Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method. The method comprises: a terminal device receiving a first low-power signal, wherein the first low-power signal is configured for indicating transmission of first information by a first module and waking up a second module, the first information comprises a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal, and power consumption of the second module is greater than power consumption of the first module. That is, by means of a received first low-power signal, a terminal device may determine use of a first module for transmitting first information, and wake up a high-power-consumption second module. Alternatively, it can be construed that the terminal device, by means of the first low-power signal, determines the use of the first module to transmit the first information prior to the second module being woken up, thereby enabling a high-power-consumption second receiver to wake up and immediately transmit data, and improving second receiver processing efficiency.

Description

A communication method and related apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411983521.3, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on December 27, 2024, entitled “A Communication Method and Related Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] To reduce the power consumption of terminal devices, a WUR (Wake-Up Receiver) mechanism can be introduced. This mechanism achieves energy saving by waking up the receiver. Specifically, the main module can go into sleep mode when there is no data transmission and wake up when data transmission is required. The wake-up receiver can receive or detect wake-up signals with ultra-low power consumption. Upon receiving a wake-up signal, the wake-up receiver can trigger the main module to wake up and transmit data. If the wake-up receiver does not trigger the main module to wake up, the main module remains in a powered-off state or a deep sleep state.

[0004] Even when there is no data transmission requirement, the terminal device may still receive and measure reference signals through the main module. For example, the terminal device may receive and measure periodic reference signals. Therefore, the main module of the terminal device may not be able to enter deep sleep mode due to factors such as receiving periodic reference signals. Therefore, further exploration of receiver energy efficiency is a future research direction. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and related apparatus. A first low-power signal can not only instruct a low-power first module to transmit first information, but also wake up a high-power second module. This enables the high-power second receiver to immediately transmit data upon waking, improving the processing efficiency of the second receiver.

[0006] This application provides a communication method that can be applied to a terminal side, such as a terminal or a communication module within a terminal, or a circuit or chip within the terminal responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip containing a modem core). In this first aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described using an example of it being executed by a terminal device. In this method, the terminal device receives a first low-power signal, which is used to instruct a first module to transmit first information and to wake up a second module. The first information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal. The power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module.

[0007] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device can use the received first low-power signal to explicitly use the first module to transmit the first information and wake up the high-power-consuming second module. Alternatively, the terminal device can use the first low-power signal to explicitly use the first module to transmit the first information before the second module wakes up, thus enabling the high-power-consuming second receiver to immediately transmit data upon waking, improving the processing efficiency of the second receiver and reducing transmission latency.

[0008] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first low-power signal is used to instruct the first module to transmit first information and to wake up the second module. Specifically, the first low-power signal is used to wake up the second module and trigger the first module to transmit the first information before the second module wakes up.

[0009] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the terminal device may further receive a second low-power signal, which is used for one or more of the following: activating or deactivating a first time period, the first time period being used by the first module to transmit first information; or indicating whether to switch from a first configuration to a second configuration, the first configuration and the second configuration being transmission configurations for the first information, the second configuration using fewer resources, lower power, simpler frequency hopping, and / or a longer period compared to the first configuration; or triggering the first low-power signal to take effect. In this possible implementation, the terminal device can use the second low-power signal to determine whether the first time period is activated, whether the configuration is switched, or whether the first low-power signal is triggered to take effect, thereby improving the flexibility of scheduling the terminal device through the second low-power signal.

[0010] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the second low-power signal fails after the first low-power signal is received. In this possible implementation, the failure of the first low-power signal can be implicitly indicated by the second low-power signal, thereby eliminating the need for additional indication information and saving indication overhead.

[0011] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the switch from the second configuration to the first configuration is triggered by a first event, the first event including one or more of the following: the moving speed of the terminal device is greater than or equal to a first threshold, and the terminal device includes a first module and a second module;

[0012] The time interval between the terminal device and the last measurement is greater than or equal to a second threshold; or, the actual channel information of the terminal device is greater than or equal to a third threshold compared to the configured channel information. In this possible implementation, the first event can be used in scenarios where the channel changes rapidly or significantly.

[0013] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the switch from the first configuration to the second configuration is triggered by a second event, which includes one or more of the following: the moving speed of the terminal device is less than or equal to a fourth threshold;

[0014] The time interval between the terminal device's last measurement and the current measurement is less than or equal to the fifth threshold; the actual channel information of the terminal device differs from the configured channel information from the sixth threshold. In this possible implementation, the second event can be used in scenarios where channel changes are slow or minimal.

[0015] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the terminal device may also transmit a reference signal for transmitting one or more of the following: beam information of the terminal device, location information of the terminal device, quality of service (QoS) of the terminal device, or terminal assistance information. In this possible implementation, some information is carried explicitly or implicitly through the reference signal. Network devices can know some of this information in advance, thereby scheduling the terminal device more reliably and faster.

[0016] A second aspect of this application provides a communication method, which is executed by a network device, or by a component (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system) within the network device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. In this second aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described as being executed by a network device. In this method, the network device sends a first low-power signal, which instructs a first module to transmit first information and wake up a second module. The first information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal. The power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module.

[0017] Based on the above technical solution, the network device can use the first low-power signal to not only instruct the first module to transmit the first information, but also to wake up the high-power-consuming second module. Alternatively, the network device can instruct the terminal device to use the first module to transmit the first information before the second module wakes up, thereby enabling the high-power-consuming second receiver to immediately transmit data upon waking, improving the processing efficiency of the second receiver.

[0018] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the network device may further send a second low-power signal, which is used for one or more of the following: activating or deactivating a first time period, the first time period being used by the first module to transmit first information; or indicating whether to switch from a first configuration to a second configuration, the first and second configurations being transmission configurations for the first information, the second configuration using fewer resources, lower power, simpler frequency hopping, and / or a longer period compared to the first configuration; or triggering the first low-power signal to take effect. In this possible implementation, the network device can use the second low-power signal to instruct the terminal device whether the first time period is activated, whether to switch configurations, or whether to trigger the first low-power signal to take effect, thereby improving the flexibility of scheduling the terminal device through the second low-power signal.

[0019] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the network device may also receive a reference signal used to transmit one or more of the following: beam information of the terminal device, location information of the terminal device, quality of service (QoS) information of the terminal device, or terminal assistance information. In this possible implementation, some information is carried explicitly or implicitly through the reference signal. The network device can know some information in advance, thereby scheduling the terminal device more reliably and faster.

[0020] The second aspect provides some possible implementation methods and beneficial effects, which can be referred to in the first aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0021] A third aspect of this application provides a communication device, which is a terminal device, or a component of a terminal device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a terminal device. Taking the terminal device as an example, the terminal device includes a transceiver unit. Alternatively, the terminal device includes both a transceiver unit and a processing unit.

[0022] The transceiver unit is used to receive a first low-power signal, which is used to instruct the first module to transmit first information and wake up the second module. The first information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal. The power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module.

[0023] In one possible implementation of the third aspect, the first low-power signal is used to instruct the first module to transmit first information and to wake up the second module. Specifically, the first low-power signal is used to wake up the second module and trigger the first module to transmit the first information before the second module wakes up.

[0024] In one possible implementation of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive a second low-power signal, which is used for one or more of the following: activating or deactivating a first time period, the first time period being used for the first module to transmit first information; or indicating whether to switch from a first configuration to a second configuration, the first configuration and the second configuration being transmission configurations for the first information, the second configuration using fewer resources, lower power, simpler frequency hopping and / or longer period than the first configuration; or triggering the first low-power signal to take effect.

[0025] In one possible implementation of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is also used to transmit a reference signal, which is used to transmit one or more of the following: beam information of the terminal device, location information of the terminal device, quality of service of the terminal device, or terminal auxiliary information.

[0026] The third aspect provides some possible implementation methods and beneficial effects, which can be referred to in the first aspect and will not be elaborated further.

[0027] A fourth aspect of this application provides a communication device, which is a network device, or a component of a network device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a network device. Taking the network device as an example, the network device includes a transceiver unit.

[0028] The transceiver unit is used to send a first low-power signal, which is used to instruct the first module to transmit first information and wake up the second module. The first information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal. The power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module.

[0029] In one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the first low-power signal is used to instruct the first module to transmit first information and to wake up the second module. Specifically, the first low-power signal is used to wake up the second module and trigger the first module to transmit the first information before the second module wakes up.

[0030] In one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to send a second low-power signal, which is used for one or more of the following: activating or deactivating a first time period, the first time period being used for the first module to transmit first information; or indicating whether to switch from a first configuration to a second configuration, the first configuration and the second configuration being transmission configurations for the first information, the second configuration using fewer resources, lower power, simpler frequency hopping and / or longer period than the first configuration; or triggering the first low-power signal to take effect.

[0031] In one possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is also used to receive a reference signal, which is used to transmit one or more of the following: beam information of the terminal device, location information of the terminal device, quality of service of the terminal device, or terminal assistance information.

[0032] The fourth aspect provides some possible implementation methods and beneficial effects, which can be referred to the second aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0033] A fifth aspect of this application provides a communication device, which includes a memory and one or more processors. The memory stores part or all of the computer program or instructions necessary to implement the functions described in the first aspect above. The one or more processors are capable of executing the computer program or instructions, which, when executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first aspect above.

[0034] In one possible design, the communication device may also include interface circuitry, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components via the interface circuitry.

[0035] In one possible design, the communication device may also include a memory.

[0036] The aforementioned communication device may be a terminal, or a communication module in a terminal, or a chip in a terminal that is responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip), or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) containing a modem module, or a chip or a system-in-package (SIP) chip.

[0037] The sixth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one processor, and a method for the at least one processor to implement any of the possible implementations of the second aspect described above.

