EP-4742733-A1 - COMMUNICATION METHOD AND APPARATUS

EP4742733A1EP 4742733 A1EP4742733 A1EP 4742733A1EP-4742733-A1

Abstract

Embodiments of this application disclose a communication method and apparatus. The method includes: A terminal device receives, in a connected mode, a global navigation satellite system GNSS measurement interval configured by a network device, where the GNSS measurement interval is used to perform GNSS measurement. If the GNSS measurement fails to be performed within the GNSS measurement interval, the terminal device extends the GNSS measurement interval, and continues to perform GNSS measurement in a first time period after the GNSS measurement interval, where the first time period is a time period after an end time point of the GNSS measurement interval. According to embodiments of this application, for a terminal device of an IoT type in a satellite communication scenario and in long-time connection communication, behavior of the terminal device in different cases is specified, to ensure that communication is not affected when the GNSS measurement is performed, thereby improving communication efficiency and quality.

Inventors

CHEN, YING
ZHANG, JIAYIN
WANG, JUN

Assignees

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20240718

Claims (20)

A communication method, wherein the method is applied to a terminal device or a chip in the terminal device, and the method comprises: receiving, in a connected mode, a global navigation satellite system GNSS measurement interval configured by a network device, wherein the GNSS measurement interval is used to perform GNSS measurement; and if the GNSS measurement fails to be performed within the GNSS measurement interval, extending the GNSS measurement interval, and continuing to perform GNSS measurement in a first time period after the GNSS measurement interval, wherein the first time period is a time period after an end time point of the GNSS measurement interval.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: if the GNSS measurement fails to be performed in the first time period after the GNSS measurement interval, switching from the connected mode to an idle mode.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: if the GNSS measurement is successfully performed in the first time period after the GNSS measurement interval, sending first GNSS validity duration to the network device, wherein the first GNSS validity duration is a time interval between the end time point of the GNSS measurement interval and an expiration time point of a GNSS validity period.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: monitoring a physical downlink control channel PDCCH in a second time period after the GNSS measurement interval, wherein the second time period is between the end time point of the GNSS measurement interval and a time point before an expiration time point of a GNSS validity period; and if the PDCCH is not detected through monitoring in the second time period after the GNSS measurement interval, continuing to perform GNSS measurement in the first time period after the GNSS measurement interval.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: monitoring a PDCCH in a second time period after the GNSS measurement interval, wherein the second time period is between the end time point of the GNSS measurement interval and a time point before an expiration time point of a GNSS validity period; and if the PDCCH is detected through monitoring in the second time period after the GNSS measurement interval, sending feedback information to the network device based on scheduling information carried by the PDCCH.
The method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the monitoring, by the terminal device, the PDCCH in the first time period after the GNSS measurement interval comprises: determining second GNSS validity duration, wherein the second GNSS validity duration is between the end time point of the GNSS measurement interval and the expiration time point of the GNSS validity period, or between a time point when the GNSS measurement fails to be performed and the expiration time point of the GNSS validity period; and when the second GNSS validity duration is greater than a first preset threshold, monitoring the PDCCH in the second time period after the GNSS measurement interval, and if the PDCCH is not detected through monitoring by the terminal device by arrival of the expiration time point of the GNSS validity period, switching from the connected mode to an idle mode.
The method according to claim 5, wherein the scheduling information is for scheduling a time-frequency resource of the feedback information, and the method further comprises: if a feedback time point of the feedback information on the time-frequency resource exceeds the expiration time point of the GNSS validity period, performing one or more of the following steps: switching from the connected mode to an idle mode; starting to perform GNSS measurement after receiving first signaling, and if the GNSS measurement fails to be performed, switching from the connected mode to the idle mode, wherein the first signaling indicates to perform GNSS measurement; performing GNSS measurement after receiving the PDCCH, and if the GNSS measurement fails to be performed, switching from the connected mode to the idle mode; and when the expiration time point of the GNSS validity period arrives, switching from the connected mode to the idle mode.
The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises: determining second GNSS validity duration, wherein the second GNSS validity duration is between the end time point of the GNSS measurement interval and the expiration time point of the GNSS validity period, or between a time point when the GNSS measurement fails to be performed and the expiration time point of the GNSS validity period; and when the second GNSS validity duration is greater than a first preset threshold, sending the feedback information to the network device based on the scheduling information carried by the PDCCH; or when the second GNSS validity duration is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, receiving the scheduling information of the network device after the expiration time point of the GNSS validity period, to perform GNSS measurement feedback.
