Configuration method and apparatus, device, and storage medium

Abstract

A configuration method and apparatus, a device, and a storage medium, relating to the technical field of communications. The method comprises: a terminal device receives configuration information, wherein the configuration information is used for configuring an LP-WUS and N DRX groups, and N is an integer greater than 1 (410). In the method, a network device configures an LP-WUS and a plurality of DRX groups for a terminal device by sending configuration information to the terminal device, and the network device selects an appropriate DRX group for activation for the terminal device. On the one hand, the LP-WUS is used for waking up the terminal device to monitor a PDCCH, thereby helping to avoid unnecessary monitoring by the terminal device, and thus reducing power consumption of the terminal device. On the other hand, different DRX groups correspond to different scenarios, and the network device schedules the terminal device by using different DRX groups according to requirements, so that the terminal device can flexibly respond to the requirements of the network device, thereby improving the DRX efficiency of the terminal device.

Description

Configuration methods, apparatus, equipment and storage media Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a configuration method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In the DRX (Discontinuous Reception) mechanism, network devices send a wake-up signal to terminal devices to wake up the inactive terminal devices and enter the active period to listen to the PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) in response to the communication needs of network devices.

[0003] However, further research is needed on how to design a DRX mechanism to quickly respond to the communication needs of network devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a configuration method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. The technical solutions provided by this application are as follows.

[0005] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a configuration method is provided, the method being executed by a terminal device, the method comprising:

[0006] Receive configuration information, which is used to configure LP-WUS (low power WUS) and N DRX groups, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0007] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a configuration method is provided, the method being performed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0008] Send configuration information, which is used to configure LP-WUS and N DRX groups, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0009] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a configuration apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising:

[0010] The receiving module is used to receive configuration information, which is used to configure LP-WUS and N DRX groups, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0011] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a configuration apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising:

[0012] The sending module is used to send configuration information, which is used to configure LP-WUS and N DRX groups, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0013] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a communication device is provided, the communication device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, the processor executing the computer program to implement the configuration method executed by the terminal device described above, or to implement the configuration method executed by the network device described above.

[0014] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the storage medium storing a computer program, the computer program being executed by a processor to implement the configuration method executed by the terminal device described above, or to implement the configuration method executed by the network device described above.

[0015] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a chip is provided, the chip including programmable logic circuits and / or program instructions, which, when the chip is running, are used to implement the configuration method executed by the aforementioned terminal device, or to implement the configuration method executed by the aforementioned network device.

[0016] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product including computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium, wherein a processor reads from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions to implement the configuration method executed by the terminal device or the configuration method executed by the network device.

[0017] The technical solutions provided in this application embodiment may have the following beneficial effects:

[0018] Network devices configure LP-WUS and multiple DRX groups for terminal devices by sending configuration information. The network device can then select and activate a suitable DRX group based on communication needs. Firstly, LP-WUS is used to wake up the terminal device to listen to the PDCCH, helping to avoid unnecessary listening and thus reducing power consumption. Secondly, different DRX groups correspond to different communication scenarios. By using different DRX groups to schedule terminal devices according to communication requirements, the network device can flexibly respond to the network device's communication needs, improving the efficiency of the terminal device's DRX. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a discontinuous reception mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the working principle of LP-WUS provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a configuration method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a configuration method provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a configuration method provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 7 is a flowchart of a configuration method provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a configuration device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 9 is a block diagram of a configuration device provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] 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.

[0031] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) system, New Radio (NR) system, evolution of NR system, LTE-based access to unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) system, NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) system, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), and Wireless Fidelity (WF). Fidelity (WiFi), 5th-Generation (5G) systems, B5G (Beyound5G) systems, 6th-Generation (6G) systems, or other communication systems.

[0032] Traditional communication systems typically support a limited number of connections and are easy to implement. However, with the development of communication technology, mobile communication systems will not only support traditional communication but also, for example, device-to-device (D2D) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. The embodiments of this application can also be applied to these communication systems.

[0033] The communication system in this application embodiment can be applied to carrier aggregation (CA) scenarios, dual connectivity (DC) scenarios, and standalone (SA) network deployment scenarios.

[0034] The communication system in this application embodiment can be applied to unlicensed spectrum, wherein unlicensed spectrum can also be considered as shared spectrum; or, the communication system in this application embodiment can also be applied to licensed spectrum, wherein licensed spectrum can also be considered as non-shared spectrum.

[0035] The embodiments of this application can be applied to both non-terrestrial networks (NTN) and terrestrial networks (TN). NTN typically uses satellite communication to provide communication services to terrestrial users. Currently, NTN systems include NR-NTN and IoT-NTN systems, and other NTN systems may be included in the future.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 1, which shows a schematic diagram of a network architecture 100 provided in one embodiment of this application. The network architecture 100 may include: a terminal device 10, an access network device 20, and a core network element 30.

[0037] Terminal device 10 can refer to UE (User Equipment), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, wireless communication device, user agent, or user equipment. In some embodiments, terminal device 10 can also be a cellular phone, cordless phone, SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) phone, WLL (Wireless Local Loop) station, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, terminal device in 5GS (5th Generation System), or terminal device in the future evolved PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network), etc., and this application embodiment is not limited to these. For ease of description, the devices mentioned above are collectively referred to as terminal devices. The number of terminal devices 10 is usually multiple, and one or more terminal devices 10 can be distributed within the cell managed by each access network device 20. Terminal equipment can also be simply referred to as terminal or UE, the meaning of which can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0038] Access network device 20 is a device deployed in an access network to provide wireless communication functionality to terminal device 10. Access network device 20 may include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, access points, etc. In systems employing different wireless access technologies, the name of the device with access network device functionality may differ; for example, in a 5G NR system, it is called gNodeB or gNB. As communication technologies evolve, the name "access network device" may change. For ease of description, in this embodiment, the aforementioned devices providing wireless communication functionality to terminal device 10 are collectively referred to as access network devices. In some embodiments, a communication relationship can be established between terminal device 10 and core network element 30 through access network device 20. For example, in an LTE (Long Term Evolution) system, access network device 20 may be one or more eNodeBs in an EUTRAN (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network) or EUTRAN; in a 5G NR system, access network device 20 may be one or more gNBs in a RAN (Radio Access Network). In the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified, the term "network device" refers to access network device 20, such as a base station.

[0039] Core network element 30 is a network element deployed in the core network. Its main functions are to provide user connectivity, manage users, and bear services, serving as an interface to external networks. For example, core network elements in a 5G NR system may include AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) entities, UPF (User Plane Function) entities, and SMF (Session Management Function) entities.

[0040] In some embodiments, the access network device 20 and the core network element 30 communicate with each other via some air interface technology, such as the NG interface in a 5G NR system. The access network device 20 and the terminal device 10 communicate with each other via some air interface technology, such as the Uu interface.

[0041] The "5G NR system" in this application embodiment can also be referred to as a 5G system or an NR system, but those skilled in the art will understand its meaning. The technical solutions described in this application embodiment can be applied to LTE systems, 5G NR systems, and subsequent evolution systems of 5G NR systems (such as B5G (Beyond 5G, a fifth-generation mobile communication technology) systems, 6G systems (6th Generation System, a sixth-generation mobile communication system)), and other communication systems such as NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things) systems. This application does not limit these applications.

[0042] In this embodiment, the network device can provide services to a cell. The terminal device communicates with the network device through the transmission resources (e.g., frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources) on the carrier used by the cell. The cell can be the cell corresponding to the network device (e.g., a base station). The cell can belong to a macro base station or to a base station corresponding to a small cell. The small cell can include: metro cell, micro cell, pico cell, femto cell, etc. These small cells have the characteristics of small coverage area and low transmission power, and are suitable for providing high-speed data transmission services.

