Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus. In the present application, a network device can configure, for a terminal device, a transmission resource corresponding to a reporting configuration and used to feed back a measurement report. By defining a manner of determining a cell corresponding to the transmission resource, the terminal device can accurately determine the transmission resource used to feed back a measurement report. Accordingly, the terminal device can proactively report a measurement result to the network device as required via the transmission resource used to feed back a measurement report, thereby helping to prevent the terminal device from repeatedly reporting measurement results having no difference, and saving transmission resources for measurement reporting.

Description

Communication methods and communication devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510396971.0, filed on March 28, 2025, entitled "Communication Method and Communication Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of wireless communication, and more specifically, to a communication method and a communication device. Background Technology

[0003] In wireless communication, reference signals are transmitted between the transmitting and receiving ends to send and receive data, obtain system synchronization, and provide feedback channel information. For example, the transmitting end sends a reference signal to the receiving end, which receives the reference signal and can then perform corresponding operations based on it, such as performing channel measurements and beam reporting. Currently, the timing of beam reporting is mainly determined by network equipment, which results in significant uplink resource overhead. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and a communication device, in which beam reporting is initiated by a terminal device, enabling on-demand beam reporting and reducing uplink resource overhead.

[0005] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be applied to the terminal side; that is, it can be executed by the terminal device, by components of the terminal device (such as a chip, chip system, circuit, or communication module), or by logic modules or software capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the terminal device, etc. This application does not limit this. The following description mainly uses a terminal device as an example.

[0006] The method may include: receiving first reported configuration information from a network device; performing beam measurement and obtaining a measurement report; sending a back measurement report to the network device through the transmission resources corresponding to the first reported configuration information; wherein the cell corresponding to the transmission resources is one of the following: a primary cell, a primary-secondary cell, or a secondary cell configured with a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

[0007] Based on the above technical solution, the network device can configure the terminal device with transmission resources for feeding back measurement reports. By defining the method for determining the cell corresponding to the transmission resources, the terminal device can accurately determine the transmission resources for feeding back measurement reports. This helps the terminal device to actively report measurement results to the network device on demand, thereby avoiding the terminal device from repeatedly reporting the same measurement results and saving transmission resources for measurement reports.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the transmission resources include a first resource set, which includes M first resources. The first resources are used to send first information to the network device, and the first information is used to request a second resource for transmitting a measurement report. M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. The first cell corresponding to the first resource set is one of the following: a primary cell, a primary-secondary cell, or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH.

[0009] Based on the above technical solution, if the transmission resources include a first resource set, the terminal device can accurately determine the first resource set by determining the first cell corresponding to the first resource set. Then, it can send first information to the network device through the first resource in the first resource set to request second resources for transmitting the measurement report, and transmit the measurement report through the second resource. Therefore, since the network device only schedules the second resource for transmitting the measurement report to the terminal device upon receiving a request from the terminal device, unnecessary resource scheduling can be avoided, thus preventing resource waste.

[0010] The following describes how a terminal device determines the first cell corresponding to the first resource set.

[0011] For example, the first reported configuration information includes first indication information, which indicates the first cell.

[0012] For example, the first instruction information indicates whether the first cell is a primary cell or a primary-secondary cell.

[0013] Optionally, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group and a secondary cell group, the first indication information indicates that the first cell is a primary cell or a primary-secondary cell.

[0014] Based on the above technical solution, by defining the application scenario of the first indication information used to indicate whether the first cell is a primary cell or a primary-secondary cell, errors in parsing the first indication information by the terminal device can be avoided. For example, if the value of the first indication information used to indicate whether the first cell is a primary cell or a primary-secondary cell is the same as the value of the first indication information used to indicate that the first cell is a secondary cell configured with PUCCH, the terminal device is prevented from determining that the first cell is a secondary cell configured with PUCCH based on the first indication information, thus failing to accurately determine the first resource set and consequently failing to send a measurement report to the network device.

[0015] For example, the first indication information indicates that the first cell is a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH.

[0016] Optionally, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group, and the primary cell group includes a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH, then the first indication information indicates that the first cell is either a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH.

[0017] Based on the above technical solution, by defining application scenarios for the first indication information used to indicate whether the first cell is a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with PUCCH, errors in parsing the first indication information by the terminal device can be avoided. For example, if the value of the first indication information used to indicate whether the first cell is a primary cell or a primary / secondary cell is the same as the value of the first indication information used to indicate whether the first cell is a secondary cell configured with PUCCH, the terminal device is prevented from determining whether the first cell is a primary or secondary cell based on the first indication information, thus failing to accurately determine the first resource set and consequently failing to send a measurement report to the network device.

[0018] For example, the first instruction information indicates that the first cell is the primary cell.

[0019] Optionally, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not with a secondary cell group or a secondary cell with a PUCCH configured, the first indication information indicates that the first cell is the primary cell.

[0020] For example, the terminal device determines the first cell according to a method predefined by the protocol, or a method pre-configured by the network device for the terminal device.

[0021] For example, the terminal device determines that the first cell is the primary cell by default.

[0022] Optionally, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not with a secondary cell group or a secondary cell with a PUCCH configured, the first cell is the primary cell by default.

[0023] For example, the terminal device determines that the first cell is the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs, and the second cell is the cell corresponding to the first reported configuration information.

[0024] The cell corresponding to the first reported configuration information refers to the cell to which the first reported configuration information belongs, that is, the first reported configuration information is configured in the second cell as a configuration parameter of the second cell.

[0025] Optionally, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group and a secondary cell group, the first cell is the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs by default.

[0026] Based on the above technical solution, by defining the application scenarios of the above method for determining the first cell, it can be ensured that the terminal device correctly determines the first cell.

[0027] For example, the terminal device determines that the first cell is the PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs by default. The PUCCH cell is the primary cell or a secondary cell configured with PUCCH.

[0028] Optionally, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group, and the primary cell group includes secondary cells configured with PUCCH, the terminal device determines that the first cell is the PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs by default.

[0029] Based on the above technical solution, by defining the application scenarios of the above method for determining the first cell, it can be ensured that the terminal device correctly determines the first cell.

[0030] For example, the first reported configuration information may also indicate one or more of the following: identification information of the first resource set, information of the M first resources, and information of the bandwidth part (BWP) corresponding to the M first resources.

[0031] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the transmission resources include a third resource set, which includes N third resources. The third resources are used to send second information to the network device, and the second information is used to instruct the terminal device to send a measurement report to the network device through the fourth resource. N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. The third cell corresponding to the third resource set is one of the following: a primary cell, a primary-secondary cell, or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH.

[0032] Based on the above technical solution, if the transmission resources include a third resource set, the terminal device can accurately determine the third resource set by identifying the third cell corresponding to the third resource set. Then, it can send second information to the network device through the third resource in the third resource set, enabling the network device to determine the fourth resource for receiving measurement reports. Therefore, since the network device can pre-configure the third and fourth resource sets for the terminal device, the terminal device can quickly report measurement reports using the third and fourth resource sets when required, thus reducing resource scheduling latency.

[0033] The following describes how a terminal device determines the third cell corresponding to a third resource set.

[0034] For example, the first reported configuration information includes second indication information, which in turn indicates a third cell.

[0035] For example, the second instruction information indicates whether the third cell is a primary cell or a primary-secondary cell.

[0036] Optionally, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group and a secondary cell group, the second indication information indicates that the third cell is either a primary cell or a primary-secondary cell.

[0037] Based on the above technical solution, by defining application scenarios for the second indication information used to indicate whether the third cell is a primary or secondary cell, errors in parsing the second indication information by the terminal device can be avoided. For example, if the value of the second indication information used to indicate whether the third cell is a primary or secondary cell is the same as the value of the second indication information used to indicate that the third cell is a secondary cell configured with PUCCH, the terminal device is prevented from determining that the third cell is a secondary cell configured with PUCCH based on the second indication information, thus failing to accurately determine the third resource set and consequently failing to send a measurement report to the network device.

[0038] For example, the second indication information indicates that the third cell is the primary cell or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH.

[0039] Optionally, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group, and the primary cell group includes a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH, then the second indication information indicates that the third cell is either a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH.

[0040] Based on the above technical solution, by defining application scenarios for the second indication information used to indicate whether the third cell is a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with PUCCH, errors in parsing the second indication information by the terminal device can be avoided. For example, if the value of the second indication information used to indicate whether the third cell is a primary cell or a primary / secondary cell is the same as the value of the second indication information used to indicate whether the third cell is a secondary cell configured with PUCCH, the terminal device is prevented from determining whether the third cell is a primary or secondary cell based on the second indication information, thus failing to accurately determine the third resource set and consequently failing to send a measurement report to the network device.

[0041] For example, the second instruction information indicates that the third cell is the primary cell.

[0042] Optionally, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not with a secondary cell group or a secondary cell with a PUCCH configured, the second indication information indicates that the third cell is the primary cell.

[0043] For example, the terminal device determines the third cell according to a method predefined by the protocol or a method pre-configured by the network device for the terminal device.

[0044] For example, the terminal device determines that the third cell is the default primary cell.

[0045] Optionally, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not with a secondary cell group or a secondary cell with a PUCCH configured, the third cell is the primary cell by default.

[0046] For example, the terminal device determines that the third cell is the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs, and the second cell is the cell corresponding to the first reported configuration information.

[0047] Optionally, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group and a secondary cell group, the third cell is the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs by default.

[0048] Based on the above technical solution, by defining the application scenarios of the above method for determining the third cell, it can be ensured that the terminal device determines the correct third cell.

[0049] For example, the terminal device determines that the third cell is the PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs by default. The PUCCH cell is the primary cell or a secondary cell configured with PUCCH.

[0050] Optionally, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group, and the primary cell group includes secondary cells configured with PUCCH, the terminal device determines that the third cell is the PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs by default.

[0051] Based on the above technical solution, by defining the application scenarios of the above method for determining the third cell, it can be ensured that the terminal device determines the correct third cell.

[0052] For example, the first reported configuration information may also indicate one or more of the following: the identification information of the third resource set, the information of N third resources, and the information of the BWP corresponding to the N third resources.

[0053] For example, if the transmission resources include a third resource set, the transmission resources also include a fourth resource set, which includes Q fourth resources. The first reported configuration information further indicates one or more of the following: identification information of the fourth resource set, information of the Q fourth resources, and information of the BWP corresponding to the Q fourth resources; where Q is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0054] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be applied to the network side; that is, it can be executed by a network device, by a component of the network device (such as a chip, chip system, circuit, or communication module), or by a logic module or software capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the network device, etc. This application does not limit this. The following description mainly uses a network device as an example.

[0055] The method may include: sending first reporting configuration information to a terminal device; receiving a measurement report from the terminal device through the transmission resources corresponding to the first reporting configuration information, wherein the measurement report is determined based on beam measurement; wherein the cell corresponding to the transmission resources is one of the following: a primary cell, a primary-secondary cell, or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH.

[0056] The beneficial effects of the second aspect and other possible implementation methods can be found in the description of the first aspect above.

[0057] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the transmission resources include a first resource set, which includes M first resources. The first resources are used to send first information to the network device, and the first information is used to request a second resource for transmitting a measurement report. M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. The first cell corresponding to the first resource set is one of the following: a primary cell, a primary-secondary cell, or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH.

[0058] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first reported configuration information includes first indication information, which indicates that the first cell is a primary cell or a primary-secondary cell; or, the first indication information indicates that the first cell is a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH; or, the first indication information indicates that the first cell is a primary cell.

[0059] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group and a secondary cell group, the first indication information indicates that the first cell is a primary cell or a primary-secondary cell; or, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group, and the primary cell group includes a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH, the first indication information indicates that the first cell is a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH; or, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH, the first indication information indicates that the first cell is a primary cell.

[0060] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first cell is the primary cell; or, the first cell is the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs, and the second cell is the cell corresponding to the first reported configuration information; or, the first cell is the PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs, and the PUCCH cell is the primary cell or a secondary cell configured with PUCCH.

[0061] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group and a secondary cell group, then the first cell is the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs; or, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not with a secondary cell group, and the primary cell group includes secondary cells configured with PUCCH, then the first cell is the PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs; or, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not with a secondary cell group or a secondary cell configured with PUCCH, then the first cell is the primary cell.

