CN116996957A

CN116996957A - Communication method and communication device

Info

Publication number: CN116996957A
Application number: CN202210447160.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 周化雨; 雷珍珠; 潘振岗
Original assignee: Spreadtrum Communications Shanghai Co Ltd
Current assignee: Spreadtrum Communications Shanghai Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-04-26
Filing date: 2022-04-26
Publication date: 2023-11-03
Also published as: WO2023207908A1

Abstract

The application provides a communication method and a communication device, wherein the communication method comprises the following steps: and determining to switch to the target cell according to the physical downlink control channel command PDCCH order. By implementing the application, the terminal equipment can be switched to the target cell, and the network energy saving is improved.

Description

Communication method and communication device

Technical Field

The embodiment of the application relates to the technical field of communication, in particular to a communication method and a communication device.

Background

Because network energy conservation can reduce operating costs and is environmentally friendly, network energy conservation is a concern for operators and equipment vendors. For example, in a 5G network, since there are many spectrum resources including frequency bands such as 1GHz, 2GHz, 4GHz, 6GHz and 26GHz, when the network load is low, cells corresponding to some frequency bands (such as 4GHz, 6GHz or 26 GHz) may be turned off as much as possible and may be turned on as needed, so as to achieve the purpose of network energy saving, and such cells may be referred to as target cells. However, in order to support the access and mobility of the terminal device, in some scenarios, the terminal device needs to be handed over to these target cells, so how to achieve the handover of the terminal device to the target cells is a problem to be solved.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the application provides a communication method and a communication device, which can realize the switching of terminal equipment to a target cell and reduce the network energy consumption.

In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, including:

the transition to the target cell is determined according to a physical downlink control channel command (Physical Downlink Control Channel, PDCCH) order.

In the embodiment of the application, the terminal equipment is triggered to be switched to the target cell through the PDCCH order, so that the network energy consumption is reduced, and the signaling overhead can be reduced.

In an alternative embodiment, the identification or index or number of the target cell is carried by X bits in the PDCCH order, where X is an integer greater than zero.

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, including:

and sending a physical downlink control channel command PDCCH order.

In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, including:

and determining the PRACH time and/or the preamble of the target cell according to the field in the physical downlink control channel PDCCH.

In the embodiment of the application, before the terminal equipment is switched to the target cell, the PRACH time and/or the preamble of the target cell is indicated through the field in the PDCCH of the anchor cell, so that the uplink synchronization between the network equipment and the terminal equipment is realized, and the dormancy time of the target cell is increased.

In an alternative embodiment, the PDCCH is PDCCH order.

In an alternative embodiment, a synchronization signal block (Synchronization Signal and PBCH block, SSB) index associated with the PRACH in the target cell is carried by an SSB index field in the PDCCH order.

In an alternative embodiment, the SSB index represents an index of an SSB;

wherein the SSB index field corresponds to an index of the one SSB, or 1 bit in the SSB index field corresponds to an index of the one SSB.

In an alternative embodiment, the SSB index represents an index of an SSB group, the SSB group being indicated by a high-level parameter;

wherein the SSB index field corresponds to an index of the one SSB group, or 1 bit in the SSB index field corresponds to an index of the one SSB group.

In an alternative embodiment, the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell is carried by Y bits in the PDCCH or PDCCH order, where Y is an integer greater than zero.

In an alternative embodiment, the SSB index represents an index of an SSB;

wherein the Y bits correspond to the index of the one SSB, or 1 bit of the Y bits corresponds to the index of the one SSB.

wherein the Y bits correspond to the index of the one SSB group, or 1 bit of the Y bits corresponds to the index of the one SSB group.

In an alternative embodiment, the method further comprises:

the terminal device determines that the SSB corresponding to the SSB index is valid.

In an alternative embodiment, SSBs corresponding to the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell have a first period, and other SSBs in the target cell have a second period, the first period being a short period and the second period being a long period.

In an alternative embodiment, the first period and the second period are given by higher layer parameters.

In an alternative embodiment, the PRACH occasion associated with SSB index in the target cell is carried by a PRACH mask index field in the PDCCH order.

In an alternative embodiment, the preamble index of the target cell is carried by a random access preamble index field in the PDCCH order.

In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication method, comprising:

and transmitting a physical downlink control channel PDCCH.

In an alternative embodiment, the PDCCH is PDCCH order.

In an alternative embodiment, the SSB index of the synchronization signal block associated with PRACH in the target cell is carried by an SSB index field in the PDCCH order.

In an alternative embodiment, the SSB index represents an index of an SSB;

In an alternative embodiment, the method further comprises:

and determining that the SSB corresponding to the SSB index is valid.

In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus, including: and the processing unit is used for determining to switch to the target cell according to the physical downlink control channel command PDCCH order.

In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising: and the communication unit is used for sending the physical downlink control channel command PDCCH order.

In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication apparatus, including: and the processing unit is used for determining the PRACH time and/or the preamble of the target cell according to the field in the physical downlink control channel PDCCH.

In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, including: and the communication unit is used for sending the physical downlink control channel PDCCH.

In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communications apparatus comprising a processor and a memory interconnected, the memory for storing a computer program comprising program instructions, the processor being configured to invoke the program instructions to perform the method according to any of the first to fourth aspects.

In a tenth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a chip comprising a processor coupled to an interface, the processor and the interface; the interface is for receiving or outputting signals and the processor is for executing code instructions to perform the method according to any of the first to fourth aspects.

In an eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a module apparatus, where the module apparatus includes a communication module, a power module, a storage module, and a chip module, where: the power supply module is used for providing electric energy for the module equipment; the storage module is used for storing data and instructions; the communication module is used for carrying out internal communication of the module equipment or carrying out communication between the module equipment and external equipment; the chip module is used for executing the method according to any one of the first aspect to the fourth aspect.

