Communication method, terminal, network device, system, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a system, and a storage medium. The method comprises: receiving characteristic priority information sent by a network device; and on the basis of the characteristic priority information, determining a cell reselection priority. The present disclosure supports cell reselection in a multi-characteristic service scenario, thereby improving the reliability of cell reselection.

Description

Communication methods, terminals, network devices, systems, and storage media Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communications, and in particular to communication methods, terminals, network devices, systems and storage media. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, more and more features will be considered during the cell reselection process so that terminals can access the relevant frequency layer to obtain corresponding service support. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To improve the reliability of cell reselection, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a system, and a storage medium.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, the method being executed by a terminal, the method comprising:

[0005] Receive feature priority information sent by network devices;

[0006] Based on the aforementioned feature priority information, the cell reselection priority is determined.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, the method being performed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0008] Send feature priority information to the terminal; wherein the feature priority information is used by the terminal to determine the cell reselection priority.

[0009] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, the terminal comprising:

[0010] The transceiver module is configured to receive feature priority information sent by network devices;

[0011] The processing module is configured to determine the cell reselection priority based on the aforementioned feature priority information.

[0012] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, the network device comprising:

[0013] The transceiver module is configured to send feature priority information to the terminal; wherein the feature priority information is used by the terminal to determine the cell reselection priority.

[0014] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, comprising:

[0015] One or more processors;

[0016] The processor is used to execute the communication method described in any one of the first aspects.

[0017] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, comprising:

[0018] One or more processors;

[0019] The processor is used to execute the communication method described in any one of the second aspects.

[0020] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, comprising:

[0021] A terminal, the terminal being configured to perform the communication method described in any one of the first aspects;

[0022] A network device configured to perform the communication method described in any one of the second aspects.

[0023] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform a communication method as described in either the first or second aspect.

[0024] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, is used to implement the communication method described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0025] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal can determine the cell reselection priority based on the feature priority information sent by the network device, support cell reselection in multi-feature service scenarios, and improve the reliability of cell reselection.

[0026] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0028] Figure 1 is an exemplary schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 2 is one of the exemplary interaction diagrams of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 3A is one of the exemplary flowcharts of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 3B is a second exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 4A is a second exemplary interactive schematic diagram of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 4B is a third exemplary interactive schematic diagram of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 5A is an exemplary block diagram of a terminal provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 5B is an exemplary block diagram of a network device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 6A is an exemplary schematic diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 6B is an exemplary schematic diagram of a chip provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0038] This disclosure provides a communication method, terminal, network device, system, and storage medium.

[0039] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method, which is executed by a terminal, the method comprising: receiving characteristic priority information sent by a network device; and determining a cell reselection priority based on the characteristic priority information.

[0040] In the above embodiments, the terminal can determine the cell reselection priority based on the feature priority information sent by the network device, support cell reselection in multi-feature service scenarios, and improve the reliability of cell reselection.

[0041] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining first characteristic priority information when a conflict occurs in the received characteristic priority information; wherein the first characteristic priority information is characteristic priority information used to determine the cell reselection priority.

[0042] In the above embodiments, the terminal can determine the first characteristic priority information when there is a conflict in the received characteristic priority information, and then use it to determine the cell reselection priority, thereby improving the reliability of cell reselection.

[0043] In some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further comprises at least one of: determining that the received characteristic priority information conflicts in a case that different network devices provide different characteristic priority information for the same characteristic; determining that the received characteristic priority information conflicts in a case that a same network device provides different characteristic priority information for the same characteristic via different types of messages; determining that the received characteristic priority information conflicts in a case that a same network device provides different characteristic priority information for the same characteristic via a same type of message.

[0044] In the above embodiments, the terminal can determine that the received characteristic priority information conflicts in the at least one case, and the availability is high.

[0045] In some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further comprises at least one of: determining the first characteristic priority information based on a protocol agreement; determining the first characteristic priority information based on first indication information sent by the network device; determining the first characteristic priority information based on a predefined manner; wherein the first characteristic priority information is characteristic priority information used to determine the cell reselection priority.

[0046] In the above embodiments, the terminal can determine the first characteristic priority information based on the at least one manner, thereby determining the cell reselection priority, and the reliability of cell reselection is improved.

[0047] In some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the protocol agreement and / or the first indication information are used to determine at least one of: whether to override existing characteristic priority information; a message type providing the overridden characteristic priority information; a priority between different types of messages, the priority being used to determine the first characteristic priority information based on characteristic priority information provided by a message of a highest priority type in a case that characteristic priority information provided by different types of messages conflicts.

[0048] In the above embodiments, the protocol agreement and / or the first indication information can be used to determine the at least one, and the reliability of determining the first characteristic priority information is improved.

[0049] In some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the receiving of the characteristic priority information sent by the network device comprises at least one of: receiving characteristic priority information sent by a first network device, wherein the characteristic priority information sent by the first network device is determined by the first network device and at least one second network device; receiving characteristic priority information sent by the first network device and a third network device.

[0050] In the above embodiments, feature priority information can be sent to the terminal by one network device or by multiple network devices, which improves the flexibility and reliability of the terminal receiving feature priority information.

[0051] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining first characteristic information; wherein the first characteristic information is information about a first characteristic, and the first characteristic is a characteristic used by the terminal to determine the cell reselection priority.

[0052] In the above embodiments, the terminal can determine the first characteristic information, which improves the reliability of cell reselection in multi-characteristic service scenarios.

[0053] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes at least one of the following: determining first characteristic priority information by the non-access stratum (NAS) and sending it to the access stratum (AS); determining the first characteristic priority information by the AS; wherein the first characteristic priority information is characteristic priority information used to determine the cell reselection priority.

[0054] In the above embodiments, the NAS can determine and send the first characteristic priority information to the AS, or the AS can determine the first characteristic priority information, which is simple to implement and has high availability.

[0055] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the step of determining the first characteristic priority information by the non-access stratum NAS and sending it to the access stratum AS includes at least one of the following: the terminal receives characteristic priority information provided by the access network device and then submits it to the NAS; the NAS determines the first characteristic priority information based on the characteristic priority information provided by the access network device and / or the characteristic priority information provided by the core network device through NAS signaling and sends it to the AS.

[0056] In the above embodiments, the terminal receives the feature priority information provided by the access network device and submits it to the NAS. The NAS then determines the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information provided by the access network device and / or the feature priority information provided by the core network device through NAS signaling, and sends it to the AS. This achieves the goal of determining the first feature priority information and sending it to the AS so that the AS can determine the cell reselection priority, resulting in high availability.

[0057] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the determination of the first feature priority information by the AS includes at least one of the following: the NAS receives feature priority information sent by the core network device through NAS signaling and then sends it to the AS; the AS determines the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information sent by the NAS and the feature priority information provided by the access network device.

[0058] In the above embodiments, the NAS receives the feature priority information sent by the core network device via NAS signaling and then sends it to the AS. The AS then determines the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information sent by the NAS and the feature priority information provided by the access network device. This achieves the purpose of the AS determining the first feature priority information in order to determine the cell reselection priority, resulting in high availability.

[0059] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, receiving the feature priority information sent by the network device includes at least one of the following: receiving a system message broadcast by an access network device, the system message being used to provide the feature priority information; receiving Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling sent by the access network device, the RRC signaling being used to provide the feature priority information; and receiving NAS signaling sent by a core network device, the NAS signaling being used to provide the feature priority information.

[0060] In the above embodiments, different network devices can send feature priority information to the terminal through different types of messages, which improves the timeliness and flexibility of the terminal receiving feature priority information.

[0061] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the priority between different types of messages includes at least one of the following: the priority of broadcast system messages is lower than the priority of Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling; the priority of broadcast system messages is lower than the priority of NAS signaling; the priority of RRC signaling is higher than the priority of NAS signaling, or the priority of NAS signaling is higher than the priority of RRC signaling, or the priority of NAS signaling is the same as the priority of RRC signaling; wherein, the priority between the RRC signaling and the NAS signaling is determined based on a predefined method and / or protocol agreement.

[0062] In the above embodiments, the priority of different types of messages can be determined based on the above method, which improves the reliability of cell reselection.

[0063] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining the cell reselection priority based on the feature priority information includes at least one of the following: the reselection priority of a cell supporting at least one first feature is higher than the reselection priority of a cell not supporting at least one first feature; the reselection priority of a frequency point supporting at least one first feature is higher than the reselection priority of a frequency point not supporting at least one first feature; determining the reselection priority among frequency points and / or cells supporting the same first feature based on the first reselection priority information sent by the network device; determining the reselection priority among frequency points supporting multiple first features of equal priority based on the first reselection priority information sent by the network device. The system selects a priority, and / or, a reselection priority among cells supporting multiple first characteristics of equal priority; based on the second reselection priority information sent by the network device, it determines the reselection priority among frequency points that do not support at least one first characteristic, and / or, the reselection priority among cells that do not support at least one first characteristic; based on the priority of the highest priority first characteristic supported by the frequency point, it determines the reselection priority among frequency points that support at least one first characteristic; based on the priority of the highest priority first characteristic supported by the cell, it determines the reselection priority among cells that support at least one first characteristic; wherein, the first characteristic is the characteristic used by the terminal to determine the cell reselection priority.