[0043] Before introducing the technical solution of this application, some related technical knowledge involved in this application will be introduced and explained. The following related technologies are optional solutions and can be arbitrarily combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, all of which fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. The embodiments of this application include at least some of the following contents.

[0044] I. DRX

[0045] In 5G NR systems, network devices can configure DRX functionality for terminal devices, enabling them to listen to the PDCCH discontinuously, thereby saving power. Each MAC (Media Access Control) entity has a DRX configuration, and the DRX configuration parameters include:

[0046] -drx-onDurationTimer (DRX Duration Timer): The duration for which the terminal device wakes up at the beginning of a DRX Cycle;

[0047] -drx-SlotOffset (DRX slot offset): The delay at which the UE starts drx-onDurationTimer;

[0048] -drx-InactivityTimer (DRX Inactive Timer): The duration for which the terminal device continues to listen to the PDCCH after receiving a PDCCH indicating an uplink or downlink initial transmission.

[0049] -drx-RetransmissionTimerDL (DRX Downlink Retransmission Timer): The maximum duration for the PDCCH that the UE listens for indicative downlink retransmission scheduling. Each downlink HARQ process, except for broadcast HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) processes, corresponds to one drx-RetransmissionTimerDL.

[0050] -drx-RetransmissionTimerUL (DRX Uplink Retransmission Timer): The longest duration for which the terminal device listens for the PDCCH indicating the uplink retransmission schedule. One drx-RetransmissionTimerUL corresponds to each uplink HARQ process.

[0051] -drx-LongCycleStartOffset (DRX Long Cycle Start Offset): Used to configure the subframe offset at the start of the Long DRX cycle (DRX Long Cycle), as well as the Long DRX cycle and Short DRX Cycle (DRX Short Cycle);

[0052] -drx-ShortCycle (DRX Short Cycle): Short DRX cycle, optional configuration;

[0053] -drx-ShortCycleTimer (DRX Short Cycle Timer): The duration during which the terminal device is in a Short DRX cycle (and has not received any PDCCH), which is an optional configuration;

[0054] -drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL (DRX-HARQ-RTT-Uplink Timer): The minimum waiting time that the terminal device expects to receive the PDCCH indicating downlink scheduling. Each downlink HARQ process, except for the broadcast HARQ process, corresponds to one drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL.

[0055] -drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL (DRX-HARQ-RTT-Uplink Timer): The minimum waiting time that the terminal device expects to receive the PDCCH indicating uplink scheduling. Each uplink HARQ process corresponds to one drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL.

[0056] If the terminal device is configured with DRX, the terminal device needs to listen to the PDCCH during the DRX activation period. The DRX activation period includes the following situations:

[0057] Any one of the following five timers is running: -drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, drx-RetransmissionTimerDL, drx-RetransmissionTimerUL, and ra-ContentionResolutionTimer (contention resolution timer for random access).

[0058] - An SR (Scheduling Request) was sent on the PUCCH and is currently in a pending state.

[0059] - In a contention-based random access process, the terminal device has not yet received an initial transmission of PDCCH scrambled with C-RNTI (Cell-RNTI, Cell-Radio Network Temporary Identifier) ​​after successfully receiving the random access response.

[0060] As shown in Figure 2, the terminal device determines when to start the drx-onDurationTimer based on whether it is currently in a short DRX cycle or a long DRX cycle, as specified below:

[0061] If the Short DRX Cycle is used, and the current subframe satisfies [(SFN×10)+subframe number]modulo(drx-ShortCycle)=(drx-StartOffset)modulo(drx-ShortCycle); or,

[0062] If Long DRX Cycle is used, and the current subframe satisfies [(SFN×10)+subframe number]modulo(drx-LongCycle)=drx-StartOffset:

[0063] The drx-onDurationTimer is started at a time after drx-SlotOffset slots (time slots) from the start of the current subframe.

[0064] II. CA (Carrier Aggregation)

[0065] To provide higher data transmission rates and improve user experience, 5G NR further increases system bandwidth compared to 4G. In 5G NR, for frequency bands below 6 GHz, the maximum bandwidth supported by a single carrier is 100 MHz; for frequency bands above 6 GHz, the maximum bandwidth supported by a single carrier is 400 MHz.

[0066] Similar to LTE systems, 5G NR also supports CA (Carrier Response) technology. For terminal devices supporting CA, in addition to a Primary Cell (PCell), the network's Radio Resource Control (RRC) can configure one or more Secondary Cells (SCells). SCells have two states: active and inactive. Only when a SCell is active can the terminal device transmit and receive data on that SCell. The terminal device can simultaneously listen to the PDCCH on the PCell and one or more active SCells, and transmit and receive data, thereby improving data transmission rates.

[0067] III. Dual DRX

[0068] In the NR system, each MAC entity corresponds to one DRX configuration. Furthermore, for the FR1 (Frequency Range 1) + FR2 (Frequency Range 2) CA scenario, a dual DRX feature is introduced. This means that two DRX groups can be configured for a single MAC entity, and the FR1 serving cell and the FR2 serving cell are mapped to different DRX groups. For the secondary DRX group, the network device configures a separate drx-InactivityTimer and drx-onDurationTimer. That is, the network device configures drx-InactivityTimer and drx-onDurationTimer for the primary DRX group and the secondary DRX group respectively, while the remaining DRX configuration parameters are common to both DRX groups. In this way, by configuring shorter duration drx-InactivityTimer and drx-onDurationTimer for the FR2 serving cell, the terminal device can enter the DRX inactive period for the FR2 cell as soon as possible when there is no scheduling requirement, thereby achieving the goal of further energy saving of the terminal device.

[0069] IV. LP-WUS (Low-Power Wake-Up Signal) Characteristics

[0070] Previous energy-saving technologies introduced for connected terminal devices were designed to keep the main receiver of the terminal device constantly powered on, including the DRX mechanism. Subsequent discussions have explored lower-power wake-up signals, namely ultra-low power WUS (LP-WUS). LP-WUS is more energy-efficient; the terminal device uses a lower-power receiver to receive the LP-WUS signal, meaning the main receiver is not used. The terminal device only activates the main receiver to listen for downlink signals after receiving the LP-WUS signal, thus achieving energy savings.

[0071] V. LP-WUR (Low-Power Wake-Up Receiver) / LP-WUS (Low-Power Wake-Up Signal) Projects

[0072] 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) introduced LP-WUS, which uses a lower-power receiver to receive data, meaning it doesn't use a master receiver. As shown in sub-diagram (a) of Figure 3, after a disconnected terminal device receives LP-WUS, it activates the master receiver to listen for paging messages, thus saving power. As shown in sub-diagram (b) of Figure 3, after an RRC-connected terminal device receives LP-WUS, it wakes up the master receiver to listen for PDCCH.

[0073] For connected terminal devices, the main function of LP-WUS is to wake up the terminal device's MR (Main Receiver) to listen to the PDCCH. Based on current standardization progress, the LP-WUS workflow for connected terminal devices mainly includes:

[0074] 1. LP-WUS must be used in conjunction with DRX;

[0075] 2. Supports the following two LP-WUS working mechanisms:

[0076] - Working Mechanism 1: The terminal device listens to LP-WUS before the start time of drx-onDurationTimer. LP-WUS is used to indicate whether the terminal device should start drx-onDurationTimer in the next DRX cycle.

[0077] - Working Mechanism 2: The terminal device can listen to LP-WUS at any time outside of DRX Active time. LP-WUS is used to trigger the terminal device to listen to PDCCH.

