Information transmission method and apparatus, device, and storage medium

Abstract

An information transmission method and apparatus, a device, and a storage medium, relating to the technical field of communications. The method is executed by a terminal device. The method comprises: sending first capability information, the first capability information being used for indicating an inter-carrier handover capability of the terminal device (910). The terminal device can implement carrier aggregation in an inter-carrier handover manner without arranging a complex radio frequency implementation architecture on a terminal device side, thereby simplifying implementation. The present invention can be used for carrier aggregation for low-frequency band spectrum and FDD spectrum, so that the carrier aggregation can cover more frequency bands, thereby improving network coverage and increasing system capacity and throughput.

Description

Information transmission method and device, apparatus, and storage medium TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of communication, and in particular to an information transmission method, device, apparatus, and storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] Carrier aggregation is a technology that combines multiple spectrum carriers together to achieve higher data transmission rates and more stable connections. Carrier aggregation requires multiple frequency bands to communicate simultaneously, and in order to achieve aggregation of multiple frequency bands, the radio frequency front end needs to support multiple independent transmit / receive paths. These paths usually rely on multiplexing filters (multiplexers) to share antennas and switch between different frequency bands and paths through radio frequency switches.

[0003] However, a quadplexer for connecting two low frequency bands is more difficult to implement, and further discussion and research are needed on how to aggregate two low frequency bands. SUMMARY

[0004] Embodiments of the present application provide an information transmission method, device, apparatus, and storage medium. The technical solution is as follows:

[0005] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, an information transmission method is provided, which is performed by a terminal device, and the method comprises:

[0006] sending first capability information, the first capability information being used to indicate the inter-carrier handover capability of the terminal device.

[0007] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, an information transmission method is provided, which is performed by a network device, and the method comprises:

[0008] receiving first capability information, the first capability information being used to indicate the inter-carrier handover capability of the terminal device.

[0009] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, an information transmission device is provided, which comprises:

[0010] a sending module configured to send first capability information, the first capability information being used to indicate the inter-carrier handover capability of the terminal device.

[0011] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, an information transmission device is provided, which comprises:

[0012] a receiving module configured to receive first capability information, the first capability information being used to indicate the inter-carrier handover capability of the terminal device.

[0013] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication device is provided, which comprises a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the information transmission method. The communication device is a terminal device, or the communication device is a network device.

[0014] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to be executed by a processor to implement the information transmission method.

[0015] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a chip is provided, which comprises a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions, and when the chip is running, the programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions are used to implement the information transmission method.

[0016] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer program product is provided, which comprises computer instructions stored in a computer readable storage medium, and a processor reads and executes the computer instructions from the computer readable storage medium to implement the information transmission method.

[0017] The technical scheme provided by the embodiments of the present application can include the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The terminal device can implement carrier aggregation in the manner of inter-carrier switching, without the need to arrange a complex radio frequency implementation architecture at the terminal device side, and the implementation is relatively simple. The carrier aggregation can be used for low frequency spectrum and FDD spectrum, so that the carrier aggregation can cover more frequency bands, and is beneficial to improving network coverage and system capacity and throughput. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of low frequency band and high frequency band carrier aggregation provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of low frequency band and low frequency band carrier aggregation provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of FDD (Frequency Division Duplexing) high frequency band and TDD (Time Division Duplexing) frequency band carrier aggregation provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of carrier aggregation combination of FDD low band and SDL (Supplementary Downlink) band according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of carrier aggregation combination of FDD low band and SDL band according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of carrier aggregation combination of FDD low band and FDD low band according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of carrier aggregation combination of FDD high band and TDD band whose spectrum is close according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 9 is a flow chart of information transmission method according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 10 is a flow chart of information transmission method according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of radio frequency implementation architecture in the case of carrier aggregation of FDD low band and SDL band according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of radio frequency implementation architecture in the case of carrier aggregation of FDD low band and SDL band according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of radio frequency implementation architecture in the case of carrier aggregation of FDD low band and FDD low band according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of radio frequency implementation architecture in the case of carrier aggregation of FDD high band and TDD band according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of carrier switching pattern according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of carrier switching pattern according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 17 is a block diagram of information transmission apparatus according to one embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 18 is a block diagram of information transmission apparatus according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of structure of communication device according to one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] 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.

[0040] Please refer to Figure 1, which shows a schematic diagram of a network architecture 100 provided in one embodiment of this application. The network architecture 100 may include: a terminal device 10, an access network device 20, and a core network element 30.

[0041] Terminal device 10 can refer to UE (User Equipment), STA (Station), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, wireless communication device, user agent, or user equipment. In some embodiments, terminal device 10 can also be a cellular phone, cordless phone, SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) phone, WLL (Wireless Local Loop) station, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, terminal device in 5GS (5th Generation System), or terminal device in the future evolved PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network), etc., and this application embodiment is not limited to these. For ease of description, the devices mentioned above are collectively referred to as terminal devices. The number of terminal devices 10 is usually multiple, and one or more terminal devices 10 can be distributed within the cell managed by each access network device 20. Terminal equipment can also be simply referred to as terminal or UE, the meaning of which can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0042] Access network device 20 is a device deployed in an access network to provide wireless communication functionality to terminal device 10. Access network device 20 may include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, APs (Access Points), etc. In systems employing different wireless access technologies, the name of the device with access network device functionality may differ; for example, in a 5G NR (New Radio) system, it is called gNodeB or gNB (Next Generation Node B). As communication technologies evolve, the name "access network device" may change. For ease of description, in this embodiment, the aforementioned devices providing wireless communication functionality to terminal device 10 are collectively referred to as access network devices. In some embodiments, a communication relationship can be established between terminal device 10 and core network element 30 through access network device 20. For example, in an LTE (Long Term Evolution) system, access network device 20 can be one or more eNodeBs within an EUTRAN (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network); in a 5G NR system, access network device 20 can be one or more gNBs within a RAN (Radio Access Network). In the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified, "network device" refers to access network device 20, such as a base station.

[0043] Core network element 30 is a network element deployed in the core network. Its main functions are to provide user connectivity, manage users, and bear services, serving as an interface to external networks. For example, core network elements in a 5G NR system may include AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) entities, UPF (User Plane Function) entities, and SMF (Session Management Function) entities.

[0044] In some embodiments, the access network device 20 and the core network element 30 communicate with each other via some air interface technology, such as the NG interface in a 5G NR system. The access network device 20 and the terminal device 10 communicate with each other via some air interface technology, such as the Uu interface.

[0045] The "5G NR system" in this application embodiment can also be referred to as a 5G system or an NR system, but those skilled in the art will understand its meaning. The technical solutions described in this application embodiment can be applied to LTE systems, 5G NR systems, and subsequent evolution systems of 5G NR systems (such as B5G (Beyound 5G) systems, 6G systems (6th Generation System), and other communication systems such as NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things) systems. This application does not limit these applications.

[0046] In this embodiment, the network device can provide services to a cell. The terminal device communicates with the network device through the transmission resources (e.g., frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources) on the carrier used by the cell. The cell can be the cell corresponding to the network device (e.g., a base station). The cell can belong to a macro base station or to a base station corresponding to a small cell. The small cell can include: metro cell, micro cell, pico cell, femto cell, etc. These small cells have the characteristics of small coverage area and low transmission power, and are suitable for providing high-speed data transmission services.

[0047] Before introducing the technical solution of this application, some related technical knowledge involved in this application will be introduced and explained. The following related technologies are optional solutions and can be arbitrarily combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, all of which fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. The embodiments of this application include at least some of the following contents.