[0064] In the above embodiments, the terminal can determine the cell reselection priority based on the above method, which improves the reliability and availability of the cell reselection process.

[0065] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method executed by a network device, the method comprising: sending characteristic priority information to a terminal; wherein the characteristic priority information is used by the terminal to determine cell reselection priority.

[0066] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending first indication information to the terminal; wherein the first indication information is used by the terminal to determine first characteristic priority information when there is a conflict in the received characteristic priority information, wherein the first characteristic priority information is characteristic priority information used to determine the cell reselection priority.

[0067] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first indication information is used to determine at least one of the following: whether existing feature priority information is overridden; the message type providing the overridden feature priority information; the priority between different types of messages, wherein the priority is used to determine the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information provided by the message of the highest priority type when feature priority information provided by different types of messages conflict.

[0068] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, sending feature priority information to the terminal includes at least one of the following: sending the feature priority information to the terminal by a first network device; wherein the feature priority information sent by the first network device is determined by the first network device and at least one second network device; and sending the feature priority information to the terminal by the first network device and a third network device.

[0069] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, sending feature priority information to the terminal includes at least one of the following: the access network device broadcasting a system message, the system message being used to provide the feature priority information; the access network device sending Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to the terminal, the RRC signaling being used to provide the feature priority information; and the core network device sending Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling to the terminal, the NAS signaling being used to provide the feature priority information.

[0070] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the priority between different types of messages includes at least one of the following: the priority of broadcast system messages is lower than the priority of Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling; the priority of broadcast system messages is lower than the priority of NAS signaling; the priority of RRC signaling is higher than the priority of NAS signaling, or the priority of NAS signaling is lower than the priority of RRC signaling, or the priority of NAS signaling is the same as the priority of RRC signaling; wherein, the priority between the RRC signaling and the NAS signaling is determined based on a predefined method and / or protocol agreement.

[0071] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes at least one of the following: sending first reselection priority information to the terminal; wherein the first reselection priority information is used to determine the reselection priority among frequency points supporting multiple first characteristics of equal priority, and / or, the reselection priority among cells supporting multiple first characteristics of equal priority; sending second reselection priority information to the terminal; wherein the second reselection priority information is used to determine the reselection priority among frequency points not supporting at least one first characteristic, and / or, the reselection priority among cells not supporting at least one first characteristic; wherein the first characteristic is a characteristic used by the terminal to determine the cell reselection priority.

[0072] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a terminal, the terminal comprising: a transceiver module configured to receive feature priority information sent by a network device; and a processing module configured to determine cell reselection priority based on the feature priority information.

[0073] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device, the network device comprising: a transceiver module configured to send characteristic priority information to a terminal; wherein the characteristic priority information is used by the terminal to determine cell reselection priority.

[0074] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a terminal comprising: one or more processors; wherein the processors are configured to execute the communication method described in any one of the first aspects.

[0075] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device comprising: one or more processors; wherein the processors are configured to perform the communication method described in any one of the second aspects.

[0076] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system comprising: a terminal configured to perform the communication method described in any one aspect; and a network device configured to perform the communication method described in any one aspect.

[0077] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the communication method as described in either the first or second aspect.

[0078] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, is used to implement the communication method described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0079] It is understood that the aforementioned terminals, network devices, communication systems, and storage media are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0080] This disclosure provides communication methods, terminals, network devices, systems, and storage media. In some embodiments, the terms "communication method" and "information transmission method," "information processing method," etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms "communication device" and "information transmission device," "information processing device," etc., can be used interchangeably; and the terms "information transmission system," "information processing system," "communication system," etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0081] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0082] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0083] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0084] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the aforementioned," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0085] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0086] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0087] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0088] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execution of A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execution of B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0089] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0090] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0091] In some embodiments, the apparatus and device may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to those described in the embodiments. In some cases, they may also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "entity", "body", etc.

[0092] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0093] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0094] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0095] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0096] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102.

[0097] In some embodiments, terminal 101 includes, for example, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0098] In some embodiments, network device 102 may include at least one of access network device 102-1 and core network device 102-2.

[0099] In some embodiments, the access network device 102-1 is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: an evolved Node B (eNB), a next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), a next-generation Node B (gNB), a node B (NB), a home node B (HNB), a home evolved node B (HeNB), a wireless backhaul device, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base band unit (BBU), a mobile switching center, a base station in a 6G communication system, an open RAN, a cloud RAN, a base station in other communication systems, and an access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0100] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0101] In some embodiments, the access network device 102-2 may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. By adopting the CU-DU structure, the protocol layer of the access network device can be separated. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0102] In some embodiments, the core network device 102-2 may be a single device, including a first network element, a second network element, etc., or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each including all or part of the first network element, the second network element, etc. Network elements may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), 5G Core Network (5GCN), and Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0103] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0104] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1 are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1, or may include other main bodies outside of FIG1. ​​The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0105] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0106] In some embodiments, the Internet of Things (IoT) is an intelligent service system that connects objects, people, systems, and information resources through sensing devices and according to agreed protocols, enabling the processing and response to information in the physical and virtual worlds. With social and economic development, the demand for IoT in various sectors of life, production, and society is gradually increasing, and IoT is now widely serving various fields.

[0107] To date, mobile communication technology has continuously evolved, and the cellular networks provided by mobile operators, with their broad coverage and high-quality service, have become a crucial driver of the digitalization and informatization of the social economy, laying a solid connectivity foundation for the Internet of Things (IoT). The high data rates, low latency, high reliability, and widespread availability offered by 4G have greatly supported IoT applications such as wearable devices, video surveillance, and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). Mobile IoT technologies, represented by Category 1 (Cat1) and Category 4 (Cat4), provide low-cost connectivity for terminals, reducing the implementation cost of IoT and supporting scenarios such as smart metering, shared bicycles, and environmental monitoring. With the advent of the 5G era, the IoT is also ushering in tremendous development opportunities. 5G primarily targets three major scenarios: massive machine-type communication (mMTC), ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (uRLLC), and enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB). Building upon the continuous improvement of narrowband IoT coverage, 5G IoT has further evolved with capabilities such as RedCap, emphasizing support for massive connectivity, high reliability, and low latency. As a result, IoT has achieved greater connectivity, wider coverage, and a better user experience. Its applications in home, industry, energy, transportation, and urban management are beginning to show results. These applications have facilitated people's lives, improved their quality of life, reduced production costs, and enhanced the intelligence and automation of management, bringing the interconnection of everything into all aspects of production, life, and society.

[0108] As production and daily life continue to move towards digitalization and intelligence, more and more things are becoming connected to the internet, leading to a wider range of application scenarios. This also brings many challenges to the current Internet of Things (IoT). In terms of network throughput, with the increasing number of connected devices and the widespread adoption of high-bandwidth services, the total network data throughput will experience explosive growth. It is predicted that future network throughput will reach 5000 exabytes (EB) per month, and the number of IoT terminals will reach 500 billion, posing a challenge to the existing network capacity. Regarding transmission speed, with the increasing use of IoT applications such as holographic imaging that require real-time transmission of large amounts of data, the current IoT speed needs to be further improved. For example, real-time, high-resolution 3D images may even require a transmission rate of 1 terabyte per second (Tb / s). In terms of communication latency, 5G has already reduced latency to the millisecond level. In extreme scenarios such as remote surgery and remote industrial control, transmission latency of hundreds of microseconds may be required, and in some scenarios, it may need to be below 50 microseconds.

[0109] In terms of network coverage, future 6G IoT is expected to provide connectivity for high altitudes, the open sea, and deep underground, overcoming the signal distortion caused by the Doppler effect. Regarding power consumption, many IoT devices are distributed across vast geographical areas and require long operating times, posing challenges to battery life and charging infrastructure. Future IoT development needs to focus on energy efficiency and sustainability. In terms of information security, IoT data is vulnerable to cyberattacks, leading to serious consequences such as data breaches and unauthorized access, making information security increasingly important. Regarding capability integration, many existing IoT capabilities are independent, making deep integration between different capabilities difficult. For example, many IoT terminals only possess basic sensing capabilities, lacking network transmission or computing capabilities, thus limiting their application in a wider range of scenarios.

[0110] 6G IoT is an Internet of Things (IoT) based on 6G networks as its communication infrastructure. 6G provides IoT with ultra-high-speed, low-latency, high-connectivity, energy-efficient, intelligent, and secure data transmission. Deeply empowered by 6G technology, end-to-end IoT systems can achieve greater intelligence and autonomy, enabling real-time and accurate environmental sensing, intelligent decision-making, and personalized services. 6G IoT will integrate next-generation mobile communication and IoT technologies, and is expected to become the next stage of IoT development.

[0111] In 5G networks, a unified access control (UAC) mechanism is used to manage and optimize network resources, ensure high-priority service access, and provide flexible network access control. Relevant access control prohibition information is broadcast via radio resource control (RRC_IDLE), reducing the impact of congestion on the network. This applies to all terminals in the RRC_IDLE, INACTIVE, and CONNECTED states.

[0112] Network devices can manage these attempts by broadcasting cell-level access control information related to the access category and access identity. Terminals determine whether their access is permitted based on this broadcast information and the access category and access identity they select when attempting to access the network.

[0113] - If the request is triggered by a Non-Access Stratum (NAS), the NAS will determine the access category and identity;

[0114] - If the request is triggered by the Access Stratum (AS), Radio Resource Control (RRC) determines the access category, and NAS determines the access identity.