[0078] 3. Regarding the working mechanism, after receiving LP-WUS, the terminal device starts a new timer. During the operation of this new timer, the terminal device is in the active time.

[0079] Since both LP-WUS and dual DRX group are features introduced for power saving in terminal devices, allowing these two features to be used in combination will undoubtedly benefit power saving in terminal devices.

[0080] Please refer to Figure 4, which shows a flowchart of a configuration method provided in one embodiment of this application. This method can be applied to the network architecture shown in Figure 1. The method may include the following step 410.

[0081] Step 410: The network device sends configuration information to the terminal device. The configuration information is used to configure LP-WUS and N DRX groups, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0082] Accordingly, the terminal device receives configuration information sent by the network device.

[0083] In this application, configuration information refers to information used by a network device to control a terminal device in the DRX process. In some embodiments, the configuration information can be any of the following: RRC signaling, system messages, synchronization reference signals, etc., or other control signals; this application does not limit the specific type of control information. In some embodiments, the network device can broadcast system messages or synchronization reference signals carrying configuration information to the terminal device.

[0084] LP-WUS is used to wake up a terminal device to listen to the PDCCH. In some embodiments, for a terminal device, a DRX cycle includes an activator and an inactive period. When the terminal device is in the active period, it listens to the PDCCH sent by the network device. Optionally, when the terminal device is in the active period, it can also perform at least one of the following operations: receiving downlink data, sending uplink data, responding to the PDCCH, and may also perform other operations, which are not limited in this embodiment. When the terminal device is in the inactive period, it does not need to listen to the PDCCH, thereby allowing the terminal device to maintain a low-power connection state. In some embodiments, when the terminal device is in the inactive period, the network device sends LP-WUS to the terminal device to bring the terminal device from the inactive period into the active period.

[0085] A DRX group refers to a set of DRX configuration parameters related to DRX configuration. In some embodiments, for any one of N DRX groups, a DRX group includes at least one DRX configuration parameter. DRX configuration parameters are used to define the behavior of the terminal device during the DRX cycle. In some embodiments, DRX configuration parameters may include a series of DRX configuration parameters mentioned in the "I. DRX" section of the aforementioned related technical knowledge. In some embodiments, DRX configuration parameters may also include other configuration parameters, which are not limited in this application embodiment. In some embodiments, different DRX groups may include the same DRX configuration parameters or different DRX configuration parameters.

[0086] In some embodiments, the information used to configure LP-WUS in the configuration information may include, but is not limited to: signal period, resource configuration information, modulation and coding scheme (MCS) information, number of retransmissions, timing advance, wake-up indication information, etc., and may also include other information, which is not limited in this embodiment. The signal period refers to the time interval between any two adjacent transmissions of LP-WUS by the network device. In some embodiments, the signal period may be equal to the long period of DRX, or the network device may configure it as needed, which is not limited in this embodiment. The resource configuration information is used to indicate the transmission resources carrying LP-WUS. In some embodiments, the transmission resources may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: time domain resources, frequency domain resources, and code domain resources, and may also include other transmission resources, which is not limited in this embodiment. The modulation and coding scheme information is used to indicate the modulation method and coding rate of LP-WUS. The number of retransmissions refers to the number of times the network device retransmits the same LP-WUS to ensure that the terminal device can receive the LP-WUS. The timing advance refers to the time the terminal device listens for LP-WUS before entering the activation period. For example, assuming a time advance of 'a', at time 'a' before the start of the current DRX cycle, the terminal device begins listening to LP-WUS, where 'a' is greater than or equal to 0. In some embodiments, the unit of 'a' can be any of the following: time slot, frame, subframe, OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) symbol, second, millisecond, etc., and other methods can also be used; this application embodiment does not limit this. Wake-up prompt information refers to the information contained in LP-WUS, used to indicate whether the terminal device has entered the activation period.

[0087] In some embodiments, LP-WUS is used to carry wake-up indication information. In some embodiments, the wake-up indication information occupies one bit. In this case, the value of the wake-up indication information can be 0 or 1. In some embodiments, when the value of the wake-up indication information is 1, it indicates that the terminal device needs to enter the activation period; when the value of the wake-up indication information is 0, it indicates that the terminal device does not need to enter the activation period. Alternatively, when the value of the wake-up indication information is 0, it indicates that the terminal device needs to enter the activation period; when the value of the wake-up indication information is 1, it indicates that the terminal device does not need to enter the activation period. In some embodiments, if the terminal device receives LP-WUS, it indicates that the terminal device needs to enter the activation period; if the terminal device does not receive LP-WUS, it does not need to enter the activation period.

[0088] In some embodiments, the terminal device is in a connected state. In some embodiments, the terminal device is in an RRC connected state. In some embodiments, the network device can configure DRX for the terminal device by sending RRC signaling to the terminal device, the RRC signaling carrying configuration information. For example, the network device sends RRC connection reconfiguration signaling to the terminal device to configure DRX. Since terminal devices using the DRX mechanism enter a sleep state when there is no data transmission, they do not send or receive data, nor do they listen to the PDCCH. A terminal device in a sleep state needs to receive LP-WUS sent by the network device to be woken up in order to listen to the PDCCH and send or receive data. Therefore, the terminal device and the network device need to maintain a communication connection.

[0089] In this way, the terminal device using the DRX mechanism maintains a communication connection with the network device, ensuring that the terminal device can receive the LP-WUS sent by the network device during the inactive period and be woken up in time to respond to the network device's needs.

[0090] In some embodiments, N DRX groups are configured for the same MAC entity.

[0091] A MAC entity refers to the specific implementation of the MAC layer in a wireless communication protocol stack, responsible for managing data transmission and scheduling between terminal devices and network devices. In some embodiments, the MAC entity is the MAC entity corresponding to a terminal device. In some embodiments, one MAC entity corresponds to one terminal device. In some embodiments, the MAC entity is used to manage the aforementioned N DRX groups. In some embodiments, the management operations of the MAC entity for at least one DRX group include, but are not limited to: configuration management, timer management, monitoring and scheduling, etc., and may also include other management operations, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0092] Configuration management refers to the initial setup and configuration parameters of DRX groups. In some embodiments, the MAC entity stores or adjusts the various DRX groups based on the received configuration information. Timer management refers to controlling and monitoring the timers of the N DRX groups. For example, the MAC entity controls the start or stop of the timers for each DRX group. Another example is that the MAC entity detects the running status of the timers for each DRX group to ensure that these timers trigger or time out normally according to the configuration parameters of each DRX group. Yet another example is that the MAC entity handles operational anomalies of the timers for each DRX group and triggers recovery mechanisms, such as timing errors or failure to trigger as expected. Listening scheduling refers to controlling the listening operations of the terminal device. For example, how to listen to the PDCCH during the activation period of multiple DRX groups to avoid listening conflicts.

[0093] In some embodiments, N=2, that is, N DRX groups include: 2 DRX groups configured for the same MAC entity.

[0094] In some embodiments, the two DRX groups configured for the same MAC entity are designated as a second DRX group and a third DRX group. In some embodiments, the second DRX group may also be referred to as the default DRX group, and the third DRX group may also be referred to as the auxiliary DRX group. In some embodiments, the DRX configuration parameters included in the second DRX group may be partially different from those included in the third DRX group, or they may be completely different; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0095] For example, assuming that two DRX groups configured for the same MAC entity include the same types of DRX configuration parameters, the network device configures drx-InactivityTimer and drx-onDurationTimer separately for these two DRX groups, while the remaining DRX configuration parameters are the same. In the example, the two DRX groups are the default DRX group and the secondary DRX group, respectively. The default DRX group corresponds to the FR1 serving cell, and the secondary DRX group corresponds to the FR2 serving cell.

