CN112868264B

CN112868264B - Method and apparatus for state transition

Info

Publication number: CN112868264B
Application number: CN201980069338.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 石聪; 卢前溪
Original assignee: Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp Ltd
Current assignee: Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp Ltd
Priority date: 2019-02-13
Filing date: 2019-02-13
Publication date: 2023-03-24
Anticipated expiration: 2039-02-13
Also published as: CN112868264A; WO2020164025A1

Abstract

A method of state transition enables a transition of a terminal device (120, 500, 920) from a connected state to an inactive state while reducing signaling overhead and reducing power consumption of the terminal device (120, 500, 920). The method comprises the following steps: the terminal device (120, 500, 920) transitions from the connected state to the inactive state (310) upon expiration of a first timer.

Description

Method and apparatus for state transition

Technical Field

The embodiment of the application relates to the field of communication, and in particular relates to a method and equipment for state transition.

Background

In a New Radio (NR) or 5G system, in order to reduce air interface signaling, recover Radio connection quickly, and recover data traffic quickly, a New Radio Resource Control (RRC) state, i.e., an RRC INACTIVE state, is introduced. The RRC _ INACTIVE state is between an RRC IDLE state (RRC _ IDLE state) and an RRC CONNECTED state (RRC _ CONNECTED state), and for the RRC _ INACTIVE state, the access network and the core network are CONNECTED, and context of the terminal device is stored in the terminal device and the at least one base station. The network device may control the terminal device to perform state transition between the three RRC states, but signaling interaction is required between the network device and the terminal device in the state transition process, for example, the terminal device in the RRC _ CONNECTED state needs to wait for an RRC connection release message sent by the network device before being transitioned from the RRC _ CONNECTED state to the RRC _ INACTIVE state, which increases unnecessary power consumption of the terminal device.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the application provides a state transition method and device, which can realize the transition of a terminal device from a connection state to an inactive state, and simultaneously reduce signaling overhead and power consumption of the terminal device.

In a first aspect, a method for state transition is provided, including: and the terminal equipment is transferred to the non-activated state from the connection state when the first timer is overtime.

In a possible implementation manner, the first timer can be used for controlling the terminal device to transition from the connected state to the inactive state, and can be used for controlling the terminal device to transition from the connected state to the idle state.

In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal equipment receives indication information sent by network equipment, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to an inactive state; when the first timer is timed out, the terminal device is transferred from the connection state to the non-activation state, and the method comprises the following steps: and the terminal equipment is switched from a connection state to an inactive state when the first timer times out according to the indication information.

In a possible implementation manner, the indication information is configuration information used for the terminal device to enter an inactive state.

In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal equipment receives configuration information which is sent by the network equipment and used for entering an inactive state; wherein, the terminal device transitions from the connection state to the non-activation state when the first timer times out according to the indication information, and includes: and the terminal equipment uses the configuration information to be transferred from the connection state to the non-activation state when the first timer times out according to the indication information.

In one possible implementation, the configuration information includes at least one of the following information: I-RNTI, paging cycle, paging area, timer for updating paging area, NCC.

In a possible implementation manner, the first timer is further configured to control the terminal device to transition from a connection state to an idle state when the terminal device does not receive the indication information.

In one possible implementation, the method further includes: and when the first timer is over time, the terminal equipment stops the second timer, and the second timer is used for controlling the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to an idle state.

In one possible implementation, the method further includes: and the terminal equipment starts or restarts the first timer when receiving and transmitting the logic channel.

In one possible implementation, the logical channel includes at least one of: DTCH for uplink, DCCH for uplink, DTCH for downlink, DCCH for downlink, and CCCH for downlink.

In a second aspect, a method for state transition is provided, including: the network equipment sends indication information to the terminal equipment, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to an inactive state when a first timer is overtime.

In one possible implementation, the method further includes: and the network equipment sends configuration information for entering an inactive state to the terminal equipment, wherein the configuration information is used for the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to the inactive state when the first timer times out.

In one possible implementation manner, the configuration information includes at least one of the following information: I-RNTI, paging cycle, paging area, timer for updating paging area, NCC.

In a third aspect, a terminal device is provided that includes a processor and a memory. The memory is configured to store a computer program, and the processor is configured to call and execute the computer program stored in the memory to perform the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

In a fourth aspect, a network device is provided that includes a processor and a memory. The memory is used for storing a computer program, and the processor is used for calling and running the computer program stored in the memory to execute the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation manner of the second aspect.

In a fifth aspect, a chip is provided for implementing the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect. In particular, the chip comprises a processor for calling and running a computer program from a memory, such that a device in which the chip is installed performs the method as described above in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

In a sixth aspect, a chip is provided for implementing the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation manner of the second aspect. In particular, the chip comprises a processor for calling and running a computer program from a memory, such that a device in which the chip is installed performs the method as described above in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program, which causes a computer to execute the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

In an eighth aspect, there is provided a computer readable storage medium for storing a computer program for causing a computer to perform the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation manner of the second aspect.