In a twelfth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a computer readable storage medium storing a computer program comprising program instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method according to any of the first to fourth aspects.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a communication method provided by the present application;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of another embodiment of a communication method according to the present application;

fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a communication device provided by the present application;

fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of a communication device according to the present application;

fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to another embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

In the embodiment of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the character "/" indicates that the associated object is one or the relationship. For example, A/B may represent A or B. "and/or" describes an association relationship of an association object, meaning that three relationships may exist. For example, a and/or B may represent: a exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone.

It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," and the like in the embodiments of the present application are used for distinguishing between description and not necessarily for indicating or implying a relative importance or number of features or characteristics in order.

In the embodiments of the present application, "at least one" means one or more, and "a plurality" means two or more. Furthermore, "at least one item(s)" below, or the like, refers to any combination of these items, and may include any combination of single item(s) or plural items(s). For example, at least one (one) of A, B or C may represent: a, B, C, a and B, a and C, B and C, or A, B and C. Wherein each of A, B, C may itself be an element or a collection comprising one or more elements.

In embodiments of the application, "exemplary," "in some embodiments," "in another embodiment," etc. are used to indicate an example, instance, or illustration. Any embodiment or design described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the term use of an example is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion.

"of", "corresponding" and "corresponding" in the embodiments of the present application may be sometimes used in combination, and it should be noted that the meaning to be expressed is consistent when the distinction is not emphasized. In the embodiments of the present application, communications and transmissions may sometimes be mixed, and it should be noted that, when the distinction is not emphasized, the meaning expressed is consistent. For example, a transmission may include sending and/or receiving, either nouns or verbs.

The equal to that related in the embodiment of the application can be used together with the greater than the adopted technical scheme, can also be used together with the lesser than the adopted technical scheme. It should be noted that when the number is equal to or greater than the sum, the number cannot be smaller than the sum; when the value is equal to or smaller than that used together, the value is not larger than that used together.

Some terms related to the embodiments of the present application are explained below to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

1. And a terminal device. In the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device is a device with a wireless transceiver function, and may be referred to as a terminal (terminal), a User Equipment (UE), a Mobile Station (MS), a Mobile Terminal (MT), an access terminal device, a vehicle-mounted terminal device, an industrial control terminal device, a UE unit, a UE station, a mobile station, a remote terminal device, a mobile device, a UE terminal device, a wireless communication device, a UE agent, or a UE apparatus. The terminal device may be fixed or mobile. It should be noted that the terminal device may support at least one wireless communication technology, such as long term evolution (long term evolution, LTE), new radio, NR, etc. For example, the terminal device may be a mobile phone, a tablet, a desktop, a notebook, a kiosk, a car-mounted terminal, a Virtual Reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (augmented reality, AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in an industrial control (industrial control), a wireless terminal in a self-driving (self-driving), a wireless terminal in a teleoperation (remote medical surgery), a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in a transportation security (transportation safety), a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home (smart home), a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (session initiation protocol, SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (wireless local loop, WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (personal digital assistant, PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a wearable device, a terminal in a future mobile communication network, or a public land mobile network (public land mobile network) in a future mobile communication network, etc. In some embodiments of the present application, the terminal device may also be a device with a transceiver function, such as a chip system. The chip system may include a chip and may also include other discrete devices.

2. A network device. The network device in the embodiment of the present application is a device that provides a wireless communication function for a terminal device, and may also be referred to as an access network device, a radio access network (radio access network, RAN) device, or the like. Wherein the network device may support at least one wireless communication technology, e.g., LTE, NR, etc. By way of example, network devices include, but are not limited to: next generation base stations (gnbs), evolved node bs (enbs), radio network controllers (radio network controller, RNCs), node bs (node bs, NB), base station controllers (base station controller, BSC), base transceiver stations (base transceiver station, BTS), home base stations (e.g., home evolved node B, or home node B, HNB), baseband units (BBUs), transceiving points (transmitting and receiving point, TRPs), transmitting points (transmitting point, TP), mobile switching centers, and the like in a fifth generation mobile communication system (5 th-generation, 5G). The network device may also be a wireless controller, a Centralized Unit (CU), and/or a Distributed Unit (DU) in the cloud wireless access network (cloud radio access network, CRAN) scenario, or the network device may be a relay station, an access point, an in-vehicle device, a terminal device, a wearable device, and a network device in future mobile communication or a network device in a future evolved PLMN, etc. In some embodiments, the network device may also be an apparatus, such as a system-on-a-chip, having functionality for providing wireless communication for the terminal device. By way of example, the chip system may include a chip, and may also include other discrete devices.

3. Anchor cell (anchor cell). The anchor point cell in the embodiment of the application can also be called a serving cell or a first type cell or a main cell. The anchor cell is a cell covered by the network device, and is in a normally open state. On the anchor cell, a master information block (Master Information Block, MIB) and a system information block (System Information Block, SIB) need to be carried to support cell search and system information transmission.

4. Non-anchor Cell (non-anchor Cell). The non-anchor cell in the embodiment of the application can also be called a switching target cell or a second type cell or a secondary cell. The non-anchor point cell is also a cell covered by the network equipment, is usually controlled by the network equipment, and can be opened as required, so that the aim of saving energy of the network can be realized. MIB and SIB need not be carried on the non-anchor cell. Further, to support paging. Random access and radio resource management (Radio Resource Management, RRM) measurements still require the synchronization signal block to be carried.

In the embodiment of the application, the Serving Cell (Serving Cell) or the Source Cell (Source Cell) or the current Cell (current Cell) may be used to represent the anchor Cell, and the Non-Serving Cell (Non-Serving Cell) or the Target Cell (Target Cell) or the candidate Cell (candidate Cell) may be used to represent the Target Cell. Since for a given terminal device the serving or source or current cell before the terminal device switch may be the cell or carrier in the normally open state described above, the anchor cell may be the serving or source or current cell. While the non-serving cell or target cell or candidate cell as the handover target may be the on-demand cell or carrier described above, and thus the target cell may be the non-serving cell or target cell or candidate cell. For this procedure of cell switching, we often use the target cell to represent the non-anchor cell.

