Communication methods, communication device, storage medium and program product

Abstract

The present disclosure belongs to the technical field of communications, and relates to communication methods, a communication device, a storage medium and a program product. A communication method comprises: a terminal device receiving first information sent by a network device; on the basis of the first information, determining at least one frequency-domain resource from among a plurality of frequency-domain resources, wherein the plurality of frequency-domain resources are a plurality of frequency-domain resources of a serving cell of the terminal device that are aggregated; and on the at least one frequency-domain resource, detecting or skipping detecting a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). In the method of the present disclosure, a network device sends first information, such that a terminal device performs PDCCH monitoring or skips monitoring on a multi-frequency-domain-resource aggregated cell, thereby achieving flexible and effective power-saving control for terminals.

Description

Communication methods, communication equipment, storage media and software products Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to communication methods, communication devices, storage media, and program products. Background Technology

[0002] The PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) is a critical channel in the network used to transmit downlink control information. The UE (User Equipment) listens to the PDCCH to obtain key network scheduling instructions, such as resource allocation, power control, and uplink grant. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure provides a communication method, communication device, storage medium, and program product that can be used in the field of communication technology.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is proposed, executed by a terminal device, comprising: receiving first information sent by a network device; determining at least one frequency domain resource among a plurality of frequency domain resources based on the first information, wherein the plurality of frequency domain resources are multiple frequency domain resources aggregated by the serving cell of the terminal device; and detecting or skipping detection of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on the at least one frequency domain resource.

[0005] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is proposed, executed by a network device, comprising: sending first information to a terminal device, the first information being used by the terminal device to determine at least one frequency domain resource among a plurality of frequency domain resources, the plurality of frequency domain resources being a plurality of frequency domain resources aggregated by the serving cell of the terminal device, and the at least one frequency domain resource being used to detect or skip the detection physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0006] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, including a transceiver; a memory; and a processor, which are respectively connected to the transceiver and the memory, and configured to control the transmission and reception of wireless signals of the transceiver by executing computer-executable instructions on the memory, and to implement the method described in any one of the first and second aspects.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, including a terminal device and a network device, wherein the terminal device is configured to implement the method described in any one of the first aspects of the present disclosure, and the network device is configured to implement the method described in any one of the second aspects of the present disclosure.

[0008] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer storage medium is provided that stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the communication method described in any one of the first and second aspects.

[0009] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a program product is provided, comprising at least one of a program and instructions, characterized in that, when the program and instructions are executed by a communication device, they implement the communication method described in any one of the first and second aspects.

[0010] According to the communication method proposed in this disclosure, a first message is sent through a network device to enable the terminal device to perform PDCCH monitoring or skip monitoring in a multi-frequency domain resource aggregation cell, thereby achieving flexible and effective terminal energy-saving control. Attached Figure Description

[0011] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments are introduced below. The following drawings are only some embodiments of this disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 3 is an interactive schematic diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the chip structure proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0019] This disclosure provides a communication method, communication device, storage medium, and program product.

[0020] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a terminal device, comprising: receiving first information sent by a network device; determining at least one frequency domain resource among a plurality of frequency domain resources based on the first information, wherein the plurality of frequency domain resources are multiple frequency domain resources aggregated by the serving cell of the terminal device; and detecting or skipping detection of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on the at least one frequency domain resource.

[0021] In the above embodiments, based on the first information sent by the network device, the terminal can determine at least one frequency domain resource from multiple non-contiguous frequency domain resources, and listen to or skip listening to the PDCCH on these resources, thereby achieving flexible and effective energy-saving control.

[0022] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is used to configure multiple discontinuous reception DRX groups, each DRX group including N frequency domain resources, where N is a positive integer, and each frequency domain resource belongs to one of the multiple DRX groups.

[0023] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining at least one frequency domain resource among a plurality of frequency domain resources based on first information includes: determining N frequency domain resources included in a first DRX group among a plurality of DRX groups as at least one frequency domain resource, wherein the first DRX group is used for DRX activation time, wherein detecting or skipping detection of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on at least one frequency domain resource includes: detecting the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0024] In the above embodiment, the first information is the configuration information of the DRX group. When the configuration information meets certain conditions, the terminal listens to the PDCCH on the frequency domain resources in the corresponding DRX group.

[0025] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is carried by a wake-up signal, which is used to instruct the wake-up terminal device to detect the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource, wherein detecting or skipping the detection of the physical downlink control channel PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource includes: detecting the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0026] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes an identifier of at least one frequency domain resource; or the method further includes: receiving configuration information sent by a network device, the configuration information being used to configure the association between at least one frequency domain resource and a wake-up signal.

[0027] In the above embodiments, a wake-up signal carrying first information is used to wake up the terminal device to detect PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0028] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate skipping the detection of PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource, and the first information includes the identifier of at least one frequency domain resource; wherein detecting or skipping the detection of physical downlink control channel PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource includes: skipping the detection of PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0029] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving second information sent by a network device, the second information being used to indicate the duration for which the PDCCH detection is skipped.

[0030] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining the arrival time and determining that the DRX corresponding to at least one frequency domain resource is in the DRX activation time, then resuming the detection PDCCH; or, receiving third information sent by the network device, the third information being used to instruct the resumption of the detection PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0031] In the above embodiment, by receiving the duration indicated by the network device, when the duration is reached and DRX is active, PDCCH listening is resumed.

