perform the functions of the terminal device in the communication method shown in FIG6.

[0144] The transceiver module 1001 is used to receive first scheduling information sent by the network device in the first frequency domain unit. The first scheduling information instructs the terminal device to switch to the second frequency domain unit.

[0145] The transceiver module 1001 is used to transmit data with the network device in the second frequency domain unit; wherein, the number of frequency domain units that the terminal device can support for communication at the same time is less than or equal to the number of frequency domain units that the network device can configure for the terminal device, and the frequency domain units that the network device can configure for the terminal device include the first frequency domain unit and the second frequency domain unit.

[0146] For details on the implementation of the first information, please refer to the relevant description in the method provided in Figure 6, which will not be repeated here. Optionally, the transceiver module 1001 may include a receiving module and a transmitting module (not shown in Figure 10). The transceiver module is used to implement the transmitting and receiving functions of the communication device 1000.

[0147] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include a storage module 1002 that stores programs or instructions. When the transceiver module 1001 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 1000 can perform the functions of the terminal device in the communication method shown in FIG6.

[0148] It should be understood that the transceiver module 1001 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and can be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0149] Furthermore, the communication device 1000 can be a terminal, a chip (system), or other components or parts, or a device containing a terminal; this application does not limit this. The aforementioned chip (system) or other components or parts can all be located in a terminal or network device. The technical effects of the communication device 1000 can be seen in the technical effects of the communication method shown in Figure 6, and will not be repeated here.

[0150] In other embodiments, the communication device 1000 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG5 to perform the functions of the network device in the communication method shown in FIG6.

[0151] The transceiver module 1001 is used to send first scheduling information to the terminal device in the first frequency domain unit, and the first scheduling information instructs the terminal device to switch to the second frequency domain unit.

[0152] The transceiver module 1001 is used to transmit data with the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit; wherein, the number of frequency domain units that the terminal device can support for communication at the same time is less than or equal to the number of frequency domain units that the network device can configure for the terminal device, and the frequency domain units that the network device can configure for the terminal device include the first frequency domain unit and the second frequency domain unit.

[0153] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include a storage module 1002 that stores programs or instructions. When the transceiver module 1001 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 1000 can perform the functions of the network device in the communication method shown in FIG6.

[0154] It should be understood that the transceiver module 1001 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and can be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0155] Furthermore, the communication device 1000 may be a network device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly disposed in the aforementioned network device, or a device containing the network device; this application embodiment does not limit this. The technical effects of the communication device 1000 can be referred to the technical effects of the communication method shown in FIG6, and will not be repeated here.

[0156] For example, Figure 11 is a second schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device can be a terminal device or a network device, or it can be a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be disposed in a terminal device or network device. As shown in Figure 11, the communication device 1100 may include a processor 1101. Optionally, the communication device 1100 may also include a memory 1102 and / or a transceiver 1103. The processor 1101 is coupled to the memory 1102 and the transceiver 1103, for example, they can be connected via a communication bus.

[0157] The following is a detailed description of each component of the communication device 1100 with reference to Figure 11:

[0158] The processor 1101 is the control center of the communication device 1100. It can be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, the processor 1101 can be one or more central processing units (CPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this application, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0159] Optionally, the processor 1101 can perform various functions of the communication device 1100 by running or executing software programs stored in the memory 1102 and calling data stored in the memory 1102.

[0160] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, processor 1101 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 shown in FIG11.

[0161] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, the communication device 1100 may also include multiple processors, such as processors 1101 and 1104 shown in FIG. 11. Each of these processors may be a single-core processor (single-CPU) or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). Here, a processor may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores used to process data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0162] The memory 1102 is used to store the software program that executes the solution of this application, and is controlled by the processor 1101 to execute it. The specific implementation method can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0163] Optionally, the memory 1102 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but not limited thereto. The memory 1102 may be integrated with the processor 1101 or may exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1101 through the interface circuit of the communication device 1100 (not shown in FIG. 11). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0164] Transceiver 1103 is used for communication with other communication devices. For example, if communication device 1100 is a terminal device, transceiver 1103 can be used to communicate with a network device or with another terminal device. As another example, if communication device 1100 is a network device, transceiver 1103 can be used to communicate with a terminal device or with another network device.

[0165] Optionally, transceiver 1103 may include a receiver and a transmitter (not shown separately in Figure 11). The receiver is used to implement the receiving function, and the transmitter is used to implement the transmitting function.

[0166] Optionally, the transceiver 1103 can be integrated with the processor 1101 or exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1101 through the interface circuit of the communication device 1100 (not shown in FIG11). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0167] It should be noted that the structure of the communication device 1100 shown in Figure 11 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device. The actual communication device may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0168] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 1100 can be referred to the technical effects of the communication method described in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0169] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a CPU, but it can also be other general-purpose processors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0170] It should also be 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. Non-volatile memory can be ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), EEPROM, or flash memory. Volatile memory can be RAM, which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0171] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware (such as circuits), firmware, or any other combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer programs are loaded or 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 website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more sets of available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium. A semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive.

[0172] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it can also represent an "and / or" relationship. Please refer to the context for a more accurate understanding.

[0173] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0174] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0175] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0176] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0177] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0178] 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.