It should be noted that, the anchor cell and the target cell may belong to the same network device, or may be configured in different network devices. When the anchor cell and the target cell belong to the same network device, the anchor cell may be referred to as a PCell or PCC and the target cell may be referred to as an SCell or SCC. When the anchor cell and the target cell belong to different network devices, the anchor cell may be referred to as a PCell or PCC, and the target cell may also be referred to as a PCell or PCC.

It should be noted that, when the anchor cell is used as a main body in the present application, it may be understood that the network device corresponding to the anchor cell is used as a main body, that is, the anchor cell may be replaced with the network device corresponding to the anchor cell. Likewise, when the target cell is taken as the main body in the present application, it can be understood that the network device corresponding to the target cell is taken as the main body, that is, the target cell can be replaced with the network device corresponding to the target cell.

The terminal device may be switched from the anchor cell to the target cell, but it is a challenging problem how to implement the switching of the terminal device from the anchor cell to the target cell in particular.

Based on the above problems, on the one hand, the embodiment of the application provides a communication method, and the terminal equipment determines to switch to the target cell according to the PDCCH order of the anchor cell, so as to switch to the target cell.

On the other hand, the application provides a communication method, and the terminal equipment determines the time and/or the lead code of the physical random access channel (Physical Random Access Channel, PRACH) of the target cell according to the field in the PDCCH of the anchor cell. Before the terminal equipment is switched to the target cell, the PRACH time and/or the preamble of the target cell is indicated through a field in the PDCCH of the anchor cell, so that uplink synchronization between the network equipment and the terminal equipment is realized, and the dormancy time of the target cell is increased.

Fig. 1 is a network architecture diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication system comprises a terminal device 102 and a network device 101. The coverage of network device 101 may include an anchor cell and a target cell. Wherein the opening and closing of the target cell may be controlled by the network device 101. Typically, the terminal device 102 will reside in the anchor cell, and when the target cell is turned on, the terminal device 102 may switch to the target cell. The terminal device 102 may determine to switch to the target cell according to the PDCCH order sent by the network device. It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, the network device where the anchor cell is located and the network device where the target cell is located may also be different, and the opening or closing of the target cell may be implemented by the interaction between the network device where the anchor cell is located and the network device where the target cell is located. The network device in which the anchor cell is located and the network device in which the target cell is located are taken as the same as examples in fig. 1, and the present application is not limited thereto.

Referring again to fig. 1, one network device 101 may configure both the target cell and the anchor cell. Under the condition of low network load, the terminal device 102 can complete transmission of service data on the anchor cell, and the network device 101 can close the target cell to achieve the purpose of network energy saving. Under the condition of higher network load, the target cell can be opened, i.e. the terminal equipment 102 can access the network through the target cell, so as to achieve the purpose of supporting data load balancing.

It is understood that the communication system may include, but is not limited to, one or more network devices, one or more terminal devices, such as one network device 101 and one terminal device 102 as illustrated in fig. 1. The communication system shown in fig. 1 includes, but is not limited to, a network device and a terminal device, and may further include other communication devices, and the number and form of the devices shown in fig. 1 are used as examples and are not limited to the embodiments of the present application.

As shown in fig. 2, which is a flow chart of an embodiment of a communication method provided by the present application, through the embodiment shown in fig. 2, a terminal device may determine to switch to a target cell according to PDCCH order sent by a network device, and specifically includes the following steps:

201, a network device sends a PDCCH order; correspondingly, the terminal equipment receives the PDCCH order sent by the network equipment.

202, the terminal equipment determines to switch to the target cell according to the PDCCH order.

In the embodiment of the application, the network device sends the PDCCH order in the anchor cell, the PDCCH order can contain a cell switching instruction, and the cell switching instruction can be used for indicating the terminal device to switch to the target cell. In one possible implementation, the PDCCH order includes, in addition to the cell transition indication, an Identity (ID) or index (index) or number (number) of the target cell, where the Identity (ID) or index (index) or number (number) of the target cell may be carried by X bits in the PDCCH order, where X is an integer greater than zero. In another possible implementation manner, the cell transition indication may include an Identity (ID) or an index (index) or a number (number) of the target cell, in other words, the cell transition indication is performed by the Identity (ID) or the index (index) or the number (number) of the target cell included in the PDCCH order, without additionally including the cell transition indication, thereby saving bit overhead. Optionally, the target cell to which the embodiment of the present application may be converted may correspond to a bitmap (bitmap) formed by X bits in the PDCCH order, where X is an integer greater than zero. The bitmap of X bits may be referred to as a target cell bitmap. Each bit in the bitmap corresponds to a target cell (or group of target cells). When the bitmap has a first value (such as 1), the target cell is the target cell (or target cell group) corresponding to the first value; when there are multiple first values (e.g. 1) in the bitmap, it indicates that the target cell is the target cell (or target cell group) corresponding to the multiple first values. When the target cell is a plurality of cells, the terminal device may autonomously select one target cell. The correspondence (association) of one target cell (a group of target cells) and one bit in the bitmap can be configured by higher layer signaling. Optionally, the X bits may be reserved bits in the PDCCH order, and the reserved bits in the PDCCH order are utilized to indicate the target cell bitmap, which may be easy to implement and reduce signaling overhead. It can be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the cell switching indication may also be performed through a target cell bitmap in the PDCCH, that is, the target cell bitmap is the cell switching indication.

After the anchor cell transmits the PDCCH order, the network device controls the target cell to be opened so that the terminal device can transmit and receive data on the target cell. Correspondingly, after receiving the PDCCH order, the terminal equipment receives and transmits data on the target cell, and the whole process ensures that the target cell is opened only when the terminal equipment is required to be served, thereby being beneficial to network energy saving. It should be noted that, if the network device where the anchor cell is located is different from the network device where the target cell is located, after the network device sends the PDCCH order in the anchor cell, the target cell may be opened through interaction with the network device where the target cell is located.

In some optional embodiments, the reserved bits in the PDCCH order may be utilized to indicate the identity, index or number of the target cell, i.e., the X bits may be reserved bits in the PDCCH order, and signaling overhead may be reduced by indicating the identity, index or number of the target cell by the reserved bits.