[0115] This mechanism ensures that the network can effectively manage and control user equipment access, optimize network resources, and ensure access to high-priority services.

[0116] In some embodiments, an increasing number of features will be considered during cell reselection to enable terminals to access the relevant frequency layer and obtain corresponding service support. Currently, since enhancements are introduced at different stages and the priority of features cannot be definitively determined, cell reselection strategies for different features are implemented independently. In multi-feature scenarios, if conflicts occur, the decision is made according to protocol agreements or terminal implementation.

[0117] In 6G, facing a massive number of terminal devices and diverse features and services, in order to achieve a unified cell reselection mechanism for multi-feature service scenarios, and to a certain extent implement differentiated cell reselection strategies for different feature services according to different operator needs, it is possible to consider determining cell reselection priority based on the feature priority of network configuration. However, some features are on the Radio Access Network (RAN) side, such as Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), and some features are on the Core Network (CN) side, such as Slicing. Their feature priorities are determined by themselves. Therefore, for cell reselection in multi-feature scenarios that target both RAN-side and CN-side features, the terminal needs to determine the feature priority of each feature.

[0118] To improve the reliability of cell reselection in multi-feature scenarios, this disclosure provides the following communication methods, terminals, network devices, systems, and storage media.

[0119] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0120] In step S2101, network device 102 sends feature priority information to terminal 101.

[0121] In some embodiments, terminal 101 receives feature priority information.

[0122] In some embodiments, the features include at least one of AS features, NAS features, and application layer features. For example, the features include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: slicing; integrated sensing and communication (ISAC); artificial intelligence (AI); and sensor.

[0123] In some embodiments, feature priority information can be used to indicate the priority of a feature.

[0124] In some embodiments, the characteristic priority information may include characteristic information and priority information (corresponding to the characteristic).

[0125] In some embodiments, feature priority information may be determined by a first network device and at least one second network device, and then sent by the first network device to the terminal 101.

[0126] In one example, the first network device may be, for example, access network device 102-1, and at least one second network device may include, but is not limited to, core network device 102-2, operation administration and maintenance (OAM) device, and at least one of other network devices. These other network devices may include, for example, other access network devices, other core network functional nodes, other policy nodes, etc., and this disclosure does not limit them.

[0127] In one example, the first network device may be, for example, core network device 102-2, and at least one second network device may include, but is not limited to, access network device 102-1, OAM device, and at least one of other network devices. These other network devices may include, for example, other access network devices, other core network functional nodes, other policy nodes, etc., and this disclosure does not limit them.

[0128] In one example, a first network device and at least one second network device negotiate to determine feature priority information, and the first network device uniformly sends the negotiated feature priority information to the terminal 101.

[0129] In some embodiments, the first network device and the third network device may send the characteristic information to the terminal 101.

[0130] In one example, the first network device may be, for example, access network device 102-1, and the third network device may be, for example, core network device 102-2.

[0131] In one example, the first network device may be, for example, core network device 102-2, and the third network device may be, for example, access network device 102-1.

[0132] In one example, the first network device and the third network device each send their respective feature priority information to terminal 101.

[0133] In one example, if the first network device uniformly sends the feature priority information determined by the network side to the terminal 101, the first network device can be the core network device 102-2. In this case, the access network device 102-1 can send the feature priority information of the access network device 102-1 to the core network device 102-2. The core network device 102-2 determines the feature priority information based on its own feature priority information and the feature priority information of the access network device 102-1, and then sends it to the terminal 101 through a NAS message.

[0134] In one example, if the first network device uniformly sends the feature priority information determined by the network side to the terminal 101, the first network device can be the access network device 102-1. In this case, the core network device 102-2 can send the feature priority information of the core network device 102-2 to the access network device 102-1. The access network device 102-1 determines the feature priority information based on its own feature priority information and the feature priority information of the core network device 102-2, and then sends it to the terminal 101 through broadcast system messages and / or RRC signaling.

[0135] In one example, if the first network device uniformly sends the feature priority information determined by the network side to the terminal 101, the first network device can be the access network device 102-1 or the core network device 102-2. In this case, the OAM (or other network device) can obtain the feature priority information of the core network device 102-2 and the feature priority information of the access network device 102-1, and determine the feature priority information based on its own policy and / or its own implementation, and then send it to the terminal 101 through the access network device 102-1 or the core network device 102-2.

[0136] In one example, where the first network device and the third network device send the feature priority information to the terminal 101 respectively, the first network device can be the access network device 102-1, and the third network device can be the core network device 102-2.

[0137] In one example, where the first network device and the third network device send the feature priority information to the terminal 101 respectively, the first network device can be the core network device 102-2, and the third network device can be the access network device 102-1.

[0138] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the type or number of network devices that provide feature priority information.

[0139] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send feature priority information to terminal 101 based on a request from terminal 101.

[0140] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send feature priority information to terminal 101 if it supports at least one first feature. The first feature is a feature used by terminal 101 to determine cell reselection priority, where cell reselection priority is the priority of different cells and / or frequencies determined by terminal 101 during cell reselection that can serve as target cells and / or target frequencies.

[0141] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send feature priority information to terminal 101 when mobility management is required.

[0142] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send feature priority information to terminal 101 when it receives a request from terminal 101 or other network devices.

[0143] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the timing or conditions under which the network device 102 sends feature priority information to the terminal 101.

[0144] In some embodiments, the first network device sends characteristic priority information uniformly determined by the network side to the terminal 101. If the first network device is an access network device 102-1, the access network device 102-1 can broadcast system messages, which can be used to provide characteristic priority information.

[0145] In one example, the system message can be a System Information Block n (SIBn), where n is a positive integer.

[0146] In some embodiments, the first network device sends characteristic priority information uniformly determined by the network side to the terminal 101. If the first network device is an access network device 102-1, the access network device 102-1 can send RRC signaling to the terminal 101. The RRC signaling can be used to provide characteristic priority information.

[0147] In one example, the RRC signaling is dedicated to terminal 101.

[0148] In one example, the RRC signaling could be an RRC release message, an RRC reconfiguration message, etc., and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0149] In some embodiments, the first network device sends characteristic priority information uniformly determined by the network side to the terminal 101. If the first network device is a core network device 102-2, the core network device 102-2 can send NAS signaling to the terminal 101. The NAS signaling can be used to provide characteristic priority information.

[0150] In some embodiments, when a first network device and a third network device send feature priority information to a terminal 101, and the first network device is an access network device 102-1 and the third network device is a core network device 102-2, the access network device 102-1 can broadcast a system message, which can be used to provide the feature priority information of the access network device 102-1. The core network device 102-2 can send NAS signaling to the terminal 101, which can be used to provide the feature priority information of the core network device 102-2.

[0151] In some embodiments, when a first network device and a third network device send feature priority information to a terminal 101, and the first network device is an access network device 102-1 and the third network device is a core network device 102-2, the access network device 102-1 can send RRC signaling to the terminal 101, which can be used to provide the feature priority information of the access network device 102-1, and the core network device 102-2 can send NAS signaling to the terminal 101, which can be used to provide the feature priority information of the core network device 102-2.

[0152] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the manner in which network devices provide feature priority information.

[0153] In step S2102, network device 102 sends first instruction information to terminal 101.

[0154] In some embodiments, terminal 101 receives first instruction information.

[0155] In some embodiments, the first indication information can be used by the terminal 101 to determine the first characteristic priority information when the received characteristic priority information conflicts, wherein the first characteristic priority information is characteristic priority information used to determine the cell reselection priority.

[0156] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send first indication information to terminal 101 based on a terminal request.

[0157] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send first indication information to terminal 101 if it determines that there is a conflict in the feature priority information received by terminal 101.

[0158] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send first instruction information to terminal 101 based on its own policy.

[0159] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the timing or conditions under which the network device 102 sends the first instruction information to the terminal 101.

[0160] In some embodiments, step S2102 is an optional step. For example, if the terminal 101 determines the first feature priority information based on other means, such as protocol agreement or its own strategy, step S2102 may not be executed.

[0161] In step S2103, terminal 101 determines whether the received feature priority information is conflicting.

[0162] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may determine, based on protocol agreement and / or control of network device 102, that the feature priority information provided by different network devices (e.g., access network device 102-1 and core network device 102-2) is orthogonal to each other, and there will be no situation where multiple features correspond to the same priority, or the same feature corresponds to different priorities. In this case, terminal 101 can determine that the received feature priority information does not conflict.

[0163] In some embodiments, if different network devices provide different feature priority information for the same feature, for example, for feature #1, the feature priority information provided by access network device 102-1 indicates that the priority of feature #1 is 1, and the feature priority information provided by core network device 102-2 indicates that the priority of feature #1 is 2, then terminal 101 can determine that the received feature priority information is conflicting.

[0164] In some embodiments, if the same network device provides different feature priority information through different types of messages for the same feature, for example, for feature #1, the access network device 102-1 provides feature priority information through a broadcast system message indicating that the priority of feature #1 is 1, and provides feature priority information through RRC signaling indicating that the priority of feature #1 is 2, then the terminal 101 can determine that the received feature priority information is conflicting.

