Timing advance (TA) processing method and apparatus, and terminal device

Abstract

A timing advance (TA) processing method and apparatus, and a terminal device. The method comprises: in a cell handover process, processing a TA of at least one first candidate cell on the basis of indication information, wherein the indication information is used for indicating whether a L1 / L2-triggered mobility (LTM) handover attempt is enabled.

Description

Pre-time TA processing methods, processing devices, and terminal equipment

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202510395727.2, filed on March 28, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a timing advance TA processing method and processing device, as well as a terminal device. Background Technology

[0003] Introducing Layer 1 / L2-Triggered Mobility (LTM) handover in New Radio (NR) systems can further reduce transmission latency.

[0004] Before performing an LTM handover, the terminal device can obtain the uplink timing advance (TA) of the candidate cell. In this way, when the terminal device performs an LTM handover to access the candidate cell, it can achieve synchronous uplink transmission based on the TA. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a method for timed advance TA processing, including:

[0006] Process the TA of at least one first candidate cell according to the instruction information;

[0007] The indication information is used to indicate whether the attempt to trigger mobility LTM handover in layer 1 / layer 2 is enabled.

[0008] In one implementation, the at least one first candidate cell includes a target cell;

[0009] The target cell is the cell that the terminal device accesses during cell handover.

[0010] In one implementation, the indication information indicates that the attempted LTM handover is initiated; processing the TA of at least one first candidate cell according to the indication information includes:

[0011] Based on the handover result of the cell handover, the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is processed.

[0012] In one implementation, the handover result is a successful handover; based on the handover result, the TA of at least one first candidate cell is processed, including:

[0013] Based on at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell, the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is processed;

[0014] The second candidate cell is an LTM candidate cell configured for the target cell.

[0015] In one implementation, for any first candidate cell, the TA of the first candidate cell is processed according to at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell, including:

[0016] If the first candidate cell is included in the at least one second candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell is maintained.

[0017] In one implementation, for any first candidate cell, the TA of the first candidate cell is processed according to at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell, including:

[0018] If the first candidate cell is not included in the at least one second candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell is released.

[0019] In one implementation, the handover result is a handover failure; based on the handover result, the TA of at least one candidate cell is processed, including:

[0020] Based on the cell selection result, the TA of the at least one candidate cell is processed, wherein the cell selection result is the result of the terminal device performing cell selection after a handover failure.

[0021] In one implementation, the cell selection result is used to indicate the selection of a non-first candidate cell; based on the selection result, the TA of the at least one candidate cell is processed, including:

[0022] The TA of the at least one first candidate cell is released.

[0023] In one implementation, the cell selection result is used to indicate the selection of the first candidate cell; based on the selection result, the TA of the at least one candidate cell is processed, including:

[0024] The TA of the first candidate cell is maintained, and the TA of the non-selected first candidate cell among the at least one first candidate cell is released.

[0025] In one implementation, the indication information indicates that the attempted LTM switching is enabled; the method further includes:

[0026] The TA of the at least one first candidate cell is held until the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell, and then the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is released.

[0027] The first cell is either the cell in which the terminal device performs cell handover access or the cell in which it performs Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconstruction access.

[0028] In one implementation, the indication information indicates that the attempted LTM handover is not enabled or configured; processing the TA of at least one first candidate cell according to the indication information includes:

[0029] Release the TA of the non-target cell in at least one of the first candidate cells.

[0030] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the indication information indicates that the LTM handover attempt is not enabled or configured, and the TA of at least one first candidate cell is directly released to avoid resource waste.

[0031] In one embodiment, the method further includes:

[0032] For any first candidate cell, if the first duration is greater than or equal to the preset duration, the TA of the first candidate cell is released, where the first duration is the retention duration corresponding to the TA of the first candidate cell.

[0033] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a method for timed advance TA processing, including:

[0034] During the handover process between the primary cell and the primary / secondary cell, the TA of at least one first candidate cell is processed.

[0035] Wherein, the at least one first candidate cell does not include the target cell, and the target cell is the target cell for the handover of the primary cell or the primary-secondary cell.

[0036] In one implementation, processing the TA of at least one first candidate cell includes:

[0037] Based on at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell, the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is processed;

[0038] The second candidate cell is a candidate cell configured for the target cell.

[0039] In one implementation, for any first candidate cell, the TA of the first candidate cell is processed according to at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell, including:

[0040] If the first candidate cell is included in the at least one second candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell is maintained.

[0041] In one implementation, for any first candidate cell, the TA of the first candidate cell is processed according to at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell, including:

[0042] If the first candidate cell is not included in the at least one second candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell is released.

[0043] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a timing advance TA processing device, the device comprising:

[0044] The processing module is used to process the TA of at least one first candidate cell according to the indication information;

[0045] The indication information is used to indicate whether the attempt to trigger mobility LTM handover in layer 1 / layer 2 is enabled.

[0046] In one implementation, the at least one first candidate cell includes a target cell;

[0047] The target cell is the cell that the terminal device accesses during cell handover.

[0048] In one implementation, the processing module is used to:

[0049] Based on the handover result of the cell handover, the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is processed.

[0050] In one implementation, the processing module is used to:

[0051] Based on at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell, the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is processed;

[0052] The second candidate cell is an LTM candidate cell configured for the target cell.

[0053] In one implementation, the processing module is used to:

[0054] If the first candidate cell is included in the at least one second candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell is maintained.

[0055] In one implementation, the processing module is used to:

[0056] If the first candidate cell is not included in the at least one second candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell is released.

[0057] In one implementation, the processing module is used to:

[0058] Based on the cell selection result, the TA of the at least one candidate cell is processed, wherein the cell selection result is the result of the terminal device performing cell selection after a handover failure.