[0032] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, at least one of the first information, the second information, and the third information is carried by downlink control information (DCI) or media access control element (MAC CE).

[0033] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the multiple frequency domain resources are multiple bandwidth portions (BWPs) or multiple segmented carriers, wherein the frequency domain resources are discontinuous.

[0034] In the above embodiments, the terminal device can determine at least one frequency domain resource among multiple non-contiguous frequency domain resources based on the first information sent by the network device, and detect or skip the detection of at least one frequency domain resource to achieve flexible energy-saving control.

[0035] In a second aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a network device, comprising: sending first information to a terminal device, wherein the first information is used by the terminal device to determine at least one frequency domain resource among a plurality of frequency domain resources, wherein the plurality of frequency domain resources are a plurality of frequency domain resources aggregated by the serving cell of the terminal device, and the at least one frequency domain resource is used to detect or skip the detection of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0036] In the above embodiments, the network device sends first information to the terminal device so that the terminal can detect or skip detection of at least one frequency domain resource in a multi-frequency domain resource aggregation cell, thereby achieving flexible and effective energy-saving control of the terminal device.

[0037] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is used to configure multiple discontinuous reception DRX groups, each DRX group including N frequency domain resources, where N is a positive integer, and each frequency domain resource belongs to one of the multiple DRX groups.

[0038] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, at least one frequency domain resource is N frequency domain resources included in a first DRX group of a plurality of DRX groups, wherein the first DRX group is in the DRX activation time, so that the terminal device detects PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0039] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is carried by a wake-up signal, which is used to instruct the wake-up terminal device to detect the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource, so that the terminal device can detect the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0040] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes an identifier of at least one frequency domain resource; or the method further includes: sending configuration information to a terminal device, the configuration information being used to configure the association between at least one frequency domain resource and a wake-up signal.

[0041] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, first information is used to indicate skipping the detection of PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource, the first information including the identifier of at least one frequency domain resource, so that the terminal device skips the detection of PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending second information to a terminal device, the second information being used to indicate the duration for which the PDCCH detection is skipped.

[0043] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the terminal device resumes detection of PDCCH after determining the arrival time and determining that the DRX corresponding to at least one frequency domain resource is in the DRX activation time; or, the method further includes: sending third information to the terminal device, the third information being used to instruct the resumption of detection of PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0044] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, at least one of the first information, the second information, and the third information is carried by downlink control information (DCI) or media access control element (MAC CE).

[0045] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the multiple frequency domain resources are multiple bandwidth portions (BWPs) or multiple segmented carriers, wherein the frequency domain resources are discontinuous.

[0046] In the above embodiments, the network device can send first information to the terminal device, enabling the terminal device to perform PDCCH monitoring or skip monitoring in a multi-frequency domain aggregation cell, thereby achieving flexible and effective energy-saving control of the terminal device.

[0047] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a terminal device, including a transceiver module and a processing module. The transceiver module is used to receive first information sent by a network device; the processing module is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource among multiple frequency domain resources based on the first information, wherein the multiple frequency domain resources are multiple frequency domain resources aggregated by the serving cell of the terminal device; and to detect or skip the detection of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0048] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device, including a transceiver module and a processing module. The transceiver module is used to send first information to a terminal device. The first information is used by the terminal device to determine at least one frequency domain resource among multiple frequency domain resources. The multiple frequency domain resources are multiple frequency domain resources aggregated from the serving cell of the terminal device. The at least one frequency domain resource is used to detect or skip the detection of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0049] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, including: a transceiver; a memory; and a processor, respectively connected to the transceiver and the memory, configured to control the transmission and reception of wireless signals of the transceiver by executing computer-executable instructions on the memory, so that the communication device performs the method described in any one of the embodiments of the first and second aspects of this disclosure.

[0050] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system, including: a terminal device and a network device, wherein the terminal device is configured to implement the method described in any embodiment of the first aspect of this disclosure; and the network device is configured to implement the method described in any embodiment of the second aspect of this disclosure.

[0051] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method described in any one of the embodiments of the first or second aspect of this disclosure.

[0052] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the method as described in the optional implementations of the first and second aspects.

[0053] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods described in the optional implementations of the first and second aspects.

[0054] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip or chip system. The chip or chip system includes processing circuitry configured to perform the methods described according to optional implementations of the first and second aspects above.

[0055] It is understood that the aforementioned communication equipment, communication system, storage medium, program product, etc., are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0056] This disclosure provides a communication method, a communication device, a communication system, a storage medium, and a program product. In some embodiments, terms such as communication method and information processing method may be used interchangeably.

[0057] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments. In all embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0058] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0059] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0060] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0061] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one of A or B, at least one of A and B", "one or more", "a plurality of", "multiple" and the like can be used interchangeably.

[0062] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether there is a branch B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether there is a branch A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, both A and B are executed. The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0063] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether a branch B exists); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether a branch A exists); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0064] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0065] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0066] In some embodiments, terms such as "time / frequency" and "time-frequency domain" refer to the time domain and / or frequency domain.

[0067] In some embodiments, terms such as “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “when…”, “if…”, etc. can be used interchangeably. These descriptions all refer to the device making a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances. They do not necessarily limit the time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when implementing it, nor do they mean that there must be other limitations.

