WO2022028358A1

WO2022028358A1 - Method and apparatus for processing reference signal

Info

Publication number: WO2022028358A1
Application number: PCT/CN2021/110023
Authority: WO
Inventors: 杨拓; 徐晓东
Original assignee: 中国移动通信有限公司研究院; 中国移动通信集团有限公司
Priority date: 2020-08-03
Filing date: 2021-08-02
Publication date: 2022-02-10
Also published as: CN114070509A; CN114070509B

Abstract

Provided are a method and apparatus for processing a reference signal. The method comprises: in an idle state or an inactive state, a terminal supporting a first reference signal that is indicated by first information, wherein the first information comprises a combination of one or more of the following: configuration information of the first reference signal that is obtained by the terminal by means of an RRC configuration message or an RRC connection release message; and configuration information, which is still valid in the idle state or the inactive state, in all configuration information or some configuration information of one or more reference signals configured in a connected state that is obtained by the terminal by means of the RRC connection release message.

Description

Method and apparatus for processing reference signals

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202010766673.3 filed in China on Aug. 3, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

technical field

The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular, to a method and apparatus for processing a reference signal.

Background technique

Different from the 4th-generation (4th-Generation, 4G) long-term evolution (Long Term Evolution, LTE) use of cell reference signals (Cell Reference Signal, CRS), the fifth-generation mobile communication system (5th-generation, 5G) new In the air interface (New Radio, NR), a Tracking Reference Signal (TRS) is introduced to estimate large-scale channel characteristics such as precise time/frequency synchronization, delay spread and Doppler spread. The TRS in the related art can only be configured through terminal-specific Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, that is, it can only be configured for terminals in an RRC connected state.

The TRS in the related art can only be configured for terminals in the RRC connected state, and the terminals in the RRC idle state and inactive state cannot use the TRS, and can only use the synchronization signal block (SS/PBCH block, SSB) for synchronization tracking and so on. But SSB is sent according to the period, the default period is 20ms. Each time a terminal in the RRC idle state and inactive state receives a paging signal, it needs to wake up a long time in advance and receive SSB for synchronous tracking. In LTE, since each time slot has a CRS, the terminal only needs to detect the CRS by one or several time slots in advance to obtain synchronization. However, in 5G NR, since the terminals in the RRC idle state and the inactive state can only be synchronized through the SSB, they need to wake up for a long time in advance. consumption increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a method and apparatus for processing a reference signal, so as to solve the problem that a terminal in an idle state or an inactive state can only use the SSB as a synchronization signal.

In a first aspect, a method for processing a reference signal is provided, including:

In an idle state or an inactive state, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information;

Wherein, the first information includes one or more of the following combinations:

the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained by the terminal through a radio resource control RRC configuration message;

the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message;

All configuration information or part of the configuration information of a reference signal configured in the connected state obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message is still valid configuration information in the idle state or the inactive state;

The terminal obtains all the configuration information of the multiple reference signals configured in the connected state through the RRC connection release message or the configuration information that is still valid in the idle state or the inactive state.

Optionally, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information, including:

The terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information before the specified time expires or before the failure condition takes effect.

Optionally, the method further includes:

After the specified time expires or a failure condition takes effect, the terminal does not support the first reference signal indicated by the first information.

Optionally, the expiration of the specified time includes any of the following:

The timer times out, and the timer starts to count when the terminal enters an idle state or an inactive state or starts to support the reference signal, or the timer starts to count from the relevant time when the RRC connection release message is sent;

The effective time expires, and the effective time starts to count when the terminal enters an idle state or an inactive state or starts to support the reference signal, or the effective time starts to count from the relevant time when the RRC connection release message is sent.

Optionally, the failure condition includes any one of the following:

The terminal receives the paging message;

The terminal enters the RRC connected state.

Optionally, the time length of the specified time or the failure condition is configured by the network side, or agreed in a protocol.

Optionally, if the first information is configured through RRC and there is no additional configuration message about the first information, or there is no additional configuration information about the specified time length, or there is no additional configuration about the failure condition information, the failure condition or the expiration of the specified time includes any one of the following:

the terminal receives a paging message;

the terminal enters the RRC connected state;

No time limit.

The terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information in the initial bandwidth part.

Optionally, in the idle state or the inactive state, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information, including:

receiving, by the terminal, the second configuration information from the network side;

The terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information in an idle state or an inactive state according to the second configuration information.

Optionally, the second configuration information is higher layer signaling or a radio resource control connection release message.