In a ninth aspect, there is provided a computer program product comprising computer program instructions to cause a computer to perform the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

A tenth aspect provides a computer program product comprising computer program instructions to cause a computer to perform the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

In an eleventh aspect, there is provided a computer program which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

In a twelfth aspect, a computer program is provided which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second face.

In a thirteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes a terminal device and a network device.

Wherein the network device is configured to: and sending indication information to the terminal equipment, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the terminal equipment to be switched from the connection state to the non-activation state when the first timer is overtime.

The terminal device is used for: and when the first timer is timed out, the connection state is transferred to the non-activation state.

Based on the technical scheme, the terminal equipment can be transferred to the non-activated state from the connection state based on the first timer, so that the autonomous state transfer is realized, the signaling overhead is reduced, and the power consumption of the terminal equipment is reduced.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a possible wireless communication system to which an embodiment of the present application is applied.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of transitions between three RRC states of a terminal device.

Fig. 3 is a schematic flow chart of a method of state transition of an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a method of state transition according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a network device of an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a chip of an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication system of an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The technical scheme of the embodiment of the application can be applied to various communication systems, for example: a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) System, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) System, a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) System, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), a Long Term Evolution (Long Term Evolution, LTE) System, an LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) System, an LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) System, an Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-a) System, a New Radio (New Radio, NR) System, an Evolution System of the NR System, an LTE (LTE-based Access to unlicensed spectrum, LTE-U) System on an unlicensed Frequency band, an NR (NR-based Access to unlicensed spectrum, NR-U) System on an unlicensed Frequency band, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication System, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), a next-generation communication System, or other communication systems.

Generally, conventional Communication systems support a limited number of connections and are easy to implement, however, with the development of Communication technologies, mobile Communication systems will support not only conventional Communication, but also, for example, device to Device (D2D) Communication, machine to Machine (M2M) Communication, machine Type Communication (MTC), and Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) Communication, etc., and the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to these Communication systems.

Optionally, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application may be applied to a Carrier Aggregation (CA), dual Connectivity (DC), independent (SA) networking, and the like.

Illustratively, a communication system 100 applied in the embodiment of the present application is shown in fig. 1. The wireless communication system 100 may include a network device 110. Network device 110 may be a device that communicates with a terminal device. Network device 110 may provide communication coverage for a particular geographic area and may communicate with terminal devices located within that coverage area. Optionally, the Network device 100 may be a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) in a GSM system or a CDMA system, a Base Station (NodeB, NB) in a WCDMA system, an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, a Network side device in an NR system, or a wireless controller in a Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN), or a Network device in a relay Station, an Access point, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a Network side device in a next generation Network, or a Network device in a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) for future evolution, or the like.

The wireless communication system 100 also includes at least one terminal device 120 located within the coverage area of the network device 110. Terminal device 120 may be mobile or stationary. Alternatively, terminal Equipment 120 may refer to an access terminal, user Equipment (UE), subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or User Equipment. An access terminal may be a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a Wireless Local Loop (WLL) station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld device having Wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a Wireless modem, a vehicle mounted device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a future 5G network or a terminal device in a future evolved PLMN, etc. Optionally, a Device to Device (D2D) communication may also be performed between the terminal devices 120.

The network device 110 may provide a service for a cell, and the terminal device 120 communicates with the network device 110 through a transmission resource (e.g., a frequency domain resource or a spectrum resource) used by the cell, where the cell may be a cell corresponding to the network device 110 (e.g., a base station), and the cell may belong to a macro base station or a base station corresponding to a Small cell (Small cell), where the Small cell may include, for example, a Metro cell (Metro cell), a Micro cell (Micro cell), a Pico cell (Pico cell), a Femto cell (Femto cell), and the like, and the Small cells have characteristics of Small coverage and low transmission power, and are suitable for providing a high-rate data transmission service.

Fig. 1 exemplarily shows one network device and two terminal devices, and optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may include a plurality of network devices and may include other numbers of terminal devices within the coverage of each network device, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. The wireless communication system 100 may further include other network entities such as a network controller, a mobility management entity, and the like, which is not limited in this embodiment.

In NR systems, a new RRC state, RRC _ INACTIVE state, is introduced. The RRC _ INACTIVE state is between the RRC _ IDLE state and the RRC _ CONNECTED state. For the RRC _ IDLE state, the mobility thereof is cell selection and reselection based on the terminal device, the called paging is initiated by a Core network (Core Net, CN), the paging area is configured by CN, and there is no Access Stratum (AS) context of the terminal device on the base station, and there is no RRC connection. For the RRC _ CONNECTED state, the mobility is controlled by the network device, unicast data can be transmitted between the terminal device and the base station, the base station and the terminal device have an AS context of the terminal device, the network device knows the location of the terminal device specifically at the cell level, and at this time, an RRC connection exists. For the RRC _ INACTIVE state, the mobility of the RRC _ INACTIVE state is based on cell selection and reselection of the terminal device, a connection is maintained between a CN and a Radio Access Network (RAN), an AS context of the terminal device exists on at least one base station, a called paging is triggered by the Access Network, a paging area is managed by the Access Network, the Network device knows that the location of the terminal device is specifically at a paging area level, and the Network device does not need to be notified when the terminal device moves in the paging area configured by the RAN, but needs to be notified when the terminal device moves out of the paging area. The paging Area is a RAN-Based Notification Area (RNA)

The network device can control the state transition of the terminal device, and the mutual transition of three RRC states is realized between the terminal device and the network device through an RRC connection establishment process (Establish), an RRC connection Release process (Release), an RRC connection recovery process (Resume) and the like. Signaling interaction between the network device and the terminal device is required in the RRC state transition process controlled by the network device.