[0062] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first reported configuration information also indicates one or more of the following: the identification information of the first resource set, the information of the M first resources, and the information of the BWP corresponding to the M first resources.

[0063] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the transmission resources include a third resource set, which includes N third resources. The third resources are used to send second information to the network device, and the second information is used to instruct the terminal device to send a measurement report to the network device through the fourth resource. N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. The third cell corresponding to the third resource set is one of the following: a primary cell, a primary-secondary cell, or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH.

[0064] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first reported configuration information includes the second indication information, which indicates that the third cell is the primary cell or a primary-secondary cell; or, the second indication information indicates that the third cell is the primary cell or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH; or, the second indication information indicates that the third cell is the primary cell.

[0065] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group and a secondary cell group, the second indication information indicates that the third cell is a primary cell or a primary-secondary cell; or, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group, and the primary cell group includes a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH, the second indication information indicates that the third cell is a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH; or, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH, the second indication information indicates that the third cell is a primary cell.

[0066] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the third cell is the primary cell; or, the third cell is the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs, and the second cell is the cell corresponding to the first reported configuration information; or, the third cell is the PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs, and the PUCCH cell is the primary cell or a secondary cell configured with PUCCH.

[0067] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group and a secondary cell group, then the third cell is the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs; or, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group, and the primary cell group includes secondary cells configured with PUCCH, then the third cell is the PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs; or, if the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group or a secondary cell configured with PUCCH, then the third cell is the primary cell.

[0068] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first reported configuration information also indicates one or more of the following: the identification information of the third resource set, the information of N third resources, and the information of the BWP corresponding to the N third resources.

[0069] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the transmission resources include a fourth resource set, which includes Q fourth resources, and the first reporting configuration information further indicates one or more of the following: the identification information of the fourth resource set, the information of the Q fourth resources, and the information of the BWP corresponding to the Q fourth resources; where Q is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0070] Thirdly, a communication apparatus is provided for performing the methods of any one of the first to second aspects and any possible implementation thereof. Specifically, the apparatus may include units and / or modules for performing the methods of any one of the first to second aspects and any possible implementation thereof, such as processing units and / or communication units.

[0071] In one implementation, the device is a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device). When the device is a communication device, the communication unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0072] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, circuit, or communication module for communication equipment (such as terminal equipment or network equipment). When the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit for communication equipment, the communication unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0073] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, the device comprising: at least one processor configured to cause the device to perform the methods of any one of the first to second aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0074] Optionally, the at least one processor is configured to execute computer programs or instructions to perform the methods of any of the first to second aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0075] Optionally, the device further includes a memory for storing the computer program or instructions.

[0076] Optionally, the at least one processor is coupled to a memory for storing the computer program or instructions. The memory may be located externally to the device.

[0077] Optionally, the device also includes a communication interface through which the processor reads instructions from memory. This can be understood as the communication interface being coupled to the processor and used to input computer programs or instructions to the processor, or to output information from the processor.

[0078] Unless otherwise specified, or if the transmission and acquisition / reception operations involved do not contradict their actual function or internal logic in the relevant description, they can be understood as output, input, or other operations, or as transmission and reception operations performed by radio frequency circuits and antennas. This application does not limit them in this regard.

[0079] In one implementation, the device is a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device).

[0080] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, circuit, or communication module for communication equipment (such as terminal equipment or network equipment). Optionally, the chip is a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip.

[0081] Fifthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program (e.g., program code) or instructions are stored, which, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the methods of any one of the first to second aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0082] In a sixth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods of any one of the first to second aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0083] In a seventh aspect, a processor is provided for executing the methods provided in the foregoing aspects.

[0084] Unless otherwise specified, or if it does not contradict its actual function or internal logic in the relevant description, the transmission and acquisition / reception operations involved in the processor can be understood as processor output and reception, input and other operations, or as transmission and reception operations performed by radio frequency circuits and antennas. This application does not limit them in this regard.

[0085] Eighthly, a chip is provided, the chip including a processor and a communication interface, the processor reading instructions stored in a memory through the communication interface and executing the methods in the first or second aspect and any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0086] Optionally, as one implementation, the chip also includes a memory storing computer programs or instructions, and a processor for executing the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the processor is used to execute the methods in the first or second aspect and any possible implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0087] A ninth aspect provides a communication system, including a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device is used to execute the method provided in any implementation of the first aspect, and the second communication device is used to execute the method provided in any implementation of the second aspect.

[0088] For descriptions and beneficial effects of aspects two through nine, please refer to the descriptions and beneficial effects of aspect one above. Attached Figure Description

[0089] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0090] Figure 2 is another schematic diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application.

[0091] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of an access network device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0092] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a cell type of a terminal device in dual connectivity (DC) mode provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0093] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a communication method 500 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0094] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a communication device 600 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0095] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another communication device 700 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0096] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 800 provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0097] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0098] Before introducing the scheme of this application, the following points should be noted.

[0099] (1) In this application, "instruction" can include direct instruction, indirect instruction, explicit instruction, implicit instruction, etc. When describing an instruction information as indicating A, it can be understood that the instruction information carries A, carries the identifier of A, carries B which is associated with A, carries the identifier of B which is associated with A, etc. In other words, if the receiving side of an instruction information can determine A based on the instruction information, it can be described as the instruction information indicating A, and the specific method of determination is not limited. When it is understood that the instruction information carries A, "instruction" can be replaced with "includes". In this case, a statement such as "send / receive instruction information, the instruction information indicates A" can be replaced with "send / receive A".

[0100] In this application, the information indicated by the instruction information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementations, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed. It can also indicate only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent. Furthermore, the information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information pieces, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information pieces can be the same or different.

[0101] (2) In this application, the expression " / " is used to indicate that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship; for example, A / B can mean: A or B. The expression "and / or" is used to indicate that the objects before and after are in a relationship of either "and" or "or"; for example, A and / or B can mean the following: A exists alone, B exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be single or multiple. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions are used to indicate any combination of the listed items; for example, at least one of A, B and / or C can mean the following: A exists alone, B exists alone, C exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, B and C exist simultaneously, A and C exist simultaneously, A, B and C exist simultaneously, where A, B, and C can be single or multiple.

[0102] (3) In this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which may include direct transmission via the air interface or indirect transmission by other units or modules via the air interface. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which may include direct reception from YY via the air interface or indirect reception from YY by other units or modules via the air interface. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface. In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0103] (4) In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0104] (5) In this application, the use of prefixes such as "first," "second," "#1," and "#2" is merely for the purpose of distinguishing and describing different things belonging to the same name category, and does not constrain the order, size, or quantity of things. For example, "first instruction information" and "second instruction information" are simply different information, and do not limit the quantity of information, the order of transmission, or the relationship of priority. As another example, "first cell" and "second cell" are simply different cells, and do not limit the number of cells or the size of the cells.

[0105] (6) In this application, "predefined" may mean a standard protocol predefined, or it may mean that the devices have agreed or negotiated in advance. Among them, "protocol" may refer to standard protocols in the field of communications, such as fourth-generation (4G) network protocols, fifth-generation (5G) network protocols, new radio (NR) protocols, 5.5G network protocols, and related protocols applied in future communication networks. This application does not limit this.

[0106] (7) In this application, the terms "exemplary," "for example," etc., are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as an "example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the term "example" is intended to present a concept in a concrete manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "corresponding, relevant," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be noted that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0107] (8) In this application, “when…”, “if” and “if” all refer to the device making a corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment when it is implemented, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0108] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as 5G or NR systems, frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, time division duplex (TDD) systems, wireless local area network (WLAN) systems, satellite communication systems, future communication systems, or integrated systems of multiple systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems.

[0109] In a communication system, a device can send signals to or receive signals from another device. These signals can include information, signaling, or data. The device can also be replaced by an entity, network entity, communication equipment, communication module, node, communication node, etc.; this disclosure uses a device as an example. For instance, a communication system can include at least one terminal device and at least one network device. The network device can send downlink signals to the terminal device, and / or the terminal device can send uplink signals to the network device.

[0110] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to the communication method provided in this application. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a possible, non-limiting system architecture. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 also includes an Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal device 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110. The RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 wirelessly or via a wired connection. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device that integrates core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0111] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4G, 5G mobile communication systems, or future-oriented evolution systems. RAN 100 can also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0112] RAN node 110, sometimes referred to as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, is part of the communication system and helps terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal device 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal devices 120j accessing RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; but for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal device 120 are sometimes both referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0113] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station (BS). The term "base station" can broadly encompass, or be replaced by, various names including: network equipment, access network equipment, NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmit / receive point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master station, auxiliary station, motor slide retainer (MSR) node, femtocell, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), radio unit (RU), positioning node, etc. A base station can be a macro base station (as shown in Figure 1, 110a), a micro base station or indoor station (as shown in Figure 1, 110b), a relay node, a donor node, or the like, or a combination thereof. A base station can also refer to a communication module, modem, or chip installed within the aforementioned equipment or apparatus. A base station can also be a mobile switching center, equipment performing base station functions in D2D, V2X, and M2M communications, or equipment performing base station functions in future communication systems. A base station can support networks using the same or different access technologies. Optionally, a RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle or in-vehicle equipment, satellite, drone, or equipment performing base station functions in D2D and / or M2M transmissions. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or equipment forms used in the network equipment.

[0114] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with each RAN node performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CUs (control planes, CPs), CUs (user planes, UPs), or RUs, etc. CUs and DUs can be configured separately or included in the same network element, such as a BBU. RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as RRUs, AAUs, or RRHs.

[0115] 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 ORAN system, CU can also be called an open CU (O-CU), DU can also be called an open DU (O-DU), CU-CP can also be called an open CU-CP (open-CU-CP, O-CU-CP), CU-UP can also be called an open CU-UP (open-CU-UP, O-CU-UP), and RU can also be called an open RU (open-RU, O-RU). For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0116] 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.

[0117] Terminal equipment can also be called a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. A terminal device can be a device that provides voice and / or data, such as a handheld device with wireless connectivity, an in-vehicle device, etc. Currently, examples of terminals include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to wireless modems, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks, or future public land mobile communication networks. Terminal devices in a network (PLMN), Wi-Fi stations (STAs), etc. This application does not limit this to specific examples.

[0118] Terminal devices can also be terminal devices in an IoT system, also known as IoT nodes. IoT is an important component of future information technology development. Its main technical characteristic is connecting objects to networks through communication technologies, thereby realizing an intelligent network that enables human-machine interaction and machine-to-machine interaction. Connections can be made using broadband or narrowband technologies. IoT technology, for example, can achieve massive connectivity, deep coverage, and low power consumption at the terminal level through narrowband (NB) technology.

[0119] In addition, terminal devices may also include sensors such as smart printers, train detectors, and gas stations. Their main functions include collecting data (for some terminal devices), receiving control information and downlink data from network devices, and sending electromagnetic waves to transmit uplink data to network devices.

[0120] Terminal devices can also be wearable devices. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not just hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on a specific application function and require the use of other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0121] In this embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself, or it can be any device capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing those functions, such as a chip system. This device can be installed in or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In this embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components. This embodiment only uses the terminal device as an example to illustrate the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device, and does not constitute a limitation on the solution of this embodiment.

[0122] This application does not limit the specific form of the terminal device and network device. The terminal device and network device can be hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or software functions running on general-purpose hardware. They can also be virtualized devices, for example, implemented through general-purpose hardware and instantiated virtualization functions, or dedicated hardware and instantiated virtualization functions. Among them, general-purpose hardware can be servers, such as cloud servers.

[0123] Figure 2 is another schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to the method provided in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 2, the RAN device (e.g., an eNB, gNB, or next-generation access network device) in this communication system has a distributed architecture, including CU, DU, and RU. The RAN device can communicate with the core network (CN) device through a backhaul link and can communicate with the terminal through an air interface.

[0124] For example, the BBU in the RAN device communicates with the core network device via a backhaul link; the RU in the RAN device can communicate with at least one terminal device via an air interface. The BBU communicates with at least one RU via a fronthaul link; the BBU and RU may or may not be co-located. In some deployments, the BBU may include at least one CU and at least one DU, and the CU and DU can communicate with each other via a midhaul link. The RU can communicate with one or more UEs via a radio link. The DU and RU may or may not be co-located. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs.