[0068] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0069] In some embodiments, devices, etc., may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to those described in the embodiments. Terms such as “device,” “equipment,” “circuit,” “network element,” “network function,” “network device,” “function,” “node,” “unit,” “section,” “system,” “network,” “chip,” “chip system,” “entity,” and “subject” are interchangeable.

[0070] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0071] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)," "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "serving cell," "carrier," "component carrier," and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

[0072] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", "subscriber station", "mobile unit", "subscriber unit", "wireless unit", "remote unit", "mobile device", "wireless device", "wireless communication device", "remote device", "mobile subscriber station", "access terminal", "mobile terminal", "wireless terminal", "remote terminal", "handset", "user agent", "mobile client", and "client" can be used interchangeably.

[0073] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures where communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (e.g., device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, and uplink link, downlink, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0074] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

[0075] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0076] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0077] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0078] The method proposed in this disclosure is applicable to various communication systems, including but not limited to 4G, 5G, 5G-advance and subsequent communication technologies (such as 6G).

[0079] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0080] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes a terminal device 101 and a network device 102.

[0081] In some embodiments, the terminal device 101 may receive first information.

[0082] In some embodiments, terminal device 101 may receive configuration information.

[0083] In some embodiments, the terminal device 101 may receive second information.

[0084] In some embodiments, terminal device 101 may receive third information.

[0085] In some embodiments, the terminal device 101 may receive a wake-up signal.

[0086] In some embodiments, terminal device 101 may identify at least one frequency domain resource.

[0087] In some embodiments, terminal device 101 can detect or skip detecting PDCCH.

[0088] In some embodiments, terminal device 101 may be an intermediate node. The intermediate node includes a terminal and a UE.

[0089] In some embodiments, the name of the terminal device 101 is not limited, and may be, for example, "device for receiving first information", "device for determining frequency domain resources", "device for receiving configuration information", "device for receiving second information", "device for receiving third information", etc., and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0090] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send first information to terminal device.

[0091] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send configuration information.

[0092] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send second information.

[0093] In some embodiments, network device 102 may send third information.

[0094] In some embodiments, network device 102 may be a base station or gNB.

[0095] In some embodiments, the name of the network device 102 is not limited, and may be, for example, "device for transmitting first information", "device for transmitting second information", "device for transmitting configuration information", etc., and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0096] In some embodiments, the terminal device includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home.

[0097] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), radio backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0098] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0099] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0100] In some embodiments, the core network equipment may be a single device, including a first network element, a second network element, etc., or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each including all or part of the first network element, the second network element, etc. Network elements may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), 5G Core Network (5GCN), and Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0101] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0102] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1 are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1, or may include other main bodies outside of FIG1. ​​The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0103] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0104] The following are definitions of the technical terms used in this disclosure:

[0105] 1. RAN: Radio Access Network

[0106] 2. MAC: Media Access Control

[0107] 3. NR: New Radio

[0108] 4. PDCCH: Physical downlink control channel

[0109] 5. DC: Dual connectivity

[0110] 6. SCC: Secondary component carrier

[0111] 7. PCC: Primary component carrier

[0112] 8. DCI: downlink control indicator

[0113] 9. BWP: bandwidth part

[0114] 10. QoS: Quality of service

[0115] 11. BSR: Buffer Status Report

[0116] 12. Servingcell: Serving cell

[0117] 13. MACCE: MAC control element (MAC control unit)

[0118] 14. SR: Scheduling Request

[0119] 15. DRX: Discontinuous Reception. Connected-mode DRX aims to improve UE battery consumption by allowing the UE to periodically enter a "sleep" state (off period), during which time PDCCH detection is unnecessary. To listen to the PDCCH for possible downlink / uplink data, the UE can periodically wake up and remain "awake" (on period) for a period before entering a "sleep" state. Additionally, the UE may occasionally need to wake up to detect the PDCCH, for example, to receive possible retransmissions.

[0120] 16. LP-WUS Signal: This is the power-saving signal for connected UEs, also known as the Wakeup signal or DCP (DCI for powersaving). If the UE detects the DCP signal, it means that PDCCH listening is required (e.g., starting the DRX onDurationTimer). If the DCP signal is not detected, the onDurationTimer is not started, meaning the UE skips PDCCH listening. For idle UEs, the power-saving signal (PEI, Paging Advance Indication) is usually configured before the PO. If the UE does not detect the PEI signal, it does not listen to the corresponding PO; otherwise, it needs to listen to the PO.

[0121] The aforementioned power-saving signals all require detection by the terminal's main receiver (MR). However, simply enabling the main receiver to detect the power-saving signals is still insufficient for energy efficiency. Therefore, a separate receiver (LR) is introduced to receive the power-saving signal LP-WUS. When the terminal uses the LR to receive LP-WUS, the MR section can be put to sleep or turned off. Only after receiving the LP-WUS signal will the terminal activate the MR section to monitor the PDCCH.

[0122] 17. CA: Carrier aggregation. Carrier aggregation refers to the ability of a terminal to aggregate multiple carriers to improve data transmission rates. Carrier aggregation can be intra-band CA or inter-band CA. For intra-band CA, the network is typically configured with one set of DRX parameters, and all serving cells belong to one DRX group. For inter-band CA, the network can be configured with two DRX groups using different DRX parameters. In this case, each serving cell can only belong to one of the two DRX groups.