Optionally, in an idle state or an inactive state, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information, including:

According to a protocol agreement, in an idle state or an inactive state, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information.

Optionally, the first reference signal is used in one or more of the following combinations:

time-frequency tracking;

Channel state information calculation;

Channel state information measurements.

In a second aspect, a method for processing a reference signal is provided, applied to a network side device, including:

configuring first information, where the first information is used to indicate a first reference signal supported by the terminal in an idle state or an inactive state;

the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained by the terminal through the RRC configuration message;

The whole configuration information or part of the configuration information of the multiple reference signals configured in the connected state obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message is still valid in the idle state or the inactive state.

Optionally, the method further includes:

The configuration or protocol stipulates that the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information before the specified time expires or before the failure condition takes effect.

Optionally, the expiration of the specified time includes any of the following:

The timer times out, and the timer starts to count when the terminal enters an idle state or an inactive state or starts to support reference signals, or the timer starts to count from the relevant time when the RRC connection release message is sent;

The effective time expires, and the effective time starts to count when the terminal enters the idle state or the inactive state or starts to support the reference signal, or the effective time starts to count from the relevant time when the RRC connection release message is sent.

Optionally, the failure condition includes any one of the following:

The terminal receives the paging message;

The terminal enters the RRC connected state.

Optionally, the time length of the specified time or the failure condition is configured by the network side or agreed in a protocol.

Optionally, if the first information is configured through RRC and there is no additional configuration message about the first information, or there is no additional configuration information about the specified time length, or there is no additional configuration about the failure condition When the specified time expires or the invalidation condition includes any of the following:

the terminal receives a paging message;

the terminal enters the RRC connected state;

No time limit.

Optionally, the configuring the first information includes:

Send second configuration information, where the second configuration information indicates that the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information in an idle state or an inactive state.

Optionally, the second configuration message is higher layer signaling, or a radio resource control connection release message.

time-frequency tracking;

Channel state information calculation;

Channel state information measurements.

In a third aspect, an apparatus for processing a reference signal is provided, applied to a terminal, including:

a processing module, configured to support the first reference signal indicated by the first information in an idle state or an inactive state;

In a fourth aspect, a terminal is provided, comprising: a processor, a memory, and a program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, the program being executed by the processor to implement the method described in the first aspect the steps of the method described above for processing a reference signal.

A fifth aspect provides an apparatus for processing a reference signal, which is applied to a network side device, including:

a configuration module, configured to configure first information, where the first information is used to indicate a first reference signal supported by the terminal in an idle state or an inactive state;

All the configuration information or part of the configuration information of the multiple reference signals configured in the connected state obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message is still valid in the idle state or the inactive state.

In a sixth aspect, a network-side device is provided, comprising: a processor, a memory, and a program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, the program being executed by the processor to achieve the second The steps of the method of processing a reference signal of an aspect.

In a seventh aspect, a readable storage medium is provided, and a computer program is stored on the readable storage medium, and when the program is executed by a processor, the method for processing a reference signal according to the first aspect or the second aspect is implemented. step.

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the network-side device can reserve the reference signal configuration in the RRC connected state for the terminal, and when the terminal enters the RRC idle state/inactive state, the reference signal can still be used to assist it in time-frequency domain synchronization, Save the power consumption of the terminal.

Description of drawings

Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of alternative embodiments. The drawings are for the purpose of illustrating alternative embodiments only and are not to be considered limiting of the present disclosure. Also, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings. In the attached image:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a wireless communication system to which an embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for processing a reference signal on a terminal side according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

3 is a flowchart of a method for processing a reference signal on a network side according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for processing a reference signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

5 is a schematic diagram of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a second schematic diagram of an apparatus for processing a reference signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a network side device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

detailed description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, but not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

The term "comprising" and any variations thereof in the description and claims of the present disclosure are intended to cover the non-exclusive inclusion, eg, a process, method, system, product or device comprising a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to the explicit Those steps or units are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not expressly listed or inherent to the process, method, product or apparatus. In addition, the use of "and/or" in the description and the claims indicates at least one of the connected objects, such as A and/or B, indicating that there are three cases including A alone, B alone, and both A and B.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, words such as "exemplary" or "such as" are used to mean serving as an example, illustration, or illustration. Any embodiments or designs described in the embodiments of the present disclosure as "exemplary" or "such as" should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "such as" is intended to present the related concepts in a specific manner.

The terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably. A code division multiple access (Code Division Multiple Access, CDMA) system can implement radio technologies such as CDMA2000, Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (Universal Terrestrial Radio Access, UTRA). UTRA includes Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) and other CDMA variants. A time division multiple access (TDMA) system may implement a radio technology such as the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM). Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) system can realize such as Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), Evolved UTRA (Evolution-UTRA, E-UTRA), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi ), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDM and other radio technologies. UTRA and E-UTRA are part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). LTE and higher LTE (eg LTE-A) are new UMTS releases that use E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, and GSM are described in documents from an organization named "3rd Generation Partnership Project" (3GPP). CDMA2000 and UMB are described in documents from an organization named "3rd Generation Partnership Project 2" (3GPP2). The techniques described herein may be used for both the systems and radio technologies mentioned above, as well as for other systems and radio technologies.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The method and apparatus for processing a reference signal provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to a wireless communication system. Referring to FIG. 1, it is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1 , the wireless communication system may include: a network device 11 and a terminal 12, the terminal 12 may be denoted as UE12, and the terminal 12 may communicate with the network device 11 (transmit signaling or transmit data). In practical applications, the connections between the above-mentioned various devices may be wireless connections. In order to conveniently and intuitively represent the connection relationship between the various devices, solid lines are used in FIG. 1 for illustration.

The network device 11 provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure may be a base station, and the base station may be a commonly used base station, an evolved node base station (eNB), or a network device in a 5G system (for example, the following Devices such as next generation node base station (gNB) or transmission and reception point (TRP)).

The terminal 12 provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, an Ultra-Mobile Personal Computer (UMPC), a netbook or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a mobile Internet device (Mobile Internet Device, MID), wearable device (Wearable Device) or in-vehicle device, etc.

Referring to FIG. 2 , an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for processing a reference signal. The execution body of the method may be a terminal, and the specific steps include: step 201 .

Step 201: In an idle state or an inactive state, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information;

Optionally, the first reference signal is used for a combination of one or more of the following: time-frequency tracking; channel state information calculation; channel state information measurement.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information, including a combination of one or more of the following:

(1) The terminal receives the first reference signal indicated by the first information;

That is, the terminal can apply the first information to receive the first reference signal.

(2) The terminal uses the first reference signal indicated by the first information to perform time domain and/or frequency domain tracking;

(3) The terminal uses the first reference signal indicated by the first information to calculate the channel state information.

(4) The terminal saves or does not release or discard or suspend the configuration information of the first reference signal.

Optionally, the first reference signal may be a tracking reference signal (Tracking Reference Signal, TRS), or a channel state information reference signal (Channel State Information Reference Signal, CSI-RS) or a synchronization signal block (Synchronization Signal and PBCH block, A reference signal other than SSB), that is, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, the first reference signal is not specifically limited.

(1) The configuration information of the first reference signal obtained by the terminal through the RRC configuration message;

(2) the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message;

Exemplarily, the network side carries the first information through an RRC configuration message or an RRC connection release message, where the first information is used to indicate a first reference signal that the terminal can support in an idle state or an inactive state.

The configuration information of the first reference signal may include a combination of one or more of the following: reference signal cycle, frequency domain density, bandwidth, length, symbol number and symbol interval in a time slot, antenna port, reference signal usage, etc. .

It can be understood that the above (1) and (2) are directly configuring the first reference signal.

(3) All configuration information or part of the configuration information of a reference signal configured in the connected state obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message is still valid configuration information in the idle state or inactive state;

Alternatively, the terminal obtains through the RRC connection release message and needs to save or not release or discard or suspend all or part of the configuration information of a reference signal configured by the terminal in the connected state after entering the RRC idle or inactive state.

(4) All configuration information or part of the configuration information of the multiple reference signals configured in the connected state obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message is still valid in the idle state or the inactive state.

Alternatively, the terminal obtains through the RRC connection release message and needs to save or not release or discard or suspend all or part of the configuration information of the multiple reference signals configured by the terminal in the connected state after entering the RRC idle state or inactive state. .

It can be understood that the above (3) and (4) are the configuration information indicating which reference signals of the terminal can continue to be valid, and the configuration information of these valid one or more reference signals is also the configuration information of the first reference signal.

Exemplarily, the network side configures one or more reference signals, such as reference signals #1, #2, and #3, through an RRC configuration message.

The network side carries the first information through the RRC connection release message, and the first information indicates the configuration information of all or part of the configuration information of one or more reference signals configured by the RRC of the terminal that is still valid in the idle state or inactive state, for example Can include the following:

1) All configuration information of one reference signal is valid, for example, the first information indicates all configuration information of reference signal #1.