[0125] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an access network device applicable to embodiments of this application. Figure 3 shows the network element function division and protocol layer structure diagram of the O-RAN device. The access network device shown in Figure 3 includes CU, DU, and RU. Among them, CU is a logical node that carries the radio resource control (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and other control functions of the access network device. CU can be connected to network nodes such as the core network through some interfaces. For example, the E2 interface. CU may have some functions of the core network. CU (e.g., the PDCP layer and / or higher layers of CU) is connected to DU (e.g., the radio link control (RLC) layer and lower layers of DU) through some interfaces. For example, the F1 interface. Optionally, the F1 interface can provide control plane (C-Plane) and user plane (U-Plane) functions (e.g., interface management, system information management, UE context management, RRC message transmission, etc.). F1AP is the application protocol for the F1 interface, and in some examples, it defines the signaling procedures for F1. The F1 interface supports the control plane F1-C and the user plane F1-U.

[0126] As an example, a CU can include CU-CP and CU-UP. CU-CP is a logical node carrying the control plane (PDCP-C) layer, which carries the RRC layer and the Packet Data Convergence Protocol layer, and is used to implement the CU's control plane functions. CU-CP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement control plane functions. These network elements in the core network can be access and mobility function (AMF) network elements, such as the access and mobility management function (AMF) in a 5G system. The AMF network element is responsible for mobility management in the mobile network, such as terminal device location updates, terminal device registration with the network, and terminal device handover. CU-UP is a logical node carrying the user plane (PDCP-U) layer, which carries the SDAP layer and the Packet Data Convergence Protocol layer, and is used to implement the CU's user plane functions. CU-UP can interact with network elements in the core network used to implement user plane functions. These network elements in the core network, such as the user plane function (UPF) in a 5G system, are responsible for forwarding and receiving data in terminal devices. The above CU and DU configurations are merely examples. In practical applications, the functions of the CU and DU can be configured as needed. For instance, the CU or DU can be configured to have more protocol layer functions, or to have only some protocol layer processing functions. For example, some RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions above the RLC layer can be placed in the CU, while the remaining RLC layer functions and protocol layer functions below the RLC layer can be placed in the DU. Furthermore, the functions of the CU or DU can be divided according to service type or other system requirements. For example, based on latency, functions that require low latency can be placed in the DU, while functions that do not require low latency can be placed in the CU.

[0127] A DU (Distributed Unit) is a logical node that carries the RLC (Real-Time Control) layer, the medium access control / media access control (MAC) layer, the higher physical layer (Higher PHY) layer, and other functions. In some examples, a DU can control at least one RU (Remote Root). The DU connects to the RU through interfaces, which can be fronthaul interfaces. In some examples, the Higher PHY layer includes the PHY layer processing, such as forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation, and demodulation.

[0128] The RU (Runner Root) is a logical node that carries both lower physical layer (PHY) and radio frequency (RF) processing. In some examples, the RU may be a 3GPP TRP (Transmission Control Point), a remote radio head (RRH), or other similar entity. In some examples, the Lower-PHY includes PHY processing functions such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT), digital beamforming, and filtering. The RU communicates with one or more UEs (User Equipments) via a radio link.

[0129] The DU and RU may or may not be co-located. The DU and RU exchange control plane and user plane information via a fronthaul link through a lower-layer split CUS-plane (LLS-CUS) interface. The LLS-CUS may include a lower-layer split control (LLS-C) interface providing the control plane (C-Plane) and a lower-layer split user (LLS-U) interface, respectively. In some examples, the control plane (C-Plane) refers to real-time control between the DU and RU. The DU and RU exchange management information via an LLS-M interface on the fronthaul link; the management plane (M-Plane) refers to non-real-time management operations between the DU and RU.

[0130] DU and RU can cooperate to implement the functions of the PHY layer. A DU can be connected to one or more RUs. The functions of DU and RU can be configured in various ways depending on the design. For example, a DU can be configured to implement baseband functions, and an RU can be configured to implement mid-RF functions. Another example is that a DU can be configured to implement higher-level functions in the PHY layer, and an RU can be configured to implement lower-level functions in the PHY layer, or to implement both lower-level and RF functions. Higher-level functions in the physical layer can include a portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the MAC layer, while lower-level functions in the physical layer can include another portion of the physical layer's functions that are closer to the mid-RF side.

[0131] Figures 1 to 3 above are illustrative examples and should not be construed as limiting the communication systems to which the methods provided in this application are applicable.

[0132] To better understand the methods provided in the embodiments of this application, the terms involved in this application will be briefly explained below.

[0133] 1. Beam: A communication resource. Different beams can be considered different resources. The same information or different information can be transmitted through different beams.

[0134] In the NR protocol, beamforming can be represented as a spatial domain filter, spatial parameter, spatial domain setting, spatial setting, quasi-co-location (QCL) information, QCL assumption, QCL indication, etc. Beamforming can be indicated by transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state parameters or spatial relation parameters. Therefore, in this application, beamforming can be replaced by spatial domain filter, spatial filter, spatial parameter, spatial parameter, spatial setting, spatial setting, QCL information, QCL assumption, QCL indication, TCI-state, spatial relation, etc. These terms are also equivalent to each other. Beamforming can also be replaced with other beamforming terms, which are not limited in this application.

[0135] The beam used to transmit signals can be called the transmission beam (Tx beam), or it can be referred to as a spatial domain transmission filter, spatial transmission filter, spatial domain transmission parameter, spatial transmission setting, or spatial transmission setting. The downlink transmission beam can be indicated by TCI-state.

[0136] The beam used to receive signals can be called a reception beam (Rx beam), a spatial domain reception filter, a spatial reception filter, a spatial domain reception parameter, a spatial reception setting, or a spatial reception setting. The uplink transmit beam can be indicated by spatial relationships, uplink TCI-state, or sounding reference signal (SRS) resources (indicating the transmit beam using that SRS). Therefore, uplink beams, SRS resources, and uplink TCI-states are interchangeable.

[0137] The transmitting beam can refer to the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space after a signal is transmitted through an antenna, while the receiving beam can refer to the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space of a wireless signal received from an antenna.

[0138] Furthermore, the beam can be a wide beam, a narrow beam, or other types of beam. The beamforming technology can be beamforming technology or other technologies. Specifically, beamforming technology can be digital beamforming technology, analog beamforming technology, or hybrid digital / analog beamforming technology, etc.

[0139] As an example, multiple beams with the same or similar communication characteristics can be considered as a single beam.

[0140] Beams are generally associated with resources. For example, when performing beam measurement, network devices measure different beams through different resources. The terminal devices provide feedback on the measured resource quality, and the network devices then know the quality of the corresponding beam.

[0141] Optionally, multiple beams with the same or similar communication characteristics can be considered as a single beam. A beam may include one or more antenna ports for transmitting data channels, control channels, and detection signals, etc. One or more antenna ports forming a beam can also be considered as a set of antenna ports.

[0142] 2. Reference signal (RS): Also known as pilot, reference sequence, reference signal, etc. For consistency, it will be described as reference signal below. The reference signal can be used for channel measurement or channel estimation, etc.

[0143] The channel measurements involved in this application also include beam measurements, i.e., obtaining beam quality information by measuring a reference signal. As an example, parameters used to measure beam quality include at least one of the following: reference signal receiving power (RSRP), reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR) (or simply signal-to-dryness ratio). In the embodiments of this application, for ease of explanation, unless otherwise specified, the channel measurements involved can be regarded as beam measurements.

[0144] The reference signals used in this application, as examples, may include any of the following: channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), synchronization signal block (SSB), SRS, user equipment specific reference signal (US-RS), demodulation reference signal (DMRS), phase track reference signal (PT-RS), cell reference signal (CRS), etc. It should be understood that the reference signals listed above are merely examples and should not constitute any limitation on this application. This application does not preclude the possibility of defining other reference signals in future protocols to achieve the same or similar functions.

[0145] Furthermore, the reference signal can be understood as a reference signal associated with the handover candidate cell configuration. The handover candidate cell can also be called a candidate cell or a neighboring cell. This candidate cell can be the current serving cell or a non-serving cell, and its physical cell identifier (PCI) is different from the current primary cell (PCell). Additionally, the reference signal can also be a reference signal associated with an additional PCI, i.e., the reference signal of a neighboring cell.

[0146] The terminal device can be configured with one or more candidate cells, and the configuration of each candidate cell may include the configuration of reference signal resources.

[0147] 3. Reference signal resources: can be used to configure the transmission attributes of reference signals.

[0148] Generally, reference signals are configured in the form of resources. Network devices can configure various reference signals to terminal devices as resources. Each resource is a configuration information unit, which typically includes parameters related to the reference signal, such as the type of reference signal, the location of the time-frequency resource carrying the reference signal, the number of ports used to transmit the reference signal, and the time-domain type of the transmitted reference signal (periodic / semi-static / aperiodic), etc. Transmitting devices can transmit reference signals based on reference signal resources, and receiving devices can receive reference signals based on reference signal resources.

[0149] To distinguish different reference signal resources, each reference signal resource may correspond to a reference signal resource identifier (or reference signal resource indicator, or reference signal resource symbol), such as CSI-RS resource identifier (or CSI-RS resource indicator (CRI)), SSB resource identifier (SSB resource indicator (SSBRI)), and SRS resource identifier (or SRS resource indicator (SRI)).

[0150] 4. Cell group: can include primary cell group, secondary cell group, or physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell group.

[0151] Master cell group (MCG): A group of serving cells associated with the master network equipment, consisting of a master cell and one or more secondary cells (SCells). PCells and one or more SCells in an MCG can be grouped together using carrier aggregation (CA) technology.

[0152] Secondary cell group (SCG): A group of serving cells associated with secondary network equipment, consisting of a primary secondary cell (PSCell) and one or more SCells. PSCells and one or more SCells in an SCG can also be grouped together using CA (Cell Association) technology.

[0153] A PUCCH cell group is a group of cells that share a PUCCH. Within a PUCCH group, only one cell is configured with a PUCCH; this cell is called the PUCCH cell. All cells in the group use the PUCCH configured in this PUCCH cell. A cell group (such as an MCG) can have two PUCCH groups: a primary PUCCH group and a secondary PUCCH group. The primary PUCCH group contains PCells, and each PCell is configured with a PUCCH; this PCell is the PUCCH cell in the primary PUCCH group. The secondary PUCCH group contains only SCells, one of which is configured with a PUCCH; this SCell is called the PUCCH-SCell, and it is the PUCCH cell in the secondary PUCCH group. The primary PUCCH group can also be called the first PUCCH group or the main PUCCH group; these concepts are interchangeable. The secondary PUCCH group can also be called the second PUCCH group or the auxiliary PUCCH group; these concepts are interchangeable.

[0154] PCell: Belongs to MCG, refers to the cell in MCG used to initiate initial access, or the terminal device uses PCell to initiate initial access in MCG.

[0155] PSCell: Belongs to SCG, refers to the cell in SCG used to initiate initial access, or the terminal device uses PSCell to initiate initial access in SCG.

[0156] SCell: Belongs to MCG or SCG. Terminal devices may be configured with one or more SCells in DC mode.

[0157] Generally, a lot of signaling is transmitted on PCell and PSCell, therefore, PCell and PSCell can be called special cells (sPCell).

[0158] Network devices can configure two cell groups, MCG and SCG, for terminal devices. This configuration is used for DC transmission mode, where the terminal device connects to two base stations simultaneously for communication, as shown in Figure 4. Network devices can also configure a single cell group for terminal devices, i.e., only an MCG. When only an MCG is configured, two PUCCH groups can be configured within that MCG. Alternatively, when only an MCG is configured, one PUCCH-SCell can be configured within that MCG. That is, the MCG includes two cells with PUCCHs, PCell and PUCCH-SCell, and based on these two PUCCH cells, the MCG is divided into two PUCCH groups. The first PUCCH group includes PCell and some SCells, and the second PUCCH group includes PUCCH-SCell and other SCells.

