Communication methods, terminals, network devices, system and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure provides communication methods, terminals, network devices, a system, and a storage medium. A method comprises: receiving first indication information sent by a network device, the first indication information being used for indicating a time domain offset of a neighbor cell relative to a serving cell; and executing a first operation on the basis of the time domain offset, the first operation being an operation related to the neighbor cell. The present disclosure improves the availability of NTN technology and reduces terminal energy consumption.

Description

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

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

[0002] Non-terrestrial Network (NTN) is a technology introduced as a supplement to terrestrial communication, which can provide wireless resources via satellite or drones instead of ground base stations. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To improve the usability of NTN technology, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method, a terminal, a network device, a system, and a storage medium.

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

[0005] Receive first indication information sent by the network device, the first indication information being used to indicate the time domain offset of the neighboring cell relative to the serving cell;

[0006] Based on the time-domain offset, a first operation is performed, which is an operation related to the neighboring cell.

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

[0008] Send a first indication message to the terminal, the first indication message being used to indicate the time domain offset of the neighboring cell relative to the serving cell; wherein, the time domain offset is used by the terminal to perform a first operation, the first operation being an operation related to the neighboring cell.

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

[0010] The transceiver module is configured to receive first indication information sent by the network device, the first indication information being used to indicate the time domain offset of the neighboring cell relative to the serving cell;

[0011] The processing module is configured to perform a first operation based on the time-domain offset, the first operation being an operation related to the neighboring cell.

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

[0013] The transceiver module is configured to send first indication information to the terminal, the first indication information being used to indicate the time domain offset of the neighboring cell relative to the serving cell; wherein the time domain offset is used by the terminal to perform a first operation, the first operation being an operation related to the neighboring cell.

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

[0015] One or more processors;

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

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

[0018] One or more processors;

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0025] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal can determine the time domain offset based on the first indication information sent by the network device, and perform a first operation related to the neighboring cell based on the time domain offset, thereby improving the availability of NTN technology and reducing terminal power consumption.

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

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

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

[0029] Figure 1B is an exemplary scenario diagram of NTN provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 1C is an exemplary scenario diagram of the transparent transmission mode provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 1D is an exemplary scenario diagram of a regeneration mode provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 1E is an exemplary schematic diagram of a synchronization signal in an NB-IoT FDD system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 1F is an exemplary schematic diagram of the frame structure under an IoT NTN TDD system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 2 is an exemplary interactive schematic diagram of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 3A is one of the exemplary flowcharts of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 3B is a second exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 4A is an exemplary block diagram of a terminal provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 4B is an exemplary block diagram of a network device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 5A is an exemplary schematic diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 5B is an exemplary schematic diagram of a chip provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0041] This disclosure provides a communication method, terminal, network device, system, and storage medium.

[0042] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method executed by a terminal, the method comprising: receiving first indication information sent by a network device, the first indication information being used to indicate a time-domain offset of a neighboring cell relative to a serving cell; and performing a first operation based on the time-domain offset, the first operation being an operation related to the neighboring cell.

[0043] In the above embodiments, the terminal can determine the time domain offset based on the first indication information sent by the network device, and perform a first operation related to the neighboring cell based on the time domain offset, thereby improving the availability of NTN technology and reducing terminal power consumption.

[0044] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first operation includes at least one of the following: downlink synchronization operation of the neighboring cell; detection operation of the neighboring cell; and measurement operation of the neighboring cell.

[0045] In the above embodiments, the first operation may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the above, which clarifies the first operation related to the neighboring cell that the terminal needs to perform, which helps to reduce the latency of performing the first operation.

[0046] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, receiving the first indication information sent by the network device includes: receiving a system message broadcast by the network device, the system message including the first indication information.

[0047] In the above embodiments, the terminal can receive system messages broadcast by the network device, including first indication information. The terminal can obtain the first indication information without establishing an RRC connection with the network device, which improves the efficiency of obtaining the first indication information.

[0048] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the time-domain offset includes at least one of the following: the time-domain offset of the primary synchronization signal (PSS) of the neighboring cell relative to the PSS of the serving cell; the time-domain offset of the PSS of the neighboring cell relative to the secondary synchronization signal (SSS) of the serving cell; the time-domain offset of the SSS of the neighboring cell relative to the PSS of the serving cell; the time-domain offset of the SSS of the neighboring cell relative to the SSS of the serving cell; and the time-domain offset of a first downlink time unit relative to a second downlink time unit, wherein the first downlink time unit is the start time unit for downlink transmission by the neighboring cell, and the second downlink time unit is the start time unit for downlink transmission by the serving cell.

[0049] In the above embodiments, the time domain offset may include at least one of the above, which is beneficial for the terminal to quickly complete downlink synchronization with neighboring cells based on the time domain offset, thereby performing the first operation and saving terminal power consumption.

[0050] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, performing the first operation based on the time domain offset includes: determining the first downlink timing of the neighboring cell based on the time domain offset, the propagation delay difference between the neighboring cell and the serving cell, and the second downlink timing of the serving cell.