[0038] In one possible design, the communication device further includes at least one memory, and at least one processor is coupled to at least one memory; the at least one memory is used to store a program or instructions; the at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions to enable the device to implement any of the possible implementations of the second aspect described above.

[0039] Understandably, at least one memory device may also be external to the communication device.

[0040] The seventh aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one logic circuit and at least one input / output interface; the logic circuit is used to perform a method as described in any possible implementation of the first or second aspect above.

[0041] The eighth aspect of this application provides a communication system, which includes a communication device that is an implementation of any of the possible embodiments of the third aspect and the fourth aspect.

[0042] The ninth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, perform a method as described in any possible implementation of either the first or second aspect above.

[0043] The tenth aspect of this application provides a computer program product (or computer program) in which, when the computer program in the computer program product is executed by the processor, the processor executes any possible implementation of either the first or second aspect described above.

[0044] The eleventh aspect of this application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor for supporting a method for a communication device to implement any possible implementation of the first or second aspect described above.

[0045] In one possible design, the chip system may further include at least one memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components. Optionally, the chip system may also include interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to at least one processor.

[0046] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects three through eleven can be found in the technical effects of different design methods in aspects one or two above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0047] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0048] Figure 1B is another schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0049] Figure 1C is another schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0050] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of an independent networking scenario involved in this application;

[0051] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of a dual-connection scenario involved in this application;

[0052] Figure 2C is another schematic diagram of macro and micro technologies involved in this application;

[0053] Figure 3 is a structural example diagram of the terminal device involved in this application;

[0054] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method involved in this application;

[0055] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the timing of the measurement of the first information involved in this application;

[0056] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the first time-domain offset involved in this application;

[0057] Figure 7 is an example diagram of the first low-power signal involved in this application during a first time period;

[0058] Figure 8 is an example diagram showing that the time domain location of the second low-power signal involved in this application can be located before the first time period;

[0059] Figure 9 is an example diagram showing that the time domain location of the second low-power signal involved in this application can be located within the first time period;

[0060] Figure 10 is an example diagram showing the relationship between the timing of the second low-power signal and the transmission configuration involved in this application;

[0061] Figures 11 to 14 are several structural schematic diagrams of the communication device involved in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0062] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0063] First, some terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0064] 1. Configuration and Pre-configuration: This application uses both configuration and pre-configuration. Configuration refers to the network device / server sending configuration information or parameter values ​​to the terminal via messages or signaling, so that the terminal can determine communication parameters or transmission resources based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration; it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-negotiated between the network device / server and the terminal device, parameter information or parameter values ​​specified by standard protocols for use by the base station / network device or terminal device, or parameter information or parameter values ​​pre-stored in the base station / server or terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0065] Furthermore, these values ​​and parameters can be changed or updated.

[0066] 2. In this application, "instruction" may include direct instruction, indirect instruction, explicit instruction, and implicit instruction. When describing a certain instruction information to indicate A, it can be understood that the instruction information carries A, directly indicates A, or indirectly indicates A.

[0067] In this application, the information indicated by the instruction information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementation, there are many ways to instruct the information to be instructed. For example, it can be implemented through direct instruction, such as through the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also be implemented indirectly by instructing other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed. Alternatively, only a part of the information to be instructed can be indicated, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent.

[0068] The information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information messages, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific sending method. The sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be predefined, for example, according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device. This configuration information can include, for example, but not limited to, one or a combination of at least two of radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control (MAC) layer signaling, and physical layer signaling. MAC layer signaling includes, for example, MAC layer control elements (CE); physical layer signaling includes, for example, downlink control information (DCI), uplink control information (UCI), sidelink control information (SCI), etc.

[0069] 3. In the embodiments of this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which may include sending directly through the air interface or sending indirectly through the air interface by other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which may include receiving directly from YY through the air interface or receiving indirectly from YY through the air interface by other units or modules.

[0070] "Sending" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, such as the baseband chip outputting information to the radio frequency chip, and "receiving" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface; for example, "sending" can also be understood as the baseband part inside the device outputting information to the radio frequency part, and "receiving" can also be understood as the radio frequency part inside the device receiving the information output by the baseband part.

[0071] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via buses, wiring, or interfaces.

[0072] It is understandable that information may undergo necessary processing, such as encoding and modulation, between the source and destination, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar statements in this application can be interpreted in a similar way and will not be elaborated further.

[0073] In the embodiments of this application, transmission includes sending and / or receiving. That is, transmission can be sending, receiving, or a combination of sending and receiving; no specific limitation is made here.

[0074] 4. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. "At least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority, or importance of multiple objects.

[0075] 5. In this application, the terms "exemplarily," "for example," etc., are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the term "example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding, relevant," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0076] 6. Reference signal (RS)

[0077] The reference signal can also be called a pilot, reference sequence, reference signal, or measurement signal. For consistency, the term "reference signal" will be used as an example in the following description.

[0078] Optionally, the reference signal may include one or more of the following: synchronization signal block (SSB), channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), positioning reference signal (PRS), sounding reference signal (SRS), physical downlink share channel (PDSCH-DMRS), physical uplink share channel (PUSCH-DMRS), physical downlink control channel (PDCCH-DMRS), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH-DMRS), phase noise tracking reference signal (PTRS), cell reference signal (CRS), or time / frequency domain tracking synchronization signal in a new radio (NR). (signal, TRS, etc., specific ones are not limited here.)

[0079] Optionally, the reference signal can be used for channel measurement, channel estimation, or beam quality monitoring. For example, the reference signal can refer to the CSI-RS used in downlink channel measurement, the SRS used in uplink channel measurement, or other reference signals mentioned above; no specific limitation is made here.

[0080] A specific application scenario is illustrated below: In frequency division duplex (FDD) communication, because uplink and downlink channels lack reciprocity or cannot guarantee reciprocity, network devices typically send CSI-RS to terminal devices. The terminal devices then measure the received CSI-RS to obtain the channel state information (CSI) of the downlink channel and feed it back to the network device. Based on this CSI, the network device can determine the resources for scheduling the downlink data channel of the terminal device, the modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and precoding configurations.

[0081] For example, CSI may include at least one of the following: precoding matrix indicator (PMI), channel quality indicator (CQI), rank indicator (RI), and channel state information reference signal resource indicator (CSI-RS resource indicator, CRI), layer indicator (LI), reference signal received power (RSRP), synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block resource indicator (SSBRI), etc.

[0082] Where RI is the rank of the channel matrix, reflecting the maximum number of downlink data streams allowed under the current channel conditions. LI is the data transmission layer number. The specific quantities in the CSI feedback from the terminal device can be determined according to the configuration, for example, "CSI-ReportConfig".

[0083] 7. Reference signal resources

[0084] Reference signal resources: These can be used to configure the transmission attributes of reference signals, such as time-frequency resource location, port mapping relationships, power factors, and scrambling codes. For details, refer to the relevant sections on reference signal resources in 3GPP technical specifications (TS) 38.211 and 38.331. Transmitting devices can transmit reference signals based on reference signal resources, and receiving devices can receive reference signals based on these resources.

[0085] To distinguish different reference signal resources, each reference signal resource can correspond to a reference signal resource identifier, reference signal resource indicator, or reference signal resource index. Examples include Channel State Information Reference Signal Resource Indicator (CRI), SSB Resource Indicator (SSBRI), and SRS Resource Indicator (SRI).

[0086] 8. Low-power signals (e.g., subsequent first or second low-power signals)

[0087] In this application embodiment, the low power signal includes one or more of the following: low power wake up signal (LP-WUS), chirp signal; on-off keying (OOK) signal, such as OOK-1, OOK-2, OOK-3, OOK-4 or an overlaid sequence based on OOK, etc. The low-power signal can also be a low-power sequence signal, such as: Gold sequence signal, M sequence signal, ZC sequence signal, Chirp sequence signal, Walsh sequence signal, Golay sequence signal, Kasami sequence signal, low-density sequence signal, Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) / Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) sequence signal, Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) signal, Symbol-based sequence signal, Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK) signal, Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) signal, or Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) signal, etc. Alternatively, the low-power signal can also be a signal obtained by optimizing the above signals, etc., which is not limited in this application. Optionally, the above low-power signal can be a digital signal or an analog signal.

[0088] Next, the communication system in the embodiments of this application will be described.

[0089] Please refer to Figure 1A, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 1000 used in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 1000 may also include an Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal device (120a-120j in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1A). The terminal device 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110, and the RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the core network 200. The core network device in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating the logical functions of the core network device and the logical functions of the RAN node. Terminal devices and RAN nodes can be interconnected via wired or wireless means.

[0090] RAN100 can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, an NR system, or a future radio access system as defined in 3GPP. RAN100 can also include two or more of the above-mentioned different radio access systems. RAN100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN).

[0091] RAN nodes, also known as radio access network devices, RAN entities, or access nodes, are used to help terminal devices access communication systems wirelessly. Furthermore, RAN nodes can also be called network devices, which are apparatuses deployed in a radio access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. Network devices can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small cells), relay stations, access points, etc. The names of network devices may differ in systems employing different radio access technologies. It is understood that all or part of the functions of the access network devices in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or specific device forms used in the radio access network devices.

[0092] In one application scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in a 5G mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A RAN node can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 1A, 110a), a micro base station or an indoor station (as shown in Figure 1A, 110b), a relay node or a donor node, or a radio controller in a Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN) scenario. Of course, in future communication systems, RAN nodes may also be wearable devices or vehicle-mounted devices, etc.