[0159] 5. Beam Management: Beam management is a measurement process that includes beam measurement, such as measurements based on a reference signal, to determine the beam with better quality. Beam management can be divided into downlink beam management and uplink beam management.

[0160] Downlink beam management mainly includes the following four steps:

[0161] S1. The network device sends measurement configuration information to the terminal device.

[0162] The measurement configuration information is sent by the network device to the terminal device via RRC signaling. This information mainly consists of two parts: resource configuration information and reporting configuration information. Resource configuration information is related to measurement resources and is configured in the relevant protocol using a three-level structure: resource configuration - resource set - resource. The network device can configure one or more resource configurations (resourceConfig can also be written as resourceSetting) for the terminal device. Each resource configuration includes one or more resource sets, and each resource set can include one or more resources. Each resource configuration / resource set / resource includes its own index. In addition, it includes other parameters such as the resource's period and the signal type corresponding to the resource. Reporting configuration information refers to information related to the reporting of measurement results, configured in the protocol through reporting configuration (ReportConfig). The network device can configure one or more ReportConfigs for the terminal device. Each reporting configuration includes reporting metrics, reporting time, reporting period, reporting format, and other reporting-related information. Furthermore, the reporting configuration also includes a resource configuration index, indicating which resource configuration was used to measure the reported measurement results.

[0163] For example, the specific formats of resource configuration and reporting configuration in the relevant protocols are listed below to facilitate further understanding of resource configuration and reporting configuration. Some parameters unrelated to this application are omitted from the specific formats of resource configuration and reporting configuration shown below.

[0164] The following is a sample format for resource configuration.

[0165] The following is a sample format for reporting configurations.

[0166] S2. The network device sends downlink reference signals on the resource granules corresponding to the resources configured in the resource configuration information, so that the terminal device can determine the quality of each resource, i.e. the quality of the beam corresponding to the resource, by measuring the downlink reference signals.

[0167] S3. The terminal equipment measures the downlink reference signal based on the measurement configuration information.

[0168] S4. The terminal device sends a measurement report to the network device.

[0169] The measurement report may include an index of one or more resources, the quality of the resources, etc.

[0170] Table 1 shows the reporting format used for beam measurements in the relevant protocols. (See Table 1 for details.)

[0171] Table 1

[0172] The CRI and SSBRI fields indicate the resource indexes to be reported. Terminal devices may report only the CRI or the SSBRI, or both. and This refers to the lengths of the CRI and SSBRI fields. RSRP represents the quality of the resource. RSRP reporting uses a differential reporting criterion, meaning the RSRP of the best resource (the RSRP field in Table 1) is reported using 7 bits of quantization, while other RSRP fields (differential RSRP in Table 1) are reported using 4 bits of quantization.

[0173] The aforementioned reporting information can be carried in the PUCCH or the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

[0174] Uplink beam management mainly includes the following three steps:

[0175] S1. The network device sends resource configuration information of the uplink reference signal to the terminal device. For example, the uplink reference signal can be SRS.

[0176] Network devices can configure one or more SRS resource sets (SRS-ResourceSets) for uplink beam management for terminal devices. Each SRS resource set includes one or more SRS resources (SRS-Resources). Each SRS resource is associated with a beam. Each SRS resource includes an SRS signal, and uplink beam measurement can be performed by measuring the SRS signals corresponding to these SRS resources.

[0177] For example, the specific format of SRS resource configuration in relevant protocols is listed below to facilitate further understanding of SRS resource configuration. Some parameters irrelevant to this application are omitted from the specific format of SRS resource configuration shown below.

[0178] S2. The terminal device transmits the corresponding SRS according to the configuration of each SRS resource and uses the uplink transmission beam associated with that SRS resource.

[0179] S3. The network device measures the quality of each SRS resource by measuring the various SRS signals sent by the terminal device.

[0180] 6. Measurement Result Reporting: Currently, based on the time-domain configuration behavior, network devices can be configured with three measurement result reporting processes (also known as beam reporting, beam measurement result reporting, or channel state information (CSI) reporting): periodic reporting, semi-persistent reporting, and aperiodic reporting. A brief introduction follows.

[0181] 1) Periodic Reporting: First, the network device is configured to perform periodic reference signal measurements. This means the network device periodically sends measurement reference signals to the terminal device, which then measures these reference signals and periodically reports the measurement results. After the configuration signaling takes effect, the terminal device periodically reports the measurement results. To terminate the measurement reporting process, the network device can send an RRC signaling message to the terminal device to release the relevant configuration parameters for that process.

[0182] 2) Semi-persistent reporting: One type involves periodic reference signal measurement and semi-persistent reporting of measurement results. First, the network device can be configured with periodic reference signals, meaning the network device periodically sends measurement reference signals to the terminal device. The terminal device measures these reference signals. When the terminal device receives an activation signaling message from the network device (such as MAC control element (CE) signaling or downlink control information (DCI) signaling), it will continuously and periodically report the measurement results. Of course, the network device can also send a deactivation signaling message to the terminal device to deactivate the semi-persistent reporting process. The other type involves semi-persistent reference signal measurement and measurement result reporting. When the terminal device receives an activation signaling message from the network device (such as MAC CE signaling or DCI signaling), it will continuously and periodically measure the reference signals and report the measurement results. When the terminal device receives a deactivation signaling message from the network device, it stops the continuous reporting.

[0183] 3) Non-periodic reporting: This reporting is only executed after the terminal device receives a trigger signaling from the network device. Furthermore, after completing the reporting, the terminal device will stop reporting, making it a one-time reporting process.

[0184] The aforementioned measurement result reporting is either periodic or semi-persistent or aperiodic, triggered by instruction signaling from network devices; that is, the timing of reporting is determined by the network devices. This approach results in significant uplink resource overhead. Specifically, in periodic and semi-persistent measurement reporting, the terminal device needs to report measurement results every cycle, and these results may be meaningless to the network devices. For example, the current measurement result may be no different from the previously reported result (e.g., the optimal beam has not changed), making such reporting meaningless and wasting uplink resources.

[0185] In view of this, this application proposes a beam reporting method triggered by a terminal device. The terminal device determines whether it needs to report measurement results to the network device, thereby avoiding the terminal device repeatedly reporting identical measurement results and saving resources. Simultaneously, the terminal device can also report measurement results based on the resources indicated by the network device, improving the transmission performance between the terminal device and the network device.

[0186] The methods provided by the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments provided by this application can be applied to the scenarios shown in the above figures and are not limited thereto. Furthermore, the terms used below are as explained above and will not be repeated hereafter. For ease of description, terminal devices and network devices are used as examples for illustrative purposes. The terminal device can be replaced by a terminal device or a component of a terminal device (e.g., a chip, chip system, circuit, or communication module), or it can be replaced by a logic module or software capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the terminal device, etc. The network device can be replaced by a component of a network device (e.g., a chip, chip system, circuit, or communication module), or it can also be replaced by a logic module or software capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the network device, etc. Furthermore, the steps described below as being performed by a single execution entity can also be divided into steps performed by multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated.

[0187] Referring to Figure 5, as an example, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a communication method 500 provided in an embodiment of this application. The method 500 shown in Figure 5 may include the following steps.

[0188] S510, the terminal device sends terminal capability information.

[0189] Accordingly, network devices receive terminal capability information.

[0190] For example, the terminal capability information includes at least one of the following: whether the terminal device supports beam reporting initiated by the terminal device, the number of reporting configurations #1 supported by the terminal device, information on at least one first event supported by the terminal device, and the reporting mode supported by the terminal device.

[0191] The reporting configuration #1 is used for beam reporting initiated by the terminal device. The number of reporting configurations #1 supported by the terminal device may include at least one of the following: a number of periodic reporting configurations #1a supported by the terminal device, a number of semi-persistent reporting configurations #1b supported by the terminal device, and a number of non-periodic reporting configurations #1c supported by the terminal device. The aforementioned at least one first event refers to an event supported by the terminal device for determining whether to initiate beam reporting. The reporting modes supported by the terminal device may include a first mode and / or a second mode.

[0192] For example, when the terminal device supports beam reporting initiated by the terminal device, the terminal device can send a measurement report to the network device using either the first mode or the second mode.

[0193] For example, the first mode described above includes the following steps S1 to S3:

[0194] (S1) The terminal device sends first information to the network device through a first resource, the first information being used to request a second resource for transmitting a measurement report. Accordingly, the network device receives the first information from the terminal device through the first resource.

[0195] For example, the first resource mentioned above can be a PUCCH resource or a scheduling request (SR) resource. For example, the first information can be PUCCH signaling (or PUCCH signal) or SR signaling (or SR signal).

[0196] (S2) The network device sends scheduling information to the terminal device based on the first information. This scheduling information is used to schedule the terminal device to transmit measurement reports through the second resource. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the scheduling information from the network device.

[0197] For example, the scheduling information could be a DCI for uplink scheduling, which is used to schedule PUSCH. Accordingly, the terminal device can transmit measurement reports through the PUSCH scheduled by this uplink scheduling DCI.

[0198] For example, the scheduling information can also be a DCI for downlink scheduling. This downlink scheduling DCI can be used to schedule the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) and the PUCCH used to carry the Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback information for the PDSCH. In other words, the downlink scheduling DCI indicates an index of a PUCCH. Accordingly, the terminal device can transmit measurement reports through the PUCCH indicated by the downlink scheduling DCI.

[0199] It can be specified that the cell corresponding to the scheduling information and the cell corresponding to the first information are the same cell. Alternatively, the cell corresponding to the scheduling information and the cell corresponding to the reporting configuration associated with the first information are the same cell. Alternatively, the cell corresponding to the scheduling information and the cell corresponding to the second resource in S3 are the same cell.

[0200] In this context, the cell corresponding to the aforementioned scheduling information refers to the cell that sent the scheduling information. The cell corresponding to the first information refers to the cell that sent the first information, or the cell to which the first resource corresponding to the first information belongs. The cell corresponding to the second resource refers to the cell to which the second resource belongs.

[0201] (S3) The terminal device sends a measurement report to the network device through the second resource. Accordingly, the network device receives the measurement report from the terminal device through the second resource.

[0202] For example, the measurement report reported by the terminal device through the second resource may be a PUSCH signal.

[0203] For example, the second mode described above includes the following steps S4 to S5:

[0204] (S4) The terminal device sends second information to the network device through a third resource, the second information indicating that the terminal device will send a measurement report to the network device through a fourth resource. Accordingly, the network device receives the second information from the terminal device through the third resource.

[0205] For example, the third resource mentioned above can be a PUCCH resource or an SR resource. For example, the second information can be PUCCH signaling (or PUCCH signal) or SR signaling (or SR signal).

[0206] (S5) The terminal device sends a measurement report to the network device via the fourth resource. Accordingly, the network device receives the measurement report from the terminal device via the fourth resource.

[0207] For example, the fourth resource mentioned above can be a PUSCH resource, such as a scheduled PUSCH (configured grant PUSCH) resource. The measurement report reported by the terminal device through the fourth resource can be a PUSCH signal, such as a scheduled PUSCH signal.

[0208] For example, the first resource involved in the first mode and the third resource involved in the second mode may be the same resource. Therefore, the first resource and the third resource involved in the embodiments of this application may be interchangeable.

[0209] S520, the network device sends the first reported configuration information.

[0210] Accordingly, the terminal device receives the first reported configuration information.

[0211] For example, after receiving terminal capability information from a terminal device, the network device can determine first reporting configuration information based on the terminal capability information and send the first reporting configuration information to the terminal device. The first reporting configuration information is used to configure the terminal device to perform beam measurement to obtain a measurement report.

[0212] It should be understood that the first reporting configuration information includes at least one reporting configuration, each of which is associated with at least one resource configuration. Each resource configuration includes channel measurement resources for channel measurement or interference measurement resources for interference measurement. Each resource configuration includes one or more resource sets, wherein the resource set configured in the resource configuration for channel measurement is a resource set for channel measurement, and the resource set configured in the resource configuration for interference measurement is a resource set for interference measurement. Each resource set includes one or more measurement resources.