[0179] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0180] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0181] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: First scheduling information is sent to the terminal device in the first frequency domain unit, and the first scheduling information instructs the terminal device to switch to the second frequency domain unit. Data is transmitted between the terminal device and the second frequency domain unit; Wherein, the number of frequency domain units that the terminal device can simultaneously support communication is less than or equal to the number of frequency domain units that the network device can configure for the terminal device, and the frequency domain units that the network device can configure for the terminal device include the first frequency domain unit and the second frequency domain unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the first frequency domain unit sends the first scheduling information to the terminal device, the method further includes: The terminal device receives handover capability information reported by the terminal device. The handover capability information indicates the frequency domain units that the terminal device supports for handover. The frequency domain units that the terminal device supports for handover include the first frequency domain unit and the second frequency domain unit.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Before the first frequency domain unit sends the first scheduling information to the terminal device, the method further includes: The terminal device receives handover gap capability information reported by the terminal device, the handover gap capability information indicating the handover duration required for the terminal device to switch between different frequency domain units.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: An RRC message is sent to the terminal device. The RRC message includes a first indication information or a second indication information. The first indication information indicates that the handover duration is included in the time domain unit corresponding to the first frequency domain unit, and the second indication information indicates that the handover duration is included in the time domain unit corresponding to the second frequency domain unit.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first frequency domain unit corresponds to the first time domain unit. The starting time domain position of the first first time domain unit to the first time domain position of the last first time domain unit is used to carry the first scheduling information. The first time domain position and the ending time domain position of the last first time domain unit are separated by the switching duration.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second frequency domain unit corresponds to the second time domain unit. The interval between the starting time domain position and the second time domain position of the first time domain unit in the second time domain unit is the switching duration. The second time domain unit after the second time domain position is used to carry the data.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the second frequency domain unit transmits data with the terminal device, the process further includes: The first frequency domain unit receives feedback information sent by the terminal device, the feedback information being used to indicate the result of the data transmission.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The channel state information of the second frequency domain unit is periodically acquired.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the channel state information of the second frequency domain unit in the historical period, the channel state information of the second frequency domain unit in the current period is determined.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Obtain the synchronization condition between the first frequency domain unit and the second frequency domain unit, wherein the synchronization condition includes at least one of the following: reception delay difference or reception power difference; The data transmission with the terminal device in the second frequency domain unit includes: According to the synchronization conditions, data is transmitted between the terminal device and the second frequency domain unit.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first frequency domain unit or the second frequency domain unit is any one of the following: frequency band, bandwidth, partial bandwidth, carrier, carrier group, subcarrier, or subcarrier group.

12. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to terminal devices, including: The terminal device receives first scheduling information sent by the network device in the first frequency domain unit, and the first scheduling information instructs the terminal device to switch to the second frequency domain unit. Data is transmitted with the network device in the second frequency domain unit; Wherein, the number of frequency domain units that the terminal device can simultaneously support communication is less than or equal to the number of frequency domain units that the network device can configure for the terminal device, and the frequency domain units that the network device can configure for the terminal device include the first frequency domain unit and the second frequency domain unit.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, Before the first frequency domain unit receives the first scheduling information sent by the network device, the method further includes: The terminal device reports handover capability information to the network device. The handover capability information indicates the frequency domain units that the terminal device supports for handover. The frequency domain units that the terminal device supports for handover include the first frequency domain unit and the second frequency domain unit.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, Before the first frequency domain unit receives the first scheduling information sent by the network device, the method further includes: The handover gap capability information is reported to the network device, and the handover gap capability information indicates the handover duration required for the terminal device to switch between different frequency domain units.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: The network device receives an RRC message, which includes a first indication message or a second indication message. The first indication message indicates that the handover duration is included in the time domain unit corresponding to the first frequency domain unit, and the second indication message indicates that the handover duration is included in the time domain unit corresponding to the second frequency domain unit.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first frequency domain unit corresponds to the first time domain unit. The starting time domain position of the first first time domain unit to the first time domain position of the last first time domain unit is used to carry the first scheduling information. The first time domain position and the ending time domain position of the last first time domain unit are separated by the switching duration.

17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The second frequency domain unit corresponds to the second time domain unit. The interval between the starting time domain position and the second time domain position of the first time domain unit in the second time domain unit is the switching duration. The second time domain unit after the second time domain position is used to carry the data.

18. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: After the second frequency domain unit completes the data transmission with the terminal device, it switches to the first frequency domain unit to send feedback information to the network device. The feedback information is used to indicate the result of the data transmission.

19. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the second scheduling information of the network device is received in the second frequency domain unit, the second scheduling information instructs the terminal device to switch to the first frequency domain unit; The data continues to be transmitted between the network device and the first frequency domain unit, or feedback information is sent to the network device from the first frequency domain unit, the feedback information being used to indicate the result of the data transmission.

20. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: The synchronization conditions between the first frequency domain unit and the second frequency domain unit are obtained, and the synchronization conditions include at least one of the receive delay difference and the receive power difference. The data transmission with the network device in the second frequency domain unit includes: According to the synchronization conditions, data is transmitted with the network device in the second frequency domain unit.

21. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first frequency domain unit or the second frequency domain unit is any one of the following: frequency band, bandwidth, partial bandwidth, carrier, carrier group, subcarrier, or subcarrier group.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-21.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, include: Processor and memory; The memory is used to store computer instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-21.

24. A communication device, characterized in that, include: Processor and interface circuits; among which, The interface circuit is used to receive code instructions and transmit them to the processor; The processor is used to run the code instructions to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-21.

25. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor and a transceiver, the transceiver being used for information exchange between the communication device and other communication devices, and the processor executing program instructions to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-21.

26. The communication device according to any one of claims 22-25, characterized in that, The communication device is a chip.

27. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-21.

28. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes: a computer program or instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-21.

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