[0051] In the above embodiments, the terminal can use the above method to determine the first downlink timing of the neighboring cell so as to perform the first operation based on the first downlink timing, thereby reducing the latency of performing the first operation.

[0052] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining the propagation delay difference between the neighboring cell and the serving cell based on the difference between the first propagation delay and the second propagation delay, wherein the first propagation delay is the propagation delay from the terminal to the first device in the neighboring cell, the second propagation delay is the propagation delay from the terminal to the first device in the serving cell, and the first device is a reference device for determining the first downlink timing.

[0053] In the above embodiments, the terminal can use the above method to determine the propagation delay difference between the neighboring cell and the serving cell, thereby improving the reliability of downlink synchronization in the neighboring cell.

[0054] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes at least one of the following: determining a first device corresponding to the time domain offset based on a predefined method; determining the first device corresponding to the time domain offset based on second indication information sent by the network device; wherein the first device is a reference device for determining the first downlink timing of the neighboring cell.

[0055] In the above embodiments, the terminal can use any of the above methods to determine the first device, thereby improving the reliability of downlink synchronization in neighboring cells.

[0056] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first device includes any one of the following: an uplink synchronization reference point; an access network device.

[0057] In the above embodiments, the first device may include, but is not limited to, any of the above, which improves the reliability of the terminal in determining the downlink timing of neighboring cells.

[0058] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method executed by a network device, the method comprising: sending first indication information to a terminal, the first indication information being used to indicate a time-domain offset of a neighboring cell relative to a serving cell; wherein the time-domain offset is used by the terminal to perform a first operation, the first operation being an operation related to the neighboring cell.

[0059] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first operation includes at least one of the following: downlink synchronization operation of the neighboring cell; detection operation of the neighboring cell; and measurement operation of the neighboring cell.

[0060] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, sending the first indication information to the terminal includes: broadcasting a system message, wherein the system message includes the first indication information.

[0061] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the time-domain offset includes at least one of the following: the time-domain offset of the primary synchronization signal (PSS) of the neighboring cell relative to the PSS of the serving cell; the time-domain offset of the PSS of the neighboring cell relative to the secondary synchronization signal (SSS) of the serving cell; the time-domain offset of the SSS of the neighboring cell relative to the PSS of the serving cell; the time-domain offset of the SSS of the neighboring cell relative to the SSS of the serving cell; and the time-domain offset of a first downlink time unit relative to a second downlink time unit, wherein the first downlink time unit is the start time unit for downlink transmission by the neighboring cell, and the second downlink time unit is the start time unit for downlink transmission by the serving cell.

[0062] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes at least one of the following: determining a first device corresponding to the time domain offset based on a predefined method; sending second indication information to the terminal, the second indication information being used to indicate the first device corresponding to the time domain offset; wherein the first device is a reference device for determining the first downlink timing of the neighboring cell.

[0063] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first device includes any one of the following: an uplink synchronization reference point; an access network device.

[0064] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a terminal, comprising: a transceiver module configured to receive first indication information sent by a network device, the first indication information being used to indicate a time-domain offset of a neighboring cell relative to a serving cell; and a processing module configured to perform a first operation based on the time-domain offset, the first operation being an operation related to the neighboring cell.

[0065] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device, including: a transceiver module configured to send first indication information to a terminal, the first indication information being used to indicate a time-domain offset of a neighboring cell relative to a serving cell; wherein the time-domain offset is used by the terminal to perform a first operation, the first operation being an operation related to the neighboring cell.

[0066] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a terminal comprising: one or more processors; wherein the processors are configured to execute the communication method described in any one of the first aspects.

[0067] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device comprising: one or more processors; wherein the processors are configured to perform the communication method described in any one of the second aspects.

[0068] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system comprising: a terminal configured to perform the communication method described in any one aspect; and a network device configured to perform the communication method described in any one aspect.

[0069] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the communication method as described in either the first or second aspect.

[0070] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, is used to implement the communication method described in any one of the first or second aspects.

[0071] It is understood that the aforementioned terminals, network devices, communication systems, and storage media are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0072] This disclosure provides communication methods, terminals, network devices, systems, and storage media. In some embodiments, the terms "communication method" and "information transmission method," "information processing method," etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms "communication device" and "information transmission device," "information processing device," etc., can be used interchangeably; and the terms "information transmission system," "information processing system," "communication system," etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0073] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0074] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0075] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0076] In this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the aforementioned," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular or a plural expression.

[0077] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0078] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0079] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0080] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execution of A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execution of B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0081] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0082] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0083] In some embodiments, the apparatus and device may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to those described in the embodiments. In some cases, they may also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "entity", "body", etc.

[0084] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0085] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0086] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0087] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0088] As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102.

[0089] In some embodiments, terminal 101 includes, for example, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0090] In some embodiments, network device 102 may include at least one of access network device 102-1 and core network device 102-2.