[0048] 1. Carrier Aggregation (CA)

[0049] Carrier aggregation is a technology that combines multiple spectrum carriers to achieve higher data transmission rates and more stable connections. It mainly consists of two types: intra-band carrier aggregation and inter-band carrier aggregation. Intra-band carrier aggregation aggregates channels within the same frequency band, while inter-band carrier aggregation aggregates channels across different frequency bands.

[0050] Carrier aggregation essentially combines two or more physically separate but logically integrated connections into a single, larger, and faster connection. By bundling multiple carrier signals to create a wider bandwidth, data transmission rates are increased. For example, bundling two 20MHz carriers into a 40MHz bandwidth effectively expands the available bandwidth.

[0051] Carrier aggregation technology plays a crucial role in 5G systems, mainly in the following aspects:

[0052] Improve data rates: Meet users' needs for high-bandwidth applications such as high-definition video and VR / AR.

[0053] Improve spectrum efficiency: Make effective use of existing spectrum resources and increase spectrum utilization.

[0054] Enhanced coverage: In areas with weak signal coverage, multiple carrier signals can be combined to enhance signal strength and expand coverage.

[0055] Enhanced user experience: Provides faster web browsing speeds, smoother video playback, and a more stable gaming experience.

[0056] Support more user connections: Increase system capacity and support more users to access the network simultaneously.

[0057] 2. Implementation methods of inter-band carrier aggregation

[0058] Carrier aggregation requires simultaneous communication across multiple frequency bands. To achieve this aggregation, the RF front-end needs to support multiple independent transmit / receive paths. These paths typically rely on multiplexers (multiplexers) to share an antenna and switch between different frequency bands and paths via RF switches. Examples of multiplexers include:

[0059] Duplexer: Used to isolate two frequency bands;

[0060] Triplexer: Used to support three frequency bands;

[0061] Quadplexers and higher-order multiplexers: As the number of carriers increases, more frequency band aggregation requires more complex multiplexers, such as quadplexers, quinplexers, or even higher-order multiplexers, to support parallel transmission of multiple frequency bands.

[0062] For some frequency bands where multiplexed filters (multiplexers) cannot be used to share antennas, physically separate antennas can be used. However, this is not conducive to terminal implementation because multiple antennas will occupy a large area, which is not conducive to board layout design.

[0063] Therefore, in terminal implementations, most frequency band standards require a one-transmit, two-receive configuration. Thus, terminals typically have two antennas: a main antenna for both transmission and reception, where the FDD band uses a duplexer to connect both transmission and reception to the main antenna, and the TDD band uses a time-division multiplexing mechanism; and a diversity antenna for reception diversity, essentially serving only as the second reception channel. Multiple frequency bands are then multiplexed using a multiplexer.

[0064] The multiplexing filters (multiplexers) used for carrier aggregation across different frequency bands differ. Figures 2 and 3 show the implementation methods for low-frequency and high-frequency carrier aggregation, as well as the implementation methods for low-frequency and low-frequency carrier aggregation. Figure 4 shows the implementation methods for FDD high-frequency and TDD frequency band carrier aggregation.

[0065] Different multiplexing filters (multiplexers) have different implementation difficulties. Duplexers, which connect low-frequency and high-frequency bands, and triplexers, which connect high, medium and low-frequency bands, are relatively easy to implement. However, quadplexers, which connect two low-frequency bands, are more difficult to implement, especially for frequency bands below 1 GHz.

[0066] The frequency band combination shown below makes it difficult to implement a tripper or quadrupler to connect the two frequency bands. If a separate antenna scheme is used, at least three or four antennas are required, which is not conducive to terminal implementation.

[0067] Table 1 shows the FDD low-frequency band and SDL band below 1 GHz, and Table 2 shows the FDD band and TDD band with relatively close spectra. It can be found that many band combinations have this problem.

[0068] Table 1: FDD low-frequency band and SDL band below 1 GHz

[0069] Table 2: FDD and TDD bands with similar frequency spectra

[0070] Figures 5 and 6 show carrier aggregation combinations for the FDD low-frequency band and SDL. Figure 7 shows carrier aggregation combinations for FDD low-frequency bands. Figure 8 shows carrier aggregation combinations for the FDD high-frequency band and TDD band with relatively similar spectra.

[0071] 3. Tx switching

[0072] Tx switching refers to the ability of a user equipment (UE) to dynamically switch transmissions (Tx) between different uplink carriers in a communication system to optimize uplink transmission performance. This technology is mainly used in 5G networks, especially in uplink carrier aggregation (UL CA) and dual connectivity (EN-DC) scenarios.

[0073] Tx switching is primarily achieved through Time Division Multiplexing (TDM). In uplink carrier aggregation, different carriers are transmitted alternately using TDM to maximize the uplink transmission rate. For example, a UE can multiplex low-frequency and high-frequency carriers using time division, combining the good penetration of low-frequency carriers with the large bandwidth of high-frequency carriers to improve uplink coverage and throughput.

[0074] In UL CA, the UE can dynamically switch transmission from one uplink carrier to another to enable 2Tx (Uplink Multiple-Input Multiple-Output, UL MIMO) transmission. This switching is primarily achieved through the Carrier indicator in the DCI (Downlink Control Information), thereby optimizing uplink scheduling.

[0075] 4. Time-domain configuration diagram of NR TDD

[0076] NR has more than 60 TDD configurations (as shown in Table 3 below), and each configuration has a flexible symbol that can be configured as uplink or downlink.

[0077] Table 3: TDD Configuration

[0078] For carrier aggregation in frequency bands below 1 GHz or carrier aggregation of two frequency bands with relatively close spectra, it is difficult to implement trippers or quadplexers to connect the two frequency bands. If a separate antenna scheme is used, at least three or four antennas are required, which is also difficult to implement at the terminal. However, throughout the history of carrier aggregation, operators have always shown great interest in aggregating low-frequency band spectrum and FDD spectrum, whether from the perspective of improving network coverage or system capacity and throughput.

[0079] To further optimize the downlink communication capacity of the network, and considering the practicality of the radio frequency front-end architecture of the terminal devices currently available on the market, this application proposes a method to improve the uplink and / or downlink capacity of the network by using time-division multiplexing carrier aggregation, which is not possible for frequency band combinations using ordinary carrier aggregation radio frequency implementation architecture.

[0080] Please refer to Figure 9, which shows a flowchart of an information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method is executed by a terminal device and includes the following step 910.

[0081] Step 910: The terminal device sends first capability information, which is used to indicate the inter-carrier handover capability of the terminal device.

[0082] In some embodiments, the first capability information can be defined as indicating the inter-carrier handover capability of a terminal device in carrier aggregation. In some embodiments, inter-carrier handover capability refers to the terminal device's ability to handover between different carriers. It should be noted that the content related to inter-carrier handover in the embodiments of this application can be replaced by the content of carrier handover. For example, inter-carrier handover capability can be expressed as carrier handover capability, and inter-carrier handover time can be expressed as carrier handover time.

[0083] In some embodiments, the terminal device sends first capability information to the network device, and the network device receives the first capability information accordingly.

[0084] In some embodiments, the terminal device proactively sends first capability information to the network device. For example, after the terminal device and the network device establish a communication connection, such as after the terminal device and the network device complete initial access, the terminal device proactively sends the first capability information to the network device.

[0085] In some embodiments, the terminal device sends first capability information to the network device based on the network device's scheduling. For example, after receiving a first request from the network device, the terminal device sends the first capability information to the network device, the first request information being used to request the terminal device's inter-carrier handover capability. For example, as shown in FIG10, the network device sends the first request information to the terminal device to request the terminal device's inter-carrier handover capability; the terminal device sends the first capability information to the network device, the first capability information being used to indicate the terminal device's inter-carrier handover capability.