[0213] It should also be understood that the configuration parameters corresponding to the measurement reporting process of the terminal device can be configured through the reporting configuration and the resource configuration associated with that reporting configuration. The reporting configuration includes the calculation method of the measurement results and the relevant parameters required for reporting the measurement results. The resource configuration includes the reference signal resources that need to be measured.

[0214] The aforementioned first reported configuration information can be carried in RRC signaling and sent to the terminal device, or it can be carried in other downlink signaling and transmitted. This application does not limit this.

[0215] The following describes how a network device configures transmission resources for feeding back measurement reports to a terminal device via first reported configuration information. It should be understood that the network device can also configure transmission resources for feeding back measurement reports to the terminal device via other configuration information units. For example, the network device can configure the transmission resources for feeding back measurement reports in the cell group's configuration information unit as one of the cell group's configuration parameters. Therefore, the cell group can share the same transmission resources for feeding back measurement reports. The method by which the network device configures transmission resources for feeding back measurement reports to the terminal device via other configuration information units can be referenced to the method by which the network device configures transmission resources for feeding back measurement reports to the terminal device via first reported configuration information.

[0216] For example, the transmission resources used for feedback measurement reports include at least one of the following: a first resource set, a third resource set, and a fourth resource set.

[0217] The first resource set includes a group of first resources, the third resource set includes a group of third resources, and the fourth resource set includes a group of fourth resources. The group of first resources includes M (M≥1) first resources. When M=1, the group of first resources includes one first resource. In this case, the aforementioned first resource set is equivalent to the first resource. That is, in this application, the first resource set and the first resource are interchangeable. The group of third resources includes N (N≥1) third resources. When N=1, the group of third resources includes one third resource. In this case, the aforementioned third resource set is equivalent to the third resource. That is, in this application, the third resource set and the third resource are interchangeable. The group of fourth resources includes Q (Q≥1) fourth resources. When Q=1, the group of fourth resources includes one fourth resource. In this case, the aforementioned fourth resource set is equivalent to the fourth resource. That is, in this application, the fourth resource set and the fourth resource are interchangeable.

[0218] For example, the cell corresponding to the transmission resource is one of the following: primary cell (denoted as Pcell), primary-secondary cell (denoted as PScell), or secondary cell configured with PUCCH (denoted as PUCCH-Scell). For more details on primary cells, primary-secondary cells, and secondary cells configured with PUCCH, please refer to the terminology section above.

[0219] For example, transmission resources include a first resource set, and the cell corresponding to the first resource set is one of the following: Pcell, PScell, or PUCCH-Scell.

[0220] For example, transmission resources include a third resource set, and the cell corresponding to the third resource set is one of the following: Pcell, PScell, or PUCCH-Scell.

[0221] For example, the network device can determine the transmission resources included in the first reporting configuration information based on the received terminal capability information. For instance, if the terminal capability information indicates that the reporting mode supported by the terminal device is the first mode, the transmission resources included in the first reporting configuration information are the first resource set; if the terminal capability information indicates that the reporting mode supported by the terminal device is the second mode, the transmission resources included in the first reporting configuration information are the third resource set and the fourth resource set; if the terminal capability information indicates that the reporting mode supported by the terminal device is the first mode and the second mode, the transmission resources included in the first reporting configuration information are the first resource set, the third resource set, and the fourth resource set.

[0222] Optionally, the aforementioned first reporting configuration information is further used to indicate at least one of the information of the first resource set, the information of the third resource set, and the information of the fourth resource set. For example, if the transmission resources include the first resource set, the first reporting configuration information is further used to indicate the information of the first resource set; if the transmission resources include the third resource set and the fourth resource set, the first reporting configuration information is further used to indicate the information of the third resource set and the information of the fourth resource set; if the transmission resources include the first resource set, the third resource set, and the fourth resource set, the first reporting configuration information is further used to indicate the information of the first resource set, the information of the third resource set, and the information of the fourth resource set.

[0223] The following sections provide detailed descriptions of the information for the first resource set, the third resource set, and the fourth resource set.

[0224] I. Information from the first resource set.

[0225] For example, the information of the first resource set includes at least one of the following: identification information of the first resource set, first indication information, information of the M first resources included in the first resource set, and information of the BWP corresponding to the M first resources, etc. The first indication information indicates the first cell corresponding to the first resource set. The first indication information may also be included outside the information of the first resource set, that is, the first reported configuration information may include the information of the first resource set and the first indication information.

[0226] The identification information of the first resource set can be the identifier or index of the first resource set. For example, the identifier of the first resource set can be the identifier of the PUCCH resource set or the identifier of the SR resource set.

[0227] The information for the M primary resources can be the identifiers or indexes of the M primary resources.

[0228] The information of the BWPs corresponding to the M first resources can be the information of the BWP corresponding to each of the M first resources, and the information of the BWP can be the identifier of the BWP. Specifically, the first cell includes M BWPs, and one of the M first resources corresponds to one of the M BWPs. For example, if M equals 3, the M first resources are respectively denoted as first resource #1, first resource #2, and first resource #3, and the M BWPs are respectively denoted as BWP#1, BWP#2, and BWP#3 according to the BWP identifier from smallest to largest. The information of the BWPs corresponding to the M first resources can be that first resource #1 corresponds to BWP#3, first resource #2 corresponds to BWP#1, and first resource #3 corresponds to BWP#2.

[0229] Optionally, the information of the first resource set may not include the information of the BWPs corresponding to the M first resources. The information of the BWPs corresponding to the M first resources can be assumed to be as follows: the M BWPs correspond to the M first resources in sequence, that is, the first first resource corresponds to the first BWP, the second first resource corresponds to the second BWP, ..., the Mth first resource corresponds to the Mth BWP. For example, if M equals 3, the M first resources are denoted as first resource #1, first resource #2, and first resource #3, and the M BWPs are denoted as BWP#1, BWP#2, and BWP#3 in ascending order of their BWP identifiers. First resource #1 corresponds to BWP#1, first resource #2 corresponds to BWP#2, and first resource #3 corresponds to BWP#3.

[0230] When the transmission resources include a first set of resources, if the terminal device sends a measurement report to the network device using the first mode described above, the terminal device sends first information through the first resources included in the first set of resources. For example, sending first information through the first resources included in the first set of resources means that the terminal device sends first information through the first resource corresponding to the currently active BWP in the first set of resources included in the first set of resources. For example, if the currently active BWP in the first cell is BWP#1, the terminal device sends first information through the first resource corresponding to BWP#1.

[0231] The first indication information is used to indicate the first cell corresponding to the first resource set, where the first cell refers to the cell to which the first resource set belongs. The first indication information can indicate the first cell in any of the following ways.

[0232] Method 1A: The first indication information indicates the identification information of the first cell. For example, the first indication information can be the identifier of the first cell. The first cell is one of Pcell, PScell, or PUCCH-Scell. In other words, the first indication information can indicate a cell as the first cell from Pcell, PScell, and PUCCH-Scell.

[0233] Method 2A: The first indication information is selected from Pcell and PScell ​​to indicate one of them as the first cell.

[0234] For example, the first indication information is a 1-bit information. If the first indication information takes a first value, it indicates that the first cell is a Pcell; if the first indication information takes a second value, it indicates that the first cell is a PScell. Here, the first value is "1" and the second value is "0"; or, the first value is "0" and the second value is "1".

[0235] Optionally, if the network device configures two cell groups for the terminal device, namely the primary cell group (MCG) and the secondary cell group (SCG), then the first indication information indicates that the first cell is one of a Pcell and a PScell. In other words, if the network device configures both MCG and SCG for the terminal device, the terminal device determines that the first cell is one of a Pcell and a PScell ​​based on the first indication information. For example, if the first indication information takes a first value, the terminal device determines that the first cell is a Pcell; if the first indication information takes a second value, the terminal device determines that the first cell is a PScell. Alternatively, it can be described as follows: if the network device configures SCG for the terminal device, then the first indication information indicates that the first cell is one of a Pcell and a PScell.

[0236] Based on the above scheme, when the network device configures MCG and SCG for the terminal device, even if the value of the first indication information is the same as the third or fourth value below, the terminal device will not determine the first cell as PUCCH-Scell ​​based on the first indication information, but will determine the first cell as one of Pcell and PScell ​​based on the first indication information.

[0237] The network device configures MCG and SCG for the terminal device, which can also be simply described as the network device configuring SCG for the terminal device (because MCG is mandatory). The network device configuring MCG and SCG for the terminal device can also be described as the network device configuring the terminal device to operate in DC (dual connection) mode.

[0238] Method 3A: The first indication information is obtained from the Pcell and PUCCH-SCell, indicating one as the first cell.

[0239] Generally, only one SCell in a cell group can be configured with PUCCH, and this SCell is called PUCCH-Scell.

[0240] For example, the first indication information is a 1-bit information. If the first indication information takes the third value, then the first indication information indicates that the first cell is a Pcell; if the first indication information takes the fourth value, then the first indication information indicates that the first cell is a PUCCH-Scell. Here, the third value is "1" and the fourth value is "0"; or, the third value is "0" and the fourth value is "1".

[0241] Optionally, if the network device configures a single cell group for the terminal device (i.e., the network device configures an MCG for the terminal device but not an SCG), and the MCG includes a PUCCH-Scell, the first indication information indicates that the first cell is one of a Pcell and a PUCCH-Scell. In other words, if the network device configures an MCG for the terminal device but not an SCG, and the MCG includes a PUCCH-Scell, the terminal device determines that the first cell is one of a Pcell and a PUCCH-Scell ​​based on the first indication information. For example, if the first indication information takes the third value, the terminal device determines that the first cell is a Pcell; if the first indication information takes the fourth value, the terminal device determines that the first cell is a PUCCH-Scell. Since the PUCCH-Scell ​​can only be configured when only an MCG is configured, the above description can also be simply described as: if the network device configures a PUCCH-Scell ​​for the terminal device, the first indication information indicates one of the Pcell and the PUCCH-Scell ​​as the first cell. Alternatively, it can be described as follows: if the network device does not configure SCG for the terminal device, the first indication information indicates that the first cell is one of Pcell and PUCCH-Scell.

[0242] The network device does not configure SCG for the terminal device, which can also be simply described as the network device configuring the terminal device to work in CA (carrier aggregation) mode.

[0243] Based on the above scheme, when the network device configures the terminal device with MCG but not SCG, and the MCG includes PUCCH-Scell, even if the value of the first indication information is the same as the first or second value mentioned above, the terminal device will not determine the first cell as PScell ​​based on the first indication information, but will determine the first cell as either Pcell or PUCCH-Scell ​​based on the first indication information.

[0244] Method 4A: The first indication information indicates that the first cell is a Pcell.

[0245] Based on mode 4A, any value or form of the first indication information indicates that the first cell is a Pcell.

[0246] Optionally, if the network device configures a single cell group for the terminal device (i.e., the network device configures an MCG for the terminal device but not an SCG), and the MCG does not include PUCCH-Scell, the first indication information indicates that the first cell is a Pcell. In this case, it can also be understood that the first cell is a Pcell by default. In this case, the aforementioned first indication information can be a default value, or in other words, the terminal device can ignore the first indication information. Alternatively, in this case, the first indication information can be limited to indicating that the first cell is a Pcell.

[0247] Optionally, the information in the first resource set may not include the first indication information, in which case the terminal device can determine the first cell according to any one of the following methods. The methods listed below are either predefined by the protocol or pre-configured by the network device for the terminal device.

[0248] Method 5A: The first cell is PCell by default.

[0249] Optionally, if the network device configures a single cell group for the terminal device (i.e., the network device configures an MCG for the terminal device but not an SCG), and the MCG does not include PUCCH-Scell, the first cell is Pcell by default.

[0250] Method 6A: The first cell is defaulted to the main cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs.

[0251] The second cell is the cell corresponding to the first reported configuration information. The cell corresponding to the first reported configuration information refers to the cell to which the first reported configuration information belongs, that is, the first reported configuration information is configured in the second cell as a configuration parameter of the second cell.

[0252] For example, if the second cell belongs to the MCG, then the first cell is a Pcell. Or, for example, if the second cell belongs to the SCG, then the first cell is a PScell.