[0093] In another application scenario, multiple RAN nodes can collaborate to help terminal devices achieve wireless access, with different RAN nodes implementing different functions of the base station. For example, a RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Here, the CU performs the functions of the base station's Radio Resource Control Protocol (RRCP) and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and can also perform the functions of the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP). The DU performs the functions of the base station's Radio Link Control (RAN) and MAC layers, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For specific descriptions of these protocol layers, refer to the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. The RU can be used to implement radio frequency signal transmission and reception. The CU and DU can be two independent RAN nodes or integrated into the same RAN node, such as within a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in radio frequency equipment, such as in a remote radio unit (RRU) or an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0094] In different systems, RAN nodes may have different names. For example, in an O-RAN system, a CU can be called an open CU (O-CU), a DU can be called an open DU (O-DU), and an RU can be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN nodes in the embodiments of this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. For example, a RAN node can be a server loaded with the corresponding software modules. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the RAN nodes.

[0095] A terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, capable of sending signals to or receiving signals from RAN nodes. Terminal devices can also be called user equipment (UE), mobile stations, mobile terminal devices, etc. They can be widely used in various scenarios, such as wireless fidelity (WiFi) systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or device forms used in the terminal devices.

[0096] For example, a terminal device is a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices or smart wearable devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not just hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on only one type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets, smart helmets, and smart jewelry.

[0097] For ease of description, the communication system illustrated in Figure 1A is described using a base station as an example of an access network device. It is understood that when the communication system includes an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) network, the base station can be an IAB node. It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, the base station and the access network device can be interchanged.

[0098] Base stations and terminal equipment can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the base stations and terminal equipment.

[0099] The roles of base stations and terminal devices can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1A can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal devices 120j that access the wireless access network 100 through 120i, terminal device 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, 120i is a terminal device, meaning that 110a and 120i communicate via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 110a and 120i can also communicate via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, both base stations and terminal devices can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1A can be called communication devices with base station functions, and 120a-120j in Figure 1A can be called communication devices with terminal device functions.

[0100] Communication between base stations and terminal devices, between base stations, and between terminal devices can be conducted using licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or both simultaneously. Communication can be conducted using spectrum below 6 GHz, spectrum above 6 GHz, or both simultaneously. The embodiments of this application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0101] In the embodiments of this application, the functions of the base station can be executed by modules (such as chips) within the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes base station functions. This control subsystem, including base station functions, can be a control center in the aforementioned application scenarios such as smart grids, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. Similarly, the functions of the terminal device can be executed by modules (such as chips or modems) within the terminal device, or by a device that includes terminal device functions.

[0102] In this application, the base station sends downlink signals or downlink information to the terminal, with the downlink information carried on the downlink channel; the terminal sends uplink signals or uplink information to the base station, with the uplink information carried on the uplink channel. In order to communicate with the base station, the terminal needs to establish a radio connection on a cell controlled by the base station. The cell with which the terminal has established a radio connection is called the terminal's serving cell.

[0103] As can be understood, RAN100, as previously described, includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal device (120a-120j in Figure 1A, collectively referred to as 120).

[0104] In one possible implementation, the communication system shown in Figure 1A can also be as shown in Figure 1B, comprising a RAN node 110 and multiple terminal devices (120A and 120B in Figure 1B). In this case, a single RAN node can transmit data or control signaling to one or more terminal devices.

[0105] In another possible implementation, the communication system shown in Figure 1A can also be as shown in Figure 1C, comprising multiple RAN nodes (110A, 110B, and 110C in Figure 1C) 110 and a terminal device 120. In this case, the multiple RAN nodes can simultaneously transmit data or control signaling to a single terminal device.

[0106] The technical solution of this application can be applied to cellular communication systems related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). For example, 4th generation (4G) communication systems, 5G communication systems, and communication systems beyond the 5th generation. For example, future communication systems. For example, 4th generation communication systems may include Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication systems. 5th generation communication systems may include NR communication systems. The technical solution of this application can also be applied to WiFi systems, standalone (SA) scenarios, dual connectivity (DC), macro-micro scenarios composed of base stations of different forms (e.g., scenarios with both wide-coverage and small-coverage base stations), D2D systems, V2X communication systems, non-terrestrial networks (NTN), IAB communication scenarios, reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) communication scenarios, etc., and is not specifically limited here.

[0107] For ease of description, the following description will use RAN nodes represented by network devices as an example.

[0108] As an example, Figure 2A illustrates an SA scenario where a terminal device is connected to a single network device. The network device to which the terminal device is connected, and the core network to which the network device is connected, are of the same standard. Optionally, the standard may refer to radio access technology (RAT).

[0109] For example, in the implementation of the 5G standard, the core network can be called the 5G core network (denoted as 5G Core), the network equipment can be called the 5G base station (denoted as 5G BS), and the 5G BS is connected to the 5G Core.

[0110] For example, in the implementation of a future standard (denoted as XG), the core network can be called the XG core network (denoted as XG Core), and the network equipment can be called XG base stations (denoted as XG BS), with the XG BS connected to the XG Core. Here, X is a positive integer or fraction greater than 5, and different X values ​​are used to represent different standards.

[0111] As an example, a DC scenario is shown in Figure 2B, where the terminal device is connected to both network device 1 and network device 2. Network device 1 and network device 2 can be network devices of different standards or network devices of the same standard.

[0112] For example, the core network is 5G Core, and the terminal device is connected to both 5G network equipment and XG network equipment. Among them, the 5G network equipment is the master station and the XG network equipment is the auxiliary station.

[0113] For example, the core network is XG Core, and the terminal device connects to both XG network equipment and 5G network equipment. The XG network equipment acts as the primary station, and the 5G network equipment acts as the secondary station.

[0114] For example, the core network is an XG Core, and the terminal device is connected to two XG network devices at the same time, that is, the main station and the auxiliary station are both XG network devices.

[0115] For example, an example of a macro-micro scenario is shown in the two ellipses in Figure 1A. Taking the network device name as a base station as an example, a macro-micro scenario can also be understood as a scenario where both wide-coverage base stations and small-coverage base stations exist simultaneously. Both wide-coverage base stations and small-coverage base stations can serve as access network elements for terminal devices. The signal coverage area of ​​the wide-coverage base station (represented by the larger solid ellipse in Figure 2A) is larger than the signal coverage area of ​​the small-coverage base station (represented by the smaller dashed ellipse in Figure 2A), and the signal coverage areas of the wide-coverage base station and the small-coverage base station overlap.

[0116] Optionally, the signal coverage area of ​​a small-coverage base station is a subset of the signal coverage area of ​​a wide-coverage base station.

[0117] As an example, another example of a macro-micro scenario is shown in Figure 2C. Taking the network device name as a base station as an example, a macro-micro scenario can also be understood as a scenario where both a super base station (super BS) and a ground base station exist simultaneously. The super BS can be a satellite, high altitude platform station (HAPS), air balloon station, drone station, broadcast station, or other implementation methods. The ground base station can be a cellular station in the communication system, such as a macro station, small station, micro station, or other implementation methods.

[0118] In Figure 2C, both the super BS and the terrestrial base station can serve as access network elements for terminal devices. The signal coverage area of ​​the super BS (represented by the elliptical dashed box in Figure 2C) is larger than the signal coverage area of ​​the terrestrial base station (represented by the hexagonal box in Figure 2C), and the signal coverage areas of the super BS and the terrestrial base station overlap.

[0119] Optionally, in the scenarios shown in Figures 1A and 2C, base stations with larger signal coverage areas can be referred to as macro base stations, and base stations with smaller signal coverage areas can be referred to as micro base stations. Therefore, the scenarios shown in Figures 1A and 2C can also be referred to as macro-micro scenarios.

[0120] It should be noted that in practical applications, the shape of the signal coverage area is not limited to the above-mentioned elliptical and hexagonal implementations. For example, the shape of the signal coverage area can also be rectangular, circular, or irregular. No limitation is made here.

[0121] To reduce the power consumption of terminal devices, they can be woken up when data transmission is needed. This mechanism can be implemented using a wake-up receiver. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the terminal device includes a main module and a wake-up receiver (WUR). The wake-up receiver can receive or detect wake-up signals with ultra-low power consumption. Upon receiving a wake-up signal, the wake-up receiver can trigger the main module to wake up and transmit data.

[0122] Therefore, further exploration of energy conservation in terminal devices is a future research direction.

[0123] Therefore, embodiments of this application provide a communication method and related equipment. A first low-power signal can not only instruct a low-power first module to transmit first information, but also wake up a high-power second module. This enables the high-power second receiver to immediately transmit data upon waking, improving the processing efficiency of the second receiver.

[0124] Please refer to Figure 4, a flowchart corresponding to Scheme 1 provided in this application embodiment. The method may include steps 401 to 403. Steps 401 to 403 can be executed by a communication device, or by some components of the communication device (e.g., processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device. The following description uses execution by a communication device as an example. The processing performed by a single execution entity in steps 401 to 403 can also be divided into multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, when the communication device is an access network device, the processing performed by the communication device can be divided into execution by at least one of network elements such as CU, DU, and RU. This method can be applied to any of the system architectures shown in Figures 1A to 3 above, and is not specifically limited here.

[0125] Due to the long intervals between the steps, steps 401 to 403 are briefly described here first, and then described in detail later. Step 401: The network device sends a first low-power signal to the terminal device. Step 402: The network device sends a second low-power signal to the terminal device. Step 403: The terminal device transmits first information based on the first low-power signal. Optionally, the type of terminal device can also be referred to as the user type. For example, the user type may include one or more of the following: artificial intelligence (AI) user, Redcap service user, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) user, ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) user, XR user, IoT user, 5G user, LTE user, NR user, etc., without specific limitations here. Correspondingly, a specific type of terminal device can be at least one of the above types, without specific limitations here.

[0126] The following is a detailed description of each step:

[0127] Step 401: The network device sends a first low-power signal to the terminal device.