[0059] In one implementation, the processing module is used to:

[0060] The TA of the at least one first candidate cell is released.

[0061] In one implementation, the processing module is used to:

[0062] The TA of the first candidate cell is maintained, and the TA of the non-selected first candidate cell among the at least one first candidate cell is released.

[0063] In one embodiment, the processing module is further configured to:

[0064] The TA of the at least one first candidate cell is held until the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell, and then the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is released.

[0065] The first cell is either the cell in which the terminal device performs cell handover access or the cell in which it performs Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconstruction access.

[0066] In one implementation, the processing module is used to:

[0067] Release the TA of the non-target cell in at least one of the first candidate cells.

[0068] In one embodiment, the processing module is further configured to:

[0069] For any first candidate cell, if the first duration is greater than or equal to the preset duration, the TA of the first candidate cell is released, where the first duration is the retention duration corresponding to the TA of the first candidate cell.

[0070] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a timing advance TA processing device, the device comprising:

[0071] The processing module is used to process the TA of at least one first candidate cell if the handover result is a successful handover.

[0072] Wherein, the at least one first candidate cell does not include the target cell, and the target cell is the target cell for the handover of the primary cell or the primary-secondary cell.

[0073] In one implementation, the processing module is used to:

[0074] Based on at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell, the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is processed;

[0075] The second candidate cell is a candidate cell configured for the target cell.

[0076] In one implementation, the processing module is used to:

[0077] If the first candidate cell is included in the at least one second candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell is maintained.

[0078] In one implementation, the processing module is used to:

[0079] If the first candidate cell is not included in the at least one second candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell is released.

[0080] Fifthly, this disclosure provides a chip on which a computer program is stored, which, when executed by the chip, implements the method as described in any one of the first aspects or any one of the second aspects.

[0081] In a sixth aspect, this disclosure provides a chip module on which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by the chip module, it implements the method as described in any one of the first aspects or any one of the second aspects.

[0082] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a terminal device, including:

[0083] At least one processor; and

[0084] A memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein,

[0085] The memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, which, when executed by the at least one processor, enables the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of the first aspects or any one of the second aspects.

[0086] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, wherein the computer instructions are configured to cause the computer to perform the method of any one of the first aspects or any one of the second aspects.

[0087] Ninthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method of any one of the first aspects or any one of the second aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0088] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0089] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the LTM switching process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0090] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0091] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a TA processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0092] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating another TA processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0093] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating another TA processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0094] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a timing advance TA processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0095] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another timing advance TA processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0096] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0097] The accompanying drawings have illustrated specific embodiments of this disclosure, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concepts of this disclosure to those skilled in the art through reference to particular embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0098] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0099] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0100] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, data stored, data displayed, etc.) involved in this disclosure are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties. Furthermore, the collection, use and processing of the relevant data must comply with relevant laws, regulations and standards, and corresponding operation entry points are provided for users to choose to authorize or refuse.

[0101] To facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, some terms and technologies involved in the embodiments of this disclosure will be briefly introduced below:

[0102] 1. Layer 1 / Layer 2 Triggered Mobility (L1 / L2-Triggered Mobility, LTM) switching

[0103] LTM handover is a new mobility management mechanism introduced in 5G NR (5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology). LTM handover achieves faster and more efficient inter-cell handover than traditional Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer handover through measurement reporting and handover triggering at the physical layer (L1) and the medium access control (MAC) layer (L2).

[0104] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the LTM handover process provided in this embodiment of the disclosure. Referring to Figure 1, the LTM handover process includes:

[0105] S101. The UE performs measurements according to the network's measurement configuration and reports a measurement report when a serving cell or neighboring cell meets the reporting conditions.

[0106] S102. The base station configures LTM candidate cells for the UE, and can configure multiple candidate cells.

[0107] S103. The base station configures uplink resources for the UE to report Layer 1 results (e.g., via RRC reconfiguration (RRC reconfiguration is used to configure the radio parameters of the serving cell)).

[0108] S104. The UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to confirm receipt of the configuration.

[0109] S105a-S106b: The UE obtains downlink synchronization and uplink synchronization of the candidate cell according to the configuration. The acquisition of uplink synchronization also requires additional signaling triggering, such as triggering the UE to send a preamble in the candidate cell through the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

[0110] The serving cell then sends the candidate cell's advance TA to the UE via the MAC layer.

[0111] S107. After receiving the candidate cell configuration, the UE begins to evaluate the candidate cells, for example, evaluating whether the signal quality of the candidate cells meets the handover execution conditions. If at least one candidate cell meets the corresponding handover execution conditions, the UE performs the handover.

[0112] 2. Timing Advance (TA)

[0113] The timing adjustment mechanism (TA) is used to adjust the uplink transmission timing of user equipment (UE) to ensure that its signal is aligned with the receiving window of the base station (e.g., gNB or eNB). The main function of the TA is to compensate for signal propagation delay and avoid interference between uplink signals.

[0114] (1) Working principle of TA

[0115] TA value calculation: The TA value is proportional to the distance between the UE and the base station.

[0116] TA can be determined using the following formula 1:

[0117] Where D represents the physical distance between the UE and the base station. In practice, D needs to take into account factors such as signal refraction and is not exactly equal to the physical distance.

[0118] TA Units: In Long Term Evolution (LTE) and 5G, the units of TA are time units (e.g., seconds or symbol periods).

[0119] (2) Acquisition and updating of TA

[0120] Initial TA Acquisition: During the random access process, the UE sends a preamble, the base station calculates the TA value based on the reception time, and sends it to the UE through the random access response.

[0121] TA Update: In connected mode, the base station dynamically adjusts the TA value by measuring the UE's uplink signal. The base station sends the updated TA value to the UE via MAC CE or RRC signaling.

