Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application is a communication method. In the method, a terminal device receives first information, and transmits second information on the basis of the first information. The first information is used for configuring a first time period, which is used for a first low-power module to transmit the second information, and the second information comprises a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal. That is, second information is transmitted by means of a time period of a low-power module, such that not only can the probability of interrupting the deep sleep of a main module be reduced, but the energy consumption of a terminal device caused by transmitting reference signals only using the main module for a long time can also be prevented.

Description

A communication method and related apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411977778.8, filed 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 and main module. 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] Furthermore, power consumption of the terminal device can be further reduced through the discontinuous reception (DRX) mechanism. Specifically, in the DRX mechanism, the terminal device can be woken up during the on-duration period of each DRX cycle and does not receive physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) information during the inactive period of each DRX cycle (e.g., entering sleep mode), thereby saving power consumption. Although the terminal device does not receive downlink control information during the inactive period of the DRX cycle, it may still receive and measure reference signals through the main module. For example, the terminal device may receive and measure periodic reference signals.

[0005] Therefore, although the main module of the terminal device may not be able to achieve deep sleep during the inactive period of the DRX cycle due to factors such as receiving periodic reference signals. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and related apparatus. By introducing a low-power module, the probability of the main module's deep sleep being interrupted can be reduced, thereby lowering the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0007] 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 in 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 first information and transmits second information based on the first information. The first information is used to configure a first time period, which is used for a first low-power module to transmit the second information. The second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal.

[0008] Based on the above technical solution, the time period for transmitting reference signals and / or measurement reports of reference signals by the first information is clearly defined. That is, by determining the time period for transmitting the second information by the low-power module, not only can the probability of the main module's deep sleep being interrupted be reduced, but the power consumption of the terminal device caused by using only the main module to transmit reference signals for extended periods can also be avoided.

[0009] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the terminal device may further receive a first low-power signal, which is used for one or more of the following: activating or deactivating a first time period; or indicating whether the first low-power signal transmits second information during the first time period; or instructing the terminal device to switch from transmitting second information from the second module to transmitting second information from the first low-power module, wherein the power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first low-power module; or instructing the terminal device to switch from transmitting second information from the first low-power module to transmitting second information from the second module.

[0010] In this possible implementation, the indication method using a first low-power signal is more energy-efficient than the traditional physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) indication. Furthermore, the first low-power signal allows for more flexible on-demand transmission of the second information, reducing power consumption compared to continuously transmitting the second information.

[0011] 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 first information, which configures a first time period. The first time period is used for a first low-power module of a terminal device to transmit second information, which includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal. The network device receives the second information based on the first information.

[0012] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the network device may further send a first low-power signal, which is used for one or more of the following: activating or deactivating a first time period; or indicating whether the first low-power module transmits second information during the first time period; or instructing the terminal device to switch from transmitting second information from the second module to transmitting second information from the first low-power module, wherein the power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first low-power module; or instructing the terminal device to switch from transmitting second information from the first low-power module to transmitting second information from the second module.

[0013] In one possible implementation of the first or second aspect, the first low-power signal is located within or before a first time period.

[0014] In this possible implementation, by defining the time domain position of the first low-power signal, the first low-power module can be flexibly triggered to transmit the second information before or within the first time period.

[0015] In one possible implementation of the first or second aspect, the terminal device further includes a second module, wherein the first low-power module and the second module do not transmit second information simultaneously, and the energy consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first low-power module.

[0016] In this possible implementation, by limiting the time-sharing of the transmission of the second information between the first low-power module and the second module, the second information can be transmitted by the first low-power module while the second module does not transmit the second information, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the terminal device.

[0017] In one possible implementation of the first or second aspect, the terminal device further includes a second module, which does not transmit second information for a portion or all of the time periods within the first time period, and the energy consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first low-power module.

[0018] In this possible implementation, since the first time period has been configured for the first low-power module to transmit the second information, in order to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device, the second module does not need to transmit the second information in part or all of the first time period.

[0019] In one possible implementation of the first or second aspect, the terminal device further includes a second module, the first time period includes part or all of the inactive period of the second module's discontinuous reception of DRX, and the power consumption of the second module is greater than the power consumption of the first low-power module.

[0020] In this possible implementation, by limiting the overlap between the first time period and the inactive period of the second module's DRX, and during the overlap period, the first low-power module transmits the second information while the second module does not transmit the second information, the probability of the second module's deep sleep being interrupted can be reduced, and the power consumption of the terminal device caused by the second module transmitting the second information for a long time can also be avoided.

[0021] In one possible implementation of the first or second aspect, the first time period also includes a portion of the activation period of the DRX of the second module.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the first low-power module can replace the second module in transmitting the second information during the DRX activation period of the terminal device, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device. Alternatively, during the DRX activation period, the first low-power module and the second module can simultaneously transmit part or all of the second information, improving the robustness of the measurement.

[0023] In one possible implementation of the first or second aspect, the first information is used to configure the activation and deactivation periods of the DRX of the second module, wherein the deactivation period is a first time period and the activation period is the time period during which the first low-power module does not transmit the second information.

[0024] In this possible implementation, the activation and deactivation periods of the DRX are configured through the first information, implicitly indicating that the first time period is the deactivation period of the DRX. Therefore, the second module does not need to transmit the second information during the deactivation period; instead, the first low-power module transmits the second information, reducing the power consumption of the terminal device. Furthermore, the indication overhead can also be reduced.

[0025] In one possible implementation of the first or second aspect, the start time of the first time period is before the activation period of the DRX of the second module.

[0026] In this possible implementation, by limiting the start time of the first time period to before the DRX activation period—meaning the first time period includes at least a portion of the DRX inactive period, or overlaps with at least part or all of the DRX inactive period—the probability of the second module's deep sleep being interrupted can be reduced. This also avoids the power consumption of the terminal device caused by using only the second module for long-term transmission. Furthermore, the terminal device or network device can immediately obtain channel information and transmit data immediately after the DRX activator starts, reducing transmission latency.

[0027] In one possible implementation of the first or second aspect, the activation of the first time period is triggered by a first event, which includes one or more of the following: the moving speed of the terminal device is greater than or equal to a first threshold, the terminal device includes a first low-power module and a second module; the time interval between the terminal device and the last measurement is greater than or equal to a second threshold; the difference between the actual channel information and the configured channel information of the terminal device is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

[0028] In this possible implementation, the first event can be used in scenarios where the channel changes rapidly or significantly.

[0029] In one possible implementation of the first or second aspect, the deactivation of the first time period 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; the time period between the terminal device and the last measurement is less than or equal to a fifth threshold; and the difference between the actual channel information and the configured channel information of the terminal device is less than or equal to a sixth threshold.

[0030] In this possible implementation, the second event can be used in scenarios where the channel changes slowly or in small amounts.

[0031] A third aspect of 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 in the terminal responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SoC) chip). (package, SIP chip). In the third aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described as being executed by a terminal device. The terminal device includes a first module and a second module, the power consumption of the second module being greater than that of the first module. In the method, the terminal device receives a second low-power signal, which is used for one or more of the following: instructing the terminal device to switch from transmitting second information from the first module to transmitting second information from the second module, the second information including a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal; or starting a first timer, the operation period of the first timer including the duration of the second module transmitting the second information; or starting a second timer, the second timer including one or more of the following: drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, or drx-RetransmissionTimer; or waking up the second module to enter measurement early; or waking up the second module to enter the DRX activation period of the second module early; or instructing or activating or deactivating the measurement configuration of the second module.

[0032] Based on the above technical solution, a second low-power signal is used to instruct the second module to transmit data ahead of schedule or to switch the module used to transmit the second information. In this way, the second module can enter deep sleep mode when no low-power signal is received. For example, when a large amount of data arrives, the network side can use the second low-power signal to instruct the second module to enter measurement mode ahead of schedule, thereby obtaining the latest channel information as quickly as possible, enabling rapid data transmission, and reducing transmission latency.

[0033] This application provides a fourth aspect of 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 network device's functions. In this fourth aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described as being executed by a network device. In this method, the network device sends a second low-power signal, which is used for one or more of the following: indicating a switch from transmitting second information from a first module to transmitting second information from a second module, wherein the power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module, and the second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal; or starting a first timer, the operation period of which includes the duration of the second module transmitting the second information; or starting a second timer, which includes one or more of the following: drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, or drx-RetransmissionTimer; or waking up the second module to enter measurement early; or waking up the second module to enter the DRX activation period of the second module early; or indicating or activating or deactivating the measurement configuration of the second module.

[0034] Based on the above technical solution, a second low-power signal is used to instruct the second module to transmit data ahead of schedule or to switch the module used to transmit the second information. In this way, the second module can enter deep sleep mode when no low-power signal is received. For example, when a large amount of data arrives, the network side can use the second low-power signal to instruct the second module to enter measurement mode ahead of schedule, thereby obtaining the latest channel information as quickly as possible, enabling rapid data transmission, and reducing transmission latency.

[0035] 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 SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core). In this fifth aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described as being executed by a terminal device. In this method, the terminal device receives third information and determines, based on the third information, whether to transmit second information through a first module or a second module. The third information is used to instruct the terminal device to transmit the second information through the first module or the second module, and the second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal.

[0036] Based on the above technical solution, on the one hand, using the third information to indicate whether the low-power module or the main module transmits the second information can not only increase the flexibility of dynamic scheduling, but also reduce the power consumption caused by the terminal device only being able to transmit the second information through the main module. On the other hand, the third information can also determine the switching between the low-power module and the main module, improving the flexibility of scheduling.

[0037] The sixth 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 sixth aspect and its possible implementations, the method is described as being executed by a network device. In this method, the network device sends third information, which instructs a terminal device to transmit second information through a first module or a second module. The second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal.

[0038] Based on the above technical solution, using third information to indicate whether the low-power module or the main module transmits the second information can not only increase the flexibility of dynamic scheduling, but also reduce the power consumption caused by the terminal device only being able to transmit the second information through the main module by starting the main module on demand.

[0039] In one possible implementation of the fifth or sixth aspect, the third information is used to indicate any of the following: the first module is used to transmit the second information, the second module is used to transmit the second information, switching from transmitting the second information from the second module to transmitting the second information from the first module, or switching from transmitting the second information from the first module to transmitting the second information from the second module.

[0040] In this possible implementation, the switching between the low-power module and the main module can be indicated by the third information, which improves the scheduling flexibility. In addition, starting the main module for measurement on demand can reduce the power consumption caused by the terminal device only being able to transmit the second information through the main module.

[0041] In one possible implementation of the fifth or sixth aspect, the energy consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module.

[0042] A seventh 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.

[0043] A transceiver unit is used to receive first information, which is used to configure a first time period. The first time period is used for the first low-power module to transmit second information, which includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal.

[0044] The transceiver unit is also used to transmit second information based on the first information.

[0045] In one possible implementation of the seventh aspect, the transceiver unit described above is further configured to receive a first low-power signal, which is used for one or more of the following: activating or deactivating a first time period; or indicating whether the first low-power module transmits second information during the first time period; or instructing the terminal device to switch from transmitting second information from the second module to transmitting second information from the first low-power module, wherein the power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first low-power module; or instructing the terminal device to switch from transmitting second information from the first low-power module to transmitting second information from the second module.

[0046] The possible ways to achieve the seventh aspect can be referred to the possible ways to achieve the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be elaborated here.

[0047] The eighth 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 communication device as a network device as an example, the network device includes a transceiver unit.

[0048] The transceiver unit is used to send first information, which is used to configure a first time period. The first time period is used for the first low-power module of the terminal device to transmit second information, which includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal.

[0049] The transceiver unit is also used to receive second information based on the first information.

[0050] In one possible implementation of the eighth aspect, the transceiver unit described above is further configured to send a first low-power signal, which is used for one or more of the following: activating or deactivating a first time period; or indicating whether the first low-power module transmits second information during the first time period; or instructing the terminal device to switch from transmitting second information from the second module to transmitting second information from the first low-power module, wherein the power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first low-power module; or instructing the terminal device to switch from transmitting second information from the first low-power module to transmitting second information from the second module.

[0051] The possible ways to achieve the eighth aspect can be referred to the possible ways to achieve the second aspect mentioned above, and will not be elaborated here.

[0052] The ninth 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 the 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.