[0123] To achieve more flexible resource allocation and scheduling, the current consideration is to introduce the aggregation of multiple non-contiguous frequency domain resources within a single cell. Current DRX configurations are based on MAC entities or cell groups, and this coarse-grained control of PDCCH monitoring is not suitable for cells with multi-frequency domain resource aggregation.

[0124] Therefore, this disclosure proposes a communication method, communication device, communication system, storage medium, and program product, and provides a method for PDCCH monitoring in a multi-frequency domain resource aggregation cell. By dividing the frequency domain resources into multiple groups to configure DRX and using low-power energy-saving signals to control the PDCCH monitoring of the master receiver on multiple frequency domain resources, more flexible and effective terminal energy-saving control is achieved.

[0125] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0126] Step S2101: The network device sends the first information to the terminal device.

[0127] In some embodiments, the first information is used by the terminal device to determine at least one frequency domain resource among a plurality of frequency domain resources, wherein the plurality of frequency domain resources are a plurality of frequency domain resources aggregated by the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0128] In some embodiments, the multiple frequency domain resources may be multiple consecutive frequency domain resources or multiple non-consecutive frequency domain resources, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0129] In some embodiments, aggregation can be configuration and / or activation, i.e., for the serving cell of a terminal device, the network configures and / or activates multiple non-contiguous or contiguous resources for the terminal.

[0130] In some embodiments, at least one frequency domain resource is used to detect or skip the detection of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

[0131] In some embodiments, the serving cell of a terminal device may aggregate multiple frequency domain resources, and the aggregated multiple frequency domain resources are non-contiguous frequency domain resources.

[0132] In some embodiments, detection can be listening, receiving, etc., and skipping detection can be skipping listening, not listening, stopping listening, skipping receiving, stopping receiving, not receiving, etc.

[0133] In some embodiments, the multiple frequency domain resources are multiple bandwidth portions (BWPs) or multiple segmented carriers, wherein the frequency domain resources are discontinuous.

[0134] In some embodiments, the serving cell of a terminal device can aggregate multiple frequency domain resources by simultaneously activating multiple BWPs or multiple segmented carriers.

[0135] The following are some methods for network devices to send the first information to terminal devices:

[0136] Option 1:

[0137] In some embodiments, the first information is used to configure multiple discontinuous reception DRX groups, each DRX group including N frequency domain resources, where N is a positive integer, and each frequency domain resource belongs to one of the multiple DRX groups. In some embodiments, the network device may first configure multiple frequency domain resources for the terminal device, and then configure multiple DRX groups for the terminal device; or, the network device may configure multiple frequency domain resources and multiple DRX groups simultaneously.

[0138] Specifically, N can be a positive integer such as 1, 2, 3, etc. Each frequency domain resource configured by the network device for the terminal device has a corresponding DRX group.

[0139] For example, frequency domain resources are divided into two or more groups for configuring and using DRX. For a cell that aggregates multiple frequency domain resources, the network configures multiple DRX groups for the UE, where each DRX group contains N frequency domain resources. Each frequency domain resource belongs to one DRX group.

[0140] In the above scheme one, each DRX group can be configured with a complete set of DRX parameters. That is, each DRX group uses one DRX parameter, which can contain the ID of the DRX group. The DRX parameters are, for example, drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, drx-SlotOffset, drx-RetransmissionTimerDL, drx-RetransmissionTimerUL, drx-LongCycleStartOffset, drx-NonIntegerLongCycleStartOffset, drx-ShortCycle(optional), drx-NonIntegerShortCycle(optional), drx-ShortCycleTimer(optional), drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL, and drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL.

[0141] In the above scheme, each DRX group can configure some DRX parameters individually, such as drx-onDurationTimer and drx-InactivityTimer, while other DRX parameters are shared by all DRX groups.

[0142] In some embodiments, the network device configures multiple DRX groups and their corresponding configurations for the MAC entity associated with the serving cell of the terminal device via RRC dedicated signaling. The configured multiple DRX groups include either an explicit DRX group ID or an implicit DRX group index, i.e., the index of any DRX group among the multiple DRX groups. Specifically, the configuration of each frequency domain resource indicates the ID or index of its corresponding DRX group.

[0143] Option 2:

[0144] In some embodiments, the first information is carried by a wake-up signal, which is used to instruct the wake-up terminal device to detect the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0145] In some embodiments, the wake-up signal may be a low-power wake-up signal LP-WUS, used to wake up PDCCH listening on one or more frequency domain resources.

[0146] For example, the wake-up signal is used to initiate LP-WUS-activation time on one or more frequency domain resources. Each frequency domain resource can be configured with a separate LP-WUS-activation time parameter, or they can share a single LP-WUS-activation time parameter configuration.

[0147] In some embodiments, the first information includes the identifier of at least one frequency domain resource.

[0148] For example, one or more frequency domain resources can be explicitly indicated by an LP-WUS signal, such as an identifier indicating the frequency domain resource.

[0149] In some embodiments, the network device may implicitly indicate through a wake-up signal that it is sending configuration information to the terminal device.

[0150] In some embodiments, configuration information is used to configure the association between at least one frequency domain resource and a wake-up signal. Specifically, the configuration information may include the association between a frequency domain resource group and its corresponding wake-up signal; that is, an implicit indication may indicate a frequency domain resource group, which includes the identifier of at least one frequency domain resource.

[0151] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource group can be a DRX group, that is, after dividing multiple frequency domain resources into multiple DRX groups, the network device indicates the association between the wake-up signal and the DRX group.

