Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, relating to the technical field of communications. In the method, a terminal can learn reported content, such as second information, by means of first information, and report the second information, so that a network device (such as a source network device or a master network device) can receive the second information, and select, on the basis of the second information, a candidate cell for executing EDF. Further, on the basis of content contained in the second information, the second information is information obtained by prediction, which can increase the probability that the network device (such as the source network device or the master network device) selects a target cell (i.e., a cell actually accessed by a terminal in the future) on the basis of the second information, thereby reducing transmission resource waste and storage resource waste.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510205707.4, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on February 24, 2025, entitled "A Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] Mobility management technology has been proposed in communication technology. Mobility management is a fundamental function in wireless mobile communication, used to ensure that the communication link between network equipment and terminals is not interrupted due to terminal movement. Based on the terminal's radio resource control (RRC) state, mobility management is divided into RRC idle-state mobility management and RRC connected-state (RRC_CONNECTED) mobility management. RRC idle-state mobility management includes cell selection / reselection. RRC connected-state mobility management includes handover. During cell handover, the source or primary base station can select candidate base stations based on measurements reported by the terminal and perform early data forwarding (EDF) to these base stations. This can lead to wasted transmission resources. For example, the measurements reported by the terminal may actually be measurements previously obtained by the terminal from the candidate base stations selected by the source base station; that is, the measurements reported by the terminal are historical measurements. The candidate base stations selected by the source base station based on such measurements may not include the target base stations that the terminal will actually access in the future. If EDF is still performed on these base stations, it will result in wasted transmission resources. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that can reduce the waste of transmission resources.

[0005] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a terminal, or by a component within the terminal (e.g., a module, communication module, circuitry or chip responsible for communication functions), or by a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions. Taking the application of this method to a terminal as an example, the method includes: the terminal receiving first information, the first information being used to report second information, and the second information being used to select candidate cells for performing EDF (Electronic Data Rendering). Thus, the terminal can send the second information. The second information includes at least one of the following: a first candidate cell set for which the terminal performs prediction, a first prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, or prediction information for the first candidate cell set.

[0006] In the above embodiments, the terminal can obtain the reported content, such as the second information, through the first information and report the second information, so that the network device (such as the source network device or the master network device) can receive the second information and select a candidate cell for EDF based on the second information. From the content of the second information, it is clear that the second information is predicted information, which can increase the probability that the network device (such as the source network device or the master network device) selects the target cell (i.e., the cell that the terminal will actually access in the future) based on the second information, thereby helping to reduce the waste of transmission and storage resources.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the first information is used to indicate the reporting of at least one of the following: candidate cell information for the terminal to perform prediction, prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, whether prediction can be sustained before the first time point, or prediction information of candidate cells. Here, the candidate cell information includes the number of candidate cells and / or the identifiers of the candidate cells, and the first time point is the time when the connection with the source network device is disconnected, or the first time point is the time when the target primary secondary cell (PSCell) is reported.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the first information further includes a second prediction configuration, which includes at least one of the following: the length of a second measurement window, the length of a second prediction window, the number of reference cells used in performing measurements within the second measurement window, or the effective time of the second prediction configuration. The measurement information obtained from performing measurements within the second measurement window is used to perform prediction, and the second prediction window is used by the terminal to predict the signal quality of candidate cells after the second prediction window.

[0009] In the above embodiments, the terminal can learn the predicted configuration recommended by the network device (such as the source network device or the main network device), such as the second predicted configuration, through the first information. This is helpful for the terminal to select the appropriate predicted configuration to perform the prediction.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the first prediction configuration includes at least one of the following: the length of a first measurement window, the length of a first prediction window, the number of reference cells used to perform measurements within the first measurement window, or the effective time of the first prediction configuration. The measurement information obtained from performing measurements within the first measurement window is used to perform prediction, and the first prediction window is used by the terminal to predict the signal quality of candidate cells after the first prediction window.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the prediction information of the first candidate cell set includes at least one of the following: the access probability of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, the false alarm rate of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, the access time of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, the effective access time interval of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, or the signal quality of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set based on the prediction.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the terminal may also send capability information, which includes the maximum number of candidate cells the terminal can perform prediction on and / or the content the terminal supports for prediction. The content the terminal supports for prediction includes at least one of the following: the access probability of the candidate cell, the false alarm rate of the candidate cell, the access time of the candidate cell, the effective access time interval of the candidate cell, or the signal quality of the candidate cell.

[0013] In the above embodiments, the terminal can report capability information, enabling network devices (such as source network devices or master network devices) to determine the first information based on the capability information. That is, the network device can instruct the terminal on what content it should report based on the terminal's capabilities. In this way, the number of reporting failures can be reduced when the terminal reports the second information based on the first information from the network device.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the first information is also used to indicate whether new prediction information can be reported before the first moment is reached.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the second information is further used to indicate that continuous prediction can be made before the first time point is reached. The terminal may also receive third information. Wherein, the candidate cell information indicated by the first information is different from the candidate cell information indicated by the third information, or the third information may include a third prediction configuration, which is different from the second prediction configuration.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the third information is further used to report fourth information, which is used to update the candidate cells performing EDF. In this case, the terminal may also send the fourth information. The fourth information includes at least one of the following: the second candidate cell set for which the terminal performs prediction, the fourth prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, or prediction information of the second candidate cell set.

[0017] In the above embodiments, the terminal can also learn about the reporting of fourth information through the third information, which is beneficial for network devices (such as source network devices or master network devices) to update the candidate cells for executing EDF.

[0018] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a network device (such as a source network device or a master network device), or by a component within the network device, or by a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. Taking the application of this method to a terminal as an example, the method includes: the network device sending first information, the first information being used to report second information, and the second information being used to select candidate cells for performing EDF. Thus, the network device can receive the second information. The second information includes at least one of the following: a first candidate cell set for the terminal to perform prediction, a first prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, or prediction information of the first candidate cell set.

[0019] In the above embodiments, the terminal can obtain the reported content, such as the second information, through the first information and report the second information, so that the network device (such as the source network device or the master network device) can receive the second information and select a candidate cell for EDF based on the second information. From the content of the second information, it is clear that the second information is predicted information, which can increase the probability that the network device (such as the source network device or the master network device) selects the target cell (i.e., the cell that the terminal will actually access in the future) based on the second information, thereby helping to reduce the waste of transmission and storage resources.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the first information is used to indicate the reporting of at least one of the following: candidate cell information for which the terminal performs prediction, prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, whether prediction can be sustained before reaching a first time point, or prediction information of the candidate cell. The first time point is the time when the connection with the source network device is disconnected, or the first time point is the time when the target PScell ​​is reported.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the first information further includes a second prediction configuration, which includes at least one of the following: the length of a second measurement window, the length of a second prediction window, the number of reference cells used in performing measurements within the second measurement window, or the effective time of the second prediction configuration. The measurement information obtained from performing measurements within the second measurement window is used to perform prediction, and the second prediction window is used by the terminal to predict the signal quality of candidate cells after the second prediction window.

[0022] In the above embodiments, the network device also indicates the recommended prediction configuration, such as the second prediction configuration, through the first information, which helps the terminal to select the appropriate prediction configuration to perform prediction.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the first prediction configuration includes at least one of the following: the length of a first measurement window, the length of a first prediction window, the number of reference cells used to perform measurements within the first measurement window, or the effective time of the first prediction configuration. The measurement information obtained from performing measurements within the first measurement window is used to perform prediction, and the first prediction window is used by the terminal to predict the signal quality of candidate cells after the first prediction window.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the prediction information of the first candidate cell set includes at least one of the following: the access probability of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, the false alarm rate of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, the access time of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, the effective access time interval of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, or the signal quality of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set based on the prediction.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the network device may also receive capability information, which includes the maximum number of candidate cells for which the terminal performs prediction and / or the content that the terminal supports for prediction. The content that the terminal supports for prediction includes at least one of the following: the access probability of the candidate cell, the false alarm rate of the candidate cell, the access time of the candidate cell, the effective access time interval of the candidate cell, or the signal quality of the candidate cell.

[0026] In the above embodiments, the network device can also determine the first information based on capability information. That is, the network device can instruct the terminal on what content it should report based on the terminal's capabilities. In this way, when the terminal reports the second information based on the first information from the network device, the number of reporting failures can be reduced.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the first information is also used to indicate whether new prediction information can be reported before the first moment is reached.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the second information is further used to indicate the ability to continuously predict before reaching the first time point. The network device may also send third information. Wherein, the candidate cell information indicated by the first information differs from the candidate cell information indicated by the third information, or the third information may include a third prediction configuration, which differs from the second prediction configuration.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the third information is also used to report fourth information, and the network device can also receive the fourth information, which is used to update the candidate cells for performing EDF. The fourth information includes at least one of the following: a second candidate cell set for the terminal to perform prediction, a fourth prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, or prediction information for the second candidate cell set.