[0053] The transceiver unit is configured to receive a second low-power signal, which is used for one or more of the following: instructing the terminal device to switch from transmitting second information from the first module to transmitting second information from the second module, wherein the power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module, and the second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal; or starting a first timer, the operation period of which includes the duration of the second module transmitting second information; or starting a second timer, which includes one or more of the following: drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, or drx-RetransmissionTimer; or waking up the second module to enter measurement early; or waking up the second module to enter the DRX activation period of the second module early; or indicating or activating or deactivating the measurement configuration of the second module.

[0054] The tenth 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 communication device as a network device as an example, the network device includes a transceiver unit.

[0055] The transceiver unit is configured to transmit a second low-power signal, which is used for one or more of the following: indicating a switch from transmitting second information from the first module to transmitting second information from the second module, wherein the power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module, and the second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal; or starting a first timer, the operation period of which includes the duration of the second module transmitting the second information; or starting a second timer, which includes one or more of the following: drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, or drx-RetransmissionTimer; or waking up the second module to enter measurement early; or waking up the second module to enter the DRX activation period of the second module early; or indicating or activating or deactivating the measurement configuration of the second module.

[0056] The eleventh 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 communication device as a terminal device as an example, the terminal device includes a transceiver unit. Alternatively, the terminal device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit.

[0057] The transceiver unit is used to receive third information, which is used to instruct the terminal device to transmit second information through the first module or the second module. The second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal.

[0058] The processing unit is also used to determine, based on the third information, whether to transmit the second information through the first module or the second module.

[0059] The twelfth 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.

[0060] The transceiver unit is used to send third information, which instructs the terminal device to transmit second information through the first module or the second module. The second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal.

[0061] In one possible implementation of the eleventh or twelfth aspect, the aforementioned third information is used to indicate any of the following: the first module is used to transmit the second information, the second module is used to transmit the second information, switching from transmitting the second information from the second module to transmitting the second information from the first module, or switching from transmitting the second information from the first module to transmitting the second information from the second module.

[0062] In one possible implementation of aspect eleven or twelfth, the energy consumption of the second module described above is greater than that of the first module.

[0063] The thirteenth aspect of this application provides a communication device, which includes a memory and one or more processors. The memory is used to store part or all of the computer program or instructions necessary to implement the functions involved 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 to sixth aspects above.

[0064] 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.

[0065] In one possible design, the communication device may also include a memory.

[0066] 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 SoC or chip containing a modem module, or a SIP chip.

[0067] The fourteenth 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 first to sixth aspects described above.

[0068] 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 first to sixth aspects described above.

[0069] Understandably, at least one memory device may also be external to the communication device.

[0070] The fifteenth 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 any of the first to sixth aspects.

[0071] The sixteenth aspect of this application provides a communication system comprising a communication device according to any possible implementation of the seventh aspect and any possible implementation of the eighth aspect; or the communication system comprising a communication device according to any possible implementation of the ninth aspect and any possible implementation of the tenth aspect; or the communication system comprising a communication device according to any possible implementation of the eleventh aspect and any possible implementation of the twelfth aspect.

[0072] The seventeenth 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 one of the possible implementations of the first to sixth aspects above.

[0073] The eighteenth 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 any of the first to sixth aspects described above.

[0074] The nineteenth 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 any of the first to sixth aspects described above.

[0075] 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.

[0076] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects seven through nineteen can be found in the technical effects of the different design methods in aspects one through six above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0077] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0078] Figure 1B is another schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0079] Figure 1C is another schematic diagram of the communication system involved in this application;

[0080] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of an independent networking scenario involved in this application;

[0081] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of a dual-connection scenario involved in this application;

[0082] Figure 2C is another schematic diagram of macro and micro technologies involved in this application;

[0083] Figure 3 is a structural example diagram of the terminal device involved in this application;

[0084] Figure 4 is an example diagram of discontinuous reception involved in this application;

[0085] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the communication method involved in this application;

[0086] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the timing of LR measurement involved in this application;

[0087] Figure 6B is another schematic diagram of the timing of LR measurement involved in this application;

[0088] Figure 7A is an example of the relationship between the timing of LR measurement and DRX involved in this application;

[0089] Figure 7B is another example of the relationship between the timing of LR measurement and DRX involved in this application;

[0090] Figure 7C is another example of the relationship between the timing of LR measurement and DRX involved in this application;

[0091] Figure 7D is another example of the relationship between the timing of LR measurement and DRX involved in this application;

[0092] Figure 8A is an example of the time-domain offset involved in this application;

[0093] Figure 8B is another example of the time-domain offset involved in this application;

[0094] Figure 9A is an example diagram showing the relationship between the first low-power signal and the timing of LR measurement involved in this application;

[0095] Figure 9B is another example of the relationship between the first low-power signal and the timing of LR measurement involved in this application;

[0096] Figure 9C is another example of the relationship between the first low-power signal and the timing of LR measurement involved in this application;

[0097] Figure 9D is another example of the relationship between the first low-power signal and the timing of LR measurement involved in this application;

[0098] Figure 10 is another flowchart illustrating the communication method involved in this application;

[0099] Figure 11A is an example diagram showing the relationship between the second low-power signal and MR start-up measurement involved in this application;

[0100] Figure 11B is another example of the relationship between the second low-power signal and MR start-up measurement involved in this application;

[0101] Figure 11C is another example of the relationship between the second low-power signal and MR start-up measurement involved in this application;

[0102] Figure 12 is another flowchart illustrating the communication method involved in this application;

[0103] Figures 13 to 16 are several structural schematic diagrams of the communication device involved in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0104] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0105] First, some terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0106] 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.

[0107] Furthermore, these values ​​and parameters can be changed or updated.

[0108] 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.

[0109] 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.

[0110] 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.

[0111] 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.

[0112] "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.

[0113] 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.

[0114] 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.

[0115] 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.

[0116] 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.

[0117] 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.

[0118] 6. Reference signal (RS)

[0119] 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.

[0120] 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.)

[0121] 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.

[0122] 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.

[0123] 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.

[0124] 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".

[0125] 7. Reference signal resources

[0126] 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.

[0127] 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).

[0128] 8. Low-power signals (e.g., subsequent first or second low-power signals)

[0129] 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.

[0130] The communication system in the embodiments of this application is described below.

[0131] 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.

[0132] 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).

[0133] 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.

[0134] 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.

[0135] 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.

[0136] 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.

[0137] 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.

[0138] 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.

[0139] 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.

[0140] 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.

[0141] 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.

[0142] 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.

[0143] 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.

[0144] 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.

[0145] 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).

[0146] 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.

[0147] 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.

[0148] 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.

[0149] For ease of description, the following description will use RAN nodes represented by network devices as an example.

[0150] 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).

[0151] 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.

[0152] 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.

[0153] 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.

[0154] 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.

[0155] 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.

[0156] 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.

[0157] 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.

[0158] 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.

[0159] 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.

[0160] 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.

[0161] 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.

[0162] 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.

[0163] As described in the background section, to reduce the power consumption of terminal devices, a WUR mechanism can be introduced. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the terminal device includes a main module and a wake-up receiver (WUR). Furthermore, a discontinuous reception mechanism can further save power consumption. Specifically, the DRX cycle is shown in Figure 4. In the DRX mechanism, the terminal device can be woken up during the on-duration period of each DRX cycle and does not receive downlink control information during the inactive period of each DRX cycle (e.g., entering sleep mode), thereby saving power. Although the terminal device does not receive downlink control information during the inactive period of the DRX cycle, it may still receive and measure reference signals through the main module. For example, the terminal device may receive and measure periodic reference signals.

[0164] Therefore, although the main module of the terminal device may not be able to achieve deep sleep during the inactive period of the DRX cycle due to factors such as receiving periodic reference signals.

[0165] Therefore, this application provides a solution: by introducing a low-power module, prioritizing the use of the low-power module for reference signal transmission or measurement, the main module can be put into deep sleep mode, thereby achieving energy saving in the terminal device. This approach involves several solutions, the general process of each solution will be briefly introduced below, and then described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0166] Option 1: Configure a first time period using the first information, and this first time period is used for the first low-power module to transmit the second information (i.e., the reference signal and / or the measurement report of the reference signal). By configuring the transmission time period of the low-power module, not only can the probability of the main module's deep sleep being interrupted be reduced, but the power consumption of the terminal device caused by using only the main module to transmit the reference signal and / or measurement report for an extended period can also be avoided.

[0167] Option 2: Instruct the main module to enter measurement mode in advance via a low-power signal. This allows the main module to enter deep sleep mode if it does not receive the low-power signal.

[0168] Option 3: Using third information to indicate whether the low-power module or the main module transmits the second information can not only increase the flexibility of dynamic scheduling, but also reduce the power consumption caused by the terminal device only being able to transmit the second information through the main module.

[0169] It is understandable that the above methods can be implemented individually or in combination; no specific restrictions are imposed here. For example, a scenario combining Scheme 1 and Scheme 2: Scheme 1 is used when the amount of data to be transmitted is small, while Scheme 2 is used when the amount of data to be transmitted is large.

[0170] The above provides a preliminary description of several solutions. The following describes each of these solutions in detail with reference to different embodiments.

[0171] Please refer to Figure 5, a flowchart corresponding to Scheme 1 provided in this application embodiment. The method may include steps 501 to 503. Steps 501 to 503 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 501 to 503 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.

[0172] Due to the long intervals between the steps, steps 501 to 503 will be briefly described here first, and then described in detail later. Step 501: The network device sends first information to the terminal device. Step 502: The network device sends a first low-power signal to the terminal device. Step 503: The terminal device transmits second information based on the first information. The following is a detailed description of each step:

[0173] Step 501: The network device sends the first information to the terminal device.

[0174] In step 501, the network device sends first information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information 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.

[0175] Optionally, the first information may be carried in at least one of the following: RRC signaling, MAC CE or DCI, etc., without being limited here.

[0176] Optionally, the network device may send the first information to all terminal devices within its coverage area, or it may send the first information to a specific terminal device, etc., without any specific limitation here.

[0177] 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.

[0178] 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) users, Redcap service users, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) users, ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) users, XR users, IoT users, 5G users, LTE users, NR users, 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.

[0179] This step 501 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 information mentioned above.

[0180] Part 1: The terminal device includes a first low-power module and a second module.

[0181] In this context, the energy consumption of the first low-power module is less than that of the second module. Alternatively, this can be understood as the first low-power module having a lower operating power than the second module. It can also be understood as the first low-power module being more energy-efficient than the second module. Or, the first low-power module corresponds to narrowband, while the second module corresponds to broadband. That is, the "high" in the second module and the "low" in the first low-power module can be relative concepts. Of course, in other embodiments, it can also be determined whether it is the first or second low-power module by comparing it with a threshold; this is not limited here.

[0182] In this embodiment, the second module may also be referred to as any of the following: high-power module, high-power radio, main radio (MR), main transceiver, main transmitter, main receiver, main transmitter, main radio, main communication module, or main circuit, etc. For ease of description, the following description will use MR as an example of the second module.

[0183] Optionally, MR can be used for one or more of the following: transmission (e.g., including receiving and / or sending) signaling, data, reference signals, measurement reports of reference signals, or measurement of reference signals.

[0184] Accordingly, the first low-power module can be referred to as any of the following: low-power radio (LR), low-power transceiver, auxiliary module, auxiliary transceiver, auxiliary transmitter, auxiliary receiver, auxiliary transmitter, auxiliary radio, wake-up receiver (WUR), low-power wake-up receiver (LP-WUR), wake-up circuit, communication auxiliary module, or auxiliary circuit, etc. For ease of description, the following description will use LR as an example of the first low-power module.

[0185] Optionally, LR can be used to transmit low-power signals or to notify MR of one or more of its functions such as wake-up / sleep / receive information.

[0186] 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 second information. This second 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.

[0187] 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.

[0188] 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.

[0189] Furthermore, to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device or MR, LR and MR do not transmit the second information simultaneously. Alternatively, this can be understood as LR transmitting the second information during the first time period, while MR does not transmit the second information. Or, it can be understood as LR having a higher transmission priority than MR during the first time period. The first time period will be explained in Part Two and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0190] In addition, the process of the terminal device receiving the first information can be either by the terminal device receiving the first information through MR or by the terminal device receiving the first information through LR, and the specific method is not limited here.

[0191] Part Two: The first information is used to configure the first time period.

[0192] The first time period is used for LR to transmit second information, which includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal.