That is, the terminal supports reference signal #1.

2) All configuration information of multiple reference signals is valid, for example, the first information indicates all configuration information of reference signals #1, #2, and #3.

That is, the terminal supports reference signals #1, #2, #3.

3) The partial configuration information of a reference signal is valid. For example, the first information indicates the partial configuration information of reference signal #1, which may be period, frequency domain density, length, number of symbols in a time slot, and symbol interval.

That is, the terminal supports reference signal #1.

4) The partial configuration information of multiple reference signals is valid: for example, the first information indicates the partial configuration information of reference signals #1, #2, and #3, which can be period, frequency domain density, length, and the number of symbols in a time slot and symbol spacing, etc.

That is, the terminal supports reference signals #1, #2, #3.

The network side instructs the terminal that all configuration information or part of the configuration information of one or more reference signals configured by RRC is still valid in the idle state or inactive state. It can also be used to inform the terminal whether to save or release or discard or suspend. Part of or all of the configuration information of one or more reference signals configured in the connected state.

That is, based on the first information, the terminal may determine or assume that part or all of the configuration information of one or more (equivalent to part or all) reference signals configured in the connected state is still valid or available in the idle state/inactive state, The first information may be configured on the network side or agreed in a protocol.

In some embodiments, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information before a specified time expires or before a failure condition takes effect.

Optionally, the method further includes: the terminal does not support the first reference signal after a specified time expires or a failure condition takes effect.

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the expiration of the specified time includes any of the following:

(1) The timer times out, the timer starts timing when the terminal enters an idle state or an inactive state or starts to support the reference signal, or the timer starts timing from the relevant time when the RRC connection release message is sent;

(2) The effective time expires, and the effective time starts to count when the terminal enters an idle state or an inactive state or starts to support the reference signal, or the effective time starts to count from the relevant time when the RRC connection release message is sent .

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the failure condition includes any one of the following:

(1) The terminal receives the paging message;

(2) The terminal enters the RRC connection state.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the time length of the specified time or the condition for the expiration of the specified time may be notified by the network side through RRC dedicated signaling (such as an RRC connection release message), or configured by high-level signaling, or agreed in a protocol , that is to say, the network can notify through RRC dedicated signaling, or high-level signaling configuration, or the agreement stipulates the failure condition of the first information, such as the effective time or the time length of the timer, or the network can notify through RRC dedicated signaling, Or the high-level signaling configuration or the protocol stipulates the failure condition of the first information, for example, the first information is invalid after the terminal receives the paging message or enters the connected state.

For example, the terminal can support the first reference signal within a timer configured or predefined on the network side or within the effective time, but the terminal cannot continue to support the first reference signal when the timer expires or the effective time expires. For another example, the terminal may support the first reference signal until the terminal receives the paging message or enters the RRC connected state.

Optionally, if the first information is the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained through the RRC configuration message, the time length of the specified time or the condition for expiring the specified time or the failure condition may be preset, or configured in the RRC. given in the message.

Optionally, if the first information is the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained through the RRC configuration message, the above-mentioned time length of the specified time or the condition for expiring of the specified time or the failure condition may be preset, or in the RRC connection. given in the release message.

Optionally, if the first information is the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained through the RRC connection release message, the time length of the specified time or the condition for expiring of the specified time or the failure condition may be preset, or in the RRC given in the connection release message.

Optionally, if the first information is the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained through the RRC connection release message, the time length of the specified time or the condition for expiring of the specified time or the failure condition may be preset, or in the RRC given in the configuration message.

Optionally, if the first information is information obtained through the RRC connection release message, all configuration information or part of the configuration information of a reference signal configured in the connected state is still valid in the idle state or inactive state; or multiple reference signals When all the configuration information or part of the configuration information is still valid in the idle state or the inactive state, the time length of the specified time or the conditions for expiring of the specified time or the failure conditions may be preset, or in the RRC connection release message given in the RRC configuration message.

Optionally, if the first information is obtained through an RRC configuration message and there is no additional configuration message about the first information, or there is no configuration information related to the specified time length, or there is no additional configuration information about the failure condition, the failure condition Or the expiration of the specified time includes: the terminal receives a paging message or the terminal enters a connected state or has no time limit. That is, in this case, the failure condition or specified time may be preset.