[0152] For example, a base station can use RRC semi-static configuration to associate one or more specific frequency domain resources with a specific LP-WUS configuration.

[0153] Option 3:

[0154] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate skipping the detection of PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource, and the first information includes the identifier of at least one frequency domain resource.

[0155] In some embodiments, the network device can explicitly indicate to the terminal device the identifier to skip PDCCH detection. For example, this can be explicitly indicated in the DCI / MAC CE via a frequency domain resource identifier.

[0156] In the above embodiments, the first information may be carried by downlink control information (DCI) or media access control element (MAC CE).

[0157] 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.

[0158] In some embodiments, "acquire," "get," "obtain," "receive," "transmit," "bidirectional transmission," and "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, acquiring from protocols, acquiring from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, or autonomous implementation. Protocols include, for example, at least one of the 3GPP protocol, Wi-Fi protocol, and audio and / or video protocols.

[0159] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transfer,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0160] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain," "preset," "default," "set," "indicated," "a certain," "any," and "first" can be used interchangeably. "Certain A," "preset A," "default A," "set A," "indicated A," "a certain A," "any A," and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-defined in a protocol or the like, or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or instruction, or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, but are not limited thereto.

[0161] In step S2102, the terminal device determines at least one frequency domain resource.

[0162] In some embodiments, the terminal device determines at least one frequency domain resource among a plurality of frequency domain resources based on first information.

[0163] In some embodiments, at least one frequency domain resource is used to detect or skip the detection of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). In other words, the terminal device can detect or skip the detection of the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource based on first information. Detecting or skipping the detection of the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource is equivalent to determining whether to detect the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource, which is equivalent to determining whether to skip the detection of the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0164] Option 1:

[0165] In some embodiments, the terminal device determines the N frequency domain resources included in the first DRX group among a plurality of DRX groups as at least one frequency domain resource, wherein the first DRX group is in the DRX activation time.

[0166] Option 2:

[0167] In some embodiments, the terminal device determines at least one frequency domain resource to be woken up based on a wake-up signal and first information. Specifically, the first information includes an identifier of at least one frequency domain resource, and the wake-up signal is used to indicate the wake-up of the at least one frequency domain resource included in the first information.

[0168] For example, a network device displays one or more frequency domain resources via an LP-WUS signal, and a terminal device determines one or more frequency domain resources based on the LP-WUS display indication.

[0169] In some embodiments, the terminal device determines at least one frequency domain resource corresponding to the wake-up signal based on configuration information. For example, it may determine a frequency domain resource group, which includes at least one frequency domain resource.

[0170] In some embodiments, the frequency domain resource group may be a DRX group. The terminal device can determine the corresponding DRX group based on the association between the wake-up signal indicated by the network device and the DRX group, thereby determining at least one frequency domain resource.

[0171] For example, a network device associates one or more frequency domain resources with a specific LP-WUS configuration through a semi-static RRC configuration, and the terminal device determines one or more frequency domain resources based on the association and LP-WUS.

[0172] In the above embodiments, network devices can wake up one or more frequency domain resources through low-power wake-up signals, thereby achieving flexible energy-saving control.

[0173] Step S2103: The terminal device detects the PDCCH.

[0174] In some embodiments, the terminal device determines at least one frequency domain resource based on the first information sent by the network device, and under different contents indicated by the first information, the terminal device detects the PDCCH using the following schemes:

[0175] Option 1:

[0176] In some embodiments, the terminal device detects the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0177] In some embodiments, the prerequisite for the terminal device to detect the PDCCH is that the first DRX group in at least one frequency domain includes N frequency domain resources, wherein the first DRX group is in the DRX activation time.

[0178] For example, PDCCH detection under multiple frequency domain resources and multiple DRX groups refers to a specific frequency domain resource within the multiple frequency domain resources. Its PDCCH listening behavior depends on whether the DRX group to which the frequency domain resource belongs is in the DRX-active time. For example, if any of the drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, drx-RetransmissionTimerDL, or drx-RetransmissionTimerUL of the DRX group is running, then the UE listens for PDCCH on that frequency domain resource.

[0179] In the above embodiments, the first information is the configuration information for configuring the DRX group. When the configuration information meets certain conditions (e.g., drx-onDurationTimer is in the on state), the terminal device can listen to the PDCCH on the frequency domain resources in the corresponding DRX group.

[0180] Option 2:

[0181] In some embodiments, the terminal device detects the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource based on a wake-up signal sent by the network device and first information carried by the wake-up signal.

[0182] In some embodiments, the terminal device detects the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource corresponding to the wake-up signal based on the wake-up signal and configuration information sent by the network device.

[0183] In Scheme 1 and Scheme 2 above, the terminal device starts a timer to listen to the PDCCH.

[0184] In step S2104, the network device sends the second information to the terminal device.

[0185] In some embodiments, the second information is used to indicate the duration for which the PDCCH detection is skipped.

[0186] In some embodiments, the second information may be carried by downlink control information (DCI) or media access control element (MAC CE).

[0187] In some embodiments, the network device may indicate the duration of skipping detection PDCCH for multiple frequency domain resources separately, or all indicated frequency domain resources may share a single duration of skipping detection PDCCH.