[0193] Optionally, the first time period can also be referred to as the measurement timing or LR measurement timing. Correspondingly, the first information can also be referred to as the LR measurement timing indication. That is, the terminal device can determine the time period for transmitting the second information using the LR through the first time period. Accordingly, during the LR measurement timing, the LR in the terminal device can perform the processing described in the first part. Of course, if the LR is used to receive reference signals and send measurement reports, the reference signals and the measurement reports for the reference signals can be in one-to-one correspondence or not; this is not specifically limited here.

[0194] It should be noted that the entirety or partial of the first time period is used for LR to transmit the second information. For example, if the first low-power signal or event needs to be activated during the first time period, and the activation time domain position is before the first time period, then the entire first time period is used for LR to transmit the second information. If the activation time domain position is within the first time period, then a portion of the first time period is used for LR to transmit the second information. That is, the portion of the first time period after activation is used for LR to transmit the second information. Correspondingly, even within the first time period, if it is not activated, LR may not transmit the second information. The first low-power signal and event will be described later, and will not be elaborated here.

[0195] Furthermore, the configuration of the first time period is a prerequisite for LR to perform processing in the terminal device. In practice, other prerequisites may also exist (such as the aforementioned first low-power signal or event). It should be noted that the terminal device can directly use LR to perform the above processing within the first time period after receiving it. Alternatively, after receiving the first time period, the terminal device may need to receive activation, enable, or indication before using LR to perform the above processing. That is, only the time period after activation within the first time period is used for LR to transmit the second information.

[0196] Alternatively, it can be understood that the timing of LR measurements is not necessarily the time period during which LR transmits the second information. That is, LR transmits the second information during all or part of the time period of the LR measurement. Correspondingly, when LR is transmitting the second information, MR does not transmit the second information or is in a dormant state.

[0197] The time during which the second information is transmitted in the LR measurement phase can also be understood as the time during which the LR transmits on (or the LR measures on or the LR transmits measurement on). For example, it could be the time when the LR sends measurement on and / or the time when the LR receives measurement on. Correspondingly, the time during which the LR does not transmit the second information can be understood as the time during which the LR transmits off (or the LR measures off or the LR transmits measurement off).

[0198] For ease of description, this embodiment uses the example of the first information being configuration information for a first time period and the first low-power signal or event being activation information for the first time period. In other embodiments, the first information may be referred to as enabling information, activation information, or indication information for the first time period, etc. That is, step 501 can also be understood as the process by which the network device activates or enables the first time period for the terminal device. For example, the first information is used to enable the first time period. Or it can be understood as the network device having already configured / pre-configured the first time period for the terminal device before step 501. However, the terminal device needs to receive the first information before performing corresponding processing using the first time period. It can also be understood as the first time period previously configured / pre-configured by the network device for the terminal device not being activated, and being activated by the first information so that the first time period can be used by the terminal device.

[0199] For example, in cases where the LR needs to activate, enable, or indicate the first time period before transmitting the second information using the first time period, the activation, enable, or indication of the first time period is required. For instance, this could be achieved by activating, enabling, or indicating the first time period via a first low-power signal. Alternatively, it could be achieved by activating, enabling, or indicating the first time period via an event.

[0200] The first information configuration for the first time period will be described below, followed by a description of the first low-power signal and event mentioned above.

[0201] In one possible implementation, the first information can be directly configured or indicate the first time period.

[0202] Optionally, the first information includes one or more of the following: the period of the first time interval (also known as the period of LR measurement timing), the number of first time intervals within a period of the first time interval, or time-domain information, etc., which are not specifically limited here. Among them, the time-domain information may include one or more of the following: the starting position of the first time interval in the time domain (also known as the starting time of the first time interval), the ending position of the first time interval in the time domain (also known as the ending time of the first time interval), or the duration of the first time interval, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0203] In this embodiment of the application, the granularity of time-domain information may include one or more of the following: radio frame, subframe, slot, mini-slot, OFDM symbol, cyclic prefix (CP), absolute time (e.g., seconds, milliseconds, etc.), etc., and is not specifically limited here.

[0204] For example, Figure 6A is an example diagram showing a period of one consecutive LR measurement timing. As another example, Figure 6B is an example diagram showing a period of one LR measurement timing that includes multiple non-consecutive LR measurement timings.

[0205] In another possible implementation, the first information can be indirectly configured or indicated in the first time period.

[0206] The first information indirectly configures or indicates the first time period, which can be understood as configuring or indicating the first time period by referring to other time periods (such as DRX or discontinuous transmission (DTX)) or other signals (such as the first low-power signal). The first low-power signal will be described in detail in the second case later, and will not be elaborated here.

[0207] Optionally, the first information may include one or more of the following: the period of the first time interval (also referred to as the period of LR measurement timing), the number of first time intervals within a period of one first time interval, or the time domain offset, etc., without specific limitations here. At least one of the above may be correlated with other time intervals or other signals. Among them, the time domain offset is used to indicate the correlation between the first time interval and other time intervals / other signals.

[0208] For example, the first time period is associated with the terminal device's DRX (also known as UE DRX or MR DRX). Alternatively, it can be understood that the terminal device's DRX actually constrains the behavior of the MR, but not the behavior of the LR. Therefore, the terminal device's DRX can be called an MR DRX. Another example is that the first time period is associated with the configuration of other time periods. Yet another example is that the first time period is associated with the first low-power signal. These associations can be indicated by first information or pre-configured, etc., and are not limited here. The following description uses UE DRX as an example.

[0209] The following provides an illustrative description of the possible relationships described above.

[0210] In the first scenario, the UE DRX is related to the first time period.

[0211] The above-mentioned relationship has two possibilities. One possibility is that the first time period includes part or all of the UE DRX inactive period. The other possibility is that the first time period includes not only part or all of the UE DRX inactive period, but also part of the UE DRX active period.

[0212] The DRX activation period can also be referred to as DRX on or DRX non-dormant period, while the DRX inactivation period can also be referred to as DRX off or DRX dormant period. The following descriptions will use UE DRX off and UE DRX on as examples.

[0213] Optionally, if a pre-configured association between the UE DRX and the first time period is established, the first information can be understood as a process for configuring the UE DRX or implicitly indicating the first time period. If no association between the UE DRX and the first time period is configured, the first information can be understood as an indication of the association between the UE DRX and the first time period. This association can be the time-domain offset between the UE DRX and the first time period of LR.

[0214] For example, the first information is used to configure the UE DRX, and the time-domain offset between the UE DRX and the LR measurement timing can be indicated by pre-configuration, configuration, or the first information. Alternatively, the first information can be used to configure the time-domain offset between the UE DRX and the LR measurement timing.

[0215] For example, the first information is used to configure DRX off and DRX on, where DRX off is the first time period, and DRX on is the time period during which LR does not transmit the second information or DRX on is the time period during which MR transmits the second information.

[0216] The aforementioned time-domain offset may include one or more of the following: the time-domain offset between the start position of the LR measurement timing and the end position of the UE DRX on; the time-domain offset between the end position of the LR measurement timing and the end position of the UE DRX on; the time-domain offset between the start position of the LR measurement timing and the start position of the UE DRX on; the time-domain offset between the start position of the LR measurement timing and the end position of the UE DRX off; the time-domain offset between the end position of the LR measurement timing and the end position of the UE DRX off; the time-domain offset between the start position of the LR measurement timing and the start position of the UE DRX off; and the time-domain offset between the end position of the LR measurement timing and the start position of the UE DRX off, etc. Specific details are not limited here. The above items can be implemented individually or in combination, and specific details are not limited here. A simple exemplary description of the time-domain offset will be provided later with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0217] It should be noted that the embodiments in this application are merely exemplary descriptions using the example of a UE DRX or an MR DRX. Of course, in other embodiments, the first time period of the LR can also be referred to as a DRX or DTX. For example, the first information is used to configure the activation and deactivation periods of the first DRX of the LR, and the deactivation period of the first DRX is the first time period. As another example, the first information is used to configure the activation and deactivation periods of the second DRX of the MR, where part or all of the deactivation period of the second DRX is the first time period, and the activation period of the second DRX is the period during which the LR does not transmit the second information.

[0218] The two possibilities described above are described below:

[0219] One possibility is that the first time period includes part or all of the UE DRX off.

[0220] In this possibility, the first time period can be indirectly configured or indicated via UE DRX as follows: the first information is used to configure the offset between UE DRX and the LR measurement timing. This offset can be referred to the offset description above, and will not be repeated here.

[0221] The first time period includes part or all of the UE DRX off period, which can also be understood as the first time period of LR and the UE DRX activation period.

[0222] During the DRX off period, the MR is in a dormant state, meaning it does not transmit the second information; instead, the LR transmits the second information. There are no restrictions on the MR's actions during the DRX on period; it can either transmit the second information or not.

[0223] Optionally, the term "first time period" encompassing the entirety of UE DRX off can be interpreted in several ways: for example, the first time period coincides with the UE DRX off time. Another example is that the first time period overlaps with the UE DRX off time. Yet another example is that it is divided into UE DRX on and the first time period in the time domain.

[0224] In this scenario, the indirect configuration or indication of the first time period via UE DRX can specifically be as follows: the first information is used to configure the UE DRX, and DRX off implicitly instructs the LR to transmit the second information; DRX on implicitly instructs the LR to stop transmitting the second information. Alternatively, it can be understood that DRX off implicitly instructs the LR to perform measurement and feedback, and DRX on implicitly instructs the LR to stop measurement and feedback.

[0225] For example, as shown in Figure 7A, the first time period includes the entire period of UE DRX off. That is, the LR measurement timing is the same as the UE DRX off time. Or, it can be understood as the LR measurement timing overlapping with the UE DRX off time. The MR is in a dormant state during DRX off, and does not transmit the second information during DRX off; the second information is transmitted by the LR. This helps to reduce the energy consumption of the MR during DRX off.

[0226] Optionally, the first time period including the UE DRX off portion can be interpreted in several ways: for example, the first time period is a portion of the UE DRX off time period. Another example is that the first time period belongs to the UE DRX off time period. Yet another example is that the first time period partially overlaps with the UE DRX off time period. Still another example is that it can be divided into UE DRX on, the first time period, and other time periods in the time domain (e.g., it could be called the time period when both LR and MR are in sleep mode).

[0227] In this scenario, the network side can independently configure the LR measurement timing and MR RDX for the terminal device. The LR measurement timing is configured before DRX on is initiated, i.e., before DRX on, with LR performing reference signal measurements. This allows MR to quickly transmit data when DRX on is activated.

[0228] Furthermore, the network side can configure only the start position of the LR measurement timing. That is, it implicitly indicates that the end position of the LR measurement timing is the start position of the UE DRX on.

[0229] For example, as shown in Figure 7B, the first time period includes the portion where the UE DRX is off. That is, the LR measurement timing partially overlaps with the UE DRX off time. Alternatively, it can be understood that the LR measurement timing belongs to the UE DRX off time. The MR is in a dormant state during the DRX off period and does not transmit the second information; instead, the LR transmits the second information. This facilitates on-demand configuration of the LR measurement timing and reduces end-to-end power consumption. For instance, if the LR transmits the second information during the last period of the UE DRX off period, the channel information can be updated immediately upon the start of DRX on, and data transmission can begin immediately.

[0230] Furthermore, Figures 7A and 7B are merely exemplary descriptions using one LR measurement timing as an example. In other embodiments, multiple LR measurement timings can be configured in DRX off. For example, as shown in Figure 7C, two LR measurement timings are configured in one DRX off.

[0231] It should be noted that Figures 7B and 7C are exemplary descriptions assuming the end time of the LR measurement timing and the start time of the UE DRX on are the same time. In other embodiments, the end time of the LR measurement timing and the start time of the UE DRX on may not be the same time. For example, as shown in Figure 7D, the network side can indirectly configure the end time of the LR measurement timing by configuring the time-domain offset between the end time of the LR measurement timing and the start time of DRX on. Similarly, the network side can also indirectly configure the start time of the LR measurement timing, etc., by configuring the time-domain offset between the start time of the LR measurement timing and the end time of DRX on (see the previous description of time-domain offset for details), and is not limited here.

[0232] Another possibility is that the first time period includes not only part or all of the UE DRX off period, but also part of the UE DRX active period.

[0233] In this possibility, the indirect configuration or indication of the first time period via UE DRX can specifically be as follows: the first information is used to configure the offset between the UE DRX and the LR measurement timing. This offset can be referred to the offset description in the previous possibility, and will not be repeated here.