[0122] The technical solutions provided in this disclosure can be applied to a variety of systems. Applicable systems may include, but are not limited to: narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems, wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) systems, code division multiple access 2000 (CDMA2000) systems, time division-synchronization code division multiple access (TDSCDMA) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, fifth-generation mobile communication systems or possible sixth-generation and seventh-generation mobile communication systems, vehicle-mounted short-range wireless communication systems, and future mobile communication systems.

[0123] The technical solutions provided in this disclosure are also applicable to different network architectures, including but not limited to relay network architecture, dual-connectivity architecture, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) architecture, and device-to-device (D2D) architecture.

[0124] The network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be access network devices, and access network devices can include base stations.

[0125] The base station (BS) in this disclosure, also referred to as a base station device, is a device deployed in a radio access network (RAN) to provide wireless communication functions. For example, in a 4G network, devices providing base station functions include evolved NodeBs (eNBs); in wireless local area networks (WLANs), devices providing base station functions are access points (APs); in 5G new radio (NR), devices providing base station functions include gNBs; and next-generation eNodeBs (ng-eNBs). The gNB communicates with the terminal device using NR technology, while the ng-eNB communicates with the terminal device using evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) technology. Both the gNB and ng-eNB can connect to the 5G core network. The base station in this disclosure also includes devices that provide base station functions in future new communication systems.

[0126] The terminal device in this disclosure is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. The terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld, wearable, or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on water (such as on ships); and it can also be deployed in the air (e.g., on airplanes, balloons, and satellites). The terminal device can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, vehicle-mounted terminal device, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical care, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, wireless terminal device in smart home, wearable terminal device, terminal device in 5G networks, or terminal device in future evolved public land mobile networks (PLMNs), etc., and the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto. The terminal equipment involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal equipment, vehicle-mounted terminal equipment, industrial control terminal equipment, UE unit, UE station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote user equipment, mobile device, wireless communication equipment, UE agent, or UE device, etc. The terminal equipment may also be fixed or mobile.

[0127] For ease of understanding, the application scenarios applicable to the embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to Figure 2.

[0128] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by an embodiment of this disclosure. The application scenario shown in Figure 2 includes a terminal device 201 and a network device 202. The terminal device 201 can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer, etc. The network device 202 can be a base station. The terminal device 201 can access the network device 202 to access the cell covered by the network device 202. When the signal quality or service quality of the cell is poor, the terminal device 201 can access the target cell through cell handover. The signal quality of the target cell is greater than or equal to a preset threshold. The cell handover method can be LTM handover. Before performing LTM handover, the terminal device 201 can obtain the TA of at least one candidate cell. Thus, when the terminal device 201 performs LTM handover to access the candidate cell, it can achieve synchronous uplink transmission based on the TA.

[0129] Currently, when a terminal device accesses a target cell, immediately releasing the TA (Transfer Target) of other candidate cells may result in subsequent handovers not being applicable or failing. Conversely, not releasing the TA may lead to resource waste or TA invalidation. In summary, the flexibility in handling TAs for at least one primary candidate cell is relatively low.

[0130] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the TA (Transfer Attack) of at least one first candidate cell can be processed according to indication information. The indication information is used to indicate whether LTM (Low-Time Messaging) handover attempt is enabled. Thus, based on whether LTM handover attempt is enabled, it can be determined whether to release or retain the TA of at least one first candidate cell. This avoids situations where immediately releasing the TA of other candidate cells may lead to subsequent handovers not being applicable or handover failure, and where not releasing them may lead to resource waste or TA invalidation. This improves the flexibility of TA processing.

[0131] The methods disclosed herein will now be described through several embodiments. It should be noted that these embodiments may exist independently or in combination; identical or similar content will not be repeated in different embodiments.

[0132] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a TA processing method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Referring to Figure 3, the method may include:

[0133] S301. Process the TA of at least one first candidate cell according to the instruction information.

[0134] The execution entity of this disclosure can be a terminal device, or a chip, chip module, or TA processing device disposed in the terminal device. The TA processing device can be implemented by software or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0135] The indication information is used to indicate whether to enable LTM switching.

[0136] For example, instructing an attempt at an LTM handover can be done as attemptLTM-Switch. attemptLTM-Switch can be configured in either the primary cell (PCell) or the primary / secondary cell.

[0137] For example, if attemptLTM-Switch is configured as True, the indication information can be determined to indicate that an attempt to switch LTM is enabled. If attemptLTM-Switch is configured as False or the field is not configured, the indication information can be determined to indicate that an attempt to switch LTM is not enabled.

[0138] It is understandable that there are other ways to configure whether attemptLTM-Switch is enabled; this is just an example, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0139] In some embodiments, when the terminal device begins cell handover, the TA of at least one first candidate cell can be processed according to the indication information.

[0140] If a network device sends a handover command to a terminal device, it can be determined that the terminal device has started cell handover; or in conditional handover, if the terminal device has any candidate cell that meets the handover execution conditions, the terminal device selects a cell that meets the handover execution conditions to perform the handover, and it can be determined that the terminal device has started cell handover.

[0141] It is understandable that there are other ways to determine when a terminal device begins cell handover; this is just an example, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0142] For example, the handover command can be an RRC reconfiguration message or an LTM cell handover message.

[0143] In one implementation, at least one first candidate cell includes a target cell; the target cell is the cell that the terminal device accesses during cell handover.

[0144] For example, at least one first candidate cell is a target cell that the terminal device may switch to during the handover process. The signal quality of at least one first candidate cell is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, and / or, the load of at least one first candidate cell is less than a preset load.