[0096] In some embodiments, the N DRX groups include: multiple DRX groups configured for the same MAC entity.

[0097] In some embodiments, the N DRX groups include: 1 DRX group configured for a MAC entity.

[0098] In some embodiments, the N DRX groups include: DRX groups configured for at least one MAC entity. In some embodiments, the N DRX groups correspond to at least one MAC entity. That is, in this case, the configuration information is used to configure a DRX group for at least one MAC entity. In some embodiments, the at least one MAC entity can be a MAC entity corresponding to the same terminal device, or it can be a MAC entity corresponding to different terminal devices; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0099] By configuring multiple DRX groups for the same MAC entity in the above manner, network devices can select the appropriate DRX group to activate according to communication needs. On the one hand, this helps to avoid unnecessary eavesdropping and reduce the power consumption of terminal devices. On the other hand, it helps to flexibly schedule transmission resources used for DRX and improve the utilization rate of transmission resources.

[0100] In some embodiments, the configuration information is also used to configure at least one secondary cell.

[0101] Secondary cells are used to provide wireless signals and data services to terminal devices. In some embodiments, the configuration information further includes: at least one DRX group corresponding to the secondary cell. That is, for any one of the at least one secondary cell, the configuration information is also used to configure a DRX group associated with that secondary cell.

[0102] In some embodiments, when two DRX groups are configured for the same MAC entity, the different DRX groups configured for the same MAC entity correspond to different frequency ranges. In some embodiments, when two DRX groups are configured for the same MAC entity, all secondary cells corresponding to any one of the two DRX groups belong to the same frequency range. In some embodiments, when multiple DRX groups are configured for the same MAC entity, all secondary cells corresponding to any one of the multiple DRX groups belong to the same frequency range. In some embodiments, when one DRX group is configured for one MAC entity, all secondary cells corresponding to that DRX group belong to the same frequency range.

[0103] For example, suppose the network device is configured with two DRX groups for the first MAC entity: a default DRX group and a secondary DRX group. At least one secondary cell corresponding to the default DRX group belongs to frequency domain range 1 (FR1), and at least one secondary cell corresponding to the secondary DRX group belongs to frequency domain range 2 (FR2). The first MAC entity is any one of the at least one MAC entity corresponding to the N DRX groups.

[0104] For example, assuming that the network device has configured one DRX group for the first MAC entity, then the DRX group is the default DRX group, and all secondary cells corresponding to the DRX group belong to the same frequency range 1 (FR1).

[0105] By using the above method, while configuring LP-WUS and DRX group for the terminal device, the corresponding serving cell is also configured for the terminal device. After the terminal device is woken up, the terminal device only listens to the PDCCH on the corresponding serving cell, avoiding the resource consumption caused by listening to the PDCCH on other serving cells.

[0106] The technical solution provided in this application embodiment configures LP-WUS and multiple DRX groups for the terminal device by sending configuration information to the terminal device. The network device can select a suitable DRX group to activate for the terminal device according to communication needs. On the one hand, LP-WUS is used to wake up the terminal device to listen to the PDCCH, which helps to avoid unnecessary listening by the terminal device, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device. On the other hand, different DRX groups correspond to different communication scenarios. The network device uses different DRX groups to schedule the terminal device according to communication needs, which helps the terminal device to flexibly respond to the communication needs of the network device and improves the efficiency of the terminal device's DRX.

[0107] The following describes four scenarios for waking up a terminal device.

[0108] (a) N DRX groups share one first timer

[0109] In some embodiments, N DRX groups share a first timer, and the configuration information is also used to configure the duration of the first timer.

[0110] The first timer is a timer used to control the DRX group activation period, indicating the maximum time window for the terminal device to wake up. In some embodiments, the first timer is drx-onDurationTimer. In other embodiments, the first timer is drx-InactivityTimer. In still other embodiments, the first timer is a new timer different from drx-onDurationTimer and drx-InactivityTimer. In some embodiments, the configuration information also includes a first timer duration, which is used to configure the duration of the first timer. In some embodiments, the duration of the first timer is indicated by the network device, configured or pre-configured by the network device, predefined by the standard, or depends on the implementation of the terminal device.

[0111] In some embodiments, please refer to FIG5, which shows a flowchart of a configuration method provided in another embodiment of this application, the method further comprising step 440.

[0112] Step 440: Upon receiving LP-WUS, the terminal device starts a first timer; during the operation of the first timer, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period on the serving cells corresponding to the N DRX groups.

[0113] In some embodiments, upon receiving LP-WUS, the terminal device starts a first timer based on configuration information. Receiving LP-WUS signifies that the terminal device has been woken up or is about to be woken up.

[0114] Being in DRX active period on the serving cell corresponding to any DRX group means that the terminal device is listening for downlink signals on the serving cell corresponding to that DRX group. The serving cell corresponding to any DRX group is at least one secondary cell belonging to that DRX group, determined by the network device through configuration information. In some embodiments, the downlink signal is a PDCCH. In some embodiments, the downlink signal may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: uplink scheduling information, downlink scheduling information, downlink data, acknowledgment signal, downlink reference signal, etc., and may also include other downlink signals, which are not limited in this application embodiment. Uplink scheduling information is used to indicate the transmission resources for uplink transmission by the terminal device. Downlink scheduling information is used to indicate the transmission resources for downlink transmission by the network device. Downlink data refers to the actual data sent by the network device to the terminal device. Acknowledgment signal is used to indicate whether the uplink transmission was successful.

[0115] A downlink reference signal is a reference signal sent by a network device to a terminal device. In some embodiments, the function of the downlink reference signal may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: synchronization, channel quality measurement, beam management, power control, channel estimation, etc., and may also include other functions, which are not limited in this application embodiment. Synchronization refers to the network device synchronizing communication between the accessing terminal device and the network device by sending the downlink reference signal. In some embodiments, communication synchronization includes time synchronization and frequency synchronization. Channel quality measurement refers to the process of evaluating the channel state carrying the downlink reference signal. Beam management refers to helping the terminal device select the optimal beam for signal transmission. Power control refers to the process of adjusting the transmission power of the uplink signal. In some embodiments, the downlink reference signal may include at least one of the following: Cell-Specific Reference Signal (CRS), Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), Phase Tracking Reference Signal (PTRS), Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), etc., and may also include other downlink reference signals, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0116] In some embodiments, the configuration information is also used to configure the terminal device's listening time for LP-WUS. Listening time refers to the moment or time window during which the terminal device listens to LP-WUS. In some embodiments, the unit of listening time can be any of the following: time slot, frame, subframe, OFDM symbol, second, millisecond, etc., or other methods can be used; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0117] In some embodiments, please refer to FIG6, which shows a flowchart of a configuration method provided in another embodiment of this application, the method further including step 420. Step 420 is performed before step 440.

[0118] Step 420: The terminal device listens to LP-WUS during the listening time for LP-WUS.

[0119] In some embodiments, the terminal device periodically listens to LP-WUS. In some embodiments, the period for the terminal device to listen to LP-WUS is determined based on the LP-WUS resource period. In some embodiments, the period for the terminal device to listen to LP-WUS is equal to the LP-WUS resource period. In some embodiments, if the terminal device does not detect LP-WUS during the LP-WUS listening time, the terminal device does not start the first timer.