[0128] In step 401, the network device sends a first low-power signal to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first low-power signal sent by the network device. The terminal device can be one of the terminal devices shown in Figures 1A to 2C, and the network device can be a RAN node or base station, etc., as shown in Figures 1A to 2C.

[0129] Optionally, the first low-power signal may carry at least one of the following information: RRC signaling, MAC CE, physical layer signaling DCI, or physical random access channel (PBCH), etc., without being limited here.

[0130] Optionally, the network device may send the first low-power signal to all terminal devices within its coverage area, or it may send the first low-power signal to a specific terminal device, etc., without any specific limitation here.

[0131] In this context, "specific terminal device" can be understood as a terminal device in a specific location, a terminal device with a specific identifier, or a terminal device of a specific type, etc., without any specific limitations here.

[0132] This step 401 is described in two parts: one part describes the terminal device provided in the embodiments of this application, and the other part describes the first low-power signal mentioned above.

[0133] Part 1: Optionally, LR can be used to transmit low-power signals or to notify MR of one or more of its wake-up / sleep / receive information functions.

[0134] It should be noted that the LR proposed in this application embodiment is not limited to receiving signals for waking up the MR; the LR may also be used to transmit first information. This first information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal. Alternatively, it can be understood that the LR can be used for one or more of the following processes: transmitting a reference signal, transmitting a measurement report, receiving a reference signal, receiving a measurement report, or measuring a reference signal, etc. That is, the transmission proposed in this application embodiment includes receiving and / or transmitting.

[0135] The reference signal can be referred to in the explanations of the aforementioned terms, and will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the reference signal transmitted by LR in this embodiment can also be called a low-power reference signal (LP RS or LR-RS). Correspondingly, the measurement report transmitted by LR can also be called a low-power measurement report (e.g., CSI report or LP CSI report, etc.) or low-power measurement feedback.

[0136] Optionally, the low-power reference signal may serve one or more of the following functions: channel measurement and feedback, time-frequency tracking, radio resource management (RRM) mobility measurement, beam management (beam update), or positioning, etc., without specific limitations here. For example, SRS can also be called LP-SRS or LR-SRS, CSI-RS can also be called LP CSI-RS or LR CSI-RS, and CSI can also be called LP CSI or LR CSI, etc., without specific limitations here.

[0137] Furthermore, to reduce the power consumption of terminal devices or MR, LR and MR do not transmit the first information simultaneously. Alternatively, this can be understood as LR transmitting the first information while MR does not. Or, it can be understood as LR having a higher transmission priority than MR.

[0138] In addition, the process of the terminal device receiving the first low-power signal can be either that the terminal device receives the first low-power signal through MR or that the terminal device receives the first low-power signal through LR, and the specific method is not limited here.

[0139] Part Two: The first low-power signal is used to instruct the first module to transmit the first information and to wake up the second module.

[0140] The first low-power signal is used to instruct the first module to transmit first information and to wake up the second module. It can be interpreted in several ways: For example, the first low-power signal can simultaneously trigger the second module to wake up and the first module to transmit the first information. Another example is that the first low-power signal can both wake up the second module and instruct the first module to transmit the first information. Yet another example is that the first low-power signal can wake up the second module and trigger the first module to transmit the first information before the second module wakes up. Yet another example is that the first low-power signal can wake up the second module to receive the PDCCH and trigger the first module to transmit the first information before the second module receives the PDCCH. Yet another example is that the first low-power signal can wake up the second module and trigger the first module to transmit the first information using a first configuration before the second module wakes up.

[0141] The first configuration can be predefined or sent to the terminal device via the network device. The first configuration can be understood as the transmission configuration of the first information (also known as the measurement configuration). The first configuration may include one or more of the following: the transmission timing of the first information (also known as the first time period of LR transmission of the first information), the period of the transmission timing, the first time domain offset of the transmission timing, the resource set configuration of the first information, the spatial configuration, the type of measurement, the measurement action or transmission configuration, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0142] The above items will be explained below.

[0143] 1. The timing and cycle of first information transmission.

[0144] The timing of the transmission of the first information can be referred to as: the time-domain information for transmitting the first information or the first time period used to transmit the first information. The granularity of the time-domain information can include one or more of the following: radio frame, subframe, slot, mini-slot, OFDM symbol, cyclic prefix (CP), or absolute time (e.g., seconds, milliseconds), etc., without being limited here.

[0145] For example, the timing and cycle of the transmission of the first information are shown in Figure 5.

[0146] Optionally, the specific timing of the transmission of the first information can be: the timing of the transmission of the first information by LR.

[0147] 2. The first time-domain offset of the transmission timing.

[0148] Similar to the time-domain information mentioned above, the granularity of the first time-domain offset may include one or more of the following: radio frame, subframe, slot, mini-slot, OFDM symbol, CP, or absolute time (e.g., seconds, milliseconds, etc.), etc., without being limited here.

[0149] The first time-domain offset can be understood as the time-domain offset between the transmission timing and the reference point. The reference point may include one or more of the following: the time-domain start position of the discontinuous reception (DRX) active period of the terminal device, the time-domain end position of the DRX active period of the terminal device, the time-domain start position of the DRX inactive period of the terminal device, the time-domain interpretation bit of the DRX inactive period of the terminal device, the time-domain information position of the first low-power signal or other associated signals (e.g., the time-domain start position or time-domain end position), the time-domain position of MR wake-up, the time-domain position of MR sleep, frame boundary, or subframe boundary, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0150] Since the DRX of a terminal device restricts the information transmission of MR, the DRX of a terminal device can also be understood as MR DRX. The DRX activation period can also be called DRX on or DRX non-dormant period, and the DRX inactivation period can also be called DRX off or DRX dormancy period. The following description will use the example of the terminal device's DRX inactivation period being UE DRX off and the terminal device's DRX activation period being UE DRX on.

[0151] Optionally, due to the various possible time-domain positions of the reference point and the time-domain timing, the time-domain offset between the time-domain timing and the reference point can take many forms. For example, the first time-domain offset might be the time-domain offset between the time-domain start position of the time-domain timing and the time-domain start position of the UE DRX on. Another example is the time-domain offset between the time-domain start position of the time-domain timing and the time-domain end position of the UE DRX on. Yet another example is the time-domain offset between the time-domain start position of the time-domain timing and the time-domain start position of the UE DRX off. Yet another example is the time-domain offset between the time-domain start position of the time-domain timing and the time-domain end position of the UE DRX off. Yet another example is the time-domain offset between the time-domain start position of the time-domain timing and the time-domain position of the MR waking up. Yet another example is the time-domain offset between the time-domain start position of the time-domain timing and the time-domain position of the MR sleeping. For example, the first time-domain offset is the time-domain offset between the time-domain start position of the time-domain timing and the frame boundary. For example, the first time-domain offset is the time-domain offset between the time-domain start position of the time-domain timing and the subframe boundary. For example, the first time-domain offset is the time-domain offset between the time-domain end position of the time-domain timing and the time-domain start position of UE DRX on. For example, the first time-domain offset is the time-domain offset between the time-domain end position of the time-domain timing and the time-domain end position of UE DRX on. For example, the first time-domain offset is the time-domain offset between the time-domain end position of the time-domain timing and the time-domain start position of UE DRX off. For example, the first time-domain offset is the time-domain offset between the time-domain end position of the time-domain timing and the time-domain end position of UE DRX off. For example, the first time-domain offset is the time-domain offset between the time-domain end position of the time-domain timing and the time-domain position of MR wake-up. For example, the first time-domain offset is the time-domain offset between the time-domain end position of the time-domain timing and the time-domain position of MR sleep. For example, the first time-domain offset is the time-domain offset between the time-domain end position of the time-domain timing and the frame boundary. For example, the first time-domain offset is the time-domain offset between the time-domain end position of the time-domain timing and the subframe boundary, etc., and the specific source is not limited.

[0152] For example, as shown in Figure 6, the first time-domain offset is the time-domain information between the reference point and the time-domain start position of the transmission timing.

[0153] 3. The resource set configuration or space configuration of the first information.

[0154] The resource set configuration can be understood as the resource set used to transmit the first information. The resource set includes at least one time-domain resource and / or at least one frequency-domain resource.

[0155] For example, taking the reference signal included in the first information as LP CSI-RS as an example, the configured parameters include one or more of the following: LP CSI-RS resource mapping configuration (e.g., resource set number, time domain resource configuration, frequency domain resource configuration, code group configuration, density or frequency domain bandwidth, etc.), power offset, period and offset configuration (periodicityAndOffset), scrambling ID, quasi-co-location (QCL) relationship (e.g., LP CSI-RS co-located with LP-SS, LP CSI-RS co-located with CSI-RS, LP CSI-RS co-located with LP-WUS, etc.), antenna port, frequency hopping related parameters, etc.

[0156] For example, taking LP-SRS as an example where the reference signal included in the first information is LP-SRS, the configured parameters include one or more of the following: LP-SRS resource set configuration (e.g., number of ports, port number, comb, symbol, frequency domain location, frequency offset, frequency hopping bandwidth, group hopping, sequence hopping, resource type, sequence ID, spatial relationship, period, semi-static, etc.) or LP-SRS SpatialRelationInfo spatial configuration, etc.

[0157] 4. Measurement type, measurement action, and transmission configuration.

[0158] The type of measurement can refer to the type of reference signal. For example, the type of reference signal includes one or more of the following: LP-SRS (or LP-SRS), CSI-RS (or LP CSI-RS), SSB, DMRS, or PTRS, etc.

[0159] The configured actions can include one or more of the following: send, do not send, receive, do not receive, or skip, etc., without specific limitations here. The measured time can include one or more of the following: time domain start position, time domain end position, or time domain offset, etc., without specific limitations here.