[0253] Optionally, if the network device configures two cell groups for the terminal device, namely MCG and SCG, then the first cell defaults to being the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs. Since PUCCH-Scell ​​cannot be configured when both MCG and SCG are configured, the above description can also be simply described as: if the network device does not configure PUCCH-Scell ​​for the terminal device, then the first cell defaults to being the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs. Alternatively, it can be described as: if the network device configures SCG for the terminal device, then the first cell defaults to being the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs.

[0254] Method 7A: The first cell is defaulted to the PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs.

[0255] A PUCCH cell group, also known as a PUCCH group, refers to a group of cells that share a PUCCH. A PUCCH cell refers to a cell within a PUCCH cell group that is configured with a PUCCH or has the capability to transmit PUCCH.

[0256] For example, if the second cell belongs to the primary PUCCH group (i.e., the PUCCH group that includes Pcells), then the first cell is a Pcell. As another example, if the second cell belongs to the secondary PUCCH group (i.e., the PUCCH group that includes PUCCH-Scells), then the first cell is a PUCCH-Scell.

[0257] Optionally, if the network device configures a single cell group for the terminal device (i.e., the network device configures an MCG for the terminal device but not an SCG), and the MCG includes PUCCH-Scell, the first cell defaults to the PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs. Alternatively, it can be described as follows: if the network device does not configure an SCG for the terminal device, the first cell defaults to the PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs.

[0258] Method 8A: The first indication information indicates one of the following as the first cell: Pcell, PUCCH-SCell, first PUCCH supplementary cell, and second PUCCH supplementary cell. The first PUCCH supplementary cell refers to a cell with a PUCCH configured in the primary PUCCH group, in addition to the Pcell. The second PUCCH supplementary cell refers to a cell with a PUCCH configured in the secondary PUCCH group, in addition to the PUCCH-Scell.

[0259] Optionally, if the network device configures a PUCCH-Scell ​​for the terminal device (i.e., the MCG includes two PUCCH groups: primary PUCCH group and secondary PUCCH group), and the primary PUCCH group and / or secondary PUCCH group are respectively configured with a first PUCCH supplementary cell and a second PUCCH supplementary cell, the first indication information indicates one of the Pcell, PUCCH-Scell, first PUCCH supplementary cell and second PUCCH supplementary cell as the first cell.

[0260] It should be understood that the above methods can be combined to meet the PUCCH cell indication requirements in various scenarios.

[0261] II. Information on the third resource set.

[0262] For example, the information of the third resource set includes at least one of the following: identification information of the third resource set, second indication information, information of the N third resources included in the third resource set, and information of the BWP corresponding to the N third resources, etc. The second indication information indicates the third cell corresponding to the third resource set. The second indication information may also be included outside the information of the third resource set, that is, the first reported configuration information includes the information of the third resource set and the second indication information.

[0263] The identification information of the third resource set can be the identifier or index of the third resource set. For example, the identifier of the third resource set can be the identifier of the PUCCH resource set or the identifier of the SR resource set.

[0264] Information about N third-party resources can be the identifiers or indexes of N third-party resources.

[0265] The information of the BWPs corresponding to N third resources can be the information of the BWP corresponding to each of the N third resources, and the information of the BWP can be the identifier of the BWP. Specifically, the third cell includes N BWPs, and one of the N third resources corresponds to one of the N BWPs. For example, if N equals 3, the N third resources are denoted as third resource #1, third resource #2, and third resource #3, and the N BWPs are denoted as BWP #4, BWP #5, and BWP #6 in ascending order of their BWP identifiers. The information of the BWPs corresponding to the N third resources can be that third resource #1 corresponds to BWP #6, third resource #2 corresponds to BWP #4, and third resource #3 corresponds to BWP #5.

[0266] Optionally, the information of the third resource set may not include the information of the BWPs corresponding to the N third resources. The information of the BWPs corresponding to the N third resources can be assumed to be as follows: the N BWPs correspond to the N third resources in sequence, that is, the first third resource corresponds to the first BWP, the second third resource corresponds to the second BWP, ..., the Nth third resource corresponds to the Nth BWP. For example, if N equals 3, the N third resources are denoted as third resource #1, third resource #2, and third resource #3, and the N BWPs are denoted as BWP #4, BWP #5, and BWP #6 in ascending order of BWP identifier. Third resource #1 corresponds to BWP #4, third resource #2 corresponds to BWP #5, and third resource #3 corresponds to BWP #6.

[0267] In the case of a third resource set included in the transmission resources, if the terminal device sends a measurement report to the network device using the second mode described above, the terminal device sends second information through the third resources included in the third resource set. For example, the terminal device sending second information through the third resources included in the third resource set means that the terminal device sends second information through the third resource corresponding to the currently active BWP in the third resource set. As in the example above, if the currently active BWP in the third cell is BWP#4, the terminal device sends second information through the third resource corresponding to BWP#4.

[0268] The second indication information is used to indicate the third cell corresponding to the third resource set, where the third cell refers to the cell to which the third resource set belongs. The second indication information can indicate the third cell in any of the following ways.

[0269] Method 1B: The second indication information indicates the identification information of the third cell. For example, the second indication information can be the identifier of the third cell. The third cell is one of Pcell, PScell, or PUCCH-Scell. In other words, the second indication information can indicate a cell as the third cell from Pcell, PScell, and PUCCH-Scell.

[0270] Method 2B: The second indication information indicates one of the Pcells and PScells as the third cell.

[0271] For example, the second indication information is a 1-bit message. If the second indication information takes the first value, it indicates that the third cell is a Pcell; if the second indication information takes the second value, it indicates that the third cell is a PScell. The first value is "1" and the second value is "0"; or the first value is "0" and the second value is "1".

[0272] Optionally, if the network device configures two cell groups for the terminal device, namely MCG and SCG, then the second indication information indicates that the third cell is one of Pcell and PScell. In other words, if the network device configures MCG and SCG for the terminal device, the terminal device determines that the third cell is one of Pcell and PScell ​​based on the second indication information. For example, if the value of the second indication information is the first value, the terminal device determines that the third cell is a Pcell; if the value of the second indication information is the second value, the terminal device determines that the third cell is a PScell. Alternatively, it can be described as follows: if the network device configures SCG for the terminal device, then the second indication information indicates that the third cell is one of Pcell and PScell.

[0273] Based on the above scheme, when the network device configures MCG and SCG for the terminal device, even if the value of the second indication information is the same as the third or fourth value below, the terminal device will not determine the third cell as PUCCH-Scell ​​based on the second indication information, but will determine the third cell as one of Pcell and PScell ​​based on the second indication information.

[0274] Method 3B: The second indication information is obtained from the Pcell and PUCCH-SCell, indicating one as the third cell.

[0275] Generally, only one SCell in a cell group can be configured with PUCCH, and this SCell is called PUCCH-Scell.

[0276] For example, the second indication information is a 1-bit information. If the second indication information takes the third value, then the second indication information indicates that the third cell is a Pcell; if the second indication information takes the fourth value, then the second indication information indicates that the third cell is a PUCCH-Scell. Wherein, the third value is "1" and the fourth value is "0"; or, the third value is "0" and the fourth value is "1".

[0277] Optionally, if the network device configures a single cell group for the terminal device (i.e., the network device configures an MCG for the terminal device but not an SCG), and the MCG includes a PUCCH-Scell, the second indication information indicates that the third cell is one of a Pcell and a PUCCH-Scell. In other words, if the network device configures an MCG for the terminal device but not an SCG, and the MCG includes a PUCCH-Scell, the terminal device determines the third cell to be one of a Pcell and a PUCCH-Scell ​​based on the second indication information. For example, if the second indication information takes the third value, the terminal device determines the third cell to be a Pcell; if the second indication information takes the fourth value, the terminal device determines the third cell to be a PUCCH-Scell. Since the PUCCH-Scell ​​can only be configured when only an MCG is configured, the above description can also be simply described as: if the network device configures a PUCCH-Scell ​​for the terminal device, the second indication information indicates one of the Pcell and the PUCCH-Scell ​​as the third cell. Alternatively, it can be described as follows: if the network device does not configure SCG for the terminal device, the second indication information indicates that the third cell is one of Pcell and PUCCH-Scell.

[0278] Based on the above scheme, when the network device configures the terminal device with MCG but not SCG, and the MCG includes PUCCH-Scell, even if the value of the second indication information is the same as the first or second value mentioned above, the terminal device will not determine the third cell as PScell ​​based on the second indication information, but will determine the third cell as either Pcell or PUCCH-Scell ​​based on the second indication information.

[0279] Method 4B: The second indication information indicates that the third cell is a Pcell.

[0280] Based on method 4B, any value or form of the second indication information indicates that the third cell is a Pcell.

[0281] Optionally, if the network device configures a single cell group for the terminal device (i.e., the network device configures an MCG for the terminal device but not an SCG), and the MCG does not include PUCCH-Scell, the second indication information indicates that the third cell is a Pcell. In this case, it can also be understood that the third cell is a Pcell by default. In this case, the aforementioned second indication information can be a default value, or in other words, the terminal device can ignore the second indication information. Alternatively, in this case, the second indication information can be limited to indicating that the third cell is a Pcell only.

[0282] Optionally, the information in the third resource set may not include the second indication information, in which case the terminal device can determine the third cell according to any one of the following methods. The methods listed below are either predefined by the protocol or pre-configured by the network device for the terminal device.

[0283] Method 5B: The third cell defaults to PCell.

[0284] Optionally, if the network device configures a single cell group for the terminal device (i.e., the network device configures an MCG for the terminal device but not an SCG), and the MCG does not include PUCCH-Scell, the third cell is Pcell by default.

[0285] Method 6B: The third cell is assumed to be the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs.

[0286] The second cell is the cell corresponding to the first reported configuration information. The cell corresponding to the first reported configuration information refers to the cell to which the first reported configuration information belongs, that is, the first reported configuration information is configured in the second cell as a configuration parameter of the second cell.

[0287] For example, if the second cell belongs to the MCG, then the third cell is a Pcell. Or, for example, if the second cell belongs to the SCG, then the third cell is a PScell.

[0288] Optionally, if the network device configures two cell groups for the terminal device, namely MCG and SCG, the third cell defaults to the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs. Since PUCCH-Scell ​​cannot be configured when both MCG and SCG are configured, the above description can also be simply described as: if the network device does not configure PUCCH-Scell ​​for the terminal device, the third cell defaults to the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs. Alternatively, it can be described as: if the network device configures SCG for the terminal device, the third cell defaults to the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs.

[0289] Method 7B: The third cell is the PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs by default.

[0290] A PUCCH cell group can also be called a PUCCH group. A PUCCH cell refers to a cell that is configured with PUCCH or has the capability to transmit PUCCH.

[0291] For example, if the second cell belongs to the primary PUCCH group (i.e., the PUCCH group that includes Pcells), then the third cell is a Pcell. As another example, if the second cell belongs to the secondary PUCCH group (i.e., the PUCCH group that includes PUCCH-Scells), then the third cell is a PUCCH-Scell.

[0292] Optionally, if the network device has configured a single cell group for the terminal device (i.e., the network device has configured an MCG for the terminal device but not an SCG), and the MCG includes PUCCH-Scell, the third cell defaults to the PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs. Alternatively, it can be described as follows: if the network device has not configured an SCG for the terminal device, the third cell defaults to the PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs.

[0293] Method 8B: The second indication information indicates one of the following as the third cell: Pcell, PUCCH-SCell, first PUCCH supplementary cell, and second PUCCH supplementary cell. The first PUCCH supplementary cell refers to a cell with a PUCCH configured in the primary PUCCH group, in addition to the Pcell. The second PUCCH supplementary cell refers to a cell with a PUCCH configured in the secondary PUCCH group, in addition to the PUCCH-Scell.

[0294] Optionally, if the network device configures a PUCCH-Scell ​​for the terminal device (i.e., the MCG includes two PUCCH groups: primary PUCCH group and secondary PUCCH group), and the primary PUCCH group and / or secondary PUCCH group are respectively configured with a first PUCCH supplementary cell and a second PUCCH supplementary cell, the second indication information indicates one of the Pcell, PUCCH-Scell, first PUCCH supplementary cell and second PUCCH supplementary cell as the third cell.