The method according to claim 8, wherein the feedback information comprises the second GNSS validity duration.
The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the method further comprises: if a GNSS measurement resource scheduled by the network device is received in the second GNSS validity duration, continuing to perform GNSS measurement on the GNSS measurement resource.
The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the method further comprises: if a GNSS measurement resource scheduled by the network device is not received in the second GNSS validity duration, switching from the connected mode to an idle mode or starting to perform GNSS measurement once at the expiration time point of the GNSS validity period.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: determining second GNSS validity duration, wherein the second GNSS validity duration is between the end time point of the GNSS measurement interval and an expiration time point of the GNSS validity period, or between a time point when the GNSS measurement fails to be performed and the expiration time point of the GNSS validity period; and when the second GNSS validity duration is less than or equal to a first preset threshold, continuing to perform GNSS measurement in the first time period after the GNSS measurement interval; and if the GNSS measurement fails to be performed in the first time period after the GNSS measurement interval, switching from the connected mode to an idle mode.
The method according to claim 12, wherein the method further comprises: if the GNSS measurement fails to be performed in the first time period after the GNSS measurement interval, sending first indication information to the network device, wherein the first indication information indicates the second GNSS validity duration and/or failed GNSS measurement.
A communication apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises: a receiving module, configured to receive, in a connected mode, a global navigation satellite system GNSS measurement interval configured by a network device, wherein the GNSS measurement interval is used to perform GNSS measurement; and a processing module, configured to: if the GNSS measurement fails to be performed within the GNSS measurement interval, extend the GNSS measurement interval, and continue to perform GNSS measurement in a first time period after the GNSS measurement interval, wherein the first time period is a time period after an end time point of the GNSS measurement interval.
The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the processing module is further configured to: if the GNSS measurement fails to be performed in the first time period after the GNSS measurement interval, switch from the connected mode to an idle mode.
The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the apparatus further comprises: a sending module, configured to: if the GNSS measurement is successfully performed in the first time period after the GNSS measurement interval, send first GNSS validity duration to the network device, wherein the first GNSS validity duration is a time interval between the end time point of the GNSS measurement interval and an expiration time point of a GNSS validity period.
The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the processing module is further configured to: monitor a physical downlink control channel PDCCH in a second time period after the GNSS measurement interval, wherein the second time period is between the end time point of the GNSS measurement interval and a time point before an expiration time point of a GNSS validity period; and if the PDCCH is not detected through monitoring in the second time period after the GNSS measurement interval, continue to perform GNSS measurement in the first time period after the GNSS measurement interval.
The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the processing module is further configured to: monitor a PDCCH in a second time period after the GNSS measurement interval, wherein the second time period is between the end time point of the GNSS measurement interval and a time point before an expiration time point of a GNSS validity period; and if the PDCCH is detected through monitoring in the second time period after the GNSS measurement interval, send feedback information to the network device based on scheduling information carried by the PDCCH.
The apparatus according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the processing module is further configured to: determine second GNSS validity duration, wherein the second GNSS validity duration is between the end time point of the GNSS measurement interval and the expiration time point of the GNSS validity period, or between a time point when the GNSS measurement fails to be performed and the expiration time point of the GNSS validity period; and when the second GNSS validity duration is greater than a first preset threshold, monitor the physical downlink control channel PDCCH in the second time period after the GNSS measurement interval; and if the PDCCH is not detected through monitoring by the terminal device by arrival of the expiration time point of the GNSS validity period, the terminal device switches from the connected mode to an idle mode.
The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the scheduling information is for scheduling a time-frequency resource of the feedback information, and the processing module is further configured to: if a feedback time point of the feedback information on the time-frequency resources exceeds the expiration time point of the GNSS validity period, perform one or more of the following steps: switching from the connected mode to an idle mode; starting to perform GNSS measurement after receiving first signaling, and if the GNSS measurement fails to be performed, switching from the connected mode to the idle mode, wherein the first signaling indicates to perform GNSS measurement; performing GNSS measurement after receiving the PDCCH, and if the GNSS measurement fails to be performed, switching from the connected mode to the idle mode; and when the expiration time point of the GNSS validity period arrives, switching from the connected mode to the idle mode.

