Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of communications, and provides a communication method and apparatus. The communication method comprises: upon receiving a first request for requesting terminal capability information, a terminal reports to a network device the terminal capability information for downlink switching, and then the network device can indicate, by means of first information, to the terminal a component carrier for switching. Upon determining the component carrier for switching, the terminal reports, by means of second information, the duration of a corresponding uplink interruption (also referred to as a first interruption) to the network device. In this way, the network device can determine the duration of the uplink interruption, thereby reducing misoperations such as uplink resource allocation and uplink data sending within the duration of the uplink interruption, thus improving the performance and stability of a communication system.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510109569.X, filed on January 21, 2025, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to communication methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] In modern wireless communication systems, with the widespread application of carrier aggregation (CA) and fragmented carrier technologies, user equipment (UE) needs to perform downlink (Rx Switching) switching on different spectrum segments to adapt to dynamic spectrum environments and meet the demands of high-speed data transmission. Downlink switching occurs when spectrum resources are dynamically allocated or the spectrum environment changes, causing the UE to switch from its current carrier to another carrier to receive downlink signals. However, this downlink (Rx Switching) scenario can trigger uplink communication interruptions, leading to network-side malfunctions and affecting the overall performance and stability of the communication system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and apparatus for improving the overall performance and stability of a communication system.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] Firstly, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a terminal. The execution subject of the method can be the terminal, a component or device applied to the terminal (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions. The communication method includes: receiving a first request for terminal capability information requesting the terminal to switch when receiving data from a network device; sending the terminal capability information; receiving first information for instructing the terminal to switch to a member carrier; and sending second information for indicating the duration of a first interruption when the terminal switches to a member carrier, the first interruption including an interruption of the terminal transmitting data to the network device.

[0007] In this embodiment, after the terminal receives the first request for terminal capability information, the terminal reports the downlink handover terminal capability information to the network device. Then, the network device can indicate the member carrier to be switched to the terminal through the first information. After the terminal specifies the member carrier to be switched, it reports the duration of the corresponding uplink interruption (i.e., the first interruption) to the network device through the second information. In this way, the network device can specify the duration of the uplink interruption and reduce uplink resource allocation, uplink data transmission and other misoperations within the duration of the uplink interruption, thereby improving the performance and stability of the communication system.

[0008] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a network device. The execution subject of the method can be the network device, a component or device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system) applied to the network device, or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. The communication method includes: sending a first request for terminal capability information requesting a terminal to switch when receiving data from the network device; receiving the terminal capability information; sending first information for instructing the terminal to switch to a member carrier; and receiving second information for indicating the duration of a first interruption when the terminal switches to a member carrier, the first interruption including an interruption of the terminal transmitting data to the network device.

[0009] In this embodiment, when a terminal needs to perform a downlink handover, the network device sends a first request to the terminal requesting terminal capability information, and then receives the terminal capability information from the terminal. The network device can then use the first information to instruct the terminal to perform a handover on the member carrier, and report the duration of the uplink interruption (i.e., the aforementioned first interruption) to the network device through the second information. In this way, the network device can clearly determine the duration of the uplink interruption, reduce uplink resource allocation and uplink data transmission errors during the uplink interruption duration, and improve the performance and stability of the communication system.

[0010] Thirdly, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a terminal. The execution subject of the method can be the terminal, a component or device applied to the terminal (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions. The communication method includes: sending a second request for switching to a first frequency band; receiving third information indicating the first frequency band; sending terminal capability information; receiving first information instructing the terminal to switch to a member carrier; and sending second information indicating the duration of a first interruption when the terminal switches to a member carrier, the first interruption including an interruption of the terminal sending data to a network device.

[0011] In this embodiment, the terminal actively sends a second request for switching to a first frequency band, then receives third information indicating the first frequency band, and reports its downlink switching capability information to the network device. The network device can then indicate the member carrier to be switched to the terminal using the first information. After the terminal specifies the member carrier to be switched, it reports the duration of the corresponding uplink interruption (i.e., the aforementioned first interruption) to the network device using the second information. This allows the network device to clearly determine the duration of the uplink interruption, reducing errors in uplink resource allocation and uplink data transmission within that duration, thus improving the performance and stability of the communication system. Furthermore, by actively triggering the downlink switch, the terminal can monitor the signal quality and strength of the current communication link in real time. Once the signal quality drops below a preset threshold, it quickly initiates the downlink switch, effectively reducing the risk of communication interruption. In addition, because the terminal can proactively sense and prepare for the switching process in advance, the latency required for switching is reduced.

[0012] Fourthly, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a network device. The execution subject of the method can be the network device, a component or device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system) applied to the network device, or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. The communication method includes: receiving a second request for a terminal to switch to a first frequency band; sending third information indicating the first frequency band; receiving terminal capability information; sending first information instructing the terminal to switch to a member carrier; and receiving second information indicating the duration of a first interruption when the terminal switches to a member carrier, the first interruption including an interruption of the terminal sending data to the network device.

[0013] In this embodiment, the network device responds to a second request for the terminal to switch to the first frequency band by sending third information indicating the first frequency band, and then receives terminal capability information from the terminal. The network device can then indicate the member carrier for the terminal to switch to through the first information, and report the duration of the uplink interruption (i.e., the first interruption mentioned above) to the network device through the second information. In this way, the network device can clearly determine the duration of the uplink interruption, reduce uplink resource allocation and uplink data transmission errors during the uplink interruption duration, and improve the performance and stability of the communication system.

[0014] In conjunction with any of the first to fourth aspects described above, this application also provides the following possible designs:

[0015] In one possible design, the network device instructs the terminal to use a first frequency band for handover, terminal capability information is used to indicate the handover time when the terminal performs the handover, and third information is used to indicate whether each component carrier in the first frequency band supports a first interrupt.

[0016] In this design, the content of the aforementioned terminal capability information is designed so that the network device can clearly determine the switching time and whether each member carrier in the first frequency band supports the first interrupt.

[0017] In one possible design, the switching time includes the switching time for each component carrier in the first frequency band.

[0018] In this design, terminal capability information is reported at the component carrier level.

[0019] In one possible design, the switching time includes the switching time of the first frequency band. Optionally, the first frequency band includes one or more frequency bands, and the switching time includes the switching time of each frequency band within the first frequency band.

[0020] This design enables the reporting of terminal capability information at the frequency band level.

[0021] In one possible design, the switching time of the first frequency band is determined based on the switching time of each component carrier in the first frequency band.

[0022] In this design, a method for determining the switching time of the first frequency band was devised, which can improve the accuracy of the switching time of the first frequency band.

[0023] In one possible design, the switching time is selected from the following candidate times: 35 microseconds, 140 microseconds, or 210 microseconds.

[0024] This design provides the aforementioned candidate times, enhancing the flexibility of switching time selection.

[0025] In one possible design, different terminal capability information corresponds to different durations of the first interrupt.

[0026] In this design, different terminal capability information corresponds to different durations of the first interrupt, which can accurately determine the duration of the first interrupt.

[0027] In one possible design, the duration of the first interrupt is determined based on the terminal's capability information.

[0028] This design ensures the accuracy of the duration of the first interruption.

[0029] In one possible design, the first information includes N sets of information, each set of information corresponds to a member carrier, and the set of information corresponding to the switched member carrier is preset information, where N is a positive integer.

[0030] In this design, the receiver of the first information can clearly identify the member carriers that the terminal indicated by the first information will switch to.

[0031] In one possible design, the first information also includes the carrier combination identifier corresponding to the member carrier and / or the cell identifier corresponding to the member carrier.

[0032] In this design, the receiver of the first information can clearly identify the carrier combination identifier and / or the cell identifier corresponding to the member carrier.

[0033] In one possible design, the second information includes the identification information of the component carriers and the duration of the first interrupt.

[0034] In this design, the network device can explicitly specify the duration of the first interrupt for the corresponding member carrier during handover.

[0035] Fifthly, a communication device is provided for implementing the method described in any one of the first to fourth aspects. For example, the communication device can be a terminal as described in any of the above aspects; or, the communication device can be a network device as described in any of the above aspects.

[0036] The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation method. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0037] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module can be used to implement the processing functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations. The transceiver module, also called a transceiver unit, is used to implement the sending and / or receiving functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations. The transceiver module may consist of transceiver circuitry, a transceiver, a transceiver unit, or a communication interface.

[0038] In some possible designs, the transceiver module includes a sending module and / or a receiving module, which are used to implement the sending or receiving functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations.

[0039] A sixth aspect provides a communication device, comprising: a processor and a communication interface; the communication interface being used to communicate with a module outside the communication device; the processor being used to execute computer programs or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any of the aspects. For example, the communication device may be a terminal as described in any of the aspects above; or, the communication device may be a network device as described in any of the aspects above.

[0040] A seventh aspect provides a communication device comprising: at least one processor; said processor being configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in a memory to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any aspect. The memory may be coupled to the processor, or the memory may exist independently of the processor; for example, the memory and the processor may be two separate modules. The memory may be located outside or within the communication device.

[0041] The communication device is used to implement the method described in any of the first to fourth aspects. For example, the communication device can be a terminal as described in any of the above aspects; or, the communication device can be a network device as described in any of the above aspects.