[0145] The terminal device measures the signal quality of neighboring cells according to the network configuration. It assesses whether the neighboring cells meet the reporting conditions (e.g., whether they meet signal quality thresholds, load conditions, etc.). Based on the terminal device's measurement report, the network device generates a candidate cell list and configures the candidate cells (including the radio parameter configuration of the candidate cells) for the terminal device. The candidate cell list includes at least one first candidate cell. After obtaining the candidate cell configuration, the terminal device begins to evaluate whether the candidate cells meet the handover execution conditions.

[0146] For example, signal quality may include Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP) and Reference Signal Receiving Quality (RSRQ).

[0147] For example, the switching execution conditions include a preset threshold or a preset offset corresponding to the signal quality.

[0148] It is understood that signal quality and switching execution conditions may also include other information, which is only an example here and is not limited in this disclosure.

[0149] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0150] In some embodiments, the target cell may be the cell with the best signal quality and / or the lowest load in the candidate cell list.

[0151] In one implementation, the indication information indicates that an attempt to enable LTM handover can be made by processing the TA of at least one first candidate cell according to the indication information in the following manner: processing the TA of at least one first candidate cell according to the handover result of the cell handover.

[0152] For example, the switching result can be either a successful switching or a failed switching.

[0153] In some embodiments, the handover result can be determined as a successful handover in the following ways: for handovers with random access, the handover is considered successful when the random access procedure is successful; for handovers without random access (RACH-less HO), the terminal device can use configuration authorization to send an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the network device, and the handover is considered successful when the terminal device confirms that the network device has successfully received the RRC reconfiguration completion message.

[0154] In some embodiments, a handover failure can be determined as follows: timer T304 times out, or the random access procedure during the handover process fails. After a handover failure, the terminal device performs cell selection. If a candidate cell is selected, the terminal device performs a handover to that cell (if LTM handover attempt is enabled). If a non-candidate cell within the same system is selected, the terminal initiates an RRC reconstruction procedure, sending a request message to the selected non-candidate cell to attempt to rebuild the connection. If the connection reconstruction fails, the terminal falls back to an idle state (RRC_IDLE state).

[0155] For example, the request message can be an RRCReestablishmentRequest message. It can also be other messages predefined by the protocol. This disclosure is not restrictive.

[0156] The instruction message indicates that when an LTM handover attempt is initiated, the TA (Transmission Action) of at least one first candidate cell will be processed accordingly based on the handover result. This ensures that the TA of at least one first candidate cell is applicable to subsequent handovers of terminal equipment, avoiding situations where immediate release would lead to subsequent handovers being unusable or failing, thus improving the flexibility and reliability of TA processing.

[0157] In one implementation, if the handover result is successful, the TA of at least one first candidate cell can be processed according to the handover result as follows: the TA of at least one first candidate cell is processed according to at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell; wherein, the second candidate cell is an LTM candidate cell configured for the target cell.

[0158] For example, the second candidate cell is the LTM candidate cell that the network device reconfigures for the terminal device after the terminal device performs a cell handover to access the target cell. It should be noted that for conditional LTM handover, the second candidate cell can be included in the configuration of the target cell (configured as a candidate cell before the handover); for network-triggered handover, the second candidate cell can be sent to the terminal device through a handover command.

[0159] For example, before a terminal device performs a cell handover, the network device configures at least one first candidate cell, including cell A1, cell A2, cell A3, and cell A4. The terminal device determines cell A2 as the target cell from at least one first candidate cell and successfully accesses cell A2. At this time, since the cell accessed by the terminal device has changed, the candidate cells may also change. The network device reconfigures at least one second candidate cell for the terminal device, including cell A3, cell A4, cell A5, and cell A6. Here, it is assumed that the terminal has already obtained the TA (Touch Address) for cells A1, cell A3, and cell A4.

[0160] In one implementation, for any first candidate cell, the TA of the first candidate cell can be processed according to at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell in the following manner: if at least one second candidate cell contains the first candidate cell (i.e. the first candidate cell is still a candidate cell of the target cell), then the TA of the first candidate cell is maintained.

[0161] If at least one of the second candidate cells includes the first candidate cell, it indicates that the terminal device may subsequently access the first candidate cell. Therefore, the TA (Touch Transfer) of the first candidate cell is maintained.

[0162] For example, the process is to continue retaining the TA of the first candidate cell, and the timer associated with that TA continues to run.

[0163] For example, as illustrated above, at least one first candidate cell is identified, including cell A1, cell A2, cell A3, and cell A4, and at least one second candidate cell is identified, including cell A3, cell A4, cell A5, and cell A6. The terminal device determines that the first candidate cells included in the at least one second candidate cell are cell A3 and cell A4. Therefore, the terminal device performs a hold operation on the TA (Transmission Time) of cell A3 and cell A4.

[0164] In one implementation, for any first candidate cell, the TA of the first candidate cell can be processed according to at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell in the following manner: if the first candidate cell is not included in at least one second candidate cell, the TA of the first candidate cell is released.

[0165] If at least one of the second candidate cells does not contain the first candidate cell, it indicates that the terminal device will not access the first candidate cell during subsequent cell handover. Therefore, the TA (Transfer Access Control) of the first candidate cell is released.

[0166] For example, the release process involves reclaiming resources from the TA of the first candidate cell, stopping the timer, and avoiding resource waste.

[0167] For example, as illustrated above, at least one first candidate cell is identified, including cell A1, cell A2, cell A3, and cell A4, and at least one second candidate cell is identified, including cell A3, cell A4, cell A5, and cell A6. The terminal device determines that cell A1 and cell A2 are not included in the at least one second candidate cell list. Therefore, the terminal device performs a TA release process on cell A1 and cell A2.

[0168] When the handover result is successful, the TA (Transfer Term) of at least one first candidate cell is processed accordingly, based on whether the subsequent terminal device is likely to access the first candidate cell. This ensures that the TA of at least one first candidate cell is applicable to the handover of subsequent terminal devices, avoiding the situation where immediate release would lead to subsequent handovers being unusable or failing. Furthermore, timely release of TAs that will not become new candidate cells avoids resource waste. This improves the flexibility of TA processing.