[0165] In some embodiments, for the same feature, if the feature priority information provided by the same network device through the same type of message is different, for example, for feature #1, the feature priority information provided by access network device 102-1 through RRC signaling #1 indicates that the priority of feature #1 is 1, and the feature priority information provided by access network device 102-1 through RRC signaling #2 indicates that the priority of feature #1 is 2, then terminal 101 can determine that the received feature priority information is conflicting.

[0166] In some embodiments, for the same feature, if different network devices provide the same feature priority information, and / or the same network device provides the same feature priority information through different or the same type of message, for example, for feature #1, access network device 102-1 indicates that the priority of feature #1 is 1 through RRC signaling #1, access network device 102-1 indicates that the priority of feature #1 is also 1 through RRC signaling #2, or core network device 102-2 indicates that the priority of feature #1 is 1, and access network device 102-1 indicates that the priority of feature #1 is also 1, then terminal 101 can determine that the received feature priority information does not conflict.

[0167] In some embodiments, if the feature priority information provided by the network device is different for different features, for example, for feature #1 and feature #2, the feature priority information provided by the network device indicates that the priority of feature #1 is 1 and the priority of feature #2 is 2, then the terminal 101 can determine that the received feature priority information does not conflict.

[0168] In some embodiments, if the feature priority information provided by the network device is the same for different features, for example, for feature #1 and feature #2, the feature priority information provided by the network device indicates that the priority of feature #1 is 1 and the priority of feature #2 is also 1, then the terminal 101 can determine that feature #1 and feature #2 are features with equal priority, and the terminal 101 can determine that the received feature priority information does not conflict.

[0169] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the scheme by which the terminal 101 determines whether the received feature priority information is conflicting.

[0170] In step S2104, terminal 101 determines the first feature priority information.

[0171] In some embodiments, the first feature priority information is feature priority information used to determine the cell reselection priority.

[0172] In some embodiments, if the received feature priority information does not conflict, the terminal 101 determines the first feature priority information based on the received feature priority information.

[0173] In some embodiments, if there is a conflict between the received feature priority information, the terminal 101 determines the first feature priority information.

[0174] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may determine the first feature priority information based on at least one of the following methods:

[0175] Method 1: Determine the priority information of the first characteristic based on the protocol agreement.

[0176] In one example, the protocol can determine at least one of the following: whether to override existing feature priority information; the message type that provides the overridden feature priority information; and the priority between different types of messages.

[0177] Where the protocol stipulates that existing feature priority information is covered, the terminal 101 can cover the existing feature priority information based on the newly received feature priority information. In this case, the terminal 101 can determine the newly received feature priority information as the first feature priority information.

[0178] Where the protocol stipulates that existing feature priority information is not covered, terminal 101 may determine the existing feature priority information as the first feature priority information.

[0179] The message types include, but are not limited to, at least one of system messages, RRC signaling, and NAS signaling.

[0180] For example, if the message type providing the covered feature priority information is a system message, then in the event of a conflict between the received feature priority information, the terminal 101 can cover the feature priority information provided by the system message based on the feature priority information provided by RRC signaling or NAS signaling. In this case, the terminal 101 can determine the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information provided by RRC signaling or NAS signaling.

[0181] For example, if the message type providing the covered feature priority information is RRC signaling, then in the event of a conflict between the received feature priority information, terminal 101 can cover the feature priority information provided by RRC signaling based on the feature priority information provided by NAS signaling or system messages. In this case, terminal 101 can determine the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information provided by NAS signaling or system messages.

[0182] For example, if the message type providing the covered feature priority information is NAS signaling, then in the event of a conflict between the received feature priority information, terminal 101 can cover the feature priority information provided by NAS signaling based on the feature priority information provided by RRC signaling or system messages. In this case, terminal 101 can determine the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information provided by RRC signaling or system messages.

[0183] For example, if the message type providing the covered feature priority information is a system message or an RRC signaling, then in the event of a conflict between the received feature priority information, the terminal 101 can cover the feature priority information provided by the system message or the RRC signaling based on the feature priority information provided by the NAS signaling. In this case, the terminal 101 can determine the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information provided by the NAS signaling.

[0184] For example, if the message type providing the covered feature priority information is a system message or NAS signaling, then in the event of a conflict in the received feature priority information, the terminal 101 can cover the feature priority information provided by the system message or NAS signaling based on the feature priority information provided by the RRC signaling. In this case, the terminal 101 can determine the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information provided by the RRC signaling.

[0185] Among them, the priority of different types of messages can be used to determine the first characteristic priority information based on the characteristic priority information provided by the higher priority message type when there is a conflict in the characteristic priority information provided by different types of messages.

[0186] For example, the priority of broadcast system messages can be lower than the priority of RRC signaling.

[0187] For example, the priority of broadcast system messages can be lower than the priority of NAS signaling.

[0188] It is understandable that when terminal 101 is not connected to network device 102, it can obtain feature priority information through system messages broadcast by access network device 102-1. Subsequently, after terminal 101 connects to access network device 102-1, it can obtain feature priority information based on RRC signaling or NAS signaling.

[0189] For example, the priority between RRC signaling and NAS signaling can be determined by terminal 101 based on predefined methods such as its own policies, its own implementation, and / or protocol agreements.

[0190] The priority of RRC signaling can be higher than that of NAS signaling, or the priority of NAS signaling can be higher than that of RRC signaling, or the priority of NAS signaling can be the same as that of RRC signaling; this disclosure does not limit this. For example, if there is a conflict between the feature priority information provided by system messages and RRC signaling, where the priority of RRC signaling is higher than that of system messages, then terminal 101 shall preferentially determine the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information provided by RRC signaling. As another example, if there is a conflict between the feature priority information provided by system messages and NAS signaling, where the priority of NAS signaling is higher than that of system messages, then terminal 101 shall preferentially determine the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information provided by NAS signaling.

[0191] For example, if the feature priority information provided by RRC signaling and NAS signaling conflicts, and the priority of NAS signaling is higher than that of RRC signaling, then terminal 101 shall prioritize the feature priority information provided by NAS signaling to determine the first feature priority information.

[0192] For example, if the feature priority information provided by RRC signaling and NAS signaling conflicts, and the priority of RRC signaling is higher than that of NAS signaling, then terminal 101 shall first determine the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information provided by RRC signaling.

[0193] For example, if there is a conflict between the feature priority information provided by system messages, RRC signaling, and NAS signaling, where the priority of RRC signaling is higher than that of NAS signaling, and the priority of NAS signaling is higher than that of system messages, then terminal 101 shall prioritize the feature priority information provided by RRC signaling to determine the first feature priority information.

[0194] For example, if there is a conflict between the feature priority information provided by system messages, RRC signaling, and NAS signaling, where the priority of NAS signaling is higher than that of RRC signaling, and the priority of RRC signaling is higher than that of system messages, then terminal 101 shall prioritize the feature priority information provided by NAS signaling to determine the first feature priority information.

[0195] For example, if the priority information provided by system messages, RRC signaling, and NAS signaling conflicts, where the priority of NAS signaling and RRC signaling is higher than that of system messages, and the priority of NAS signaling is the same as that of RRC signaling, then terminal 101 can determine the first priority information based on the time of receiving different types of messages. Assuming the first priority information is determined based on the most recently received priority information, if the priority information provided by NAS signaling is received first, followed by the priority information provided by RRC signaling, then terminal 101 can determine the first priority information based on the priority information provided by RRC signaling.

[0196] For example, if the feature priority information provided by RRC signaling and NAS signaling conflicts, and the priority of NAS signaling is the same as that of RRC signaling, then terminal 101 can determine the first feature priority information based on the time when different types of messages are received. Assuming the first feature priority information is determined based on the most recently received feature priority information, if the feature priority information provided by RRC signaling is received first, and then the feature priority information provided by NAS signaling is received, then terminal 101 can determine the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information provided by NAS signaling.

[0197] It should be noted that, for the same characteristic, if terminal 101 obtains characteristic priority information from multiple signaling sources, terminal 101 needs to determine the first characteristic priority information. For example, if at least two types of messages among RRC signaling, system messages, and NAS signaling provide different characteristic priority information for the same characteristic, then terminal 101 can determine that the characteristic priority information provided by different types of messages conflicts. In this case, the first characteristic priority information can be determined based on the characteristic priority information provided by the higher-priority message.

[0198] Method 2: Determine the first characteristic priority information based on the first indication information sent by network device 102.

[0199] In one example, the first indication information may be used to determine at least one of the following: whether to override existing feature priority information; the message type that provides the overridden feature priority information; and the priority between different types of messages.

[0200] For example, network device 102 may indicate whether to override existing feature priority information in messages that provide feature priority information, such as RRC signaling, NAS signaling, or system messages. If the indication is to override existing feature priority information, terminal 101 determines first feature priority information based on the newly received feature priority information. If the indication is not to override existing feature priority information, terminal 101 determines first feature priority information based on the existing feature priority information.

[0201] For example, network device 102 may provide feature priority information in messages such as RRC signaling, NAS signaling, or system message indicating the type of message that provides covered feature priority information. Terminal 101 determines the first feature priority information based on the first indication information. The specific determination method is similar to the method of determining the first feature priority information based on the protocol agreement, and will not be described again here.