[0042] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the method described in either aspect.

[0043] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided that, when run on a communication device, enables the communication device to perform the method described in either aspect.

[0044] In a tenth aspect, a communication device is provided, configured to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any one aspect.

[0045] Eleventhly, a communication system is provided, which includes the terminal and network equipment described in the preceding aspects.

[0046] It is understandable that when the communication device provided in any of the fifth to seventh aspects is a chip, the sending action / function of the communication device can be understood as outputting information, and the receiving action / function of the communication device can be understood as inputting information.

[0047] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects five through eleven can be found in the technical effects of different design methods in aspects one through four, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a radio frequency link provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency link provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another radio frequency link provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figures 5-7 are schematic diagrams of the architecture of the communication system provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0053] Figures 8 and 9 are schematic flowcharts of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0054] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the terminal structure provided in the embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0056] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0057] Before introducing the embodiments of this application, some terms involved in the embodiments of this application will be explained.

[0058] 1. Downlink receiving radio frequency link

[0059] The downlink receiving radio frequency link refers to the process in a wireless communication system where signals are transmitted from a base station (or communication satellite, network center, etc.) to user equipment (such as mobile phones, wireless terminals, etc.). This process involves multiple steps, including the transmission, reception, amplification, and demodulation of radio frequency signals.

[0060] For example, Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a downlink radio frequency link, which includes:

[0061] Receiver antenna: It receives electromagnetic waves and converts them into electrical signals for the receiver to process. Through signal reception, directivity design, and signal gain, it ensures that the wireless communication system can receive signals effectively and stably. It is an indispensable key component in communication.

[0062] Antenna Switch: As the starting point of the link, the antenna switch is responsible for intelligent switching between multiple antennas or ports to optimize signal reception and effectively manage radio frequency resources.

[0063] Bandpass filter: Following the antenna switch, the bandpass filter is used to filter out out-of-band interference, ensuring that the signal within the target frequency range can continue to be transmitted, thereby improving signal quality.

[0064] Low noise amplifier (LNA): A low noise amplifier is used to efficiently amplify a weak filtered signal, minimizing the introduced noise. It typically has a low noise figure, helping subsequent circuits to better process the signal and preventing the signal from being lost due to weakness.

[0065] Frequency conversion components can include a local oscillator (LO) or a phase-locked loop (PLL). The local oscillator (LO) is a device that generates an alternating signal, called the local oscillator signal. The LO signal is mainly used to increase or decrease the signal frequency and is widely used in superheterodyne receivers or modern zero-IF receivers. The PLL is a feedback control system widely used in electronic communications and signal processing. Its main function is to synchronize the frequency and phase of the output signal with a reference signal.

[0066] Low-pass filter (LPF): After frequency conversion, the low-pass filter further filters out any high-frequency components that may be generated, reduces high-frequency noise, prevents aliasing, smooths the waveform, and enables the analog-to-digital converter to convert analog signals into digital signals more accurately.

[0067] Analog-to-digital converter (ADC): Used to accurately convert filtered analog signals into digital signals, providing a reliable data source for subsequent digital signal processing and baseband analysis.

[0068] Baseband: Used for further processing and decoding of digital signals after ADC conversion, including channel decoding, source decoding, and signal format conversion, to ultimately recover the original information data.

[0069] In summary, the downlink receiving RF link ensures efficient and stable signal transmission from the transmitter to the receiver through a series of components and processes.

[0070] 2. Carrier aggregation

[0071] Carrier aggregation (CA) is a widely used technology in modern wireless communication systems. To improve peak data rates and meet the requirements of eMBB scenarios, increasing cell bandwidth can be considered. However, the maximum bandwidth of a single cell is fixed. Therefore, LTE-Advanced systems introduce a technology to increase transmission bandwidth, namely CA. The main purpose of CA is to combine carriers from multiple frequency bands to improve data transmission rates, increase network capacity, and improve spectrum utilization efficiency, enabling users to receive and transmit data in parallel across multiple frequency bands, thereby achieving higher bandwidth and faster network speeds.

[0072] For example, Figure 2 illustrates a carrier aggregation communication scenario that includes a base station and a terminal. The base station, as the core equipment of the mobile communication network, is responsible for providing wireless communication services to the terminal. The base station covers not only the primary cell (PCell) 1, but also secondary cells (SCell) 1, SCell 2, and SCell 3, which operate on the primary frequency band and different secondary frequency bands, respectively.

[0073] In this scenario, the terminal first establishes an initial connection with the base station through primary cell 1 and conducts radio resource control (RRC) communication. RRC communication includes key processes such as connection establishment, handover, and measurement reporting, and it is the main communication channel between the terminal and the base station.

[0074] When a terminal requires a higher data transmission rate, the base station dynamically configures and activates one or more secondary cells (such as secondary cell 1, secondary cell 2, or secondary cell 3) based on the terminal's service requirements and channel conditions. These secondary cells provide the terminal with additional data transmission bandwidth, thereby improving the overall data transmission rate and capacity.

[0075] Specifically, the base station flexibly allocates uplink and downlink time slots and frequency resources to the terminal. The terminal can simultaneously access primary cell 1 and one or more secondary cells for data transmission, forming a larger "virtual" carrier. This "virtual" carrier is composed of multiple carrier channels, has a larger transmission bandwidth, and thus can significantly improve the data transmission rate.

[0076] CA can be classified as follows:

[0077] Intra-band carrier aggregation: Carriers within the same frequency band are aggregated. This method is relatively simple to process because their frequencies are relatively close, resulting in less interference.

[0078] Inter-band carrier aggregation: This involves aggregating carriers from different frequency bands. Typically, the frequency difference between these carriers is large, requiring more complex signal processing and synchronization techniques.

[0079] Contiguous carrier aggregation: The aggregated carriers are continuous in the spectrum, that is, they are adjacent and have continuous bandwidth.

[0080] Non-contiguous carrier aggregation (NCCA): The aggregated carriers are discontinuous in the spectrum, and there may be a certain frequency interval. This aggregation method has higher spectrum utilization efficiency, but it also places higher demands on the signal processing capabilities of the equipment.

[0081] As an example, the downlink NCCA RF link is shown in Figure 3, where the signal is first received by the receiver antenna. Subsequently, the signal passes through a bandpass filter, which selects the desired frequency band and suppresses out-of-band interference. Next, the signal is fed into a low-noise amplifier (LNA) for initial amplification to reduce the noise figure of the entire receiver link.

[0082] When processing downlink primary carrier members and downlink secondary carrier members, since they may be located in different frequency bands, they are typically processed through different RF front-end paths. Each path includes a bandpass filter and a low-noise amplifier tuned for that carrier band.

[0083] After initial amplification, the signals from the two carriers are fed into their respective local oscillator (LO) and mixer (not shown in the figure) combinations. Here, the signal generated by the local oscillator is mixed with the received radio frequency signal, down-converting it to the intermediate frequency (IF) or baseband frequency for subsequent demodulation processing.

[0084] Primary carrier component (PCC): The primary carrier is the most important carrier in the system. It is usually used to carry the main data and control signals and to communicate with the control signals and main data streams in the network.

[0085] Secondary carrier component (SCC): In carrier aggregation mode, it provides additional data transmission bandwidth. The secondary carrier is not responsible for control signal transmission; it is solely used for data transmission, especially to increase transmission rate and provide greater bandwidth. The secondary carrier can be adjusted according to network conditions or data requirements to improve network flexibility and data transmission rate.

[0086] 3. Downlink fragmented carrier

[0087] In the rapid development of modern wireless communication technology, carrier aggregation (CA), as a key technology, has significantly improved the peak data rate and spectrum utilization efficiency of the system, thereby meeting the high-speed data transmission requirements of eMBB scenarios. However, with the continuous evolution of wireless communication technology, new challenges have also emerged. In order to utilize spectrum resources more effectively, downlink fragmented carriers (Fragment DL) technology has come into being.

[0088] Downlink fragmentation refers to a situation in wireless communication where the spectrum used in the downlink is no longer a continuous block, but rather composed of multiple scattered, discontinuous spectrum segments. These segments may form due to various reasons (such as spectrum allocation, technological evolution, etc.) and are distributed across different frequency bands. This fragmentation poses challenges to system design, requiring effective management of these dispersed resources to ensure coordinated operation and reduce interference and performance loss. A fragmented DL RF link can be illustrated in Figure 4. The downlink receiver processes two in-band discontinuous carriers through a single RF link. These two in-band discontinuous carriers include the PCC and SCC. A LO / PLL device is used to shift the center frequency of the two carriers and the gap between them to the baseband, while the passband of the low-pass filter should be the bandwidth of the two carriers and the gap. In the baseband processing section, the two carriers, treated as a single signal in the RF link, are processed separately to recover the original information data.

