Communication methods and communication apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present application are communication methods and a communication apparatus. A method may comprise: a first access network device sends first verification information to a terminal device and a second access network device, the first verification information being used for the second access network device to perform identity verification on the terminal device; the terminal device sends the first verification information and request information to the second access network device, the request information being used for the terminal device to request sending a small data packet to the second access network device; and, in response to the first verification information, the second access network device sends downlink information, the downlink information being used for indicating that the terminal device is allowed to send the small data packet to the first access network device. On this basis, the second access network device can locally complete identity verification on the terminal device, thereby reducing the delay of small data transmission.

Description

Communication methods and communication devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510095864.4, filed on January 21, 2025, entitled "Communication Method and Communication Device", 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 a communication method and a communication device. Background Technology

[0003] In a communication system, a terminal device in a disconnected state (idle or deactivated) can perform small data transmission (SDT) without undergoing radio resource control (RRC) state switching. Specifically, after the RRC connection between the terminal device and the last serving access network device is broken, the terminal device can perform SDT with the receiving access network device without establishing an RRC connection with it. The receiving access network device needs to determine whether to establish SDT with the terminal device through context signaling interaction with the last serving access network device.

[0004] However, the above approach may result in a longer overall latency for SDT. Therefore, how to reduce the overall latency of SDT in terminal devices is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and a communication device that can reduce the overall latency of terminal devices performing SDT.

[0006] Firstly, a communication method is provided for execution by a terminal device. The terminal device can be a terminal equipment, a module within the terminal equipment (such as a chip system), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal equipment. For ease of description, the following description uses a terminal equipment as an example.

[0007] The method may include: a terminal device receiving first verification information sent by a first access network device, the first verification information being used by a second access network device to verify the identity of the terminal device; the terminal device sending the first verification information and request information to the second access network device, the request information being used by the terminal device to request the sending of a small data packet to the second access network device.

[0008] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device provides verification information when requesting SDT from the second access network device. This verification information can be used by the second access network device to verify the identity of the terminal device. This allows the second access network device to complete the verification of the terminal device's identity based on the verification information without needing to obtain the terminal device's identity information from the first access network device, thereby reducing the latency of SDT.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving downlink information, the downlink information being determined by the second access network device based on the first verification information, the downlink information being used to indicate that the terminal device is permitted to send small data packets to the second access network device.

[0010] Secondly, a communication method is provided for an access-side device. This access-side device can be an access network device, a module within the access network device (such as a chip system), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network device. For ease of description, the following description uses an access network device as an example, and for distinction, it is referred to as the second access network device.

[0011] The method may include: receiving first verification information sent by a first access network device, the first verification information being used by a second access network device to verify the identity of a terminal device; receiving second verification information and request information sent by the terminal device, the request information being used by the terminal device to request to send a small data packet to the second access network device, and the second verification information being used by the second access network device to verify the identity of the terminal device; and responding to the first verification information and the second verification information by sending downlink information, the downlink information being used to indicate that the terminal device is allowed to send a small data packet to the first access network device.

[0012] The second verification information is the verification information sent by the terminal device to the second access network device. The second verification information is the same as the first verification information sent by the first access network device to the terminal device. However, considering that there may be interference or errors in the communication, the verification information received by the second access network device may be different, so it is referred to as the second verification information.

[0013] Based on the above technical solution, the second access network device can complete the identity verification of the terminal device locally based on the first verification information and the second verification information, without needing to obtain the identity information of the terminal device from the first access network device, thereby reducing the latency of SDT.

[0014] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, sending downlink information in response to the first verification information and the second verification information includes: sending downlink information when it is determined that the first verification information and the second verification information are the same.

[0015] Based on the above technical solution, the second access network device can determine that the terminal device is a terminal device that has been verified by the first access network device based on the fact that the first verification information and the second verification information are the same. This can ensure the security of SDT between the terminal device and the second access network device.

[0016] Thirdly, a communication method is provided for an access-side device. This access-side device can be an access network device, a module within the access network device (such as a chip system), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the access network device. For ease of description, the following description uses an access network device as an example, and for distinction, it is referred to as the first access network device.

[0017] The method may include: sending first verification information to a terminal device and a second access network device, wherein the first verification information is used by the first access network device to verify the identity of the terminal device.

[0018] Based on the above technical solution, this can enable the second access network device to verify the identity of the terminal device according to the received verification information, thereby eliminating the need for the second access network device to obtain the identity information of the terminal device from the first access network device, thus reducing the latency of SDT.

[0019] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, sending the first verification information to the terminal device and the second access network device includes: sending the first verification information to the terminal device and the second access network device before releasing the radio link control connection between the terminal device and the first access network device.

[0020] Based on the above technical solution, when a terminal device needs to send small data to a second access network device, the second access network device can complete the identity verification of the terminal device locally in a timely manner, without needing to obtain the identity information of the terminal device from the first access network device, thereby reducing the latency of SDT.

[0021] In conjunction with any one of the first to third aspects, in some implementations, the first verification information and / or the second verification information includes one or more of the following: a random number, a region identifier or a terminal device identifier, wherein the region identifier is used to identify a first region, and the terminal device, the first access network device and the second access network device are both located in the first region.