[0202] For example, network device 102 can indicate the priority of different types of messages, such as RRC signaling, NAS signaling, and system messages, in the message that provides feature priority information, so that terminal 101 can determine the first feature priority information. The specific determination method is similar to the method of determining the first feature priority information based on protocol agreement, and will not be described again here.

[0203] For example, network device 102 can carry first indication information through a separate message or signaling, and terminal 101 can determine first feature priority information based on the first indication information. For example, the first indication information indicates the priority between different types of messages. When terminal 101 receives new feature priority information, it can determine whether it overwrites existing feature priority information, and determine the first feature priority information based on whether it overwrites existing feature priority information.

[0204] Method 3: Determine the priority information of the first characteristic based on a predefined method.

[0205] In one example, terminal 101 may determine the first feature priority information based on its own implementation and / or its own policy.

[0206] For example, if there is no protocol agreement and / or no first indication information is received, and the terminal 101 determines that the received feature priority information conflicts, the terminal 101 can determine, according to its own implementation, whether to overwrite the existing feature priority information with the newly received feature priority information. If it is determined that the feature priority information will be overwritten, the terminal 101 determines the first feature priority information based on the newly received feature priority information. If it is determined that the feature priority information will not be overwritten, the terminal 101 can determine the first feature priority information based on the existing feature priority information.

[0207] For example, if there is no agreement and / or no first instruction information is received, the terminal 101 determines that the received feature priority information is conflicting. At this time, the terminal 101 can, according to its own implementation, default to overwriting the existing feature priority information with the feature priority information provided in the latest received message. At this time, the terminal 101 determines the first feature priority information based on the newly received feature priority information.

[0208] Method 4: Determine the priority information of the first characteristic based on at least two of the following: protocol agreement, first instruction information, and predefined methods.

[0209] In one example, the priority information of the first characteristic can be determined based on a combination of two or three of the methods 1 to 3 above.

[0210] For example, terminal 101 determines first feature priority information based on first indication information and predefined method.

[0211] For example, the first indication information indicates the message type that provides the covered feature priority information. Suppose it is a system message. If the feature priority information provided by the NAS signaling, RRC signaling and the system message received by the terminal 101 conflicts, the terminal 101 can determine that the feature priority information provided by the NAS signaling and RRC signaling covers the feature priority information provided by the system message. Furthermore, the terminal 101 determines the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information provided by the NAS signaling or RRC signaling in a predefined manner.

[0212] For example, terminal 101 determines first feature priority information based on protocol agreement and first instruction information.

[0213] For example, the protocol stipulates the priority between different types of messages. Suppose that the priority of RRC signaling and NAS signaling is higher than the priority of system messages. If the characteristic priority information provided by the NAS signaling, RRC signaling and system messages received by terminal 101 conflicts, terminal 101 can determine the priority of NAS signaling and RRC signaling based on the first indication information. Suppose that the priority of NAS signaling is higher, then terminal 101 determines the first characteristic priority information based on the characteristic priority information provided by NAS signaling.

[0214] For example, terminal 101 determines the priority information of the first characteristic based on protocol agreement and predefined method.

[0215] For example, the protocol specifies the priority between different types of messages. Suppose that the priority of RRC signaling and NAS signaling is higher than that of system messages. If the characteristic priority information provided by the NAS signaling, RRC signaling and system messages received by terminal 101 conflicts, terminal 101 can determine the priority of NAS signaling and RRC signaling based on a predefined method. If the priority of RRC signaling is higher, terminal 101 determines the first characteristic priority information based on the characteristic priority information provided by RRC signaling.

[0216] For example, terminal 101 determines the first characteristic priority information based on the protocol agreement, the first instruction information and the predefined method.

[0217] For example, the protocol specifies the priority between different types of messages. Suppose that the priority of RRC signaling and NAS signaling is higher than that of system messages. If the characteristic priority information provided by the NAS signaling, RRC signaling and system messages received by terminal 101 conflicts, terminal 101 can determine the priority of NAS signaling and RRC signaling based on the first indication information. Suppose that the first indication information indicates that the priority of NAS signaling and RRC signaling is the same, then terminal 101 can determine the first characteristic priority information based on a predefined method, such as its own implementation, according to the characteristic priority information provided by NAS signaling or RRC signaling.

[0218] It is understandable that the process by which terminal 101 determines the first characteristic priority information can be described as a process of overriding the characteristic priority information provided by another message type with the characteristic priority information provided by one message type.

[0219] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the feature priority information includes, but is not limited to, at least one of feature information and priority information. The term "coverage" in this disclosure may refer to full coverage, or only coverage of priority information, or only coverage of feature information. This disclosure does not limit this.

[0220] For example, when only priority information is covered, the characteristic information can be determined according to the characteristic priority information provided in the system message, or according to the complete set of characteristics provided by all message types, or according to the intersection of characteristics provided by all message types, and this disclosure does not limit it in this way.

[0221] For example, when only feature information is covered, priority information can be determined according to the priority of the different types of messages mentioned above. For example, the priority information of the feature provided by the high-priority message type can be used to cover the priority information of the feature provided by the low-priority message type. The specific process is not limited in this disclosure.

[0222] In addition, if at least one feature does not have corresponding priority information, terminal 101 can determine the priority information of at least one feature based on protocol agreement and / or predefined methods, assuming that its priority can be determined to be the lowest.

[0223] In some embodiments, after receiving feature priority information from different network devices, such as access network device 102-1 and core network device 102-2, if there are cases where feature priorities are the same, terminal 101 can resolve the conflict based on the aforementioned protocol, the instructions of network device 102, and / or a predefined method, such as its own implementation. For example, terminal 101 determines which feature has a higher priority based on the protocol or the instructions of network device 102, or terminal 101 determines which feature has a higher priority based on a predefined method. Alternatively, if terminal 101 determines that the features are of equal priority, it can determine the cell reselection priority based on the first reselection priority information and / or the second reselection priority information subsequently provided by network device 102.

[0224] In some embodiments, the NAS of terminal 101 may determine the first feature priority information based on any of the above methods 1 to 4 and then send it to the AS.

[0225] Specifically, after receiving the feature priority information provided by the access network device 102-1, terminal 101 can submit it to the NAS. Upon receiving the information, the NAS can determine the first feature priority information based on its own policies, the feature priority information provided by the access network device, and / or the feature priority information provided by the core network device through NAS signaling, and then send it to the AS. The AS can subsequently determine the cell reselection priority based on the first feature priority information.

[0226] In some embodiments, the AS of terminal 101 may determine the first feature priority information based on any of the above methods 1 to 4.

[0227] Specifically, the NAS of terminal 101 can receive the feature priority information sent by core network device 102-2 through NAS signaling and send it to the AS. After receiving it, the AS can determine the first feature priority information based on its own policy, the feature priority information sent by the NAS and the feature priority information provided by access network device 102-1, and then determine the cell reselection priority based on the first feature priority information.

[0228] The above is merely an illustrative example. This disclosure does not limit the method by which the NAS and AS interact, and the AS ultimately determines the priority information of the first characteristic.

[0229] In step S2105, terminal 101 determines the first characteristic information.

[0230] In some embodiments, the first characteristic information is related information about a first characteristic, including but not limited to at least one of the identification information and type information of the first characteristic. The first characteristic is the characteristic used by terminal 101 to determine the cell reselection priority. The type of the first characteristic can be an AS characteristic, a NAS characteristic, or an application layer characteristic; this disclosure does not limit this.

[0231] In some embodiments, the first characteristic information may be determined by a higher layer and indicated to the AS. For example, it may be determined by the NAS and provided to the AS, which then uses it to determine the cell reselection priority.

[0232] In some embodiments, the first characteristic information may be determined by the AS and used to subsequently determine the cell reselection priority.

[0233] In some embodiments, the interaction of feature priority information can be performed together with the interaction of first feature information. For example, the NAS of the terminal provides the determined first feature priority information together with the first feature information to the AS, and the AS subsequently determines the cell reselection priority based on the first feature priority information and the first feature information.

[0234] In some embodiments, the interaction of feature priority information can be performed separately from the interaction of first feature information, and the execution order is not limited.

[0235] For example, the NAS and AS of terminal 101 can first exchange feature priority information and provide it to the AS for subsequent determination of cell reselection priority. After the feature priority information is exchanged, when the feature-based cell reselection process is triggered, the first feature information can be determined, and the cell reselection priority can be determined based on the first feature priority information determined through the previous interaction.

[0236] For example, when a feature-based cell reselection process is triggered, terminal 101 determines the first feature information, then triggers the interaction of feature priority information between NAS and AS, thereby determining the first feature priority information, and determining the cell reselection priority based on the first feature priority information and the first feature information.

[0237] In step S2106, network device 102 sends first reselection priority information and / or second reselection priority information to terminal 101.

[0238] In some embodiments, terminal 101 receives first reselection priority information and / or second reselection priority information.

[0239] In some embodiments, the first reselection priority information is used to determine the reselection priority among frequency points supporting multiple first features of equal priority, and / or the reselection priority among cells supporting multiple first features of equal priority.

[0240] In some embodiments, the second reselection priority information is used to determine the reselection priority between frequency points that do not support at least one first feature, and / or the reselection priority between cells that do not support at least one first feature.

[0241] In some embodiments, the first feature is a feature used by the terminal 101 to determine the cell reselection priority.

[0242] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send first reselection priority information and / or second reselection priority information to terminal 101 based on a request from terminal 101.