[0234] Alternatively, it can be understood that the MR does not transmit the second information for part or all of the first time period. For example, if the LR transmits the second information during the first time period, the MR will not transmit it even during the UE DRX activation period. Or, it can be understood that since the LR consumes less power than the MR, in order to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device, the LR will still transmit the second information during the period when the LR measurement time overlaps with the UE DRX on, and the MR can be in a dormant state during this overlapping period.

[0235] Optionally, the first time period includes the portion of UE DRX off and the portion of UE DRX on.

[0236] For example, as shown in Figure 8A, the first time period includes a portion where the UE DRX is off and a portion where the UE DRX is on. In this example, the time domain offset between the end time of the UE DRX on and the start time of the LR measurement can be configured.

[0237] Optionally, the first time period includes the entirety of UE DRX off and the portion of UE DRX on.

[0238] For example, as shown in Figure 8B, the first time period includes the entirety of the UE DRX off period and the portion of the UE DRX on period. In this example, the time-domain offset between the start time of the UE DRX on period and the start time of the LR measurement timing can be configured. Similarly, the network side can configure only the start position of the LR measurement timing. That is, it implicitly indicates that the end position of the LR measurement timing is the start position of the UE DRX on period.

[0239] It should be noted that Figures 8A and 8B are exemplary descriptions assuming that the end time of the LR measurement and the start time of the UE DRX on are the same time. In other embodiments, the end time of the LR measurement and the start time of the UE DRX on may not be the same time, and this is not limited here.

[0240] In this embodiment of the application, the start time of the first time period can also be before, within, or after the UE DRX on, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0241] In the second scenario, the first low-power signal is correlated with the first time period.

[0242] Optionally, 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. Further, the LR (Local Level Controller) in the terminal device receives the first low-power signal sent by the network device.

[0243] In this embodiment, the first low-power signal is used for one or more of the following: determining the configuration of the first time period in conjunction with the time-domain offset, activating or deactivating the first time period, enabling or de-indicating the first time period, indicating or de-indicating the first time period, indicating a switch from MR to LR transmission of the second information, or indicating a switch from LR to MR transmission of the second information, etc., without specific limitations here. Switching can also be referred to as conversion, change, transformation, alteration, or flipping, etc., without specific limitations here.

[0244] It should be noted that the association in the second case may include one or more of the following: the time domain offset between the first low-power signal and the first time period of LR, the first low-power signal being used to activate the first time period, the first low-power signal being used to deactivate the first time period, the first low-power signal being used to enable the first time period, the first low-power signal being used to disable the first time period, the first low-power signal being used to indicate the first time period, the first low-power signal being used to indicate the first time period, switching from MR to LR to transmit the second information, or switching from LR to MR to transmit the second information, etc., and the specifics are not limited here.

[0245] In other words, compared with the UE DRX in the first case mentioned above, the first low-power signal can not only be associated with the time-domain offset of the first time period, but also with the activation or deactivation of the first time period.

[0246] The aforementioned switching process can be understood as the first low-power signal indicating whether to switch the transceiver used to transmit the second information. That is, the content indicated by the first low-power signal may be the same, and it is necessary to further consider the transceiver currently used to transmit the second information to determine whether to use MR or LR to transmit the second information subsequently. For example, assuming the terminal device uses MR to transmit the second information at time 1, receives the first low-power signal at time 2, and this first low-power signal indicates a switch to transmit the second information, then after time 2, the terminal device uses LR to transmit the second information. As another example, assuming the terminal device uses LR to transmit the second information at time 1, receives the first low-power signal at time 2, and this first low-power signal indicates a switch to transmit the second information, then after time 2, the terminal device uses MR to transmit the second information.

[0247] Of course, in cases where LR is pre-configured or configured with multiple measurement opportunities (e.g., referred to as LR measurement opportunity 1 and LR measurement opportunity 2), the first low-power signal can also be used to indicate a switch from LR measurement opportunity 1 to LR measurement opportunity 2, or to indicate a switch from LR measurement opportunity 2 to LR measurement opportunity 1. That is, the first low-power signal can be used to indicate a configuration change of the LR measurement opportunity.

[0248] Furthermore, if a pre-configured association between the first low-power signal and the first time period is established, then the first information can be understood as a process for configuring the first low-power signal. If no association between the first low-power signal and the first time period is established, then the first information can be understood as an indication of the association between the first low-power signal and the first time period.

[0249] The aforementioned time-domain offset may include one or more of the following: the time-domain offset between the start position of the LR measurement timing and the end position of the first low-power signal, the time-domain offset between the end position of the LR measurement timing and the end position of the first low-power signal, the time-domain offset between the start position of the LR measurement timing and the start position of the first low-power signal, or the time-domain offset between the end position of the LR measurement timing and the start position of the first low-power signal, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0250] Optionally, the network device may configure or pre-configure relevant information of the first low-power signal for the terminal device, such as the time-frequency position, period, or function of the first low-power signal (e.g., activation or deactivation mentioned above), etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0251] The period of the first low-power signal may or may not be related to the period of the LR measurement timing; no specific limitation is made here. For example, the period of the first low-power signal may be within the period of the LR measurement timing, or it can be understood that the period of the first low-power signal is a part of the period of the LR measurement timing. Alternatively, the period of the first low-power signal may not be subordinate to the period of the LR measurement timing.

[0252] Furthermore, the number of first low-power signals can be one or more. For example, the first low-power signals can be at one or more locations during LR measurement. As another example, the first low-power signals can be at one or more locations during UE DRX off. As yet another example, the first low-power signals can be at one or more locations during UE DRX on.

[0253] Optionally, the first low-power signal may be located within or before the first time period. That is, the time domain location of the first low-power signal is within or before the LR measurement time.

[0254] One possible interpretation is that the first low-power signal activates or deactivates a LR measurement opportunity, or the measurement configuration during DRX off. Correspondingly, the network side needs to assign a first low-power signal for each measurement opportunity. This first low-power signal can be during the LR measurement opportunity (e.g., at the start position) or before the LR measurement opportunity.

[0255] Another possible interpretation is that the first low-power signal activates or deactivates M LR measurement opportunities, or the measurement configuration during DRX off. M is the base station configuration, and M is an integer greater than 0.

[0256] Another possible interpretation is that the first low-power signal indicates whether the measurement state needs to be changed. For example, if a first low-power signal is received before the first LR measurement opportunity, the measurement in that LR measurement opportunity is initiated; if another first low-power signal is received before the fifth LR measurement opportunity, the previous measurement is reactivated. The network side needs to assign a first low-power signal for each measurement opportunity. For example, if the terminal device can receive the first low-power signal, it can be understood that the measurement state needs to be changed; if it cannot receive the first low-power signal, it can be understood that the measurement state does not need to be changed. For example, a 1 carried by the first low-power signal can be understood as a need to change the measurement state; a 0 carried by the first low-power signal can be understood as no need to change the measurement state. It can also be understood that the first low-power signal can implicitly indicate the termination of the previous state.

[0257] Example 1: The first low-power signal is located within the LR measurement timeframe. Assume the first low-power signal is used to activate or deactivate the LR measurement timeframe. In this example, a portion of the first time period is used for LR to transmit second information. It can be seen that within the LR measurement timeframe, the network device can use the first low-power signal to start or stop LR transmission of second information at any time, improving the flexibility of dynamic scheduling. The following example uses the first low-power signal to activate the LR measurement timeframe; that is, before receiving the first low-power signal, LR cannot transmit second information through the LR transmission timeframe; after receiving the first low-power signal, LR can transmit second information through the LR transmission timeframe.

[0258] For example, assuming the end of the time domain of the first low-power signal is considered active, as shown in Figure 9A, t2 is the activated LR measurement timing, and t1 is the inactive LR measurement timing (e.g., the time domain between the start of the LR measurement timing and the start of the first low-power signal's time domain). Accordingly, LR transmits the second information within t2, and does not transmit the second information within t1. For MR, MR can sleep during DRX off, without transmitting the second information. MR can also transmit the second information during t3 within DRX off. t3 can be the time domain between the end of the UE DRX on's time domain and the start of the first low-power signal's time domain, or it can be the time domain segment between the end of the UE DRX on's time domain and the end of the first low-power signal's time domain; the specific time domain is not limited here.

[0259] For example, assuming the end of the time domain of the first low-power signal is considered active, as shown in Figure 9B, t2 is the activated LR measurement timing, and t1 is the inactive LR measurement timing (e.g., the time domain between the start of the LR measurement timing and the end of the time domain of the first low-power signal). Accordingly, LR transmits the second information within t2, and does not transmit the second information within t1. For MR, MR can sleep during DRX off, without transmitting the second information. MR can also transmit the second information during t3 within DRX off. t3 can be the time domain between the end of the UE DRX on timing and the start of the first low-power signal timing, or it can be the time domain segment between the end of the UE DRX on timing and the end of the first low-power signal timing; the specific time domain is not limited here.

[0260] For example, assuming the start position of the first low-power signal in the time domain is considered active, as shown in Figure 9C, t2 is the active LR measurement timing, and t1 is the inactive LR measurement timing. Correspondingly, LR transmits the second information within t2, and does not transmit the second information within t1. For MR, MR can sleep during DRX off, without transmitting the second information. MR can also transmit the second information within t3 of DRX off. t3 can be the time domain between the end position of the UE DRX on in the time domain and the start position of the first low-power signal in the time domain.

[0261] Example 2: The first low-power signal is located before the LR measurement timing, and it is assumed that the first low-power signal is used to activate the LR measurement timing. In this example, the entire first time period is used for LR transmission of the second information. For example, as shown in Figure 9D, the first low-power signal is located before the LR measurement timing. This first low-power signal is used to indicate the activation of subsequent LR measurement timings. In this example, the function of the first low-power signal can be understood as indicating whether the terminal device needs to send or receive the second information for subsequent measurement timings (on or DRX off).

[0262] Example 3: The first low-power signal is located within the LR measurement period. Assume the first low-power signal is used for switching between MR and LR transmissions. In this example, a portion of the first time period is used for LR transmission of the second information. It can be seen that the network device can switch between MR and LR transmission of the second information at any time using the first low-power signal, improving the flexibility of dynamic scheduling. The following example illustrates how the first low-power signal is used to switch from MR to LR transmission of the second information; that is, before receiving the first low-power signal, the second information is transmitted by MR, and after receiving the first low-power signal, the second information is transmitted by LR.

[0263] For example, assuming the handover occurs at the end of the time domain of the first low-power signal, as shown in Figure 9A, t2 is the handover-triggered LR measurement timing, and t1 is the unhandled LR measurement timing (e.g., the time domain between the start of the LR measurement timing and the start of the first low-power signal's time domain). Accordingly, LR transmits the second information within t2, but not within t1. MR transmits the second information within t1, but not within t2. Furthermore, MR can transmit the second information in the portion where t1 overlaps with MR DDX on, and not in the portion where t1 overlaps with UE DRX off.

[0264] For example, assuming the handover occurs at the end of the time domain of the first low-power signal, as shown in Figure 9B, t2 is the handover point for LR measurement, and t1 is the handover point for LR measurement (e.g., the time domain between the start of the LR measurement point and the end of the first low-power signal). Accordingly, LR transmits the second information within t2, but not within t1. MR transmits the second information within t1, but not within t2. Furthermore, MR can transmit the second information in the portion where t1 overlaps with MR RDX on, and not in the portion where t1 overlaps with UE DRX off.

[0265] For example, assuming the time-domain start position of the first low-power signal is considered a handover, as shown in Figure 9C, t2 is the handoverable LR measurement timing, and t1 is the non-handoverable LR measurement timing (e.g., the time-domain start position between the time-domain start position of the LR measurement timing and the time-domain start position of the first low-power signal). Accordingly, LR transmits the second information within t2, but does not transmit the second information within t1. MR transmits the second information within t1, but does not transmit the second information within t2. Furthermore, MR can transmit the second information in the portion where t1 overlaps with MR RDX on, and does not transmit the second information in the portion where t1 overlaps with UE DRX off.

[0266] As can be seen from the examples in Figures 9A to 9C, MR can be in sleep mode, either entirely or partially, during the first time period, thereby reducing the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0267] Example 4: The first low-power signal is located before the LR measurement timing, and it is assumed that the first low-power signal is used to switch the LR measurement timing. In this example, the entire first time period is used for LR to transmit the second information. For example, as shown in Figure 9D, the first low-power signal is located before the LR measurement timing. And this first low-power signal is used to indicate the switch from MR to LR to transmit the second information. Furthermore, LR can also be used to transmit the second information between the time domain start position of the first low-power signal and the time domain end position of UE DRX on, or between the time domain end position of the first low-power signal and the time domain end position of UE DRX on. That is, MR may not even transmit the second information during the MR DRX on portion.