[0022] Based on the above technical solution, when the verification information is a random number, the second access network device can complete the identity verification of the terminal device by verifying the random number sent by the first access network device and the random number sent by the terminal device; when the verification information is a region identifier, the second access network device can complete the identity verification of the terminal device by verifying the region identifier received from the first access network device and the region identifier received from the terminal device; when the verification information is the identifier of the terminal device, the second access network device can complete the identity verification of the terminal device by verifying the identifier received from the first access network device and the identifier received from the terminal device.

[0023] In conjunction with any one of the first to third aspects, in some implementations, the first access network device is the last serving access network device, and the second access network device is the receiving access network device.

[0024] Based on the above technical solution, the first access network device is the last serving access network device, and the second access network device is the receiving access network device. The receiving access network device can be understood as the access network device that the terminal device expects to perform SDT (Software-Defined Context) on. The last serving access network device stores the context information of the terminal device. Therefore, sending verification information by the last serving access network device facilitates the management of the terminal device's SDT within the first area.

[0025] Fourthly, a communication system is provided, comprising a terminal device, a first access network device, and a second access network device. The first access network device is configured to send first verification information to the terminal device and the second access network device, the first verification information being used by the second access network device to verify the identity of the terminal device; the terminal device is configured to send the first verification information and request information to the second access network device, the request information being used by the terminal device to request the transmission of small data packets to the second access network device; the second access network device is configured to receive the first verification information sent by the first access network device and the first verification information sent by the terminal device; the second access network device is further configured to respond to the first verification information by sending downlink information, the downlink information being used to indicate permission for the terminal device to transmit small data packets to the first access network device.

[0026] Fifthly, a communication system is provided, comprising a terminal device, a first access network device, and a second access network device. The terminal device is configured to perform the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, the second access network device is configured to perform the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof, and the first access network device is configured to perform the method described in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0027] For the effects not described in detail in the second to fifth aspects above, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0028] A sixth aspect provides a communication apparatus for performing the methods of any one of the first to third aspects and any possible implementation thereof. Specifically, the apparatus may include units and / or modules for performing the methods of any one of the first to third aspects and any possible implementation thereof, such as processing units and / or communication units.

[0029] In one implementation, the device is a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device). When the device is a communication device, the communication unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0030] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, circuit, or communication module for communication equipment (such as terminal equipment or network equipment). When the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit for communication equipment, the communication unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0031] A seventh aspect provides a communication device comprising: at least one processor configured to cause the device to perform any of the first to third aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0032] Optionally, the at least one processor is configured to execute computer programs or instructions to perform the methods of any one of the first to third aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0033] Optionally, the device further includes a memory for storing the computer program or instructions.

[0034] Optionally, the at least one processor is coupled to a memory for storing the computer program or instructions. The memory may be located externally to the device.

[0035] Optionally, the device also includes a communication interface through which the processor reads instructions from memory. This can be understood as the communication interface being coupled to the processor and used to input computer programs or instructions to the processor, or to output information from the processor.

[0036] Unless otherwise specified, or if the transmission and acquisition / reception operations involved do not contradict their actual function or internal logic in the relevant description, they can be understood as output, input, or other operations, or as transmission and reception operations performed by radio frequency circuits and antennas. This application does not limit them in this regard.

[0037] In one implementation, the device is a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device).

[0038] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, circuit, or communication module for communication equipment (such as terminal equipment or network equipment). Optionally, the chip is a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core or a system-in-package (SIP) chip.

[0039] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program (e.g., program code) or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the methods of any one of the first to third aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0040] Ninth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods of any one of the first to third aspects and any possible implementation thereof. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to this application.

[0042] Figure 2 illustrates the relationship between a radio access network based notification area (RNA) and a tracking area (TA).

[0043] Figure 3 is a flowchart of SDT based on random access channel (RACH) when the user equipment context has not changed location in the embodiments of this application.

[0044] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a communication method 400 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0045] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0046] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0047] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a chip system provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0048] Before introducing the scheme of this application, the following points should be noted.

[0049] (1) In this application, "instruction" can include direct instruction, indirect instruction, explicit instruction, implicit instruction, etc. When describing a certain instruction information as being used to instruct A, it can be understood that the instruction information carries A, carries the identifier of A, carries B which is associated with A, carries the identifier of B which is associated with A, etc. In other words, if the receiving side of a certain instruction information can determine A based on the instruction information, it can be described as the instruction information being used to instruct A, and the specific method of determination is not limited. When it is understood that the instruction information carries A, "instruction" or "used to instruct" can be replaced with "includes". In this case, a statement similar to "sending / receiving instruction information, the instruction information being used to instruct A" can be replaced with "sending / receiving A".

[0050] In this application, the information indicated by the instruction information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementations, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed. It can also indicate only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent. Furthermore, the information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information pieces, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information pieces can be the same or different.

[0051] (2) In this application, the expression " / " is used to indicate that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship; for example, A / B can mean: A or B. The expression "and / or" is used to indicate that the objects before and after are in a relationship of either "and" or "or"; for example, A and / or B can mean the following: A exists alone, B exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be single or multiple. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions are used to indicate any combination of the listed items; for example, at least one of A, B and / or C can mean the following: A exists alone, B exists alone, C exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, B and C exist simultaneously, A and C exist simultaneously, A, B and C exist simultaneously, where A, B, and C can be single or multiple.

[0052] (3) In this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which may include direct transmission via the air interface or indirect transmission by other units or modules via the air interface. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which may include direct reception from YY via the air interface or indirect reception from YY by other units or modules via the air interface. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface. In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0053] (4) In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0054] (5) In this application, "first" and "second" are used for descriptive convenience only to distinguish objects and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. They are not used to describe the order or sequence of features. It should be understood that the objects described in this way can be interchanged where appropriate so as to describe solutions other than those in the embodiments of this application.