[0243] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send first reselection priority information and / or second reselection priority information to terminal 101 based on its own policies and / or its own implementation.

[0244] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send first reselection priority information and / or second reselection priority information to terminal 101 if there are features of equal priority in the provided feature priority information.

[0245] In some embodiments, network device 102 can send first reselection priority information and second reselection priority information to terminal 101 through the same message or signaling.

[0246] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send first reselection priority information and second reselection priority information to terminal 101 through different messages or signaling.

[0247] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the timing or method by which the network device 102 sends the first reselection priority information and the second reselection priority information.

[0248] In some embodiments, step S2106 is an optional execution step. For example, if different first features in the feature priority information provided by network device 102 correspond to different priorities, step S2106 may not be executed.

[0249] In step S2107, terminal 101 determines the cell reselection priority.

[0250] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may determine cell reselection priority based on feature priority information.

[0251] In some embodiments, when there is a conflict in the received feature priority information, the terminal 101 determines the cell reselection priority based on the first feature priority information.

[0252] In some embodiments, determining cell reselection priority includes, but is not limited to, determining cell reselection priority and / or determining frequency reselection priority.

[0253] In some embodiments, terminal 101 determines that the reselection priority of a cell that supports at least one first feature is higher than the reselection priority of a cell that does not support at least one first feature.

[0254] For example, cells #1 and #3 support feature #1, which is the feature used by the terminal to determine the cell reselection priority; that is, feature #1 is the feature used by terminal 101 for cell reselection. Cell #2 does not support feature #1, so the reselection priority of cells #1 and #3 is higher than the reselection priority of cell #2.

[0255] In some embodiments, terminal 101 determines that the reselection priority of a frequency point that supports at least one first feature is higher than the reselection priority of a frequency point that does not support at least one first feature.

[0256] For example, frequency points #1 and #3 support feature #1, which is the feature used by the terminal to determine the frequency point reselection priority; that is, feature #1 is the feature used by terminal 101 for frequency point reselection. If frequency point #2 does not support feature #1, then the reselection priority of frequency points #1 and #3 is higher than the reselection priority of frequency point #2.

[0257] In some embodiments, the reselection priority between frequency points and / or cells that support the same first feature can be determined based on the first reselection priority information sent by network device 102.

[0258] For example, frequency point #1 and frequency point #3 support feature #1, which is the first feature. The first reselection priority information can be used to indicate the reselection priority between frequency point #1 and frequency point #3. Assuming that the reselection priority of frequency point #1 is higher, the terminal 101 determines that the reselection priority of frequency point #1 is higher than the reselection priority of frequency point #3.

[0259] In some embodiments, the reselection priority among frequency points and / or cells supporting multiple first features with equal priority can be determined based on the first reselection priority information sent by network device 102.

[0260] For example, cell #1 supports feature #1, cell #4 supports feature #2, and features #1 and feature #2 have the same priority. The first reselection priority information can be used to indicate the reselection priority between cell #1 and cell #4. Assuming that cell #1 has a higher reselection priority, the terminal 101 determines that the reselection priority of cell #1 is higher than that of cell #4.

[0261] In some embodiments, the reselection priority between frequency points and / or cells that do not support at least one first feature can be determined based on second reselection priority information.

[0262] For example, cells #2, #5, and #6 do not support features #1 and #2. The first feature includes features #1 and #2. The second reselection priority information can be used to indicate the reselection priority among cells #2, #5, and #6. Assuming that cell #2 has the highest reselection priority and cell #5 has the lowest reselection priority, then terminal 101 determines that the reselection priority of cell #2 is higher than that of cell #6, and the reselection priority of cell #6 is higher than that of cell #5.

[0263] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may determine the reselection priority among frequency points and / or cells supporting at least one first feature based on the priority of the highest priority first feature supported by the frequency point and / or cell.

[0264] The higher the priority of the first feature supported by the frequency point and / or cell, the higher the reselection priority of that frequency point and / or cell.

[0265] For example, frequency point #1 supports features #1 and #3, frequency point #2 supports features #2 and #5, and frequency point #3 supports feature #5. The feature priority is as follows: feature #1 has a higher priority than feature #3, feature #3 has a higher priority than feature #2, and feature #2 has a higher priority than feature #5. Therefore, the priority is determined based on the highest priority of the first supported feature. Frequency point #1's priority is determined according to the highest priority of the first supported feature (i.e., feature #1), frequency point #2's priority is determined according to the highest priority of the first supported feature (i.e., feature #2), and frequency point #3's priority is determined according to the highest priority of the first supported feature (i.e., feature #5). Ultimately, the reselection priority of frequency point #1 is higher than that of frequency point #2, and the reselection priority of frequency point #2 is higher than that of frequency point #3.

[0266] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the method by which the terminal 101 determines the cell reselection priority.

[0267] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 may sort the candidate cells and / or candidate frequencies supporting at least one first feature in descending order of cell reselection priority, and then select the frequency with the best signal quality from the top N candidate cells and / or candidate frequencies as the target cell and / or target frequency. It can then initiate a cell reselection process to reselect to the target cell and / or target frequency.

[0268] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0269] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0270] In some embodiments, “get,” “obtain,” “receive,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” and “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, or autonomous implementation, among other meanings.

[0271] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain," "preset," "default," "set," "indicated," "a certain," "any," and "first" can be used interchangeably. "Certain A," "preset A," "default A," "set A," "indicated A," "a certain A," "any A," and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-defined in a protocol or the like, or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or instruction, or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, but are not limited thereto.

[0272] In some embodiments, the communication method involved in the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2107. For example, step S2101 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2102 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2101+S2102 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2103 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2101+S2102+S2103 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2104 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2102+S2104 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2102+S2103+S2104 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, S2104+S2105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2106 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S2107 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, S2106+S2107 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and steps S2101 to S2107 can be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0273] In some embodiments, steps S2101 to S2107 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0274] In some embodiments, the execution order of steps S2101 to S2107 is not limited.

[0275] The above embodiments can support cell reselection under multi-feature service scenarios, thereby improving the reliability of cell reselection.

[0276] Figure 3A is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3A, this embodiment of the disclosure relates to a communication method that can be executed by a terminal 101, and the method includes:

[0277] Step S3101: Obtain feature priority information.

[0278] In some embodiments, feature priority information can be used to indicate the priority of a feature.

[0279] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3101 can be found in optional implementations of step S2101 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0280] In some embodiments, terminal 101 receives feature priority information sent by network device 102, but is not limited thereto. Terminal 101 may also receive feature priority information sent by other execution entities, such as relay devices or other devices. In this case, step S3101 can be omitted.

[0281] In some embodiments, terminal 101 obtains feature priority information defined by the protocol, in which step S3101 is omitted.

[0282] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 obtains feature priority information from the upper layer(s), in which case step S3101 is omitted.

[0283] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 performs processing to obtain feature priority information, in which case step S3101 is omitted.

[0284] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 autonomously implements the function indicated by the feature priority information, or the above function is a default or default value, in which case step S3101 is omitted.

[0285] Step S3102: Determine the cell reselection priority.

[0286] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3102 can be found in optional implementations of step S2107 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0287] In some embodiments, steps S3101 to S3102 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0288] In some embodiments, the execution order of steps S3101 to S3102 is not limited.

[0289] In the above embodiments, the terminal can determine the cell reselection priority based on the feature priority information sent by the network device, support cell reselection in multi-feature service scenarios, and improve the reliability of cell reselection.

[0290] Figure 3B is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3B, the present disclosure relates to a communication method that can be executed by a network device 102, and the method includes:

[0291] Step S3201: Send feature priority information.

[0292] In some embodiments, network device 102 sends feature priority information to terminal 101.

[0293] In some embodiments, terminal 101 receives feature priority information.

[0294] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3201 can be found in optional implementations of step S2101 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0295] In the above embodiments, the network device can send feature priority information to the terminal so that the terminal can determine the cell reselection priority, support cell reselection in multi-feature service scenarios, and improve the reliability of cell reselection.

[0296] The above process is further illustrated with examples below.

[0297] Example 1: All feature priority information is provided to the terminal device by the RAN or CN, for example, based on the priority policy coordination process between the RAN and CN, or based on OAM configuration. The RAN can provide this information to the terminal device via broadcast system messages or proprietary signaling, while the CN can provide it via NAS signaling.

[0298] Furthermore, if the terminal device receives feature priority information from multiple messages, the terminal device determines the feature priority information for cell reselection based on at least one of the following methods: protocol agreement, network instruction, or terminal implementation.

[0299] The above method, as shown in Figure 4A, includes:

[0300] In step S4101, the network device determines the feature priority information and sends it to the terminal device.

[0301] Determining feature priorities includes at least one of the following methods:

[0302] Method 1: (CN determines) The RAN sends the RAN feature priority information to the CN. The CN determines all feature priority information based on the CN feature priority information and the RAN feature priority information and sends it to the terminal device via NAS message (not shown in Figure 4A).

[0303] Method 2: (RAN Determines) The CN sends the CN feature priority information to the RAN. The RAN determines the priority of all features based on the RAN feature priority information and the CN feature priority information and sends them to the terminal device through broadcast system messages or RRC proprietary signaling.