[0089] For in-band non-contiguous carrier aggregation scenarios, traditional architectures require two RF links for single-band reception. When operators have multiple spectrums, the limited number of RF links often prevents terminals from supporting high-order carrier aggregation, thus reducing spectrum utilization. To address this issue, Fragment DL technology was proposed, which treats two carriers as one carrier passing through a single RF link. However, since a low-pass filter processes two carriers, interference between carrier gaps cannot be suppressed. Therefore, when the RF link can withstand interference and complete signal processing, the Fragment DL RF architecture can be used to support higher-order carrier aggregation. Thus, at the downlink receiver, considering the triggering and fallback of Fragment DL scenarios, switching between the NCCA RF link shown in Figure 3, the Fragment DL RF link shown in Figure 4, and the single CC link shown in Figure 1 is necessary to maintain maximum spectrum utilization. This switching can be referred to as the downlink switching scenario.

[0090] In the aforementioned downlink handover scenario, the user equipment needs to switch frequencies on the receiving link. In different time division duplex (TDD) modes, because uplink and downlink share the same radio frequency devices PLL / LO, uplink communication will be temporarily interrupted due to downlink handover.

[0091] There are two reasons for the interruption: First, frequency pulling: because the two carrier frequencies are close, they may affect each other, causing the output frequency of the running PLL or LO to deviate; second, supply pushing: when two PLLs or LOs share a power supply, voltage fluctuations will occur when they are turned on at the same time, affecting the stability of the PLL or LO.

[0092] As for the network side, as described in the background technology, the network side cannot determine the uplink interruption time, which may lead to erroneous operations and affect the overall performance and stability of the communication system.

[0093] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a communication method. The method provided in this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0094] The communication method provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, 5G mobile communication systems, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) systems, future communication systems, or systems integrating multiple communication systems. This application does not limit the application to these systems. 5G can also be referred to as NR.

[0095] The communication method provided in this application can be applied to various communication scenarios, such as one or more of the following communication scenarios: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC), machine type communication (MTC), massive machine type communications (mMTC), device to device (D2D), vehicle to everything (V2X), vehicle to vehicle (V2V), and Internet of Things (IoT).

[0096] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the application scenario used in this application is described using the communication system architecture shown in Figure 5 as an example. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a possible, non-limiting system. As shown in Figure 5, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 5, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 5, collectively referred to as 120). RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 5). Terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wired connected to core network 200. The core network device in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0097] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4G, 5G mobile communication systems, or future-oriented evolution systems. RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0098] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as access network equipment, network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and is used to help terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 5 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j accessing RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; but for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes both referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 5 can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0099] In one possible scenario, the RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. The RAN node can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 5, 110a), a micro base station or indoor station (as shown in Figure 5, 110b), a relay node or donor node, or a radio controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node 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 RAN node can also be equipped with communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. The RAN node can also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions, as well as corresponding program instructions. The RAN node in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the RAN node's functions.

[0100] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with each RAN node performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0101] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0102] In this embodiment, the form of the RAN node is not limited. The device used to implement the function of the RAN node can be the RAN node itself; or it can be a device that supports the RAN node in implementing this function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the RAN node or used in conjunction with the RAN node.

[0103] A terminal can be a device or module that accesses the aforementioned communication system and has corresponding communication functions. A terminal can also be called a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, transportation vehicles with wireless communication capabilities, communication modules, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. A terminal typically contains a communication module, circuit, or chip that performs the corresponding communication function. The terminal can also be configured with program instructions for performing the corresponding communication function.

[0104] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. The device used to implement the functions of the terminal can be the terminal itself; it can also be a device that supports the terminal in implementing the functions, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal or used in conjunction with the terminal. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete devices. All or part of the functions of the terminal in this application can also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0105] In one embodiment, AI nodes may also be introduced into the wireless network to support artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

[0106] AI nodes can be deployed in one or more of the following locations within the communication system: access network nodes (RAN nodes), terminal devices, or core network devices. Alternatively, AI nodes can be deployed independently, for example, in a location other than any of the aforementioned devices, such as in the host or cloud server of an over-the-top (OTT) system. AI nodes can communicate with other devices in the communication system, which can be one or more of the following: network devices, terminal devices, or core network elements.

[0107] It is understood that this application does not limit the number of AI nodes. For example, when there are multiple AI nodes, these nodes can be divided based on function, such as different AI nodes being responsible for different functions.

[0108] It can also be understood that AI nodes can be independent devices, or they can be integrated into the same device to achieve different functions. Alternatively, they can be network elements in hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). This application does not limit the specific form of the aforementioned AI nodes.

[0109] AI nodes can be AI network elements or AI modules.

[0110] The preceding text has introduced the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application from a macro-architectural perspective. To help deepen the understanding of this system in a practical application environment, the following will provide a more specific explanation of the communication system through several examples. It should be noted that the communication system examples listed below are for illustrative purposes and are intended to provide an intuitive understanding. The actual application scope of this application is far greater than this, and it is also compatible and adaptable to other types of communication systems, and is not limited thereto.

[0111] For example, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a possible application framework in a communication system. As shown in Figure 6, network elements in the communication system are connected through interfaces (e.g., NG, Xn) or air interfaces. These network element nodes, such as core network equipment, access network nodes (RAN nodes), terminals, or one or more devices in operations administration and maintenance (OAM), are equipped with one or more AI modules (only one is shown in Figure 6 for clarity). The access network node can be a single RAN node or can include multiple RAN nodes, for example, including CU and DU. The CU and / or DU can also be equipped with one or more AI modules. The CU can also be split into CU-CP and CU-UP, and one or more AI modules are installed in the CU-CP and / or CU-UP.

[0112] AI modules are used to implement corresponding AI functions. AI modules deployed in different network elements can be the same or different. The models of AI modules can achieve different functions depending on the parameter configurations. The models of AI modules can be configured based on one or more of the following parameters: structural parameters (e.g., at least one of the following: number of neural network layers, neural network width, inter-layer connections, neuron weights, neuron activation function, or biases in the activation function), input parameters (e.g., the type and / or dimension of the input parameters), or output parameters (e.g., the type and / or dimension of the output parameters). The biases in the activation function can also be referred to as the biases of the neural network.

[0113] In one example, the neural network mentioned above can be a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), or a generative adversarial network (GAN).

[0114] Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) are artificial neural network architectures with multiple layers of nonlinear transformation units stacked in a hierarchical structure to form deep computational models. Compared to shallow neural networks, deep neural networks have more hidden layers, allowing the network model to capture more complex data structures and higher-level abstract features.

[0115] A CNN is a deep neural network with a convolutional structure. A CNN contains a feature extractor consisting of convolutional layers and subsampling layers. This feature extractor can be viewed as a filter, and the convolution process can be seen as performing convolution between a trainable filter and an input image or a convolutional feature map.

[0116] RNN is a type of recursive neural network that takes sequence data as input, recursively moves along the direction of sequence evolution, and connects all nodes (recurrent units) in a chain-like manner.

[0117] GAN is a deep learning model. It consists of a generator and a discriminator, and is trained through adversarial learning. Its purpose is to estimate the potential distribution of data samples and generate new data samples.

[0118] An AI module can have one or more models. A model can infer an output, which includes one or more parameters. The learning, training, or inference processes of different models can be deployed on different nodes or devices, or they can be deployed on the same node or device.

[0119] In another example, Figure 7 illustrates a different possible application framework in a communication system. As shown in Figure 7, the communication system includes a RAN intelligent controller (RIC). For example, the RIC can be the AI ​​module mentioned above, used to implement AI-related functions. RICs include near-real-time RICs (near-RT RICs) and non-real-time RICs (non-RT RICs). Non-real-time RICs primarily process non-real-time information, such as data that is not sensitive to latency, with latency in the order of seconds. Real-time RICs primarily process near-real-time information, such as data that is relatively sensitive to latency, with latency in the order of tens of milliseconds.

[0120] Near real-time (NRT) RICs are used for model training and inference. For example, they are used to train AI models and then use those models for inference. NRT RICs can obtain network-side and / or terminal-side information from RAN nodes (e.g., CUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, DUs, and / or RUs) and / or terminals. This information can be used as training data or inference data. NRT RICs can deliver inference results to RAN nodes and / or terminals. Inference results can be exchanged between CUs and DUs, and / or between DUs and RUs. For example, a NRT RIC delivers an inference result to a DU, which then forwards it to an RU.

[0121] Non-real-time RICs are also used for model training and inference. For example, they are used to train AI models and then use those models for inference. Non-real-time RICs can obtain network-side and / or terminal-side information from RAN nodes (e.g., CUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, DUs, and / or RUs) and / or terminals. This information can be used as training data or inference data, and the inference results can be delivered to RAN nodes and / or terminals. Inference results can be exchanged between CUs and DUs, and / or between DUs and RUs; for example, a non-real-time RIC delivers inference results to a DU, which then forwards them to an RU.

[0122] Near real-time RICs and non-real-time RICs can also be configured as separate network elements. Near real-time RICs and non-real-time RICs can also be part of other devices. For example, near real-time RICs can be set in RAN nodes (e.g., CU, DU), while non-real-time RICs can be set in OAM, cloud servers, core network devices, or other network devices.