Optionally, if the first information is obtained through the RRC connection release message and there is no additional configuration message about the first information, or there is no configuration information related to the specified time length, or there is no additional configuration information about the failure condition, the failure The condition or the expiration of the specified time includes: the terminal receives a paging message or the terminal enters a connected state or has no time limit. That is, in this case, the failure condition or specified time may be preset.

Optionally, the terminal enters an RRC idle state or an inactive state, the terminal starts a timer or starts timing the effective time, and the terminal cannot receive the first reference signal after the timer expires or the effective time expires.

Optionally, if the network side only configures the configuration information of the first reference signal supported by the terminal through the RRC configuration message, and there is no other configuration message related to the first information, for example, there is no RRC connection release message to further indicate that the terminal is configured by RRC. The configuration information of all or part of the configuration information of multiple reference signals is still valid in the idle state or inactive state, the terminal may always support the first reference signal, or no longer support the first reference signal after receiving the paging message, Or the first reference signal is no longer supported after entering the RRC connected state.

In some embodiments, in step 201, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information in the initial bandwidth part (bandwidth part, BWP).

It can be understood that the above-mentioned initial BWP may also be referred to as a default BWP.

For example, the network side indicates through the first information that the bandwidth of the first reference signal supported by the terminal in the idle state or inactive state is within the bandwidth range of the initial BWP, and the terminal supports the first reference signal in the initial BWP according to the configured bandwidth range of the first reference signal. A first reference signal indicated by information.

For another example, the network side indicates through the first information that the bandwidth of the first reference signal supported by the terminal in the idle state or the inactive state exceeds the bandwidth range of the initial BWP, and the terminal only uses the first reference signal configured according to the first information in the initial BWP. The part of the bandwidth overlapped with the initial BWP supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information. For example, if the frequency domain resources of the first reference signal exceed the initial BWP of the terminal, the terminal can only receive the first reference signal in the initial BWP.

For another example, the network side only informs the terminal that part of the configuration information of one or more reference signals configured by RRC is valid, which does not include the configuration information of bandwidth or frequency domain location. A reference signal, or the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information within the bandwidth range of the first reference signal agreed in the protocol.

Optionally, the terminal is based on one or a combination of the following configuration information of the first reference signal in the first information: frequency domain density, length, number of symbols in a time slot, and symbol interval, in the initial BWP or as agreed in the protocol. The first reference signal is supported within the bandwidth of the first reference signal.

For another example, the network side does not include the configuration information of the bandwidth or frequency domain location of the first reference signal in the first information. The first reference signal indicated by the first information is supported within the bandwidth range of the first reference signal.

In some embodiments, in step 201, the terminal receives second configuration information from the network side; according to the second configuration information, in an idle state or an inactive state, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information.

Optionally, the second configuration information may be higher layer signaling or a radio resource control connection release message.

Taking the second configuration information as high-level signaling as an example, the network side configures a specific function of the terminal through high-level signaling to enable, and the specific function includes: the terminal supports the first reference indicated by the first information in an idle state or an inactive state. Signal. For example, the network side configures the terminal through high-layer signaling to disable this function, that is, although the terminal has received the first information, the terminal cannot support the first reference signal indicated by the first information in an idle state or an inactive state.

Taking the second configuration information being the RRC connection release message as an example, the network side informs the terminal through the RRC connection release message to enable a specific function, and the specific function includes: the terminal supports the first function in an idle state or an inactive state. The first reference signal indicated by the information.

For another example, the network side informs the terminal through the RRC connection release message that the function is disabled, that is, although the terminal has received the first information, the terminal cannot support the first reference indicated by the first information in the idle state or in the inactive state. Signal.

In some embodiments, in step 201, according to a protocol agreement, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information in an idle state or an inactive state.

For example, according to the protocol, after receiving the first information, the terminal may support the first reference signal in an idle state or an inactive state according to the indication of the first information.

That is, the terminal can support the first reference signal indicated by the first information after entering the RRC idle state or the inactive state through a protocol agreement.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the network side device notifies the terminal of the configuration information of the reference information that can be used in the RRC idle state or the inactive state, or the configuration information of the reference signal configured in the RRC connected state, so that the terminal can use it in the RRC state. The reference signal is received or supported in the idle state or the inactive state, so that the terminal can use the reference signal to reduce energy consumption. This reference signal indication method can be effectively applied to the network. The network-side device can predict that a certain terminal has been within the specific service range of the network-side device for a certain period of time through previous statistics, but will frequently Switching between RRC idle/inactive and connected states, for example, indoor terminals in offices or homes have a limited range of movement and are not always in RRC idle/inactive state, so that network-side devices can remain in the RRC connection for them The reference signal configuration in the state, when the terminal enters the RRC idle state/inactive state, the reference signal can still be used to assist it in time-frequency domain synchronization, reducing energy consumption.