[0268] It should be noted that the two relationships described above are merely examples, and these relationships can be configured / pre-configured individually or in combination (or understood as a combination of the first low-power signal and MR RDX). For example, the first low-power signal can be located in one or more positions within the UE DRX off state. As another example, the first low-power signal can be located in one or more positions within the UE DRX on state, etc. Specific limitations are not specified here.

[0269] The above provides an exemplary description of the direct configuration of the first information, the indirect configuration of the first time period, and the use of the first low-power signal for activation, deactivation, or switching. The following describes the events.

[0270] The events in this application embodiment can be divided into a first event and a second event. For example, the first event is used to activate a first time period, and the second event is used to deactivate the first time period. Another example is that the first event is used to enable the first time period, and the second event is used to disable the first time period. Yet another example is that the first event is used to indicate the first time period, and the second event is used to de-indicate the first time period. Yet another example is that the first event is used to indicate a switch from LR to MR transmission of the second information, and the second event is used to indicate a switch from MR to LR transmission of the second information.

[0271] 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.

[0272] Optionally, the first event may include one or more of the following:

[0273] B1: The moving speed of the terminal device is greater than or equal to the first threshold, and the terminal device includes a first low-power module and a second module;

[0274] B2: The time interval between the last measurement and the terminal device is greater than or equal to the second threshold;

[0275] 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.

[0276] Optionally, the second event may include one or more of the following:

[0277] B4: The moving speed of the terminal device is less than or equal to the fourth threshold;

[0278] B5: The time interval between the last measurement and the terminal device is less than or equal to the fifth threshold;

[0279] 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.

[0280] 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.

[0281] 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.

[0282] For example, the first event is B1, and the second event is B4. Another example: the first event is B2, and the second event is B5. Yet another example: the first event is B3, and the second event is B6. Another example: the first event includes B1 and B2, and the second event includes B4 and B5. Another example: the first event includes B1 and B3, and the second event includes B4 and B6. Another example: the first event includes B2 and B3, and the second event includes B5 and B6. Another example: the first event includes B1, B2, and B3, and the second event includes B4, B5, and B6.

[0283] Accordingly, the terminal device can determine the timing for transmitting the second information based on the first low-power signal or event.

[0284] Step 502: The network device sends a first low-power signal to the terminal device. This step is optional.

[0285] Optionally, 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. Further, the terminal device receives the first low-power signal via LR, or the terminal device receives the first low-power signal directly.

[0286] It should be noted that there is no temporal relationship between step 502 and step 501. For example, step 502 can be before or after step 501; no specific limitation is made here.

[0287] The first low-power signal is used for one or more of the following: activating or deactivating a first time period, indicating whether to transmit second information during the first time period, indicating a switch from transmitting second information from the second module to transmitting second information from the first low-power module, indicating a switch from transmitting second information from the first low-power module to transmitting second information from the second module, or determining the configuration of the first time period in conjunction with the time-domain offset, etc. Specific details are not limited here. Other aspects can be referred to in the description of the first low-power signal in step 501 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0288] Optionally, the first low-power signal can be indicated in various ways, such as by using a 1-bit "0" or "1", or by using "true" or "false", or by using "yes" or "no", etc. The specific method is not limited here.

[0289] For example, a first low-power signal can indicate activation of a first time period by using a "1", and correspondingly, it can indicate deactivation of the first time period by using a "0". Another example is that a first low-power signal can indicate that the LR (Lower Regulator) transmits second information during the first time period by using a "1", and correspondingly, it can indicate that the LR does not transmit the second information during the first time period by using a "0". Yet another example is that a first low-power signal can indicate a switch from MR (Match Regulator) transmission to LR (Lower Regulator) transmission by using a "1", and correspondingly, it can indicate a switch from LR to MR transmission by using a "0". Of course, it's also possible for the first low-power signal to indicate activation of the first time period by using a "0", and correspondingly, it can indicate deactivation of the first time period by using a "1", etc., and the specific implementation is not limited here.

[0290] For example, the first low-power signal can activate a first time period by indicating "true," and correspondingly, it can deactivate the first time period by indicating "false." Alternatively, the first low-power signal can instruct the LR to transmit second information during the first time period by indicating "true," and correspondingly, it can instruct the LR not to transmit second information during the first time period by indicating "false." Another example is that the first low-power signal can indicate a switch from MR transmission to LR transmission by indicating "true," and correspondingly, it can instruct the LR transmission to switch to MR transmission by indicating "false." Of course, it's also possible for the first low-power signal to activate the first time period by indicating "false," and correspondingly, for deactivate the first time period by indicating "true," etc. The specific implementation is not limited here.

[0291] For example, the first low-power signal activates the first time period by indicating "yes," and correspondingly, the first low-power signal deactivates the first time period by indicating "no." For example, the first low-power signal instructs the LR to transmit second information during the first time period by indicating "yes," and correspondingly, the first low-power signal deactivates the LR to not transmit second information during the first time period by indicating "no." For example, the first low-power signal switches from MR transmission to LR transmission by indicating "yes," and correspondingly, the first low-power signal deactivates the LR transmission to MR transmission by indicating "no." Of course, it is also possible for the first low-power signal to activate the first time period by indicating "no," and correspondingly, for the first low-power signal to deactivate the first time period by indicating "yes," etc., and the specific implementation is not limited here.

[0292] Step 503: The terminal device transmits the second information based on the first information.

[0293] After receiving the first information, the terminal device can transmit the second information based on the first information.

[0294] Optionally, the network device and the terminal device may also transmit one or more of the following: the terminal device's processing power, the terminal device's Quality of Service (QoS), the configuration of a reference signal, the configuration of a first low-power signal, the reference signal, or a measurement report of the reference signal. For example, the network device may also send a reference signal to the terminal device, and the terminal device may receive the reference signal sent by the network device. As another example, the terminal device may also send a reference signal to the network device, and the network device may receive the reference signal sent by the terminal device. As yet another example, the network device may also send a configuration of the reference signal to the terminal device, and the terminal device may receive the configuration of the reference signal sent by the network device.

[0295] The processing capability of the terminal device can refer to the LR's ability to transmit the second information. This includes factors such as the LR's hardware support, the latency of LR transmission of the second information, and the number of bits carried. Correspondingly, after receiving the processing capability reported by the terminal device, the network device can dynamically adjust the configuration of the second information based on the terminal device's processing capability. For example, this could involve switching the LR's measurement configuration (e.g., switching from LR measurement configuration 1 to measurement configuration 2). Another example is switching from LR transmission of the second information to MR transmission of the second information. Yet another example is switching from MR transmission of the second information to LR transmission of the second information, and so on.

[0296] For example, taking LP CSI-RS as the reference signal, 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, QCL relationship (e.g., QCL relationship with LP-SS and / or CSI-RS and / or LP-WUS, etc.), antenna port, frequency hopping related parameters, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0297] For example, taking LP-SRS as the reference signal, the configured parameters include one or more of the following: LP-SRS resource set configuration (such as number, 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., which are not limited here.

[0298] Optionally, the first information can also configure one or more of the aforementioned network devices and terminal devices' transmissions. For example, the first information can also be used to configure second information. Correspondingly, the first low-power signal indicates whether the configuration of the second information is activated or deactivated. Or, it can be understood that the first information is not only used to configure the first time period for LR to transmit the second information, but also to configure related parameters of the second information (such as one or more of time-frequency position, period, or time-domain offset).

[0299] Optionally, the first information can also be used to configure the second information. Accordingly, the first low-power signal indicates whether the configuration of the second information is activated or deactivated. Alternatively, the first information can be understood as not only configuring the first time period for LR to transmit the second information, but also indicating the configuration of the second information (e.g., one or more of time-frequency position, period, or time-domain offset). The configuration of the second information can also be referred to as the LR measurement configuration, and the number of measurement configurations can be one or more.

[0300] For example, the network side may configure or pre-configure multiple measurement configurations for the terminal. These multiple measurement configurations include one or more of the following parameters: measurement type, measurement period, measurement action, or measurement time. Furthermore, the above parameters may be the same or different for different measurement configurations.

[0301] 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.

[0302] 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.

[0303] For example, the measured signals may differ; for instance, configuration 1 uses LR CSI-RS, while configuration 2 uses LR SRS. The measurement periods may also differ; for example, configuration 1 uses a 1ms period, while configuration 2 uses a 10ms period. Furthermore, the configured actions may differ; for example, configuration 1 skips the LR CSI-RS of configuration 1, while configuration 2 receives the LR CSI-RS of configuration 2. Configuration 3 transitions from configuration 1 to configuration 2. Configuration 4 sends the LR SRS of configuration 4. Finally, the measurement times may differ; for example, the start position, end position, or end time may differ between configuration 1 and configuration 2.

[0304] Furthermore, the aforementioned measurement configuration can be carried on higher-level signaling such as RRC, without being limited here.

[0305] Furthermore, the indication information of the aforementioned measurement configuration can be carried in the physical layer, MAC CE, or low-power signals, etc., and is not specifically limited here.

[0306] For example, the network side sends N1 LR measurement configurations, MAC CE indicates N2 in N1, and physical layer or low-power signals indicate one of N2. N2 and N1 are positive integers, and N2 is greater than or equal to N1.

[0307] For example, the network side sends N1 LR measurement configurations, with a low-power signal indicating one of N1. N2 and N1 are positive integers, and N2 is greater than or equal to N1. One low-power signal can correspond to one LR measurement configuration.

[0308] For example, the network side sends two LR measurement configurations, and the low power signal indication or event trigger switches from configuration 1 to configuration 2.

[0309] Furthermore, if the measurement configuration is related to DRX, the skipping density of multiple measurement configurations can also be different. For example, configuration 1 means skipping periodic measurement signals 1, 3, 5, 7, etc., while configuration 2 means skipping 1, 5, 9, etc. For example, configuration 3 skips LR SRS (configuration start position + continuous time) for a continuous period of time.

[0310] There are several possibilities for step 503: For example, after receiving the first information, the terminal device directly transmits the second information through the LR during the LR transmission time (the MR can sleep during the LR transmission time), or transmits the second information through the LR during all or part of the overlap between the UE DRX off and LR measurement time (the MR can sleep during the overlap part or all), or transmits the second information through the LR during all or part of the overlap between the UE DRX on and LR measurement time (the MR can sleep during the overlap part or all), or transmits the second information through the LR during all or part of the UE DRX off (the MR can sleep during the part or all of the UE DRX off), or transmits the second information through the LR during all or part of the UE DRX on (the MR can sleep during the part or all of the UE DRX on).

[0311] For example, after receiving the first information, and the received first low-power signal is used to activate the LR measurement timing, the terminal device transmits the second information through LR during the LR transmission timing (MR can sleep during the LR transmission timing), or transmits the second information through LR during all or part of the overlap between the UE DRX off and the LR measurement timing (MR can sleep during the overlapping part or all), or transmits the second information through LR during all or part of the overlap between the UE DRX on and the LR measurement timing (MR can sleep during the overlapping part or all), or transmits the second information through LR during all or part of the UE DRX off (MR can sleep during the part or all of the UE DRX off), or transmits the second information through LR during all or part of the UE DRX on (MR can sleep during the part or all of the UE DRX on).

[0312] For example, after receiving the first information, and the received first low-power signal is used to indicate the transmission of the second information during the LR measurement time, the terminal device may transmit the second information via LR during the LR transmission time (MR may sleep during the LR transmission time), or transmit the second information via LR during all or part of the overlap between the UE DRX off and LR measurement time (MR may sleep during the overlapping part or all), or transmit the second information via LR during all or part of the overlap between the UE DRX on and LR measurement time (MR may sleep during the overlapping part or all), or transmit the second information via LR during all or part of the UE DRX off (MR may sleep during the part or all of the UE DRX off), or transmit the second information via LR during all or part of the UE DRX on (MR may sleep during the part or all of the UE DRX on).