[0123] In conjunction with the above-described communication system, this application provides a communication method. In this method, when a terminal needs to perform a downlink handover, the terminal reports its downlink handover capability information to the network device. Then, the network device can indicate the member carrier to be switched to the terminal through the first information. After the terminal clearly identifies the member carrier to be switched, it reports the duration of the corresponding uplink interruption (also known as the first interruption) to the network device. In this way, the network device can clearly identify the duration of the uplink interruption and will not perform erroneous operations such as allocating uplink resources or sending uplink data during the duration of the uplink interruption, thereby improving the performance and stability of the communication system.

[0124] It should be noted that "sending information" in this application can be understood as one device sending information to another device, or it can also be understood as one logical module within a device sending information to another logical module. For example, "network device sending information" can be understood as a network device sending information to another device (such as a terminal), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the network device sending information to logical module 2 in the network device.

[0125] In this application, "receiving information" can be understood as one device receiving information from another device, or it can also be understood as a logical module within a device receiving information from another logical module. For example, "network device receiving information" can be understood as a network device receiving information from another device (such as a terminal), or it can be understood as logical module 1 in the network device receiving information from logical module 2 in the network device.

[0126] In this application, phrases such as "sending information to... (e.g., a terminal)" or related illustrations in the accompanying drawings can be understood as indicating that the destination of the information is a terminal. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to a terminal. Similarly, phrases such as "receiving information from... (e.g., a terminal)," "receiving information from... (e.g., a terminal)," or "receiving information sent by (e.g., a terminal)," or related illustrations in the accompanying drawings, can be understood as indicating that the source of the information is a terminal. This can include receiving information directly or indirectly from a terminal. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be interpreted similarly and will not be elaborated further here.

[0127] In the following embodiments of this application, the message names between network elements, the names of parameters, or the names of information are just examples. Other names may be used in other embodiments, and the communication method provided in this application does not specifically limit them.

[0128] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, each network element may execute some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application may also execute other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the steps may be executed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

[0129] It is understood that this application uses terminal devices and network devices as examples to illustrate the execution of the interaction, but this application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction. For example, the method executed by the terminal device in this application can also be executed by a module applied to the terminal device (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor), or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the terminal device; the method executed by the terminal in this application can also be implemented by the communication / processing module in the terminal or the circuit or chip in the terminal responsible for communication / processing functions (such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip), or a SoC chip / SIP chip containing a modem core, or a GPU / AI processor / ASIC).

[0130] The methods executed by the network device in this application can also be executed by a module (e.g., a chip, chip system, or processor) applied to the network device, or by a logical node, logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the network device. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit this.

[0131] Figure 8 shows a flowchart of the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 8, the method may include the following steps:

[0132] S801, the network device sends a first request to the terminal, and the terminal receives the first request from the network device accordingly.

[0133] The first request is used to request terminal capability information for handover when the terminal receives data from the network device. In one possible interpretation, the first request can also be interpreted as a request for terminal capability information for downlink handover.

[0134] When the network device determines that the terminal needs to perform a downlink handover, the network device will execute the above step S801 to trigger the downlink handover of the terminal.

[0135] Network devices can send a first request to a terminal through a variety of possible signaling methods. For example, the first request can be carried in RRC signaling, medium access control control element (MAC CE) or other applicable signaling.

[0136] The first request includes specific fields. Upon receiving this first request, the terminal can clearly determine that a downlink handover is required. The content of these specific fields can be designed flexibly; for example, it can be designed as "RxSwitching" or other possible content, without restriction.

[0137] S802, the terminal sends terminal capability information to the network device, and the network device receives the terminal capability information from the terminal accordingly.

[0138] In a terminal handover scenario, the network device will instruct the terminal to use a first frequency band for handover. The network device can instruct the terminal to use this first frequency band in various ways. For example, the network device can include the first frequency band in the first request.

[0139] Terminal capability information is used to indicate the handover time when the terminal performs a handover, as well as third information. The third information is used to indicate whether each component carrier (CC) in the first frequency band supports the interruption of the terminal's data transmission to the network device, referred to in this application as the first interruption. In one possible interpretation, the first interruption can also be referred to as an uplink interruption.

[0140] For example, terminal capability information may include the handover time when the terminal switches, third information, first frequency band information, and CC information under the first frequency band.

[0141] In this application embodiment, various methods of terminal capability information are designed. These are described below:

[0142] In Method 1, the handover time in the terminal capability information includes the handover time of each component carrier in the first frequency band. In this case, the terminal capability information can also be referred to as per-CC terminal capability information, or, more specifically, terminal capability information at the component carrier level.

[0143] For example, assuming that the first frequency band indicated by the network device to the terminal is frequency band 1, frequency band 1 includes CC1 and CC2, and both CC1 and CC2 support the aforementioned first interrupt, then the handover time in the terminal capability information includes the handover time of CC1 and the handover time of CC2.

[0144] In another example, CC1 supports the first interrupt mentioned above, while CC2 does not. In this case, the switching time includes the switching time of CC1.

[0145] It is understood that a frequency band can contain two or more CCs. This application will use the case where the frequency band contains two CCs as an example to illustrate the method of this application. For scenarios where the frequency band contains more than two CCs, the relevant methods can be implemented by referring to the method principle described in this application for two CCs, and will not be repeated here.

[0146] Method 2: The handover time in the terminal capability information includes the handover time of the first frequency band.

[0147] At this point, the terminal can determine the switching time of the first frequency band in its capability information. For example, the switching time of the first frequency band can be determined based on the switching time of each component carrier in the first frequency band, such as the longest switching time among the switching times of each component carrier. Alternatively, the switching time of the first frequency band can be a switching time selected according to the terminal's requirements.

[0148] In Method 2, the first frequency band may include one or more frequency bands, and the switching time includes the switching time of each frequency band in the first frequency band.

[0149] When the first frequency band includes one frequency band, the switching time can also be called the per-band switching time, or the switching time at the band level.

[0150] When the first frequency band includes multiple frequency bands, the first frequency band can also be called a bandpair. Multiple frequency bands can be selected from a band combination (BC). For example, the band combination corresponding to the terminal includes band 1, band 2, band 3, band 4, and band 5. If the first frequency band includes band 1 and band 2, then band 1 and band 2 can be called a bandpair.

[0151] At this point, the switching time can also be referred to as the switching time per bandpair, or the switching time at the bandpair granularity, or the switching time per BC, or the switching time per BC per bandpair, etc.

[0152] Method 3: The handover time is the terminal's handover time. In this case, the handover time can also be called the per-terminal handover time, or the handover time at the terminal level. The terminal can then determine its own handover time from its capability information; for example, it can select a handover time based on its needs.

[0153] In this embodiment, by designing terminal capability information at multiple granularities, a fine-grained classification of terminal capabilities is achieved. This segmentation helps the network accurately allocate resources according to actual needs, not only promoting the optimization and refinement of resource management but also enhancing the network's flexibility and adaptability. Simultaneously, this design effectively avoids resource waste and over-allocation, ensuring efficient resource utilization. Furthermore, it enhances network compatibility, enabling better support for terminals of various brands and models, thereby further expanding the network's coverage and user base.

[0154] As for the third piece of information in the terminal capability information, the terminal can report it directly to itself or implicitly report it to the network device.

[0155] In one embodiment, when the terminal directly reports the third information, the third information may include multiple pieces of information, each of which corresponds to a member carrier. The piece of information corresponding to the member carrier that supports the first interrupt is preset information 1, and the piece of information corresponding to the member carrier that does not support the first interrupt is preset information 2.

[0156] For example, multiple pieces of information may include N bits, where each bit corresponds to a member carrier. The bit corresponding to the member carrier that supports the first interrupt is 1, and the bit corresponding to the member carrier that does not support the first interrupt is 0. N is a positive integer.

[0157] In another example, multiple pieces of information may include N boolean values, each of which corresponds to a member carrier. The boolean value corresponding to the member carrier that supports the first interrupt mentioned above is true, and the boolean value corresponding to the member carrier that does not support the first interrupt mentioned above is false.

[0158] In this embodiment, the terminal directly reports the aforementioned third information, ensuring the clarity and accuracy of the information. This enables the network device to accurately understand the terminal's capabilities.

[0159] In one embodiment, when the terminal implicitly reports third information, the network device can regard the switching time in the terminal capability information as the third information. Specifically, the network device can determine the switching time in the terminal capability information. If there is a corresponding member carrier for the switching time, the first interrupt is supported. Otherwise, if there is no corresponding member carrier for the switching time, the first interrupt is not supported.

[0160] For example, taking the handover time in the terminal capability information of Method 1 as an example, assuming that the first frequency band indicated by the network device to the terminal is frequency band 1, which includes CC1 and CC2, and the terminal capability information includes the handover time of CC1 but not the handover time of CC2, then the network device can clearly determine that CC1 supports the aforementioned first interrupt, while CC2 does not support the aforementioned first interrupt.

[0161] In this embodiment, the terminal implicitly reports third-party information, which reduces the amount of information the terminal needs to send to network devices, reduces network burden, and simplifies the protocol.

[0162] S803: The network device sends the first information to the terminal, and the terminal receives the first information from the network device accordingly.

[0163] Once the network device receives the terminal's capability information, it can decide which component carrier the terminal needs to switch to based on factors such as the terminal's capability information and network conditions. For details regarding the specific process and implementation of this decision-making process, please refer to relevant technologies; further details will not be elaborated here.