The RRC connection establishment procedure requires three steps, in which an RRC Setup Request (RRC Setup Request) message, an RRC Setup (RRC Setup) message, and an RRC Setup Complete (RRC Setup Complete) message are transmitted through a signaling Bearer (SRB) 0, an SRB 1, and an SRB 1, respectively.

The RRC connection Release procedure may cause the terminal device to transition from an RRC _ CONNECTED state to an RRC _ IDLE state or an RRC _ INACTIVE state, where an RRC Release (RRC Release) message is transmitted over SRB 1.

The RRC connection recovery procedure may cause the terminal device to transition from the RRC _ INACTIVE state to the RRC _ CONNECTED state in three steps, wherein an RRC recovery Request (RRC Resume Request) message, an RRC recovery (RRC Resume) message, and an RRC recovery Complete (RRC Resume Complete) message are transmitted through SRB 0, SRB 1, and SRB 1, respectively.

The RRC connection recovery procedure may also cause the terminal device to transition from the RRC _ INACTIVE state to the RRC _ IDLE state in two steps. Wherein an RRC recovery Request (RRC Resume Request) message and an RRC Release (RRC Release) message are transmitted through SRB 0, SRB 1, respectively.

The RRC connection recovery procedure may also transition the terminal device from the RRC _ INACTIVE state to the RRC _ INACTIVE state in two steps. Wherein an RRC recovery Request (RRC Resume Request) message and an RRC Reject (RRC Reject) message are transmitted through SRB 0, respectively.

For example, as shown in fig. 2, the terminal device may transition from the RRC _ IDLE state to the RRC _ CONNECTED state through an RRC connection establishment procedure, and from the RRC _ CONNECTED state to the RRC _ IDLE state through an RRC connection release procedure. The terminal device may transition from the RRC _ CONNECTED state to the RRC _ INACTIVE state through a suspended RRC connection Release procedure (RRC Release with Suspend), and from the RRC _ INACTIVE state to the RRC _ CONNECTED state through an RRC connection recovery procedure. The terminal device may transition from the RRC _ INACTIVE state to the RRC _ IDLE state through an RRC connection release procedure, and specifically, the terminal device may transition from the RRC _ INACTIVE state to the RRC _ CONNECTED state first and then transition from the RRC _ CONNECTED state to the RRC _ IDLE state.

It can be seen that the network device may release the terminal device in the RRC _ CONNECTED state to the RRC _ INACTIVE state or the RRC _ IDLE state through the RRC connection release procedure. Moreover, the terminal device may autonomously perform state transition to realize transition from the RRC _ INACTIVE state to the RRC _ IDLE state or transition from the RRC _ CONNECTED state to the RRC _ IDLE state.

For example, when the terminal device receives an initial paging message of the CN, or starts the timer T319 when initiating an RRC recovery request and times out the timer T319, or when the integrity protection verification of the MSG 4 fails in a Random Access procedure, or when reselecting to a cell of another Random Access Technology (RAT), or when camping on any cell, the terminal device autonomously transitions from the RRC _ INACTIVE state to the RRC _ IDLE state.

For another example, the terminal device may autonomously transition from the RRC _ CONNECTED state to the RRC _ IDLE state when a data inactivity timer (datainactivity timer) times out. The timer is used for controlling the inactive operation of data, the network device configures the timer for the terminal device in the RRC _ CONNECTED state, and the unit of the timing duration of the timer is second(s). The start of the timer is controlled by a Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and when the MAC layer receives and transmits any Dedicated Traffic Channel (DTCH), dedicated Control Channel (DCCH), and Common Control Channel (CCCH) in the downlink direction, the timer is started or restarted, and when the timer is expired, the MAC layer notifies the RRC layer that the timer is expired, and the RRC layer performs corresponding operations to autonomously return the terminal device to the RRC _ IDLE state.

However, the transition from the RRC _ CONNECTED state to the RRC _ INACTIVE state is currently under the control of the network device. In the process of transferring the RRC _ CONNECTED state to the RRC _ INACTIVE state, the terminal device needs to wait for an RRC Release with Suspend message sent by the network device, which affects the state transfer efficiency of the terminal device and increases the power consumption of the terminal device.

Therefore, the embodiment of the present application provides a method for state transition, which can implement transition from an RRC _ CONNECTED state to an RRC _ INACTIVE state of a terminal device, and at the same time, reduce signaling overhead and reduce power consumption of the terminal device.