[0030] In the above embodiments, the network device can also enable the terminal to know and report fourth information through the third information, which is beneficial for the network device to update the candidate cells for executing EDF.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the network device may further determine at least one candidate cell from the second candidate cell set for performing EDF based on fourth information, wherein a first candidate cell among the at least one candidate cell belongs to the candidate cell selected based on the second information for performing EDF, and the access probability of the first candidate cell is lower than an access probability threshold. In this way, the network device may send fifth information to the candidate network device to which the first candidate cell belongs, the fifth information being used to instruct the deletion of EDF-based data.

[0032] In the above implementation, the network device can instruct the candidate network device to which the candidate cell with a lower access probability belongs to delete EDF-based data, thereby reducing the waste of storage resources.

[0033] Thirdly, a communication apparatus is provided, comprising units, modules, or means for implementing the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects. The communication apparatus may be a terminal or a component within a terminal, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions, or a network device or a component within a network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device's functions.

[0034] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any one of the first or second aspects. The communication device may be a terminal or a component within a terminal, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal's functions, or a network device or a component within a network device, or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the network device's functions. The at least one processor may execute a computer program or instructions stored in a memory to cause the described method to be performed. The memory may be included in the communication device or located externally to the communication device. Furthermore, the communication device may also include an interface.

[0035] Fifthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores computer instructions or programs that, when executed, cause a computer to perform the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0036] Sixthly, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program or program that, when run by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0037] A seventh aspect provides a chip including at least one processor for executing computer instructions or programs, which, when run, cause the chip to perform the method as described in any one of the first or second aspects. The processor may execute computer programs or instructions stored in memory to cause the described method to be performed. The memory may be included in the chip or located externally. Furthermore, the chip may include an interface.

[0038] Eighthly, a communication system is provided, comprising a first communication device for performing the method as described in any one of the first aspects and / or a second communication device for performing the method as described in any one of the second aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 shows the basic architecture of a communication system;

[0040] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the AI ​​function implementation of a device in the communication system shown in Figure 1 below, which is a CU-DU separation architecture in an ORAN system.

[0041] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a terminal simultaneously connecting to multiple network devices;

[0042] Figure 4 is a simplified CHO process diagram;

[0043] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a CPAC process triggered by a main network device;

[0044] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a CHO-based switching process provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a main network device triggering a CPAC process according to an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. Unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship; for example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, in the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" refers to two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be one or multiple. Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish between network elements and similar items with essentially the same function. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0050] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in the embodiments described in this application mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0051] The following detailed embodiments further illustrate the objectives, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this application. It should be understood that the following are merely specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made based on the technical solutions of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

[0052] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0053] The method provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, 5th generation (5G) communication systems, new radio (NR) systems, or new communication systems emerging in future communication development. Among these, IoT networks may include, but are not limited to, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks. The communication methods in V2X systems can be collectively referred to as vehicle-to-everything (V2X), where X can represent anything. For example, V2X can include: vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication, or vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication, etc. The method provided in this application can also be applied to non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication systems, or scenarios where NTN and terrestrial network (TN) are integrated. The NTN system can be an NTN system integrated with 4G, 5G, or any future generation of communication systems, such as NR NTN, IoT NTN, etc. The NTN communication system can be, for example, a satellite communication system, or it can include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), high altitude platform stations (HAPS), and other aerial access network equipment; this application does not limit this.

[0054] The method provided in this application can be applied between two entities in a communication system, such as one entity sending information to or receiving information sent by the other entity. In a wireless communication system, communication devices are included, and these devices can communicate wirelessly using air interface resources. Air interface resources may include at least one of time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, code resources, and spatial resources; this application does not limit this. For example, the aforementioned two entities may include a network device and a terminal, or may include a chip that can be placed in a network device and a chip that can be placed in a terminal, etc. Of course, as standards advance, other types of entities may emerge subsequently; this application does not limit this.

[0055] The basic architecture of the communication system provided in this application is described below. The communication system provided in this application may include one or more network devices and one or more terminals.

[0056] The system architecture shown in Figure 1 will be used as an example for explanation below. In Figure 1, the communication system includes a network device 10 and a terminal 20 communicating with the network device 10. The number of network devices and terminals in Figure 1 is merely illustrative and should not be considered a specific limitation of this application. Alternatively, Figure 1 illustrates a communication system applicable to the method provided in this application embodiment, using a 3GPP-related cellular system as an example. Based on the same concept, the method provided in this application can also be applied to other communication networks such as Zigbee, Long Range Radio (Lora), and Bluetooth (BT), and this application does not limit this application. The terminals and network devices involved in the system architecture will be described in detail below.

[0057] I. Terminal

[0058] A terminal is an entity on the user side used to receive signals, or transmit signals, or both. Terminals are used to provide users with one or more of the following: voice services and data connectivity services. A terminal can be a device that includes wireless transceiver capabilities and can cooperate with network equipment to provide communication services to users. Specifically, a terminal can refer to user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, wireless communication equipment, user agent, user equipment, or roadside unit (RSU). Terminal equipment can also be a communication module with satellite communication capabilities, a satellite phone or its components, or a satellite communication terminal, such as a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) (commonly referred to as a VSAT terminal), a portable station, a fixed station, a vehicle-mounted or airborne satellite communication terminal, etc. It should be understood that a satellite communication terminal can act as a micro base station to further provide a data interface to the accessed user equipment.Terminals can also be drones, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, stations (STs) in wireless local area networks (WLANs), cellular phones, smartphones, cordless phones, wireless data cards, tablets, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistant (PDA) devices, laptop computers, machine type communication (MTC) terminals, handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices (also known as wearable smart devices), virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, wireless terminals in smart grids, and transportation security devices. Wireless terminals in smart cities, smart homes, etc., can be used in various contexts such as safety, security, and safety. The terminal can also be a terminal in a 5G system or a terminal in a next-generation communication system; this application does not limit the specific application to these possibilities.

[0059] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. The device used to implement the functions of the terminal can be the terminal itself, or it can be any device that supports the terminal in implementing those functions, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in the terminal or used in conjunction with the terminal. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. In the embodiments of this application, only the terminal is used as an example to illustrate the device used to implement the functions of the terminal, and this does not constitute a limitation on the solutions of the embodiments of this application.

[0060] The terminal in this application can be a hardware device, a software function running on dedicated hardware, a software function running on general-purpose hardware, or a virtualized device, such as a device implemented through general-purpose hardware and instantiated virtualization functions, or dedicated hardware and instantiated virtualization functions. The general-purpose hardware can be a server, such as a cloud server.

[0061] II. Network Equipment

[0062] A network device is an entity on the network side used to transmit signals, or receive signals, or both. A network device can be a means deployed in a radio access network (RAN) to provide wireless communication functionality to terminals.

[0063] In one possible scenario, network equipment can be devices with base station functions, such as evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs), transmitting and receiving points (TRPs), transmitting points (TPs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), next-generation base stations in 6G mobile communication systems, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, and non-terrestrial network equipment in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), which can be deployed on high-altitude platforms or satellites. Network equipment can be transmitting and receiving points (TRPs), base stations, and various forms of control nodes, such as network controllers and radio controllers. Specifically, network equipment can be various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small cells) in heterogeneous network (HetNet) scenarios, relay stations, access points (APs), radio network controllers (RNCs), node Bs (NBs), base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), home base stations (e.g., home evolved node Bs, or home node Bs (HNBs)), baseband units (BBUs) and remote radio units (RRUs) in distributed base station scenarios, transmitting and receiving points (TRPs), transmitting points (TPs), mobile switching centers, Zigbee base stations, Bluetooth master, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) master, LoRa base stations, etc., or even base station antenna panels. Control nodes can connect to multiple base stations and configure resources for multiple terminals covered by multiple base stations. In systems employing different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with base station functions may vary.For example, it could be a gNB in ​​5G, network-side equipment in networks after 5G, or network equipment in future evolved public land mobile networks (PLMNs), or equipment that performs base station functions in device-to-device (D2D) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. This application does not limit the specific name of the network equipment. Network equipment can also be a baseband pool (BBU pool) and RRU under an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), cloud radio access network (CRAN), etc.