[0086] In some embodiments, the first capability information may be control signaling sent by the terminal device or data information sent by the terminal device. For example, the first capability information may be control signaling sent by a higher layer. For instance, the first capability information may be RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling. Another example is MAC CE (MAC Control Element) signaling. For example, the first capability information may be data information sent by the terminal device. For example, the first capability information may be carried in uplink data information transmitted in the PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel). Another example is that the first capability information may be carried in UCI (Uplink Control Information) used to schedule uplink data transmitted in the PUSCH.

[0087] In some embodiments, the first capability information is used to determine one or more of the following:

[0088] Does the terminal device support inter-carrier handover capability?

[0089] Terminal devices support frequency band combinations for inter-carrier switching;

[0090] The terminal device supports one or more switching options between carriers. The switching option refers to the mutual switching options between the transmission mode of carrier A and the transmission mode of carrier B supported by the terminal device.

[0091] One or more switching options correspond to the uplink and downlink duplex modes, where uplink and downlink duplex modes refer to the duplex modes of the frequency band where the current carrier is located and / or the frequency band where the target carrier is located;

[0092] Does the terminal device support dynamic inter-carrier switching?

[0093] Inter-carrier handover time refers to the time required for a terminal device to complete an inter-carrier handover.

[0094] In some embodiments, when the terminal device is operating in carrier aggregation mode, whether the terminal device supports inter-carrier handover depends on the radio frequency implementation architecture of the terminal device. Therefore, the terminal device needs to report to the network device whether it supports inter-carrier handover capability.

[0095] In some embodiments, the terminal device is capable of operating on at least one frequency band. Exemplarily, the terminal device is capable of operating on at least one of the following frequency bands: FDD high-frequency band, FDD low-frequency band, SDL band, and TDD band. In some embodiments, the terminal device is capable of performing inter-carrier handover on its supported frequency bands. Exemplarily, the combination of frequency bands supported by the terminal device for inter-carrier handover includes one or more of the following: inter-carrier handover between FDD high-frequency band and FDD low-frequency band, inter-carrier handover between FDD high-frequency band and SDL band, inter-carrier handover between FDD low-frequency band and SDL band, inter-carrier handover between FDD high-frequency band and TDD band, and inter-carrier handover between FDD low-frequency band and TDD band.

[0096] In some embodiments, the switching options include one or more of the following: switching between uplink / downlink transmission and single downlink transmission, switching between uplink / downlink transmission and dual downlink transmission, switching between uplink / downlink transmission and single uplink transmission, switching between uplink / downlink transmissions, and switching between single uplink transmission and dual downlink transmission. It should be noted that the switching option refers to the option to switch between the transmission modes of carrier A and carrier B supported by the terminal device. Taking the switching between uplink / downlink transmission and uplink / downlink transmission as an example, it refers to the terminal device supporting the switching between the uplink / downlink transmission modes on carrier A and the uplink / downlink transmission modes on carrier B. If the current carrier is carrier A, then the target carrier is carrier B; if the current carrier is carrier B, then the target carrier is carrier A.

[0097] In some embodiments, the uplink / downlink duplex mode of the terminal device on the current carrier and the uplink / downlink duplex mode of the terminal device on the target carrier may be the same or different. In some embodiments, the uplink / downlink duplex mode includes one or more of the following: full-duplex mode, uplink-only mode, and downlink-only mode. The difference in uplink / downlink duplex mode may result in different information transmissions performed by the terminal device on the current carrier and the target carrier. For example, in full-duplex mode, the terminal device can perform both uplink and downlink transmissions; in uplink-only mode, the terminal device can only perform uplink transmissions (i.e., send information to the network device); and in downlink-only mode, the terminal device can only perform downlink transmissions (i.e., receive information sent by the network device).

[0098] In some embodiments, when the terminal device supports dynamic inter-carrier handover, the network device can dynamically schedule the inter-carrier handover of the terminal device through downlink control information; when the terminal device does not support dynamic inter-carrier handover, the network device can semi-statically schedule the inter-carrier handover of the terminal device through higher-layer configuration information.

[0099] In some embodiments, when the first capability information includes the inter-carrier handover time, the inter-carrier handover time can be predefined by the protocol or determined by the terminal device based on its own implementation. Since inter-carrier handover involves hardware switching by the terminal device, it is affected by the terminal device's hardware conditions, and therefore can be determined by the terminal device based on its own implementation. In some embodiments, when the first capability information does not include the inter-carrier handover time, the inter-carrier handover time is predefined by the protocol.

[0100] In some embodiments, during the inter-carrier handover period, the terminal device does not expect to transmit information on the current carrier and / or the target carrier. During the inter-carrier handover period, the terminal device needs to complete the process of switching from one radio frequency implementation architecture to another, during which the terminal device cannot transmit data on the current carrier and / or the target carrier. If the network device schedules information transmission during the inter-carrier handover period, it may result in information transmission failure, and additional resources for retransmission must be scheduled.

[0101] In some embodiments, the duration of the current carrier is predefined by the protocol; or, the duration of the current carrier is configured by the network device. The duration of the current carrier refers to the time during which the terminal device can transmit information (including sending and / or receiving) on ​​the current carrier. In some embodiments, the duration of the target carrier is predefined by the protocol; or, the duration of the target carrier is configured by the network device. The duration of the target carrier refers to the time during which the terminal device can transmit information on the target carrier. In some embodiments, the duration of the current carrier and the duration of the target carrier may be the same or different. For example, both the duration of the current carrier and the duration of the target carrier are 5 ms. For example, the duration of the current carrier is twice the duration of the target carrier.

[0102] In some embodiments, the first capability information includes one or more signaling messages, one of which indicates an inter-carrier handover capability of the terminal device. Exemplarily, the first signaling message indicates whether the terminal device supports inter-carrier handover capability. Exemplarily, the first signaling message uses a bitmap to indicate whether the terminal device supports inter-carrier handover capability. Exemplarily, the second signaling message indicates the frequency band combinations for which the terminal device supports inter-carrier handover. Exemplarily, the second signaling message may use an enumeration method to indicate the frequency band combinations for which the terminal device supports inter-carrier handover; or, the second signaling message may use a bitmap method to indicate the frequency band combinations for which the terminal device supports inter-carrier handover.

[0103] For example, the third signaling is used to indicate that the terminal device supports one or more handover options for inter-carrier handover, and the uplink / downlink duplex modes corresponding to each of the one or more handover options. For example, the third signaling may use a bitmap to indicate that the terminal device supports one or more handover options for inter-carrier handover, and the uplink / downlink duplex modes corresponding to each of the one or more handover options; or, the third signaling may use a table to indicate that the terminal device supports one or more handover options for inter-carrier handover, and the uplink / downlink duplex modes corresponding to each of the one or more handover options.

[0104] For example, the fourth signaling is used to indicate whether the terminal device supports dynamic inter-carrier handover. For example, the fourth signaling may use one bit to indicate whether the terminal device supports dynamic inter-carrier handover. For instance, a value of 1 indicates that the terminal device supports dynamic inter-carrier handover, and a value of 0 indicates that the terminal device does not support dynamic inter-carrier handover. Alternatively, a value of 0 indicates that the terminal device supports dynamic inter-carrier handover, and a value of 1 indicates that the terminal device does not support dynamic inter-carrier handover.

[0105] For example, the fifth signaling is used to indicate the inter-carrier handover time. For example, the fifth signaling consists of n bits, which are used to indicate the inter-carrier handover time.