As shown in fig. 3, which is a flow chart of another embodiment of the communication method provided by the present application, through the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the terminal device may determine PRACH timing and/or preamble of the target cell according to a field in the PDCCH, and specifically includes the following steps:

301, the network device sends a PDCCH, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the PDCCH sent by the network device.

302, the terminal device determines PRACH timing and/or preamble of the target cell according to the field in the PDCCH.

In the embodiment of the application, the terminal equipment can be in a connection state, and the network equipment can refer to the network equipment where the anchor cell and the target cell are located, namely the network equipment where the anchor cell is located is the same as the network equipment where the target cell is located. It can be understood that, in the embodiment of the present application, the network device where the anchor cell is located and the network device where the target cell is located may also be different, and the network device sending the PDCCH to the terminal device is the network device where the anchor cell is located, and the network device receiving the PRACH sent by the terminal device is the network device where the target cell is located.

In some scenarios, there is a time offset between the anchor cell and the target cell, so the terminal device needs to send PRACH before switching to the target cell, so that the target cell and the terminal device achieve uplink synchronization. For example, for a terminal device, there is a time offset between a signal from or to the network device where the anchor cell is located and a signal from or to the network device where the target cell is located, resulting in a time offset between the anchor cell and the target cell. The reason for this time offset may include that there is a time offset between the two network devices, and also that the different distances between the terminal device and the two network devices result in different propagation times.

In the application, the terminal equipment can be triggered to send the PRACH on the target cell through the physical layer control signaling so as to realize the uplink synchronization between the target cell and the terminal equipment, wherein the physical layer control signaling can be a PDCCH (physical downlink control channel), and optionally, the PDCCH can be a PDCCH command (namely a PDCCH order), and the terminal equipment can be used for receiving the PDCCH in the anchor cell. It can be appreciated that, while the terminal device is instructed to transmit the PRACH on the target cell, it is also necessary to instruct the target cell in which the PRACH is located. Optionally, the Identity (ID) or index (index) or number (number) of the target cell to be converted in the embodiment of the present application may be carried by X bits in the PDCCH order, where X is an integer greater than zero. Optionally, the X bits may be reserved bits in the PDCCH order, and the reserved bits in the PDCCH order are utilized to indicate the identifier, index or number of the target cell, which may be easy to implement and reduce signaling overhead. It can be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the cell conversion indication may also be performed by using the Identity (ID) or index (index) or number (number) of the target cell in the PDCCH, that is, the Identity (ID) or index (index) or number (number) of the target cell is the cell conversion indication. Optionally, the target cell to which the embodiment of the present application may be converted may correspond to a bitmap (bitmap) formed by X bits in the PDCCH order, where X is an integer greater than zero. The bitmap of X bits may be referred to as a target cell bitmap. Each bit in the bitmap corresponds to a target cell (or group of target cells). When the bitmap has a first value (such as 1), the target cell is the target cell (or target cell group) corresponding to the first value; when there are multiple first values (e.g. 1) in the bitmap, it indicates that the target cell is the target cell (or target cell group) corresponding to the multiple first values. When the target cell is a plurality of cells, the terminal device may autonomously select one target cell. The correspondence (association) of one target cell (a group of target cells) and one bit in the bitmap can be configured by higher layer signaling. Optionally, the X bits may be reserved bits in the PDCCH order, and the reserved bits in the PDCCH order are utilized to indicate the target cell bitmap, which may be easy to implement and reduce signaling overhead. It can be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the cell switching indication may also be performed through a target cell bitmap in the PDCCH, that is, the target cell bitmap is the cell switching indication.

In the embodiment of the application, the network equipment sends the PDCCH comprising the cell conversion instruction through the anchor cell and controls the target cell to be opened, and it can be understood that if the network equipment where the anchor cell is located is different from the network equipment where the target cell is located, the target cell can be opened through interaction between the two network equipment. Correspondingly, the terminal equipment receives the PDCCH comprising the cell conversion instruction, and sends the PRACH (comprising sending the lead code on the PRACH occasion) on the target cell so as to ensure that the target cell and the terminal equipment achieve uplink synchronization, and the network equipment receives the PRACH (comprising detecting the lead code on the PRACH occasion) through the target cell. The whole process ensures that the target cell is opened only when the terminal equipment is required to be served, and is beneficial to network energy conservation.

The terminal device may also be referred to as transmitting a preamble (preamble) when transmitting the PRACH in the target cell, where the terminal device needs to determine a PRACH Occasion (timing) and the preamble, and the PRACH Occasion generally represents a time-frequency resource. In an alternative embodiment, the terminal device may determine the PRACH occasion and/or the preamble from a field in the PDCCH.

In a possible implementation manner, the PDCCH may include an SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell, and the terminal device may measure an SSB corresponding to the SSB index, and determine a corresponding PRACH occasion according to the measurement result, for example, use a PRACH occasion corresponding to an SSB with a measurement result greater than a certain threshold as the PRACH occasion of transmitting the preamble, where a correspondence between the SSB and the PRACH occasion may be indicated by the network device to the terminal device.

Illustratively, the SSB index may represent an index of an SSB. In this scenario, since one SSB associated with the PRACH in the target cell needs to be indicated, it needs to be determined, through the signal reporting result of the anchor cell, which SSB beam in the target cell is covered by the terminal device, and the measurement reporting/sensing/positioning requirements on the anchor cell are high. In some scenarios, the anchor cell may determine which SSB beam is covered by the terminal device in the target cell, e.g., the anchor cell may determine which SSB beam is covered by the terminal device in the target cell based on an inter-cell L1 measurement result, or the anchor cell may determine which SSB beam is covered by the terminal device by measuring an uplink signal (e.g., PRACH) of the terminal device in the target cell, or the anchor cell may determine which SSB beam is covered by the terminal device in the target cell by sensing and positioning.

Illustratively, the SSB index may represent an index of one SSB group, where the SSB group may be given by a high-level parameter, and one SSB group may include one or more SSBs. In this scenario, it is only necessary to determine by the anchor cell which SSB beam group the terminal device is covered by in the target cell, and the requirements on measurement reporting/sensing/positioning on the anchor cell can be relaxed.