[0064] In another possible scenario, multiple network devices collaborate to assist terminals in achieving wireless access, with each network device performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, network devices may include a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs may be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs). It is understood that network devices can be CU nodes, DU nodes, or devices comprising both CU and DU nodes. Furthermore, CUs can be classified as network devices in the access network (RAN) or in the core network (CN), without limitation. In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an open-RAN (O-RAN or ORAN) system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0065] The network device in this application can be a virtualized device, for example, implemented through general-purpose hardware and instantiated virtualization functions, or dedicated hardware and instantiated virtualization functions. The general-purpose hardware can be a server, such as a cloud server.

[0066] In this embodiment, the apparatus for implementing the functions of a network device can be a network device itself; it can also be an apparatus capable of supporting the network device in implementing those functions, such as a chip system, hardware circuit, software module, or a hardware circuit plus a software module. This apparatus can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device. In this embodiment, the example of a network device being used to implement the functions of a network device is provided only and does not constitute a limitation on the solutions described in this embodiment.

[0067] To facilitate understanding of the content of this solution, some terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained below, so that those skilled in the art can understand them. This part is only for the purpose of understanding and should not be regarded as a specific limitation of this application.

[0068] I. AI

[0069] AI can endow machines with human-like intelligence, for example, allowing them to use computer hardware and software to simulate certain intelligent human behaviors. To achieve artificial intelligence, machine learning (ML) methods can be employed. In machine learning, machines learn (or train) models using training data. These models, which can be called AI models, ML models, rules, or other names, are the specific methods for implementing AI functions. A model represents the mapping relationship or function between its inputs and outputs. The learned model can be used for reasoning (or prediction), that is, it can be used to predict the output corresponding to a given input. This output can be called the forward inference output, the inference result, or the prediction result; these descriptions are interchangeable.

[0070] A model can infer an output. The learning, training, or inference processes of different models can be implemented on different devices or nodes, or on the same device or node; this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0071] In the case of introducing AI into the wireless field, the devices in the communication system shown in Figure 1 can have AI functions.

[0072] For example, in Figure 2-1, both the terminal and the network device can include one or more built-in AI modules for implementing AI functions. These AI modules can be called AI entities, AI units, or other names, and have one or more models. Therefore, it can also be said that both the terminal and the network device can deploy one or more models. In one possible implementation, the network device can include a CU and a DU, where the CU can deploy one or more AI modules, and the DU can deploy one or more AI modules. Optionally, the CU can also be split into CU-CP and CU-UP. One or more AI modules can be deployed in CU-CP and / or CU-UP.

[0073] For example, in Figure 2-2, the network device may include a RAN intelligent controller (RIC). The RIC is used to implement AI functions. The RIC includes a near-real-time RIC (near-RT RIC) and / or a non-real-time RIC (non-RT RIC). In one possible implementation, the near-real-time RIC or non-real-time RIC can be used for model training and inference. For example, it can be used to train a model and then use that model for inference. The near-real-time RIC or non-real-time RIC can obtain relevant information from network devices (e.g., at least one of CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, RU, etc.) and / or terminals as training data or inference data. Optionally, the near-real-time RIC or non-real-time RIC can deliver the model's output to the network devices and / or terminals. Optionally, the model's output can be exchanged between CU and DU, and / or between DU and RU. For example, near real-time or non-real-time RICs submit the model's output to the DU, which then sends it to the RU to enable near real-time intelligent management of network devices.

[0074] Optionally, the aforementioned near real-time RIC and non-real-time RIC can be configured as separate network elements, or they can be integrated into other devices. For example, the near real-time RIC can be installed in network devices, such as the CU or DU. The non-real-time RIC can be installed in operations, administration and maintenance (OAM), cloud servers, network elements in the core network, or other devices. Optionally, the RIC in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules; this application does not limit this implementation.

[0075] II. Dual connectivity (DC)

[0076] To improve data transmission efficiency and reliability, a terminal can connect to multiple network devices simultaneously, as shown in Figure 3. These multiple network devices include one primary network device and at least one secondary network device. For example, in a dual-connectivity scenario, a terminal can connect to one primary network device and one secondary network device. The primary network device, also known as the master node (MN), is the network device belonging to the primary cell of the terminal under the dual-connectivity service. The secondary network device, also known as the secondary node (SN), is the network device belonging to the secondary cell of the terminal under the dual-connectivity service.

[0077] In one possible implementation, the DC (Distributed Control Center) may include Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access and New Radio Dual Connectivity (E-UTRA-new radio dual connectivity, EN-DC), Next Generation Radio Access Network Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access and New Radio Dual Connectivity (NG-RAN E-UTRA-NR dual connectivity, NGEN-DC), New Radio and Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Dual Connectivity (NR-E-UTRA dual connectivity, NE-DC), or New Radio and New Radio Dual Connectivity (NR-NR dual connectivity, NR-DC), etc. Specifically, EN-DC, i.e., LTE-NR DC, has an LTE base station as the primary network device connected to the 4G core network and an NR base station as the secondary network device. NGEN-DC has an LTE base station as the primary network device connected to the 5G core network and an NR base station as the secondary network device. NE-DC, i.e., NR-LTE DC, has an NR base station as the primary network device connected to the 5G core network and an LTE base station as the secondary network device. NR-DC, i.e., NR-NR DC, has both NR base stations as the primary and secondary network devices connected to the 5G core network. These are merely some possible examples; this application does not limit the type of the main network equipment and the auxiliary network equipment. For instance, at least one of the main network equipment and the auxiliary network equipment may be a base station for other future communication systems.

[0078] Optionally, the primary network device and the secondary network device can be deployed at the same site, meaning they are the same network device. Alternatively, they can be deployed separately, meaning they are different network devices. This application does not limit the deployment method of the primary and secondary network devices.

[0079] In one possible implementation, the master network device can provide one or more cells to the terminal to form a master cell group (MCG). For example, a master cell group includes a master cell and zero or at least one secondary cell.

[0080] In one possible implementation, the secondary network device can provide one or more cells to the terminal, forming a secondary cell group (SCG). For example, a secondary cell group includes a PScell ​​and zero or at least one secondary cell. A PScell ​​refers to a cell in which the terminal initiates a random access procedure with the secondary network device, or a cell in which the terminal skips the random access procedure and initiates data transmission during a change in the secondary network device, or a cell in the network device that initiates random access during a synchronization reconfiguration process.

[0081] III. Conditional handover (CHO)

[0082] Conditional handover involves the network configuring handover conditions for a terminal. The use of conditional handover is determined by the network, and the terminal evaluates when the handover conditions are valid. The conditional handover process includes three stages: handover preparation, handover execution, and handover completion. When a terminal enters a cell boundary area, it configures measurement reporting based on the source network device. After receiving the terminal's report, the source network device decides whether to configure and use a Conditional Handover Assisted Cell (CHO). If the source network device decides to use a CHO, it sends a handover request to candidate network devices and, upon receiving confirmation of the conditional handover request, sends an RRC connection reconfiguration message to the terminal. The RRC connection reconfiguration message carries the synchronization information of the candidate cell and the triggering conditions for conditional auxiliary cell changes. When the terminal receives the conditional handover configuration, it begins to evaluate the execution conditions. When a candidate cell meets one or more CHO execution conditions, it can be designated as the target cell, and the terminal can hand over to the target cell. The target network device of the target cell can then notify the source network device that the handover was successful. The source network device then sends a conditional handover cancellation message to other candidate network devices to cancel their conditional handover preparations. For example, Figure 4 is a simplified CHO process diagram, where NW represents the network, including the source network device and the target network device, or it can refer to the cell corresponding to the network device; all of the above are collectively referred to as the network. This CHO process diagram includes the following steps:

[0083] S401, Terminal Measurement Reporting.

[0084] For example, after the network configures the terminal measurement process, the terminal reports the measurement results based on the configuration.

[0085] S402. The network uses CHOs, which can be based on measurement reporting or on the decision of the source network device.

[0086] S403. The network prepares for CHO handover, which mainly includes selecting candidate cells and allocating resources to terminals.

[0087] In step S403, the CHO handover preparation performed by the network mainly involves the source network device sending a handover request, i.e., a CHO request message, to one or more candidate network devices (a candidate network device can have one or more candidate cells). Upon receiving the CHO request message, the candidate network device executes the admission control procedure to allocate resources to the terminal. After completing the resource allocation operation, the candidate network device sends a response message to the source network device for the CHO handover request (i.e., a handover request acknowledgement message (HO req ACK)). This response message includes the configuration information of the candidate cells, such as the synchronization information of the candidate cells and the CHO execution conditions in the CHO configuration. The CHO execution conditions can consist of one or two triggering conditions.