[0106] The technical solution provided in this application allows terminal devices to achieve carrier aggregation through inter-carrier switching, eliminating the need for complex RF implementation architectures on the terminal device side, thus simplifying implementation. It can be used for carrier aggregation in both low-frequency and FDD spectrums, enabling carrier aggregation to cover more frequency bands and improving network coverage, system capacity, and throughput.

[0107] Exemplary embodiments are also provided for the frequency band combinations applicable to the schemes in the embodiments of this application.

[0108] FDD low-frequency band + SDL band

[0109] Case 1: Please refer to Figure 11, which shows a schematic diagram of the RF implementation architecture in the case of FDD low-frequency band and SDL band carrier aggregation.

[0110] Case 1-1: When the switch is connected to port 1, the FDD low-frequency band X operates at 1Tx2Rx, and the Rx of the SDL band Y is not received.

[0111] Case 1-2: When the switch is connected to port 2, the SDL band Y operates at 2RX, and the Tx / Rx of the FDD low-frequency band X does not transmit or receive.

[0112] Case 2: Please refer to Figure 12, which shows a schematic diagram of the RF implementation architecture in the case of FDD low-frequency band and SDL band carrier aggregation.

[0113] Case 2-1: When the switch is connected to port 1, the FDD low-frequency band X operates at 1Tx2Rx, and the Rx of the SDL band Y is not received.

[0114] Case 2-2: When the switch is connected to port 2, the Rx of FDD low frequency band X and the Rx of SDL band Y operate at 2Rx, and the Tx of FDD low frequency band X does not transmit.

[0115] FDD low frequency band + FDD low frequency band

[0116] Case 3: Please refer to Figure 13, which shows a schematic diagram of the RF implementation architecture in the case of FDD low-frequency band and FDD low-frequency band carrier aggregation.

[0117] Case 3-1: When the switch is connected to port 1, the FDD low-frequency band X operates at 1Tx2Rx, and the FDD low-frequency band Y does not transmit or receive at Tx / Rx.

[0118] Case 3-2: When the switch is connected to port 2, the FDD low-frequency band X does not transmit or receive at Tx / Rx, and the FDD low-frequency band Y operates at 1Tx2Rx.

[0119] FDD high-frequency band + TDD frequency band

[0120] Case 4: Please refer to Figure 14, which shows a schematic diagram of the radio frequency implementation architecture in the case of carrier aggregation in the FDD high-frequency band and TDD frequency band.

[0121] Case 4-1: When switch 1 is connected to port 1, the FDD high-frequency band X operates at 1Tx2Rx, and the TDD band Y does not transmit or receive at Tx / Rx.

[0122] Case 4-2: When switch 1 is connected to port 2 and switch 2 is connected to port Tx, Tx / Rx of FDD high-frequency band X does not transmit or receive, while Tx of TDD band Y transmits.

[0123] Case 4-3: When switch 1 is connected to port 2 and switch 2 is connected to port Rx, Tx / Rx of FDD high-frequency band X does not transmit or receive, while Rx of TDD band Y is received.

[0124] Case 4-4: When switch 1 is connected to port 3 and switch 3 is connected to port Rx, Tx of FDD high-frequency band X and Tx of TDD band are not transmitted, and Rx of FDD high-frequency band X and Rx of TDD band are received.

[0125] For ease of understanding, please refer to Table 4 below. UL represents uplink transmission, which means the terminal device transmits on the Tx frequency band, and DL represents downlink transmission, which means the terminal device receives on the Rx frequency band. 1UL and 1DL can be understood as uplink and downlink transmission, 1UL can be understood as single uplink transmission, 1DL can be understood as single downlink transmission, and 2DL can be understood as dual downlink transmission.

[0126] Table 4: Summary of Frequency Band Combination Examples

[0127] In summary, there are a total of 5 switching options:

[0128] 1.

[0129] 2.

[0130] 3.

[0131] 4.

[0132] 5.

[0133] Through the above embodiments, the method of carrier aggregation relying on inter-carrier switching in the embodiments of this application can be understood from the perspective of radio frequency implementation architecture.

[0134] Configuration of the target carrier for inter-carrier handover

[0135] 1. The terminal device supports dynamic inter-carrier switching.

[0136] In some embodiments, when the terminal device supports dynamic inter-carrier handover, the terminal device receives first downlink information, which is used to indicate the target carrier for the next inter-carrier handover.

[0137] Accordingly, the network device sends the first downlink information.

[0138] In some embodiments, the first downlink information is downlink control information. For example, the first downlink information is a DCI (Direct Current Information). In some embodiments, the first downlink information may be a DCI specifically used to indicate a target carrier, or it may be an indication field carried in the DCI for indicating a target carrier.

[0139] In some embodiments, the first downlink information may be a DCI for scheduling information transmission, which includes a first indication field for indicating the target carrier for the next inter-carrier handover of the terminal device.

[0140] In one example, after receiving the first downlink information, the terminal device immediately switches the current carrier to the target carrier indicated in the first downlink information. In another example, after receiving the first downlink information, the terminal device switches to the target carrier indicated in the first downlink information after the duration of the current carrier has ended. In yet another example, the first downlink information indicates the target carrier for the terminal device's next inter-carrier handover and the time for the handover, and the terminal device performs the handover based on the indication in the first downlink information.

[0141] The following examples illustrate the dynamic inter-carrier switching under different frequency band combinations. In the following examples, the terminal device supports dynamic inter-carrier switching.

[0142] Example 1: FDD low-frequency band + SDL band

[0143] Terminal devices report first capability information via RRC signaling. The first capability information is used to determine one or more of the following:

[0144] Terminal devices support inter-carrier switching capability;

[0145] The terminal equipment supports CA_n5A-n29A carrier switching combinations;

[0146] Terminal devices support frequency bands CA_n5A-n29A. Switching modes;

[0147] The terminal device supports full-duplex mode on frequency band n5, and only downlink mode on frequency band n29;

[0148] Terminal devices support dynamic carrier switching between frequency bands;

[0149] Inter-carrier switching time.

[0150] Network devices use DCI to instruct terminal devices to switch to the target carrier next. For example, if the current working carriers are the uplink and downlink carriers of frequency band n5, then the target carrier is the downlink carrier of frequency band n29.

[0151] After receiving the DCI instruction, the terminal device performs the handover during the N-interval. carrier1-carrier2 During the inter-carrier handover time, the signal switches from full-duplex mode of band n5 to downlink-only mode of band n29, within the interval N. carrier1-carrier2 During the carrier switching time, the terminal device does not transmit on the uplink carrier of n5, nor receive on the downlink carriers of n5 and n29.

[0152] Example 2: FDD low-frequency band + SDL band

[0153] Terminal devices report first capability information via RRC signaling. The first capability information is used to determine one or more of the following:

[0154] Terminal devices support inter-carrier switching capability;

[0155] The terminal equipment supports CA_n12A-n29A carrier handover combinations;

[0156] Terminal devices support frequency bands CA_n12A-n29A. Switching modes;

[0157] The terminal device supports both full-duplex mode and downlink-only mode in frequency band n12, and only downlink mode in frequency band n29.

[0158] Terminal devices support dynamic carrier switching between frequency bands;

[0159] Inter-carrier switching time.

[0160] Network devices use DCI to indicate the target carrier to which they will switch next. For example, if the current working carriers are the uplink and downlink carriers of frequency band n12, then the target carriers are the downlink carriers of frequency bands n12 and n29.