[0091] In some embodiments, the access network device 102-1 is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: an evolved Node B (eNB), a next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), a next-generation Node B (gNB), a node B (NB), a home node B (HNB), a home evolved node B (HeNB), a wireless backhaul device, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base band unit (BBU), a mobile switching center, a base station in a 6G communication system, an open RAN, a cloud RAN, a base station in other communication systems, and an access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0092] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0093] In some embodiments, the access network device 102-2 may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. By adopting the CU-DU structure, the protocol layer of the access network device can be separated. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0094] In some embodiments, the core network device 102-2 may be a single device, including a first network element, a second network element, etc., or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each including all or part of the first network element, the second network element, etc. Network elements may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), 5G Core Network (5GCN), and Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0095] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0096] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1A, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1A are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1A, or it may include other main bodies outside of FIG1A. The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0097] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0098] In some embodiments, such as the NTN scenario shown in Figure 1B, wireless resources can be provided to the terminal via satellite or drone.

[0099] In some embodiments, depending on the way the satellite processes the signal, it can be divided into pass-through mode and regeneration mode.

[0100] In the transparent transmission mode, as shown in Figure 1C, the NTN ground station sends the signal of the access network equipment, such as the base station gNB, to the satellite. The satellite converts the signal to the satellite frequency band and then transmits it to the terminal through the satellite frequency band. Apart from frequency conversion and signal amplification, the satellite does not demodulate the gNB signal, which is similar to a repeater.

[0101] In the regeneration mode, as shown in Figure 1D, after the NTN ground station sends the gNB signal to the satellite, the satellite first demodulates and decodes the signal and then re-encodes and modulates it (this process is called regeneration) and sends the regenerated signal through the satellite frequency band.

[0102] In some embodiments, the synchronization signal of a Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) Frequency-Division Duplex (FDD) system is described:

[0103] The Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) Primary Synchronization Signal (NPSS) and Secondary Synchronization Signal (NSSS) are used for downlink synchronization between the terminal and the NB-IoT network. NPSS and NSSS are transmitted in specific subframes with an 80-millisecond repetition interval. The terminal can calculate the cell identifier, such as the NB-IoT Physical Cell Identifier (PCI), by detecting the NPSS and NSSS. In terms of transmission location, NPSS is located on subframe #5 of each radio frame, NSSS is located on subframe #9 of every even-numbered radio frame, and the Narrow Band Internet of Things Physical Broadcast Channel (NPBCH) is transmitted on subframe #0 of each radio frame. Each radio frame is 10 ms long and contains 10 subframes, as shown in Figure 1E.

[0104] In some embodiments, the IoT NTN TDD system can be supported to adapt to the existing TDD system of Iridium satellites (i.e., artificial satellites). The IoT NTN TDD frame structure introduces a 90ms-long Time-Division Duplex (TDD) radio frame on the basis of the existing NB-IoT FDD frame structure. A 90ms TDD radio frame contains 8 consecutive downlink subframes and 8 consecutive uplink subframes. An example of an acceptable frame structure is shown in Figure 1F, where the downlink subframes occupy #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, and #0, for a total of 8 subframes.

[0105] In some embodiments, with the introduction of a 90ms frame structure, there are only 8 downlink subframes available for transmission within 90ms. Therefore, NPSS and NSSS can only be transmitted within these 8 downlink subframes, and cannot be transmitted in the remaining subframes. For neighboring cell measurements, without any prior information, the terminal needs to search all subframes within 90ms to obtain NPSS and NSSS, which is detrimental to terminal power consumption.

[0106] To improve the availability of NTN technology and reduce terminal power consumption, this disclosure provides the following communication methods, terminals, network devices, systems, and storage media.

[0107] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0108] In step S2101, network device 102 sends first instruction information to terminal 101.

[0109] In some embodiments, terminal 101 receives first instruction information.

[0110] In some embodiments, the first indication information may be used to indicate the time offset of the neighboring cell relative to the serving cell.

[0111] In one example, the time-domain offset may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: the time-domain offset of the neighboring cell's primary synchronization signal (PSS) relative to the serving cell's PSS; the time-domain offset of the neighboring cell's PSS relative to the serving cell's secondary synchronization signal (SSS); the time-domain offset of the neighboring cell's SSS relative to the serving cell's PSS; the time-domain offset of the neighboring cell's SSS relative to the serving cell's SSS; and the time-domain offset of the first downlink time unit relative to the second downlink time unit.

[0112] Wherein, the first downlink time unit is the start time unit for downlink transmission in the neighboring cell, and the second downlink time unit is the start time unit for downlink transmission in the serving cell. For example, the time-domain offset can be the offset of the first downlink subframe in eight consecutive downlink subframes in the neighboring cell frame structure relative to the first downlink subframe in eight consecutive downlink subframes in the serving cell frame structure.

[0113] It is understood that the aforementioned PSS can also be NPSS, and SSS can also be NSSS; this disclosure does not limit this.

[0114] In one example, the time-domain offset may be in units of frames, subframes, slots, sub-slots, symbols, etc., which are not limited in this disclosure.