[0120] In some embodiments, during the inactive period, the terminal device periodically listens to LP-WUS using LP-WUR; upon receiving LP-WUS, the terminal device wakes up the master receiver to listen for downlink signals on the serving cells corresponding to N DRX groups. In some embodiments, upon receiving LP-WUS at a first moment, the terminal device wakes up the master receiver; the terminal device starts a first timer and begins listening to PDCCH at a second moment. In some embodiments, the second moment is determined based on the wake-up time of the master receiver. The wake-up time of the master receiver refers to the time interval between the master receiver being woken up and being able to start listening to PDCCH. In some embodiments, the sum of the first moment and the wake-up time of the master receiver is determined as the second moment. In some embodiments, upon receiving LP-WUS at a first moment, the terminal device wakes up the master receiver and starts a first timer; the terminal device begins listening to PDCCH at a second moment.

[0121] For example, assuming the first moment is n and the wake-up time of the master receiver is a, then the second moment is n+a. Here, n and a are greater than or equal to 0. When a equals 0, it means that after receiving LP-WUS and waking up the master receiver, the terminal device can directly start listening to the PDCCH.

[0122] In some embodiments, the method further includes step 430.

[0123] Step 430: The network device sends an LP-WUS to the terminal device. The LP-WUS is used to trigger the start of the first timer. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the LP-WUS sent by the network device; the terminal device starts the first timer.

[0124] In some embodiments, please refer to FIG7, which shows a flowchart of a configuration method provided in another embodiment of this application, the method further including step 450.

[0125] Step 450: The network device sends a first signaling message to the terminal device. The first signaling message is used to trigger the stop of the first timer.

[0126] In some embodiments, the method further includes step 460.

[0127] Step 460: Upon receiving the first signaling, the terminal device stops the first timer.

[0128] The first signaling is used to trigger a first timer that is stopping the terminal device from running. In some embodiments, the first signaling includes at least one of the following: DRX command MAC CE, PDCCH skipping indication, and indication to schedule a new PDCCH transmission.

[0129] The DRX command MAC CE is a MAC layer control element used to notify the terminal device to adjust or stop DRX. In some embodiments, after the network device has completed data transmission and the first timer has not expired, the network device sends a MAC PDU (Protocol Data Unit) to the terminal device, which carries the DRX Command MAC CE. The PDCCH Skipping indicator instructs the terminal device to skip listening to the next PDCCH. In some embodiments, the PDCCH Skipping indicator instructs the terminal device to skip demodulation of the next round of PDCCH. The indicator for scheduling newly transmitted PDCCHs instructs the terminal device to prepare to receive new scheduling information.

[0130] In this way, the network device sends the first signaling to the terminal device according to the current communication needs, and in a timely manner suspends the currently running first timer, so as to avoid the terminal device from remaining in the active period when it does not need to receive downlink data, which helps to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0131] In some embodiments, if the terminal device does not receive the first signaling from the network device when the first timer expires, the terminal device stops the first timer.

[0132] Assuming N equals 2, this indicates that two DRX groups are configured for the MAC entity corresponding to the terminal device: a default DRX group and a secondary DRX group. When the terminal device receives LP-WUS, it starts a first timer to wake up these two DRX groups. During the execution of the first timer, the terminal device is active in the serving cell corresponding to each of these two DRX groups. If the terminal device receives the first signaling during the execution of the first timer, it stops the first timer.

[0133] In scenario (a), after receiving LP-WUS, the terminal device listens to the serving cells corresponding to multiple DRX groups during the activation period, but only uses one first timer for control. Therefore, the terminal device only needs to maintain one first timer to manage multiple DRX groups, which effectively reduces the power consumption of the terminal device and also reduces the complexity of the terminal device maintaining the first timer.

[0134] (ii) N DRX groups use N first timers with the same duration.

[0135] In some embodiments, each of the N DRX groups corresponds to a first timer, and the configuration information is also used to configure the duration of the first timer, which is shared by the N DRX groups.

[0136] In scenario (ii), after receiving LP-WUS, the terminal device starts and maintains a first timer for each DRX group, and the duration of the first timer for each DRX group is the same.

[0137] In some embodiments, upon receiving LP-WUS, the terminal device starts N first timers; wherein, for the first DRX group among the N DRX groups, during the execution of the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group, the terminal device is in the DRX active period on the serving cell corresponding to the first DRX group. In some embodiments, the first DRX group is any one of the N DRX groups.

[0138] In some embodiments, upon receiving LP-WUS, the terminal device starts N first timers according to configuration information. In some embodiments, upon receiving LP-WUS, the terminal device simultaneously starts N first timers according to configuration information.

[0139] It should be noted that the process of the terminal device listening to LP-WUS in situation (II) is similar to that in situation (I), so it will not be described in detail here.

[0140] In some embodiments, upon receiving a first signaling message, the terminal device has three ways to stop the first timer.

[0141] Method 1: The terminal device stops N first timers.

[0142] Method 2: If the terminal device receives the first signaling on the first serving cell, the terminal device stops the first timer corresponding to the DRX group to which the first serving cell belongs.

[0143] Method 3: The terminal device stops the first timer corresponding to the DRX group explicitly indicated by the first signaling.

[0144] For method 1, after receiving the first signaling, the terminal device simultaneously stops the first timer corresponding to each of the N DRX groups. This method is relatively simple and helps to quickly respond to the needs of network devices.

[0145] In method 2, the terminal device manages the N DRX groups separately. The network device can stop the terminal device's DRX in the first serving cell by sending a first signaling message on the first serving cell. In some embodiments, the first serving cell is the serving cell corresponding to any one of the N DRX groups. In some embodiments, the number of first serving cells can be single or multiple. In some embodiments, when the number of first serving cells is multiple, the terminal device receives the first signaling message on multiple first serving cells; the terminal device stops the first timer corresponding to multiple first serving cells.

[0146] Compared to Method 1, Method 2 is slightly more complex to implement, but it can more precisely stop the DRX on the serving cell corresponding to a specified DRX group without interfering with the DRX of other serving cells. In other words, when the network device has no communication needs on the serving cell corresponding to a specified DRX group, it can stop the first timer for that DRX group in a timely manner without waiting for the network device to complete the communication needs of other serving cells corresponding to DRX groups, thus avoiding power consumption of the terminal device due to unnecessary waiting.

[0147] For method 3, in some embodiments, the first signaling includes first indication information, which is used to indicate at least one DRX group. In some embodiments, upon receiving the first signaling, the terminal device simultaneously stops the first timer corresponding to at least one DRX group according to the first indication information in the first signaling.

[0148] For method 2, if the network device wants to stop the first timers corresponding to multiple DRX groups simultaneously, it needs to send first signaling on the serving cell corresponding to each of these DRX groups to instruct the terminal device to stop the corresponding first timers. Method 2 incurs significant signaling overhead and increases the complexity of the terminal device processing the first signaling. In method 3, under the same conditions, the network device only needs to send first signaling on any one serving cell to stop the specified multiple first timers. This method can accurately stop the first timers while saving signaling overhead.

[0149] It should be noted that the specific method used by the terminal device to stop the first timer is specified by the network device, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0150] Assuming N equals 2, this indicates that two DRX groups are configured for the MAC entity corresponding to the terminal device: a default DRX group and a secondary DRX group. Upon receiving LP-WUS, the terminal device starts a first timer for each of these two DRX groups to wake them up. The duration of the first timer for both DRX groups is the same. During the execution of the first timer, the terminal device is active in the serving cell corresponding to each of the two DRX groups. If the terminal device receives the first signaling during the execution of the first timer, it stops the first timer for the default DRX group and / or the first timer for the secondary DRX group.

[0151] In scenario (ii), upon receiving LP-WUS, the terminal device starts and maintains a first timer for each of the multiple DRX groups. The network device can then send a first signaling message to the terminal device to stop the first timer corresponding to a specified DRX group, based on communication requirements. In this case, the network device and the terminal device can manage each DRX group independently, enabling more flexible and accurate stopping of the first timer, allowing the corresponding serving cell to enter the inactive period as quickly as possible, and reducing power consumption caused by eavesdropping on the terminal device.