[0161] After receiving the DCI instruction, the terminal device performs the handover during the N-interval. carrier1-carrier2 During the inter-carrier handover time, the signal switches from full-duplex mode of band n5 to downlink-only mode of bands n5 and n29, within the interval N. carrier1-carrier2 During the carrier switching time, the terminal device does not transmit on the uplink carrier of n5, nor receive on the downlink carriers of n5 and n29.

[0162] Example 3: FDD low-frequency band + FDD low-frequency band

[0163] Terminal devices report first capability information via RRC signaling. The first capability information is used to determine one or more of the following:

[0164] Terminal devices support inter-carrier switching capability;

[0165] The terminal equipment supports CA_n26A-n106A carrier handover combinations;

[0166] Terminal devices support frequency bands CA_n26A-n106A. Switching modes;

[0167] The terminal device supports full-duplex mode in frequency band n26 and in frequency band n106.

[0168] Terminal devices support dynamic carrier switching between frequency bands;

[0169] Inter-carrier switching time.

[0170] Network devices use DCI to indicate the target carrier to which they will switch next. For example, if the current working carriers are the uplink and downlink carriers of frequency band n26, then the target carriers are the uplink and downlink carriers of frequency band n106.

[0171] After receiving the DCI instruction, the terminal device performs the handover during the N-interval. carrier1-carrier2 During the inter-carrier handover time, the signal switches from full-duplex mode of band n26 to full-duplex mode of band n106, within the interval N. carrier1-carrier2 During the inter-carrier switching time, the terminal device neither transmits on the uplink carriers of n26 and n106 nor receives on the downlink carriers of n26 and n106.

[0172] Example 4: FDD band + TDD band

[0173] Terminal devices report first capability information via RRC signaling. The first capability information is used to determine one or more of the following:

[0174] Terminal devices support inter-carrier switching capability;

[0175] The terminal equipment supports CA_n7A-n38A carrier switching combinations;

[0176] The terminal device uses the uplink and downlink time slot pattern configured by the network equipment for the TDD band n38:

[0177] If it is all uplink, then report support for the CA_n7A-n38A frequency band. The switching mode; and further report instructions to support full-duplex mode in frequency band n26 and uplink-only mode in frequency band n38;

[0178] For full downlink, support for the CA_n7A-n38A frequency band can be reported based on the supported RF implementation architecture. The switching mode; and further report instructions to support full-duplex mode in frequency band n26 and downlink-only mode in frequency band n38;

[0179] For full downlink, support for the CA_n7A-n38A frequency band can also be reported, depending on the supported RF implementation architecture. The switching mode; and further report instructions to support full-duplex mode and downlink-only mode in frequency band n26, and downlink-only mode in frequency band n38;

[0180] Terminal devices support dynamic carrier switching between frequency bands;

[0181] Inter-carrier switching time.

[0182] for Network devices use DCI to indicate the target carrier to which they will switch next. For example, if the current working carriers are the uplink and downlink carriers of frequency band n7, then the target carrier is the uplink carrier of frequency band n38.

[0183] After receiving the DCI instruction, the terminal device performs the handover during the N-interval. carrier1-carrier2 During the inter-carrier handover time, the signal switches from full-duplex mode of band n7 to uplink-only mode of band n38, within the interval N. carrier1-carrier2 During the inter-carrier switching time, the terminal device neither transmits on the uplink carriers of n7 and n38 nor receives on the downlink carrier of n7.

[0184] for Network devices use DCI to indicate the target carrier to which they will switch next. For example, if the current working carriers are the uplink and downlink carriers of frequency band n7, then the target carrier is the downlink carrier of frequency band n38.

[0185] After receiving the DCI instruction, the terminal device performs the handover during the N-interval. carrier1-carrier2 During the inter-carrier handover time, the signal switches from full-duplex mode of band n7 to downlink-only mode of band n38, within the interval N. carrier1-carrier2 During the inter-carrier switching time, the terminal device neither transmits on the uplink carrier of n7 nor receives on the downlink carriers of n7 and n38.

[0186] for Network devices use DCI to indicate the target carrier to which they will switch next. For example, if the currently operating carriers are the uplink and downlink carriers of frequency band n7, then the target carriers are the downlink carriers of frequency band n7 and n38.

[0187] After receiving the DCI instruction, the terminal device performs the handover during the N-interval. carrier1-carrier2 During the inter-carrier handover time, the signal switches from full-duplex mode of band n7 to downlink-only mode of bands n7 and n38, within the interval N. carrier1-carrier2 During the inter-carrier switching time, the terminal device neither transmits on the uplink carrier of n7 nor receives on the downlink carriers of n7 and n38.

[0188] By dynamically adjusting the current carrier of the terminal device using the above method, time-frequency domain resources can be effectively utilized, and collisions between the terminal device and other terminal devices can be avoided.

[0189] 2. The terminal device does not support dynamic inter-carrier handover.

[0190] In some embodiments, when the terminal device does not support dynamic inter-carrier handover, the terminal device receives first configuration information, which includes an inter-carrier handover pattern used to indicate the inter-carrier handover sequence of the terminal device.

[0191] Accordingly, the network device sends first configuration information. In some embodiments, after establishing a communication connection with the network device, the terminal device sends first capability information to the network device. If the first capability information indicates that the terminal device does not support dynamic inter-carrier handover, the network device sends the first configuration information to the terminal device.

[0192] In some embodiments, the first configuration information is higher-level configuration signaling. For example, the first configuration information is RRC signaling.

[0193] In some embodiments, the carrier switching sequence refers to the timing of the carrier switching performed by the terminal device, which may include the target carriers arranged in sequence, and / or the time of switching to the target carrier.

[0194] In some embodiments, for the handover combination of carrier aggregation between time-division multiplexed frequency bands, the corresponding inter-carrier handover pattern can be defined in a predefined manner. For example, Figures 15 and 16 show schematic diagrams of two possible inter-carrier handover patterns.

[0195] Carrier 1 is the uplink and downlink carriers in the FDD band, and carrier 2 can be the uplink and / or downlink carriers in the SDL band / FDD band / TDD band.

[0196] In Figure 15, the terminal device assumes that the uplink and downlink transmissions of carrier 1 occur only during the duration of case X-1, and the uplink and / or downlink transmissions of carrier 2 occur only during the duration of case X-2.

[0197] In Figure 2 of Figure 16, the terminal device assumes that the uplink transmission of carrier 1 occurs only during the duration of case X-1, the downlink transmission of carrier 1 occurs during the durations of case X-1 and case X-2, and the downlink transmission of carrier 2 occurs only during the duration of case X-2.

[0198] For patterns 1 and 2, the transmission and / or reception of carrier 1 and carrier 2 must not occur during the inter-carrier switching time, and the inter-carrier switching time should not be less than N. carrier1-carrier2 The inter-carrier switching time.

[0199] The durations of case X-1 and case X-2 can be predefined or sent by the network device via downlink information (e.g., via RRC signaling). carrier1-carrier2 The inter-carrier handover time can be a predefined time or the inter-carrier handover time reported by the terminal device.

[0200] The following examples illustrate the dynamic inter-carrier switching under different frequency band combinations. In the following examples, the terminal device does not support dynamic inter-carrier switching.

[0201] Example 5: FDD low-frequency band + SDL band

[0202] Terminal devices report first capability information via RRC signaling. The first capability information is used to determine one or more of the following:

[0203] Terminal devices support inter-carrier switching capability;

[0204] The terminal equipment supports CA_n5A-n29A carrier switching combinations;

[0205] Terminal devices support frequency bands CA_n5A-n29A. Switching modes;

[0206] The terminal device supports full-duplex mode on frequency band n5, and only downlink mode on frequency band n29;

[0207] Terminal devices do not support dynamic carrier switching between frequency bands;

[0208] Inter-carrier switching time.