[0188] For example, a base station can indicate the duration for stopping / skipping PDCCH listening. One or more frequency domain resources can be indicated in the DCI / MAC CE via a frequency domain resource index. The duration for stopping / skipping PDCCH listening can be indicated separately for multiple frequency domain resources, or all indicated frequency domain resources can share a single duration for stopping / skipping PDCCH listening.

[0189] Step S2105: The terminal device skips the PDCCH detection.

[0190] In some embodiments, the terminal device may skip detecting the PDCCH based on the first information sent by the network device.

[0191] In some embodiments, after receiving first information from the network device indicating to skip detection, the terminal device skips the detection PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0192] For example, the network device instructs the UE to stop / skip PDCCH listening on one or more frequency domain resources via DCI or MAC CE, and may further indicate the duration of the listening stop.

[0193] In some embodiments, the terminal device may skip or stop detecting the PDCCH within a duration indicated by the second information. Specifically, it may stop listening when the timer reaches the duration indicated by the second information.

[0194] Step S2106: The terminal device resumes detection of the PDCCH.

[0195] In some embodiments, the terminal device determines the arrival time based on the second information, and determines that at least one frequency domain resource corresponding to the DRX is in the DRX activation time, then resumes the detection of PDCCH.

[0196] For example, when the duration indicated by the network is reached and the DRX is active, PDCCH listening is resumed, where the DRX can be a packetized DRX or an unpacked DRX.

[0197] In some embodiments, the terminal device may receive third information sent by the network device, the third information being used to instruct the recovery of the detection PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0198] In some embodiments, the terminal device may resume detection of the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource indicated by the third information, based on the instruction of the network device. The third information may indicate the ID of at least one frequency domain resource explicitly or implicitly.

[0199] In the above embodiments, steps S2104, S2105, and S2106 are optional, and one or more of them can be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0200] In the above embodiments, the network device sends first information to the terminal device to enable the terminal device to listen to or skip listening to PDCCH in multiple frequency domain resource aggregation cells, thereby achieving flexible and effective terminal energy-saving control.

[0201] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2106. For example, step S2101 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S2102 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, steps S2101+S2102, S2101+S2102+S2103 may be implemented as standalone embodiments, steps S2101+S2102+S2103+S2104+S2105, S2101+S2102+S2103+S2105, S2101+S2102+S2103+S2104+S2106, and steps S2101+S2102+S2103+S2104+S2105+S2106 may be implemented as standalone embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0202] 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.

[0203] Figure 3 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0204] Step S3101: The terminal device receives the first information sent by the network device.

[0205] Optionally, the alternative implementations of step S3101 can be found in the alternative implementations of step S2101 in Figure 2, as well as other alternative implementations involved in Figure 2, which will not be elaborated here.

[0206] In step S3102, the terminal device determines at least one frequency domain resource among multiple frequency domain resources based on the first information.

[0207] Multiple frequency domain resources are multiple frequency domain resources aggregated from the serving cell of the terminal device. The terminal device determines whether to detect or skip the detection of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on at least one frequency domain resource.

[0208] Optionally, the alternative implementations of step S3102 can be found in the alternative implementations of step S2102 in Figure 2, as well as other alternative implementations involved in Figure 2, which will not be elaborated here.

[0209] Step S3103: The terminal device detects the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) on at least one frequency domain resource or skips the detection process.

[0210] Optionally, the alternative implementations of step S3103 can be found in the alternative implementations of steps S2103 and S2105 in Figure 2, as well as other alternative implementations involved in Figure 2, which will not be elaborated here.

[0211] 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.

[0212] In the above embodiments, the network device uses the first information to enable the terminal device to determine or skip at least one frequency domain resource for detecting the PDCCH, thereby achieving flexible and effective energy-saving control.

[0213] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S3101 to S3103. For example, step S3101 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S3101+S3102 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and step S3101+S3102+S3103 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0214] 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.

[0215] The following are specific solutions proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure:

[0216] Example 1: Divide frequency domain resources into two or more groups to configure and use DRX.

[0217] For a cell that aggregates multiple frequency domain resources, the network configures multiple DRX groups for the UE, where each group contains one or more frequency domain resources. Each frequency domain resource belongs to one DRX group.

[0218] Each DRX group can be configured with a complete set of DRX parameters, such as drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, drx-SlotOffset, drx-RetransmissionTimerDL, drx-RetransmissionTimerUL, drx-LongCycleStartOffset, drx-NonIntegerLongCycleStartOffset, drx-ShortCycle (optional), drx-NonIntegerShortCycle (optional), drx-ShortCycleTimer (optional), drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL, and drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL. Alternatively, each DRX group can be configured with only some DRX parameters, such as drx-onDurationTimer and drx-InactivityTimer, while other DRX parameters are shared by all DRX groups.

[0219] Configuration signaling: The network configures multiple DRX groups (including explicit DRX group IDs or implicit DRX group indexes, i.e., the index of the DRX group in multiple DRX groups) and their corresponding configurations for the cell or the MAC entity associated with the cell through RRC dedicated signaling. The configuration of each frequency domain resource indicates the ID or index of the DRX group to which it belongs.

[0220] PDCCH monitoring under multiple frequency domain resources and multiple DRX groups: For a specific frequency domain resource in a multi-frequency domain resource, its PDCCH monitoring behavior depends on whether the DRX group to which the frequency domain resource belongs is in the DRX active time. For example, if any of the drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, drx-RetransmissionTimerDL, or drx-RetransmissionTimerUL of the DRX group is running, then the UE will monitor the PDCCH on that frequency domain resource.