Description

This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202310914048.2, filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on July 24, 2023 and entitled "COMMUNICATION METHOD AND APPARATUS", which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD This application relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular, to a communication method and apparatus. BACKGROUND Currently, satellite communication has been introduced in the 3rd generation partnership project (3rd generation partnership project, 3GPP) standard. As a communication scenario of 5th generation mobile network (5th generation mobile network, 5G) communication, the satellite communication can support not only a terminal device of a 5G type, but also a terminal device of an Internet of Things (internet of things, IoT) type. Compared with terrestrial communication, the satellite communication has unique advantages. For example, the satellite communication can provide a wider coverage area, and satellite base stations are not vulnerable to natural disasters or external forces. The satellite communication can provide communication services for some areas that cannot be covered by terrestrial communication networks, such as oceans and forests; enhance reliability of the 5G communication, for example, ensure better communication services in airplanes and trains, and users on these transportation vehicles; and provide more data transmission resources for the 5G communication, to improve a network rate. Therefore, supporting both terrestrial communication and the satellite communication is an inevitable trend of future 5G communication, and has great benefits in terms of wide coverage, reliability, multi-connection, high throughput, and the like. The satellite communication features high mobility and large communication delay. A difference between the satellite communication and the terrestrial communication is that a terminal, on the basis of existing uplink synchronization, further needs to implement synchronization based on global navigation satellite system (global navigation satellite system, GNSS) information, an ephemeris, or other auxiliary information. For the terminal device of the IoT type, considering that most IoT services are short packets and are periodically transmitted, the 3GPP standard enhances only a short-time connection communication manner, but still has not standardized a long-time connection communication manner, failing to support a long-time connection communication scenario. SUMMARY Embodiments of this application provide a communication method and apparatus, to specify behavior of a terminal device in different cases, so as to improve communication efficiency and quality. According to a first aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a communication method, including: A terminal device receives, in a connected mode, a global navigation satellite system GNSS measurement interval configured by a network device, where the GNSS measurement interval is used to perform GNSS measurement. If the GNSS measurement fails to be performed within the GNSS measurement interval, the terminal device extends the GNSS measurement interval, and continues to perform GNSS measurement in a first time period after the GNSS measurement interval, where the first time period is a time period after an end time point of the GNSS measurement interval. When an IoT terminal device is in a satellite communication scenario and in long-time connection communication, GNSS information of the terminal device in a long-time connected mode may expire. Therefore, the terminal device performs GNSS measurement within the GNSS measurement interval configured by the network device. If the GNSS measurement fails to be performed within the GNSS measurement interval, the terminal device obtains a period of time through extension to continue to perform GNSS measurement, so as to obtain GNSS information in a timely manner. This ensures that communication is not affected when the GNSS measurement is performed, and improves communication efficiency and quality. In a possible design, if the GNSS measurement fails to be performed in the first time period after the GNSS measurement interval, the terminal device switches from the connected mode to an idle mode. In other words, if the GNSS information is still not obtained in the first time period after extension, the terminal device switches to the idle mode to save power. In another possible design, if the GNSS measurement is successfully performed in the first time period after the GNSS measurement interval, the terminal device sends first GNSS validity duration to the network device, where the first GNSS validity duration is a time interval between the end time point of the GNSS measurement interval and an expiration time point of a GNSS validity period, or between a time point when the terminal device sends the GNSS validity period to the network device