[0209] Network devices configure time-domain carrier switching for terminal devices via RRC signaling, as shown in Figure 1.

[0210] After receiving the higher-layer configuration information (first configuration information), the terminal device performs a handover at a handover interval N according to the carrier handover pattern. carrier1-carrier2 Inter-carrier handover is triggered within the inter-carrier handover time, and during the handover interval N... carrier1-carrier2 During the inter-carrier switching time, the terminal device does not transmit and / or receive on any carrier.

[0211] Example 6: FDD low-frequency band + SDL band

[0212] Terminal devices report first capability information via RRC signaling. The first capability information is used to determine one or more of the following:

[0213] Terminal devices support inter-carrier switching capability;

[0214] The terminal equipment supports CA_n12A-n29A carrier handover combinations;

[0215] Terminal devices support frequency bands CA_n12A-n29A. Switching modes;

[0216] The terminal device supports both full-duplex mode and downlink-only mode in frequency band n12, and only downlink mode in frequency band n29.

[0217] Terminal devices do not support dynamic carrier switching between frequency bands;

[0218] Inter-carrier switching time.

[0219] Network devices configure time-domain carrier switching pattern 2 for terminal devices via RRC signaling.

[0220] After receiving the higher-layer configuration information (first configuration information), the terminal device performs a handover at a handover interval N according to the carrier handover pattern. carrier1-carrier2 Inter-carrier handover is triggered within the inter-carrier handover time, and during the handover interval N... carrier1-carrier2 During the inter-carrier switching time, the terminal device does not transmit and / or receive on any carrier.

[0221] Example 7: FDD low-frequency band + FDD low-frequency band

[0222] Terminal devices report first capability information via RRC signaling. The first capability information is used to determine one or more of the following:

[0223] Terminal devices support inter-carrier switching capability;

[0224] The terminal equipment supports CA_n26A-n106A carrier handover combinations;

[0225] Terminal devices support frequency bands CA_n26A-n106A. Switching modes;

[0226] The terminal device supports full-duplex mode in frequency band n26 and in frequency band n29;

[0227] Terminal devices do not support dynamic carrier switching between frequency bands;

[0228] Inter-carrier switching time.

[0229] Network devices configure time-domain carrier switching for terminal devices via RRC signaling, as shown in Figure 1.

[0230] After receiving the higher-layer configuration information (first configuration information), the terminal device performs a handover at a handover interval N according to the carrier handover pattern. carrier1-carrier2 Inter-carrier handover is triggered within the inter-carrier handover time, and during the handover interval N... carrier1-carrier2 During the inter-carrier switching time, the terminal device does not transmit and / or receive on any carrier.

[0231] Example 8: FDD band + TDD band

[0232] Terminal devices report first capability information via RRC signaling. The first capability information is used to determine one or more of the following:

[0233] Terminal devices support inter-carrier switching capability;

[0234] The terminal equipment supports CA_n7A-n38A carrier switching combinations;

[0235] The terminal device uses the uplink and downlink time slot pattern configured by the network equipment for the TDD band n38:

[0236] If it is all uplink, then report support for the CA_n7A-n38A frequency band. The switching mode; and further report instructions to support full-duplex mode in frequency band n26 and uplink-only mode in frequency band n38;

[0237] For full downlink, support for the CA_n7A-n38A frequency band can be reported based on the supported RF implementation architecture. The switching mode; and further report instructions to support full-duplex mode in frequency band n26 and downlink-only mode in frequency band n38;

[0238] For full downlink, support for the CA_n7A-n38A frequency band can also be reported, depending on the supported RF implementation architecture. The switching mode; and further report instructions to support full-duplex mode and downlink-only mode in frequency band n26, and downlink-only mode in frequency band n38;

[0239] Terminal devices do not support dynamic carrier switching between frequency bands;

[0240] Inter-carrier switching time.

[0241] Network devices configure time-domain carrier switching pattern 1 or pattern 2 for terminal devices via RRC signaling.

[0242] After receiving the higher-layer configuration information (first configuration information), the terminal device performs a handover at a handover interval N according to the carrier handover pattern. carrier1-carrier2 Inter-carrier handover is triggered within the inter-carrier handover time, and during the handover interval N... carrier1-carrier2 During the inter-carrier switching time, the terminal device does not transmit and / or receive on any carrier.

[0243] Using the above method, the network device configures a carrier switching pattern for the terminal device, enabling the terminal device to perform carrier switching in carrier aggregation based on the carrier switching pattern.

[0244] The embodiments of this application will now be described by way of example from the perspective of terminal devices and network devices. Please refer to Figure 10, which shows a flowchart of an information transmission method provided by another embodiment of this application.

[0245] Terminal equipment side

[0246] After entering RRC connected state, upon receiving the first reporting request from the network device, the terminal device reports one or more of the following capabilities via RRC signaling per band combination (first capability information):

[0247] Whether the terminal device supports inter-carrier switching capability, such as indicated by IE CarrierSwitchingInterbandCAPerBandpair;

[0248] The frequency band combinations for inter-carrier switching supported by the terminal device, such as those indicated by IE supportedBandCombinationList-CarrierSwitchingInterbandCA;

[0249] The terminal device supports inter-band carrier switching options, and the switching options are as follows: One of them, for example, is reporting via IE CarrierSwitchingInterbandCAOption;

[0250] The uplink and downlink duplex modes corresponding to each carrier, such as full-duplex mode, downlink-only mode, and uplink-only mode;

[0251] Does the terminal device support dynamic inter-carrier switching, such as reporting via IE DynamicCarrierSwitchingInterbandCA?

[0252] Inter-carrier switching time, such as reported via IE CarrierSwitchingInterbandCAPeriod.

[0253] After the terminal device reports its carrier handover capability, it receives higher-layer configuration signaling (first configuration information). Then, based on the time-domain carrier handover pattern configured by the network equipment, the terminal device performs handover at interval N. carrier1-carrier2 Inter-carrier handover is triggered within the inter-carrier handover period; or an inter-carrier handover is triggered upon receiving a DCI indication, and the terminal equipment completes the handover within the handover interval N. carrier1-carrier2 During the inter-carrier handover time, the user switches from the current operating carrier to the target carrier indicated by the DCI, within the handover interval N. carrier1-carrier2 The inter-carrier switching time is such that the terminal device does not expect to transmit and / or receive on either of the two carriers.

[0254] Network device side

[0255] After entering the connected state, the network device receives the capabilities reported by the terminal device, and then sends the terminal capability enable signaling through RRC signaling, and sends the inter-carrier handover configuration information according to the terminal capability.

[0256] If the terminal device reports support for inter-carrier handover capability but not dynamic inter-carrier handover, the network device, based on the frequency band combination and handover options reported by the terminal device, configures a time-domain carrier handover pattern for the frequency band combination supported by the terminal device via RRC signaling (first configuration information). N is then determined based on the inter-carrier handover time reported by the terminal device. carrier1-carrier2 The inter-carrier handover time; if the terminal device does not report the inter-carrier handover time, then N carrier1-carrier2 The inter-carrier switching time uses a predefined value.

[0257] If the terminal device reports that it supports inter-carrier handover capability and supports dynamic inter-carrier handover, the network device will dynamically indicate (through DCI) the target carrier that the terminal device needs to switch to next, based on the frequency band combination, handover option and inter-carrier handover time reported by the terminal device.