The fields occupied in the PDCCH by the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell are respectively illustrated below.

In mode 1, the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell may be carried by an SSB index (SS/PBCH index) field in the PDCCH order, and the SSB index field in the PDCCH order is fully utilized, which may be easy to implement and reduce signaling overhead.

The SSB index may, for example, represent an SSB, i.e. in a certain SSB index indication, the SSB index field is used to indicate an SSBIndex of SSB. For example, Y bits in the SSB index field are used to represent the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell, which in a certain indication actually represents the index of one SSB. In one implementation, 2 of the Y bits may be used ^Y One of the combinations of seed values indicates an index of one SSB, for example, the value of Y is 2, and two bits may be used to indicate indexes of 4 SSBs, namely, bit 00 corresponds to an index of SSB0, bit 01 corresponds to an index of SSB1, bit 10 corresponds to an index of SSB2, and bit 11 corresponds to an index of SSB 3. If the 2 bits of the SSB index field are 01 in some indication, it may be determined that an index of SSB1 is indicated. The SSB index indication mode can indicate a wider SSB index range. In another implementation, one of the Y bits corresponds to an index of one SSB. At this time, Y bits are one bitmap. When the value of a bit is a first value (e.g. 1), the index of the SSB corresponding to the bit is the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell. This SSB index indication may indicate more SSBs.

For example, the SSB index may represent one SSB group, which may include one or more SSBs, i.e., in some SSB index indication, the SSB index field is used to indicate an index of one SSB group. For example, Y bits in the SSB index field are used to represent the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell, which in a certain indication actually represents the index of one SSB group. In one implementation, 2 of the Y bits may be used ^Y One of the combinations of seed values indicates an index of one SSB group, for example, the value of Y is 2, and then two bits may be used to indicate indexes of 4 SSB groups. The SSB index indication mode can indicate a wider SSB index range. In another implementation, one of the Y bits corresponds to an index of one SSB group. At this time, Y bits are one bitmap. When the value of a bit is a first value (e.g. 1), the index of the SSB group corresponding to the bit is the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell. This SSB index indication may indicate more SSBs.

In mode 2, the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell may be carried by Y bits in the PDCCH or PDCCH order, where Y is an integer greater than zero.

Specifically, optionally, the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell may be carried by Y bits in the PDCCH, where the Y bits may be new bits, and the new bits are used to carry the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell, which may improve flexibility. It is understood that the Y bits may not be limited to new bits, and the present application is not limited thereto.

Specifically, optionally, the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell may be carried by Y bits in the PDCCH order, where the Y bits may be reserved bits, and using the reserved bits to carry the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell may reduce signaling overhead. It is understood that the Y bits may not be limited to reserved bits, and the present application is not limited thereto.

For example, the SSB index may represent an SSB, i.e., in some SSB index indication, the SSB index field is used to indicate the index of an SSB. For example, Y bits in the PDCCH or PDCCH order are used to represent the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell, which in a certain indication actually represents an index of one SSB. In one implementation, 2 of the Y bits may be used ^Y One of the combinations of seed values indicates an index of one SSB, for example, the value of Y is 2, and then two bits may be used to indicate an index of 4 SSBs. The SSB index indication mode can indicate a wider SSB index range. In another implementation, one of the Y bits corresponds to an index of one SSB. At this time, Y bits are one bitmap. When the value of a bit is a first value (e.g. 1), the index of the SSB corresponding to the bit is the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell. This SSB index indication may indicate more SSBs.

For example, the SSB index may represent one SSB group, which may include one or more SSBs, i.e., in a certain SSB index indication, Y bits in the PDCCH or PDCCH order are used to indicate an index of one SSB group. For example, Y bits in PDCCH or PDCCH orderTo indicate the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell, in a certain indication, the Y bit actually indicates the index of one SSB group. In one implementation, 2 of the Y bits may be used ^Y One of the combinations of seed values indicates an index of one SSB group, for example, the value of Y is 2, and then two bits may be used to indicate indexes of 4 SSB groups. The SSB index indication mode can indicate a wider SSB index range. In another implementation, one of the Y bits corresponds to an index of one SSB group. At this time, Y bits are one bitmap. When the value of a bit is a first value (e.g. 1), the index of the SSB group corresponding to the bit is the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell. This SSB index indication may indicate more SSBs.

The above describes alternative carrying manners of the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell in two manners, and it is understood that the above two manners are only examples, and other carrying manners are also possible, and do not constitute limitation of the present application.

In an alternative embodiment, the PRACH occasion associated with the SSB index in the target cell may be carried by a PRACH Mask index (PRACH Mask index) field in the PDCCH order. The PRACH mask index field in PDCCH order may be utilized to indicate the PRACH occasion associated with the SSB index in the target cell, may be easy to implement, and reduces signaling overhead. Alternatively, the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell may be carried by an SSB index (SS/PBCH index) field (specifically, reference may be made to the above-mentioned representation of the SSB index, such as a bit value or a bitmap), and the SSB index is associated with the PRACH occasion, so that the SSB index field is associated with the PRACH mask index field.

In an alternative embodiment, the PRACH occasion associated with the SSB index in the target cell may be carried by a PRACH Mask index (PRACH Mask index) field in the PDCCH. At this time, the PRACH mask index field is a new field in the PDCCH, which is used to indicate the PRACH occasion associated with the SSB index in the target cell, and the new field may increase flexibility. Alternatively, the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell may be carried by an SSB index (SS/PBCH index) field (specifically, reference may be made to the above-mentioned representation of the SSB index, such as a bit value or a bitmap), and the SSB index is associated with the PRACH occasion, so that the SSB index field is associated with the PRACH mask index field.