[0055] (6) In this application, the words “exemplary,” “for example,” etc., are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as an “example” in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the term “example” is used to present concepts in a specific manner.

[0056] First, let me introduce the communication system to which this application applies.

[0057] The technical solution of this application can be applied to satellite communication systems, high altitude platform station (HAPS) communication, and non-terrestrial network (NTN) systems such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Examples include integrated communication and navigation (ICAN) systems, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), and ultra-dense low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication systems. Satellite communication systems can be integrated with traditional mobile communication systems. For example, the mobile communication system can be a 4th generation (4G) communication system, a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, a 5th generation (5G) communication system, and future mobile communication systems.

[0058] As an example, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes an access network 100 and a core network (CN) 200. The access network 100 may be a radio access network (RAN). The access network 100 includes at least one access node (such as 110a and 110b, collectively referred to as 110), and at least one terminal device (such as 130a-130j, collectively referred to as 130) accesses the network through the access network 100. The access network 100 may also include other nodes, such as relay devices or backhaul devices. The terminal device 130 communicates with the access node 110 wirelessly. The access node 110 is connected to the CN 200 wirelessly or via a wired connection. The core network equipment in the CN 200 and the access node 110 in the access network 100 may be different physical devices, or they may be the same physical device integrating CN logical functions and access node logical functions.

[0059] An access node can be an access network device, which is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities used to communicate with terminal devices. Access network devices can be nodes in the RAN (Radio Access Network), also known as base stations or RAN nodes. They can also include various forms of base stations, such as macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, transmission reception points (TRPs), transmission points, mobile switching centers, and devices that perform base station functions in device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications.

[0060] An access node is a communication device used to implement the functions of an access network device. It can be the access network device itself, or a device that supports the access network device in implementing these functions, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the access network device or used in conjunction with the access network device. The chip system in this embodiment can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete components.

[0061] Access network 100 can be a radio access network (RAN), such as a cellular system related to the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), for example, a 4G, 5G communication system, or a future communication network. RAN 100 can also be an open radio access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (C-RAN), or a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) system. Access network 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0062] Access node 110, also known as access network equipment, access entity, or access node, is used to assist terminal devices in accessing the network. The multiple access nodes 110 in Figure 1 can be of the same or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of access node 110 and terminal device 130 are relative. For example, network element 130i can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal devices 130j accessing access network 100 through network element 130i, network element 130i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 130i is a terminal device. Access node 110 and terminal device 130 are sometimes referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and network elements 130a-130j can be understood as communication devices with terminal device functions.

[0063] In one possible scenario, the access node can be a RAN node, which can be: a base station (BS), an evolved NodeB (eNB) in long term evolution (LTE), an access point (AP), a transmission point (TP), a TRP, a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future communication network, or an access node in a Wi-Fi system, etc.

[0064] Access nodes can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. 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 in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the RAN node functions.

[0065] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing some of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control planes (CPs), CU-user planes (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be set up separately 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).

[0066] In different communication systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, the meaning of which will be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can be called O-CU (open CU), DU can be called O-DU, CU-CP can be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can be called O-CU-UP, and RU can 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.

[0067] The number of devices in the above communication system is for illustrative purposes only and is not limited thereto. In actual applications, the communication system may include more terminal devices, more RAN devices, and other devices.

[0068] A terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. It can be user equipment (UE), access terminal, subscriber unit, user station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent or user equipment, satellite phone, cellular phone, smartphone, wireless data card, wireless modem, machine-type communication equipment, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), customer-premises equipment (CPE), point-of-sale (POS) machine, handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, vehicle-mounted equipment, communication equipment mounted on high-altitude aircraft, wearable device, drone, robot, terminal in D2D, terminal in V2X, virtual reality (VR) terminal, augmented reality (AR) terminal, wireless terminal in industrial control, and self-driving vehicle. Wireless terminals in driving, telemedicine or telehealth services, smart grids, transportation safety, smart cities, smart homes, or future communication networks are not restricted in this regard.

[0069] The terminal device can also be a device with communication functions in a future communication network, and there is no limitation on the form of the terminal device in the future communication network.

[0070] The communication device used to implement the functions of the terminal device can be a terminal equipment or a device capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing those functions, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete components.

[0071] The network architecture and service scenarios described in this application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in this application. Those skilled in the art will understand that, with the evolution of communication network architecture and the emergence of new service scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0072] The following section introduces some related technologies involved in the technical solution of this application.

[0073] 1. RRC Status

[0074] RRC states include: Radio Resource Control Connected (RRC CONNECTED), Radio Resource Control Idle (RRC IDLE), and Radio Resource Control Inactive (RRC INACTIVE). When a terminal device is in the RRC CONNECTED state, an RRC connection has been established between the terminal device and the access network device, and the access network device stores information about the terminal device (e.g., one or more of the terminal device's access layer context information and radio configuration information). RRC CONNECTED can be simply referred to as the RRC connected state or the connected state. When a terminal device is in the RRC IDLE state, there is no RRC connection between the terminal device and the access network device, and the access network device does not store any information about the terminal device. The Radio Resource Control Idle state can be simply referred to as the RRC idle state or the idle state. When a terminal device is in the RRC INACTIVE state, the terminal device can move within the radio access network based notification area (RNA) without notifying the access network device. The terminal device maintains its own context, and the last serving access network device (e.g., the last serving gNB) maintains the terminal device's context and its next-generation (NG) interface connection with the access and mobility management function (AMF) and user plane function (UPF). Under RRC INACTIVE, the dedicated RRC connection between the terminal device and the access network device is suspended but can be resumed later; for example, the terminal device can resume the RRC connection by initiating an RRC resume procedure. RRC INACTIVE can be simply referred to as RRC inactive state or inactive state.