[0152] (III) Each of the N DRX groups uses its own first timer.

[0153] In some embodiments, N DRX groups each correspond to a first timer, and the configuration information is also used to configure the duration of each of the N first timers.

[0154] Case (3) is similar to Case (2), in which the terminal device starts and maintains a first timer for each of the N DRX groups. However, the difference is that the duration of the first timer for any two of the N DRX groups can be the same or different.

[0155] In some embodiments, the configuration information further includes: the first timer duration for each of the N DRX groups.

[0156] In some embodiments, upon receiving LP-WUS, the terminal device starts N first timers; wherein, for the first DRX group among the N DRX groups, during the operation of the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period on the serving cell corresponding to the first DRX group.

[0157] In some embodiments, upon receiving LP-WUS, the terminal device starts a first timer for each of the N DRX groups according to the configuration information. In some embodiments, upon receiving LP-WUS, for any one of the N DRX groups, the terminal device starts the corresponding first timer according to the duration of the first timer corresponding to that DRX group.

[0158] In some embodiments, the first DRX group is any one of the N DRX groups.

[0159] It should be noted that the process of the terminal device listening to LP-WUS in situation (iii) is similar to that in situation (i). The way the terminal device stops the first timer through the first signaling in situation (iii) is similar to that in situation (ii). Therefore, it will not be described in detail here.

[0160] Assuming N equals 2, this indicates that two DRX groups are configured for the MAC entity corresponding to the terminal device: a default DRX group and a secondary DRX group. When the terminal device receives LP-WUS, it starts a first timer for each of the two DRX groups based on the first timer durations of the default DRX group and the secondary DRX group, respectively, to wake up these two DRX groups. The durations of the first timers for the two DRX groups can be the same or different. During the execution of the first timer, the serving cell corresponding to each of the two DRX groups is active. If the terminal device receives the first signaling during the execution of the first timer, it stops the first timer for the default DRX group and / or the first timer for the secondary DRX group.

[0161] In scenario (iii), the network devices configure the duration of the first timer for each of the N DRX groups. The terminal devices independently manage and maintain each first timer, allowing them to independently control the listening time on each DRX group. This approach ensures that the activation period of each DRX group matches its corresponding communication needs, avoiding unnecessary power consumption and resource waste caused by uniformly controlling the first timer.

[0162] (iv) Activate some or all of the N DRX groups as needed

[0163] In some embodiments, configuring the first timer duration for N DRX groups includes the following two methods.

[0164] Method 1: Each of the N DRX groups corresponds to a first timer. The configuration information is also used to configure the duration of the first timer, which is shared by the N DRX groups.

[0165] Method 2: Each of the N DRX groups corresponds to a first timer, and the configuration information is also used to configure the duration of each of the N first timers.

[0166] Method 1 is consistent with the method of configuring the first timer duration for N DRX groups in Case (II). That is, Method 1 means that when LP-WUS is received, the terminal device simultaneously starts a first timer for each of the N DRX groups, and the duration of each first timer is the same.

[0167] Method 2 is consistent with the method of configuring the first timer duration for N DRX groups in Case (III). That is, Method 2 means that when LP-WUS is received, the terminal device simultaneously starts a first timer for each of the N DRX groups, and the duration of each first timer can be the same or different.

[0168] In some embodiments, the terminal device initiates the first timer in two ways. During the execution of the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period on the serving cell corresponding to the first DRX group. In some embodiments, the first DRX group is any one of N DRX groups.

[0169] Method 1: When the LP-WUS is received in the first DRX group among the N DRX groups, the terminal device starts the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group.

[0170] Method 2: Upon receiving LP-WUS, if LP-WUS explicitly indicates the first DRX group among N DRX groups, the terminal device starts the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group.

[0171] For Method 1, the listening timing refers to the transmission resources used to transmit LP-WUS. In some embodiments, different listening timings may correspond to different DRX groups or the same DRX group. In some embodiments, the correspondence between listening timings and DRX groups includes the following two types.

[0172] (1) One listening time corresponds to one DRX group

[0173] In some embodiments, the number of first DRX groups can be single or multiple. In some embodiments, when the number of first DRX groups is single, the network device sends LP-WUS at the listening time corresponding to the first DRX group. When LP-WUS is received at the LP-WUS listening time corresponding to the first DRX group among N DRX groups, the terminal device starts the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group.

[0174] In some embodiments, when there are multiple first DRX groups, the network device sends LP-WUS at multiple listening times corresponding to the first DRX group. If multiple LP-WUS are received at multiple listening times corresponding to the first DRX group in N DRX groups, the terminal device starts multiple first timers corresponding to the first DRX group.

[0175] (2) One listening opportunity corresponds to one DRX group

[0176] In some embodiments, a DRX group includes at least one DRX group. In some embodiments, different DRX group groups may include the same or different numbers of DRX groups. In some embodiments, when there are multiple first DRXs, the network device may indicate that the first DRX group to be woken up comes from one or more DRX group groups.

[0177] For method 1, the DRX group to be woken up by the network device is determined directly by the listening time used to carry LP-WUS, without the need to set the bit in LP-WUS to indicate the DRX group to be woken up, which helps to reduce the signaling overhead of LP-WUS.

[0178] In some embodiments, when the network device indicates that the first DRX group to be woken up comes from a single DRX group group, the network device sends an LP-WUS at the listening time corresponding to that DRX group group. In some embodiments, when the terminal device receives an LP-WUS at the listening time corresponding to that DRX group group, the terminal device starts a first timer corresponding to the DRX group included in that DRX group group.

[0179] For method 2, LP-WUS is also used to indicate the first DRX group. In one embodiment, LP-WUS includes a first DRX group index, which is used to indicate the first DRX group. In some embodiments, LP-WUS may also include other information for indicating the first DRX group, which is not limited in this application embodiment. In some embodiments, the listening times of the N DRX groups may be the same or different, which is not limited in this application embodiment. In some embodiments, upon receiving LP-WUS, the terminal device starts the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group according to LP-WUS.

[0180] For method 2, the process of waking up the DRX group is simplified by directly instructing the DRX group to be woken up through LP-WUS, ensuring that the terminal device can quickly respond to the communication needs of the network device.

[0181] It should be noted that the process of the terminal device listening to LP-WUS in situation (iii) is similar to that in situation (i). The way the terminal device stops the first timer through the first signaling in situation (iii) is similar to that in situation (ii). Therefore, it will not be described in detail here.

[0182] Assuming N equals 2, this indicates that two DRX groups are configured for the MAC entity corresponding to the terminal device: a default DRX group and a secondary DRX group. Upon receiving LP-WUS, the terminal device, according to the network device's instructions, starts a first timer for the default DRX group and / or the secondary DRX group to wake them up. The duration of the first timer for each of these two DRX groups can be configured to be the same or different. During the execution of the first timer, the terminal device is active in the serving cell corresponding to each of these two DRX groups. If the terminal device receives the first signaling during the execution of the first timer, it stops the first timer for the default DRX group and / or the secondary DRX group.

[0183] In scenario (iv), the network device supports configuring the duration of the first timer for multiple DRX groups as in scenarios (ii) and (iii), achieving the same effect. The network device can configure the duration of the first timer for each DRX group according to communication needs, helping terminal devices and network devices adapt to different communication requirements. Furthermore, it supports on-demand wake-up of DRX groups by the network device, preventing idle serving cells from remaining active and causing unnecessary listening for terminal devices, thereby reducing power consumption caused by PDCCH listening.