[0164] For example, taking the handover time in the terminal capability information of Method 1 as an example, assuming the first frequency band indicated to the terminal by the network device is frequency band 1, which includes CC1 and CC2, CC1 supports the first interrupt, while CC2 does not. Then, the terminal can handover to CC1. Alternatively, if both CC1 and CC2 support the first interrupt, the network device can select one of CC1 and CC2 for handover based on factors such as network conditions.

[0165] Subsequently, the network device instructs the terminal to switch to the member carrier via the first information; that is, the first information is used to instruct the terminal to switch to the member carrier. In one possible interpretation, the member carrier to be switched can also be called the victim member carrier, or the carrier position to be switched.

[0166] In one embodiment, the first information may include identification information of the member carrier to be switched. For example, assuming that the first frequency band indicated by the network device to the terminal is frequency band 1, frequency band 1 includes CC1 and CC2, and CC1 is the member carrier to be switched, then the first information may include identification information of CC1.

[0167] In another embodiment, the first information may further include N sets of information, each set of information corresponding to a member carrier, and the set of information corresponding to the switched member carrier is preset information, where N is a positive integer. For example, assuming that the first frequency band indicated by the network device to the terminal is frequency band 1, frequency band 1 includes CC1 and CC2, and CC1 is the member carrier to be switched, then the set of information corresponding to CC1 in the N sets of information is preset information, while the set of information corresponding to CC2 is not preset information.

[0168] For example, N sets of information may include N bits, where each bit corresponds to a member carrier. The bit corresponding to a switched member carrier is 1, and the bit corresponding to a non-switched member carrier is 0. N is a positive integer.

[0169] In another example, the N sets of information may include N boolean values, each of which corresponds to a member carrier. The boolean value corresponding to the member carrier that supports the first interrupt is true, and the boolean value corresponding to the member carrier that does not support the first interrupt is false.

[0170] In conjunction with either of the two embodiments regarding the first information described above, the first information may optionally include at least one of the following: a carrier combination identifier corresponding to a member carrier, or a cell identifier corresponding to a member carrier.

[0171] In other words, the first information can also be used to indicate the carrier combination corresponding to the member carrier for handover to the terminal. This carrier combination can be carrier aggregation (CA) or dual connectivity (DC) carrier combination, etc. The carriers in this carrier combination can be carriers in different time division duplex (TDD) modes.

[0172] Similarly, the first piece of information can also be used to indicate to the terminal the cell combination corresponding to the member carrier for handover. This cell combination can belong to the same cell group, such as a master cell group (MCG). The network can configure which member carrier is configured for the primary cell (PCell) and which member carrier is configured for the secondary cell (SCell) within the MCG. Likewise, this cell combination can also belong to a secondary cell group (SCG). The network can configure which member carrier is configured for the PCell within the SCG and which member carrier is configured for the SCell within the SCG.

[0173] Network devices can send first information to terminals through a variety of possible signaling methods. For example, the first information can be carried in RRC signaling, MACCE, downlink control information (DCI) signaling, or other applicable signaling.

[0174] For example, taking the first information carried in RRC signaling as an example, the first information can be set in messages such as RRC reconfiguration or RRC resume.

[0175] S804, the terminal sends second information to the network device, and the network device receives the second information from the terminal accordingly.

[0176] Specifically, once the terminal receives the first information instructing it to switch to a member carrier, it can determine which member carrier to switch to and, based on its terminal capability information, the duration of the first interruption during the switch. Subsequently, the terminal can report the duration of the first interruption to the network device via the second information. In other words, the second information is used to indicate the duration of the first interruption during the switch.

[0177] In one embodiment, the second information includes the identification information of the member carrier and the duration of the first interruption. Optionally, the second information may further include at least one of the following: the carrier combination identifier corresponding to the member carrier, or the cell identifier corresponding to the member carrier.

[0178] The terminal can send the first information to the network device through a variety of possible signaling methods. For example, the second information can be carried in RRC signaling, MAC CE or other applicable signaling.

[0179] For example, the second information is set in messages such as the RRC Reconfiguration Complete message and the RRC Resume Complete message.

[0180] For example, when a terminal reports its capability information in the manner described above ("the handover time in the terminal capability information includes the handover time of each member carrier in the first frequency band"), the example above ("the first frequency band is frequency band 1, and frequency band 1 includes CC1 and CC2") will still be used for explanation. In this case, assuming the member carrier indicated by the first information to be handover is CC1, the duration of the first interruption can include the duration of the first interruption corresponding to CC1 and CC2 respectively. It is understandable that although CC2 does not directly participate in the handover, since CC2 and CC1 belong to the same frequency band (frequency band 1), in a wireless communication system, when a member carrier (such as CC1) within the frequency band is involved in handover, it usually indirectly affects other member carriers (such as CC2) within the same frequency band. Here, "the handover time when the terminal performs handover" is a broad concept; it not only refers to the time required for the carrier directly involved in the handover (CC1), but also includes the time required for the indirect impact of the handover operation on the entire frequency band (including CC2, which does not directly participate in the handover).

[0181] In another example, when the terminal reports terminal capability information using the "per-band switching time" in Method 2 above, the example above, "the first frequency band is frequency band 1, and frequency band 1 includes CC1 and CC2," is still used for explanation. Assuming that the member carrier to be switched indicated by the first information is CC1, the duration of the first interrupt can be determined based on the interrupt durations corresponding to CC1 and CC2, respectively. For example, the duration of the first interrupt can be the larger of the interrupt durations corresponding to CC1 and CC2.

[0182] In another example, when the terminal reports terminal capability information using the "switching time per BC" in Method 2 above, assuming that the first frequency band includes frequency band 1 and frequency band 2, frequency band 1 includes CC1 and CC2, and the member carrier to be switched indicated by the first information is CC1, the terminal can determine the duration of the corresponding first interruption based on the switching time of the first frequency band determined by the terminal itself.

[0183] In another example, when the terminal reports terminal capability information using the "per terminal switching time" in Method 3 above, the terminal can determine the duration of the corresponding first interrupt based on the terminal switching time determined by the terminal itself.

[0184] In this embodiment, when a terminal needs to perform a downlink handover, the terminal reports its downlink handover capability information to the network device. Then, the network device can indicate the member carrier to be switched to the terminal through the first information. After the terminal clearly identifies the member carrier to be switched, it reports the duration of the corresponding uplink interruption (i.e., the aforementioned first interruption) to the network device. In this way, the network device can clearly identify the duration of the uplink interruption and reduce uplink resource allocation, uplink data transmission and other misoperations within the duration of the uplink interruption, thereby improving the performance and stability of the communication system.

[0185] In one embodiment, different terminal capability information corresponds to different durations of the first interrupt; in other words, there is a certain mapping relationship between the terminal capability information and the duration of the first interrupt. This mapping relationship can be determined by the terminal itself based on its capability information. Alternatively, the mapping relationship can be defined by a protocol.

[0186] Based on the above mapping relationship and in conjunction with the terminal capability information, the terminal can determine the duration of the first interrupt indicated by the second information. The mapping relationship between terminal capability information and the duration of the first interrupt is illustrated below with several examples.

[0187] Taking the handover time per CC in Method 1 as an example, assuming the network device indicates to the terminal that the first frequency band is frequency band 1, which includes CC1 and CC2, CC1 is the member carrier to be handed over as indicated by the first information, while CC2 is not. In this case, CC1 and CC2 each correspond to an interrupt duration. Therefore, the duration of the first interrupt indicated by the second information can include the interrupt durations corresponding to CC1 and CC2 respectively.

[0188] Assuming the selectable switching times include 35μs, 140μs, and 210μs, the mapping relationship between the switching time of CC1 and the duration of the corresponding first interrupt can be shown in Table 1.

[0189] Table 1

[0190] As shown in Table 1, the parameter set number μ and the new radio (NR) slot length are parameters agreed upon in advance between the terminal and the network device. Taking the row where μ is 0 as an example, the above mapping relationship is explained. In this case, the NR slot length is 1ms. When the handover time is 35μs, the duration of the first interrupt is 2 symbols; when the handover time is 140μs, the duration of the first interrupt is 3 symbols; and when the handover time is 210μs, the duration of the first interrupt is 4 symbols. Assuming the terminal determines that the handover time of CC1 is 35μs, based on the above mapping relationship, the terminal can determine that the duration of the first interrupt is 2 symbols.

[0191] Similarly, the mapping relationship between the switching time of CC2 and the duration of the corresponding first interrupt can be shown in Table 2.

[0192] Table 2

[0193] The explanation of Table 2 is similar to that of Table 1 and will not be repeated here. It is understood that the data shown in Tables 1 and 2 are examples, and other data may be included in Tables 1 and 2 as needed for implementation purposes, without limitation.

[0194] Taking the per-band handover time in Method 2 as an example, suppose the network device indicates to the terminal that the first frequency band is frequency band 1, which includes CC1 and CC2. CC1 is the member carrier indicated by the first information to be handed over, while CC2 is not. In this case, CC1 and CC2 each correspond to an interrupt duration. The duration of the first interrupt indicated by the second information can be determined based on the interrupt durations corresponding to CC1 and CC2. For example, the duration of the first interrupt can be the larger of the interrupt durations corresponding to CC1 and CC2.