[0304] Method 3: (OAM Determination) OAM (not shown in Figure 4A) determines all feature priority information based on network policies and feature priority information provided by RAN and CN, and sends it to the terminal device through RAN or CN.

[0305] In step S4102, the terminal receives the feature priority information sent by the network device and determines the cell reselection priority based on the feature priority information sent by the network device.

[0306] Specifically, determining cell reselection priority information based on characteristic priority information includes:

[0307] The terminal equipment determines the characteristic information used for cell reselection. Specifically, the characteristic information can be determined by the higher layer and instructed to the AS, or determined by the AS and directly used to determine the cell reselection priority in the future.

[0308] The terminal device determines the feature priority information used for cell reselection. Specifically, if the terminal receives feature priority information provided by multiple messages, the terminal device determines the feature priority information used for cell reselection priority determination based on at least one of the following methods: protocol agreement, network device instruction, or the terminal device's own implementation.

[0309] As an example, the RAN can provide terminal devices with system messages or proprietary signaling via broadcast system messages, while the CN can provide terminal devices with NAS signaling via NAS.

[0310] As an example, the UE NAS and AS exchange feature priority information provided by the RAN and CN. One of these features determines the feature priority information and provides it to the AS for subsequent cell reselection. For instance, the terminal device receives the feature priority information provided by the RAN and submits it to the NAS. The NAS receives this information and, based on its own policy and the priority information provided by the NAS signaling, determines the feature priority information of all relevant features and sends it to the AS for subsequent cell reselection. Alternatively, the UE NAS sends the feature priority information received via NAS signaling to the AS. The AS receives this information and, based on its own policy and the priority information provided by the RAN signaling, determines the feature priority information of all relevant features and uses it for subsequent cell reselection.

[0311] It should be noted that regarding the provision of feature priority information and feature information, one approach is that the interaction of feature priority information can be combined with the feature information used for cell reselection. That is, the UE NAS provides the determined feature information for cell reselection along with the determined feature priority information to the AS for subsequent cell reselection. Another approach is that the interaction of feature priority information can be independent of the interaction of cell reselection feature information. The UE NAS and AS can first interact on the feature priority information and provide it to the UE AS for subsequent cell reselection. Then, when the feature-based cell reselection process is triggered, the feature information used for cell reselection is determined, and the feature priority information associated with the previously interacted feature priority information is determined and used for subsequent cell reselection. Alternatively, when the feature-based cell reselection process is triggered, the feature information used for cell reselection is determined, and then the NAS and AS are triggered to interact and determine the feature priority information, thereby determining the feature priority information for cell reselection and using it for subsequent cell reselection.

[0312] As an example, based on the protocol, the terminal device prioritizes the characteristic priority information provided in NAS messages or RRC dedicated signaling to determine the cell reselection priority. That is, if the terminal has characteristic priority information provided in the broadcast system message, it overrides the characteristic priority information provided in the broadcast system message in response to receiving characteristic priority information in the RRC dedicated signaling or NAS message. The NAS message and RRC dedicated signaling can be either a situation where the characteristic priority provided by the NAS message overrides that provided by the RRC dedicated signaling, or vice versa. It should be noted that when the terminal device is not connected to the network device, it can only receive characteristic priority information through the base station's broadcast system message. When the terminal device subsequently connects to the network device, it can obtain specific characteristic priority information based on RRC dedicated signaling or NAS messages. Therefore, for the same characteristic, the terminal may obtain characteristic priority information from multiple messages. In this case, how the terminal device determines the characteristic priority information used for cell reselection needs to be defined and clarified.

[0313] As an example, the terminal determines whether to overwrite existing feature priority information based on an overlay indication sent by the network device. For instance, the network device may indicate in a message providing feature priority information whether to overwrite existing feature priority information and the message type providing such information. The terminal device then determines whether to overwrite existing feature priority information based on this indication. Alternatively, the network device may indicate the overlay relationship between feature priority information provided by different message types in a separate message. The device then determines whether to overwrite existing feature priority information upon receiving new feature priority information based on this indication.

[0314] As an example, the terminal determines whether to cover based on its own implementation. For instance, if there is no special protocol agreement or network instruction, when the terminal receives different feature priority information, it determines whether to cover based on its own implementation, or by default covers the existing feature priority information according to the feature priority information provided in the latest received message.

[0315] It should be noted that the above methods can be implemented in combination. For example, the terminal can determine the feature priority information based on network device instructions and its own implementation.

[0316] In the above method, the feature priority information includes feature information and priority information. The coverage can be full coverage or only priority information coverage. The feature information is determined according to the features provided in the broadcast system message, or the complete set or intersection features provided by all messages. Furthermore, if feature information does not indicate corresponding priority information, the terminal device can consider that feature to be the lowest priority feature.

[0317] The terminal device determines the cell reselection priority based on the feature priority information of the features used for cell reselection. Specifically, the terminal device prioritizes determining the cell reselection priority based on the cell reselection information corresponding to higher priority features. As an example, the terminal determines the cell reselection priority according to the following rules.

[0318] Frequency points / cells that support the cell reselection feature of terminal devices have a higher priority than frequency points / cells that do not support the cell reselection feature of terminal devices.

[0319] The reselection priority among multiple frequency points / cells that support the cell reselection feature of terminal devices with the same or equal priority, and the reselection priority among frequency points / cells that do not support the cell reselection feature of terminal devices, are determined based on the reselection priority information indicated by the network device.

[0320] The frequency point / cell that supports the features of the terminal device for cell reselection is determined according to the priority of the highest priority feature it supports. The higher the priority of the highest priority feature supported on the frequency point / cell, the higher the cell reselection priority of the frequency point / cell.

[0321] Example 2: The RAN and CN determine the feature priority information of their respective features and provide it to the terminal device. If the feature priority information received by the RAN and CN conflicts, the terminal resolves the conflict based on the protocol, network device instructions, or its own implementation to determine the feature priority information for cell reselection and performs cell reselection based on the determined feature priority information.

[0322] The above method, as shown in Figure 4B, includes:

[0323] In step S4201, the RAN and CN each determine the priority information of their respective characteristics and send it to the terminal device, meaning that there is no need for coordination between the RAN and CN or unified control through other nodes.

[0324] In step S4202, the terminal receives the feature priority information sent by the network device and determines the cell reselection priority based on the feature priority information sent by the network device. Specifically,

[0325] The terminal device determines the characteristic information used for cell reselection in the same way as above, and will not be repeated here.

[0326] The terminal device receives feature priority information sent by the base station and core network equipment, and determines feature priority information for cell reselection based on the received feature priority information.

[0327] Based on the protocol agreement or network device control, the feature priority information sent by the base station and the core network is orthogonal to each other, and there will be no situation where multiple features belong to the same priority.

[0328] If the feature priority provided by the core network equipment is the same as the feature priority sent by the base station equipment, the terminal can resolve the conflict based on protocol agreements, network indications, or its own implementation. For example, the terminal equipment can determine which feature has a higher priority based on protocol agreements or network indications. Alternatively, the terminal equipment can determine which feature has a higher priority based on its own implementation, or the terminal equipment can determine that the features are of equal priority and determine the cell reselection priority during subsequent reselection based on the frequency / cell reselection priority associated with the equal priority feature configured by the network equipment.

[0329] The method by which the terminal determines the cell reselection priority based on the characteristic information and characteristic priority information used for cell reselection is the same as above, and will not be repeated here.

[0330] The terminal equipment determines the characteristic information used for cell reselection. Specifically, the characteristic information can be determined by higher layers and instructed to the AS, or determined by the AS and directly used to determine the cell reselection priority.

[0331] The terminal device determines the feature priority information used for cell reselection. Specifically, if the terminal receives feature priority information provided by multiple messages, the terminal device determines the feature priority information used for cell reselection priority determination based on at least one of the following methods: protocol agreement, network device instruction, or the terminal device's own implementation.

[0332] This disclosure also proposes an apparatus (also referred to as a communication device, etc.) for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Furthermore, another apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0333] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0334] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0335] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The terminal 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5A, the terminal 5100 may include at least one of a transceiver module 5101 and a processing module 5102.

[0336] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 5101 is used to receive feature priority information sent by the network device.

[0337] In some embodiments, the processing module 5102 is used to determine the cell reselection priority based on the feature priority information.

[0338] Optionally, the transceiver module 5101 is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (such as step S2101, step S2102, step S2106, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal 5100 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0339] Optionally, the processing module 5102 is used to execute at least one of the other steps executed by the terminal 5100 in any of the above methods (e.g., steps S2103, S2104, S2105, S2107, but not limited thereto), which will not be elaborated here.

[0340] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The network device 5200 is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5B, the network device 5200 may include a transceiver module 5201.

[0341] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 5201 is used to send feature priority information to the terminal; wherein the feature priority information is used by the terminal to determine the cell reselection priority.

[0342] Optionally, the transceiver module 5201 is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (such as step S2101, step S2102, step S2106, but not limited thereto) performed by the network device 5200 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0343] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0344] In some embodiments, the processing module may be a single module or may include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules may each perform all or part of the steps required by the processing module.

[0345] In some embodiments, the processing module can be interchanged with the processor, and the transceiver module can be interchanged with the transceiver.