[0169] In one implementation, if the handover result is a handover failure, the TA of at least one candidate cell can be processed according to the handover result as follows: the TA of at least one candidate cell can be processed according to the cell selection result, where the cell selection result is the result of the terminal device performing cell selection after the handover failure.

[0170] The cell selection result is used to indicate whether to select the first candidate cell.

[0171] For example, cell selection is the process of selecting a new suitable cell for access after a cell handover failure.

[0172] In some embodiments, the cell selection result indicates that the signal quality of the selected cell is greater than or equal to a preset threshold. Cell selection is performed in accordance with the specification TS38.304.

[0173] When the handover fails, the TA (Transfer Assist) for at least one first-candidate cell is processed according to the cell selection result. This ensures that the TA of at least one first-candidate cell is applicable to subsequent handovers of terminal devices, avoiding situations where immediate release would lead to subsequent handovers being unusable or failing. This improves the flexibility of TA processing.

[0174] In one implementation, the cell selection result is used to indicate the selection of a non-first candidate cell. The TA of at least one candidate cell can be processed according to the selection result in the following manner: the TA of at least one first candidate cell is released.

[0175] For example, the cell selection result is used to indicate the selection of a non-first candidate cell, indicating that the cell accessed by the terminal device is not at least one first candidate cell.

[0176] For example, as illustrated above, the target cell is determined to be cell A2 among at least one first candidate cell. Assuming the terminal device fails to access cell A2 on the first attempt, the handover result is determined to be a handover failure. At this point, the terminal device can perform cell selection and choose to access cell A6. As shown in the example above, cell A6 is not a first candidate cell, so the cell selection result is used to indicate the selection of a non-first candidate cell. The terminal device then releases the TA (Transmission Terminal) for cells A1, A2, A3, and A4.

[0177] In one implementation, the cell selection result is used to indicate the selection of a first candidate cell. The transfer TA (TA) of the at least one candidate cell can be processed according to the selection result in the following manner: the TA of the first candidate cell is maintained, and the TA of the non-selected first candidate cell is released.

[0178] For example, the cell selection result is used to indicate the selection of a first candidate cell, indicating that the cell accessed by the terminal device is a cell among at least one of the first candidate cells.

[0179] For example, as illustrated above, the target cell is determined to be cell A2 among at least one first candidate cell. Assuming the terminal device fails to access cell A2, the handover result is determined to be a handover failure. In this case, the terminal device can perform cell selection, choosing to access cell A3. The terminal device initiates a handover procedure to cell A3 using the configuration parameters of cell A3. As shown in the example above, cell A3 is a first candidate cell, so the cell selection result is used to indicate the selection of the first candidate cell. The terminal device maintains the TA (Translation Address) for cell A3. If the terminal device determines that the non-selected first candidate cells are cell A1, cell A2, and cell A4, then it releases the TAs for cells A1, A2, and A4.

[0180] Based on the cell selection results, the transfer dates (TAs) for at least one first-candidate cell are processed accordingly. This allows the terminal device to apply the saved TAs when accessing the selected candidate cell, improving the handover success rate and effectively reducing handover interruption latency. It also avoids situations where immediate release of TAs would lead to subsequent handovers being unable to apply the data or resulting in handover failure. TAs for other first-candidate cells that are not being accessed are directly released, avoiding resource waste. This improves the flexibility of TA processing.

[0181] In one implementation, the indication information indicates that the LTM handover attempt is enabled, and the terminal device can also hold the TA of at least one first candidate cell until the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell and release the TA of at least one first candidate cell; wherein, the first cell is the cell in which the terminal device performs cell handover access or performs RRC reconstruction access.

[0182] For example, at least one candidate cell does not include the first cell.

[0183] For example, as illustrated above, the target cell is determined to be cell A2 among at least one first candidate cell. Assuming the terminal device successfully accesses cell A2, the TA (Transmission Terminal) for cell A2 can be held, while the TAs for cells A1, A3, and A4 can be released.

[0184] For example, as illustrated above, the target cell is determined to be cell A2 among at least one first candidate cell. Assuming the terminal device fails to access cell A2, the handover result is determined to be a handover failure. In this case, the terminal device holds the touchpoints (TAs) for cells A1, A3, and A4. The terminal device performs cell selection, successfully selecting and accessing cell A3. Then, the terminal device holds the TA for cell A3 and releases the TAs for cells A1, A2, and A4.

[0185] The TA (Transmission Acquisition) of at least one first candidate cell is held until the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell. Furthermore, the TA of at least one first candidate cell that the terminal device may access can be held, and the TA of the corresponding cell is released immediately without successful access, which further improves the reliability of TA processing.

[0186] In one implementation, if the indication information indicates that the LTM handover attempt is not enabled or configured, the TA of at least one first candidate cell can be processed according to the indication information in the following manner: the TA of the non-target cell in at least one first candidate cell is released.

[0187] For example, if attemptLTM-Switch is configured as False, it can be determined that the indication information is used to indicate that LTM handover attempt is not enabled. If attemptLTM-Switch is not configured in the PCell or primary / secondary cell, it can be determined that LTM handover attempt is not configured.

[0188] For example, as illustrated above, before the terminal device performs a cell handover, the network device configures at least one first candidate cell, including cell A1, cell A2, cell A3, and cell A4. If the terminal device determines that the indication information indicates that the LTM handover attempt is not enabled, it releases the TAs (Translation Addresses) for cells A1, A2, A3, and A4. Here, it is assumed that these cells are not the target cells for the handover, or the target primary / secondary cells for the handover. In this embodiment, if the target cell for the handover, or the target primary / secondary cell for the handover, is cell A3, the terminal device retains the TA for that cell and releases the TAs for the other first candidate cells.