[0115] In one example, the value of this time-domain offset can be positive, which can indicate that the downlink timing of the neighboring cell is later than that of the serving cell, or it can indicate that the downlink timing of the neighboring cell is earlier than that of the serving cell.

[0116] In one example, the value of this time-domain offset can be negative, which can indicate that the downlink timing of the neighboring cell is earlier than that of the serving cell, or that the downlink timing of the neighboring cell is later than that of the serving cell.

[0117] In one example, network device 102 can determine whether the time domain offset value is positive or negative based on protocol agreement.

[0118] In some embodiments, the name of the first indication information is not limited and can be interchanged with "offset indication", "indication signaling", etc.

[0119] In some embodiments, the time-domain offset can be used by terminal 101 to perform a first operation.

[0120] In one example, the first operation could be an operation related to a neighboring cell.

[0121] In one example, the first operation may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: downlink synchronization operation of neighboring cells; detection operation of neighboring cells; measurement operation of neighboring cells.

[0122] The downlink synchronization operation of the neighboring cell includes determining the first downlink timing of the neighboring cell, and then performing downlink synchronization with the network device 102 based on the first downlink timing.

[0123] The neighbor cell detection operation includes, but is not limited to, detecting and / or discovering neighbor cells based on the first downlink timing of the neighbor cell, such as detecting the PCI of the neighbor cell.

[0124] The measurement operations of the neighboring cell include, but are not limited to, measuring the signal quality of the neighboring cell and / or measuring the reference signal of the neighboring cell based on the first downlink timing of the neighboring cell.

[0125] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the content of the first operation.

[0126] In some embodiments, network device 102 may broadcast system messages, which may include the aforementioned first indication information.

[0127] In one example, system messages may include, but are not limited to, System Information Block n (SIBn), where n can be a positive integer.

[0128] The above is merely an illustrative example. Network device 102 may also carry the first instruction information through other messages or signaling, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0129] In some embodiments, network device 102 can send first instruction information to terminal 101 in an IoT NTN TDD system.

[0130] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send a first instruction message to terminal 101 if it determines that terminal 101 has energy-saving needs.

[0131] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send first instruction information to terminal 101 when it is necessary to reduce the latency of terminal 101 performing the first operation.

[0132] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send first instruction information to terminal 101 in an NTN scenario.

[0133] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the timing or conditions under which the network device 102 sends the first instruction information to the terminal 101.

[0134] In step S2102, network device 102 sends second instruction information to terminal 101.

[0135] In some embodiments, terminal 101 receives second instruction information.

[0136] In some embodiments, the second indication information is used by terminal 101 to determine the first device corresponding to the time domain offset.

[0137] In one example, the first device may be a reference device used to determine the first downlink timing of the neighboring cell.

[0138] For example, the first device may be an uplink synchronization reference point (RP).

[0139] For example, the first device may be an access network device, such as an eNB or gNB.

[0140] In some embodiments, the name of the second indication information is not limited and can be interchanged with "reference device indication information", "timing reference device indication information", etc.

[0141] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send second instruction information to terminal 101 after sending first instruction information.

[0142] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send a second indication message to terminal 101 if the first device cannot be determined based on a predefined method.

[0143] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send second instruction information to terminal 101 if the first operation includes downlink synchronization operation of neighboring cells.

[0144] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send a second instruction message to terminal 101 if it determines that terminal 101 has energy-saving needs.

[0145] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the timing or conditions under which the network device 102 sends the second instruction information to the terminal 101.

[0146] In some embodiments, step S2102 is an optional execution step. For example, if the network device 102 and the terminal 101 determine the first device corresponding to the time domain offset based on a predefined method, such as a protocol agreement, step S2102 may not be executed.

[0147] In step S2103, terminal 101 performs the first operation.

[0148] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may perform a first operation based on a time-domain offset.

[0149] In some embodiments, the first operation may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: downlink synchronization operation of the neighboring cell; detection operation of the neighboring cell; measurement operation of the neighboring cell.

[0150] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may determine the first downlink timing of the neighboring cell based on the time domain offset, the propagation delay difference (PDD) of the neighboring cell relative to the serving cell, and the second downlink timing of the serving cell, so as to perform a first operation based on the first downlink timing, such as performing a downlink synchronization operation in the neighboring cell, performing a detection operation in the neighboring cell, and / or performing a measurement operation in the neighboring cell.

[0151] In one example, terminal 101 can determine the propagation delay difference between the neighboring cell and the serving cell based on the difference between a first propagation delay and a second propagation delay. Here, the first propagation delay is the propagation delay from the terminal to a first device within the neighboring cell, the second propagation delay is the propagation delay from the terminal to the first device within the serving cell, and the first device is a reference device used to determine the first downlink timing.

[0152] For example, terminal 101 may determine the first device based on a predefined method, such as a protocol agreement.

[0153] For example, terminal 101 can determine the first device based on the second indication information sent by network device 102.