[0313] For example, after receiving the first information, and the received first low-power signal is used to indicate switching from MR to LR to transmit the second information, the terminal device may transmit the second information via LR during the LR transmission period (the MR may sleep during the LR transmission period), or transmit the second information via LR during all or part of the overlap between the UE DRX off and LR measurement periods (the MR may sleep during the overlap), or transmit the second information via LR during all or part of the overlap between the UE DRX on and LR measurement periods (the MR may sleep during the overlap), or transmit the second information via LR during all or part of the UE DRX off period (the MR may sleep during the overlap), or transmit the second information via LR during all or part of the UE DRX off period (the MR may sleep during the overlap), or transmit the second information via LR during all or part of the UE DRX on period (the MR may sleep during the overlap).

[0314] For example, after receiving the first information, and the received first low-power signal is used to deactivate the LR measurement timing, the terminal device does not use LR to transmit the second information during all or part of the LR transmission timing, or transmits the second information through MR, or does not transmit the second information during the LR measurement timing, or does not transmit the second information during the UE DRX off period.

[0315] For example, after receiving the first information, and the received first low-power signal is used to indicate that the second information is not transmitted during the LR measurement period, then the second information is not transmitted using LR during the LR transmission period, or the second information is transmitted via MR, or the second information is not transmitted during the LR measurement period, or the second information is not transmitted during the UE DRX off period.

[0316] For example, after the terminal device receives the first information, and the received first low-power signal is used to indicate the switch from transmitting the second information from LR to transmitting the second information from MR, then the second information may be transmitted via MR, or only during the subsequent UE DRX on, or during all or part of the subsequent UE DRX off, or before receiving the next handover instruction, etc. The specifics are not limited here.

[0317] It should be noted that the method provided in this embodiment has multiple possible scenarios. For example, the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 501 and 503. Another example is that the method provided in this embodiment includes steps 501 to 503. Yet another example is that, when the first information is pre-configured, the method provided in this embodiment includes step 503, or includes steps 502 and 503.

[0318] In this embodiment, the terminal device can specify a first time period through first information. This first time period is used for the first low-power module to transmit reference signals and / or measurement reports of the reference signals. On the one hand, by configuring the transmission time period of the low-power module, not only can the probability of the main module's deep sleep being interrupted be reduced, but the terminal device's power consumption caused by using only the main module to transmit reference signals for a long time can also be avoided. On the other hand, during UE DRX on or off, the low-power module replaces the main module to transmit second information, enabling MR deep sleep and reducing terminal power consumption. Moreover, MR can quickly update channel conditions and transmit data rapidly upon waking up. On the other hand, the parameters of the first time period can be indirectly configured through the correlation between DRX / the first low-power signal and the first time period, thereby reducing the bit overhead of directly configuring the first time period. On the other hand, the first time period can also be activated or deactivated through the first low-power signal / event. For example, the network device can activate the LR transmission opportunity at any time through the first low-power signal, improving the flexibility of dynamic scheduling. On the other hand, the network device can switch between LR transmission and MR transmission through the first low-power signal / event. For example, the network device can switch to MR or LR transmission of the second information at any time through the first low-power signal, improving the flexibility of dynamic scheduling.

[0319] Scheme 1 has been described in detail above with reference to Figures 5 to 9D. Scheme 2 will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 10.

[0320] Please refer to Figure 10, a flowchart corresponding to Scheme 2 provided in this application embodiment. The method may include steps 1001 and 1002. Steps 1001 and 1002 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 1001 and 1002 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.

[0321] Step 1001: The network device sends a second low-power signal to the terminal device.

[0322] In step 1001, 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. The terminal device can be one of the terminal devices shown in Figures 1A to 2, and the network device can be a RAN node or base station, etc., as shown in Figures 1A to 2. The terminal device can be referred to in the description of the first part of step 501 in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, which will not be repeated here. The first low-power module can also be called the first module; the following description uses LR as an example and MR as the second module.

[0323] Optionally, the terminal device receives the second low-power signal via LR. Optionally, the configuration of the second low-power signal (e.g., time-frequency position, period, or function) can be achieved through configuration (e.g., RRC configuration) or predefined by the protocol, and is not limited here.

[0324] In this embodiment, the second low-power signal is used for one or more of the following: indicating a switch from transmitting second information from the first module to transmitting second information from the second module; indicating a switch from transmitting second information from the second module to transmitting second information from the first module; starting a first timer; starting a second timer; waking up the second module to enter measurement early; waking up the second module to enter the DRX activation period of the second module early; indicating or activating or deactivating or switching the measurement configuration of the second module; transmitting the number of reference signals (e.g., one or more); or transmitting the number of measurement reports (e.g., one or more), etc., without specific limitations here. One or more of the above can also be understood as the function of the second low-power signal. The first module, the second module, and the second information, etc., can be referred to the description in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0325] For example, the second low-power signal is used to directly or indirectly instruct the MR of the terminal device to transmit the second information in advance. Alternatively, it can be understood as the second low-power signal being used to directly or indirectly wake up the MR to start measurement in advance.

[0326] The time period for MR measurement can be configured. Additionally, the time period for initiating MR measurement can also be referred to as the second time period (including the start and end positions in the time domain), and this second time period can be directly or indirectly indicated. The configuration process for the second time period is similar to that of the first time period, and will not be repeated here.

[0327] Additionally, this second time period can also be related to receiving PDCCH. For example, if the second time period is when the UE DRX is on, the MR can not only receive PDCCH during the UE DRX on period, but also transmit second information or measurements.

[0328] For example, taking the indirect indication of the time-domain start position of the second time period as an example, the time-domain start position of the second time period can be determined by the correlation between the time-domain offset and the second low-power signal.

[0329] For example, the aforementioned 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, urgency of the service, QoS of the service, etc., without being specifically limited here.

[0330] The above items of the second low-power signal are described below.

[0331] 1. The second low-power signal is used to indicate a switch from transmitting second information in the first module to transmitting second information in the second module, or the second low-power signal is used to indicate a switch from transmitting second information in the second module to transmitting second information in the first module. This process can be referred to the description in step 502 above, where the terminal device switches from transmitting second information in the LR module to transmitting second information in the MR module via the first low-power signal, or the description of the first low-power signal indicating a switch from transmitting second information in the MR module to transmitting second information in the LR module. Further details are omitted here.

[0332] 2. Start the first timer.

[0333] In this scenario, the second low-power signal is used to start the first timer. Alternatively, it can be understood that the second low-power signal triggers the first timer. Or, it can be understood that the network side wakes up the MR to start measurement early via the second low-power signal. Or, it can be understood that the second low-power signal and the first timer wake up the MR to start measurement early. Or, it can be understood that the network side indirectly wakes up the MR to start measurement early by starting the first timer. Or, it can be understood that during the period from the start to the expiration of the first timer, the MR can transmit second information.

[0334] The first timer's operation period includes the duration of the second module's transmission of the second information. Alternatively, it can be understood as the first timer timing a first time period. Or, it can be understood as the first timer timing the transmission of the second information by the LR module. Furthermore, this first timer can be a configured or pre-configured timer.

[0335] For example, taking the indirect indication of the second time period through a time-domain offset as an example, the time-domain offset is the time-domain offset between the time-domain start position of the first timer and the time-domain position of the second low-power signal (e.g., the start position or the end position).

[0336] 3. Start the second timer.

[0337] In this scenario, the second low-power signal is used to start the second timer. Alternatively, it can be understood as the second low-power signal triggering the second timer. Or, it can be understood as the network side waking up the MR to start measurement early via the second low-power signal. Or, it can be understood as the second low-power signal and the second timer waking up the MR to start measurement early. Or, it can be understood as the network side indirectly waking up the MR to start measurement early by starting the second timer. Or, it can be understood as the MR transmitting second information during the period from the start to the expiration of the second timer.

[0338] The second timer is used to wake up the MR to transmit the second information in advance. Alternatively, it can be understood as the second timer waking up the MR to start the measurement in advance. Furthermore, this second timer can be a configured or pre-configured timer.

[0339] Optionally, the second timer includes one or more of the following: drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, or drx-RetransmissionTimer. In this example, the second timer can also be associated with receiving the PDCCH. That is, during the UE DRX on period, the MR can not only receive the PDCCH, but also transmit second information or measurements.

[0340] For example, taking the indirect indication of the second time period through a time-domain offset as an example, the time-domain offset is the time-domain offset between the time-domain start position of the second timer and the time-domain position of the second low-power signal (e.g., the start position or the end position).

[0341] 4. Wake up the second module to enter the measurement ahead of time.

[0342] Optionally, a second low-power signal indicates that the MR should start the measurement in advance.

[0343] Optionally, the time domain start position of the MR start measurement is located in the UE DRX off, and the time domain end position of the MR start measurement can be located in the UE DRX on, or in the next UE DRX off, etc., without being limited here.

[0344] For example, as shown in Figure 11A, the time domain start position of MR start measurement is located in UE DRX off, and the time domain end position of MR start measurement can be located in UE DRX on, and the time domain end position of the time period of MR start measurement is the same time domain position as the time domain end position of UE DRX off.

[0345] For example, as shown in Figure 11B, the time domain start position of MR start measurement is located in UE DRX off, the time domain end position of MR start measurement can be located in UE DRX on, and the time domain end position of the time period of MR start measurement is before the time domain end position of UE DRX off.

[0346] For example, as shown in Figure 11C, the time domain start position of MR start measurement is located in UE DRX off, the time domain end position of MR start measurement can be located in UE DRX on, and the time domain end position of the time period of MR start measurement is located in the next UE DRX on.

[0347] 5. Wake up the second module and enter the DRX activation period of the second module in advance.

[0348] Optionally, the second module can be woken up to enter the DRX activation period ahead of time.

[0349] In this case, the second low-power signal indirectly wakes up the MR and starts the measurement in advance.

[0350] For example, taking the indirect indication of the second time period through a time-domain offset as an example, the time-domain offset is the time-domain offset between the time-domain start position of the UE DRX on and the time-domain position of the second low-power signal (e.g., the start position or the end position).

[0351] 6. Indicate or activate or deactivate or de-indicate or switch the measurement configuration of the second module.

[0352] In this case, the second low-power signal is used to indicate or activate, or deactivate, or de-indicate or switch the measurement configuration of the second module. This measurement configuration is used by the second module to transmit second information or measurements.

[0353] The number of MR measurement configurations can be one or more, and the specific number is not limited here.

[0354] For example, in cases where the MR measurement configuration includes multiple configurations, such as MR measurement configuration 1 and MR measurement configuration 2, the second low-power signal used to switch the measurement configuration of the second module can be understood as the second low-power signal being used to indicate a switch from MR measurement configuration 1 to MR measurement configuration 2, or to indicate a switch from MR measurement configuration 2 to MR measurement configuration 1.

[0355] Optionally, this measurement configuration can be used to configure one or more of the following: the time period of MR measurement, the time domain start position (or the start time of MR measurement), the time domain end position (or the end time of MR measurement), or the time domain offset, etc., without being limited here. Among them, the time domain offset is used to indirectly determine the time period of MR measurement.

[0356] For example, the time-domain start position of the MR measurement configuration is before DRX on. This allows MR to start the measurement earlier.

[0357] Step 1002: The terminal device transmits second information based on the second low-power signal.

[0358] After receiving the second low-power signal, the terminal device can transmit the second information based on the second low-power signal.

[0359] Optionally, the network device and the terminal device may also transmit one or more of the following: configuration of the reference signal, configuration of the second low-power signal, the reference signal or a measurement report of the reference signal, etc. For example, the network device may also send a reference signal to the terminal device, and the terminal device may receive the reference signal sent by the network device. As another example, the terminal device may also send a reference signal to the network device, and the network device may receive the reference signal sent by the terminal device. As yet another example, the network device may also send a configuration of the reference signal to the terminal device, and the terminal device may receive the configuration of the reference signal sent by the network device.

[0360] Alternatively, this step can take several forms depending on the second low-power signal:

[0361] For example, after receiving the second low-power signal, the terminal device may switch from transmitting second information in the first module to transmitting second information in the second module, or vice versa. This process can be referenced to the description in step 502 above, where the terminal device switches from transmitting second information in the LR module to transmitting second information in the MR module via the first low-power signal, or the description where the first low-power signal indicates a switch from transmitting second information in the MR module to transmitting second information in the LR module. Further details are omitted here.

[0362] For example, after receiving a second low-power signal, which is used to start a first timer, the terminal device triggers the first timer to start and simultaneously transmits second information or initiates measurement.

[0363] For example, after receiving a second low-power signal, which is used to start a second timer, the terminal device triggers the second timer to start timing and simultaneously transmits second information or initiates measurement.