Hereinafter, the RRC CONNECTED state (RRC _ CONNECTED state) is also simply referred to as a CONNECTED state, the RRC INACTIVE state (RRC _ INACTIVE state) is also simply referred to as an INACTIVE state, or the like, and the RRC IDLE state (RRC _ IDLE state) is also simply referred to as an IDLE state.

Fig. 3 is a schematic flow chart diagram of a method 300 of state transition in an embodiment of the present application. The method described in fig. 3 may be performed by a terminal device, which may be, for example, terminal device 120 shown in fig. 1. As shown in fig. 3, the method 300 of state transition may include some or all of the following steps. Wherein:

in 310, the terminal device transitions from the connected state to the inactive state when a first timer times out.

The terminal equipment can be transferred to the non-activated state from the connected state based on the first timer, namely, the terminal equipment is transferred to the non-activated state from the connected state when the first timer times out, so that the autonomous state transfer is realized. Since the terminal device does not need to wait for the RRC connection release message sent by the network device, signaling overhead is reduced and power consumption of the terminal device is reduced.

Optionally, the method further comprises: and the terminal equipment starts or restarts the first timer when receiving and transmitting the logic channel.

Wherein the logical channel comprises at least one of: an uplink DTCH, an uplink DCCH, a downlink DTCH, a downlink DCCH, and a downlink CCCH.

For example, the MAC layer of the terminal device controls the start of the first timer, and when the MAC layer transmits DTCH, DCCH, or CCCH or receives DTCH or DCCH, the first timer is started or restarted. When the first timer is overtime, the MAC layer informs the RRC layer that the first timer is overtime, and the RRC layer executes corresponding operation so as to enable the terminal equipment to autonomously return to the non-activated state.

The embodiment of the application provides two implementation modes of the first timer. In a first implementation manner, the first timer is the aforementioned data inactivity timer (datainactivity timer), i.e., the datainactivity timer is reused. In a second implementation, the first timer is a timer configured for the terminal device that is different from the datainactivity timer.

The first mode will first be described with reference to fig. 4. As shown in fig. 4, the method 300 may further include 410 and 420, and 310 may be replaced by 430. Wherein:

in 410, the network device sends indication information to the terminal device.

In 420, the terminal device receives the indication information sent by the network device.

The indication information is used for indicating the terminal equipment to be transferred from a connection state to an inactive state.

In 430, the terminal device transitions from the connected state to the inactive state when the first timer times out according to the indication information.

The first timer for controlling the terminal device to transition from the connection state to the idle state is a datainactivity timer, that is, the datainactivity timer is multiplexed, and the datainactivity timer is also required to control the terminal device to transition from the connection state to the idle state, so that the terminal device needs to determine whether the connection state should transition to the idle state or the connection state should transition to the inactive state when the first timer times out.

That is, the first timer can be used to control the terminal device to transition from the connected state to the inactive state, and can be used to control the terminal device to transition from the connected state to the idle state.

The first timer not only has the capability of controlling the terminal device to transition from the connected state to the idle state, but also is endowed with a new capability of controlling the terminal device to transition from the connected state to the inactive state. The terminal device may determine whether to transition from the connected state to the inactive state or to the idle state when the first timer times out based on the indication information sent by the network device.

In this embodiment, the network device sends the indication information indicating that the network device is shifted to the inactive state to the terminal device, so as to indicate that the terminal device is shifted from the connection state to the inactive state when the first timer times out, and thus, after receiving the indication information, the terminal device is shifted from the connection state to the inactive state when the first timer times out.

Alternatively, if the terminal device does not receive the indication information indicating that it is shifted to the inactive state, or the terminal device receives the indication information indicating that it is shifted from the connected state to the idle state, the terminal device shifts from the connected state to the idle state when the first timer times out.

For example, the indication information may include 1 bit, where a value of the bit is 1 indicates that the terminal device is transitioned from the connection state to the inactive state when the first timer times out, and/or a value of the bit is 0 indicates that the terminal device is transitioned from the connection state to the idle state when the first timer times out.

This indication information may be carried in, for example, a MAC-cell group configuration (MAC-CellGroupConfig) field.

When the terminal device is shifted from the connected state to the inactivated state, configuration information (suspendConfig) is required to be used, and the configuration information is used for the terminal device to enter the inactivated state. The configuration information may for example comprise at least one of the following parameters: inactive-Radio Network Temporary Identity (I-RNTI), paging cycle, paging zone, timer for updating paging zone, next hop chain Counter (NCC). The terminal device enters an inactive state based on these parameters.

The I-RNTI comprises a full I-RNTI (full I-RNTI) and a short I-RNTI (short I-RNTI), and is used in the process of initiating connection recovery by the terminal equipment. The RAN-paging cycle (RAN-paging cycle) is the RAN paging cycle used by the terminal device. The paging area (RAN-notifiationareinfo) is information of the RAN paging area (RNA) of the terminal device. A timer for updating the paging area, i.e. timer T380, the timer T380 is used for controlling the terminal device to periodically update the RAN paging area (RNA). The next hop chain counter (nextHopChainingCount) is used to indicate the NCC value used by the terminal device the next time the connection recovery procedure is initiated.