[0160] In one possible implementation, the network side configures a transmission configuration (or transmission configuration 1) for the first information. A first low-power signal simultaneously indicates that the MR has woken up, and the LR activates transmission configuration 1 to transmit the first information before the MR has woken up, where N is a positive integer greater than 0.

[0161] Alternatively, it can be understood that the first low-power signal, in addition to indicating that the MR wakes up and the LR transmits the first information before the MR wakes up, is also related to transmission configuration 1.

[0162] In another possible implementation, the network side configures N transmission configurations (including transmission configuration 1 and transmission configuration 2) for the first information. A first low-power signal simultaneously indicates that the MR wakes up, and the LR transmits the first information using transmission configuration 2 before the MR wakes up, where N is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0163] Alternatively, it can be understood that the terminal device is configured with transmission configuration 1 and transmission configuration 2. The terminal device can choose to use transmission configuration 2 according to its processing capabilities. That is, the first low-power signal does not indicate which transmission configuration to use, or it can be understood that the first low-power signal is unrelated to the transmission configuration.

[0164] It is understood that the above items are just examples, and there may be other situations in other embodiments, which are not limited here.

[0165] Optionally, the above parameters may be partially the same or completely different for different transmission configurations.

[0166] For example, different transmission configurations correspond to different signal types. For instance, N transmission configurations include transmission configuration 1 and transmission configuration 2, where the signal types differ: transmission configuration 1 uses LR CSI-RS, and transmission configuration 2 uses LR SRS. Another example is that different transmission configurations have different measurement periods. For instance, among N transmission configurations including transmission configuration 1 and transmission configuration 2, transmission configuration 1 transmits once every 1ms, while transmission configuration 2 transmits once every 10ms. Yet another example is that different transmission configurations have different configuration actions. For instance, among N transmission configurations including transmission configurations 1 through 4, transmission configuration 1 skips the LR CSI-RS of configuration 1, transmission configuration 2 receives the LR CSI-RS of configuration 2, transmission configuration 3 transitions from transmission configuration 1 to transmission configuration 2, and transmission configuration 4 transmits the LR SRS of transmission configuration 4. Finally, the measurement times differ; for example, the start position, end position, or end time of transmission configuration 1 and transmission configuration 2 are different.

[0167] Furthermore, the aforementioned transmission configuration can be carried in higher-layer signaling such as RRC, and there are no specific limitations here. Additionally, the indication information for the aforementioned transmission configuration can be carried in the physical layer, MAC CE, or first low-power signal, and there are no specific limitations here.

[0168] For example, the network side sends N1 LR transmission configurations, MAC CE indicates N2 in N1, and the physical layer or second low-power signal indicates one of N2. N2 and N1 are positive integers, and N2 is greater than or equal to N1.

[0169] For example, the network side sends N1 LR transmission configurations, and a first low-power signal indicates whether to activate or deactivate one of the N1 LR transmission configurations. One low-power signal can correspond to one LR transmission configuration. For instance, if the network side sends two LR transmission configurations, the first low-power signal indicates whether to activate or deactivate transmission configuration 1.

[0170] Furthermore, if the transmission configuration is related to DRX, the skipping density of multiple transmission configurations can also be different. For example, transmission configuration 1 means skipping periodic reference signals 1, 3, 5, 7, etc., while transmission configuration 2 means skipping 1, 5, 9, etc. For example, transmission configuration 3 skips LR SRS (configuration start position + continuous time) for a continuous period of time.

[0171] The first configuration has been described above. The following is an exemplary description of the possible association between the first low-power signal and the first configuration.

[0172] Optionally, the first low-power signal may be within or before the first time period. Alternatively, it can be understood as the first low-power signal being within or before the transmission of the first information. For example, Figure 7 is an example diagram of the first low-power signal within the first time period. This first low-power signal is used to instruct the LR to transmit the first information within the first time period and to wake up the MR.

[0173] Furthermore, the first time period may include one or more first low-power signals. For example, the network side can configure the transmission timing of multiple first low-power signals during the transmission timing of the first information. When the MR is in sleep mode, the network side can wake up the MR and LR at any time to transmit the first information using the first low-power signals. In this way, the MR can transmit data immediately upon waking up, thereby reducing transmission latency.

[0174] Optionally, the network device and the terminal device may also transmit one or more of the following: the terminal device's processing capability, the terminal device's Quality of Service (QoS), the aforementioned first configuration, the configuration of the first low-power signal (e.g., time-domain location, frequency-domain location, period, or function), the configuration of the second low-power signal, a reference signal, or a measurement report of the reference signal. The terminal device's processing capability may refer to the LR's ability to transmit the first information. For example, the LR's hardware support, the LR's transmission delay for the first information, or the number of bits carried. Accordingly, after receiving the processing capability reported by the terminal device, the network device can dynamically adjust the configuration of the first information based on the terminal device's processing capability. For example, it may switch the LR's transmission configuration (e.g., from LR transmission configuration 1 to transmission configuration 2). Another example is switching from LR to MR transmission of the first information. Yet another example is switching from MR to LR transmission of the first information, and so on.

[0175] Furthermore, the configuration of the first low-power signal and the configuration of the second low-power signal can be configured jointly (which can be understood as being sent in an RRC message at the same time) or configured separately (transmitted at different times or in different RRC messages). The configuration of the first low-power signal can be performed before step 401. Correspondingly, the configuration of the second low-power signal can be performed before step 402.

[0176] Step 402: The network device sends a second low-power signal to the terminal device. This step is optional.

[0177] Optionally, the network device sends a second low-power signal to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second low-power signal sent by the network device. Further, the terminal device receives the second low-power signal via LR, or the terminal device receives the second low-power signal directly.

[0178] It should be noted that there is no temporal relationship between step 402 and step 401. For example, step 402 can be before or after step 401; no specific limitation is made here.

[0179] The second low-power signal is used for one or more of the following: activating or deactivating the first time period, activating or deactivating the transmission configuration of the first information, indicating whether to switch from the first configuration to the second configuration (or indicating whether to switch from the first configuration to the second configuration), indicating whether to switch from the second configuration to the first configuration (or indicating whether to switch from the second configuration to the first configuration), or triggering the first low-power signal to take effect, etc., and the specifics are not limited here.

[0180] The following is an exemplary description of several functions of the aforementioned second low-power signal.

[0181] 1. The second low-power signal is used to activate or deactivate the first time period.

[0182] The time-domain position of the second low-power signal can be located before or within the first time period. Furthermore, the second time-domain offset between the second low-power signal's time-domain position and the first time period can be configured or agreed upon by protocol. For example, the second time-domain offset between the second low-power signal's time-domain position and the start position of the first time period can be configured or agreed upon by protocol. As another example, the second time-domain offset between the second low-power signal's time-domain position and the end position of the first time period can be configured or agreed upon by protocol.

[0183] Similarly, the granularity of the second time-domain offset can include one or more of the following: radio frame, subframe, slot, mini-slot, OFDM symbol, CP, or absolute time (e.g., seconds, milliseconds, etc.), etc., without being limited here.

[0184] Optionally, the aforementioned second time-domain offset may be related to one or more of the following: subcarrier spacing, terminal equipment capabilities (e.g., hardware capabilities for MR initiation measurement or processing time of the second low-power signal), terminal equipment type, data transmission volume, service urgency, service QoS, etc., without specific limitations here.

[0185] For example, different subcarrier intervals correspond to different second time-domain offsets. Another example is that the second time-domain offset is greater than or equal to the sum of the time the terminal device spends processing the second low-power signal and the preparation time for transmitting the first information.

[0186] For example, as shown in Figure 8, the time domain position of the second low-power signal can be located before the first time period, and the second time domain offset K between the time domain position of the second low-power signal and the time domain start position of the first time period is predetermined by the network device configuration or protocol.

[0187] For example, as shown in FIG9, the time domain position of the second low-power signal can be located within the first time period, and the second time domain offset K between the time domain position of the second low-power signal and the time domain start position of the first time period is predetermined by the network device configuration or protocol.

[0188] Additionally, a second low-power signal can be associated with one or A first time periods, where A is a positive integer greater than 1. Alternatively, a second low-power signal can be associated with one or A transmission opportunities. Or, a second low-power signal can activate or deactivate a transmission opportunity, or activate or deactivate A transmission opportunities.

[0189] For example, in the case where a second low-power signal is used to activate or deactivate A transmission opportunities, A can be the number of transmission opportunities from the start of activation indicated by the second low-power signal until the end of deactivation indicated by the second low-power signal.

[0190] 2. The second low-power signal is used to activate or deactivate the transmission configuration of the first information.

[0191] Specifically, a second low-power signal can be associated with one or B transmission configurations, where B is a positive integer greater than 1. Alternatively, a second low-power signal can be understood as being associated with one or B transmission configurations. Or, a second low-power signal can activate or deactivate a transmission timing, or it can activate or deactivate B transmission configurations.

[0192] Optionally, the second low-power signal includes a first field (also called a codeword field), which may carry multiple bits. The first field carried by the second low-power signal corresponds to one or more identifiers (or numbers, indices, or indications, etc.) of the transmission configuration. Alternatively, it can be understood that the first field is associated with one or more identifiers of the transmission configuration.

[0193] For example, taking a first field that includes 2 bits as an example, the first field is associated with the identifiers of multiple transmission configurations as shown in Table 1.

[0194] Table 1

[0195] In this configuration, the first field being "00" corresponds to transmission configuration 1, the first field being "01" corresponds to transmission configuration 2, the first field being "10" corresponds to transmission configuration 3, and the first field being "11" corresponds to both transmission configuration 1 and transmission configuration 3. Alternatively, it can be understood that the first field being "00" indicates activation or deactivation of transmission configuration 1, the first field being "01" indicates activation or deactivation of transmission configuration 2, the first field being "10" indicates activation or deactivation of transmission configuration 3, and the first field being "11" indicates activation or deactivation of both transmission configuration 1 and transmission configuration 3.