[0364] For example, after receiving the second low-power signal, which is used to wake up the second module to enter measurement in advance, the terminal device can directly transmit the second information or enter measurement. That is, it does not need to wait for the UE RDX to be on before starting to transmit the second information or perform measurement.

[0365] For example, after receiving the second low-power signal, the terminal device can use this signal to wake up the second module and prematurely enter the DRX activation period of the second module. That is, it doesn't need to wait for the UE's RDX to turn on before starting to transmit the second information or perform measurements.

[0366] For example, after receiving a second low-power signal, and this second low-power signal is used to indicate, activate, deactivate, or switch the measurement configuration of the second module, etc., the terminal device may receive the second low-power signal and then use MR measurement configuration 1 to transmit second information or perform measurements. Alternatively, if multiple MR measurement configurations include MR measurement configuration 1 and MR measurement configuration 2, and the second low-power signal indicates a switch from MR measurement configuration 1 to MR measurement configuration 2, the terminal device may receive the second low-power signal, switch the existing MR measurement configuration 1 to MR measurement configuration 2, and then use MR measurement configuration 2 to transmit second information or perform measurements.

[0367] In this embodiment, on the one hand, a second low-power signal is used to instruct the MR to enter measurement early. This allows the MR to enter deep sleep when it does not receive a low-power signal. For example, when a large amount of data arrives, the network side can use the second low-power signal to instruct the MR to enter measurement early, thereby improving measurement processing efficiency.

[0368] Scheme 2 has been described in detail above with reference to Figures 10 to 11C. Scheme 3 will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 12.

[0369] Please refer to Figure 12, a flowchart corresponding to Scheme 3 provided in this application embodiment. The method may include steps 1201 and 1202. Steps 1201 and 1202 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 1201 and 1202 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.

[0370] Step 1201: The network device sends third information to the terminal device.

[0371] In step 1201, the network device sends third information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the third information sent by the network device. This terminal device can be one of the terminal devices shown in Figures 1A to 3, and the network device can be a RAN node or base station, etc., as shown in Figures 1A to 2C. The terminal device can be described with reference to the first part of step 501 in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, which will not be repeated here. The first low-power module can also be called the first module, and subsequently, the first module is referred to as LR, and the second module as MR, as an example for illustrative description.

[0372] Optionally, the third information may be carried in at least one of the following: RRC signaling, MAC CE or DCI, etc., without being limited here.

[0373] Optionally, the network device can send third information to all terminal devices within its coverage area, or it can send third information to specific terminal devices, etc., and the specifics are not limited here. The specific terminal devices can be referred to in step 501 of the embodiment shown in Figure 5 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0374] The third information is used to indicate one or more of the following: LR transmitting the second information, MR transmitting the second information, switching from LR transmitting the second information to MR transmitting the second information, or switching from MR transmitting the second information to LR transmitting the second information. The second information can be referred to the description in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0375] In one possible implementation, the third information is used to instruct the LR or MR to transmit the second information.

[0376] In another possible implementation, the third information is used to indicate a switch from LR transmission to MR transmission, or a switch from MR transmission to LR transmission.

[0377] The aforementioned switching process can be understood as the third information indicating whether to switch the transceiver used to transmit the second information. That is, the content indicated by the first low-power information may be the same, and it is necessary to further consider the transceiver currently used to transmit the second information to determine whether to use MR or LR to transmit the second information subsequently. For example, assuming the terminal device uses MR to transmit the second information at time 1, receives the third information at time 2, and this third information indicates a switch to transceiver for transmitting the second information, then after time 2, the terminal device uses LR to transmit the second information. As another example, assuming the terminal device uses LR to transmit the second information at time 1, receives the third information at time 2, and this third information indicates a switch to transceiver for transmitting the second information, then after time 2, the terminal device uses MR to transmit the second information.

[0378] Optionally, the third information can be indicated in various ways, such as by using a single bit "0" or "1", or by using "true" or "false", or by using "yes" or "no", etc. The specific method is not limited here.

[0379] For example, the third information can be activated by indicating "1" for the first time period, and correspondingly, the third information can be deactivated by indicating "0" for the first time period. Another example is that the third information can be used to instruct the LR to transmit the second information in the first time period by indicating "1", and correspondingly, the third information can be used to instruct the LR not to transmit the second information in the first time period by indicating "0". Yet another example is that the third information can be used to indicate a switch from MR transmission to LR transmission by indicating "1", and correspondingly, the third information can be used to indicate a switch from LR transmission to MR transmission by indicating "0". Of course, it is also possible for the third information to be used to activate the first time period by indicating "0", and correspondingly, for deactivated by indicating "1", etc., etc., without being limited here.

[0380] For example, the third message activates the first time period by indicating "true," and correspondingly, the third message activates the first time period by indicating "false." For example, the third message instructs LR to transmit the second message in the first time period by indicating "true," and correspondingly, the third message instructs LR not to transmit the second message in the first time period by indicating "false." For example, the third message instructs to switch from MR transmission to LR transmission by indicating "true," and correspondingly, the third message instructs LR transmission to switch to MR transmission by indicating "false." Of course, it's also possible for the third message to activate the first time period by indicating "false," and correspondingly, for the third message instructs to activate the first time period by indicating "true," etc. The specific implementation is not limited here.

[0381] For example, the third message activates the first time period using a "yes" indication, and correspondingly, the third message deactivates the first time period using a "no" indication. For example, the third message instructs the LR to transmit the second message in the first time period using a "yes" indication, and correspondingly, the third message deactivates the second message using a "no" indication. For example, the third message switches from MR transmission to LR transmission using a "yes" indication, and correspondingly, the third message deactivates the LR transmission using a "no" indication. Of course, it's also possible for the third message to activate the first time period using a "no" indication, and correspondingly, for the third message to deactivate the first time period using a "yes" indication, etc. The specific implementation is not limited here.

[0382] In addition, the process of the terminal device receiving the third information can be either by the terminal device receiving the third information through MR or by the terminal device receiving the third information through LR, and the specific method is not limited here.

[0383] Step 1202: The terminal device determines whether to transmit the second information through the first module or the second module based on the third information.

[0384] After receiving the third information sent by the network device, the terminal device determines whether to transmit the second information through the first module or the second module based on the third information.

[0385] Due to the various scenarios involving third-party information, the processing by terminal devices also varies, as described below:

[0386] For example, if the third information is used to instruct the LR to transmit the second information, the terminal device determines to transmit the second information through the LR based on the third information.

[0387] For example, when the third information is used to instruct the MR to transmit the second information, the terminal device determines to transmit the second information via MR based on the third information.

[0388] For example, when the third information is used to indicate a switch from LR transmission to MR transmission, the terminal device determines the second information to be transmitted via MR based on the third information.

[0389] For example, when the third information is used to indicate a switch from MR transmission to LR transmission, the terminal device determines the second information to be transmitted via LR based on the third information.

[0390] In this embodiment, on the one hand, using the third information to indicate whether the low-power module or the main module transmits the second information not only increases the flexibility of dynamic scheduling but also reduces the power consumption caused by the terminal device only being able to transmit the second information through the main module. On the other hand, the third information can also indicate the switching between the low-power module and the main module, improving the flexibility of scheduling.

[0391] It is understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the interaction between the terminal device and the network device is mainly used as an example for illustrative purposes. This application is not limited to this. The terminal device can be replaced by a receiving device, which can be either a terminal device or a network device. The network device can be replaced by a sending device, which can be either a terminal device or a network device.

[0392] It is also understood that some optional features in the various embodiments of this application may not depend on other features in some scenarios, or may be combined with other features in some scenarios, without limitation.

[0393] It is also understood that the solutions in the various embodiments of this application can be reasonably combined and used, and the explanations or descriptions of the various terms appearing in the embodiments can be referenced or explained to each other in the various embodiments, without limitation. For example, the embodiment shown in FIG5 can be combined with the embodiment shown in FIG10. For another example, the embodiment shown in FIG5 can be combined with the embodiment shown in FIG12. For another example, the embodiment shown in FIG10 can be combined with the embodiment shown in FIG12. For another example, the embodiment shown in FIG5 can be combined with the embodiments shown in FIG10 and FIG12.

[0394] It is also understood that, in the above-described method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by a device (such as a terminal device or a network device) can also be implemented by components of the device (such as chips or circuits), without limitation.

[0395] 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 FIG13, which shows an embodiment of the communication device 1300 in this application. The communication device 1300 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 1300 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 1300 includes: a transceiver unit 1301. Alternatively, the communication device 1300 includes: a transceiver unit 1301 and a processing unit 1302, wherein the transceiver unit 1301 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 1302 is used to perform other operations of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments besides the transmission and reception operations.

[0396] It should be noted that the transceiver unit 1301 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 1300 is a terminal device, the transceiver unit 1301 may perform the transceiver-related operations, or the LR or MR may perform the transceiver-related operations, etc. Specific details are not limited here.

[0397] In one possible implementation, the communication device 1300 is the terminal device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 3 above, in which case the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0398] The transceiver unit 1301 is used to receive first information, which is used to configure a first time period. The first time period is used for the first low-power module to transmit second information, which includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal.

[0399] The transceiver unit 1301 is also used to transmit second information based on the first information.

[0400] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1301 is further configured to receive a first low-power signal, the first low-power signal being used for one or more of the following:

[0401] Activate or deactivate during the first time period;

[0402] Or instruct the first low-power module whether to transmit the second information in the first time period;

[0403] Alternatively, the terminal device may be instructed to switch from transmitting the second information from the second module to transmitting the second information from the first low-power module, wherein the energy consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first low-power module.

[0404] Alternatively, it may instruct the terminal device to switch from transmitting the second information from the first low-power module to transmitting the second information from the second module.

[0405] 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.

[0406] In this embodiment, the first time period is defined by the first information received by the transceiver unit 1301. This first time period is used for the first low-power module to transmit reference signals and / or measurement reports of the reference signals. That is, transmitting the second information through the time period of the low-power module can not only reduce the probability of the main module's deep sleep being interrupted, but also avoid the power consumption of the terminal device caused by using only the main module to transmit reference signals for a long time.

[0407] In another possible implementation, the communication device 1300 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:

[0408] The transceiver unit 1301 is used to send first information, which is used to configure a first time period. The first time period is used for the first low-power module to transmit second information. The second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal. The first information is used to transmit the second information.

[0409] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1301 is further configured to transmit a first low-power signal, the first low-power signal being used for one or more of the following:

[0410] Activate or deactivate during the first time period;

[0411] Or instruct the first low-power module whether to transmit the second information in the first time period;

[0412] Alternatively, the terminal device may be instructed to switch from transmitting the second information from the second module to transmitting the second information from the first low-power module, wherein the energy consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first low-power module.

[0413] Alternatively, it may instruct the terminal device to switch from transmitting the second information from the first low-power module to transmitting the second information from the second module.

[0414] 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.

[0415] In this embodiment, the first information sent by the transceiver unit 1301 configures a first time period for the first low-power module. This first time period is used for the first low-power module to transmit reference signals and / or measurement reports of the reference signals. That is, by configuring the transmission time period of the low-power module, not only can the probability of the main module's deep sleep being interrupted be reduced, but the power consumption of the terminal device caused by using only the main module to transmit reference signals for a long time can also be avoided.

[0416] In another possible implementation, the communication device 1300 is the terminal device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 3 above, in which case the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0417] The transceiver unit 1301 is configured to receive a second low-power signal, which is used for one or more of the following: instructing the terminal device to switch from transmitting second information from the first module to transmitting second information from the second module, wherein the power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module, and the second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal; the terminal device includes the first module and the second module; or starting a first timer, the operation period of which includes the duration of the second module transmitting second information; or starting a second timer, which includes one or more of the following: drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, or drx-RetransmissionTimer; or waking up the second module to enter measurement early; or waking up the second module to enter the DRX activation period of the second module early; or indicating or activating or deactivating the measurement configuration of the second module.

[0418] 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.

[0419] In this embodiment, the transceiver unit 1301 uses a second low-power signal to instruct the second module to transmit data ahead of schedule or to switch the module used to transmit the second information. Thus, the second module can enter deep sleep mode when no low-power signal is received. For example, when a large amount of data arrives, the network side can use the second low-power signal to instruct the second module to enter measurement mode ahead of schedule, thereby obtaining the latest channel information as quickly as possible, enabling rapid data transmission, and reducing transmission latency.