[0189] In some embodiments, when the terminal device performs cell handover, it can determine that the indication information indicates that the LTM handover attempt is not enabled or configured, and release the TA of the non-target cell in the at least one first candidate cell.

[0190] The instruction message indicates that the LTM handover attempt is not enabled or configured, and directly releases the TA of at least one first candidate cell (not the target cell) to avoid wasting resources.

[0191] In one implementation, for any first candidate cell, if the first duration is greater than or equal to a preset duration, the TA of the first candidate cell is released, and the first duration is the retention duration corresponding to the TA of the first candidate cell.

[0192] For example, the duration of holding can also be the effective duration.

[0193] For example, when a terminal device obtains the TA for each first candidate cell, it can start a timer for each TA. The timer duration (i.e., the first duration) is configured by the network device. Before the timer expires, the terminal device considers the TA valid; once the timer expires, the terminal device considers the TA invalid and releases the TA. In the above embodiment, the premise for continuing to maintain the TA of a candidate cell is that the TA is still valid; if it is invalid, the TA of the subsequent cell will not be maintained.

[0194] It is understandable that determining the first duration to be greater than or equal to the preset duration can be done in other ways; this is just an example, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0195] The preset duration can be set in advance and stored in the preset storage space of the terminal device.

[0196] In some embodiments, the terms “duration”, “segment”, “time window”, “window”, and “time” can be used interchangeably.

[0197] Based on the instruction information, handover results, and cell selection results, and according to the first duration corresponding to the TA of the cell, it is determined whether to release the TA. The TA can be maintained in at least one first candidate cell that the terminal device may access, ensuring the validity of the TA and further avoiding resource waste.

[0198] The TA processing method provided in this disclosure can determine whether to release or retain the TA of at least one first candidate cell based on whether LTM handover attempt is enabled. This avoids situations where immediately releasing the TA of other candidate cells may lead to subsequent handovers not being applicable or handover failures, or where not releasing the TA may lead to resource waste. This improves the flexibility of TA processing for at least one first candidate cell.

[0199] Based on any of the above embodiments, the detailed process of the TA processing method will be described below with reference to Figure 4.

[0200] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating another TA processing method provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 4, the method includes:

[0201] S401. Determine whether the indication information indicates an attempt to switch LTM to on.

[0202] If so, then execute S402.

[0203] If not, then execute S407.

[0204] S402. Determine whether the handover result of the cell handover is successful.

[0205] If so, then execute S403.

[0206] If not, then execute S405.

[0207] S403. For any first candidate cell, if at least one second candidate cell contains the first candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell is maintained.

[0208] S404. For any first candidate cell, if at least one second candidate cell does not contain a first candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell shall be released.

[0209] S405. The cell selection result is used to indicate the selection of non-first candidate cells and to release the TA of at least one first candidate cell.

[0210] S406. The cell selection result is used to indicate the selection of the first candidate cell, to maintain the TA of the first candidate cell, and to release the TA of at least one of the non-selected first candidate cells.

[0211] S407. Release the TA of at least one non-target cell in the first candidate cell.

[0212] In some embodiments, during the execution of S401 to S407, for any first candidate cell, if the first duration is greater than or equal to the preset duration, the TA of the first candidate cell is released.

[0213] The first duration is the hold duration corresponding to the TA of the first candidate cell.

[0214] It should be noted that S401 to S407 can refer to any of the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0215] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0216] The TA processing method provided in this disclosure can determine whether to release or retain the TA of at least one first candidate cell based on whether LTM handover attempt is enabled. This avoids situations where immediately releasing the TA of other candidate cells may lead to subsequent handovers not being applicable or handover failures, or where not releasing the TA may lead to resource waste. This improves the flexibility of TA processing for at least one first candidate cell.

[0217] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating another TA processing method provided in this disclosure. Referring to Figure 5, the method includes:

[0218] S501. During the handover process between the primary cell and the primary / secondary cell, the TA of at least one first candidate cell shall be processed.

[0219] The execution entity of this disclosure can be a terminal device, or a chip, chip module, or TA processing device disposed in the terminal device. The TA processing device can be implemented by software or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0220] At least one of the first candidate cells does not include the target cell, which is the target cell for primary or secondary cell handover. For primary / secondary cell handover (or primary / secondary cell update) scenarios, the first candidate cell refers to the first candidate primary / secondary cell. The method in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 is applicable to conditional handover scenarios and network-triggered handover scenarios. For example, the network device first configures the first candidate cell and corresponding handover execution conditions for the terminal device. Before the terminal device triggers handover, it receives a handover command from the network device and executes the network-triggered handover command.

[0221] For example, the method shown in Figure 5 is the processing method for the TA (Transmission Acquisition Target) when the handover result is successful, regardless of whether the indication information indicates that LTM (Large-Terminal Messaging) handover attempt is enabled. That is, regardless of whether LTM handover attempt is enabled, when the handover result is successful, the TA of at least one first candidate cell can be processed using the method shown in Figure 5. Here, successful handover includes scenarios where the terminal device fails the first handover, and after performing cell selection, selects a candidate cell and successfully accesses the network again.

[0222] In one implementation, the TA of at least one first candidate cell can be processed as follows: the TA of at least one first candidate cell is processed according to at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell; wherein the second candidate cell is a candidate cell configured for the target cell.

[0223] The descriptions of the first and second candidate cells can be found in any of the above embodiments and will not be repeated here. As mentioned earlier, the configuration of the second candidate cell can be included in the configuration parameters of the first candidate cell when the network device configures the first candidate cell (wireless parameters) for the terminal device; or for network-triggered handover, the second candidate cell of the target cell (i.e., the candidate cell applied after the terminal device accesses the target cell) can be included in the handover command.