In an alternative embodiment, the preamble index in the target cell may be carried by a random access preamble index (Random Access Preamble index) field in the PDCCH order. The preamble index field of the random access preamble in the PDCCH order is fully utilized to indicate the preamble index in the target cell, so that the implementation is easy, and the signaling overhead is reduced. Optionally, the PRACH occasion corresponding to the preamble index is determined according to the association between the SSB index and the PRACH occasion, and the SSB index may be carried by an SSB index (SS/PBCH index) field (specifically, the representation mode of the SSB index may be referred to, for example, a bit value or a bitmap), and the PRACH occasion associated with the SSB index may be carried by a PRACH Mask index (PRACH Mask index) field, in other words, the PRACH occasion corresponding to the preamble index is determined according to the SSB index field and the PRACH Mask index field, so that the random access preamble index field is associated with both the SSB index field and the PRACH Mask index field.

In an alternative embodiment, the preamble index in the target cell may be carried by a random access preamble index (Random Access Preamble index) field in the PDCCH. At this time, the random access preamble index field is a new field in the PDCCH, which is used to indicate the preamble index in the target cell, and the new field may increase flexibility. Optionally, the PRACH occasion corresponding to the preamble index is determined according to the association between the SSB index and the PRACH occasion, and the SSB index may be carried by an SSB index (SS/PBCH index) field in the PDCCH order (specifically, the representation mode of the SSB index may be referred to, for example, a bit value or a bitmap), and the PRACH occasion associated with the SSB index may be carried by a PRACH Mask index (PRACH Mask index) field, in other words, the PRACH occasion corresponding to the preamble index is determined according to the SSB index field and the PRACH Mask index field, so that the random access preamble index field is associated with both the SSB index field and the PRACH Mask index field.

In the embodiment of the application, in order to achieve further energy saving, the terminal equipment determines that the SSB corresponding to the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell indicated by the network equipment is effective. The method and the device can be effectively understood that the network device only turns on the beam corresponding to the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell, and correspondingly, the terminal device only measures the SSB corresponding to the indicated SSB index, and does not measure SSBs other than the indicated SSB index. The SSB may be one SSB or a plurality of SSBs.

In some alternative embodiments, SSBs corresponding to the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell have a first period, and other SSBs in the target cell have a second period. In general, the first period is a short period, meaning that SSB is of higher importance because PRACH is associated; this second period is a long period, meaning that SSB is not of high importance, since there is no associated PRACH. The first period and the second period may be, for example, configured by the network device via higher layer parameters. The network device opens a beam corresponding to the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell in the first period, and correspondingly, the terminal device measures the SSB corresponding to the SSB index associated with the PRACH indicated in the target cell in the first period. Optionally, the terminal device measures other SSBs in the target cell with the second period. It is appreciated that the anchor cell may flexibly configure the SSB period according to the current load situation of the network and the radio channel conditions. The SSB may be one SSB or a plurality of SSBs.

In some alternative embodiments, SSBs corresponding to the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell have a first configuration, and other SSBs in the target cell have a second configuration. Generally, the first configuration is a higher time domain density (e.g., a greater number of repetitions within a period or window) and the second configuration is a lower time domain density (e.g., a lesser number of repetitions within a period or window). The first configuration and the second configuration may be, for example, configured by the network device via higher-level parameters. The network device opens a beam corresponding to the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell in the first configuration, and correspondingly, the terminal device measures the SSB corresponding to the SSB index associated with the PRACH indicated in the target cell in the first configuration. Optionally, the terminal device measures other SSBs in the target cell in the second configuration. It is appreciated that anchor cells can flexibly configure SSB configuration according to the current load situation of the network and radio channel conditions. The SSB may be one SSB or a plurality of SSBs.

The method for indicating the SSB index is the same as the method for indicating the SSB index in the mode 2, and will not be described here again.

Referring to fig. 4, fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the application. The device can be a terminal device, a device in the terminal device, or a device which can be matched with the terminal device for use. The communication device 400 shown in fig. 4 may comprise a processing unit 401 and a communication unit 402. The processing unit 401 is configured to perform data processing. The communication unit 402 is integrated with a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The communication unit 402 may also be referred to as a transceiving unit. Alternatively, the communication unit 402 may be split into a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The processing unit 401 and the communication unit 402 are the same as each other, and will not be described in detail. Wherein:

a communication unit 402, configured to receive PDCCH order.

The processing unit 401 is configured to determine to switch to the target cell according to the PDCCH order commanded by the physical downlink control channel.

The relevant content of the embodiment can be referred to the relevant content of the method embodiment. And will not be described in detail herein.

Referring to fig. 4, fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the application. The device may be a network device, a device in a network device, or a device that can be used in cooperation with a network device. The communication device 400 shown in fig. 4 may comprise a processing unit 401 and a communication unit 402. The processing unit 401 is configured to perform data processing. The communication unit 402 is integrated with a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The communication unit 402 may also be referred to as a transceiving unit. Alternatively, the communication unit 402 may be split into a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The processing unit 401 and the communication unit 402 are the same as each other, and will not be described in detail. Wherein:

A communication unit 402, configured to send a physical downlink control channel command PDCCH order.

a communication unit 402, configured to receive a physical downlink control channel PDCCH.

The processing unit 401 is configured to determine the PRACH timing and/or the preamble of the physical random access channel of the target cell according to the field in the physical downlink control channel PDCCH.

In an alternative embodiment, the PDCCH is PDCCH order.

In an alternative embodiment, the SSB index represents an index of an SSB;

In an alternative embodiment, processing unit 401 determines that the SSB corresponding to the SSB index is valid.

and the communication unit is used for sending the physical downlink control channel PDCCH.

In an alternative embodiment, the PDCCH is PDCCH order.

In an alternative embodiment, the SSB index represents an index of an SSB;

In an alternative embodiment, the processing unit 401 is configured to determine that the SSB corresponding to the SSB index is valid.

Referring to fig. 5, fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application, which is configured to implement the functions of the terminal device in fig. 2 or fig. 3. The communication device 500 may be a terminal device or a device for a terminal device. The means for the terminal device may be a chip system or a chip within the terminal device. The chip system may be composed of a chip or may include a chip and other discrete devices.