If the indication information indicates that the terminal device is transferred from the connection state to the non-activation state, the terminal device needs to acquire the configuration information.

Wherein, optionally, the method further comprises: the method comprises the steps that terminal equipment receives configuration information which is sent by network equipment and used for entering an inactive state; in 430, the step of the terminal device transitioning from the connection state to the inactive state when the first timer times out according to the indication information includes: and the terminal equipment uses the configuration information to be transferred from the connection state to the non-activation state when the first timer times out according to the indication information.

Or, optionally, the indication information is configuration information for the terminal device to enter an inactive state.

That is to say, when the network device sends the indication information to the terminal device to indicate that the terminal device is transferred to the inactive state, the network device may send the configuration information to the terminal device, so that the terminal device is transferred to the inactive state according to the configuration information when the first timer times out. The configuration information may be transmitted to the terminal device at the same time as the instruction information, or the configuration information may be configured to the terminal device by the network device at any time before the terminal device leaves the connected state.

Or, the indication information is the configuration information. The network device implicitly instructs the terminal device to transition to the inactive state by means of the configuration information. For example, the terminal device determines whether the configuration information is received, and if the configuration information is received, the terminal device enters an inactive state according to the configuration information when the first timer is overtime, and if the configuration information is not received, the terminal device enters an idle state when the first timer is overtime.

When the terminal device receives indication information for indicating the inactive state, the first timer is used for controlling the terminal device to be transferred from the connection state to the inactive state. When the terminal device does not receive the indication information for indicating the inactive state or receives the indication information for indicating the idle state, the first timer is further used for controlling the terminal device to be transferred from the connection state to the idle state.

Therefore, by multiplexing the dataInactivationTimer and based on the indication of the network device, the terminal device can be transferred from the connection state to the non-activation state when the first timer times out, thereby realizing the autonomous state transfer without waiting for the RRC release message of the network device, improving the efficiency of the state transfer and reducing the power consumption of the terminal device.

The case where the first timer is the datainactivytytimer is described above. However, the first timer may be a timer configured for the terminal device other than the datainactivytytimer. In this case, the datainactivity timer may be referred to as a second timer, and the first timer may be referred to as an inactivity data inactivity timer (inactivity statedatainactivity timer).

The second timer is used for controlling the terminal device to be switched from the connection state to the idle state, namely the terminal device is switched from the connection state to the idle state when the second timer is overtime. And the first timer is used for controlling the terminal equipment to be switched from the connection state to the non-activation state, namely the terminal equipment is switched from the connection state to the non-activation state when the first timer is overtime.

Wherein, optionally, the method further comprises: and the terminal equipment stops the second timer when the first timer is over time.

That is, if the first timer times out first, the terminal device transitions from the connected state to the inactive state when the first timer times out, and stops the second timer; and/or if the second timer is overtime first, the terminal equipment is transferred from the connection state to the idle state when the second timer is overtime, and stops the first timer.

Also, if the first timer times out first, the terminal device needs to enter an inactive state using configuration information (suspendeconfig). The configuration information for example comprises at least one of the following parameters: I-RNTI, paging cycle, paging area, timer for updating paging area, NCC.

When the network device configures the first timer for the terminal device, the network device may send the configuration information at the same time, that is, the network device sends the configuration information to the terminal device together with the first timer; or the configuration information is configured to the terminal device by the network device at any time before the terminal device leaves the connection state.

The information of the first timer and/or the configuration information for entering the inactive state may be carried in a MAC-cell group configuration (MAC-CellGroupConfig) field, for example.

In the embodiment of the application, the terminal equipment is autonomously transferred from the connection state to the non-activation state through the first timer, so that the state transfer efficiency is improved, and the power consumption of the terminal equipment is reduced.

The "autonomous transfer" in the embodiment of the present application may refer to a state transfer that does not depend on an RRC connection Release message (RRC Release with Suspend) of the network device. The terminal device does not need to wait for the RRC connection release message of the network device, and may directly transition from the connected state to the inactive state when the first timer times out.

It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments and/or technical features in the embodiments described in the present application may be arbitrarily combined with each other, and the technical solutions obtained after the combination also fall within the protection scope of the present application.

It should be understood that, in the various embodiments of the present application, the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes do not imply any order of execution, and the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation to the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

Having described the communication method according to the embodiment of the present application in detail above, an apparatus according to the embodiment of the present application will be described below with reference to fig. 5 to 9, and the technical features described in the method embodiment are applicable to the following apparatus embodiments.

Fig. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device 500 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 5, the terminal device 500 includes a processing unit 510. Wherein:

the processing unit 510 is configured to: and when the first timer is timed out, the connection state is transferred to the non-activation state.

Therefore, the terminal device can be transferred from the connection state to the non-activation state based on the first timer, thereby realizing autonomous state transfer, reducing signaling overhead and reducing power consumption of the terminal device.

Optionally, the first timer can be used to control the terminal device to transition from the connected state to the inactive state, and can be used to control the terminal device to transition from the connected state to the idle state.