[0224] In one implementation, for any first candidate cell, the TA of at least one first candidate cell can be processed according to at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell in the following manner: if the first candidate cell is included in at least one second candidate cell, the TA of the first candidate cell is maintained.

[0225] For example, before a terminal device performs a cell handover, the network device configures at least one first candidate cell, including cell B1, cell B2, cell B3, and cell B4. The terminal device determines cell B2 as the target cell among the at least one first candidate cell and successfully accesses cell B2. At this time, since the cell accessed by the terminal device has changed, the candidate cells may also change. The network device reconfigures at least one second candidate cell for the terminal device, including cell B4, cell B5, cell B6, and cell B7. Here, it is assumed that the terminal has already obtained the TA (Transmission Action) for cells B1, B3, and B4. The terminal device determines that cell B4 is the first candidate cell among the at least one second candidate cell. Therefore, the terminal device maintains the TA for cell B4. Maintaining the TA for B4 avoids the signaling overhead required to obtain the TA for B4 again later.

[0226] In one implementation, for any first candidate cell, the TA of at least one first candidate cell can be processed according to at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell in the following manner: if the first candidate cell is not included in the at least one second candidate cell, the TA of the first candidate cell is released.

[0227] For example, as illustrated above, regarding cell B1, the terminal device determines that cell B1 is not included in at least one of the second candidate cells. Therefore, the terminal device releases the TA (Translation Access) for cell B1. Regarding cell B2, which is the target cell for handover, the terminal device can utilize the TA of this cell for access during the handover process, reducing handover interruption latency. Regarding cell B3, the terminal device determines that cell B3 is not included in at least one of the second candidate cells. Therefore, the terminal device releases the TA for cell B3.

[0228] In some embodiments, during the processing of TA according to the above method, for any first candidate cell, if the first duration is greater than or equal to the preset duration, the TA of the first candidate cell is released, and the first duration is the retention duration corresponding to the TA of the first candidate cell.

[0229] In this embodiment, for primary and secondary cell handover, the above method can be applied during the successful handover process. When the primary / secondary cell handover fails, the terminal device sends a failure message to the primary cell indicating that access to the target primary / secondary cell has failed. Afterwards, the primary cell can release the primary / secondary cell configuration, and the terminal device releases the TA (Transmission Acquisition) of the first candidate primary / secondary cell. If the primary cell indicates to the terminal device that it should access a new primary / secondary cell, the terminal device accesses the new primary / secondary cell. The terminal device then determines whether the second candidate primary / secondary cell corresponding to the new primary / secondary cell includes the first candidate primary / secondary cell. If it does, the terminal device maintains the TA of that candidate primary / secondary cell; otherwise, it releases the TA of that candidate primary / secondary cell.

[0230] The TA processing method provided in this disclosure, during the handover process, processes the TAs of at least one first candidate cell according to whether the subsequent terminal device is likely to access the first candidate cell. This ensures that the TAs of at least one first candidate cell are applicable to the handover of the subsequent terminal device, avoiding the situation where immediate release would lead to the subsequent handover being unusable or failing, and timely release of TAs that will not become new candidate cells avoids resource waste. Furthermore, it eliminates the need to consider whether the indication information indicates that LTM handover attempt is enabled. This improves the flexibility of TA processing.

[0231] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a timing advance TA processing device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The timing advance TA processing device 10 can be a terminal device, or a chip or chip module in the terminal device. Referring to Figure 5, the timing advance TA processing device 10 may include:

[0232] Processing module 11 is used to process the TA of at least one first candidate cell according to the indication information;

[0233] The indication information is used to indicate whether the attempt to trigger mobility LTM handover in layer 1 / layer 2 is enabled.

[0234] In one implementation, the at least one first candidate cell includes a target cell;

[0235] The target cell is the cell that the terminal device accesses during cell handover.

[0236] In one embodiment, the processing module 11 is used to:

[0237] Based on the handover result of the cell handover, the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is processed.

[0238] In one embodiment, the processing module 11 is used to:

[0239] Based on at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell, the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is processed;

[0240] The second candidate cell is an LTM candidate cell configured for the target cell.

[0241] In one embodiment, the processing module 11 is used to:

[0242] If the first candidate cell is included in the at least one second candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell is maintained.

[0243] In one embodiment, the processing module 11 is used to:

[0244] If the first candidate cell is not included in the at least one second candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell is released.

[0245] In one embodiment, the processing module 11 is used to:

[0246] Based on the cell selection result, the TA of the at least one candidate cell is processed, wherein the cell selection result is the result of the terminal device performing cell selection after a handover failure.

[0247] In one embodiment, the processing module 11 is used to:

[0248] The TA of the at least one first candidate cell is released.

[0249] In one embodiment, the processing module 11 is used to:

[0250] The TA of the first candidate cell is maintained, and the TA of the non-selected first candidate cell among the at least one first candidate cell is released.

[0251] In one embodiment, the processing module 11 is further configured to:

[0252] The TA of the at least one first candidate cell is held until the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell, and then the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is released.

[0253] The first cell is either the cell in which the terminal device performs cell handover access or the cell in which it performs Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconstruction access.

[0254] In one embodiment, the processing module 11 is used to:

[0255] Release the TA of the non-target cell in at least one of the first candidate cells.

[0256] In one embodiment, the processing module 11 is further configured to:

[0257] For any first candidate cell, if the first duration is greater than or equal to the preset duration, the TA of the first candidate cell is released, where the first duration is the retention duration corresponding to the TA of the first candidate cell.

[0258] The timing advance TA processing device provided in this disclosure can execute the technical solution shown in the above method embodiments. Its implementation principle and beneficial effects are similar, and will not be described again here.