[0295] It should be understood that the above methods can be combined to meet the PUCCH cell indication requirements in various scenarios.

[0296] III. Information on the fourth resource set.

[0297] For example, the information of the fourth resource set includes at least one of the following: identification information of the fourth resource set, third indication information, information of the Q fourth resources included in the fourth resource set, and information of the BWP corresponding to the Q fourth resources, etc. The third indication information indicates the fourth cell corresponding to the fourth resource set. The third indication information may also be included outside the information of the fourth resource set, that is, the first reported configuration information includes the information of the fourth resource set and the third indication information.

[0298] The identification information of the fourth resource set can be the identifier or index of the fourth resource set. For example, the identifier of the fourth resource set can be the identifier of the PUCCH resource set or the identifier of the SR resource set.

[0299] The information for the Q fourth resources can be the identifiers or indexes of the Q fourth resources.

[0300] The information for the BWPs corresponding to the Q fourth resources can be the information for each BWP corresponding to one of the Q fourth resources, and the information for each BWP can be its identifier. Specifically, the fourth cell includes Q BWPs, and one of the Q fourth resources corresponds to one of the Q BWPs. For example, if Q equals 3, the Q fourth resources are denoted as fourth resource #1, fourth resource #2, and fourth resource #3, and the Q BWPs are denoted as BWP #7, BWP #8, and BWP #9 in ascending order of their BWP identifiers. The information for the BWPs corresponding to the Q fourth resources can be that fourth resource #1 corresponds to BWP #9, fourth resource #2 corresponds to BWP #7, and fourth resource #3 corresponds to BWP #8.

[0301] Optionally, the information of the fourth resource set may not include the information of the BWPs corresponding to the Q fourth resources. The information of the BWPs corresponding to the Q fourth resources can be assumed to be that the Q BWPs correspond to the Q fourth resources in sequence, that is, the first fourth resource corresponds to the first BWP, the second fourth resource corresponds to the second BWP, ..., the Qth fourth resource corresponds to the Qth BWP. For example, if Q equals 3, the Q fourth resources are denoted as fourth resource #1, fourth resource #2, and fourth resource #3, and the Q BWPs are denoted as BWP #7, BWP #8, and BWP #9 in ascending order of BWP identifier. The information of the BWPs corresponding to the Q fourth resources can be that fourth resource #1 corresponds to BWP #7, fourth resource #2 corresponds to BWP #8, and fourth resource #3 corresponds to BWP #9.

[0302] In the case where the transmission resources include a fourth resource set, if the terminal device sends a measurement report to the network device using the second mode described above, the terminal device sends the measurement report through the fourth resources included in the fourth resource set. For example, the terminal device sending a measurement report through the fourth resources included in the fourth resource set means that the terminal device sends the measurement report through the fourth resource corresponding to the currently active BWP in the fourth resource set. As in the example above, if the currently active BWP in the fourth cell is BWP#7, the terminal device sends the measurement report through the fourth resource corresponding to BWP#7.

[0303] The third indication information is used to indicate the fourth cell corresponding to the fourth resource set. The fourth cell corresponding to the fourth resource set refers to the cell to which the fourth resource set belongs. For example, the fourth cell corresponding to / belonging to the fourth resource set is the aforementioned second cell, that is, the fourth cell corresponding to / belonging to the fourth resource set is the second cell to which the first reported configuration belongs. Optionally, the information of the fourth resource set may not include the third indication information, that is, the fourth cell is the aforementioned second cell by default.

[0304] S530: The terminal device performs beam measurement based on the first reported configuration information and obtains a measurement report.

[0305] Specifically, after receiving the first reported configuration information from the network device, the terminal device performs beam measurement based on the resource configuration associated with the first reported configuration information and obtains a measurement report.

[0306] It should be understood that the terminal equipment measures the beam according to the resource configuration, and a detailed description of the measurement results can be found in the relevant technical descriptions. The detailed process will not be repeated here.

[0307] The terminal device can determine whether to report a measurement report to the network device based on the obtained measurement results. For example, the terminal device triggers the reporting of a measurement report to the network device when one or more of at least one first event occurs.

[0308] For example, at least one first event includes one or more of the following events.

[0309] Event 1: The beam quality of the current serving beam is less than the first threshold.

[0310] The terminal device can report whether it supports beam reporting based on event 1 using the aforementioned terminal capability information. Alternatively, if the terminal device supports beam reporting initiated by the terminal device, it is assumed that the terminal device supports beam reporting based on event 1, without the need for specific terminal capability information to indicate this.

[0311] Event 2: There exist at least M1 beams with beam quality greater than the beam quality of the currently serving beam, and the difference between the beam quality of each of the at least M1 beams and the beam quality of the currently serving beam is greater than a second threshold.

[0312] The terminal device can report whether it supports beam reporting based on event 2 using the aforementioned terminal capability information. Alternatively, if the terminal device supports beam reporting initiated by the terminal device, it is assumed that the terminal device supports beam reporting based on event 2, without the need for specific terminal capability information to indicate this.

[0313] Event 3: There are at least M2 beams whose beam quality is greater than the third threshold.

[0314] Event 4: The beam quality of the currently serving beam is less than the fourth threshold, and there are at least M3 beams whose beam quality is greater than the fifth threshold.

[0315] Event 5: There exist at least M4 beams where the difference between the beam quality of each beam and the beam quality of the currently serving beam is less than the sixth threshold.

[0316] Event 6: The currently serving beam is not among the K1 beams with the best quality.

[0317] They are connected, and the K1 beams with the best quality can also be understood as the beams corresponding to the K1 currently active TCI-states.

[0318] Event 7: There exist at least M5 beams whose beam quality is greater than that of the currently active beam with the best beam quality, and the difference between the two is greater than the seventh threshold.

[0319] Terminal devices can report whether they support beam reporting based on event 7 through terminal capability information. Alternatively, if a terminal device supports beam reporting initiated by the terminal device, it is assumed that the terminal device supports beam reporting based on event 7, without the need for specific terminal capability information to indicate this.

[0320] Event 8: There exist at least M6 beams whose beam quality is greater than that of the currently active beam with the worst beam quality, and the difference between the two is greater than the eighth threshold.

[0321] Terminal devices can report whether they support beam reporting based on event 8 through terminal capability information. Alternatively, if a terminal device supports beam reporting initiated by the terminal device, it is assumed that the terminal device supports beam reporting based on event 8, without the need for specific terminal capability information to indicate this.

[0322] Event 9: There are at least M7 beams whose beam quality is greater than the quality of the configured reference beam, and the difference between the beam quality of each of the M7 beams and the quality of the configured reference beam is greater than the ninth threshold.

[0323] In this application, beam quality may refer to the value of RSRP or SINR corresponding to the beam.

[0324] Specifically, in events 1 to 9 above, "less than" can be replaced with "less than or equal to", and "greater than" can be replaced with "greater than or equal to".

[0325] Specifically, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, and K1 involved in events 1 to 9 above are all integers greater than or equal to 1.

[0326] Specifically, the values ​​of the thresholds (such as the first threshold, ... the ninth threshold) involved in events 1 to 9, the values ​​of M (e.g., M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7), and the value of K1 can all be determined by the terminal device, or by the network device, or predefined by the system or protocol. This application does not limit the specific values ​​of the above parameters. The values ​​of the thresholds (such as the first threshold, ... the ninth threshold) involved in events 1 to 9 can be the same or different. Two thresholds can be correlated, that is, a correlated threshold can be derived from one threshold, or they can be uncorrelated. The unit of each threshold can be decibel (dB), decibel milliwatt (dBm), etc.

[0327] It should be noted that the measurement report sent by the terminal device to the network device includes beam information. Therefore, the terminal device can also initiate beam reporting when sending a measurement report to the network device. The beam reporting, measurement report reporting, and measurement result reporting involved in the embodiments of this application can be interchanged, and this application does not limit them.

[0328] In step S540, the terminal device sends a measurement report to the network device using the transmission resources corresponding to the first reported configuration information. The network device then receives the measurement report.

[0329] In one example, if the terminal device determines to send a measurement report using the first mode, the terminal device sends first information to the network device using the first resource in the first resource set corresponding to the first reporting configuration information; the network device schedules a second resource for the terminal device based on the first information; and the terminal device sends the measurement report to the network device through the second resource.

[0330] It should be understood that when the terminal device determines the first cell corresponding to the first resource set according to any of the above methods 1A to 8A, it can determine the first resource set, and then the terminal device can send the first information to the network device through the first resource in the first resource set.

[0331] In another example, if the terminal device determines to send the measurement report using the second mode, the terminal device uses the third resource in the third resource set corresponding to the first reporting configuration information to send the second information to the network device, notifying the network device that it will report the measurement report through the fourth resource in the fourth resource set corresponding to the first reporting configuration information; the terminal device then uses the fourth resource in the fourth resource set corresponding to the first reporting configuration information to send the measurement report to the network device.

[0332] It should be understood that when the terminal device determines the third cell corresponding to the third resource set according to any of the methods 1B to 8B described above, it can determine the third resource set, and then the terminal device can send the second information to the network device through the third resources in the third resource set. Similarly, when the terminal device determines the fourth cell corresponding to the fourth resource set, it can determine the fourth resource set, and then the terminal device can send a measurement report to the network device through the fourth resources in the fourth resource set.

[0333] In this embodiment, the terminal device can proactively report measurement results to the network device on demand, thereby avoiding the terminal device from repeatedly reporting identical measurement results and saving transmission resources used for measurement reports. Furthermore, the network device can configure transmission resources for feeding back measurement reports to the terminal device, and by defining the method for determining the cells corresponding to the transmission resources, the terminal device can accurately determine the transmission resources used for feeding back measurement reports, thus enabling the terminal device to proactively report measurement results to the network device on demand.

[0334] In one possible implementation, the network device in the above method 500 can be a CU, DU, CU-CP, CU-UP, or RU, etc.

[0335] For example, the network device-related processing in the above method 500 can be executed in CU, DU, or RU, and the execution in CU can specifically be executed in CU-CP.

[0336] For example, S520 in method 500 can be executed by the CU-CP, i.e., generating the first reported configuration information in S520. DU is a logical node carrying RLC layer, MAC layer, Higher Physical Layer (PHY) and other functions. In this embodiment, the DU can perform RLC layer, MAC layer, Higher PHY layer, etc. processing on the RRC signaling generated in the CU-CP. RU is a logical node carrying Lower PHY and RF processing. In this embodiment, the RU can further process the RRC signaling generated in the CU-CP using Lower PHY and RF processing, and send the RRC signaling to the terminal device via the air interface. The DU can also generate physical layer signaling (such as DCI), which, after processing by the RU, is sent to the terminal device via the air interface.

[0337] For example, the step of generating the first reported configuration information in method 500 can be executed in a CU, DU, or RU. Specifically, execution in a CU can be performed in the CU-CP, generating RRC signaling to carry the first reported configuration information. The DU can process the RRC signaling generated in the CU-CP using RLC, MAC, and Higher PHY layers. The RU is a logical node carrying Lower PHY and radio frequency (RF) processing. In this embodiment, the RU can further process the RRC signaling generated in the CU-CP using Lower PHY and RF processing, and then send the RRC signaling to the terminal device via the air interface. The DU can also generate physical layer signaling (such as DCI), which, after processing by the RU, is sent to the terminal device via the air interface.

[0338] For example, the step of receiving terminal capability information or measurement reports in method 500 can be performed in the DU and RU. In the embodiments of this application, the RU can receive uplink channels from the terminal device through the air interface for carrying terminal capability information or measurement reports, and after processing by the DU, obtain the terminal capability information or measurement reports carried by the uplink channels.

[0339] It should be understood that the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0340] It should also be understood that, in the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0341] It should also be understood that in the above embodiments, the examples are mainly based on devices in existing network architectures, and it should be understood that the specific form of the device is not limited in the embodiments of this application. For example, any device that can achieve the same function in the future is applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0342] It is understood that, in the above-described method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by a device (such as a terminal device or a network device) can also be implemented by components of the device (such as chips or circuits).

[0343] Those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps 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 implemented 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.