[0075] It should be understood that the last serving base station is the base station that releases the terminal device from the connected state to the inactive state, preserving the context of the terminal device; it is sometimes also called the anchor base station. Both the inactive state and the idle state can be considered as non-connected states.

[0076] 2. Call

[0077] When a UE registers with the network, the core network assigns each UE a list of tracking area identities (TAIs) for a tracking area (TA), which serves as the UE's registration area. When a UE moves to a cell that is not in that TAI list, it actively accesses the network (including the core network) and performs a non-access stratum (NAS) registration update. The core network registers the UE's location and updates the UE's registration area, i.e., it reassigns a list of TAIs containing the TA of the cell to which the UE currently resides. When the UE is in RRC idle state, in order for the network to locate the UE, the core network needs to send paging messages (5GC paging) to all cells under all TAs in the TAI list; this can be referred to as core network-level terminal tracking.

[0078] For UEs in RRC Inactive state, in order to further save on paging message transmission overhead, a "RAN-based notification area (RNA)" call range, which is smaller than the TA range, is introduced.

[0079] As an example, Figure 2 illustrates the relationship between a radio access network based notification area (RNA) and a tracking area (TA). The RNA is managed by a next-generation NodeB (gNodeB). The gNodeB can locate the UE by paging it via the RNA (RAN paging), which can be referred to as radio access network-level terminal tracking. When RAN paging is triggered, the paging message is sent to all external cells in the RNA1 area to which the UE belongs that have an Xn interface connection to the last serving gNodeB and whose RNA identity (ID) is RNA1.

[0080] In core network paging and RAN paging, the gNB that receives the paging message sends a paging message to the UE.

[0081] 3. Small data transmission (SDT) technology

[0082] SDT technology enables terminal devices to transmit data when they are in a disconnected state (e.g., inactive state).

[0083] In SDT, small data refers to data packets with a relatively small amount of data at the physical layer in a single communication or transmission. Alternatively, small data refers to data packets with a physical layer data size less than or equal to a certain threshold in a single communication or transmission; for example, data smaller than 400 bytes can be considered small data. It should be understood that the threshold may vary depending on the application scenario. It should also be understood that this threshold may change with technological advancements or standard evolution, and this application does not impose any limitations on it.

[0084] SDTs can be applied in various scenarios, such as heartbeat packets or push messages from applications (APPs), periodic data from wearable devices (e.g., heartbeat packets), and periodic data sent by industrial wireless sensor networks. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the specific size of small data is not limited; for example, data of 100 to 300 bytes can be considered small data.

[0085] Currently, there are two SDT schemes: RACH-based SDT (RA-SDT) and CG-SDT, which configures grant-small data transmission resources based on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

[0086] It is understood that the data transmission and small data transmission mentioned below can refer to SDT (Small Data Transmission). The uplink data, downlink data, and data described in the embodiments of this application can all be small data. The name of small data is not limiting in this application; for example, it can also be called a small data packet. Furthermore, although SDT refers to small data transmission, for signaling, as long as the requirements of SDT are met, transmission can also be carried out via SDT.

[0087] As an example, Figure 3 is a flowchart of SDT based on random access channel (RACH) applicable to embodiments of this application when the user equipment context has not changed location. As shown in Figure 3, the process 300 includes the following steps.

[0088] The method in Figure 3 is illustrated using the interaction between the terminal device, the receiving base station, and the last serving base station as an example. The terminal device can be written as UE or UE terminal.

[0089] S301, the inactive UE sends an RRC recovery request message to the receiving gNB.

[0090] The receiving base station refers to the base station corresponding to the cell that the UE is currently accessing.

[0091] The RRC recovery request message may include uplink (UL) SDT data and / or uplink SDT signaling. The uplink signaling may be a NAS protocol data unit (PDU) packet.

[0092] S302, the receiving base station sends a retrieve UE context request message to the UE's last serving base station.

[0093] The Get UE Context Request message can carry SDT indications and other auxiliary information, such as single packet or multiple packets.

[0094] S303, the last serving base station determines its stored UE context.

[0095] Optionally, the last serving base station may make a decision based on the aforementioned auxiliary information. For example, in the case of a single packet, the last serving base station may determine that it will continue to store the UE context instead of sending the UE context to the receiving base station.

[0096] S304, The last serving base station sends a partial UE context transfer message to the UE.

[0097] Some UE context transmission messages may include SDT radio link control (RLC) configuration information, but do not include UE context.

[0098] S305, The receiving base station sends a partial UE context transfer acknowledge message to the last serving base station.

[0099] Based on the partial UE context transmission messages, the receiving base station knows that the UE context is still stored at the last serving base station. Therefore, subsequent data transmission still needs to pass through the last serving base station. Thus, the receiving base station establishes an SDT RLC entity, while the last serving base station can retain its PDCP entity for subsequent UE information transmission.