Further, the reference signal configuration can be performed through separate signaling of each terminal, avoiding the problem of using a broadcast message to configure the first reference signal for an idle state or an inactive state terminal. Specifically, if the network side broadcasts the configuration information of the TRS of the terminal in the connected state through the system message for the idle state and the terminal in the inactive state, but if the configuration information of the TRS of the connected state terminal changes, or the connected state terminal When leaving the cell or entering the disconnected state, the network side can only update and notify the idle state and the inactive state of the terminal TRS configuration change information or stop information through a system message. Since the configuration information of the TRS of the connected terminal cannot be guaranteed to remain unchanged for a long time, or the connected terminal is always in the connected state of the cell, the base station may frequently change the system message to update the configuration information of the broadcast TRS, resulting in the idle state. Or, the terminal in the inactive state frequently receives new system messages in order to receive the configuration information of the TRS, resulting in increased power consumption. On the one hand, the embodiments of the present disclosure prevent system messages from frequently occupying air interface resources, and on the other hand, avoid frequent system message reception behaviors of terminals (terminals in idle state and connected state both perform a system message update process).

In addition, the network-side device can independently decide the time to reserve the reference signal configuration information for different RRC idle/inactive state terminals, and the network-side device does not need to keep the reference signal for all idle/inactive state terminals, avoiding the air interface. Occupation of resources.

Referring to FIG. 3 , an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for processing a reference signal. The execution body of the method may be a network side device, and the specific steps include: step 301 .

Step 301: Configure first information, where the first information is used to indicate a first reference signal supported by a terminal in an idle state or an inactive state;

Optionally, the first reference signal is used for one or more of the following combinations: (1) time-frequency tracking; (2) channel state information calculation; (3) channel state information measurement.

Alternatively, the terminal obtains through the RRC connection release message and needs to save or not release or discard or suspend all or part of the configuration information of a reference signal configured by the terminal in the connected state after entering the RRC idle state or inactive state.

That is, the terminal supports reference signal #1.

That is, the terminal supports reference signals #1, #2, #3.

That is, the terminal supports reference signal #1.

That is, the terminal supports reference signals #1, #2, #3.

In some embodiments, the method shown in FIG. 3 may further include: configuring or stipulating that the terminal supports the first reference signal before the specified time expires or before the failure condition takes effect.

(1) The terminal receives the paging message;

(2) The terminal enters the RRC connection state.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the time length or failure condition of the above-mentioned specified time may be notified by the network side through RRC dedicated signaling (such as an RRC connection release message), or configured by high-level signaling, or agreed in a protocol, that is to say , the network can notify through RRC dedicated signaling, or high-level signaling configuration, or the protocol agrees on the failure condition of the first information, such as the effective time or the time length of the timer, or the network can notify through RRC dedicated signaling, or high-level signaling The configuration or the protocol stipulates the invalidation condition of the first information, for example, the first information becomes invalid after the terminal receives the paging message or enters the connected state.

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, in step 301, the network side sends second configuration information, where the second configuration information indicates that in an idle state or an inactive state, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information.

Taking the second configuration information as high-level signaling as an example, the network side configures a specific function of the terminal through high-level signaling to enable, and the specific function includes: the terminal supports the first reference indicated by the first information in an idle state or an inactive state. Signal.

For another example, the network side configures the terminal through high-layer signaling to disable this function, that is, although the terminal has received the first information, the terminal cannot support the first reference signal indicated by the first information in an idle or inactive state.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the network side device notifies the terminal of the configuration information of the reference information that can be used in the RRC idle state or the inactive state, or the configuration information of the reference signal configured in the RRC connected state, so that the terminal can use it in the RRC state. The reference signal is received or supported in the idle state or in the inactive state, so that the terminal can use the reference signal to reduce energy consumption. This reference signal indication method can be effectively applied to the network. The network-side device can predict that a certain terminal has been within the specific service range of the network-side device for a certain period of time through previous statistics, but will frequently Switching between RRC idle/inactive and connected states, for example, indoor terminals in offices or homes have a limited range of movement and are not always in RRC idle/inactive state, so that network-side devices can remain in the RRC connection for them The reference signal configuration in the state, when the terminal enters the RRC idle state/inactive state, the reference signal can still be used to assist it in time-frequency domain synchronization, reducing energy consumption.