[0088] S404. The network sends an RRC connection reconfiguration message to the terminal. The RRC connection reconfiguration message contains the synchronization information of the candidate cell and the CHO execution conditions.

[0089] S405. The terminal sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to indicate the successful reception and application of the RRC connection reconfiguration message in step S404.

[0090] In step S405, after receiving the RRC connection reconfiguration message from step S404, the terminal maintains its connection with the network (mainly the source network device for CHO handover) and begins evaluating the CHO execution conditions of the candidate cell. Therefore, during the CHO handover execution phase, the terminal can receive messages from the network regarding RRC connection configuration and send an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the source network device.

[0091] S406, CHO execution conditions for terminal evaluation of candidate cells.

[0092] S407. The terminal performs random access with the target cell.

[0093] For example, the terminal selects a target cell based on the CHO evaluation criteria and performs random access with the target cell. The target cell is one of the aforementioned candidate cells.

[0094] S408. After the terminal completes synchronization with the candidate cell, it sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the network. The RRC reconfiguration completion message is used to inform the network that the terminal has completed the CHO process.

[0095] In step S408, after the terminal sends the RRC reconfiguration complete message, the CHO process ends at the terminal. The terminal can then release the stored CHO configuration.

[0096] S409. Update relevant information via the network and complete the CHO switch.

[0097] S401 to S405 correspond to the switchover preparation phase of the CHO process, S406 and S407 correspond to the switchover execution phase, and S408 and S409 correspond to the switchover completion phase.

[0098] In step S409, the network performs a CHO information update, including the target network device sending a handover success message to the source network device, the source network device informing the target network device of the terminal's connection status information, and sending CHO handover cancellation messages to other candidate network devices. That is, the network needs to update the terminal's connection status information from the source network device to the target network device, enabling the core network to switch the downlink data path to the target network device. Furthermore, the network also needs to cancel the CHO resources reserved for the terminal by other candidate network devices and release the terminal information retained by the source network device, such as the terminal's context.

[0099] Based on the above process, the terminal can perform conditional handover of cells, enhancing mobility. When the handover target is a PScell, the conditional handover process can also be called the Conditional PScell ​​Addition / Change (CPAC) process. In the CPAC process, either the primary or secondary network device in the network can configure change conditions for the terminal. When the terminal measures that the CPAC change conditions are met, the terminal synchronizes access with the target secondary network device, and then releases the source secondary network device, completing the change of the secondary network device. The addition of a PSCell is triggered by the primary network device. The change of a PSCell can be triggered by either the primary or secondary network device. A PSCell change refers to the terminal switching from one PSCell to another. When the change of a PSCell is triggered by a secondary network device, the secondary network device that triggers the change can be called the source secondary network device or source secondary node (source SN, S-SN). The secondary network device that the terminal accesses after performing cell handover can be called the target secondary network device or target secondary node (target SN, T-SN). For example, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a CPAC process triggered by a primary network device. The main participants in this process are a terminal, a primary network device, and a secondary network device. The CPAC process includes the following steps:

[0100] S501, Terminal Measurement Reporting.

[0101] For example, after the main network device configures the terminal measurement process, the terminal reports the measurement based on the configuration and results.

[0102] S502. The main network device uses CPAC. CPAC can be initiated based on measurement reporting or based on the decision of the main network device.

[0103] S503, the primary network device sends an add request, requesting the candidate network device to allocate resources for the terminal. This add request includes measurement results related to the candidate network device.

[0104] In step S503, the primary network device can send an add request to one or more candidate network devices (a candidate network device can have one or more candidate PScells). Upon receiving the add request, the candidate network device can allocate resources for the terminal. After completing the resource allocation operation, the candidate network device sends a response message to the primary network device for the add request. This response message includes the configuration information of the candidate PScell, such as the CPAC triggering conditions and the synchronization information of the candidate PScell, used to transmit the terminal's context and secondary cell group configuration from the source secondary network device to the target secondary network device.

[0105] In one possible implementation, the candidate network device in Figure 5 is a secondary network device.

[0106] S504. After receiving the add request, the candidate network device sends a response message to the master network device.

[0107] S505: The main network device sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the terminal, including the CPAC triggering conditions and the synchronization information of the candidate PScell.

[0108] S506. The terminal sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the main network device to indicate the successful reception and application of the RRC reconfiguration message in step S505.

[0109] S507. When the CPAC triggering condition is met, the terminal and the target PScell ​​perform random access.

[0110] S508. After completing random access, the terminal sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to PCell to indicate the completion of the CPAC process.

[0111] In step S508, after the terminal sends the RRC reconfiguration complete message, the CPAC process ends at the terminal. The terminal can then release the stored CPAC configuration.

[0112] Prior to step S406 in Figure 4, the source network device can select one or more candidate network devices to perform EDF based on measurement reports. Similarly, prior to step S507 in Figure 5, the master network device can select one or more candidate network devices to perform EDF based on measurement reports. However, this method of selecting network devices based on measurement reports may result in a waste of transmission and storage resources. For example, the candidate network devices selected by the source network device based on measurement reports may not include the target network devices that the terminal will actually access in the future. If the source network device still performs EDF on these candidate network devices, it will not only waste transmission resources but also affect the storage resources of the candidate network devices. Based on this, this application provides a corresponding solution to reduce the waste of transmission and storage resources. The embodiments of this application are described in detail below.

[0113] Referring to Figure 6, which is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, the method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0114] S601. The network device sends first information, which is used to report second information, and the second information is used to select candidate cells for performing EDF. The second information includes at least one of the following: a first candidate cell set for the terminal to perform prediction, a first prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, or prediction information for the first candidate cell set.

[0115] Accordingly, the terminal receives the first information.

[0116] In this application, the network device can be either a source network device or a primary network device. For example, in a conditional handover in a non-DC scenario, the network device can be a source network device. In a conditional handover in a DC scenario, the network device can be a primary network device, in which case the primary network device triggers the change of PSCell. Alternatively, the network device can be a source-secondary network device, in which case the secondary network device that triggers the change of PSCell is the source-secondary network device. The first information will be described below in conjunction with the description herein.

[0117] The first information can be carried in an RRC message, a media access control-control element (MAC CE), downlink control information (DCI), or other messages, and is not limited thereto. The RRC message here can be an RRC reconfiguration message or other RRC messages, and is not limited thereto. In one possible implementation, the first information is used to indicate the reporting of at least one of the following:

[0118] 1. The candidate cell information for the terminal to perform prediction, including the number of candidate cells N and / or the identifier of the candidate cells.

[0119] As an example, when the candidate cell information for prediction performed by the terminal includes the number N of candidate cells, the number M of candidate cells reported by the terminal for prediction (i.e., the number of candidate cells included in the first candidate cell set for prediction performed by the terminal in the second information) can be less than or equal to N. The first candidate cell set may include one or more candidate cells.

[0120] As another example, when the candidate cell information predicted by the terminal includes the identifier of the candidate cell, the identifiers of the candidate cells in the first candidate cell set are the same as those in the candidate cell information predicted by the terminal. For example, the candidate cell information predicted by the terminal includes the identifier of the most likely candidate cell to be accessed, and the identifiers of the candidate cells in the first candidate cell set are the same as those in the candidate cell information predicted by the terminal. Alternatively, the identifiers of the candidate cells in the first candidate cell set are different from those in the candidate cell information predicted by the terminal. For example, the candidate cell information predicted by the terminal includes the identifier of the least likely candidate cell to be accessed, and the identifiers of the candidate cells in the first candidate cell set are different from those in the candidate cell information predicted by the terminal.

[0121] In another example, when the candidate cell information for the terminal to perform prediction includes the number of candidate cells N and the identifier of the candidate cells, the number of candidate cells in the first candidate cell set is less than or equal to N, and the identifier of the candidate cells in the first candidate cell set is the same as or different from the identifier of the candidate cells included in the candidate cell information for the terminal to perform prediction.

[0122] In the examples above, 'the candidate cell information for terminal prediction includes the identifier of the candidate cell' can also be described as: the candidate cell information for terminal prediction includes a list of cell identifiers, and the list of cell identifiers includes the identifiers of the candidate cells. In one possible implementation, the identifier (ID) of a cell (such as a candidate cell) mentioned in this application can be a physical cell identifier (PCI) or a cell global identifier (CGI), etc. The candidate cell mentioned in this application can be a primary cell or a PScell. For example, in conditional handover in non-DC scenarios, the candidate cell can be a primary cell. In conditional handover in DC scenarios, the candidate cell can be a PScell.