[0154] For example, terminal 101 can determine the first device based on a predefined method and the second indication information sent by network device 102. For example, the protocol stipulates that the first device can be an uplink synchronization reference point and / or an access network device, and network device 102 indicates the specific device type through the second indication information.

[0155] For example, the first device is an uplink synchronization RP, and the first propagation delay can be the propagation delay of the service link within the neighboring cell and the common timing advance (common TA). The second propagation delay can be the propagation delay of the service link within the serving cell and the common TA.

[0156] The propagation delay of the service link within a neighboring cell can be calculated using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) position of terminal 101 and the satellite positions of neighboring cells. The satellite positions of neighboring cells can be determined using ephemeris information.

[0157] The propagation delay of the service link within the serving cell can be calculated using the GNSS position of terminal 101 and the positions of the serving satellites. The positions of the serving satellites can be determined using ephemeris information.

[0158] The common TA can be broadcast by network device 102, and terminal 101 receives the broadcast message to obtain the common TA.

[0159] For example, the first device is an access network device, and the first propagation delay can be the propagation delay of the service link within a neighboring cell and the propagation delay of the feeder link. The second propagation delay can be the propagation delay of the service link within the serving cell and the propagation delay of the feeder link.

[0160] The propagation delay of the feeder link can be calculated using the values ​​of common TA and Kmac. Kmac is a configured offset used for timing alignment of uplink and downlink.

[0161] The methods for determining the propagation delay of the service link within the neighboring cell and the service link within the serving cell have been described in the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0162] The common TA and Kmac can be broadcast by network device 102, and terminal 101 receives the broadcast message to obtain the common TA and Kmac.

[0163] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the method for determining the first propagation delay and the second propagation delay.

[0164] Furthermore, terminal 101 can determine the propagation delay difference between the neighboring cell and the serving cell based on the difference between the first propagation delay and the second propagation delay. Further, the first downlink timing of the neighboring cell is jointly determined based on the time domain offset, the propagation delay difference, and the second downlink timing of the serving cell.

[0165] For example, terminal 101 maintains downlink synchronization with the serving cell. Therefore, terminal 101 can determine the position of the second downlink time unit, such as the position of the first downlink subframe in the serving cell frame structure. Then, based on the time domain offset, propagation delay difference, and second downlink timing, it can determine the first downlink timing of the neighboring cell, such as the position of the first downlink subframe in the neighboring cell frame structure.

[0166] For example, terminal 101 maintains downlink synchronization with the serving cell. Therefore, terminal 101 can determine the location of the NPSS of the serving cell, and then determine the location of the NPSS of the neighboring cell based on the time domain offset, propagation delay difference, and the location of the NPSS of the serving cell.

[0167] In some embodiments, where the first operation includes a neighbor cell detection operation, after determining the first downlink timing of the neighbor cell, the terminal 101 detects the PSS according to the neighbor cell frame structure, thereby finding the SSS of the neighbor cell, and then detects the PCI information of the neighbor cell based on the PSS and SSS.

[0168] For example, in an IoT NTN TDD system, after determining the first downlink timing of a neighboring cell, terminal 101 can detect the NPSS based on the neighboring cell's frame structure, thereby finding the neighboring cell's NSSS, and then detecting the neighboring cell's PCI information based on the NPSS and NSSS.

[0169] In some embodiments, where the first operation includes a neighboring cell measurement operation, the terminal 101 can, after determining the first downlink timing of the neighboring cell, detect the PSS according to the neighboring cell frame structure, thereby finding the SSS of the neighboring cell, and then detecting the PCI information of the neighboring cell based on the PSS and SSS. Further, measurements can be performed on the detected neighboring cell, including but not limited to signal quality measurements and / or reference signal measurements.

[0170] The above is merely an illustrative example, and this disclosure does not limit the specific manner in which the terminal 101 performs the first operation.

[0171] In some embodiments, the following is an example of a terminal 101 in an idle state adjusting the measurement timing configuration (SMTC) of a neighboring cell based on synchronization signal blocks.

[0172] In one example, the process can be implemented based on the configuration of network device 102 and the autonomous behavior of terminal 101.

[0173] In one example, SMTC can be used to configure the time window for a terminal to measure neighboring cells (Synchronization Signal Block, SSB).

[0174] The SMTC parameters may include, but are not limited to, period, offset, and duration. For example, the offset here may be the time-domain offset described above in this disclosure, and the determination method will not be repeated here.

[0175] Regarding the initial configuration of network device 102, network device 102 can provide initial SMTC configuration for terminal 101 in IDLE state through system information, such as SIB.

[0176] Terminal 101 can first obtain its own location, including but not limited to obtaining its own location through GNSS or network-assisted positioning.

[0177] Furthermore, terminal 101 can obtain ephemeris information, such as satellite ephemeris from network device 102 or through GNSS, to understand satellite position and trajectory.