[0195] Assuming the selectable switching times include 35μs, 140μs, and 210μs, the mapping relationship between the switching time of the first frequency band and the duration of the corresponding first interrupt can be shown in Table 3. In other words, the duration of the first interrupt corresponding to CC1 and CC2 can be determined using the mapping relationship shown in Table 3.

[0196] Table 3

[0197] The explanations in Table 3 can be found in Table 1 or Table 2, and will not be repeated here.

[0198] Similarly, taking the per-bandpair handover time in Method 2 as an example, suppose the network device indicates to the terminal that the first frequency band is band 1 and band 2. Band 1 includes CC1 and CC2, and band 2 includes CC3 and CC4. CC1 is the member carrier indicated by the first information for handover. At this time, the terminal determines the handover time in its terminal capability information (called the self-selected handover time), and the terminal can determine the corresponding first interrupt time based on the self-selected handover time and the mapping relationship shown in Table 3. For example, if the self-selected handover time is 35μs and the protocol defines μ as 0, then the corresponding first interrupt time is symbol 2.

[0199] In another example, taking the handover time of the per-terminal in Method 3 as an example, assume that the first frequency band indicated to the terminal by the network device is frequency band 1, which includes CC1 and CC2. In this case, the terminal determines the aforementioned self-selected handover time, and can determine the corresponding first interrupt time based on the self-selected handover time and the mapping relationship shown in Table 3. For example, if the self-selected handover time is 140μs and the protocol defines μ as 0, then the corresponding first interrupt time is symbol 3.

[0200] The preceding text used examples of terminal capability information at various possible granularities in methods one through three to illustrate the mapping relationship between terminal capability information and the duration of the first interruption. For implementations where the mapping relationship is determined by the terminal itself, an example is provided below, using the downlink handover parameters designed in this application, to illustrate an embodiment where the terminal determines the duration of the first interruption based on its capability information. This application designs the following downlink handover parameters:

[0201] Downlink handover time: also known as the downlink handover period (Rx switch period), which is the handover time when the terminal performs a handover as mentioned in the terminal capability information above; for example, the downlink handover time can reuse the existing indicators for uplink handover: 35μs, 140μs, 210μs. For details, please refer to the previous text, which will not be repeated here.

[0202] The location of the Rx switch period: that is, the member carrier that the terminal switches to, as indicated by the first information above.

[0203] Transient period: In a wireless communication system, this refers to the time interval during which a terminal switches from one transmission state to another. For example, existing metrics can be reused for the transition period, such as 20 μs in Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems and 10 μs in NR systems.

[0204] Uplink interrupt length: This refers to the duration of the first interrupt when the terminal switches to a component carrier, as indicated in the second information above.

[0205] Based on the parameters mentioned above during downlink handover, the terminal determines the duration of the first interrupt according to its capability information as follows:

[0206] In the communication scenarios of per CC terminal capability information reporting in Method 1, as exemplified in Tables 1 and 2, the duration of the first interrupt corresponding to CC1 is... CC1 The following relationship can be described by equation 1:

[0207] Equation 1:

[0208] The duration of the first interrupt corresponding to CC2. CC2 The following relationship can be described by equation 2:

[0209] Equation 2:

[0210] Here, Rx switchperiod is the downlink switching time, TA uncertainty is the timing advance uncertainty, defined by the protocol. CP is the cyclic prefix; since the portion of the interrupt window within the CP does not affect the uplink, the CP length needs to be subtracted. OFDM symbol length is the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol length, defined by the protocol. MRTD is the maximum receive timing difference, defined by the protocol. CC2 and CC1 are not on the same frequency, so the duration of the first interrupt corresponding to CC2 includes the variable MRTD.

[0211] The last term 1[OFDM symbol length] in Equations 1 and 2 above is an optional parameter added to account for the possibility that the downlink switching start point is not aligned with the first interrupt symbol. That is, Equations 1 and 2 above may also exclude 1[OFDM symbol length].

[0212] In the per-band scenario of Method 2, the terminal can determine the interruption length based on Equations 1 and 2 above. CC1 and Interruption lengthCC2 The duration of the first interruption indicated by the second information, Interruption length, is determined by formula 3 in the following example:

[0213] Equation 3: Interruption length=Max{Interruption length CC1 Interruption length CC2}

[0214] That is, take the interruption length. CC1 and Interruption length CC2 The larger value in the second information indicates the duration of the first interruption.

[0215] In the per bandpair scenario of Method 2, the terminal can decide the handover duration in the terminal capability information indicated by the first information, and determine the duration of the first interrupt indicated by the second information based on the principle shown in Formula 2.

[0216] Furthermore, in the per-terminal scenario of Method 3, since the handover duration is reported at the terminal level, there are many possible frequency band combinations for the terminal. If the terminal determines the duration of the first interrupt indicated by the second information by itself through principles such as those explained in Formula 1 or Formula 2, it will consume a lot of computing power for the terminal. Therefore, at this time, the terminal can decide the handover duration in the terminal capability information indicated by the first information by itself, and can use the above mapping relationship specified by the protocol to determine the duration of the first interrupt corresponding to the handover duration.

[0217] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG9, the terminal may also actively trigger downlink handover. In this case, the communication method of this application does not need to execute the above-described step S801, and the terminal will actively report terminal capability information through the above-described step S802. Furthermore, the terminal will also actively request a first frequency band for handover from the network device. That is, the method may further include:

[0218] S805, the terminal sends a second request to the network device, and the network device receives the second request from the terminal accordingly.

[0219] The second request is used to request the terminal to switch to the first frequency band. The terminal can send the second request to the network device through various possible signaling methods, such as RRC signaling, MAC CE, or other applicable signaling.

[0220] S806, the network device sends third information to the terminal, and the terminal receives the third information from the network device accordingly.

[0221] In response to the second request received in step S805, the network device will indicate the first frequency band to the terminal via third information. For example, the third information may include the frequency band identifier of the first frequency band.

[0222] After step S806, steps S802-S804 can be executed, enabling the network device to obtain the duration of the first interrupt. For an explanation of steps S802-S804, please refer to the preceding description; further details will not be repeated here.

[0223] In this embodiment, the downlink handover is actively triggered by the terminal. The terminal can detect the signal quality and strength of the current communication link in real time. Once the signal quality drops below a preset threshold, the terminal quickly initiates the downlink handover, thereby effectively reducing the risk of communication interruption. Furthermore, because the terminal can proactively sense and prepare for the handover process in advance, the latency required for handover is reduced.

[0224] In one embodiment, the switching time indicated by the terminal capability information can be selected from the following candidate times: 0 microseconds, 35 microseconds, 70 microseconds, 140 microseconds, 210 microseconds, 250 microseconds, or 900 microseconds, etc. It is understood that other candidate times are also possible based on the implementation needs of the terminal, and there is no limitation.

[0225] In one embodiment, the terminal and network device use RRC signaling to transmit the terminal's capability information and first information.

[0226] For example, when using the per-band method of Method 1, Method 2, or per-terminal method of Method 3 for terminal capability information, the terminal capability information may include the following fields:

[0227] Field: Downlink RxSwitching-UL-Interruption:

[0228] This indicates an uplink interruption that occurred during downlink handover. For example, this field can be a bit mapping; if the Nth component carrier is the handover position when the downlink handover occurs, then the Nth bit is 1, the leftmost bit corresponds to the first component carrier, the second bit to the second component carrier, and so on.

[0229] Field: Downlink RxSwitching carrier list:

[0230] Indicating downlink component carriers in a downlink handover scenario, if an interruption requires determining the handover duration, the terminal arranges them in descending priority order. This priority from high to low corresponds to a handover duration from high to low, or vice versa. For example, the leftmost carrier corresponds to the highest priority component carrier, and the last one represents the lowest priority. The handover duration of higher priority carriers is used to indicate the handover time when the terminal performs a handover.

[0231] Field: Downlink RxSwitching bandindex:

[0232] This field can include N values, where the value 'n' indicates the nth frequency band in the downlink switching list. It is used by the terminal to report information about the first frequency band.

[0233] The first information may include the following fields:

[0234] Field: Downlink RxSwitching period location:

[0235] This indicates the member carrier (location) to be switched during downlink handover. For example, if the network configures a TRUE field on a member carrier, it means that a link handover will be performed on that member carrier. Conversely, if the network configures a FALSE field, it means that a link handover will not be performed on that member carrier.

[0236] Field: Downlink RxSwitching carrier:

[0237] This indicates the member carrier during downlink dynamic handover, also known as the "member carrier that the terminal is handing over" mentioned earlier. For example, it can be represented by fields such as: member carrier 1, member carrier 2, etc.

[0238] In another example, when using the per-bandpair terminal capability information in Method 2, the terminal capability information may include the following fields:

[0239] Field: Downlink RxSwitching band list:

[0240] This field indicates the downlink frequency band to be switched during downlink handover. If the handover duration needs to be determined, the terminal arranges the member carriers of the downlink frequency band in descending priority order. This priority can be that member carriers of downlink frequency bands with shorter handover durations have higher priority, and member carriers of downlink frequency bands with longer handover durations have lower priority, or vice versa. For example, the leftmost member carrier in this field corresponds to the highest priority, and the last one represents the lowest priority.