[0258] It should be noted that, in the above method embodiments, the steps performed by the terminal device can be implemented separately as an information transmission method on the terminal device side; the steps performed by the network device can be implemented separately as an information transmission method on the network device side.

[0259] The following are embodiments of the apparatus described in this application, which can be used to execute the embodiments of the method described in this application. For details not disclosed in the apparatus embodiments of this application, please refer to the embodiments of the method described in this application.

[0260] Please refer to Figure 17, which shows a block diagram of an information transmission apparatus according to an embodiment of this application. This apparatus has the function of implementing the above-described information transmission method example; the function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. This apparatus can be the terminal device described above, or it can be installed within a terminal device. As shown in Figure 17, the apparatus 1700 may include a sending module 1710.

[0261] The transmitting module 1710 is used to transmit first capability information, which is used to indicate the inter-carrier switching capability of the terminal device.

[0262] In some embodiments, the first capability information is used to determine one or more of the following:

[0263] Does the terminal device support the inter-carrier switching capability?

[0264] The terminal device supports frequency band combinations for inter-carrier switching;

[0265] The terminal device supports one or more switching options between carriers, wherein the switching option refers to the option to switch between the transmission mode of carrier A and the transmission mode of carrier B supported by the terminal device.

[0266] The uplink and downlink duplex modes corresponding to the one or more switching options respectively, the uplink and downlink duplex modes refer to the duplex modes of the frequency band where the current carrier is located and / or the frequency band where the target carrier is located;

[0267] Does the terminal device support dynamic inter-carrier switching?

[0268] Inter-carrier handover time refers to the time required for the terminal device to complete an inter-carrier handover.

[0269] In some embodiments, the switching options include one or more of the following: switching between uplink / downlink transmission and single downlink transmission, switching between uplink / downlink transmission and dual downlink transmission, switching between uplink / downlink transmission and single uplink transmission, switching between uplink / downlink transmission and uplink / downlink transmission, and switching between single uplink transmission and dual downlink transmission.

[0270] In some embodiments, the uplink and downlink duplex modes include one or more of the following: full-duplex mode, uplink-only mode, and downlink-only mode.

[0271] In some embodiments, where the first capability information does not include the inter-carrier handover time, the inter-carrier handover time is predefined by the protocol.

[0272] In some embodiments, during the inter-carrier switching time, the terminal device does not expect to transmit information on the current carrier and / or the target carrier.

[0273] In some embodiments, where the terminal device supports dynamic inter-carrier switching, the apparatus further includes a receiving module (not shown in the figure).

[0274] The receiving module is configured to receive first downlink information, which is used to indicate the target carrier for the next inter-carrier handover of the terminal device.

[0275] In some embodiments, when the terminal device does not support dynamic inter-carrier switching, the receiving module is further configured to receive first configuration information, the first configuration information including an inter-carrier switching pattern, the inter-carrier switching pattern being used to indicate the inter-carrier switching sequence of the terminal device.

[0276] In some embodiments, the duration of the current carrier is predefined by the protocol; or, the duration of the current carrier is configured by the network device.

[0277] In some embodiments, the first capability information is RRC signaling.

[0278] The technical solution provided in this application allows terminal devices to achieve carrier aggregation through inter-carrier switching, eliminating the need for complex RF implementation architectures on the terminal device side, thus simplifying implementation. It can be used for carrier aggregation in both low-frequency and FDD spectrums, enabling carrier aggregation to cover more frequency bands and improving network coverage, system capacity, and throughput.

[0279] Please refer to Figure 18, which shows a block diagram of an information transmission apparatus provided in one embodiment of this application. This apparatus has the function of implementing the above-described information transmission method example; the function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. This apparatus can be a network device as described above, or it can be installed within a network device. As shown in Figure 5, the apparatus 1800 may include a receiving module 1810.

[0280] The receiving module 1810 is used to receive first capability information, which is used to indicate the inter-carrier switching capability of the terminal device.

[0281] In some embodiments, the first capability information is used to determine one or more of the following:

[0282] Does the terminal device support the inter-carrier switching capability?

[0283] The terminal device supports frequency band combinations for inter-carrier switching;

[0284] The terminal device supports one or more switching options between carriers, wherein the switching option refers to the option to switch between the transmission mode of carrier A and the transmission mode of carrier B supported by the terminal device.

[0285] The uplink and downlink duplex modes corresponding to the one or more switching options respectively, the uplink and downlink duplex modes refer to the duplex modes of the frequency band where the current carrier is located and / or the frequency band where the target carrier is located;

[0286] Does the terminal device support dynamic inter-carrier switching?

[0287] Inter-carrier handover time refers to the time required for the terminal device to complete an inter-carrier handover.

[0288] In some embodiments, the switching options include one or more of the following: switching between uplink / downlink transmission and single downlink transmission, switching between uplink / downlink transmission and dual downlink transmission, switching between uplink / downlink transmission and single uplink transmission, switching between uplink / downlink transmission and uplink / downlink transmission, and switching between single uplink transmission and dual downlink transmission.

[0289] In some embodiments, the uplink and downlink duplex modes include one or more of the following: full-duplex mode, uplink-only mode, and downlink-only mode.

[0290] In some embodiments, where the first capability information does not include the inter-carrier handover time, the inter-carrier handover time is predefined by the protocol.

[0291] In some embodiments, during the inter-carrier switching time, the terminal device does not expect to transmit information on the current carrier and / or the target carrier.

[0292] In some embodiments, where the terminal device supports dynamic inter-carrier switching, the apparatus further includes a transmission module (not shown).

[0293] The transmitting module is used to transmit first downlink information, which is used to indicate the target carrier for the next inter-carrier handover of the terminal device.

[0294] In some embodiments, when the terminal device does not support dynamic inter-carrier switching, the transmitting module is further configured to transmit first configuration information, the first configuration information including an inter-carrier switching pattern, the inter-carrier switching pattern being used to indicate the inter-carrier switching sequence of the terminal device.

[0295] In some embodiments, the duration of the current carrier is predefined by the protocol; or, the duration of the current carrier is configured by the network device.

[0296] In some embodiments, the first capability information is RRC signaling.

[0297] The technical solution provided in this application allows terminal devices to achieve carrier aggregation through inter-carrier switching, eliminating the need for complex RF implementation architectures on the terminal device side, thus simplifying implementation. It can be used for carrier aggregation in both low-frequency and FDD spectrums, enabling carrier aggregation to cover more frequency bands and improving network coverage, system capacity, and throughput.

[0298] It should be noted that the device provided in the above embodiments is only illustrated by the division of the above functional modules when implementing its functions. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules according to actual needs, that is, the content structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0299] Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiments, the specific manner in which each module performs its operation has been described in detail in the embodiments related to the method, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0300] Please refer to Figure 19, which shows a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in one embodiment of this application. The communication device can be a terminal device or a network device as described above. The communication device 1900 may include a processor 1901, a transceiver 1902, and a memory 1903. The transceiver 1902 is used to implement sending or receiving functions, such as implementing the functions of the receiving module 810 described above. The processor 1901 can be used to implement other processing functions or control sending and / or receiving, such as implementing the functions of the processing module 1910 described above.

[0301] The processor 1901 includes one or more processing cores, and the processor 1901 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules.

[0302] The transceiver 1902 may include a receiver and a transmitter, for example, the receiver and transmitter may be implemented as the same wireless communication component, which may include a wireless communication chip and a radio frequency antenna.

[0303] The memory 1903 can be connected to the processor 1901 and the transceiver 1902.

[0304] The memory 1903 can be used to store a computer program executed by the processor, and the processor 1901 is used to execute the computer program to implement the various steps in the above method embodiments.