[0344] The method provided by the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to FIG. 5. The apparatus provided by the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. It should be understood that the description of the apparatus embodiments corresponds to the description of the method embodiments; therefore, any content not described in detail can be referred to the method embodiments above, and for the sake of brevity, will not be repeated here.

[0345] Referring to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of a communication device 600 provided in an embodiment of this application, the communication device 600 includes a transceiver unit 610. The transceiver unit 610 can be used to implement corresponding communication functions. The transceiver unit 610 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit. Optionally, the communication device 600 further includes a processing unit 620. The processing unit 620 can be used to perform processing, such as determining which time-domain resource locations to monitor for wake-up signals, and which operations to perform after detecting a wake-up signal.

[0346] Optionally, the device 600 may further include a storage unit for storing instructions and / or data, and the processing unit 620 may read the instructions and / or data from the storage unit to enable the device to implement the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0347] In a first possible design, the device 600 can be the terminal device in the foregoing embodiments, which can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those executed by the terminal device in the above method embodiments. Specifically, the transceiver unit 610 can be used to perform transceiver-related operations (such as sending and / or receiving data or messages) of the terminal device in the above method embodiments, and the processing unit 620 can be used to perform processing-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiments, or operations other than transceiver (such as operations other than sending and / or receiving data or messages).

[0348] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 610 is used to receive first reported configuration information from the network device; the processing unit 620 is used to perform beam measurement and obtain a measurement report; the transceiver unit 610 is also used to feed back the measurement report to the network device through the transmission resources corresponding to the first reported configuration information; wherein, the cell corresponding to the transmission resources is one of the following: a primary cell, a primary-secondary cell, or a secondary cell configured with PUCCH.

[0349] In a second possible design, the device 600 can be a network device as described in the foregoing embodiments. This device 600 can implement the steps or processes performed by the network device corresponding to those described in the method embodiments above. Specifically, the transceiver unit 610 can be used to perform transceiver-related operations (such as sending and / or receiving data or messages) of the network device described in the method embodiments above, and the processing unit 620 can be used to perform processing-related operations of the network device described in the method embodiments above, or operations other than transceiver operations (such as operations other than sending and / or receiving data or messages).

[0350] In one possible implementation, the transceiver unit 610 is used to send first reporting configuration information; the transceiver unit 610 is also used to receive a measurement report from the terminal device through the transmission resources corresponding to the first reporting configuration information. The cell corresponding to the transmission resources is one of the following: a primary cell, a primary-secondary cell, or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH.

[0351] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0352] It should also be understood that the device 600 here is embodied in the form of a functional unit. The term "unit" here can refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), electronic circuitry, a processor (e.g., a shared processor, a proprietary processor, or a group processor, etc.) and memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuitry, and / or other suitable components supporting the described functions. In an alternative example, those skilled in the art will understand that the device 600 can be specifically a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the above embodiments, and can be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the communication device in the above method embodiments. To avoid repetition, further details are omitted here.

[0353] The apparatus 600 of each of the above-described schemes has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the above-described methods. The function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions; for example, the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transceiver (e.g., the transmitting unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as processing units, can be replaced by processors, each performing the transceiver operations and related processing operations in the respective method embodiments.

[0354] In addition, the transceiver unit 610 described above can also be a transceiver circuit (for example, it may include a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit), and the processing unit can be a processing circuit.

[0355] It should be noted that the device in Figure 6 can be the communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the foregoing embodiments, or it can be a chip or a chip system, such as a system on a chip (SoC). The transceiver unit can be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; the processing unit is a processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit integrated on the chip. No limitations are imposed here.

[0356] Referring to Figure 7, as an example, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another communication device 700 provided in an embodiment of this application. The device 700 includes a processor 710, which is coupled to a memory 720. The memory 720 is used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data. The processor 710 is used to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory 720, or to read the data stored in the memory 720, to perform the methods in the above method embodiments.

[0357] Optionally, there may be one or more processors 710.

[0358] Optionally, the memory 720 may be one or more.

[0359] Alternatively, the memory 720 can be integrated with the processor 710, or it can be set separately.

[0360] Optionally, as shown in FIG7, the device 700 further includes a transceiver 730 for receiving and / or transmitting signals. For example, the processor 710 is used to control the transceiver 730 to receive and / or transmit signals.

[0361] As an example, processor 710 may have the functions of processing unit 620 shown in FIG. 6, memory 720 may have the functions of storage unit, and transceiver 730 may have the functions of transceiver unit 610 shown in FIG. 6.

[0362] As one option, the device 700 is used to implement the operations performed by a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the various method embodiments described above.

[0363] For example, processor 710 is used to execute computer programs or instructions stored in memory 720 to implement the relevant operations performed by communication devices (such as terminal devices or network devices) in the various method embodiments described above.

[0364] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0365] It should also be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, RAM includes the following forms: static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0366] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0367] It should also be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0368] Referring to Figure 8, as an example, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 800 provided in an embodiment of this application. The chip system 800 (or may also be called a processing system) includes logic circuitry 810 and an input / output interface 820.

[0369] The logic circuit 810 can be a processing circuit in the chip system 800. The logic circuit 810 can be coupled to a memory unit, calling instructions from the memory unit, enabling the chip system 800 to implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of this application. The input / output interface 820 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system 800, outputting processed information from the chip system 800, or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 800 for processing.

[0370] As one approach, the chip system 800 is used to implement the operations performed by the communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the various method embodiments described above.

[0371] For example, logic circuit 810 is used to implement processing-related operations performed by a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the above method embodiments; input / output interface 820 is used to implement sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the above method embodiments.

[0372] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions for implementing the methods executed by a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) in the above-described method embodiments. For example, when the computer program or instructions are run on the communication device, the communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) performs the above-described methods (such as method 500).

[0373] This application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, implement the methods described above as performed by a communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device). For example, when the computer program or instructions are run on the communication device, the communication device (such as a terminal device or a network device) performs the methods described above (such as method 500).

[0374] This application also provides a communication system that includes the terminal device and / or network device described in the embodiments above. For example, the system includes the terminal device and network device shown in the embodiment of FIG5.

[0375] The explanations and beneficial effects of the relevant contents in any of the devices provided above can be found in the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0376] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection of apparatus or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0377] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. For example, the computer can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks, SSDs). For example, the aforementioned available media include, but are not limited to, USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks, and other media capable of storing program code.

[0378] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to terminal devices, including: Receive the first reported configuration information from the network device; Perform beam measurements and obtain a measurement report; The measurement report is fed back to the network device through the transmission resources corresponding to the first reported configuration information; The transmission resources corresponding to the first reported configuration information include a first resource set or a third resource set, and the first reported configuration information includes a first indication information or a second indication information. The first indication information indicates the cell corresponding to the first resource set, and the second indication information indicates the cell corresponding to the third resource set.

2. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to network devices, including: Send the first reported configuration information to the terminal device; The measurement report is received from the terminal device through the transmission resources corresponding to the first reported configuration information, and the measurement report is determined based on beam measurement. The transmission resources corresponding to the first reported configuration information include a first resource set or a third resource set, and the first reported configuration information includes a first indication information or a second indication information. The first indication information indicates the cell corresponding to the first resource set, and the second indication information indicates the cell corresponding to the third resource set.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first reported configuration information includes information about the first resource set, which includes information about M first resources and information about the partial bandwidth (BWP) corresponding to the M first resources. The first resources are used to send first information to the network device, and the first information is used to request a second resource to transmit the measurement report. M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first indication information indicates that the cell corresponding to the first resource set is a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, If the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group, and the primary cell group includes secondary cells configured with PUCCH, then the first indication information indicates that the cell corresponding to the first resource set is either a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with PUCCH.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first reported configuration information includes information about a third resource set, which includes information about N third resources and information about BWPs corresponding to the N third resources. The third resources are used to send second information to the network device, and the second information is used to instruct the terminal device to send the measurement report to the network device through a fourth resource. N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second indication information indicates that the cell corresponding to the third resource set is a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, If the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group, and the primary cell group includes secondary cells configured with PUCCH, then the second indication information indicates that the cell corresponding to the third resource set is either a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with PUCCH.

9. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to terminal devices, including: Receive the first reported configuration information from the network device; Perform beam measurements and obtain a measurement report; The measurement report is fed back to the network device through the transmission resources corresponding to the first reported configuration information; The cell corresponding to the transmission resource is one of the following: primary cell, primary-secondary cell, or secondary cell configured with a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The transmission resources include a first resource set, which includes M first resources. The first resources are used to send first information to the network device, and the first information is used to request the transmission of the measurement report by a second resource; M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. The first cell corresponding to the first resource set is one of the following: a primary cell, a primary-secondary cell, or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first reported configuration information includes first indication information. The first indication information indicates that the first cell is a primary cell or a primary-secondary cell; or... The first indication information indicates that the first cell is a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH; or, The first indication information indicates that the first cell is the primary cell.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, If the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group and a secondary cell group, then the first indication information indicates that the first cell is a primary cell or a primary-secondary cell; or, If the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group, and the primary cell group includes secondary cells configured with PUCCH, then the first indication information indicates that the first cell is either a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with PUCCH; or... If the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not with a secondary cell group or a secondary cell with a PUCCH configured, then the first indication information indicates that the first cell is the primary cell.

13. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first residential area is the primary residential area; or, The first cell is the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs, and the second cell is the cell corresponding to the first reported configuration information; or, The first cell is a PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs, and the PUCCH cell is a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with PUCCH.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, If the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group and a secondary cell group, then the first cell is the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs; or, If the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group, and the primary cell group includes secondary cells configured with PUCCH, then the first cell is the PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs; or... If the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not with a secondary cell group or a secondary cell with a PUCCH configured, then the first cell is the primary cell.

15. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that, The transmission resources include a third resource set, which includes N third resources. The third resources are used to send second information to the network device. The second information is used to instruct the terminal device to send the measurement report to the network device through a fourth resource. N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. The third cell corresponding to the third resource set is one of the following: a primary cell, a primary-secondary cell, or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first reported configuration information includes the second indication information. The second indication information indicates that the third cell is a primary cell or a primary-secondary cell; or, The second indication information indicates that the third cell is a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with a PUCCH; or, The second indication information indicates that the third cell is the primary cell.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, If the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group and a secondary cell group, then the second indication information indicates that the third cell is a primary cell or a primary-secondary cell; or, If the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group, and the primary cell group includes secondary cells configured with PUCCH, then the second indication information indicates that the third cell is either a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with PUCCH; or, If the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not with a secondary cell group or a secondary cell with a PUCCH configured, then the second indication information indicates that the third cell is the primary cell.

18. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The third cell is the primary cell; or... The third cell is the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs, and the second cell is the cell corresponding to the first reported configuration information; or, The third cell is a PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs, and the PUCCH cell is either a primary cell or a secondary cell configured with PUCCH.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, If the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group and a secondary cell group, then the third cell is the primary cell in the cell group to which the second cell belongs; or, If the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not a secondary cell group, and the primary cell group includes secondary cells configured with PUCCH, then the third cell is a PUCCH cell in the PUCCH cell group to which the second cell belongs; or, If the terminal device is configured with a primary cell group but not with a secondary cell group or a secondary cell with a PUCCH configured, then the third cell is the primary cell.

20. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to network devices, including: Send the first reported configuration information to the terminal device; The measurement report is received from the terminal device through the transmission resources corresponding to the first reported configuration information, and the measurement report is determined based on beam measurement. The cell corresponding to the transmission resource is one of the following: primary cell, primary-secondary cell, or secondary cell configured with a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

21. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes modules or units for performing the method of any one of claims 1, 3 to 8, or modules or units for performing the method of any one of claims 2 to 8, or modules or units for performing the method of any one of claims 9 to 19, or modules or units for performing the method of claim 20.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor configured to cause the communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 1, 3 to 8, or to cause the communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 2 to 8, or to cause the communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 9 to 19, or to cause the communication device to perform the method of claim 20.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, characterized in that, The device further includes a memory on which computer programs or instructions are stored.

24. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1, 3 to 8, or cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 2 to 8, or cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 19, or cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 20.

25. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1, 3 to 8, or cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 2 to 8, or cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 19, or cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 20.

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