[0241] Field: Downlink RxSwitching bandpair list:

[0242] It indicates the frequency band pair involved in the downlink handover (i.e., the first frequency band) and the configuration of each frequency band pair. It is used by the terminal to report information about the first frequency band.

[0243] Field: Downlink switching frequency band index:

[0244] Please refer to the previous text for an explanation of this field.

[0245] Field: Downlink Switching - Uplink Interruption:

[0246] Please refer to the previous text for an explanation of this field.

[0247] In particular, uplink interruption will not occur in the following scenarios: when two frequency bands in the BC are TDD member carrier aggregation of the same mode, or when two frequency bands in the BC are TDD evolution of the universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) and NR dual connectivity (E-UTRAN new radio dual connectivity, EN-DC), i.e., E-UTRAN and NR dual connectivity EN-DC.

[0248] Field: Downlink switching duration:

[0249] It indicates the handover duration (also known as the handover period) of each BC and each pair of frequency bands during downlink handover, which is the "handover time when the terminal performs handover" mentioned above. For example, if the field corresponding to a pair of frequency bands is 35μs, it means that the handover period of that pair of frequency bands is 35 microseconds.

[0250] Field: Downlink switching frequency band index:

[0251] Please refer to the previous text for an explanation of this field.

[0252] The first information may include the following fields:

[0253] Field: Downlink handover member carrier location:

[0254] Please refer to the previous text for an explanation of this field.

[0255] Field: Downlink handover member carrier:

[0256] Please refer to the previous text for an explanation of this field.

[0257] Based on the above description, it can be understood that this application aims to improve the overall performance and stability of the communication system in downlink handover scenarios. After the terminal receives the first request for terminal capability information, the terminal will report the terminal capability information for downlink handover to the network device. Then, the network device can indicate the member carrier to be handed over to the terminal through the first information. After the terminal clearly identifies the member carrier to be handed over, it will report the duration of the corresponding uplink interruption (i.e., the first interruption mentioned above) to the network device through the second information. In this way, the network device can clearly identify the duration of the uplink interruption and reduce uplink resource allocation, uplink data transmission and other misoperations within the duration of the uplink interruption, thereby improving the performance and stability of the communication system.

[0258] It is understood that the communication method provided in this application embodiment does not limit the applicable communication system. For example, the communication method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to an O-RAN communication system. Based on the functional design of O-DU / O-CU / O-RU in the O-RAN communication system, the steps executed by the network device in the communication method provided in this application embodiment can be flexibly implemented by one or more of O-DU / O-CU / O-RU, without limitation.

[0259] In another embodiment, the communication method proposed in this application is also applicable to a chip system. Specifically, the chip system on the network side and / or the terminal side is provided with a memory unit for storing the corresponding information (e.g., terminal capability information) for implementing the communication method of this application. Based on this corresponding information, the processor, in conjunction with a radio frequency / antenna module with transceiver functions, interacts with the other side to implement the communication method of this application.

[0260] The foregoing mainly describes the solution provided by the embodiments of this application from the perspective of the execution logic of each step. It is understood that each node, such as a network device, includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules to execute each function in order to achieve the above-mentioned functions. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, in conjunction with the algorithm steps of the examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the method of the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in a hardware or computer software-driven hardware manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0261] This application embodiment can divide the network device into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0262] Figure 10 illustrates a possible exemplary block diagram of the communication device involved in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 10, the communication device 900 may include modules or units for implementing the methods described above. In one possible design, the communication device 900 includes a processing unit 902 and a communication unit 903. Optionally, the communication device 900 may further include a storage unit 901 for storing device program code and / or data.

[0263] The communication device 900 can be a terminal-side device in the above embodiments, such as a terminal or a communication module in a terminal, or a circuit or chip in a terminal that is responsible for communication functions.

[0264] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 903 is configured to receive a first request for terminal capability information requesting the terminal to switch when receiving data from a network device; send the terminal capability information; receive first information for instructing the terminal to switch to a member carrier; and send second information for instructing the duration of a first interruption when the terminal switches to a member carrier, the first interruption including an interruption of the terminal sending data to the network device.

[0265] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 903 is configured to send a second request for requesting a switch to a first frequency band; receive third information for indicating the first frequency band; send terminal capability information; receive first information for instructing the terminal to switch to a member carrier; and send second information for indicating the duration of a first interruption when the terminal switches to a member carrier, the first interruption including an interruption of the terminal sending data to the network device.

[0266] In one possible design, the processing unit 902 is specifically used to: determine the duration of the first interrupt when the terminal switches to a component carrier based on the terminal capability information.

[0267] In one possible design, when the communication device 900 is a terminal or a communication module within a terminal, the function of the processing unit 902 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a modem chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or a SIP chip containing a modem core. The function of the communication unit 903 can be implemented by transceiver circuitry.

[0268] In one possible design, when the communication device 900 is a circuit or chip in a terminal responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a modem core, the function of the processing unit 902 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the communication unit 903 can be implemented by an interface circuit or data transceiver circuit on the aforementioned chip.

[0269] In one possible design, when the communication device 900 is a terminal or a processing module within a terminal, the functionality of the processing unit 902 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a GPU, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a GPU. Alternatively, the processor may include an AI processor, or a SoC or SIP chip containing an AI processor. Or, the processor may include an ASIC, or a SoC or SIP chip containing an ASIC. The functionality of the communication unit 903 can be implemented by transceiver circuitry.

[0270] In one possible design, when the communication device 900 is a circuit or chip in a terminal responsible for processing functions, such as a GPU or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a GPU, an AI processor or a SoC or SIP chip containing an AI processor, or an ASIC or a SoC or SIP chip containing an ASIC, the function of the processing unit 902 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the communication unit 903 can be implemented by interface circuitry or data transceiver circuitry on the aforementioned chip.

[0271] The communication device 900 can be a network-side device as described in the above embodiments.

[0272] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 903 is configured to: send a first request for terminal capability information requesting the terminal to switch when receiving data from a network device; receive the terminal capability information; send first information for instructing the terminal to switch to a member carrier; and receive second information for instructing the duration of a first interruption when the terminal switches to a member carrier, the first interruption including an interruption of the terminal sending data to the network device.

[0273] For example, in one embodiment, the communication unit 903 is configured to: receive a second request for requesting the terminal to switch to a first frequency band; send third information for indicating the first frequency band; receive terminal capability information; send first information for instructing the terminal to switch to a member carrier; and receive second information for indicating the duration of a first interruption when the terminal switches to a member carrier, the first interruption including an interruption of the terminal sending data to the network device.

[0274] It is understood that the division of units in the above-described device is merely a logical functional division. One function can correspond to one functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional unit. In actual implementation, all or some units can be integrated onto a single physical entity, or distributed across different physical entities. Furthermore, the aforementioned functional units can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. Whether a function is executed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for specific applications, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0275] In one example, the functional unit in any of the above devices may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as: one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more microcontroller units (MCUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms.

[0276] In one example, storage unit 901 may include random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory or electrically erasable programmable memory and / or registers, etc.

[0277] Referring to Figure 11, which is a structural schematic diagram of a terminal 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application, the terminal 1000 can correspond to the terminal shown in Figure 5 and is used to implement the operation of the terminal in the above embodiments. As shown in Figure 11, the terminal includes: one or more antennas 1010, a radio frequency processing system 1020, and a processor system 1030.

[0278] In the downlink or sidelink direction, the RF processing system 1020 receives RF signals through the antenna 1010 and sends the RF-processed signals to the processor system 1030 for further processing. In the uplink or sidelink direction, the processor system 1030 processes the terminal-side information and sends it to the RF processing system 1020, which then processes the signal and transmits it through the antenna 1010.

[0279] In one example, the RF processing system 1020 serves as the communication interface for external communication of the terminal and may include an RF front end (RFFE) 1021 and an RF transceiver 1022 (referred to as the transceiver in the figure). The RFFE 1021 is mainly used for one or more of the following processing operations on the RF signal received by the antenna or the RF signal to be transmitted through the antenna: shaping, passband selection, or gain adjustment. It may include one or more components such as an RF switch, duplexer, filter, power amplifier, antenna tuner, and low-noise amplifier. The RFFE 1021 can be a circuit system composed of multiple discrete components or it can be integrated and packaged in one or more chips. The radio frequency transceiver 1022 is used to process the RF signal received by the RFFE into a baseband / intermediate frequency signal for further processing by the processor system 1030, and to process the baseband / intermediate frequency signal provided by the processor system 1030 into an RF signal for transmission to the RFFE 1021. The baseband / intermediate frequency signal transmitted between the radio frequency transceiver 1022 and the processor system 1030 can be a digital signal or an analog signal. The radio frequency transceiver 1022 can be implemented by one or more chips, which are commonly referred to as radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs).