Optionally, the terminal device further includes a transceiver 520, where the transceiver 520 is configured to: receiving indication information sent by network equipment, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the terminal equipment to be transferred from a connection state to an inactive state; wherein the processing unit 510 is specifically configured to: and according to the indication information, when the first timer is over time, the connection state is transferred to the non-activation state.

Optionally, the indication information is configuration information used for the terminal device to enter an inactive state.

Optionally, the transceiver unit 520 is further configured to: receiving configuration information which is sent by the network equipment and used for entering an inactive state; wherein the processing unit 510 is specifically configured to: and according to the indication information, when the first timer times out, using the configuration information to transfer from a connection state to an inactive state.

Optionally, the configuration information includes at least one of the following information: the system comprises an inactive state radio network temporary identifier I-RNTI, a paging cycle, a paging area, a timer for updating the paging area and a next hop chain counter NCC.

Optionally, the first timer is further configured to control the terminal device to transition from a connection state to an idle state when the terminal device does not receive the indication information.

Optionally, the processing unit 510 is further configured to: and stopping the second timer when the first timer is over time, wherein the second timer is used for controlling the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to an idle state.

Optionally, the processing unit 510 is further configured to: the first timer is started or restarted when the transceiving unit 520 transceives a logical channel.

Optionally, the logical channel comprises at least one of: an uplink dedicated traffic channel DTCH, an uplink dedicated control channel DCCH, a downlink DTCH, a downlink DCCH, and a downlink common control channel CCCH.

It should be understood that the terminal device 500 may perform corresponding operations performed by the terminal device in the above method, and for brevity, the description is not repeated herein.

Fig. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a network device 600 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 6, the network device 600 includes: a processing unit 610 and a transceiving unit 620. Wherein:

the processing unit 610 is configured to: generating indication information, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to an inactive state when a first timer is timed out;

the transceiving unit 620 is configured to: and sending the indication information to the terminal equipment.

Therefore, the network device indicates the terminal device to be switched from the connection state to the non-activation state through the indication information, so that the terminal device can be switched from the connection state to the non-activation state based on the first timer, thereby realizing autonomous state switching, reducing signaling overhead and reducing power consumption of the terminal device.

Optionally, the transceiver 620 is further configured to: and sending configuration information for entering an inactive state to the terminal equipment, wherein the configuration information is used for the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to the inactive state when the first timer is timed out.

It should be understood that the network device 600 may perform corresponding operations performed by the network device in the above method, and therefore, for brevity, will not be described herein again.

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 700 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 700 shown in fig. 7 comprises a processor 710, and the processor 710 can call and run a computer program from a memory to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 7, the communication device 700 may also include a memory 720. From the memory 720, the processor 710 can call and run a computer program to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

The memory 720 may be a separate device from the processor 710, or may be integrated into the processor 710.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 7, the communication device 700 may further include a transceiver 730, and the processor 710 may control the transceiver 730 to communicate with other devices, and specifically, may transmit information or data to the other devices or receive information or data transmitted by the other devices.

The transceiver 730 may include a transmitter and a receiver, among other things. The transceiver 730 may further include an antenna, and the number of antennas may be one or more.

Optionally, the communication device 700 may specifically be a terminal device in the embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 700 may implement a corresponding process implemented by the terminal device in each method in the embodiment of the present application, which is not described herein again for brevity.

Optionally, the communication device 700 may specifically be a network device in the embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 700 may implement a corresponding process implemented by the network device in each method in the embodiment of the present application, which is not described herein again for brevity.

Fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a chip of an embodiment of the present application. The chip 800 shown in fig. 8 includes a processor 810, and the processor 810 can call and run a computer program from a memory to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

Optionally, as shown in fig. 8, chip 800 may further include a memory 820. From the memory 820, the processor 810 may call and run a computer program to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application.

The memory 820 may be a separate device from the processor 810 or may be integrated into the processor 810.

Optionally, the chip 800 may further include an input interface 830. The processor 810 may control the input interface 830 to communicate with other devices or chips, and specifically, may obtain information or data transmitted by other devices or chips.

Optionally, the chip 800 may further include an output interface 840. The processor 810 can control the output interface 840 to communicate with other devices or chips, and in particular, can output information or data to other devices or chips.

Optionally, the chip may be applied to the terminal device in the embodiment of the present application, and the chip may implement the corresponding process implemented by the terminal device in each method in the embodiment of the present application, and for brevity, details are not described here again.

Optionally, the chip may be applied to the network device in the embodiment of the present application, and the chip may implement the corresponding process implemented by the network device in each method in the embodiment of the present application, and for brevity, details are not described here again.

The chip described in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as a system-on-chip, or a system-on-chip.