[0196] Optionally, the second low-power signal can also indicate one or more transmission configurations via a bitmap. For example, each bit in the bitmap corresponds to a transmission configuration identifier, and the value of the bit is used to activate or deactivate the transmission configuration identifier corresponding to that bit.

[0197] For example, taking a bitmap consisting of 3 bits, the first bit of the bitmap corresponds to transmission configuration 1, the second bit corresponds to transmission configuration 2, and the third bit corresponds to transmission configuration 3. Then, bitmap "100" can represent activating or deactivating transmission configuration 1. Bitmap "101" represents activating or deactivating both transmission configuration 1 and transmission configuration 3.

[0198] Optionally, the network side configures multiple transmission configurations of the first information and a second low-power timing, wherein the second low-power timing includes one or more second low-power signals, and each second low-power signal is associated with a transmission configuration. Alternatively, each second low-power signal can be understood as activating or deactivating one of the multiple transmission configurations.

[0199] For example, as shown in Figure 10, consider a network-side configuration of three transmission configurations and one second low-power timing, where the second low-power timing includes three second low-power signals. The first second low-power signal corresponds to transmission configuration 1, the second second low-power signal corresponds to transmission configuration 2, and the third second low-power signal corresponds to transmission configuration 3. Alternatively, the first second low-power signal is used to activate or deactivate transmission configuration 1, the second second low-power signal is used to activate or deactivate transmission configuration 2, and the third second low-power signal is used to activate or deactivate transmission configuration 3.

[0200] Furthermore, different transmission configurations can be time-division or frequency-division. The network side can enable / disable one or more transmission configurations as needed. For example, when the user experience requirements of the terminal device are not high, the number of activated transmission configurations can be reduced, thereby achieving energy saving for the terminal device.

[0201] 3. The second low-power signal is used to indicate whether to switch from the first configuration to the second configuration.

[0202] Optionally, the network side is configured with multiple transmission configurations and at least one second low-power signal. Each second low-power signal is used to switch transmission configurations. The multiple transmission configurations include at least a first configuration and a second configuration.

[0203] For example, using two transmission configurations and a second low-power signal, the two transmission configurations include transmission configuration 1 and transmission configuration 2. The second low-power signal is used to indicate a switch from transmission configuration 1 to transmission configuration 2. Alternatively, the second low-power signal is used to indicate a switch from transmission configuration 2 to transmission configuration 1.

[0204] Furthermore, compared to the first configuration, the second configuration uses fewer resources, consumes less power, transmits fewer beams, repeats fewer times, has simpler frequency hopping, and / or has a longer period and a larger frequency factor. This can also be understood as relaxing the transmission configuration. In other words, the second low-power signal is used to indicate relaxing the first configuration.

[0205] The resources used for the first information can be frequency domain bandwidth, time domain time, and the number of carriers in the first information. The frequency factor is freqScalingFactor for partial frequency sounding, and its value is a positive integer, such as 2 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9, etc.

[0206] For example, taking the frequency factor as an example, the second low-power signal is used to indicate a switch from a frequency factor of 2 to a frequency factor of 5.

[0207] It is understood that this is merely an exemplary description using the second low-power signal to indicate a switch in the transmission configuration. In other embodiments, the switch in the transmission configuration may also be triggered by an event, which is not limited here. The event will be described later in step 403, and will not be elaborated here.

[0208] 4. The second low-power signal is used to trigger the first low-power signal to take effect.

[0209] The second low-power signal is used to trigger the first low-power signal to take effect. Alternatively, the second low-power signal can be understood as an enable signal.

[0210] The embodiments of this application do not limit the time-domain positions of the first low-power signal and the second low-power signal. For example, the time-domain position of the first low-power signal can be before or after the time-domain position of the second low-power signal.

[0211] Optionally, the first low-power signal is used to trigger the failure of the second low-power signal. Accordingly, the terminal device determines that the second low-power signal has failed after receiving the first low-power signal.

[0212] Of course, there can also be an offset or time window between the failure of the first low-power signal and the failure of the second low-power signal. Accordingly, after receiving the first low-power signal, the terminal device determines that the second low-power signal will fail after a certain offset or time window. The temporal granularity of the offset or time window is not limited here; you can refer to the description of other temporal granularities.

[0213] It is understood that the above-described functions of the second low-power signal are merely illustrative. In other embodiments, the above-described functions may be implemented individually or in combination, and may also include other functions, etc., which are not limited here. For example, the second low-power signal may simultaneously indicate the activation or deactivation of the transmission configuration and the effectiveness of the first low-power signal.

[0214] Optionally, when a network device is configured with a first low-power signal and a second low-power signal, the first low-power signal may implicitly indicate that the configuration of the second low-power signal is invalid.

[0215] Optionally, when the network device is configured with a first low-power signal and a second low-power signal, the second low-power signal may also indicate the activation of the first low-power signal, or the second low-power signal may simultaneously indicate the activation or deactivation of the LR transmission configuration and the activation of the first low-power signal.

[0216] Step 403: The terminal device transmits first information based on the first low-power signal.

[0217] After receiving the first low-power signal, the terminal device transmits first information based on the first low-power signal. The first information can be referred to in the previous description, and will not be repeated here.

[0218] Specifically, after receiving the first low-power signal, the terminal device, which instructs the first module to transmit first information and wakes up the second module, transmits the first information via LR within a first time period and wakes up MR. Alternatively, after receiving the first low-power signal, the terminal device wakes up MR (assuming MR wake-up takes time) and transmits the first information via LR before MR wakes up.

[0219] Optionally, the first information transmitted by the terminal device via LR can be used to transmit (or carry or indicate) one or more of the following: the terminal device's identifier, the terminal device's beam information, the terminal device's location information, the terminal device's QoS, the channel parameters or radio transmission parameters sensed by the terminal device, UE auxiliary information, etc. That is, some information is carried through the first information either explicitly (e.g., directly including one or more of the above) or implicitly (e.g., indirectly indicating through the association between other parameters and one or more of the above, as will be described with examples later). Network devices can know some of this information in advance, thereby scheduling terminal devices more reliably and quickly.

[0220] For example, taking LP-SRS as the first piece of information, the terminal device transmits LP-SRS through LR. The above content can be carried in one or more of the following ways: time and frequency resources, spatial resources (such as beam or antenna port), RSRP / reference signal received quality (RSRQ) / signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), cyclic offset of the sequence, frequency hopping configuration or repetition count, etc.

[0221] For example, the network side configures multiple LP SRS resources for the terminal device, with different LP SRS resources corresponding to different downlink beaming methods. Accordingly, the terminal device selects the optimal LP SRS resource, implicitly indicating the downlink beam ID associated with that LP SRS resource. This allows the use of low-power reference signals to transmit some information, enabling fast data transmission and reducing end-to-end power consumption.

[0222] For example, if the resource used for transmitting LP SRS is resource 1, then the corresponding downlink beam ID is 1. As another example, if the resource used for transmitting LP SRS is resource 2, then the corresponding downlink beam ID is 2.

[0223] The location information of a terminal device may include one or more of the following: the latitude and longitude of the terminal device, the cell ID, zone ID, global positioning system (GPS) information, BeiDou positioning information, radio access network (RAN) area ID, tracking area (TA) area ID, etc., without specific limitations here. This helps network devices obtain the location information of the terminal device and reduces paging power consumption.

[0224] The QoS of a terminal device can include one or more of the following: bandwidth, packet transmission latency, packet transmission jitter, or packet loss rate. This allows network devices to schedule terminal devices as needed.

[0225] The channel parameters sensed by the terminal device can also be called wireless channel parameters or multipath channel parameters within a region (such as the power, delay, horizontal and vertical angle of arrival or departure of each path, etc.), etc., without being limited here.

[0226] The wireless transmission parameters of terminal equipment may include one or more of the following: transmission parameters that can be used for data transmission within a region, including modulation and coding scheme (MCS), uplink transmit power, uplink timing advance (TA), transmit beam indication, codebook, RSRP, etc. This helps assist network equipment in obtaining more information, better scheduling, and improving transmission reliability.

[0227] Optionally, if step 402 exists, the terminal device transmits first information based on the first low-power signal and the second low-power signal after receiving the first low-power signal and the second low-power signal.

[0228] When the second low-power signal is used to activate the first time period, the terminal device transmits the first information through LR in the first time period.

[0229] When the second low-power signal is used to deactivate the first time period, the terminal device transmits the first information via MR.

[0230] For example, when the second low-power signal is used to activate transmission configuration 1, the terminal device transmits first information using transmission configuration 1 via LR in the first time period.

[0231] For example, when the second low-power signal is used to activate transmission configuration 1, the terminal device does not transmit the first information using transmission configuration 1 via LR in the first time period, transmits the first information using other transmission configurations, or transmits the first information via MR.

[0232] For example, when the second low-power signal is used to indicate a switch from transmission configuration 1 to transmission configuration 2, the terminal device transmits the first information using transmission configuration 2 via LR in the first time period.

[0233] For example, in the case where the first low-power signal is used to trigger the failure of the second low-power signal, the terminal device determines that the second low-power signal has failed after receiving the first low-power signal.

[0234] Alternatively, if no second low-power signal indicates a switching of the transmission configuration, the switching of the transmission configuration can be event-dependent.

[0235] The events in this application embodiment can be divided into first events and second events. For example, the first event is related to the switch from the second configuration to the first configuration, and the second event is related to the switch from the first configuration to the second configuration.