[0259] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another timing advance TA processing device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The timing advance TA processing device 20 can be a terminal device, or a chip or chip module in the terminal device. Referring to Figure 7, the timing advance TA processing device 20 may include:

[0260] The processing module 21 is used to process the TA of at least one first candidate cell during the handover process between the primary cell and the primary and secondary cells.

[0261] Wherein, the at least one first candidate cell does not include the target cell, and the target cell is the target cell for the handover of the primary cell or the primary-secondary cell.

[0262] In one embodiment, the processing module 21 is used to:

[0263] Based on at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell, the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is processed;

[0264] The second candidate cell is a candidate cell configured for the target cell.

[0265] In one embodiment, the processing module 21 is used to:

[0266] If the first candidate cell is included in the at least one second candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell is maintained.

[0267] In one embodiment, the processing module 21 is used to:

[0268] If the first candidate cell is not included in the at least one second candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell is released.

[0269] The timing advance TA processing device provided in this disclosure can execute the technical solution shown in the above method embodiments. Its implementation principle and beneficial effects are similar, and will not be described again here.

[0270] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. This terminal device can be, for example, the terminal device described above. Referring to Figure 8, the terminal device 30 includes a transceiver 31, a memory 32, and a processor 33. The transceiver 31 may include a transmitter and / or a receiver. The transmitter may also be referred to as a transmitter, transmitter, transmitting port, or transmitting interface, etc., and the receiver may also be referred to as a receiver, receiver, receiving port, or receiving interface, etc. Exemplarily, the transceiver 31, memory 32, and processor 33 are interconnected via a bus 34.

[0271] Memory 32 is used to store program instructions;

[0272] The processor 33 is used to execute the program instructions stored in the memory, so that the terminal device 30 performs any of the communication methods shown above.

[0273] The transceiver 31 is used to perform the transmit and receive functions of the terminal device 30 in the above communication method.

[0274] The terminal device provided in this disclosure can execute the technical solution shown in the above method embodiments. Its implementation principle and beneficial effects are similar, and will not be described again here.

[0275] This disclosure provides a chip including at least one processor, the processor being configured to execute program instructions to perform the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0276] This disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, are used to implement the above-described method.

[0277] This disclosure also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, can implement the above-described method.

[0278] All or part of the steps in the above-described method embodiments can be implemented by hardware related to program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a readable memory. When the program is executed, it performs the steps of the above-described method embodiments; and the aforementioned memory (storage medium) includes: read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, hard disk, solid-state drive, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical disk, and any combination thereof.

[0279] This disclosure describes embodiments of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processing unit of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processing unit of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart illustrations and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0280] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0281] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0282] In this disclosure, the term "comprising" and its variations can refer to non-restrictive inclusion; the term "or" and its variations can refer to "and / or". The terms "first", "second", etc., in this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. In this disclosure, "multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

Claims

1. A method for timed advance TA processing, comprising: After a cell handover failure, the TA of at least one first candidate cell is processed according to the instruction information; The indication information is used to indicate whether the attempt to trigger mobility LTM handover in layer 1 / layer 2 is enabled.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The at least one first candidate cell is a candidate cell that has already obtained TA before the cell handover is performed.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: After the cell handover fails, cell selection is performed; as well as Based on the cell selection results, the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is processed.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The cell selection result indicates whether a non-first candidate cell or a non-candidate cell has been selected; Based on the cell selection result, the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is processed, including: The TA of the at least one first candidate cell is released.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The cell selection result indicates that the first candidate cell has been selected; Based on the cell selection result, the TA of the at least one candidate cell is processed, including: The TA of the selected first candidate cell is maintained.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, In response to a timer timeout, the TA of the selected first candidate cell is released.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein, The indication information indicates that the LTM switching attempt is enabled; the method further includes: The TA of the at least one first candidate cell is held until the terminal device successfully accesses the first cell, and then the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is released. The first cell is either the cell in which the terminal device performs cell handover access or the cell in which it performs Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconstruction access.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The indication information indicates that the attempted LTM switching is not enabled or configured; Processing the TA of at least one first candidate cell according to the instruction information includes: The TA of the at least one first candidate cell is released.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, further comprising: For any first candidate cell, if the first duration is greater than or equal to the preset duration, the TA of the first candidate cell is released, where the first duration is the retention duration corresponding to the TA of the first candidate cell.

10. A method for timed advance TA processing, comprising: During the handover process between the primary cell and the primary / secondary cell, the TA of at least one first candidate cell is processed; Wherein, the at least one first candidate cell does not include the target cell, and the target cell is the target cell for the handover of the primary cell or the primary-secondary cell.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, Processing the TA of the at least one first candidate cell includes: Based on at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell, the TA of the at least one first candidate cell is processed; The second candidate cell is a candidate cell configured for the target cell.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, For any first candidate cell, the TA of the first candidate cell is processed according to at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell, including: If the first candidate cell is included in the at least one second candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell is maintained.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein, For any first candidate cell, the TA of the first candidate cell is processed according to at least one second candidate cell corresponding to the target cell, including: If the first candidate cell is not included in the at least one second candidate cell, then the TA of the first candidate cell is released.

14. A timing advance TA processing device, comprising: The processing module is used to process the TA of at least one first candidate cell according to the indication information after the cell handover fails. The indication information is used to indicate whether the attempt to trigger mobility LTM handover in layer 1 / layer 2 is enabled.

15. A timing advance TA processing device, comprising: The processing module is used to process the TA of at least one first candidate cell during the handover process between the primary cell and the primary / secondary cell. Wherein, the at least one first candidate cell does not include the target cell, and the target cell is the cell that the terminal device accesses when the cell handover is successful.

16. A terminal device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as A memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein, The memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

17. A chip, wherein, The chip includes at least one processor, which executes program instructions to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, wherein, The computer instructions are used to cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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