[0100] After passing through S302 to S305, the UE context is still stored in the last serving base station. The receiving base station can send the uplink data obtained in S301 to the last serving base station, which will then send it to the user plane function (UPF). Alternatively, the receiving base station can send the uplink signaling obtained in S301 to the last serving base station, which will then send it to the access and mobility management function (AMF).

[0101] Subsequently, if the UE has further uplink SDT data or uplink SDT signaling, the UE can continue to send it to the receiving base station, which will then forward the data to the UPF and the signaling to the AMF via the last serving base station. Additionally, if downlink SDT data exists, the UPF can also forward it to the receiving base station via the last serving base station, which will then forward it to the UE.

[0102] S306, the last serving base station sends a "retrieve UE context failure" message to the receiving base station. This "retrieve UE context failure" message may include an RRC release message, instructing the UE to remain in an inactive state.

[0103] S307, Receive base station sends RRC release message to UE.

[0104] The RRC release message may include a suspend indication, instructing the UE to remain in an inactive state. The UE remains in an inactive state after S307 is executed.

[0105] In the above scheme, before performing SDT transmission, the receiving base station needs to obtain the UE context from the last serving base station in order to complete the verification of the UE identity information. However, the signaling interaction process for the receiving base station to obtain the UE context from the last serving base station is time-consuming, which will result in a long overall latency for the terminal device in the disconnected state to perform SDT. In view of this, this application provides a communication method and communication apparatus that can reduce the overall latency for the terminal device in the disconnected state to perform SDT. See Figure 4 for details.

[0106] The solution in this application embodiment can be used between a terminal device and an access-side device, where the access-side device can be the aforementioned access node. The following description uses the interaction between terminal device 130, access network device 110, and access network device 120 as an example.

[0107] As an example, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a communication method 400 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0108] Optionally, in step S401, access network device 110 (which can be understood as the first access network device) sends first verification information. The first verification information is used by access network device 120 (which can be understood as the second access network device) to verify the identity of terminal device 130.

[0109] Specifically, access network device 110 can send first verification information to terminal device 130 and access network device 120. Correspondingly, terminal device 130 receives the first verification information, and access network device 120 receives the first verification information.

[0110] One possible example is that access network device 110 is the last serving access network device, meaning that access network device 110 is the access network device that releases terminal device 130 from the connected state in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) state to the inactive state. The name "last serving access network device" is not limiting in this application; for example, it could also be referred to as the access network device of the previous service.

[0111] One possible example is that access network device 120 is a receiving access network device, which can also be understood as the access network device to which terminal device 130 expects to send small data, or as the access network device to which terminal device 130 needs to perform SDT. The name of the receiving access network device is not limited in this application; for example, it can also be called a small data receiving access network device. Furthermore, the receiving access network device is not necessarily the serving access network device of the terminal device, because during and after the SDT between receiving access network device 120 and terminal device 130, both the terminal device and the receiving access network device remain in an inactive state.

[0112] In this embodiment of the application, the access network device 110 sends the first verification information in at least one of the following ways: broadcast, multicast, hierarchical forwarding, etc., which are not limited in this application.

[0113] In this embodiment, access network device 110 may send the first verification information to access network device 120 and terminal device 130 simultaneously, or it may not send the first verification information to access network device 120 and terminal device 130 simultaneously. For example, access network device 110 may send the first verification information to terminal device 130 first, and then send the first verification information to access network device 120; or, for another example, access network device 110 may send the first verification information to access network device 120 first, and then send the first verification information to terminal device 130.

[0114] In this embodiment of the application, the access network device 110 can send the first verification information to the terminal device at different time points.

[0115] In one implementation, the access network device 110 may send first verification information to the terminal device 130 before the radio resource control state of the access network device 110 and the terminal device 130 changes to a disconnected state (in other words, before the access network device 110 releases the terminal device 130). For example, the access network device 110 sends the first verification information to the terminal device 130 before the radio resource control state of the access network device 110 and the terminal device 130 changes from the RRC CONNECTED state to the RRC INACTIVE state.

[0116] In another implementation, the access network device 110 may send first verification information to the terminal device 130 when its radio resource control state with the terminal device 130 changes to a disconnected state (in other words, when the last serving access network device releases the terminal device). For example, when the radio resource control state between the access network device 110 and the terminal device 130 changes from the RRC CONNECTED state to the RRC INACTIVE state, the access network device 110 sends the first verification information to the terminal device 130.

[0117] In this embodiment of the application, the access network device 110 can send the first verification information to the access network device 120 at different time points.

[0118] In one implementation, access network device 110 may send first verification information to access network device 120 before the radio resource control state of terminal device 130 changes to a disconnected state (in other words, before access network device 110 releases terminal device 130). For example, access network device 110 sends first verification information to access network device 120 before the radio resource control state of access network device 110 and terminal device 130 changes from the RRC CONNECTED state to the RRC INACTIVE state.

[0119] In another implementation, when the radio resource control state between the access network device 110 and the terminal device 130 changes to a disconnected state (in other words, when the first access network device releases the terminal device), the access network device 110 may send the first verification information to the access network device 120. For example, when the radio resource control state between the access network device 110 and the terminal device 130 changes from the RRC CONNECTED state to the RRC INACTIVE state, the access network device 110 sends the first verification information to the access network device 120.