[0178] When terminal 101 performs SMTC adjustment, it can first predict satellite motion. For example, terminal 101 can use position and ephemeris information to predict satellite motion and determine the best measurement time. Then, it can adjust the SMTC window. For example, terminal 101 can adjust the period, offset, and duration of the SMTC window based on the prediction results to ensure that the measurement is performed during the period when the satellite signal is strongest.

[0179] Furthermore, terminal 101 can perform downlink synchronization and measurement in neighboring cells. For example, terminal 101 can perform downlink synchronization with neighboring cells within the adjusted SMTC window and measure their SSB signals. In addition, terminal 101 can record the measurement results for use in cell selection or cell reselection.

[0180] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0181] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transfer,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0182] In some embodiments, “get,” “obtain,” “receive,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” and “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, or autonomous implementation, among other meanings.

[0183] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain," "preset," "default," "set," "indicated," "a certain," "any," and "first" can be used interchangeably. "Certain A," "preset A," "default A," "set A," "indicated A," "a certain A," "any A," and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-defined in a protocol or the like, or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or instruction, or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, but are not limited thereto.

[0184] In some embodiments, the communication method involved in this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2103. For example, step S2101 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S2102 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S2101+S2102 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S2103 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and steps S2101 to S2103 may be implemented as standalone embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0185] In some embodiments, steps S2101 to S2103 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0186] In some embodiments, the execution order of steps S2101 to S2103 is not limited.

[0187] The above embodiments improve the availability of NTN technology and reduce terminal power consumption.

[0188] Figure 3A is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3A, the present disclosure relates to a communication method that can be executed by a terminal 101, and the method includes:

[0189] Step S3101: Obtain the first instruction information.

[0190] In some embodiments, the first indication information is used to indicate the time-domain offset of the neighboring cell relative to the serving cell.

[0191] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3101 can be found in optional implementations of step S2101 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0192] In some embodiments, terminal 101 receives first indication information sent by network device 102, but is not limited thereto. Terminal 101 may also receive first indication information sent by other entities, such as relay devices or other devices, in which case step S3101 may be omitted.

[0193] In some embodiments, terminal 101 obtains first indication information defined by the protocol, in which step S3101 is omitted.

[0194] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 obtains first indication information from the upper layer(s), in which case step S3101 is omitted.

[0195] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 processes the information to obtain the first instruction information, in which case step S3101 is omitted.

[0196] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 autonomously implements the function indicated by the first instruction information, or the above function is a default or default value, in which case step S3101 is omitted.

[0197] Step S3102: Perform the first operation.

[0198] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3102 can be found in optional implementations of step S2103 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0199] In some embodiments, steps S3101 to S3102 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0200] In some embodiments, the execution order of steps S3101 to S3102 is not limited.

[0201] The above embodiments improve the availability of NTN technology and reduce terminal power consumption.

[0202] Figure 3B is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3B, the present disclosure relates to a communication method that can be executed by a network device 102, and the method includes:

[0203] Step S3201: Send the first instruction information.

[0204] In some embodiments, the first indication information is used to indicate the time-domain offset of the neighboring cell relative to the serving cell.

[0205] In some embodiments, network device 102 sends first instruction information to terminal 101.

[0206] In some embodiments, terminal 101 receives first instruction information.

[0207] In some embodiments, optional implementations of step S3201 can be found in optional implementations of step S2101 in FIG2 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG2, which will not be repeated here.

[0208] The above embodiments improve the availability of NTN technology and reduce terminal power consumption.

[0209] The above process is further illustrated with examples below.

[0210] This disclosure provides a neighbor cell measurement method in an IoT NTN TDD system. By introducing an offset between the synchronization signals of the serving cell and the neighboring cell, the terminal can search for the NPSS and / or NSSS of neighboring cells within a smaller time range to perform neighbor cell measurement, thereby achieving energy saving.

[0211] First, the terminal receives a serving cell system message broadcast, which indicates time offset information of one or more neighboring cells relative to the serving cell. The time offset information can be one of the following:

[0212] Method 1: The offset of the neighboring cell's NPSS compared to the serving cell's NPSS;

[0213] Method 2: The offset of the neighboring cell's NPSS compared to the serving cell's NSSS;

[0214] Method 3: The offset of the neighboring cell's NSSS compared to the serving cell's NPSS;

[0215] Method 4: The offset of the neighboring cell's NSSS compared to the serving cell's NSSS;

[0216] Method 5: The offset of the first DL subframe in the neighboring cell frame structure out of 8 consecutive DL subframes compared to the first DL subframe in the serving cell frame structure out of 8 consecutive DL subframes.

[0217] The offset value can be positive or negative. For example, a positive value indicates that the timing of the neighboring cell is later than that of the serving cell, while a negative value indicates that the timing of the neighboring cell is earlier than that of the serving cell; or vice versa. The specifics can be agreed upon in the protocol.

[0218] Secondly, when configuring the time offset, the network device can further indicate whether the offset is for the uplink synchronization RP of the NTN cell or for the offset of the access network device such as the eNB.