Further, the reference signal configuration can be performed through separate signaling of each terminal, which avoids the problem of configuring the first reference signal for an idle state or a non-active state terminal by using a broadcast message. Specifically, if the network side broadcasts the configuration information of the TRS of the terminal in the connected state through the system message for the idle state and the terminal in the inactive state, but if the configuration information of the TRS of the connected state terminal changes, or the connected state terminal When leaving the cell or entering the disconnected state, the network side can only update and notify the idle state and the inactive state of the terminal TRS configuration change information or stop information through a system message. Since the configuration information of the TRS of the connected terminal cannot be guaranteed to remain unchanged for a long time, or the connected terminal is always in the connected state of the cell, the base station may frequently change the system message to update the configuration information of the broadcast TRS, resulting in the idle state. Or, the terminal in the inactive state frequently receives new system messages in order to receive the configuration information of the TRS, resulting in increased power consumption. On the one hand, the embodiments of the present disclosure prevent system messages from frequently occupying air interface resources, and on the other hand, avoid frequent system message reception behaviors of terminals (terminals in idle state and connected state both perform a system message update process).

In addition, the network side device can independently decide the time to reserve its reference signal configuration information for different RRC idle/inactive state terminals. The network side device does not need to keep the reference signal for all idle state/inactive state terminals all the time, avoiding air interface resources. occupancy.

Referring to FIG. 4 , an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for processing a reference signal, which is applied to a terminal. The apparatus 400 includes:

The processing module 400 is configured to support the first reference signal indicated by the first information in the idle state or the inactive state;

That is, the terminal supports reference signal #1.

That is, the terminal supports reference signals #1, #2, #3.

That is, the terminal supports reference signal #1.

4) The partial configuration information of multiple reference signals is valid: for example, the first information indicates the partial configuration information of reference signals #1, #2, and #3, which may be period, frequency domain density, length, and the number of symbols in a time slot and symbol spacing, etc.

That is, the terminal supports reference signals #1, #2, #3.

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing module 400 is further configured to: before a specified time expires or before a failure condition takes effect, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information.

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing module 400 is further configured to: after the specified time expires or after the failure condition takes effect, the terminal does not support the first reference signal indicated by the first information.

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the expiration of the specified time includes any one of the following:

(1) The timer times out, and the timer counts when the terminal enters an idle state or an inactive state or starts to support the reference signal, or the timer starts to count from the relevant time when the RRC connection release message is sent;

(2) The effective time expires, and the effective time is counted when the terminal enters an idle state or an inactive state or starts to support the reference signal, or the effective time starts from a related time when the RRC connection release message is sent.

(1) The terminal receives the paging message;

(2) The terminal enters the RRC connection state.

Optionally, if the first information is configured through RRC and there is no additional configuration message about the first information, or there is no additional configuration information about the specified time length, or there is no additional configuration information about the failure condition , the failure condition or the expiration of the specified time is the time when the terminal receives the paging message or the time when the terminal enters the connected state, or there is no time limit.

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing module 400 is further configured to: support the first reference signal indicated by the first information in the initial bandwidth part.

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing module 400 includes:

a receiving unit, configured to receive the second configuration information from the network side;

The processing unit is configured to support the first reference signal indicated by the first information in an idle state or an inactive state according to the second configuration information.

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing module 400 is further configured to: according to a protocol agreement, in an idle state or an inactive state, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information.

The apparatus for processing a reference signal provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure may execute the method embodiment shown in FIG. 2 above, and the implementation principle and technical effect thereof are similar, and details are not described herein again in this embodiment.

Please refer to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a structural diagram of a terminal to which an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. As shown in FIG. 5, the terminal 500 includes: a processor 501, a transceiver 502, a memory 503, and a bus interface, wherein:

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal 500 further includes: a program stored on the memory 503 and executable on the processor 501 , when the program is executed by the processor 501, the functions of each module in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 are implemented. .

In FIG. 5 , the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, in particular one or more processors represented by processor 501 and various circuits of memory represented by memory 503 linked together. The bus architecture may also link together various other circuits, such as peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and, therefore, will not be described further herein. The bus interface provides the interface. Transceiver 502 may be a number of elements, including a transmitter and a receiver, that provide means for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium.

The processor 501 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 503 may store data used by the processor 501 in performing operations.