[0120] In another implementation, after the access network device 110 and the terminal device 130's radio resource control state transitions to a disconnected state (in other words, after the access network device 110 releases the terminal device 130), the access network device 110 may send the first verification information to the access network device 120. For example, after the access network device 110 and the terminal device 130's radio resource control state transitions from the RRC CONNECTED state to the RRC INACTIVE state, the access network device 110 sends the first verification information to the access network device 120.

[0121] One possible implementation is that the first verification information includes one or more of the following: a random number (Nounce), a region identifier, or the identifier of the terminal device.

[0122] In the first example, the first information may include a random number, nounce, for example, n1. Accordingly, terminal device 130 receives n1, and access network device 120 receives n1.

[0123] In the second example, the first information may include a region identifier. For example, the first verification information is the region identifier of the first region: ID1. Accordingly, terminal device 130 receives ID1, and access network device 120 receives ID1. Here, the first region refers to the region where access network device 110 is located. It should be understood that the region identifier of a region is unique. The terminal device, access network device 120, and access network device 110 are located in the first region, which can be an RNA region or a TA region.

[0124] In the third example, the first information may include the identifier of the terminal device. For example, the first verification information is the identifier of the terminal device: UE ID1. Accordingly, the terminal device 130 receives UE ID1, and the access network device 120 receives UE ID1.

[0125] It should be understood that access network device 110 can send first verification information to one or more second access network devices in the first area. That is, access network device 110 can manage one or more cells, and one cell can correspond to one or more second access network devices. This application does not limit this.

[0126] As an example, access network device 110 can send first verification information to all cells within its own RNA. It should be understood that access network device 120 is located within the RNA where access network device 110 is located. For example, if the area managed by access network device 110 includes an RNA region comprising access network device 120, access network device 121, and access network device 122, then access network device 110 can send first verification information to some or all of access network devices 120, 121, and 122.

[0127] In another example, access network device 110 can send first verification information to all cells within its local access control area (TA). It should be understood that access network device 120 is located within the TA where access network device 110 is located. For instance, the area managed by access network device 110 includes a TA area comprising multiple access network devices, such as access network device 120, access network device 121, access network device 122, access network device 123, access network device 124, and access network device 125. Access network device 110 can then send first verification information to some or all of these access network devices.

[0128] In the two examples above, if the first region is an RNA region, the probability of paging overload can be reduced; if the first region is a TA region, the signaling overhead during frequent region updates by the terminal device can be reduced. Therefore, the range of the first region can be determined based on the load and capability information of the access network device, and this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0129] S402, the terminal device sends the first verification information and request information to the second access network device, and the second access network device receives the first verification information and request information accordingly.

[0130] The request information is used by the terminal device to request the sending of small data packets to the second access network device.

[0131] The request information can be implemented in several ways. In one implementation, the request information includes an RRC recovery request message. In another implementation, the request information includes an RRC recovery request message and uplink SDT data.

[0132] S403, in response to the first verification information and the second verification information, downlink information is sent, the downlink information being used to indicate that the terminal device is allowed to send the small data packet to the second access network device.

[0133] Specifically, access network device 120 performs identity verification on the terminal device based on the verification information sent by access network device 110 (i.e., the first verification information) and the verification information sent by terminal device 130 (referred to as the second verification information for distinction). After completing the identity verification of the terminal device, it sends downlink information to terminal device 130.

[0134] The first verification information and the second verification information are used by the access network device 120 to verify the identity of the terminal device 130.

[0135] The first verification information and / or the second verification information include one or more of the following: a random number, a region identifier, or the identifier of the terminal device. Alternatively, the first and second verification information may contain the same information in the same format. For example, if the first verification information includes a random number, the second verification information may also include a random number.

[0136] The second verification information and the first verification information may be the same or different. Although the second verification information is the first verification information sent by the terminal device 130 to the access network device 120, the access network device 120 is unaware of its content when receiving it. Therefore, the first verification information received by the access network device 120 from the terminal device 130 is recorded as the second verification information. Furthermore, S403's response to the first and second verification information can be understood as a response to the verification information from the access network device 110 and the verification information from the terminal device 130. When these two verification information are the same, the terminal device 130's identity verification passes.

[0137] In some implementations, due to interference, packet loss, or other reasons, the first verification information sent by the terminal device 130 to the access network device 120 is incorrect, and the second verification information received by the access network device 120 is different from the first verification information, then the identity verification of the terminal device 130 fails.

[0138] Furthermore, in one possible implementation, the access network device 120 sends a verification failure message to the terminal device 130. Further, the access network device 120 instructs the terminal device 130 to repeat step S403 or terminate the SDT with the terminal device 130.

[0139] In one implementation, the first verification information is a random number. In this implementation, if the first verification information and the second verification information are the same, it indicates that the terminal device's identity verification has passed.

[0140] For example, access network device 110 sends a random number n1 to terminal device 130, and access network device 110 also sends a random number n1 to access network device 120. When terminal device 130 needs to perform SDT with access network device 120, terminal device 130 sends a random number n1 and an RRC recovery request message to access network device 120. Access network device 120 performs terminal device 130 identity verification by verifying whether the random number received from access network device 110 (an example of first verification information) is the same as the random number received from terminal device 130 (an example of second verification information). In this example, the first verification information and the second verification information are the same, both being the random number n1, so the terminal device 130 identity verification passes. Then, access network device 120 sends downlink information to terminal device 130, indicating that terminal device 130 is allowed to send the small data packet to access network device 120.

[0141] In another implementation, the first verification information is a region identifier. The region identifier identifies a first region. In this implementation, if the first verification information and the second verification information are the same, it indicates that the terminal device's identity verification has passed.