[0280] In one example, processor system 1030 may include one or more processors for processing signals and executing one or more communication protocols. Optionally, processor system 1030 may also include memory 1036. In one example, the one or more processors include at least one baseband processor 1031 (also known as a modem processor). Memory 1036 is used to store data and / or computer program instructions. Optionally, processor system 1030 may also include one or more application processors 1032 for implementing processing of the terminal operating system and application layer. Application processor 1032 may include, for example, a GPU, AI processor, or ASIC. Optionally, processor system 1030 may also include one or more of a voice subsystem 1033, a multimedia subsystem 1034, or an interface circuit 1035. The voice subsystem 1033 is used to process voice signals, the multimedia subsystem 1034 is used to handle multimedia-related operations, such as video encoding / decoding, image processing, etc., and the interface circuit 1035 is used to implement communication with other terminal components, such as a display 1040, an input device 1050, memory 1060, etc. The aforementioned components in the processor system 1030 can communicate with each other via a bus or communication interface circuit.

[0281] In one example, the processor system 1030 can be packaged as a single processor chip, such as a SoC chip or a SIP chip. In another example, the processor system 1030 can be a system composed of multiple chips, for example, the baseband processor 1031 can be packaged as a single chip, or packaged with part or all of the circuitry of the radio frequency processing system into a single chip.

[0282] In one example, memory 1036 can be on-chip memory, i.e., located on the processor system 1030 chip. In another example, memory 1060 can be off-chip memory, i.e. located outside the processor system 1030 chip.

[0283] In one example, the baseband processor 1031 may include one or more processor cores 10311 and interface circuitry 10314. The one or more processor cores 10311 are used to process signals and execute one or more communication protocols. Optionally, the baseband processor 1031 may also include a memory 10312 for storing at least a portion of the corresponding computer program instructions and / or data. In one example, the one or more processor cores 10311 implement the relevant operations in the above method embodiments by executing the computer program instructions stored in the memory 10312.

[0284] In this application, memory 10312 is used to store corresponding computer program instructions and / or data. This can mean that memory 10312 stores all corresponding computer program instructions and / or data for execution by processor core 10311; or it can mean that memory 10312 stores a portion of corresponding computer program instructions and / or data, including the computer program instructions and / or data currently required to be executed by processor core 10311. Memory 10312 can store different portions of computer program instructions and / or data multiple times for execution by processor core 10311 to implement the relevant operations in the above method embodiments. Interface circuit 10314 serves as a communication interface for communication with other components, such as transmitting signals with radio frequency processing system 1020, communicating with other subsystems and related components of processor system 1030 via bus, such as transmitting data control signals with application processor 1032, and transmitting data or computer program instructions with memory 1036 or memory 1060. Optionally, in order to reduce the load on the processor core, a baseband signal processing circuit 10313 can be set to perform at least some baseband signal processing, including one or more of signal demodulation, modulation, encoding or decoding.

[0285] In one example, the communication device provided in this application may be a terminal 1000, a communication module including a processor system 1030 and a radio frequency system 1020, the processor system 1030, or a baseband processor 1031.

[0286] The processor, processor system, application processor, baseband processor, processor circuit, or processor core mentioned above can be collectively referred to as a processor. The processor may include one or more of the following: central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), microprocessor unit (MPU), microcontroller unit (MCU), graphics processing unit (GPU), field programmable gate array (FPGA), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), artificial intelligence processor (AI processor), or neural processing unit (NPU).

[0287] The aforementioned memory may include one or more of the following storage media: random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), phase-change memory (PCM), resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), cache, register, read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), hard disk, etc. In one example, computer program instructions for executing the above embodiments may be stored on non-volatile memory, such as at least a portion of the aforementioned memory 1060 (e.g., one or more of ROM, flash memory, EPROM, or hard disk). When the terminal is running, the corresponding computer program instructions may be partially or wholly loaded onto a memory with a faster transfer speed than the processor, such as at least a portion of memory 1036 and / or memory 10312 (e.g., one or more of RAM, SRAM, DRAM, PCM, RERAM, MRAM, FRAM, cache, or register), for the processor to execute in order to implement the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0288] In one example, the RF transceiver 1022 and the RF front-end 1021 can also be packaged in a single chip. In another example, the RF transceiver 1022, the RF front-end 1021, and the baseband processor 1031 can also be packaged in a single chip.

[0289] This application also provides a communication system for a downlink handover scenario. The communication system may include a terminal and a network device. The terminal and network device are equipped with the functionality to implement the aforementioned communication method.

[0290] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. This program can be stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the above method embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium can be a terminal device of any of the foregoing embodiments, such as an internal storage unit including a data sending end and / or a data receiving end, such as a hard disk or memory of the terminal device. The computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device of the terminal device, such as a plug-in hard disk, smart media card (SMC), secure digital (SD) card, flash card, etc., equipped on the terminal device. Further, the computer-readable storage medium can include both the internal storage unit and the external storage device of the terminal device. The computer-readable storage medium is used to store the computer program and other programs and data required by the terminal device. The computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0291] This application also provides computer instructions. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be executed by computer instructions to instruct related hardware (such as computers, processors, network devices, and terminals). The program can be stored in the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium.

[0292] This application also provides a computer program product that, when run on a computer, causes the above-described method embodiments to be executed.

[0293] This application also provides a chip system. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices, without limitation. The chip system includes a processor and a transceiver. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be completed by this chip system, such as the chip system being used to implement the functions performed by the network devices or terminals in the above method embodiments.

[0294] In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing program instructions and / or data. When the chip system is running, the processor executes the program instructions stored in the memory to enable the chip system to perform the functions performed by the network device or terminal in the above method embodiments.

[0295] In the embodiments of this application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components, capable of implementing or executing the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0296] In the embodiments of this application, the memory can be non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), or it can be volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM). Memory is any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures, and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiments of this application can also be a circuit or any other device capable of implementing storage functions, used to store instructions and / or data.

[0297] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0298] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, "at least one (item)" refers to one or more, "more than one" refers to two or more, "at least two (items)" refers to two or three or more, and "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one (item) of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one (item) of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A. For example, B can be determined based on A. It should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information. Furthermore, the term "connection" in the embodiments of this application refers to various connection methods, such as direct or indirect connections, to achieve communication between devices; the embodiments of this application do not impose any limitations on this.

[0299] Unless otherwise specified, the term "transmission" in the embodiments of this application refers to bidirectional transmission, encompassing the actions of sending and / or receiving. Specifically, "transmission" in the embodiments of this application includes sending data, receiving data, or both sending and receiving data. In other words, data transmission here includes uplink and / or downlink data transmission. Data may include channels and / or signals; uplink data transmission refers to uplink channel and / or uplink signal transmission, and downlink data transmission refers to downlink channel and / or downlink signal transmission. The terms "network" and "system" in the embodiments of this application refer to the same concept; a communication system is a communication network.

[0300] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0301] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0302] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. A component shown as a unit can be one or more physical units; that is, it can be located in one place or distributed in multiple different locations. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0303] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiments of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a device, such as a microcontroller, chip, or processor, to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0304] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0305] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart illustrations and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0306] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0307] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0308] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

[0309] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: include: Receive a first request, wherein the first request is used to request terminal capability information for the terminal to switch when receiving data from a network device; Send the terminal capability information; Receive first information, wherein the first information is used to instruct the terminal to perform the switching of the member carrier; Send a second message, the second message being used to indicate the duration of a first interruption when the terminal switches to the component carrier, the first interruption including an interruption of the terminal sending data to the network device.

2. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Send a first request, wherein the first request is used to request terminal capability information for the terminal to switch when receiving data from the network device; Receive the terminal capability information; Send first information, wherein the first information is used to instruct the terminal to perform the switching of the member carrier; The terminal receives second information, which indicates the duration of a first interruption when it switches to the component carrier. The first interruption includes an interruption in which the terminal sends data to the network device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The network device instructs the terminal to use a first frequency band for the handover, the terminal capability information is used to indicate the handover time when the terminal performs the handover, and the third information is used to indicate whether each component carrier in the first frequency band supports the first interrupt.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The switching time includes the switching time of each component carrier in the first frequency band.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The switching time includes the switching time of the first frequency band.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The switching time of the first frequency band is determined based on the switching time of each component carrier in the first frequency band.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The first frequency band includes one or more frequency bands, and the switching time includes the switching time of each frequency band in the first frequency band.

8. The method according to any one of claims 3-7, characterized in that, The switching time is selected from the following candidate times: 35 microseconds, 140 microseconds, or 210 microseconds.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, Different terminal capability information corresponds to different durations of the first interrupt.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The duration of the first interruption is determined based on the terminal's capability information.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The first information includes N sets of information, each set of information corresponds to a member carrier, and the set of information corresponding to the switched member carrier is preset information, where N is a positive integer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The first information also includes the carrier combination identifier corresponding to the member carrier and / or the cell identifier corresponding to the member carrier.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The second information includes the identification information of the component carrier and the duration of the first interruption.

14. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a module that performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-13.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor for supporting the communication device in performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-13.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions that, when executed, cause the method described in any one of claims 1-13 to be performed.

17. A computer program product, characterized in that, When it is run on a computer, it causes the method described in any one of claims 1-13 to be performed.

18. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes a processor for supporting the chip in performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-13.

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