[0346] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 6100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 6100 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment, etc.), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 6100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0347] As shown in Figure 6A, the communication device 6100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 includes one or more processors 6101. The processor 6101 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 6100 is used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 6101 are used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 6100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0348] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more transceivers 6102. When the communication device 6100 includes one or more transceivers 6102, the transceiver 6102 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, S2106, but not limited thereto), and the processor 6101 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2103, S2104, S2105, S2107, but not limited thereto). In optional embodiments, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated together. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0349] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more memories 6103 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, one or more processors 6101 are used to invoke instructions stored in the memory 6103 to cause the communication device 6100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, all or part of the memory 6103 may also be located outside the communication device 6100. In an optional embodiment, the communication device 6100 may include one or more interface circuits 6104. Optionally, the interface circuit 6104 is connected to the memory 6103 and can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memory 6103 or other devices, and can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memory 6103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 6104 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memory 6103 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 6101.

[0350] The communication device 6100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 6100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 6100 may not be limited by FIG. 6A. The communication device may be a standalone device or a part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data, programs and / or instructions; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0351] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the structure of chip 6200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 6100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of chip 6200 shown in Figure 6B, but it is not limited thereto.

[0352] Chip 6200 includes one or more processors 6201. Chip 6200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0353] In some embodiments, chip 6200 further includes one or more interface circuits 6202. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 6200 further includes one or more memories 6203 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 6203 may be located outside of chip 6200. Optionally, interface circuit 6202 is connected to memory 6203, and interface circuit 6202 can be used to receive data and / or instructions from memory 6203 or other devices, and interface circuit 6202 can be used to send data and / or instructions to memory 6203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 6202 can read data and / or instructions stored in memory 6203 and send the data and / or instructions to processor 6201.

[0354] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 6202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, and S2106, but not limited thereto). The interface circuit 6202 performing the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method refers, for example, to the interface circuit 6202 performing data and / or instruction interaction between the processor 6201, the chip 6200, the memory 6203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 6201 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2103, S2104, S2105, and S2107, but not limited thereto).

[0355] The modules and / or devices described in the various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be combined or separated arbitrarily as needed. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0356] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0357] This disclosure also proposes a program product, including a program and / or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product. Optionally, the program product is stored on the storage medium.

[0358] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

[0359] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is executed by a terminal, and the method includes: Receive feature priority information sent by network devices; Based on the aforementioned feature priority information, the cell reselection priority is determined.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: In the event of a conflict in the received feature priority information, a first feature priority information is determined; wherein, the first feature priority information is feature priority information used to determine the cell reselection priority.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes at least one of the following: For the same feature, different network devices provide different feature priority information, which leads to a conflict in the received feature priority information. For the same feature, the same network device provides different feature priority information through different types of messages, resulting in a conflict in determining the received feature priority information; For the same feature, if the same network device provides different feature priority information through the same type of message, it indicates a conflict in the received feature priority information.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method further includes at least one of the following: Based on the agreement, the priority information of the first characteristic is determined; Based on the first indication information sent by the network device, determine the first characteristic priority information; The priority information of the first characteristic is determined based on a predefined method; The first feature priority information is feature priority information used to determine the cell reselection priority.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The agreement and / or the first instruction information are used to determine at least one of the following: Whether to overwrite existing feature priority information; Message types that provide priority information for the covered features; Priorities between different types of messages, wherein the priority is used to determine the first characteristic priority information based on the characteristic priority information provided by the message of the highest priority type when there is a conflict in the characteristic priority information provided by the message of the highest priority type.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The characteristic priority information sent by the receiving network device includes at least one of the following: Receive feature priority information sent by a first network device, wherein the feature priority information sent by the first network device is determined by the first network device and at least one second network device; Receive feature priority information sent by the first network device and the third network device.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Determine first characteristic information; wherein, the first characteristic information is information about a first characteristic, and the first characteristic is a characteristic used by the terminal to determine the cell reselection priority.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The method further includes at least one of the following: The non-access stratum NAS determines the first characteristic priority information and sends it to the access stratum AS. The AS determines the priority information of the first characteristic; The first feature priority information is feature priority information used to determine the cell reselection priority.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The step of determining the first characteristic priority information by the non-access stratum NAS and sending it to the access stratum AS includes at least one of the following: The terminal receives the feature priority information provided by the access network device and then submits it to the NAS; The NAS determines the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information provided by the access network device and / or the feature priority information provided by the core network device through NAS signaling, and sends it to the AS.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The determination of the first characteristic priority information by AS includes at least one of the following: The NAS receives the feature priority information sent by the core network device via NAS signaling and then sends it to the AS; The AS determines the first feature priority information based on the feature priority information sent by the NAS and the feature priority information provided by the access network device.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The characteristic priority information sent by the receiving network device includes at least one of the following: Receive system messages broadcast by access network devices, the system messages being used to provide the feature priority information; Receive Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling sent by the access network device, wherein the RRC signaling is used to provide the feature priority information; Receive NAS signaling sent by the core network equipment, wherein the NAS signaling is used to provide the feature priority information.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, Priorities between different message types include at least one of the following: Broadcast system messages have a lower priority than Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. Broadcast system messages have a lower priority than NAS signaling. The priority of RRC signaling is higher than that of NAS signaling, or the priority of NAS signaling is higher than that of RRC signaling, or the priority of NAS signaling is the same as that of RRC signaling; wherein the priority between RRC signaling and NAS signaling is determined based on a predefined method and / or protocol agreement.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, Determining the cell reselection priority based on the feature priority information includes at least one of the following: Cells that support at least one primary feature have a higher priority for reselection than cells that do not support at least one primary feature. Frequency points that support at least one primary characteristic have a higher reselection priority than frequency points that do not support at least one primary characteristic. Based on the first reselection priority information sent by the network device, the reselection priority between frequency points and / or cells that support the same first feature is determined; Based on the first reselection priority information sent by the network device, the reselection priority among frequency points supporting multiple first features of equal priority is determined, and / or, the reselection priority among cells supporting multiple first features of equal priority is determined. Based on the second reselection priority information sent by the network device, the reselection priority between frequency points that do not support at least one first feature, and / or the reselection priority between cells that do not support at least one first feature are determined. Based on the priority of the highest priority first feature supported by the frequency point, determine the reselection priority among frequency points that support at least one first feature; Based on the priority of the highest priority first feature supported by the cell, determine the reselection priority among cells that support at least one first feature; The first characteristic is the characteristic used by the terminal to determine the cell reselection priority.

14. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is performed by a network device, and the method includes: Send feature priority information to the terminal; wherein the feature priority information is used by the terminal to determine the cell reselection priority.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send first indication information to the terminal; wherein, the first indication information is used by the terminal to determine first characteristic priority information when there is a conflict in the received characteristic priority information, wherein the first characteristic priority information is characteristic priority information used to determine the cell reselection priority.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first indication information is used to determine at least one of the following: Whether to overwrite existing feature priority information; Message types that provide priority information for the covered features; Priorities between different types of messages, wherein the priority is used to determine the first characteristic priority information based on the characteristic priority information provided by the message of the highest priority type when there is a conflict in the characteristic priority information provided by the message of the highest priority type.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14-16, characterized in that, Sending feature priority information to the terminal includes at least one of the following: The first network device sends the feature priority information to the terminal; wherein the feature priority information sent by the first network device is determined by the first network device and at least one second network device. The first network device and the third network device send the feature priority information to the terminal.

18. The method according to any one of claims 14-17, characterized in that, Sending feature priority information to the terminal includes at least one of the following: The access network device broadcasts a system message, which is used to provide the feature priority information; The access network device sends Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to the terminal, the RRC signaling being used to provide the feature priority information; The core network equipment sends Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling to the terminal, and the NAS signaling is used to provide the feature priority information.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14-18, characterized in that, Priorities between different message types include at least one of the following: Broadcast system messages have a lower priority than Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. Broadcast system messages have a lower priority than NAS signaling. The priority of RRC signaling is higher than that of NAS signaling, or the priority of NAS signaling is lower than that of RRC signaling, or the priority of NAS signaling is the same as that of RRC signaling; wherein the priority between RRC signaling and NAS signaling is determined based on a predefined method and / or protocol agreement.

20. The method according to any one of claims 14-19, characterized in that, The method further includes at least one of the following: Send first reselection priority information to the terminal; wherein, the first reselection priority information is used to determine the reselection priority among multiple frequency points supporting multiple first features of equal priority, and / or, the reselection priority among multiple cells supporting multiple first features of equal priority. Send second reselection priority information to the terminal; wherein the second reselection priority information is used to determine the reselection priority between frequency points that do not support at least one first feature, and / or the reselection priority between cells that do not support at least one first feature; The first characteristic is the characteristic used by the terminal to determine the cell reselection priority.

21. A terminal, characterized in that, The terminal includes: The transceiver module is configured to receive feature priority information sent by network devices; The processing module is configured to determine the cell reselection priority based on the aforementioned feature priority information.

22. A network device, characterized in that, The network device includes: The transceiver module is configured to send feature priority information to the terminal; wherein the feature priority information is used by the terminal to determine the cell reselection priority.

23. A terminal, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; The processor is used to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1-13.

24. A network device, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; The processor is used to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 14-20.

25. A communication system, characterized in that, include: A terminal, the terminal being configured to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1-13; A network device configured to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 14-20.

26. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction is executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-13 or 14-20.

27. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When executed by a processor, the computer program is used to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1-13 or 14-20.

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