[0305] In some embodiments, when the communication device 1900 is a terminal device, the transceiver 1902 is used to transmit first capability information, which is used to indicate the inter-carrier switching capability of the terminal device.

[0306] In some embodiments, when the communication device 1900 is a network device, the transceiver 1902 is used to receive first capability information, which is used to indicate the inter-carrier handover capability of the terminal device.

[0307] For details not described in this embodiment, please refer to the embodiments above, which will not be repeated here.

[0308] Furthermore, the memory can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, including but not limited to: magnetic disks or optical disks, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, statically accessible memory, read-only memory, magnetic memory, flash memory, and programmable read-only memory.

[0309] This application embodiment also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which is executed by a processor to implement the aforementioned information transmission method on the terminal device side or the aforementioned information transmission method on the network device side. Optionally, the computer-readable storage medium may include: ROM (Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random-Access Memory), SSD (Solid State Drives), or optical disc, etc. The random access memory may include ReRAM (Resistance Random Access Memory) and DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

[0310] This application also provides a chip, which includes programmable logic circuits and / or program instructions. When the chip is running, it is used to implement the above-mentioned information transmission method on the terminal device side or the above-mentioned information transmission method on the network device side.

[0311] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor reads and executes the computer program from the computer-readable storage medium to implement the above-described information transmission method on the terminal device side or the above-described information transmission method on the network device side.

[0312] It should be understood that the term "instruction" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct instruction, an indirect instruction, or an indication of a relationship. For example, A instructing B can mean that A directly instructs B, such as B being able to obtain information through A; it can also mean that A indirectly instructs B, such as A instructing C, so B can obtain information through C; or it can mean that there is a relationship between A and B.

[0313] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "correspondence" may indicate that there is a direct or indirect correspondence between two things, or that there is an association between two things, or that there is a relationship of instruction and being instructed, configuration and being configured, etc.

[0314] In some embodiments of this application, "predefined" can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminal devices and APs). This application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, predefined can refer to what is defined in the protocol.

[0315] In some embodiments of this application, the term "protocol" may refer to standard protocols in the field of communications, such as LTE protocols, NR protocols, and related protocols applied in future communication systems. This application does not limit the scope of these protocols.

[0316] In this article, "multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0317] In this article, "greater than or equal to" can mean greater than or equal to, and "less than or equal to" can mean less than or equal to.

[0318] Furthermore, the step numbers described herein are merely illustrative of one possible execution order between steps. In some other embodiments, the steps may not be executed in the order of their numbers, such as two steps with different numbers being executed simultaneously, or two steps with different numbers being executed in the reverse order of the illustration. This application does not limit this.

[0319] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the functions described in the embodiments of this application in one or more of the above examples can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, these functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein communication media include any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Storage media can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0320] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An information transmission method, characterized in that, The method is executed by a terminal device, and the method includes: Send first capability information, which is used to indicate the inter-carrier handover capability of the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first capability information is used to determine one or more of the following: Does the terminal device support the inter-carrier switching capability? The terminal device supports frequency band combinations for inter-carrier switching; The terminal device supports one or more switching options between carriers, wherein the switching option refers to the option to switch between the transmission mode of carrier A and the transmission mode of carrier B supported by the terminal device. The uplink and downlink duplex modes corresponding to the one or more switching options respectively, the uplink and downlink duplex modes refer to the duplex modes of the frequency band where the current carrier is located and / or the frequency band where the target carrier is located; Does the terminal device support dynamic inter-carrier switching? Inter-carrier handover time refers to the time required for the terminal device to complete an inter-carrier handover.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The switching options include one or more of the following: switching between uplink / downlink transmission and single downlink transmission, switching between uplink / downlink transmission and dual downlink transmission, switching between uplink / downlink transmission and single uplink transmission, switching between uplink / downlink transmission and uplink / downlink transmission, and switching between single uplink transmission and dual downlink transmission.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The uplink and downlink duplex modes include one or more of the following: full-duplex mode, uplink-only mode, and downlink-only mode.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, If the first capability information does not include the inter-carrier handover time, the inter-carrier handover time is predefined by the protocol.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, During the inter-carrier switching time, the terminal device does not expect to transmit information on the current carrier and / or the target carrier.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, If the terminal device supports dynamic inter-carrier handover, the method further includes: The terminal device receives first downlink information, which is used to indicate the target carrier for the next inter-carrier handover.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, If the terminal device does not support dynamic inter-carrier handover, the method further includes: The device receives first configuration information, which includes an inter-carrier switching pattern used to indicate the inter-carrier switching sequence of the terminal device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The duration of the current carrier is predefined by the protocol; or the duration of the current carrier is configured by the network device.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The first capability information is Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

11. An information transmission method, characterized in that, The method is performed by a network device, and the method includes: Receive first capability information, which is used to indicate the inter-carrier handover capability of the terminal device.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first capability information is used to determine one or more of the following: Does the terminal device support the inter-carrier switching capability? The terminal device supports frequency band combinations for inter-carrier switching; The terminal device supports one or more switching options between carriers, wherein the switching option refers to the option to switch between the transmission mode of carrier A and the transmission mode of carrier B supported by the terminal device. The uplink and downlink duplex modes corresponding to the one or more switching options respectively, the uplink and downlink duplex modes refer to the duplex modes of the frequency band where the current carrier is located and / or the frequency band where the target carrier is located; Does the terminal device support dynamic inter-carrier switching? Inter-carrier handover time refers to the time required for the terminal device to complete an inter-carrier handover.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The switching options include one or more of the following: switching between uplink / downlink transmission and single downlink transmission, switching between uplink / downlink transmission and dual downlink transmission, switching between uplink / downlink transmission and single uplink transmission, switching between uplink / downlink transmission and uplink / downlink transmission, and switching between single uplink transmission and dual downlink transmission.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The uplink and downlink duplex modes include one or more of the following: full-duplex mode, uplink-only mode, and downlink-only mode.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that, If the first capability information does not include the inter-carrier handover time, the inter-carrier handover time is predefined by the protocol.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that, During the inter-carrier switching time, the terminal device does not expect to transmit information on the current carrier and / or the target carrier.

17. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that, If the terminal device supports dynamic inter-carrier handover, the method further includes: Send first downlink information, which is used to indicate the target carrier for the next inter-carrier handover of the terminal device.

18. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that, If the terminal device does not support dynamic inter-carrier handover, the method further includes: Send first configuration information, which includes an inter-carrier switching pattern, the inter-carrier switching pattern being used to indicate the inter-carrier switching sequence of the terminal device.

19. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 18, characterized in that, The duration of the current carrier is predefined by the protocol; or the duration of the current carrier is configured by the network device.

20. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 19, characterized in that, The first capability information is Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

21. An information transmission device, characterized in that, The device includes: The transmitting module is used to transmit first capability information, which is used to indicate the inter-carrier switching capability of the terminal device.

22. An information transmission device, characterized in that, The device includes: A receiving module is configured to receive first capability information, which indicates the inter-carrier handover capability of the terminal device.

23. A terminal device, characterized in that, The terminal device includes a processor, a memory, and a transceiver. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

24. A network device, characterized in that, The network device includes a processor, a memory, and a transceiver, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 20.

25. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program that is executed by a processor to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program that is executed by a processor to implement the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 20.

27. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes programmable logic circuitry and / or program instructions, which, when the chip is running, are used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

28. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes programmable logic circuitry and / or program instructions, which, when the chip is running, are used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 20.

29. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which a processor reads from and executes to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

30. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which a processor reads from and executes to implement the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 20.

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