[0142] For example, access network device 110 sends the area identifier ID1 of its current location to terminal device 130, and then sends the same area identifier ID1 to access network device 120. When terminal device 130 needs to perform SDT with access network device 120, terminal device 130 sends the area identifier ID1 and an RRC recovery request message to access network device 120. Access network device 120 verifies the identity of terminal device 130 by checking whether the area identifier ID1 received from access network device 110 (an example of the first verification information) is the same as the area identifier ID1 received from terminal device 130 (an example of the second verification information). In this example, the first and second verification information are the same, both being the area identifier, so the identity verification of terminal device 130 passes. Then, access network device 120 sends downlink information to terminal device 130, indicating that terminal device 130 is allowed to send the small data packet to access network device 120.

[0143] In another implementation, the first verification information is the identifier of the terminal device. In this implementation, if the first verification information and the second verification information are the same, it indicates that the terminal device's identity verification has passed.

[0144] For example, access network device 110 sends the UE ID1 of terminal device 130 to terminal device 130, and access network device 110 sends the identifier UE ID1 of terminal device 130 to access network device 120. When terminal device 130 needs to perform SDT with access network device 120, terminal device 130 sends its identifier UE ID1 and an RRC recovery request message to access network device 120. Access network device 120 performs terminal device 130 identity verification by verifying whether the identifier UE ID1 of terminal device 130 received from access network device 110 (an example of the first verification information) is the same as the identifier UE ID1 of terminal device 130 received from access network device 110 (an example of the second verification information). In this example, the first verification information and the second verification information are the same, both being the identifier information of the terminal device, so the identity verification of terminal device 130 passes. Then, access network device 120 sends downlink information to terminal device 130, indicating that terminal device 130 is allowed to send the small data packet to access network device 120.

[0145] The above describes the scenarios where the terminal device's identity verification passes through three implementation methods. If the first verification information and the second verification information are different, it indicates that the terminal device's identity verification fails. In this case, the second access network device sends a verification failure message to the terminal device, further instructing the terminal device to repeat step S402 or terminate the SDT with the terminal device.

[0146] The above, together with Figure 4, describes the SDT scheme between the terminal device and the first access network device.

[0147] The apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 5 to 7. It should be understood that the description of the apparatus embodiments corresponds to the description of the method embodiments. Therefore, any content not described in detail can be referred to the method embodiments above, and for the sake of brevity, will not be repeated here.

[0148] As an example, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 500 includes a processing circuit 510 and a transceiver circuit 520. The processing circuit 510 and the transceiver circuit 520 can be interconnected or coupled to each other, for example, interconnected via a bus 530. The communication device can be an access network device 110, an access network device 120, or a terminal device 130. Optionally, the communication device may further include a memory 540. The memory 540 includes, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), and is used for related instructions and data.

[0149] The processing circuit 510 can be all or part of the processing circuitry in one or more processors, or it can be one or more processors. The processor can be a central processing unit (CPU). If the processing circuit 510 is a CPU, the CPU can be a single-core CPU or a multi-core CPU. The processing circuit 510 can be a signal processor, a chip, or other integrated circuit capable of implementing the methods of this application, or a portion of the circuitry within the aforementioned processor, chip, or integrated circuit that performs processing functions. Additionally, the transceiver circuit 520 can be a transceiver, or an input / output interface. An input / output interface is used for inputting or outputting signals or data and can also be referred to as an input / output circuit.

[0150] When the communication device is an access network device 110, the processing circuit 510 is configured to perform the following operations: determine first verification information; send the first verification information, etc.

[0151] When the communication device is an access network device 120, the processing circuit 510 is configured to perform the following operations: receive first verification information, receive second verification information, determine downlink information, and send downlink information, etc.

[0152] When the communication device is terminal device 130, for example, the processing circuit 510 is used to perform the following operations: receiving first verification information, sending first verification information and request information, receiving downlink information, etc.

[0153] When the communication device is an access network device 110 or a terminal device 130, it will be responsible for executing the methods or steps related to the access network device 110 or the terminal device 130 in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0154] When the communication device is an access network device 110 or a terminal device 130, the transceiver circuit 520 can be a transceiver.

[0155] When the communication device is a chip used for access network equipment 110 or terminal equipment 130, the transceiver circuit 520 can be an input / output circuit.

[0156] The above description is merely exemplary. For details, please refer to the content shown in the above method embodiments.

[0157] The implementation of each operation in Figure 5 can also be described in the corresponding description of the method embodiment shown in Figure 4.

[0158] As an example, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 600 can be an access network device 110, an access network device 120, or a terminal device 130, used to implement the methods involved in the above embodiments.

[0159] The communication device 600 includes a transceiver unit 610 and a processing unit 620. The transceiver unit 610 may include a sending unit and a receiving unit. The sending unit is used to perform the sending action of the communication device, and the receiving unit is used to perform the receiving action of the communication device. For ease of description, the sending unit and the receiving unit are combined into one transceiver unit in this embodiment. This will be explained uniformly here and will not be repeated later.

[0160] When the communication device is an access network device 110, for example, the transceiver unit 610 is used to send first verification information; the processing unit 620 is used to determine the first verification information.

[0161] When the communication device is an access network device 120, exemplarily, the transceiver unit 610 is configured to: receive first verification information, receive second verification information and request information; and the processing unit 620 is configured to determine downlink information based on the first verification information and the second verification information.