The processor in the embodiments of the present application may be an integrated circuit chip having signal processing capabilities. In implementation, the steps of the above method embodiments may be performed by integrated logic circuits of hardware in a processor or instructions in the form of software. The Processor may be a general purpose Processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an off-the-shelf Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other Programmable logic device, discrete Gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware components. The various methods, steps, and logic blocks disclosed in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented or performed. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor or the like. The steps of the method disclosed in connection with the embodiments of the present application may be directly implemented by a hardware decoding processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module may be located in ram, flash memory, rom, prom, or eprom, registers, etc. storage media as is well known in the art. The storage medium is located in a memory, and a processor reads information in the memory and completes the steps of the method in combination with hardware of the processor.

The memory in the embodiments of the present application may be either volatile memory or nonvolatile memory, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile memory. The non-volatile Memory may be a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Programmable ROM (PROM), an Erasable PROM (EPROM), an Electrically Erasable PROM (EEPROM), or a flash Memory. Volatile Memory can be Random Access Memory (RAM), which acts as external cache Memory. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static random access memory (Static RAM, SRAM), dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), synchronous Dynamic random access memory (Synchronous DRAM, SDRAM), double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced Synchronous SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link SDRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to comprise, without being limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

The above memory is an exemplary but not limiting illustration, for example, the memory in the embodiment of the present application may also be Static random access memory (Static RAM, SRAM), dynamic random access memory (Dynamic RAM, DRAM), synchronous Dynamic random access memory (Synchronous DRAM, SDRAM), double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic random access memory (Double Data Rate SDRAM, DDR SDRAM), enhanced Synchronous SDRAM (Enhanced SDRAM, ESDRAM), synchronous Link DRAM (Synchronous Link DRAM, SLDRAM), direct bus RAM (DR RAM), and the like. That is, the memory in the embodiments of the present application is intended to comprise, without being limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

Fig. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication system 900 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in fig. 9, the communication system 900 includes a network device 910 and a terminal device 920.

The network device 910 is configured to: sending indication information to the terminal equipment, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to an inactive state when a first timer is overtime

The terminal device 920 is configured to: and when the first timer is timed out, the connection state is transferred to the non-activation state.

Optionally, the network device 910 may be configured to implement corresponding functions implemented by the network device in the foregoing methods, and the components of the network device 910 may be as shown in the network device 600 in fig. 6, which are not described herein again for brevity.

Optionally, the terminal device 920 may be configured to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the terminal device in the foregoing method, and the composition of the terminal device 920 may be as shown in the network device 500 in fig. 5, which is not described herein again for brevity.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program. Optionally, the computer-readable storage medium may be applied to the network device in the embodiment of the present application, and the computer program enables a computer to execute a corresponding process implemented by the network device in each method in the embodiment of the present application, which is not described again for brevity. Optionally, the computer-readable storage medium may be applied to the terminal device in the embodiment of the present application, and the computer program enables the computer to execute the corresponding process implemented by the terminal device in each method in the embodiment of the present application, which is not described again for brevity.

Embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program product comprising computer program instructions. Optionally, the computer program product may be applied to the network device in the embodiment of the present application, and the computer program instructions enable the computer to execute corresponding processes implemented by the network device in the methods in the embodiment of the present application, which are not described herein again for brevity. Optionally, the computer program product may be applied to the terminal device in the embodiment of the present application, and the computer program instructions enable the computer to execute the corresponding processes implemented by the terminal device in the methods in the embodiment of the present application, which are not described herein again for brevity.

The embodiment of the application also provides a computer program. Optionally, the computer program may be applied to the network device in the embodiment of the present application, and when the computer program runs on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the corresponding process implemented by the network device in each method in the embodiment of the present application, and for brevity, details are not described here again. Optionally, the computer program may be applied to the terminal device in the embodiment of the present application, and when the computer program runs on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the corresponding process implemented by the terminal device in each method in the embodiment of the present application, and for brevity, details are not described here again.

It is clear to those skilled in the art that, for convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the above-described systems, apparatuses and units may refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and are not described herein again.

The terms "system" and "network" in embodiments of the present invention are often used interchangeably herein. The term "and/or" herein is merely an association describing an associated object, meaning that three relationships may exist, e.g., a and/or B, may mean: a exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character "/" herein generally indicates that the former and latter associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

In the embodiment of the present invention, "B corresponding to (corresponding to) a" means that B is associated with a, from which B can be determined. It should also be understood that determining B from a does not mean determining B from a alone, but may be determined from a and/or other information.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative elements and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware or combinations of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the implementation. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present application.

In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, apparatus and method may be implemented in other ways. For example, the above-described apparatus embodiments are merely illustrative, and for example, the division of the unit is only one type of logical functional division, and other divisions may be realized in practice, for example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted, or not executed. In addition, the shown or discussed mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection may be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, and may be in an electrical, mechanical or other form.

The units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and parts displayed as units may or may not be physical units, may be located in one place, or may be distributed on a plurality of network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of the embodiment.

In addition, functional units in the embodiments of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist alone physically, or two or more units are integrated into one unit.