[0236] Alternatively, it can be understood that the first event can be used in scenarios where the channel changes rapidly or significantly, while the second event can be used in scenarios where the channel changes slowly or less significantly.

[0237] Optionally, the first event may include one or more of the following:

[0238] B1: The moving speed of the terminal device is greater than or equal to the first threshold. The terminal device includes the first module and the second module.

[0239] B2: The time interval between the last measurement and the terminal device is greater than or equal to the second threshold;

[0240] B3: The difference between the actual channel information and the configured channel information of the terminal device is greater than or equal to the third threshold.

[0241] Optionally, the second event may include one or more of the following:

[0242] B4: The moving speed of the terminal device is less than or equal to the fourth threshold;

[0243] B5: The time interval between the last measurement and the terminal device is less than or equal to the fifth threshold;

[0244] B6: The difference between the actual channel information and the configured channel information of the terminal device is less than or equal to the sixth threshold.

[0245] The actual channel information of the terminal device can be obtained by measuring the reference signal (such as CSI-RS or LR CSI-RS), or by the channel quality perceived by the terminal device, etc., without being limited here.

[0246] The thresholds for the events and / or events mentioned above can be configured or pre-configured (e.g., the "reportConfig" field or the DCI field, etc.), and the thresholds for the events can also include hysteresis thresholds, etc., which are not limited here.

[0247] For example, the first event is B1, and the second event is B4. Another example is that the first event is B2, and the second event is B5. Yet another example is that the first event is B3, and the second event is B6. Another example is that the first event includes B1 and B2, and the second event includes B4 and B5. Yet another example is that the first event includes B1 and B3, and the second event includes B4 and B6. Yet another example is that the first event includes B2 and B3, and the second event includes B5 and B6. Yet another example is that the first event includes B1, B2, and B3, and the second event includes B4, B5, and B6. It is understood that B1 to B6 are merely examples; in other embodiments, other letters and / or other numbers may be used, such as S1 to S6, or A7 to A12, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0248] It should be noted that the method provided in this embodiment has multiple possible implementations. For example, the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 401 and 403. Alternatively, the method provided in this embodiment may include steps 401 to 403. Furthermore, there is no timing restriction between steps 401 and 402. For example, step 401 may occur before or after step 402.

[0249] In this embodiment, on the one hand, the first low-power signal can not only instruct the low-power first module to transmit the first information, but also wake up the high-power second module. This enables the high-power second receiver to wake up and immediately transmit data, improving the processing efficiency of the second receiver. On the other hand, the second low-power signal can be used to switch relaxed configurations, thereby achieving flexible scheduling. Furthermore, the first information explicitly or implicitly carries some information. Network devices can know some information in advance, thereby scheduling terminal devices more reliably and faster.

[0250] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application has been described above. The communication device in the embodiments of this application is described below. Please refer to FIG11, which shows an embodiment of the communication device 1100 in this application. The communication device 1100 can realize the functions of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments, and therefore can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device 1100 can be a communication device, or it can be an integrated circuit or component inside the communication device, such as a chip. The communication device 1100 includes: a transceiver unit 1101. Alternatively, the communication device 1100 includes: a transceiver unit 1101 and a processing unit 1102, wherein the transceiver unit 1101 is used to perform operations related to the transmission and reception of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments, and the processing unit 1102 is used to perform other operations of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments besides the transmission and reception operations.

[0251] It should be noted that the transceiver unit 1101 may further include a low-power transceiver unit and a main transceiver unit. The low-power transceiver unit can refer to the LR in the aforementioned method embodiments, and the main transceiver unit can refer to the MR in the aforementioned embodiments. Specific details will not be elaborated here. For example, when the communication device 1100 is a terminal device, the transceiver unit 1101 may perform the transceiver-related operations, or the LR or MR may perform the transceiver-related operations, etc. Specific details are not limited here.

[0252] In one possible implementation, the communication device 1100 is the terminal device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 3 above, and in this case, the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0253] The transceiver unit 1101 is used to receive a first low-power signal, which is used to instruct the first module to transmit first information and wake up the second module. The first information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal. The power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module.

[0254] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1101 is further configured to receive a second low-power signal, the second low-power signal being used for one or more of the following:

[0255] Activate or deactivate the first time period, which is used by the first module to transmit the first information;

[0256] Or it may indicate whether to switch from the first configuration to the second configuration. The first configuration and the second configuration are transmission configurations for the first information. Compared with the first configuration, the second configuration uses fewer resources, lower power, has simpler frequency hopping, and / or a longer cycle for the first information.

[0257] Alternatively, it may trigger the first low-power signal.

[0258] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1101 is also used to transmit a reference signal, which is used to transmit one or more of the following: beam information of the terminal device, location information of the terminal device, quality of service of the terminal device, or terminal auxiliary information.

[0259] In this embodiment, the operations performed by each unit in the communication device are similar to those described in the terminal devices shown in the embodiments of Figures 1A to 3 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0260] In this embodiment, the terminal device can use the first low-power signal received by the transceiver unit 1101 to explicitly use the first module to transmit the first information and wake up the high-power-consuming second module. Alternatively, the terminal device can be understood as using the first low-power signal to explicitly use the first module to transmit the first information before the second module wakes up, thereby enabling the high-power-consuming second receiver to immediately transmit data upon waking up, thus improving the processing efficiency of the second receiver.

[0261] In another possible implementation, the communication device 1100 is a network device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 3 above, in which case the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0262] The transceiver unit 1101 is used to send a first low-power signal, which is used to instruct the first module to transmit first information and wake up the second module. The first information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal. The power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module.

[0263] The transceiver unit 1101 is also configured to transmit a second low-power signal, the second low-power signal being used for one or more of the following:

[0264] Activate or deactivate the first time period, which is used by the first module to transmit the first information;

[0265] Alternatively, it may indicate whether to switch from the first configuration to the second configuration. The first and second configurations are transmission configurations for the first information. Compared to the first configuration, the second configuration uses fewer resources, has lower power, simpler frequency hopping, and / or a longer cycle for the first information.

[0266] Alternatively, it may trigger the first low-power signal.

[0267] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1101 is also used to receive a reference signal, which is used to transmit one or more of the following: beam information of the terminal device, location information of the terminal device, quality of service of the terminal device, or terminal assistance information.

[0268] In this embodiment, the operations performed by each unit in the communication device are similar to those described in the network devices shown in the embodiments of Figures 1A to 3 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0269] In this embodiment, the first low-power signal sent by the transceiver unit 1101 not only instructs the first module to transmit the first information, but also serves to wake up the high-power-consuming second module. Alternatively, it can be understood that the network device instructs the terminal device to use the first module to transmit the first information before the second module wakes up, thereby enabling the high-power-consuming second receiver to transmit data immediately upon waking up, thus improving the processing efficiency of the second receiver.

[0270] Please refer to Figure 12, which is another schematic structural diagram of the communication device 1200 provided in this application. The communication device 1200 includes a logic circuit 1201 and an input / output interface 1202. The communication device 1200 can be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0271] The transceiver unit 1101 shown in Figure 11 can be a communication interface, which can be the input / output interface 1202 in Figure 12. The input / output interface 1202 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication interface can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit. The processing unit 1102 shown in Figure 11 can be the logic circuit 1201 in Figure 12.

[0272] The logic circuit 1201 and the input / output interface 1202 can also perform other steps executed by the network device or terminal device in any embodiment and achieve corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be elaborated here.

[0273] In this embodiment, when the communication device 1200 is a terminal device, the transceiver unit 1101 includes LR and MR. The descriptions of LR and MR can be found in the embodiment shown in FIG5 above, and will not be repeated here. Of course, when the communication device 1200 is a network device, the transceiver unit 1101 may also include LR and MR.

[0274] For example, when the communication device 1200 is a terminal device, the input / output interface 1202 can be used for one or more of the following: receiving a first low-power signal, receiving a second low-power signal, sending first information, receiving first information, or receiving transmission configuration, etc. The logic circuit 1201 can be used for one or more of the following: determining whether to use LR or MR to transmit the first information, measuring a reference signal, etc.

[0275] For example, when the communication device 1200 is a network device, the input / output interface 1202 can be used for one or more of the following: sending a first low-power signal, sending a second low-power signal, receiving first information, sending first information, or sending transmission configuration, etc.

[0276] Optionally, the logic circuit 1201 can be a processing device, the functions of which can be partially or entirely implemented in software.

[0277] Optionally, the processing apparatus may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor reads and executes the computer program stored in the memory to perform the corresponding processing and / or steps in any of the method embodiments.

[0278] Optionally, the processing device may consist of only a processor. A memory for storing computer programs is located outside the processing device, and the processor is connected to the memory via circuitry / wires to read and execute the computer programs stored in the memory. The memory and processor may be integrated together or physically independent of each other.

[0279] Optionally, the processing device may be one or more chips, or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing device may be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), system-on-chips (SoCs), central processing units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontroller units (MCUs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or other integrated chips, or any group of the above chips or processors.

[0280] Please refer to Figure 13, which shows the communication device 1300 involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. Specifically, the communication device 1300 can be a communication device that serves as a network device or a terminal device in the above embodiments, or it can be a chip or functional module in a network device or a terminal device.

[0281] The present invention provides a possible logical structure diagram of the communication device 1300, which may include, but is not limited to, at least one processor 1301 and a communication port 1302.

[0282] In Figure 11, the transceiver unit 1101 can be a communication interface, which can be the communication port 1302 in Figure 13. The communication port 1302 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication port 1302 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit, or it can be the input / output interface of a chip.

[0283] In this embodiment, when the communication device 1300 is a terminal device, the communication port 1302 includes LR and MR. The descriptions of LR and MR can be found in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 above, and will not be repeated here. Of course, when the communication device 1300 is a network device, the communication port 1302 may also include LR and MR.