[0219] In addition, when preparing to measure neighboring cells, the terminal uses the downlink timing of the current serving cell, the network-configured time offset, and the PDD information between the serving cell and neighboring cells to calculate the timing of the neighboring cell to be measured. Specifically, the PDD information is related to the time offset configuration:

[0220] If the time offset is configured for the RP, then the PDD between the serving cell and the neighboring cell is the PDD from the terminal to the RP, which is the difference between the sum of the service link propagation delay and the common TA between the serving cell and the neighboring cell. The service link propagation delay is calculated using the terminal's GNSS position and the satellite position (obtained through ephemeris information), and the common TA value is broadcast by the network.

[0221] If the time offset is configured for the eNB, then the PDD between the serving cell and the neighboring cell is the PDD from the terminal to the eNB, which is the difference between the sum of the service link propagation delay, common TA, and Kmac between the serving cell and the neighboring cell. The service link propagation delay is calculated using the terminal's GNSS position and the satellite's position (obtained through ephemeris information), while the common TA and Kmac values ​​are broadcast by the network.

[0222] Taking method 5 as an example, the terminal maintains downlink synchronization with the serving cell. The terminal knows the location of the first DL subframe in the current serving cell's frame structure. Combining the configured time offset with the PDD information between the serving cell and neighboring cells, the terminal can determine the first DL subframe in the neighboring cell's frame structure. According to the frame structure definition, the NPSS signal is detected in the third DL subframe. After detecting the NPSS, the NSSS location of the neighboring cell can be found according to the frame structure, and thus the PCI information of the neighboring cell can be detected.

[0223] Taking Method 1 as an example, the terminal maintains downlink synchronization with the serving cell. The terminal knows the current NPSS location of the serving cell. Combining the configured time offset with the PDD information between the serving cell and neighboring cells, the terminal can determine the NPSS location of the neighboring cell. The terminal detects the NPSS signal at this location. After detecting the NPSS, the terminal can find the NSSS location of the neighboring cell according to the frame structure, and thus detect the PCI information of the neighboring cell.

[0224] This disclosure also proposes an apparatus (also referred to as a communication device, etc.) for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Furthermore, another apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0225] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0226] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0227] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The terminal 4100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4A, the terminal 4100 may include at least one of a transceiver module 4101 and a processing module 4102.

[0228] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 4101 is used to receive first indication information sent by the network device, the first indication information being used to indicate the time domain offset of the neighboring cell relative to the serving cell.

[0229] In some embodiments, the processing module 4102 is configured to perform a first operation based on the time-domain offset, the first operation being an operation related to the neighboring cell.

[0230] Optionally, the transceiver module 4101 is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (such as step S2101, step S2102, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal 4100 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0231] Optionally, the processing module 4102 is used to execute at least one of the other steps (such as step S2103, but not limited thereto) executed by the terminal 4100 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0232] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The network device 4200 is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4B, the network device 4200 may include a transceiver module 4201.

[0233] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 4201 is used to send first indication information to the terminal, the first indication information being used to indicate the time domain offset of the neighboring cell relative to the serving cell; wherein, the time domain offset is used by the terminal to perform a first operation, the first operation being an operation related to the neighboring cell.

[0234] Optionally, the transceiver module 4201 is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (such as step S2101, step S2102, but not limited thereto) performed by the network device 4200 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0235] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0236] In some embodiments, the processing module may be a single module or may include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules may each perform all or part of the steps required by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module may be interchangeable with a processor, and the transceiver module may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0237] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 5100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 5100 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment, etc.), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 5100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0238] As shown in Figure 5A, the communication device 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 includes one or more processors 5101. The processor 5101 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 5101 are used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 5100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0239] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more transceivers 5102. When the communication device 5100 includes one or more transceivers 5102, the transceiver 5102 performs at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, but not limited thereto) in the above method, such as sending and / or receiving, and the processor 5101 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., step S2103, but not limited thereto). In optional embodiments, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, sending unit, transmitter, sending circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0240] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more memories 5103 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, one or more processors 5101 are used to invoke instructions stored in the memory 5103 to cause the communication device 5100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, all or part of the memory 5103 may also be located outside the communication device 5100. In an optional embodiment, the communication device 5100 may include one or more interface circuits 5104. Optionally, the interface circuit 5104 is connected to the memory 5103 and can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memory 5103 or other devices, and can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memory 5103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5104 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memory 5103 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 5101.

[0241] The communication device 5100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 5100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 5100 may not be limited by FIG. 5A. The communication device may be a standalone device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data, programs and / or instructions; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0242] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 5200 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 5100 can be a chip or a chip system, the schematic diagram of the chip 5200 shown in Figure 5B can be referred to, but is not limited thereto.

[0243] Chip 5200 includes one or more processors 5201. Chip 5200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0244] In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more interface circuits 5202. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more memories 5203 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 5203 may be located outside of chip 5200. Optionally, the interface circuit 5202 is connected to the memories 5203, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memories 5203 or other devices, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memories 5203 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5202 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memories 5203 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 5201.