Alternatively, the communication device 500 is configured to implement the functions of the network device in fig. 2 or fig. 3. The communication means may be a network device or means for a network device. The means for the network device may be a system-on-chip or a chip within the network device.

The communication device 500 includes at least one processor 520 for implementing data processing functions of a terminal device or a network device in the method provided by the embodiment of the present application. The communication apparatus 500 may further include a communication interface 510 for implementing a transceiving operation of a terminal device or a network device in the method provided by the embodiment of the present application. In an embodiment of the application, the processor 520 may be a central processing unit (Central Processing Unit, CPU), which may also be other general purpose processors, digital signal processors (Digital Signal Processor, DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (Application Specific Integrated Circuit, ASICs), off-the-shelf programmable gate arrays (Field-Programmable Gate Array, FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, or the like. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor or the like. In an embodiment of the application, communication interface 510 may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface for communicating with other devices over a transmission medium. For example, the communication interface 510 may be used by an apparatus in the apparatus 500 to communicate with other devices. Processor 520 utilizes communication interface 510 to transceive data and is used to implement the methods described in connection with fig. 2 or 3 of the method embodiments described above.

The communications apparatus 500 can also include at least one memory 530 for storing program instructions and/or data. Memory 530 is coupled to processor 520. The coupling in the embodiments of the present application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, which may be in electrical, mechanical, or other forms for information interaction between the devices, units, or modules. Processor 520 may cooperate with memory 530. Processor 520 may execute program instructions stored in memory 530. At least one of the at least one memory may be included in the processor.

When the communication device 500 is powered on, the processor 520 may read the software program in the memory 530, interpret and execute instructions of the software program, and process data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 520 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted, and outputs a baseband signal to a radio frequency circuit (not shown), and the radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal and then transmits the radio frequency signal to the outside in the form of electromagnetic waves through an antenna. When data is transmitted to the device 500, the radio frequency circuit receives a radio frequency signal through the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 520, and the processor 520 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

In another implementation, the rf circuitry and antenna may be provided separately from the baseband processing processor 520, for example, in a distributed scenario, the rf circuitry and antenna may be remotely located from the communication device.

The specific connection medium between the communication interface 510, the processor 520, and the memory 530 is not limited to the above embodiments of the present application. The memory 530, the processor 520, and the communication interface 510 are connected in fig. 5 by a bus 540, which is shown in bold lines in fig. 5, and the connection between other components is merely illustrative and not restrictive. The buses may be classified as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is shown in fig. 5, but not only one bus or one type of bus.

When the communication device 500 is specifically used for a terminal apparatus, for example, when the communication device 500 is specifically a chip or a chip system, the baseband signal may be output or received by the communication interface 510. When the communication device 500 is a terminal device, the radio frequency signal may be output or received by the communication interface 510.

It should be noted that, the communication device may execute the steps related to the terminal device or the network device in the foregoing method embodiment, and the implementation manner provided by each step may be referred to specifically, which is not described herein again.

For each device, product, or application to or integrated with a communication device, each module included in the device may be implemented by hardware such as a circuit, and different modules may be located in the same component (for example, a chip, a circuit module, or the like) or in different components in the terminal, or at least some modules may be implemented by using a software program, where the software program runs on a processor integrated in the terminal, and the remaining (if any) some modules may be implemented by hardware such as a circuit.

The memory may be volatile memory or nonvolatile memory, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile memory. The nonvolatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a Programmable ROM (PROM), an Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (electrically EPROM, EEPROM), or a flash memory, among others. The volatile memory may be random access memory (random access memory, RAM) which acts as an external cache. By way of example but not limitation, many forms of random access memory (random access memory, RAM) are available, such as Static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (dynamic random access memory, DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct memory bus RAM (DR RAM).

The embodiment of the application provides a chip. The chip comprises: a processor and a memory. Wherein the number of processors may be one or more and the number of memories may be one or more. The processor, by reading the instructions and data stored on the memory, may perform the communication methods as described above and steps performed by the related embodiments, as shown in fig. 2 or 3.

As shown in fig. 6, fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a module device according to an embodiment of the present application. The module device 600 may perform the steps related to the terminal device in the foregoing method embodiment, where the module device 600 includes: a communication module 601, a power module 602, a memory module 603 and a chip module 604. Wherein the power module 602 is configured to provide power to the module device; the storage module 603 is used for storing data and instructions; the communication module 601 is used for performing internal communication of the module device or for communicating between the module device and an external device; the chip module 604 may perform the data communication method as shown in fig. 2 or fig. 3 and the steps performed by the related embodiments.

The embodiment of the application also provides a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable storage medium stores a computer program comprising program instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the communication method shown in fig. 2 or fig. 3 and the steps performed by the related embodiments.

The computer readable storage medium may be an internal storage unit of the terminal device or the network device according to any of the foregoing embodiments, for example, a hard disk or a memory of the device. The computer readable storage medium may also be an external storage device of the terminal device or network device, such as a plug-in hard disk, a Smart Media Card (SMC), a Secure Digital (SD) card, a flash card (flash card) or the like, which are provided on the device. Further, the computer-readable storage medium may also include both an internal storage unit of the terminal device or the network device and an external storage device. The computer-readable storage medium is used to store the computer program and other programs and data required by the terminal device or network device. The computer-readable storage medium may also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or is to be output. The computer readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. that contains one or more sets of available media. The usable medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., high-density digital video disc (digital video disc, DVD)), or a semiconductor medium. The semiconductor medium may be a solid state disk.

The above embodiments may be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any other combination. When implemented in software, the above-described embodiments may be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product comprises one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer program are loaded or executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in accordance with embodiments of the present application are produced in whole or in part. The computer may be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable apparatus. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website site, computer, server, or data center to another website site, computer, server, or data center by wired or wireless means.