[0123] 2. The prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform the prediction. The prediction configuration mentioned in this application (such as a first prediction configuration, a second prediction configuration, a third prediction configuration, or a fourth prediction configuration, etc.) may include at least one of the following:

[0124] (1) Length of the measurement window. The measurement information obtained from the measurement performed within the measurement window is used to perform prediction. In one possible implementation, the measurement window mentioned in this application may also be called the observation window, and this application does not limit it to that. The measurement information here can describe signal quality-related information. Signal quality may include one or more of the following: reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR).

[0125] (2) Length of the prediction window. The prediction window is used by the terminal to predict the signal quality of candidate cells after the prediction window. For example, if the length of the prediction window is 400 milliseconds (ms), the terminal can predict the signal quality of candidate cells 400 ms later. In one possible implementation, the prediction window mentioned in this application can also be called the inference window, and this application does not limit it to that.

[0126] (3) The reference cell information used in the measurement window includes the number of reference cells and / or the identifier of the reference cells. In one possible implementation, the reference cells mentioned in this application may include predefined cells and / or cells indicated to the terminal by the network device for performing the measurement.

[0127] (4) Predict the effective time or effective time interval of the configuration. The configuration is predicted to be valid before the effective time arrives, or the configuration is predicted to be valid within the effective time interval. In one possible implementation, the effective time of the configuration can be described as: the effective time of the predicted information, which is predicted to be valid before the effective time arrives. Similarly, the effective time interval of the predicted configuration can be described as: the effective time interval of the predicted information, which is predicted to be valid within the effective time interval.

[0128] 3. Whether prediction can be continuously made before reaching the first moment. Alternatively, it can be described as: whether prediction can be made multiple times before reaching the first moment. Here, the first moment is the moment when the connection with the source network device is disconnected. For example, in a conditional handover in a non-DC scenario, the first moment is the moment when the connection with the source network device is disconnected. Alternatively, the first moment is the moment when the target PScell ​​is reported. For example, in a conditional handover in a DC scenario, the first moment is the moment when the target PScell ​​is reported. The target PScell ​​is the PScell ​​accessed by the terminal, which satisfies the CHO execution condition. Alternatively, the first moment can be a predefined moment or a moment indicated to the terminal by the network device. This application does not limit this.

[0129] 4. Prediction information of candidate cells. The prediction information of candidate cells mentioned in this application may include at least one of the following: access probability of the candidate cell, false alarm rate of the candidate cell, access time of the candidate cell, effective access time interval of the candidate cell, or signal quality of the candidate cell based on prediction. In this application, the access time of the candidate cell can be an absolute time, such as a specific point in time, or a period of time later. In one possible implementation, the effective access time interval of the candidate cell can be determined based on the access time of the candidate cell. For example, the access time of the candidate cell can be time point A, and the effective time interval is [A-10, A+10]. Within the effective time interval, the terminal may access the candidate cell.

[0130] In one possible implementation, the first information may further include a second prediction configuration, the details of which can be found in the above description and will not be repeated here. In another possible implementation, the first information may also be used to indicate whether new prediction information can be reported before the first time point is reached.

[0131] In one possible implementation, the first information may also include some or all of the CHO configuration or CPAC configuration, such as CHO execution conditions, which will not be listed here. For example, in condition switching in a non-DC scenario, the first information may also include some or all of the CHO configuration; in this case, the first information can also be said to be CHO configuration information. Similarly, in condition switching in a DC scenario, the first information may also include some or all of the CPAC configuration; in this case, the first information can also be said to be CPAC configuration information.

[0132] In one possible implementation, the first information is related to the terminal's capability information. For example, the first information is determined based on the capability information. This capability information is indicated by the terminal to the network device. In one possible implementation, the terminal can send the capability information to the network device in any of the following ways:

[0133] Method 1: The terminal sends capability information to the network device based on a request message from the network device (the request message is used to obtain capability information).

[0134] Method 2: If the terminal does not receive a request message from the network device, it actively sends capability information to the network device.

[0135] Optionally, in mode 1 or mode 2, the request message can be an RRC message (such as a protocol-defined UE capability enquiry message), MAC CE, DCI, or other messages. Capability information can be carried in RRC messages (such as UE capability information messages or user assistantance information (UAI) messages), uplink control information (UCI), or other messages.

[0136] The capability information may include the maximum number of candidate cells the terminal can predict and / or the content the terminal supports predicting. The content the terminal supports predicting may include at least one of the following: the access probability of the candidate cell, the false alarm rate of the candidate cell, the access time of the candidate cell, the effective access time interval of the candidate cell, or the signal quality of the candidate cell. In one possible implementation, the content the terminal supports predicting may differ depending on the maximum number of candidate cells the terminal can predict. For example, if the maximum number of candidate cells the terminal can predict is x, the content the terminal supports predicting may include the access probability of the candidate cell, the false alarm rate of the candidate cell, the access time of the candidate cell, the effective access time interval of the candidate cell, and the signal quality of the candidate cell. If the maximum number of candidate cells the terminal can predict is y, the content the terminal supports predicting may include the access probability of the candidate cell, the false alarm rate of the candidate cell, the access time of the candidate cell, and the signal quality of the candidate cell. x is less than or greater than y, and both x and y are positive integers.

[0137] The second piece of information mentioned above will be introduced below.

[0138] The second piece of information can be carried in RRC messages, media access control-control element (MAC CE) messages, UCI messages, or other messages, without limitation. The RRC message here can be an RRC complete message or other RRC messages, without limitation.

[0139] In one possible implementation, the second information used to select candidate cells for EDF execution can be replaced with: the second information used to assist the network device in selecting candidate cells for EDF execution. That is, the network device can select candidate cells for EDF execution based on the second information and execute EDF on these candidate cells. Specifically, the network device sends one or more data to the candidate network devices to which these candidate cells belong. For example, the network device selects candidate cells for EDF execution from the first candidate cell set based on the prediction information of the first candidate cell set in the second information. For instance, the candidate cells for EDF execution meet at least one of the following conditions: access probability is higher than or equal to an access probability threshold, false alarm rate is lower than or equal to a false alarm rate threshold, access time meets the network device's requirements, access effective time interval meets the network device's requirements, or the signal quality of the candidate cell is higher than or equal to a signal quality threshold. Here, the false alarm rate threshold and signal quality threshold can both be predefined or indicated to the network device by the terminal. In another possible implementation, the network device can also select one or more data for EDF execution based on the prediction information of the first candidate cell set. For example, the network device can select one or more data for EDF execution based on the access time or access effective time interval of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set.

[0140] In one possible implementation, the prediction information of the first candidate cell set in the second information may include at least one of the following: the access probability of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, the false alarm rate of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, the access time of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, the effective access time interval of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, or the signal quality of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set based on the prediction. In this application, the access time of a candidate cell can be an absolute time, such as a specific point in time, or a period of time later. In one possible implementation, the effective access time interval of a candidate cell can be determined based on the access time of the candidate cell. For example, the access time of a candidate cell can be a point in time A, and the effective time interval is [A-10, A+10]. Within the effective time interval, the terminal may access the candidate cell.

[0141] In one possible implementation, the second information can also be used to indicate whether a persistent prediction is possible before the first time point is reached. When the second information is also used to indicate whether a persistent prediction is possible before the first time point is reached, the network device can also send third information. The third information can be carried in an RRC message, MAC CE, DCI, or other message, without limitation. The RRC message here can be an RRC reconfiguration message or other RRC message, without limitation.

[0142] The third information is used to report the fourth information, which in turn updates the candidate cells for EDF execution. That is, if the terminal can continuously predict before reaching the first time step, the network device can re-instruct the terminal to report. In this case, the content of the third information is similar to that of the first information described above. For example, the third information can be used to instruct the reporting of at least one of the following: candidate cell information used by the terminal to perform prediction, the prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, or prediction information of the candidate cells. Optionally, the third information may also include a third prediction configuration; the second prediction configuration can be referred to the relevant description above and will not be repeated here.

[0143] In one possible implementation, the third information may also include part or all of the CHO configuration or CPAC configuration, such as CHO execution conditions, which will not be listed here. For example, in conditional handover in non-DC scenarios, the third information may also include part or all of the CHO configuration. In this case, it can also be said that the third information is CHO configuration information, i.e., the network device retransmits the CHO configuration information. For example, in conditional handover in DC scenarios, the third information may also include part or all of the CPAC configuration. In this case, it can also be said that the third information is CPAC configuration information, i.e., the network device retransmits the CPAC configuration information.

[0144] In one possible implementation, the CHO configuration information retransmitted by the network device differs from the previously transmitted CHO configuration information. Similarly, the CPAC configuration information retransmitted by the network device may also differ from the previously transmitted CPAC configuration information. For example, the candidate cell information indicated by the third information differs from the candidate cell information indicated by the first information. And / or, the third predicted configuration in the third information differs from the second predicted configuration in the first information.