[0221] Example 2: A low-power wake-up signal wakes up one or more frequency domain resources to listen to the PDCCH.

[0222] When a UE receives a Low Power Wake-up Signal (LP-WUS), it wakes up PDCCH listening on one or more frequency domain resources, for example, by initiating LP-WUS activation time on one or more frequency domain resources. Each frequency domain resource can be configured with an individual LP-WUS activation time parameter, or they can share a single LP-WUS activation time parameter configuration. One or more frequency domain resources can be indicated explicitly through LP-WUS signals, such as indicating the index of the frequency domain resources, or through semi-static configuration via RRC, such as associating one or more specific frequency domain resources with a specific LP-WUS configuration.

[0223] Example 3: Downlink signaling instructs the UE to skip PDCCH listening on multiple frequency domain resources.

[0224] To achieve UE energy saving, the base station can instruct the UE to stop / skip PDCCH listening on one or more frequency domain resources via DCI or MAC CE, and further, indicate the duration of stopping / skipping PDCCH listening. One or more frequency domain resources can be explicitly indicated in DCI / MAC CE through the frequency domain resource index. The duration of stopping / skipping PDCCH listening can be indicated separately for multiple frequency domain resources, or the indicated frequency domain resources can share a single duration of stopping / skipping PDCCH listening.

[0225] Frequency domain resources can be the bandwidth part (BWP) or a segmented carrier. Aggregating multiple frequency domain resources can be understood as configuring and / or activating multiple frequency domain resources simultaneously within a single cell.

[0226] In summary, the above-mentioned scheme proposed in this disclosure provides a method for PDCCH monitoring in multi-frequency domain resource aggregation cells, thereby achieving more flexible and effective terminal energy-saving control.

[0227] In the above embodiments, each step in Figures 2 and 3, as well as the different methods in Embodiments 1, 2, and 3, can be executed individually or in combination. For example, step S2101 in Figure 2 and step S3102 in Figure 3 can be executed in combination; step S2102 in Figure 2 and step S3101 in Figure 3 can be executed in combination; steps S2102-2106 in Figure 2 and step S3101 in Figure 3 can be executed in combination; each step in Figures 2 and 3 can be executed in combination with Embodiment 1; each step in Figures 2 or 3 can be executed in combination with Embodiment 2; and each step in Figures 2 and 3 can be executed in combination with Embodiment 3, but not limited thereto.

[0228] This disclosure also proposes an apparatus (also referred to as a communication device, etc.) for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Furthermore, another apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0229] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0230] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0231] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The terminal device 4100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4A, the terminal device 4100 may include at least one of a transceiver module 4101, a processing module 4102, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module is used to receive first information sent by a network device. Optionally, the transceiver module is used to execute at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2101, S2104, S3101, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal device 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated further here. In some embodiments, the processing module is used to determine at least one frequency domain resource among a plurality of frequency domain resources based on the first information, wherein the plurality of frequency domain resources are multiple frequency domain resources aggregated by the serving cell of the terminal device; and to detect or skip the detection of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) on at least one frequency domain resource. Optionally, the above processing module is used to execute at least one of the other steps executed by the terminal device 101 in any of the above methods (e.g., steps S2102, S2103, S2105, S2106, S3102, S3103, but not limited thereto), which will not be elaborated here.

[0232] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Network device 4200 is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4B, network device 4200 may include at least one of a transceiver module 4201, a processing module 4202, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module is used to send first information to a terminal device, the first information being used by the terminal device to determine at least one frequency domain resource among multiple frequency domain resources, the multiple frequency domain resources being multiple frequency domain resources aggregated from the serving cell of the terminal device, and the at least one frequency domain resource being used to detect or skip the detection of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2101, S2104, S3101, but not limited thereto) performed by network device 102 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the processing module is used to perform at least one of the other steps performed by network device 102 in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0233] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0234] In some embodiments, the processing module may be a single module or may include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules may each perform all or part of the steps required by the processing module.

[0235] In some embodiments, the processing module can be replaced by the processor, and the transceiver module can be replaced by the transceiver.

[0236] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 5100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 5100 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment, etc.), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 5100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0237] As shown in Figure 5A, the communication device 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 includes one or more processors 5101. The processor 5101 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 5101 are used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 5100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0238] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more transceivers 5102. When the communication device 5100 includes one or more transceivers 5102, the transceiver 5102 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S2101, S2104, S3101, but not limited thereto), and the processor 5101 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2102, S2103, S2105, S2106, S3102, S3103, but not limited thereto). In optional embodiments, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated together. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0239] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more memories 5103 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, one or more processors 5101 are used to invoke instructions stored in the memory 5103 to cause the communication device 5100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, all or part of the memory 5103 may also be located outside the communication device 5100. In an optional embodiment, the communication device 5100 may include one or more interface circuits 5104. Optionally, the interface circuit 5104 is connected to the memory 5103 and can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memory 5103 or other devices, and can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memory 5103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5104 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memory 5103 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 5101.

[0240] The communication device 5100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal device, but the scope of the communication device 5100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 5100 may not be limited by FIG. 5A. The communication device may be a standalone device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data, programs and / or instructions; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0241] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of chip 5200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 5100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of chip 5200 shown in Figure 5B, but it is not limited thereto.