[0245] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 5202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, but not limited thereto). The interface circuit 5202 performing the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method refers, for example, to the interface circuit 5202 performing data and / or instruction interaction between the processor 5201, the chip 5200, the memory 5203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 5201 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., step S2103, but not limited thereto).

[0246] The modules and / or devices described in the various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be combined or separated arbitrarily as needed. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0247] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0248] This disclosure also proposes a program product, including a program and / or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product. Optionally, the program product is stored on the storage medium.

[0249] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

[0250] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

A communication method, characterized in that, The method is executed by a terminal, and the method includes: Receive first indication information sent by the network device, the first indication information being used to indicate the time domain offset of the neighboring cell relative to the serving cell; Based on the time-domain offset, a first operation is performed, which is an operation related to the neighboring cell. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first operation includes at least one of the following: Downlink synchronization operation of the neighboring cell; The detection operation of the neighboring cell; The measurement operation of the neighboring cell. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first indication information sent by the receiving network device includes: The system message broadcast by the network device is received, and the system message includes the first indication information. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The time-domain offset includes at least one of the following: The time-domain offset of the primary synchronization signal (PSS) of the neighboring cell relative to the PSS of the serving cell; The time-domain offset of the neighboring cell's PSS relative to the serving cell's secondary synchronization signal SSS; The temporal offset of the neighboring cell's SSS relative to the serving cell's PSS; The temporal offset of the neighboring cell's SSS relative to the serving cell's SSS; The time-domain offset of the first downlink time unit relative to the second downlink time unit, wherein the first downlink time unit is the start time unit for downlink transmission of the neighboring cell, and the second downlink time unit is the start time unit for downlink transmission of the serving cell. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The first operation based on the time-domain offset includes: The first downlink timing of the neighboring cell is determined based on the time domain offset, the propagation delay difference between the neighboring cell and the serving cell, and the second downlink timing of the serving cell. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the difference between the first propagation delay and the second propagation delay, the propagation delay difference between the neighboring cell and the serving cell is determined. The first propagation delay is the propagation delay from the terminal to the first device in the neighboring cell, and the second propagation delay is the propagation delay from the terminal to the first device in the serving cell. The first device is a reference device used to determine the first downlink timing. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The method further includes at least one of the following: Based on a predefined method, the first device corresponding to the time domain offset is determined; Based on the second indication information sent by the network device, the first device corresponding to the time domain offset is determined; The first device is a reference device used to determine the first downlink timing of the neighboring cell. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The first device includes any one of the following: Uplink synchronization reference point; Access network equipment. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is performed by a network device, and the method includes: Send a first indication message to the terminal, the first indication message being used to indicate the time domain offset of the neighboring cell relative to the serving cell; wherein, the time domain offset is used by the terminal to perform a first operation, the first operation being an operation related to the neighboring cell. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first operation includes at least one of the following: Downlink synchronization operation of the neighboring cell; The detection operation of the neighboring cell; The measurement operation of the neighboring cell. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, Sending the first instruction information to the terminal includes: A broadcast system message, wherein the system message includes the first indication information. The method according to any one of claims 9-11, characterized in that, The time-domain offset includes at least one of the following: The time-domain offset of the primary synchronization signal (PSS) of the neighboring cell relative to the PSS of the serving cell; The time-domain offset of the neighboring cell's PSS relative to the serving cell's secondary synchronization signal SSS; The temporal offset of the neighboring cell's SSS relative to the serving cell's PSS; The temporal offset of the neighboring cell's SSS relative to the serving cell's SSS; The time-domain offset of the first downlink time unit relative to the second downlink time unit, wherein the first downlink time unit is the start time unit for downlink transmission of the neighboring cell, and the second downlink time unit is the start time unit for downlink transmission of the serving cell. The method according to any one of claims 9-12, characterized in that, The method further includes at least one of the following: Based on a predefined method, the first device corresponding to the time domain offset is determined; Send a second indication message to the terminal, the second indication message being used to indicate the first device corresponding to the time domain offset; The first device is a reference device used to determine the first downlink timing of the neighboring cell. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first device includes any one of the following: Uplink synchronization reference point; Access network equipment. A terminal, characterized in that, include: The transceiver module is configured to receive first indication information sent by the network device, the first indication information being used to indicate the time domain offset of the neighboring cell relative to the serving cell; The processing module is configured to perform a first operation based on the time-domain offset, the first operation being an operation related to the neighboring cell. A network device, characterized in that, include: The transceiver module is configured to send first indication information to the terminal, the first indication information being used to indicate the time domain offset of the neighboring cell relative to the serving cell; wherein, the time domain offset is used by the terminal to perform a first operation, the first operation being an operation related to the neighboring cell. A terminal, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; The processor is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-8. A network device, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; The processor is used to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 9-14. A communication system, characterized in that, include: A terminal, the terminal being configured to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1-8; A network device configured to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 9-14. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction is executed on the communication device, it causes the communication device to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-8 or 9-14. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When executed by a processor, the computer program is used to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1-8 or 9-14.

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