[0184] The above embodiments only describe the technical solution provided in this application from the perspective of interaction between terminal devices and network devices. The steps described above, performed by the terminal device, can be implemented independently as a wireless communication method on the terminal device side. Similarly, the steps described above, performed by the network device, can be implemented independently as a wireless communication method on the network device side.

[0185] The following are embodiments of the apparatus described in this application, which can be used to execute the embodiments of the method described in this application. For details not disclosed in the apparatus embodiments of this application, please refer to the embodiments of the method described in this application.

[0186] Please refer to Figure 8, which shows a block diagram of a configuration device provided in one embodiment of this application. This device has the function of implementing the configuration method on the terminal device side described above. This function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The device can be the terminal device described above, or it can be installed within a terminal device. As shown in Figure 8, the device 800 may include a receiving module 810.

[0187] The receiving module 810 is used to receive configuration information, which is used to configure LP-WUS and N DRX groups, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0188] In some embodiments, the N DRX groups share a first timer, and the configuration information is also used to configure the duration of the first timer.

[0189] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a processing module 820, configured to start the first timer upon receiving the LP-WUS; wherein, during the operation of the first timer, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period on all serving cells corresponding to the N DRX groups.

[0190] In some embodiments, each of the N DRX groups corresponds to a first timer, and the configuration information is further used to configure the duration of the first timer, the duration of which is shared by the N DRX groups.

[0191] In some embodiments, the N DRX groups each correspond to a first timer, and the configuration information is further used to configure the duration of each of the N first timers.

[0192] In some embodiments, the processing module 820 is further configured to start N first timers upon receiving the LP-WUS; wherein, for the first DRX group among the N DRX groups, during the operation of the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period on the serving cell corresponding to the first DRX group.

[0193] In some embodiments, the processing module 820 is further configured to, upon receiving the LP-WUS during the LP-WUS listening time corresponding to the first DRX group among the N DRX groups, start a first timer corresponding to the first DRX group; or, upon receiving the LP-WUS, if the LP-WUS explicitly indicates the first DRX group among the N DRX groups, start a first timer corresponding to the first DRX group; wherein, during the operation of the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period on the serving cell corresponding to the first DRX group.

[0194] In some embodiments, the processing module 820 is further configured to stop the first timer upon receiving a first signaling; wherein the first signaling includes at least one of the following: DRX command MAC CE, PDCCH skipping indication, and indication to schedule a newly transmitted PDCCH.

[0195] In some embodiments, the processing module 820 is further configured to stop N of the first timers; or, if the terminal device receives the first signaling on the first serving cell, to stop the first timer corresponding to the DRX group to which the first serving cell belongs; or, to stop the first timer corresponding to the DRX group explicitly indicated by the first signaling.

[0196] In some embodiments, the N DRX groups are configured for the same MAC entity.

[0197] In some embodiments, the N DRX groups include: two DRX groups configured for the same MAC entity.

[0198] In some embodiments, the configuration information is also used to configure at least one secondary cell.

[0199] In some embodiments, the terminal device is in a connected state.

[0200] The technical solution provided in this application embodiment configures LP-WUS and multiple DRX groups for the terminal device by sending configuration information to the terminal device. The network device can select a suitable DRX group to activate for the terminal device according to communication needs. On the one hand, LP-WUS is used to wake up the terminal device to listen to the PDCCH, which helps to avoid unnecessary listening by the terminal device, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device. On the other hand, different DRX groups correspond to different communication scenarios. The network device uses different DRX groups to schedule the terminal device according to communication needs, which helps the terminal device to flexibly respond to the communication needs of the network device and improves the efficiency of the terminal device's DRX.

[0201] Please refer to Figure 9, which shows a block diagram of a configuration device provided in another embodiment of this application. This device has the function of implementing the configuration method on the network device side described above. This function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The device can be the network device described above, or it can be installed within a network device. As shown in Figure 9, the device 900 may include a transmitting module 910.

[0202] The sending module 910 is used to send configuration information, which is used to configure LP-WUS and N DRX groups, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0203] In some embodiments, the N DRX groups share a first timer, and the configuration information is also used to configure the duration of the first timer.

[0204] In some embodiments, the sending module 910 is further configured to send the LP-WUS to the terminal device, the LP-WUS being used to trigger the start of the first timer; wherein, during the operation of the first timer, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period on all serving cells corresponding to the N DRX groups.

[0205] In some embodiments, each of the N DRX groups corresponds to a first timer, and the configuration information is further used to configure the duration of the first timer, the duration of which is shared by the N DRX groups.

[0206] In some embodiments, the N DRX groups each correspond to a first timer, and the configuration information is further used to configure the duration of each of the N first timers.

[0207] In some embodiments, the sending module 910 is further configured to send the LP-WUS to the terminal device, wherein the LP-WUS is configured to trigger the start of N first timers; wherein, for the first DRX group among the N DRX groups, during the operation of the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period on the serving cell corresponding to the first DRX group.

[0208] In some embodiments, the sending module 910 is further configured to send the LP-WUS to the terminal device at the LP-WUS listening time corresponding to the first DRX group among the N DRX groups, wherein the LP-WUS is used to trigger the start of the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group; or, send the LP-WUS to the terminal device, wherein the LP-WUS explicitly indicates the first DRX group among the N DRX groups, and the LP-WUS is used to trigger the start of the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group; wherein, during the operation of the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period on the serving cell corresponding to the first DRX group.

[0209] In some embodiments, the sending module 910 is further configured to send a first signaling to the terminal device, the first signaling being used to trigger the stopping of the first timer; wherein the first signaling includes at least one of the following: DRX command MAC CE, PDCCH skipping indication, and indication of scheduling a new PDCCH transmission.

[0210] In some embodiments, when each of the N DRX groups corresponds to a first timer, stopping the first timer includes: stopping all N first timers; or, if the terminal device receives the first signaling on the first serving cell, stopping the first timer corresponding to the DRX group to which the first serving cell belongs; or, stopping the first timer corresponding to the DRX group explicitly indicated by the first signaling.

[0211] In some embodiments, the N DRX groups are configured for the same MAC entity.

[0212] In some embodiments, the N DRX groups include: two DRX groups configured for the same MAC entity.

[0213] In some embodiments, the configuration information is also used to configure at least one secondary cell.

[0214] The technical solution provided in this application embodiment configures LP-WUS and multiple DRX groups for the terminal device by sending configuration information to the terminal device. The network device can select a suitable DRX group to activate for the terminal device according to communication needs. On the one hand, LP-WUS is used to wake up the terminal device to listen to the PDCCH, which helps to avoid unnecessary listening by the terminal device, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device. On the other hand, different DRX groups correspond to different communication scenarios. The network device uses different DRX groups to schedule the terminal device according to communication needs, which helps the terminal device to flexibly respond to the communication needs of the network device and improves the efficiency of the terminal device's DRX.

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

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

[0217] Please refer to Figure 10, which shows a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in one embodiment of this application. The communication device can be a terminal device or a network device as described above. The communication device 1000 may include a processor 1001, a transceiver 1002, and a memory 1003. The transceiver 1002 is used to implement sending or receiving functions, such as implementing the aforementioned sending and / or receiving functions, or implementing the functions of the aforementioned sending module and / or receiving module. The processor 1001 can be used to implement other processing functions or control sending and / or receiving, such as implementing the functions of the aforementioned processing module.

[0218] The processor 1001 includes one or more processing cores. The processor 1001 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules.

[0219] The transceiver 1002 may include a receiver and a transmitter. For example, the receiver and transmitter may be implemented as the same wireless communication component, which may include a wireless communication chip and a radio frequency antenna.

[0220] The memory 1003 can be connected to the processor 1001 and the transceiver 1002.