It should be understood that, in various embodiments of the present application, the sequence numbers of the foregoing processes do not mean the order of execution, and the order of execution of the processes should be determined by the functions and internal logic thereof, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed method, apparatus and system may be implemented in other manners. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, the division of the units is only one logic function division, and other division modes can be adopted in actual implementation; for example, multiple units or components may be combined or may be integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted, or not performed. Alternatively, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed with each other may be an indirect coupling or communication connection via some interfaces, devices or units, which may be in electrical, mechanical or other form.

The units described as separate units may or may not be physically separate, and units shown 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 may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

In addition, each functional unit in the embodiments of the present application may be integrated in one processing unit, or each unit may be physically included separately, or two or more units may be integrated in one unit. The integrated units may be implemented in hardware or in hardware plus software functional units.

The integrated units implemented in the form of software functional units described above may be stored in a computer readable storage medium. The software functional unit is stored in a storage medium, and includes several instructions for causing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to perform part of the steps of the method according to the embodiments of the present application.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that implementing all or part of the above-described methods in accordance with the embodiments may be accomplished by way of a computer program stored on a computer readable storage medium, which when executed may comprise the steps of the embodiments of the methods described above. The storage medium may be a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a random access Memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), or the like.

The above disclosure is illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the present application, and it is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the application, but rather as providing for the full or partial flow of the solution to the above-described embodiment, and equivalent variations according to the appended claims, will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A method of communication, comprising:

and determining to switch to the target cell according to the physical downlink control channel command PDCCH order.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification or index or number of the target cell is carried by X bits in the PDCCH order, wherein X is an integer greater than zero.

3. A method of communication, comprising:

and sending a physical downlink control channel command PDCCH order.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identity or index or number of the target cell is carried by X bits in the PDCCH order, wherein X is an integer greater than zero.

5. A method of communication, comprising:

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the PDCCH is PDCCH order.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identity or index or number of the target cell is carried by X bits in the PDCCH order, wherein X is an integer greater than zero.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein a synchronization signal block, SSB, index associated with a PRACH in the target cell is carried by an SSB index field in the PDCCH order.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the SSB index represents an index of one SSB;

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the SSB index represents an index of a SSB group, the SSB group being indicated by a higher layer parameter;

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell is carried by Y bits in the PDCCH or PDCCH order, wherein Y is an integer greater than zero.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the SSB index represents an index of one SSB;

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the SSB index represents an index of a SSB group, the SSB group being indicated by a higher layer parameter;

14. The method of any one of claims 8-13, wherein the method further comprises:

and determining that the SSB corresponding to the SSB index is valid.

15. The method of any of claims 8-13, wherein SSBs corresponding to the SSB index associated with PRACH in the target cell have a first period, and other SSBs in the target cell have a second period, the first period being a short period and the second period being a long period.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first period and the second period are given by a high-level parameter.

17. The method of claim 5, wherein PRACH occasions associated with SSB indexes in the target cell are carried by a PRACH mask index field in the PDCCH order.

18. The method of claim 5, wherein the preamble index of the target cell is carried by a random access preamble index field in a PDCCH order.

19. A method of communication, comprising:

and transmitting a physical downlink control channel PDCCH.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the PDCCH is PDCCH order.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the identification or index or number of the target cell is carried by X bits in the PDCCH order, wherein X is an integer greater than zero.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein a synchronization signal block, SSB, index associated with a PRACH in the target cell is carried by an SSB index field in the PDCCH order.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the SSB index represents an index of one SSB;

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the SSB index represents an index of a SSB group, the SSB group being indicated by a higher layer parameter;

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the SSB index associated with the PRACH in the target cell is carried by Y bits in the PDCCH or PDCCH order, wherein Y is an integer greater than zero.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the SSB index represents an index of one SSB;

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the SSB index represents an index of a SSB group, the SSB group being indicated by a higher layer parameter;

28. The method of any one of claims 22-27, wherein the method further comprises:

and determining that the SSB corresponding to the SSB index is valid.

29. The method of any of claims 22-27, wherein SSBs corresponding to the SSB index associated with PRACH in the target cell have a first period, and wherein other SSBs in the target cell have a second period, the first period being a short period and the second period being a long period.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the first period and the second period are given by a high-level parameter.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein PRACH occasions associated with SSB indexes in the target cell are carried by a PRACH mask index field in the PDCCH order.

32. The method of claim 19, wherein the preamble index of the target cell is carried by a random access preamble index field in a PDCCH order.

33. A communication device, comprising:

and the processing unit is used for determining to switch to the target cell according to the physical downlink control channel command PDCCH order.

34. A communication device, comprising:

and the communication unit is used for sending the physical downlink control channel command PDCCH order.

35. A communication device, comprising:

and the processing unit is used for determining the PRACH time and/or the preamble of the target cell according to the field in the physical downlink control channel PDCCH.

36. A communication device, comprising:

37. A communication device comprising a processor and a memory, the processor and the memory being interconnected, wherein the memory is adapted to store a computer program comprising program instructions, the processor being configured to invoke the program instructions to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 2, or to perform the method of any of claims 3 to 4, or to perform the method of any of claims 5 to 18, or to perform the method of any of claims 19 to 32.

38. A chip comprising a processor and an interface, the processor and the interface coupled; the interface is for receiving or outputting signals, the processor is for executing code instructions to cause the method of any one of claims 1 to 2, or to cause the method of any one of claims 3 to 4, or to cause the method of any one of claims 5 to 18, or to cause the method of any one of claims 19 to 32.

39. The utility model provides a module equipment, its characterized in that, module equipment includes communication module, power module, storage module and chip module, wherein:

The power supply module is used for providing electric energy for the module equipment;

the storage module is used for storing data and instructions;

the communication module is used for carrying out internal communication of module equipment or carrying out communication between the module equipment and external equipment;

the chip module is adapted to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 2, or to perform the method of any one of claims 3 to 4, or to perform the method of any one of claims 5 to 18, or to perform the method of any one of claims 19 to 32.

40. A computer readable storage medium, characterized in that the computer readable storage medium stores a computer program comprising program instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 2, or to perform the method of any one of claims 3 to 4, or to perform the method of any one of claims 5 to 18, or to perform the method of any one of claims 19 to 32.