[0145] For example, taking the number of candidate cells as the candidate cell information, the number of candidate cells indicated in the third information may be less than or greater than the number of candidate cells indicated in the first information. That is, compared to the number of candidate cells indicated in the first information, the network device can increase or decrease the number of candidate cells. Alternatively, taking the candidate cell information as the identifier of a candidate cell, the identifier of the candidate cell indicated in the third information may be different from or completely different from the identifier of the candidate cell indicated in the first information. Or, taking the candidate cell information as including the number of candidate cells and their identifiers, the number of candidate cells indicated in the third information may be less than or greater than the number of candidate cells indicated in the first information, and the identifier of the candidate cell indicated in the third information may be different from or completely different from the identifier of the candidate cell indicated in the first information.

[0146] For example, taking the length of the measurement window in the prediction configuration as an example, the length of the third measurement window in the third prediction configuration is less than or greater than the length of the second measurement window in the second prediction configuration. Or, taking the length of the prediction window in the prediction configuration as an example, the length of the third prediction window in the third prediction configuration is less than or greater than the length of the second prediction window in the second prediction configuration, and so on, not listed here.

[0147] In one possible implementation, when the third information is used to report the fourth information, the terminal can also send the fourth information. The fourth information can be carried in an RRC message, MAC CE, UCI, or other message, without limitation. The RRC message here can be an RRC completion message or other RRC message, without limitation. In one possible implementation, the fourth information may include at least one of the following:

[0148] (1) The terminal performs prediction on a second candidate cell set. The second candidate cell set may include one or more candidate cells. In one possible implementation, the candidate cells in the second candidate cell set may be partially the same as, completely the same as, or completely different from the candidate cells in the first candidate cell set.

[0149] (2) The fourth prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction. For details on the fourth prediction configuration, please refer to the relevant descriptions above, and it will not be repeated here.

[0150] (3) Prediction information of the second candidate cell set. The prediction information of the second candidate cell set may include at least one of the following: the access probability of each candidate cell in the second candidate cell set, the false alarm rate of each candidate cell in the second candidate cell set, the access time of each candidate cell in the second candidate cell set, the effective access time interval of each candidate cell in the second candidate cell set, or the signal quality of each candidate cell in the second candidate cell set based on the prediction.

[0151] In one possible implementation, the network device can further determine at least one candidate cell for performing EDF from the second candidate cell set based on fourth information. Some of the candidate cells in the at least one candidate cell set (such as one or more candidate cells) may belong to the candidate cells selected for performing EDF based on the second information. For example, assuming that the first candidate cell in the at least one candidate cell belongs to the candidate cells selected for performing EDF based on the second information, and assuming that the access probability of the first candidate cell is lower than or equal to an access probability threshold, the network device can also send fifth information to the candidate network device to which the first candidate cell belongs. The fifth information is used to instruct the deletion of EDF-based data. The access probability threshold can be predefined or indicated to the network device by the terminal. EDF refers to sending one or more data to the candidate network device to which the candidate cell belongs before the terminal accesses the candidate cell.

[0152] S602, The terminal sends the second information.

[0153] Accordingly, the network device receives the second information.

[0154] In one possible implementation, before sending the second information, the terminal may also predict each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set based on the first prediction configuration to obtain the prediction information of the first candidate cell set.

[0155] In one possible implementation, the terminal can also complete the corresponding access based on the corresponding configuration. As an example, when the second information is also used to indicate that continuous prediction cannot be achieved before the first time point, the terminal can determine a candidate cell that meets the CHO configuration as the target cell based on the first information and access the target cell, thus completing the CHO handover process. The specific process can be referred to Figure 4 above. Alternatively, the terminal can determine a candidate cell that meets the CPAC configuration as the target PScell ​​based on the first information and access the target PScell, thus completing the CPAC handover process. The specific process can be referred to Figure 5 above. As another example, when the second information is also used to indicate that continuous prediction can be achieved before the first time point, the terminal can determine a candidate cell that meets the CHO configuration as the target cell based on the third information and access the target cell, thus completing the CHO handover process. The specific process can be referred to Figure 4 above. Alternatively, the terminal can determine a candidate cell that meets the CPAC configuration as the target PScell ​​based on the third information and access the target PScell, thus completing the CPAC handover process. The specific process can be referred to Figure 5 above.

[0156] The method embodiments shown in Figure 6 above include many possible implementation schemes. Some of these implementation schemes are illustrated below with reference to Figures 7 and 8. In Figure 7, the execution entities include a terminal, a source network device, and a candidate network device; in Figure 8, the execution entities include a terminal, a main network device, and a candidate network device. Any related concepts, operations, or logical relationships not explained in any of the figures in Figures 7 and 8 can be referred to the corresponding descriptions in the embodiments shown in Figure 6, and therefore will not be repeated here.

[0157] Referring to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of a CHO-based switching process provided in an embodiment of this application, the method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0158] S701, the candidate network device sends a HO req ACK, including the configuration information of the candidate cell.

[0159] Accordingly, the source network device receives HO req ACK.

[0160] This description uses a single candidate network device as an example. In practical applications, there can be a larger number of candidate network devices, and this application does not limit this. Furthermore, the configuration information for the aforementioned candidate cells can be found in the relevant description of step S403 in Figure 4, and will not be repeated here.

[0161] S702. The source network device sends first information, which is used to report second information. The second information is used to select candidate cells for performing EDF. The second information includes at least one of the following: a first candidate cell set for terminal prediction, a first prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, or prediction information of the first candidate cell set.

[0162] Accordingly, the terminal receives the first information.

[0163] For details regarding step S702, please refer to the relevant description of step S601 in Figure 6 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0164] S703, the terminal sends the second information.

[0165] Accordingly, the source network device receives the second information.

[0166] For details regarding step S703, please refer to the relevant description of step S602 in Figure 6 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0167] S704. The source network device selects candidate cells for performing EDF based on the second information and performs EDF on these candidate cells.

[0168] For details regarding step S704, please refer to the relevant description of step S602 in Figure 6 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0169] Optionally, when the second information is also used to indicate that the prediction can be sustained before reaching the first time point, one or more steps from steps S705 to S708 may be included after step S704. When the second information is also used to indicate that the prediction cannot be sustained before reaching the first time point, step S708 may be included after step S704.

[0170] S705, the source network device sends third information, which is used to report fourth information, and the fourth information is used to update the candidate cells for executing EDF.

[0171] Accordingly, the terminal receives third information.

[0172] For details regarding step S705, please refer to the description of step S601 in Figure 6 above, which will not be repeated here. Step S705 may or may not be executed.

[0173] S706, The terminal sends the fourth message.

[0174] Accordingly, the source network device receives the fourth information.

[0175] S707, the source network device updates the candidate cells for performing EDF based on the fourth information, and performs EDF on these candidate cells.

[0176] S708, the terminal completes the CHO switching process.

[0177] Step S708 can be referred to steps S405 to S409 in Figure 4 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0178] Referring to Figure 8, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a primary network device triggering a CPAC process according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 8, the method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0179] S801, the candidate network device sends an SN req ACK, including the configuration information of the candidate PScell.

[0180] Accordingly, the main network device receives SN req ACK.

[0181] This description uses a single candidate network device as an example. In practical applications, there can be a larger number of candidate network devices, and this application does not limit this. In one possible implementation, the candidate network device in Figure 8 is a secondary network device. Furthermore, the configuration information for the aforementioned candidate cells can be found in the description of step S403 in Figure 4, and will not be repeated here.

[0182] S802. The main network device sends first information, which is used to report second information. The second information is used to select candidate cells for performing EDF. The second information includes at least one of the following: a first candidate cell set for terminal prediction, a first prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, or prediction information of the first candidate cell set.

[0183] Accordingly, the terminal receives the first information.

[0184] For details regarding step S802, please refer to the relevant description of step S601 in Figure 6 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0185] S803, the terminal sends the second information.

[0186] Accordingly, the main network device receives the second information.

[0187] For details regarding step S803, please refer to the relevant description of step S602 in Figure 6 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0188] S804. The main network device selects candidate cells for performing EDF based on the second information and performs EDF on these candidate cells.

[0189] For details regarding step S804, please refer to the relevant description of step S602 in Figure 6 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0190] Optionally, when the second information is also used to indicate that the prediction can be sustained before reaching the first time point, one or more steps from S805 to S808 may be included after step S804. When the second information is also used to indicate that the prediction cannot be sustained before reaching the first time point, step S808 may be included after step S804.