[0242] Chip 5200 includes one or more processors 5201. Chip 5200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0243] In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more interface circuits 5202. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more memories 5203 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 5203 may be located outside of chip 5200. Optionally, the interface circuit 5202 is connected to the memories 5203, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memories 5203 or other devices, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memories 5203 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5202 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memories 5203 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 5201.

[0244] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 5202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method (e.g., steps S2101, S2104, and S3101, but not limited thereto). The interface circuit 5202 performing the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method refers, for example, to the interface circuit 5202 performing data and / or instruction interaction between the processor 5201, the chip 5200, the memory 5203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 5201 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2102, S2103, S2105, S2106, S3102, and S3103, but not limited thereto).

[0245] The modules and / or devices described in the various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be combined or separated arbitrarily as needed. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0246] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0247] This disclosure also proposes a program product, including a program and / or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product. Optionally, the program product is stored on the storage medium.

[0248] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is executed by a terminal device, and the method includes: Receive the first information sent by the network device; Based on the first information, at least one frequency domain resource among multiple frequency domain resources is determined, wherein the multiple frequency domain resources are multiple frequency domain resources aggregated by the serving cell of the terminal device; Detect or skip detection of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) on at least one frequency domain resource.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information is used to configure multiple discontinuous reception DRX groups, each DRX group including N frequency domain resources, where N is a positive integer, and each frequency domain resource belongs to one of the multiple DRX groups.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of determining at least one frequency domain resource from a plurality of frequency domain resources based on the first information includes: The N frequency domain resources included in the first DRX group among the plurality of DRX groups are determined as the at least one frequency domain resource, wherein the first DRX group is in the DRX activation time. The detection or skipping of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on at least one frequency domain resource includes: The PDCCH is detected on at least one frequency domain resource.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information is carried by a wake-up signal, which is used to instruct the terminal device to detect the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource. The detection or skipping of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on at least one frequency domain resource includes: The PDCCH is detected on at least one frequency domain resource.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first information includes the identifier of the at least one frequency domain resource; or The method further includes: receiving configuration information sent by the network device, the configuration information being used to configure the association between the at least one frequency domain resource and the wake-up signal.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate skipping the detection of PDCCH on the at least one frequency domain resource, and the first information includes the identifier of the at least one frequency domain resource; The detection or skipping of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on at least one frequency domain resource includes: On at least one frequency domain resource, the detection of the PDCCH is skipped.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: The network device receives a second message, which indicates the duration for which the PDCCH detection is skipped.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the duration is determined to be reached, and it is determined that the DRX corresponding to the at least one frequency domain resource is in the DRX activation time, then the detection of the PDCCH is resumed; or, The network device receives third information, which is used to instruct the detection of the PDCCH to be resumed on the at least one frequency domain resource.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that, At least one of the first, second, and third information is carried by downlink control information (DCI) or media access control element (MAC CE).

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The multiple frequency domain resources are multiple bandwidth portions (BWPs) or multiple segmented carriers, wherein the frequency domain resources are not continuous.

11. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is performed by a network device, and the method includes: Send first information to the terminal device. The first information is used by the terminal device to determine at least one frequency domain resource among a plurality of frequency domain resources. The plurality of frequency domain resources are multiple frequency domain resources aggregated by the serving cell of the terminal device. The at least one frequency domain resource is used to detect or skip the detection physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first information is used to configure multiple discontinuous reception DRX groups, each DRX group including N frequency domain resources, where N is a positive integer, and each frequency domain resource belongs to one of the multiple DRX groups.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The at least one frequency domain resource is N frequency domain resources included in the first DRX group of the plurality of DRX groups, wherein the first DRX group is in the DRX activation time, so that the terminal device detects the PDCCH on the at least one frequency domain resource.

14. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first information is carried by a wake-up signal, which is used to instruct the terminal device to detect the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource, so that the terminal device can detect the PDCCH on at least one frequency domain resource.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The first information includes the identifier of the at least one frequency domain resource; or The method further includes sending configuration information to the terminal device, the configuration information being used to configure the association between the at least one frequency domain resource and the wake-up signal.

16. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first information is used to indicate skipping the detection of PDCCH on the at least one frequency domain resource. The first information includes the identifier of the at least one frequency domain resource, so that the terminal device skips the detection of PDCCH on the at least one frequency domain resource.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second message to the terminal device, the second message being used to indicate the duration for which the PDCCH detection is skipped.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The terminal device resumes detecting the PDCCH after determining that the specified duration has been reached and that the DRX corresponding to the at least one frequency domain resource is in the DRX activation time; or... The method further includes sending third information to the terminal device, the third information being used to instruct the resumption of detection of the PDCCH on the at least one frequency domain resource.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that, At least one of the first, second, and third information is carried by downlink control information (DCI) or media access control element (MAC CE).

20. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 19, characterized in that, The multiple frequency domain resources are multiple bandwidth portions (BWP) or multiple segmented carriers, wherein the frequency domain resources are not continuous with each other.

21. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-10 or 11-20.

22. A communication system, characterized in that, include: A terminal device and a network device, wherein the terminal device is configured to implement the method of any one of claims 1-10, and the network device is configured to implement the method of any one of claims 11-20.

23. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instructions are executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-10 or 11-20.

24. A program product comprising at least one of a program and instructions, characterized in that, When at least one of the programs or instructions is executed by a communication device, it implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-10 or 11-20.

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