[0284] Optionally, the device may further include at least one of a memory 1303 and a bus. In embodiments of this application, the at least one processor 1301 is used to control the operation of the communication device 1300. The memory 1303 is used to store device program code and / or data.

[0285] For example, when the communication device 1300 is a terminal device, the communication port 1302 can be used for one or more of the following: receiving a first low-power signal, receiving a second low-power signal, sending first information, receiving first information, or receiving transmission configuration, etc. At least one processor 1301 can be used for one or more of the following: determining whether to use LR or MR to transmit the first information, measuring a reference signal, etc.

[0286] For example, when the communication device 1300 is a network device, the communication port 1302 can be used for one or more of the following: sending a first low-power signal, sending a second low-power signal, receiving first information, sending first information, or sending transmission configuration, etc.

[0287] Furthermore, the processor 1301 can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0288] It is understood that this application does not limit the number of the various components shown in Figure 13. For example, the number of processors 1301, the number of communication ports 1302, and the number of memory 1303 can each be one or more, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0289] It should be noted that the communication device 1300 shown in Figure 13 can be used to implement the steps implemented by the network device or terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiments and achieve the corresponding technical effects. The specific implementation of the communication device shown in Figure 13 can be referred to the description in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0290] Please refer to Figure 14, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 1400 involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. Specifically, the communication device 1400 can be a communication device as a network device in the above embodiments, and the structure of the communication device can be referred to the structure shown in Figure 14.

[0291] The communication device 1400 includes at least one processor 1411 and at least one network interface 1414. Optionally, the communication device further includes at least one memory 1412, at least one transceiver 1413, and one or more antennas 1415. The processor 1411, memory 1412, transceiver 1413, and network interface 1414 are connected, for example, via a bus. In this embodiment, the connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines, or buses, etc., and this embodiment is not limited thereto. The antenna 1415 is connected to the transceiver 1413. The network interface 1414 enables the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 1414 may include a network interface between the communication device and core network equipment, such as an S1 interface. The network interface may also include a network interface between the communication device and other communication devices (e.g., other network devices or core network equipment), such as an X2 or Xn interface.

[0292] The transceiver unit shown in Figure 14 can be a communication interface, which can be the network interface 1414 in Figure 14. The network interface 1414 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the network interface 1414 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0293] Processor 1411 is primarily used for processing communication protocols and communication data, controlling the entire communication device, executing software programs, and processing data from the software programs, for example, to support the actions described in the embodiments of the communication device. The communication device may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor is primarily used for processing communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU is primarily used for controlling the entire communication device, executing software programs, and processing data from the software programs. Processor 1411 in Figure 14 can integrate the functions of both a baseband processor and a CPU. Those skilled in the art will understand that the baseband processor and CPU can also be independent processors interconnected via technologies such as buses. Those skilled in the art will understand that the communication device may include multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network standards, and multiple CPUs to enhance its processing capabilities. The various components of the communication device can be connected via various buses. The baseband processor can also be described as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The CPU can also be described as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built into the processor or stored in memory as a software program, which is then executed by the processor to implement the baseband processing function.

[0294] The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. The memory 1412 can exist independently or be connected to the processor 1411. Optionally, the memory 1412 can be integrated with the processor 1411, for example, integrated within a single chip. The memory 1412 can store program code that executes the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 1411. The various types of computer program code being executed can also be considered as drivers for the processor 1411.

[0295] Figure 14 shows only one memory and one processor. In actual communication devices, there can be multiple processors and multiple memories. Memory can also be called storage medium or storage device, etc. Memory can be a storage element on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or it can be a separate storage element; the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0296] Transceiver 1413 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency signals between a communication device and a terminal. Transceiver 1413 can be connected to antenna 1415. Transceiver 1413 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 1415 can receive radio frequency signals. The receiver Rx of transceiver 1413 is used to receive the radio frequency signals from the antennas, convert the radio frequency signals into digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals, and provide the digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals to processor 1411 so that processor 1411 can perform further processing on the digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals, such as demodulation and decoding. In addition, the transmitter Tx in transceiver 1413 is also used to receive the modulated digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals from processor 1411, convert the modulated digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency signals into radio frequency signals, and transmit the radio frequency signals through one or more antennas 1415. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more stages of downmixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the radio frequency signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The order of these downmixing and IF conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more stages of upmixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or digital IF signal to obtain a radio frequency signal. The order of these upmixing and IF conversion processes is also adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital IF signal can be collectively referred to as digital signals.

[0297] The transceiver 1413 can also be called a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver device, etc. Optionally, the device in the transceiver unit that performs the receiving function can be regarded as the receiving unit, and the device in the transceiver unit that performs the transmitting function can be regarded as the transmitting unit. That is, the transceiver unit includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit can also be called a receiver, input port, receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit can be called a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit, etc.

[0298] It should be noted that the communication device 1400 shown in Figure 14 can be used to implement the steps implemented by the network device in the aforementioned method embodiments and achieve the corresponding technical effects of the network device. The specific implementation of the communication device 1400 shown in Figure 14 can be referred to the description in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0299] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip applied to a terminal, the terminal chip implements the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information from other modules (such as an RF module or antenna) in the terminal, information sent to the terminal by the base station; or, the terminal chip sends information to other modules (such as an RF module or antenna) in the terminal, information sent to the base station by the terminal. For example, in the case of a terminal, sending information can be understood as the process of the terminal's chip outputting information.

[0300] When the aforementioned communication device is a module applied to a base station, the base station module implements the functions of the base station in the above method embodiments. The base station module receives information from other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the base station, information sent by the terminal to the base station; or, the base station module sends information to other modules (such as radio frequency modules or antennas) in the base station, information sent by the base station to the terminal. Here, the base station module can be the baseband chip of the base station, or a DU (Digital Unit) or other modules. The DU can be a DU under an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) architecture. For example, in the case of a base station, the base station sending information can be understood as the process of the base station's chip outputting information.

[0301] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions executable by a processor. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Alternatively, the ASIC can reside in a base station or terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist as discrete components in a base station or terminal.

[0302] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both types of storage media.

[0303] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: Applied to a terminal device, the terminal device including a first module and a second module, the method includes: The first low-power signal is received, which is used to instruct the first module to transmit first information and wake up the second module. The first information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal. The power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first low-power signal is used to instruct the first module to transmit the first information and wake up the second module. Specifically, the first low-power signal is used to wake up the second module and trigger the first module to transmit the first information before the second module wakes up.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a second low-power signal, the second low-power signal being used for one or more of the following: Activate or deactivate a first time period, which is used for the first module to transmit the first information; Alternatively, it may indicate whether to switch from a first configuration to a second configuration, where the first and second configurations are transmission configurations for the first information, and the second configuration, compared to the first configuration, uses fewer resources, lower power, has simpler frequency hopping, and / or a longer cycle for the transmission of the first information; Alternatively, it may trigger the first low-power signal to take effect.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second low-power signal becomes invalid after the first low-power signal is received.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The switching from the second configuration to the first configuration is related to a first event, which includes one or more of the following: The terminal device moves at a speed greater than or equal to a first threshold, and the terminal device includes the first module and the second module; The time interval between the last measurement and the terminal device is greater than or equal to the second threshold. The actual channel information of the terminal device is greater than or equal to the configured channel information, which is a third threshold.

6. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that, The switch from the first configuration to the second configuration is related to a second event, which includes one or more of the following: The terminal device's moving speed is less than or equal to the fourth threshold; The time interval between the last measurement and the terminal device is less than or equal to the fifth threshold. The actual channel information of the terminal device is less than or equal to the configured channel information, which is the sixth threshold.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: The reference signal is transmitted to transmit one or more of the following: beam information of the terminal device, location information of the terminal device, or quality of service of the terminal device.

8. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send a first low-power signal, which is used to instruct the first module to transmit first information and wake up the second module. The first information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal. The power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first low-power signal is used to instruct the first module to transmit the first information and to wake up the second module. Specifically, the first low-power signal is used to wake up the second module and trigger the first module to transmit the first information before the second module wakes up.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second low-power signal, the second low-power signal being used for one or more of the following: Activate or deactivate a first time period, which is used for the first module to transmit the first information; Alternatively, it may indicate whether to switch from a first configuration to a second configuration, where the first and second configurations are transmission configurations for the first information, and the second configuration, compared to the first configuration, uses fewer resources, has lower power, simpler frequency hopping, and / or a longer cycle for the transmission of the first information; Alternatively, it may trigger the first low-power signal to take effect.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first low-power signal is also used to trigger the failure of the second low-power signal.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The switching from the second configuration to the first configuration is related to a first event, which includes one or more of the following: The terminal device moves at a speed greater than or equal to a first threshold, and the terminal device includes the first module and the second module; The time interval between the last measurement and the terminal device is greater than or equal to the second threshold. The actual channel information of the terminal device is greater than or equal to the configured channel information, which is a third threshold.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that, The switch from the first configuration to the second configuration is related to a second event, which includes one or more of the following: The terminal device's moving speed is less than or equal to the fourth threshold; The time interval between the last measurement and the terminal device is less than or equal to the fifth threshold. The actual channel information of the terminal device is less than or equal to the configured channel information, which is the sixth threshold.

14. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: The reference signal is received, and the reference signal is used to transmit one or more of the following: beam information of the terminal device, location information of the terminal device, or quality of service of the terminal device.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor for executing a computer program or instructions in memory to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

17. A chip or chip system, characterized in that, The chip or chip system is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

18. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 7, and a communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 8 to 14.

19. A readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

20. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program or instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

Images