[0191] S805, the main network device sends the third information, which is used to report the fourth information, and the fourth information is used to update the candidate cells for executing EDF.

[0192] Accordingly, the terminal receives third information.

[0193] For details regarding step S805, please refer to the description of step S601 in Figure 6 above, which will not be repeated here. Step S805 may or may not be executed.

[0194] S806, The terminal sends the fourth message.

[0195] Accordingly, the main network device receives the fourth message.

[0196] S807, the main network device updates the candidate cells for performing EDF based on the fourth information, and performs EDF on these candidate cells.

[0197] S808, the terminal completes the CPAC switching process.

[0198] Step S808 can be referred to steps S506 to S508 in Figure 5 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0199] Optionally, the processing performed by a single execution entity (terminal or network device) shown in any of the above embodiments can also be divided into multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated. For example, the processing performed by the network device can be divided into execution by at least one of CU (including CU-CP, etc.), DU, RU, near real-time RIC, and non-real-time RIC.

[0200] For example, taking an ORAN system as an example, the above-mentioned network device sending the first information can be replaced by: the network device's O-CU-CP sending the first information through the network device's O-DU. The above-mentioned network device receiving the second information can be replaced by: the network device's O-CU-CP receiving the second information through the network device's O-DU. The above-mentioned network device receiving capability information can be replaced by: the network device's O-CU-CP receiving capability information through the network device's O-DU. The above-mentioned network device selecting candidate cells for performing EDF based on the second information can be replaced by: the network device's O-CU-CP selecting candidate cells for performing EDF based on the second information, thereby causing the network device's O-CU-CP to send one or more data to the O-CU-CPs of the candidate network devices to which these candidate cells belong.

[0201] In this system, the O-DU acts as an intermediary node for interaction between the terminal and the O-CU-CP. The O-CU-CP can be used to generate configurations (including the aforementioned first or third information, etc.) to be sent to the terminal, and then transmitted to the terminal via the O-DU. For example, the O-DU interacts with the terminal through the O-RU.

[0202] In one possible implementation, the device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function in order to achieve the aforementioned functions. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0203] This application embodiment can divide the terminal or network device (source network device or main network device) into functional modules according to the above method examples. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0204] Referring to Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 900 can be applied to the methods shown in any of the embodiments shown in Figures 6 to 8. As shown in Figure 9, the communication device 900 includes a processing module 901 and a transceiver module 902. The processing module 901 may be one or more processors, and the transceiver module 902 may be a transceiver or a communication interface. This communication device can be used to implement the terminal or network device (source network device or main network device) involved in any of the above method embodiments, or to implement the functions of network elements involved in any of the above method embodiments. The network element or network function can be a network component in a hardware device, a software function running on dedicated hardware, or a virtualization function instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). In one possible implementation, the communication device 900 may further include a storage module 903 for storing the program code and data of the communication device 900. It should be understood that regardless of whether these functional modules are subdivided or combined, the general flow performed by the communication device 900 in implementing any of the above method embodiments is the same. For example, the transceiver module 902 in the aforementioned communication device 900 may include a receiving module and / or a transmitting module. Of course, the transceiver module may also be called a communication module. In one implementation, each module may have its own program code (or program instructions). When the program code corresponding to each module is run on the processor, it causes the unit to execute the corresponding process to achieve the corresponding function.

[0205] In one example, the communication device functions as a terminal or a component within a terminal and executes the steps performed by the terminal in the above method embodiments. The transceiver module 902 is used to specifically execute the sending and / or receiving actions performed by the terminal in any of the embodiments shown in Figures 6 to 8, for example, supporting the terminal in performing other processes of the technology described herein. The processing module 901 can be used to support the communication device 900 in performing the processing actions in the above method embodiments, for example, supporting the terminal in performing other processes of the technology described herein.

[0206] For example, the transceiver module 902 is used to receive first information and also to send second information. The first information is used to report the second information, and the second information is used to select candidate cells for performing EDF. The second information includes at least one of the following: a first candidate cell set for the terminal to perform prediction, a first prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, or prediction information of the first candidate cell set.

[0207] In one possible implementation, the second information is further used to indicate that continuous prediction can be made before the first time point is reached, and the transceiver module 902 is further used to receive third information. The candidate cell information indicated by the first information is different from the candidate cell information indicated by the third information, or the third information may include a third prediction configuration, which is different from the second prediction configuration.

[0208] In one possible implementation, the third information is further used to report fourth information, which is used to update the candidate cells performing EDF. The transceiver module 902 is also used to send the fourth information. The fourth information includes at least one of the following: a second candidate cell set for terminal prediction, a fourth prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, or prediction information of the second candidate cell set.

[0209] In one example, when the communication device functions as a network device (source network device or main network device) or as a chip applied in a network device (source network device or main network device), i.e., a chip used in a network device (source network device or main network device), it executes the steps performed by the network device (source network device or main network device) in the above method embodiments. The transceiver module 902 is used to specifically execute the sending and / or receiving actions performed by the network device (source network device or main network device) in any of the embodiments shown in Figures 6 to 8, for example, supporting the network device (source network device or main network device) in performing other processes of the technology described herein. The processing module 901 can be used to support the communication device 900 in performing the processing actions in the above method embodiments, for example, supporting the network device (source network device or main network device) in performing other processes of the technology described herein.

[0210] For example, the transceiver module 902 is used to send first information and also to receive second information. The first information is used to report the second information, and the second information is used to select candidate cells for performing EDF. The second information includes at least one of the following: a first candidate cell set for the terminal to perform prediction, a first prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, or prediction information for the first candidate cell set.

[0211] In one possible implementation, the second information is further used to indicate that continuous prediction is possible before the first time point is reached, and the transceiver module 902 is further used to send third information. The candidate cell information indicated by the first information is different from the candidate cell information indicated by the third information; alternatively, the third information may include a third prediction configuration, which is different from the second prediction configuration.

[0212] In one possible implementation, the third information is further used to report fourth information, which is used to update the candidate cells performing EDF. The transceiver module 902 is also used to receive the fourth information. The fourth information includes at least one of the following: a second candidate cell set for terminal prediction, a fourth prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, or prediction information of the second candidate cell set.

[0213] In one possible implementation, when the aforementioned device is a chip, such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip. Alternatively, when the aforementioned device is a communication module, the transceiver module 902 can be a communication interface, pins, or circuits. The communication interface can be used to input data to be processed to the processor and can output the processor's processing results. In a specific implementation, the communication interface can be a general purpose input / output (GPIO) interface, which can connect to multiple peripheral devices (such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a camera, a radio frequency (RF) module, an antenna, etc.). The communication interface is connected to the processor via a bus.

[0214] The processing module 901 can be a processing circuit, which can be one or more processors, or all or part of the circuitry in one or more processors used for control and / or processing. The processing circuit or processor can execute computer execution instructions stored in the storage module to cause the chip to execute the method involved in any of the embodiments shown in Figures 6 to 8. Further, the processor can include a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and registers. For example, the controller is mainly responsible for instruction decoding and issuing control signals for the operations corresponding to the instructions. The ALU is mainly responsible for performing fixed-point or floating-point arithmetic operations, shift operations, and logical operations, and can also perform address operations and conversions. The registers are mainly responsible for storing register operands and intermediate operation results temporarily stored during instruction execution. In specific implementations, the processor's hardware architecture can be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) architecture, a microprocessor without interlocked piped stages architecture (MIPS) architecture, an advanced reduced instruction set machine (RISC) machine (ARM) architecture, or a network processor (NP) architecture, etc. The processor can be single-core or multi-core. The storage module can be an internal storage module of the chip, such as a register or cache. Alternatively, the storage module can be an external storage module, such as read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, or random access memory (RAM).

[0215] In one possible implementation, the functions of the processor and the interface can be implemented through hardware design, software design, or a combination of hardware and software; no restrictions are placed here.