[0221] The memory 1003 can be used to store a computer program executed by the processor, and the processor 1001 is used to execute the computer program to implement the various steps in the above method embodiments.

[0222] In some embodiments, when the communication device 1000 is a terminal device, the transceiver 1002 is used to receive configuration information, which is used to configure LP-WUS and N DRX groups, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0223] In some embodiments, when the communication device 1000 is a network device, the transceiver 1002 is used to send configuration information, which is used to configure LP-WUS and N DRX groups, where N is an integer greater than 1.

[0224] For details not described in this embodiment, please refer to the embodiments above, which will not be repeated here.

[0225] Furthermore, the memory can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, including but not limited to: magnetic disks or optical disks, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, statically accessible memory, read-only memory, magnetic memory, flash memory, and programmable read-only memory.

[0226] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which is executed by a processor to implement the configuration method executed by the terminal device or the network device. In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium may include ROM (Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random-Access Memory), SSD (Solid State Drives), or optical disc, etc. The random access memory may include ReRAM (Resistance Random Access Memory) and DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

[0227] This application also provides a chip, which includes programmable logic circuits and / or program instructions. When the chip is running, it is used to implement the configuration method executed by the terminal device or the configuration method executed by the network device.

[0228] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor reads and executes the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium to implement the configuration method executed by the terminal device or the configuration method executed by the network device.

[0229] It should be understood that the term "instruction" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct instruction, an indirect instruction, or an indication of a relationship. For example, A instructing B can mean that A directly instructs B, such as B being able to obtain information through A; it can also mean that A indirectly instructs B, such as A instructing C, so B can obtain information through C; or it can mean that there is a relationship between A and B.

[0230] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "correspondence" may indicate that there is a direct or indirect correspondence between two things, or that there is an association between two things, or that there is a relationship of instruction and being instructed, configuration and being configured, etc.

[0231] In some embodiments of this application, "predefined" can be achieved by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminal devices and network devices). This application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, predefined can refer to what is defined in the protocol.

[0232] In some embodiments of this application, the term "protocol" may refer to standard protocols in the field of communications, such as LTE protocols, NR protocols, and related protocols applied in future communication systems. This application does not limit the scope of these protocols.

[0233] In this article, "multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0234] In this article, "greater than or equal to" can mean greater than or equal to, and "less than or equal to" can mean less than or equal to.

[0235] Furthermore, the step numbers described herein are merely illustrative of one possible execution order between steps. In some other embodiments, the steps may not be executed in the order of their numbers, such as two steps with different numbers being executed simultaneously, or two steps with different numbers being executed in the reverse order of the illustration. This application does not limit this.

[0236] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the functions described in the embodiments of this application in one or more of the above examples can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, these functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein communication media include any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Storage media can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0237] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A configuration method, characterized by, The method is executed by a terminal device, and the method includes: Receive configuration information, which is used to configure the low-power wake-up signal LP-WUS and N non-contiguous receive groups DRX groups, where N is an integer greater than 1.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The N DRX groups share a first timer, and the configuration information is also used to configure the duration of the first timer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The method further includes: Upon receiving the LP-WUS, the first timer is started; During the operation of the first timer, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period on all serving cells corresponding to the N DRX groups.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, Each of the N DRX groups corresponds to a first timer, and the configuration information is also used to configure the duration of the first timer, which is shared by the N DRX groups.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, The N DRX groups each correspond to a first timer, and the configuration information is also used to configure the duration of each of the N first timers.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Upon receiving the LP-WUS, start N of the first timers; Specifically, for the first DRX group among the N DRX groups, during the operation of the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period on the serving cell corresponding to the first DRX group.

7. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the LP-WUS is received in the first DRX group among the N DRX groups, the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group is started; or... Upon receiving the LP-WUS, if the LP-WUS explicitly indicates the first DRX group among the N DRX groups, then the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group is started; During the operation of the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period on the serving cell corresponding to the first DRX group.

8. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Upon receiving the first signaling, stop the first timer; The first signaling includes at least one of the following: DRX command media access control layer control element command MAC CE, physical downlink control channel skipping PDCCH indication, and indication of scheduling new transmissions of PDCCH.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, When each of the N DRX groups corresponds to a first timer, stopping the first timer includes: Stop N of the first timers; or, If the terminal device receives the first signaling on the first serving cell, it stops the first timer corresponding to the DRX group to which the first serving cell belongs; or, Stop the first timer corresponding to the DRX group explicitly indicated by the first signaling.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The N DRX groups are configured for the same MAC entity.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The N DRX groups include: two DRX groups configured for the same MAC entity.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The configuration information is also used to configure at least one secondary cell.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The terminal device is in a connected state.

14. A configuration method, characterized in that, The method is performed by a network device, and the method includes: Send configuration information, which is used to configure the low-power wake-up signal LP-WUS and N discontinuous reception groups DRX groups, where N is an integer greater than 1.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The N DRX groups share a first timer, and the configuration information is also used to configure the duration of the first timer.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: The LP-WUS is sent to the terminal device, and the LP-WUS is used to trigger the start of the first timer; During the operation of the first timer, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period on all serving cells corresponding to the N DRX groups.

17. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, Each of the N DRX groups corresponds to a first timer, and the configuration information is also used to configure the duration of the first timer, which is shared by the N DRX groups.

18. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The N DRX groups each correspond to a first timer, and the configuration information is also used to configure the duration of each of the N first timers.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that, The method further includes: The LP-WUS is sent to the terminal device, and the LP-WUS is used to trigger the start of N of the first timers; Specifically, for the first DRX group among the N DRX groups, during the operation of the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period on the serving cell corresponding to the first DRX group.

20. The method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that, The method further includes: At the LP-WUS listening time corresponding to the first DRX group among the N DRX groups, the LP-WUS is sent to the terminal device, and the LP-WUS is used to trigger the start of the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group; or... The LP-WUS is sent to the terminal device. The LP-WUS explicitly indicates the first DRX group among the N DRX groups. The LP-WUS is used to trigger the start of the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group. During the operation of the first timer corresponding to the first DRX group, the terminal device is in the DRX activation period on the serving cell corresponding to the first DRX group.

21. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 20, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first signaling message to the terminal device, the first signaling message being used to trigger the stopping of the first timer; The first signaling includes at least one of the following: DRX command media access control layer control element command MAC CE, physical downlink control channel skipping PDCCH indication, and indication of scheduling new transmissions of PDCCH.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that, When each of the N DRX groups corresponds to a first timer, stopping the first timer includes: Stop N of the first timers; or, If the terminal device receives the first signaling on the first serving cell, it stops the first timer corresponding to the DRX group to which the first serving cell belongs; or, Stop the first timer corresponding to the DRX group explicitly indicated by the first signaling.

23. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 22, characterized in that, The N DRX groups are configured for the same MAC entity.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, The N DRX groups include: two DRX groups configured for the same MAC entity.

25. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 24, characterized in that, The configuration information is also used to configure at least one secondary cell.

26. A configuration device, characterized in that, The device includes: The receiving module is used to receive configuration information, which is used to configure the low-power wake-up signal LP-WUS and N non-contiguous reception groups DRX groups, where N is an integer greater than 1.

27. A configuration device, characterized in that, The device includes: The transmitting module is used to transmit configuration information, which is used to configure the low-power wake-up signal LP-WUS and N discontinuous reception groups DRX groups, where N is an integer greater than 1.

28. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, the processor executing the computer program to implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, or to implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 25.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program that is executed by a processor to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, or to implement the method as described in any one of claims 14 to 25.

30. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes programmable logic circuitry and / or program instructions, which, when the chip is running, are used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, or to implement the method as described in any one of claims 14 to 25.

31. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which a processor reads from and executes to implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 25.

Images