The functions, if implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as a stand-alone product, may be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solution of the present application or portions thereof that substantially contribute to the prior art may be embodied in the form of a software product stored in a storage medium and including instructions for causing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device) to execute all or part of the steps of the method according to the embodiments of the present application. And the aforementioned storage medium includes: various media capable of storing program codes, such as a usb disk, a removable hard disk, a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

The above description is only for the specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of the changes or substitutions within the technical scope of the present application, and shall be covered by the scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method of state transition, the method comprising:

when the first timer is over time, the terminal equipment is switched from a connection state to an inactive state; the first timer can be used for controlling the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to an inactive state and can be used for controlling the terminal equipment to be switched from the connection state to an idle state;

the method further comprises the following steps: the terminal equipment receives indication information sent by network equipment, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to an inactive state;

when the first timer is over time, the terminal device is transferred from the connection state to the non-activation state, and the method comprises the following steps: the terminal equipment is switched from a connection state to an inactive state when the first timer times out according to the indication information;

the first timer is further configured to control the terminal device to transition from a connection state to an idle state when the terminal device does not receive the indication information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication information is configuration information for the terminal device to enter an inactive state.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the terminal equipment receives configuration information which is sent by the network equipment and used for entering an inactive state;

wherein, the terminal device transitions from the connection state to the non-activation state when the first timer times out according to the indication information, and includes:

and the terminal equipment uses the configuration information to be transferred from the connection state to the non-activation state when the first timer times out according to the indication information.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of the following information:

the system comprises an inactive state radio network temporary identifier I-RNTI, a paging cycle, a paging area, a timer for updating the paging area and a next hop chain counter NCC.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

and the terminal equipment starts or restarts the first timer when receiving and transmitting the logic channel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the logical channel comprises at least one of:

an uplink dedicated traffic channel DTCH, an uplink dedicated control channel DCCH, a downlink DTCH, a downlink DCCH, and a downlink common control channel CCCH.

7. A method of state transition, the method comprising:

the method comprises the steps that network equipment sends indication information to terminal equipment, wherein the indication information is used for indicating that the terminal equipment is switched from a connection state to an inactive state when a first timer is overtime; the first timer can be used for controlling the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to an inactive state and can be used for controlling the terminal equipment to be switched from the connection state to an idle state; the first timer is further configured to control the terminal device to transition from a connection state to an idle state when the terminal device does not receive the indication information.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

and the network equipment sends configuration information for entering an inactive state to the terminal equipment, wherein the configuration information is used for the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to the inactive state when the first timer times out.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the indication information is configuration information for the terminal device to enter an inactive state.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of the following information:

11. A terminal device, characterized in that the terminal device comprises:

the processing unit is used for transferring the connection state to the non-activation state when the first timer is overtime; the first timer can be used for controlling the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to an inactive state and can be used for controlling the terminal equipment to be switched from the connection state to an idle state;

the terminal device further comprises a transceiving unit, wherein the transceiving unit is used for: receiving indication information sent by network equipment, wherein the indication information is used for indicating the terminal equipment to be transferred from a connection state to an inactive state;

the processing unit is specifically configured to: according to the indication information, when the first timer is over time, the connection state is transferred to the non-activation state;

12. The terminal device according to claim 11, wherein the indication information is configuration information for the terminal device to enter an inactive state.

13. The terminal device according to claim 11, wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to:

receiving configuration information which is sent by the network equipment and used for entering an inactive state;

wherein the processing unit is specifically configured to:

and according to the indication information, when the first timer times out, using the configuration information to transfer from a connection state to an inactive state.

14. The terminal device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of the following information:

15. The terminal device of any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

and starting or restarting the first timer when the transceiving unit receives and transmits the logical channel.

16. The terminal device of claim 15, wherein the logical channel comprises at least one of:

17. A network device, characterized in that the network device comprises:

the processing unit is used for generating indication information, and the indication information is used for indicating the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to an inactive state when a first timer is overtime; the first timer can be used for controlling the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to an inactive state and can be used for controlling the terminal equipment to be switched from the connection state to an idle state;

and the first timer is also used for controlling the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to an idle state when the terminal equipment does not receive the indication information.

18. The network device of claim 17, wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to:

and sending configuration information for entering an inactive state to the terminal equipment, wherein the configuration information is used for the terminal equipment to be switched from a connection state to the inactive state when the first timer is timed out.

19. The network device of claim 17, wherein the indication information is configuration information for the terminal device to enter an inactive state.

20. The network device of claim 18 or 19, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of the following information:

21. A terminal device, characterized in that the terminal device comprises a processor and a memory for storing a computer program, the processor being adapted to invoke and execute the computer program stored in the memory to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 6.

22. A network device comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, the processor being configured to invoke and execute the computer program stored in the memory to perform the method of any one of claims 7 to 10.

23. A chip, characterized in that it comprises a processor for calling up and running a computer program from a memory, causing a device in which the chip is installed to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 6.

24. A chip, characterized in that it comprises a processor for calling up and running a computer program from a memory, so that a device in which the chip is installed performs the method of any of claims 7 to 10.

25. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program which causes a computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 6.

26. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program which causes a computer to perform the method of any one of claims 7 to 10.

27. A communication system, comprising:

the terminal device of any one of claims 11 to 16; and a network device as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 20.