[0420] In another possible implementation, the communication device 800 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:

[0421] The transceiver unit 1301 is configured to transmit a second low-power signal, which is used for one or more of the following: indicating a switch from transmitting second information from the first module to transmitting second information from the second module, wherein the power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module, and the second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal; or starting a first timer, the operation period of which includes the duration of the second module transmitting the second information; or starting a second timer, which includes one or more of the following: drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, or drx-RetransmissionTimer; or waking up the second module to enter measurement early; or waking up the second module to enter the DRX activation period of the second module early; or indicating or activating or deactivating the measurement configuration of the second module.

[0422] 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.

[0423] In this embodiment, the transceiver unit 1301 uses a second low-power signal to instruct the second module to transmit data ahead of schedule or to switch the module used to transmit the second information. Thus, the second module can enter deep sleep mode when no low-power signal is received. For example, when a large amount of data arrives, the network side can use the second low-power signal to instruct the second module to enter measurement mode ahead of schedule, thereby obtaining the latest channel information as quickly as possible, enabling rapid data transmission, and reducing transmission latency.

[0424] In another possible implementation, the communication device 1300 is the terminal device in the embodiments shown in Figures 1A to 3 above, in which case the functions of each unit are as follows:

[0425] The transceiver unit 1301 is used to receive third information, which is used to instruct the first module or the second module to transmit the second information, including a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal;

[0426] The processing unit 1302 is also used to determine, based on the third information, whether to transmit the second information through the first module or the second module.

[0427] 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.

[0428] In this embodiment, the transceiver unit 1301 receives third information, which is used to indicate whether the low-power module or the main module transmits the second information. This not only increases the flexibility of dynamic scheduling but also reduces the power consumption caused by the terminal device only being able to transmit the second information through the main module. On the other hand, the processing unit 1302 can also use the third information to determine the switching between the low-power module and the main module, further improving the flexibility of scheduling.

[0429] In another possible implementation, the communication device 1300 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:

[0430] The transceiver unit 1301 is used to send third information, which is used to determine whether the first module or the second module transmits the second information. The second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal. The third information is used to determine whether the second information is transmitted through the first module or the second module.

[0431] 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.

[0432] In this embodiment, the transceiver unit 1301 uses third information to indicate whether the low-power module or the main module transmits the second information. This not only increases the flexibility of dynamic scheduling but also reduces the power consumption caused by the terminal device only being able to transmit the second information through the main module. On the other hand, the third information can also indicate the switching between the low-power module and the main module, further enhancing the flexibility of scheduling.

[0433] Please refer to Figure 14, which is another schematic structural diagram of the communication device 1400 provided in this application. The communication device 1400 includes a logic circuit 1401 and an input / output interface 1402. The communication device 1400 can be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0434] The transceiver unit 1301 shown in Figure 13 can be a communication interface, which can be the input / output interface 1402 in Figure 14. The input / output interface 1402 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 1302 shown in Figure 13 can be the logic circuit 1401 in Figure 14.

[0435] The logic circuit 1401 and the input / output interface 1402 can also perform other steps performed by the network device or terminal device in any embodiment and achieve corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be elaborated here.

[0436] In this embodiment, when the communication device 1300 is a terminal device, the transceiver unit 1301 includes LR and MR. The descriptions of LR and MR can be found in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 above, and will not be repeated here. Of course, when the communication device 1300 is a network device, the transceiver unit 1301 may also include LR and MR.

[0437] For example, when the communication device 1400 is a terminal device, the input / output interface 1402 can be used for one or more of the following: receiving first information, receiving a first low-power signal, receiving a second low-power signal, transmitting second information, receiving third information, or receiving measurement configuration, etc. The logic circuit 1401 can be used for one or more of the following: determining whether to use LR or MR to transmit the second information, measuring a reference signal, etc.

[0438] For example, when the communication device 1400 is a network device, the input / output interface 1402 can be used for one or more of the following: sending first information, sending a first low-power signal, sending a second low-power signal, receiving second information, sending third information, or sending measurement configuration, etc.

[0439] Optionally, the logic circuit 1401 can be a processing device, the functions of which can be partially or entirely implemented in software.

[0440] 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.

[0441] 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.

[0442] 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.

[0443] Please refer to Figure 15, which shows the communication device 1500 involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. Specifically, the communication device 1500 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.

[0444] The present invention provides a possible logical structure diagram of the communication device 1500, which may include, but is not limited to, at least one processor 1501 and a communication port 1502.

[0445] In Figure 13, the transceiver unit 1301 can be a communication interface, which can be the communication port 1502 in Figure 15. The communication port 1502 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the communication port 1502 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.

[0446] In this embodiment, when the communication device 1500 is a terminal device, the communication port 1502 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 1500 is a network device, the communication port 1502 may also include LR and MR.

[0447] Optionally, the device may further include at least one of a memory 1503 and a bus. In embodiments of this application, the at least one processor 1501 is used to control the operation of the communication device 1500. The memory 1503 is used to store device program code and / or data.

[0448] For example, when the communication device 1500 is a terminal device, the communication port 1502 can be used for one or more of the following: receiving first information, receiving a first low-power signal, receiving a second low-power signal, transmitting second information, receiving third information, or receiving measurement configuration, etc. At least one processor 1501 can be used for one or more of the following: determining whether to use LR or MR to transmit the second information, measuring a reference signal, etc.

[0449] For example, when the communication device 1500 is a network device, the communication port 1502 can be used for one or more of the following: sending first information, sending a first low-power signal, sending a second low-power signal, receiving second information, sending third information, or sending measurement configuration, etc.

[0450] Furthermore, the processor 1501 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.

[0451] It is understood that this application does not limit the number of the various components shown in Figure 15. For example, the number of processors 1501, the number of communication ports 1502, and the number of memory 1503 can each be one or more, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0452] It should be noted that the communication device 1500 shown in Figure 15 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 15 can be referred to the description in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0453] Please refer to Figure 16, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 1600 involved in the above embodiments provided in the embodiments of this application. Specifically, the communication device 1600 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 16.

[0454] The communication device 1600 includes at least one processor 1611 and at least one network interface 1614. Optionally, the communication device further includes at least one memory 1612, at least one transceiver 1613, and one or more antennas 1615. The processor 1611, memory 1612, transceiver 1613, and network interface 1614 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 1615 is connected to the transceiver 1613. The network interface 1614 enables the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, network interface 1614 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.

[0455] In Figure 16, the transceiver unit 1601 can be a communication interface, which can be the network interface 1614 shown in Figure 16. The network interface 1614 can include an input interface and an output interface. Alternatively, the network interface 1614 can also be a transceiver circuit, which can include an input interface circuit and an output interface circuit.

[0456] Processor 1611 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 1611 in Figure 16 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.

[0457] The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. The memory 1612 can exist independently or be connected to the processor 1611. Optionally, the memory 1612 can be integrated with the processor 1611, for example, integrated within a single chip. The memory 1612 can store program code that executes the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 1611. The various types of computer program code being executed can also be considered as drivers for the processor 1611.

[0458] Figure 16 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.

[0459] Transceiver 1613 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals between a communication device and a terminal. Transceiver 1613 can be connected to antenna 1615. Transceiver 1613 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 1615 can receive RF signals. The receiver Rx of transceiver 1613 is used to receive the RF signals from the antennas, convert the RF signals into digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency (IF) signals, and provide the digital baseband signals or IF signals to processor 1611 so that processor 1611 can perform further processing on the digital baseband signals or IF signals, such as demodulation and decoding. In addition, the transmitter Tx in transceiver 1613 is also used to receive modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals from processor 1611, convert the modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals into RF signals, and transmit the RF signals through one or more antennas 1615. 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.

[0460] The transceiver 1613 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.

[0461] It should be noted that the communication device 1600 shown in Figure 16 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 1600 shown in Figure 16 can be referred to the description in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0462] 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.

[0463] 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.

[0464] 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.

[0465] 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.

[0466] 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 in that, Applied to a terminal device, the terminal device including a first low-power module, the method includes: Receive first information, the first information is used to configure a first time period, the first time period is used for the first low power module to transmit second information, the second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal; The second information is transmitted based on the first information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a first low-power signal, wherein the first low-power signal is used for one or more of the following: Activate or deactivate the first time period; Or it may indicate whether the first low-power module transmits the second information in the first time period; Alternatively, the terminal device may be instructed to switch from transmitting the second information from the second module to transmitting the second information from the first low-power module, wherein the power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first low-power module. Alternatively, the terminal device may be instructed to switch from transmitting the second information from the first low-power module to transmitting the second information from the second module.

3. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send first information, the first information is used to configure a first time period, the first time period is used for the first low power module of the terminal device to transmit second information, the second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal; The second information is received based on the first information.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending a first low-power signal, the first low-power signal being used for one or more of the following: Activate or deactivate the first time period; Or it may indicate whether the first low-power module transmits the second information in the first time period; Alternatively, the terminal device may be instructed to switch from transmitting the second information from the second module to transmitting the second information from the first low-power module, wherein the power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first low-power module. Alternatively, the terminal device may be instructed to switch from transmitting the second information from the first low-power module to transmitting the second information from the second module.

5. The method according to claim 2 or 4, characterized in that, The first low-power signal is located within or before the first time period.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The terminal device further includes a second module, wherein the first low-power module and the second module do not transmit the second information simultaneously, and the energy consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first low-power module.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The terminal device further includes a second module, which does not transmit the second information during a portion or all of the first time period, and the energy consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first low-power module.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The terminal device further includes a second module, the first time period includes part or all of the inactive period of the second module's discontinuous reception of DRX, and the power consumption of the second module is greater than the power consumption of the first low-power module.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first time period also includes the activation period of the DRX of the second module.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first information is used to configure the activation and deactivation periods of the DRX of the second module. The deactivation period is the first time period, and the activation period is the time period during which the first low-power module does not transmit the second information.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that, The first time period begins before the activation period of the DRX, or the first time period includes at least part or all of the inactive period of the DRX.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The activation of the first time period is triggered by 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 low-power 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 difference between the actual channel information and the configured channel information of the terminal device is greater than or equal to the third threshold.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The deactivation in the first time period is triggered by the second event. The second event 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 difference between the actual channel information and the configured channel information of the terminal device is less than or equal to the sixth threshold.

14. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a terminal device, the terminal device including a first module and a second module, wherein the energy consumption of the second module is greater than the energy consumption of the first module, the method includes: Receive a second low-power signal, the second low-power signal being used for one or more of the following: The terminal device is instructed to switch from transmitting second information from the first module to transmitting the second information from the second module, wherein the power consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module, and the second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal; Alternatively, a first timer may be started, the duration of which includes the time during which the second module transmits the second information; Alternatively, a second timer may be started, which includes one or more of the following: drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, or drx-RetransmissionTimer; Alternatively, it can wake up the second module to start the measurement in advance; Alternatively, it can wake up the second module to enter the activation period of the second module's DRX in advance; Alternatively, it may instruct, activate, or deactivate the measurement configuration of the second module.

15. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send a second low-power signal, the second low-power signal being used for one or more of the following: The instruction is to switch from transmitting the second information from the first module to transmitting the second information from the second module, wherein the energy consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module, and the second information includes a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal; Alternatively, a first timer may be started, the duration of which includes the time during which the second module transmits the second information; Alternatively, a second timer may be started, which includes one or more of the following: drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, or drx-RetransmissionTimer; Alternatively, it can wake up the second module to start the measurement in advance; Alternatively, it can wake up the second module to enter the activation period of the second module's DRX in advance; Alternatively, it may instruct, activate, or deactivate the measurement configuration of the second module.

16. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive third information, the third information being used to instruct the terminal device to transmit second information through the first module or the second module, the second information including a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal; Based on the third information, it is determined whether the second information will be transmitted through the first module or the second module.

17. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send a third message, which instructs the terminal device to transmit a second message through a first module or a second module, the second message including a reference signal and / or a measurement report of the reference signal.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that, The third information is used to indicate either: switching from transmitting the second information from the second module to transmitting the second information from the first module, or switching from transmitting the second information from the first module to transmitting the second information from the second module.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that, The energy consumption of the second module is greater than that of the first module.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. 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 19.

22. 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 19.

23. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 1, 2, 5 to 13, and a communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 3 to 13; or it includes a communication device for performing the method of claim 14, and a communication device for performing the method of claim 15; or it includes a communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 16, 18 or 19, and a communication device for performing the method of any one of claims 17 to 19.

24. 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 19.

25. 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 19.

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