[0216] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. It is understood that the communication device 1010 includes necessary means such as modules, units, components, circuits, or interfaces, appropriately configured together to execute this solution. The communication device 1010 can be the aforementioned terminal or network device (source network device or main network device), or it can be a component (e.g., a chip) within these devices, used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. The communication device 1010 includes one or more processors 1011. The processor 1011 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device, execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0217] In one possible implementation, the processor 1011 may include a program 1013 (sometimes referred to as code or instructions), which can be executed on the processor 1011 to cause the communication device 1010 to perform the methods described in the above embodiments. In another possible design, the communication device 1010 includes circuitry (not shown in FIG10) for implementing the functions of a terminal, network device (source network device or master network device), etc., as described in the above embodiments. In one possible implementation, the communication device 1010 may include one or more memories 1012 storing a program 1014 (sometimes referred to as code or instructions), which can be executed on the memory 1012 to cause the communication device 1010 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. In one possible implementation, the processor 1011 and / or memory 1012 may also store data. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0218] In one possible implementation, if the communication device 1010 is a terminal or network device (source network device or main network device), it may further include a transceiver 1015 and / or an antenna 1016. The processor 1011, sometimes referred to as a processing unit, controls the communication device. The transceiver 1015, sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, or transceiver circuit, is used to implement the transmission and reception functions of the communication device via the antenna 1016. In one possible implementation, the transceiver 1015 may include a receiver and / or a transmitter. The receiver may be referred to as a receiving unit, receiver, or receiving circuit. The transmitter may be referred to as a transmitting unit, transmitter, or transmitting circuit.

[0219] In one possible implementation, if the communication device 1010 is a chip used in a terminal or network device (source network device or master network device), the transceiver 1015 may be a transceiver circuit, such as an input / output interface, or a transceiver interface.

[0220] This application also provides a communication device, which includes at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform the method described in any one of the embodiments shown in Figures 6 to 8.

[0221] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform the method described in any of the embodiments shown in any of Figures 6 to 8.

[0222] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code. When the computer program code is run, it causes the computer to perform the method described in any one of the embodiments shown in Figures 6 to 8.

[0223] This application also provides a chip, which includes at least one processor and an interface. The processor is used to read and execute instructions stored in a memory. When the instructions are executed, the chip causes the chip to perform the method described in any one of the embodiments shown in Figures 6 to 8.

[0224] Furthermore, the various embodiments of this application are merely illustrative examples of executing all the steps included, and should not be considered as specific limitations on this application. For example, the order of steps in various embodiments can be simply changed according to their function and internal logic; or, for example, all steps in various embodiments can be executed, or only a portion of them can be executed, as long as the same function as in the embodiments of this application can be achieved.

[0225] In this application, "send" and "receive" refer to the direction of signal transmission. For example, "sending information to a network device" can be understood as the destination of the information being the network device, which can include direct transmission via the air interface or indirect transmission by other units or modules via the air interface. "Receiving information from a network device" can be understood as the source of the information being the network device, which can include direct reception from the network device via the air interface or indirect reception from the network device by other units or modules via the air interface. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of a chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of a chip interface. In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between a network device and a terminal; or they can occur within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0226] In the embodiments of this application, "when," "if," "in the case of," and "under certain circumstances" all refer to the device performing a corresponding processing under certain objective conditions, and are not limited to a specific time, nor do they require the device to necessarily perform a judgment action, nor do they imply any other limitations. In this application, words such as "example," "exemplarily," "for example," or "likely" are used to indicate that something is being used as an example, illustration, or explanation. Any embodiment or design described as "example," "exemplarily," "for example," or "likely" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Specifically, the use of words such as "example," "exemplarily," "for example," or "likely" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0227] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive first information, the first information being used to report second information, the second information being used to select candidate cells for performing early data transmission; Send the second message; The second information includes at least one of the following: a first candidate cell set for terminal prediction, a first prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, or prediction information of the first candidate cell set.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate the reporting of at least one of the following: candidate cell information of the terminal performing prediction, prediction configuration adopted by the terminal performing prediction, whether prediction can be continued before the first time point, or prediction information of candidate cells, wherein the first time point is the time when the connection with the source network device is disconnected, or the first time point is the time when the target primary and secondary cells are reported.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first information also includes a second prediction configuration, which includes at least one of the following: the length of the second measurement window, the length of the second prediction window, the number of reference cells used to perform measurements in the second measurement window, or the effective time of the second prediction configuration; The measurement information obtained from the measurement performed in the second measurement window is used to perform prediction, and the second prediction window is used by the terminal to predict the signal quality of candidate cells after the second prediction window.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The first prediction configuration includes at least one of the following: the length of the first measurement window, the length of the first prediction window, the number of reference cells used to perform measurements in the first measurement window, or the effective time of the first prediction configuration; The measurement information obtained from the measurement performed in the first measurement window is used to perform prediction, and the first prediction window is used by the terminal to predict the signal quality of candidate cells after the first prediction window.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The prediction information of the first candidate cell set includes at least one of the following: the access probability of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, the false alarm rate of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, the access time of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, the effective access time interval of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, or the signal quality of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set based on the prediction.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send capability information, which includes the maximum number of candidate cells that the terminal can perform prediction on and / or the content that the terminal supports for prediction; The terminal supports prediction of at least one of the following: access probability of candidate cell, false alarm rate of candidate cell, access time of candidate cell, effective access time interval of candidate cell, or signal quality of candidate cell.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The first information is also used to indicate whether new prediction information can be reported before the first time point is reached.

8. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second information is also used to indicate that continuous prediction is possible before reaching the first time point, and the method further includes: Receive third information; wherein the candidate cell information indicated by the first information is different from the candidate cell information indicated by the third information, or the third information further includes a third prediction configuration, which is different from the second prediction configuration.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: The third information is also used to report the fourth information, which is used to update the candidate cells for performing early data transmission. Send the fourth information; wherein the fourth information includes at least one of the following: the second candidate cell set for the terminal to perform prediction, the fourth prediction configuration adopted by the terminal to perform prediction, or the prediction information of the second candidate cell set.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Send first information, which is used to report second information, and the second information is used to select candidate cells for performing early data transmission; Receive the second information; The second information includes at least one of the following: a first candidate cell set for terminal prediction, a first prediction configuration used by the terminal to perform prediction, or prediction information of the first candidate cell set.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate the reporting of at least one of the following: candidate cell information of the terminal performing prediction, prediction configuration adopted by the terminal performing prediction, whether prediction can be continued before the first time point, or prediction information of candidate cells, wherein the first time point is the time when the connection with the source network device is disconnected, or the first time point is the time when the target primary and secondary cells are reported.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The first information also includes a second prediction configuration, which includes at least one of the following: the length of the second measurement window, the length of the second prediction window, the number of reference cells used to perform measurements in the second measurement window, or the effective time of the second prediction configuration; The measurement information obtained from the measurement performed in the second measurement window is used to perform prediction, and the second prediction window is used by the terminal to predict the signal quality of candidate cells after the second prediction window.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10-12, characterized in that, The first prediction configuration includes at least one of the following: the length of the first measurement window, the length of the first prediction window, the number of reference cells used to perform measurements in the first measurement window, or the effective time of the first prediction configuration; The measurement information obtained from the measurement performed in the first measurement window is used to perform prediction, and the first prediction window is used by the terminal to predict the signal quality of candidate cells after the first prediction window.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10-13, characterized in that, The prediction information of the first candidate cell set includes at least one of the following: the access probability of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, the false alarm rate of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, the access time of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, the effective access time interval of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set, or the signal quality of each candidate cell in the first candidate cell set based on the prediction.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10-14, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal receives capability information, which includes the maximum number of candidate cells that the terminal can predict and / or the content that the terminal supports for prediction. The terminal supports prediction of at least one of the following: access probability of candidate cell, false alarm rate of candidate cell, access time of candidate cell, effective access time interval of candidate cell, or signal quality of candidate cell.

16. The method according to any one of claims 10-15, characterized in that, The first information is also used to indicate whether new prediction information can be reported before the first time point is reached.

17. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The second information is also used to indicate that continuous prediction is possible before reaching the first time point, and the method further includes: Send a third message; wherein the candidate cell information indicated by the first message is different from the candidate cell information indicated by the third message, or the third message further includes a third prediction configuration, which is different from the second prediction configuration.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: The third information is also used to report the fourth information; The fourth information is received, which is used to update the candidate cells for performing early data transmission; wherein the fourth information includes at least one of the following: a second candidate cell set for terminal prediction, a fourth prediction configuration adopted by the terminal for performing prediction, or prediction information of the second candidate cell set.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the fourth information, at least one candidate cell for performing early data transmission is determined from the second candidate cell set. The first candidate cell among the at least one candidate cells belongs to the candidate cell selected based on the second information for performing early data transmission, and the access probability of the first candidate cell is lower than the access probability threshold. A fifth message is sent to the candidate network device to which the first candidate cell belongs, the fifth message being used to instruct the deletion of data based on earlier data transmissions.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes units or modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1-9, or includes units or modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 10-19.

21. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions or programs that, when executed, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-9, or cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 10-19.

22. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes at least one processor, the processor being configured to execute computer instructions or programs that, when the computer instructions or programs are executed, cause the chip to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-9, or cause the chip to perform the method as described in any one of claims 10-19.

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