[0162] When the communication device is a terminal device 130, for example, the transceiver unit 610 is used to: receive first verification information and receive downlink information; the processing unit 620 is used to perform SDT and the like according to the downlink.

[0163] When the communication device is an access network device 110 or a terminal device 130, it will be responsible for executing one or more of the methods or steps related to the access network device 110, access network device 120 or terminal device 130 in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0164] Optionally, the communication device further includes a storage unit 630 for storing programs or code for executing the aforementioned methods.

[0165] The transceiver unit in Figure 6 can correspond to the transceiver circuit in Figure 5, and the processing unit in Figure 6 can correspond to the processing circuit in Figure 5.

[0166] The apparatus embodiments shown in Figures 5 and 6 are used to implement the content described in Figure 4. The specific execution steps and methods of the apparatus shown in Figures 5 and 6 can be found in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0167] As an example, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a chip system provided in an embodiment of this application. The chip system 700 (or may also be called a processing system) includes logic circuitry 710 and an input / output interface 720.

[0168] The logic circuit 710 can be a processing circuit in the chip system 700. The logic circuit 710 can be coupled to a memory unit, calling instructions from the memory unit, enabling the chip system 700 to implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of this application. The input / output interface 720 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system 700, outputting processed information or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 700 for processing.

[0169] As one approach, the chip system 700 is used to implement the operations performed by the communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the various method embodiments described above.

[0170] For example, logic circuit 710 is used to implement processing-related operations performed by a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the above method embodiments; input / output interface 720 is used to implement sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the above method embodiments.

[0171] This application also provides a processor for coupling with a memory for performing the methods and functions of a network device or terminal device involved in any of the above embodiments.

[0172] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions for implementing the methods executed by a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the above-described method embodiments. For example, when the computer program or instructions are run on the communication device, the communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) performs the above-described methods (such as method 400).

[0173] This application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, implement the methods described above as performed by a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device). For example, when the computer program or instructions are run on the communication device, the communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) performs the methods described above (such as method 400).

[0174] This application also provides a computer program that, when run on a computer, enables the implementation of the methods described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0175] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the terminal device and / or access network device described in the above embodiments. For example, the system includes the terminal device, the first access network device, and the second access network device shown in the embodiment of FIG4.

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

[0177] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0178] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0179] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0180] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0181] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0182] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to terminal devices, including: The device receives first verification information sent by a first access network device, and the first verification information is used by the second access network device to verify the identity of the terminal device. The terminal device sends the first verification information and request information to the second access network device, wherein the request information is used by the terminal device to request the sending of a small data packet to the second access network device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The device receives downlink information, which is determined by the second access network device based on the first verification information. The downlink information is used to indicate that the terminal device is allowed to send the small data packet to the second access network device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first verification information includes one or more of the following: a random number, a region identifier, or a terminal device identifier, wherein the region identifier is used to identify a first region, and the terminal device, the first access network device, and the second access network device are all located in the first region.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first access network device is the last-serving access network device, and the second access network device is the receiving access network device.

5. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to second access network equipment, including: The device receives first verification information sent by the first access network device, and the first verification information is used by the second access network device to verify the identity of the terminal device. The terminal device receives second verification information and request information, wherein the request information is used by the terminal device to request the sending of a small data packet to the second access network device, and the second verification information is used by the second access network device to verify the identity of the terminal device. In response to the first verification information and the second verification information, downlink information is sent, the downlink information being used to indicate that the terminal device is permitted to send the small data packet to the first access network device.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of sending downlink information in response to the first verification information and the second verification information includes: When it is determined that the first verification information is the same as the second verification information, the downlink information is sent.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The first verification information and / or the second verification information include one or more of the following: a random number, a region identifier, or the identifier of the terminal device, wherein the region identifier is used to identify a first region, and the terminal device, the first access network device, and the second access network device are all located in the first region.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that, The first access network device is the last-serving access network device, and the second access network device is the receiving access network device.

9. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to first access network equipment, including: Send first verification information to the terminal device and the second access network device. The first verification information is used by the first access network device to verify the identity of the terminal device.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, Sending the first verification information to the terminal device and the second access network device includes: sending the first verification information to the terminal device and the second access network device before releasing the radio link control connection between the terminal device and the first access network device.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The first verification information includes one or more of the following: a random number, a region identifier, or the identifier of the terminal device, wherein the region identifier is used to identify a first region, and the terminal device, the first access network device, and the second access network device are all located in the first region.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that, The first access network device is the last-serving access network device, and the second access network device is the receiving access network device.

13. A communication system, characterized in that, Includes terminal equipment, first access network equipment, and second access network equipment, wherein, The first access network device is used to send first verification information to the terminal device and the second access network device, wherein the first verification information is used by the second access network device to verify the identity of the terminal device; The terminal device is used to send the first verification information and request information to the second access network device, wherein the request information is used by the terminal device to request the second access network device to send a small data packet; The second access network device is used to receive the first verification information sent by the first access network device and the first verification information sent by the terminal device; The second access network device is further configured to send downlink information in response to the first verification information, the downlink information being used to indicate that the terminal device is permitted to send the small data packet to the first access network device.

14. A communication system, characterized in that, Includes terminal equipment, first access network equipment, and second access network equipment, wherein, The terminal device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The first access network device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 9 to 12. The second access network device is used to perform the method of any one of claims 5 to 8.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A module or unit for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor, the processor being configured to cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

18. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

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