The terminal provided by this embodiment of the present disclosure can execute the above-mentioned method embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , and the implementation principle and technical effect thereof are similar, and details are not described herein again in this embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6 , an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for processing a reference signal, which is applied to a network side device. The apparatus 600 includes:

a configuration module 601, configured to configure first information, where the first information is used to indicate a first reference signal supported by a terminal in an idle state or an inactive state;

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the configuration module 601 is further configured to configure or agree that the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information before the specified time expires or before the failure condition takes effect.

Optionally, the expiration of the specified time includes any of the following:

(1) The timer times out, the timer starts timing when the terminal enters an idle state or an inactive state or starts to support a reference signal, or the timer starts timing from the relevant time when the RRC connection release message is sent;

(2) The effective time expires, and the effective time starts to count when the terminal enters an idle state or an inactive state or starts to receive a reference signal, or the effective time starts to count from the relevant time when the RRC connection release message is sent.

Optionally, the failure condition includes any one of the following:

(3) The terminal receives the paging message;

(4) The terminal enters the RRC connection state.

Optionally, if the first information is configured through RRC and there is no additional configuration message about the first information or there is no additional configuration information about the failure condition, the specified time is for the terminal to receive the request message. The time when the message is called or the time when the terminal enters the connected state or there is no time limit.

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the configuration module 601 is further configured to: send second configuration information, where the second configuration information indicates that in an idle state or an inactive state, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information.

In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the second configuration message is high-layer signaling, or a radio resource control connection release message.

The apparatus for processing a reference signal provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure may execute the method embodiment shown in FIG. 3 above, and the implementation principle and technical effect thereof are similar, and details are not described herein again in this embodiment.

Please refer to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a structural diagram of a network-side device to which an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. As shown in FIG. 7, the second node 700 includes: a processor 701, a transceiver 702, a memory 703, and a bus interface, wherein:

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the network-side device 700 further includes: a program stored on the memory 703 and executable on the processor 701 , when the program is executed by the processor 701, each module in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is implemented function.

In FIG. 7 , the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, in particular one or more processors represented by processor 701 and various circuits of memory represented by memory 703 linked together. The bus architecture may also link together various other circuits, such as peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be described further herein. The bus interface provides the interface. Transceiver 702 may be a number of elements, including a transmitter and a receiver, that provide means for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium.

The processor 701 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 703 may store data used by the processor 701 in performing operations.

The network-side device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can execute the method embodiment shown in FIG. 3 above, and the implementation principle and technical effect thereof are similar, and are not described again in this embodiment.

An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a readable storage medium, where a program or an instruction is stored on the readable storage medium, and when the program or instruction is executed by a processor, each process of the method embodiment shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 is implemented. , and can achieve the same technical effect, in order to avoid repetition, it is not repeated here.

The steps of the method or algorithm described in conjunction with the contents of the present disclosure may be implemented in a hardware manner, or may be implemented in a manner of executing software instructions on a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (Read-Only Memory, ROM), electrically programmable read-only memory (Electrically programmable read-only memory). Programmable Read-Only Memory, EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), registers, hard disk, removable hard disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art middle. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor, such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium may be carried in an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). Alternatively, the ASIC may be carried in the core network interface device. Of course, the processor and the storage medium may also exist in the core network interface device as discrete components.

Those skilled in the art should appreciate that, in one or more of the above examples, the functions described in this disclosure may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer.

For hardware implementation, modules, units, and sub-units can be implemented in one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Digital Signal Processor (DSP), Digital Signal Processing Device (DSP Device, DSPD) ), Programmable Logic Device (PLD), Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), general-purpose processor, controller, microcontroller, microprocessor, in other electronic units or combinations thereof.

For software implementation, the technologies described in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented through modules (eg, procedures, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Software codes may be stored in memory and executed by a processor. The memory can be implemented in the processor or external to the processor.

The specific embodiments described above further describe the purpose, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present disclosure in detail. It should be understood that the above descriptions are only specific embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In the protection scope, any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made on the basis of the technical solutions of the present disclosure shall be included within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided as a method, system, or computer program product. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure may employ one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk memory, Compact Disc Read-Only Memory, CD-ROM), optical storage, etc.) in the form of a computer program product.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be understood that each flow and/or block in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of flows and/or blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to the processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, embedded processor or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine such that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce Means for implementing the functions specified in a flow or flow of a flowchart and/or a block or blocks of a block diagram.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory result in an article of manufacture comprising instruction means, the instructions The apparatus implements the functions specified in the flow or flow of the flowcharts and/or the block or blocks of the block diagrams.

These computer program instructions can also be loaded on a computer or other programmable data processing device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process such that The instructions provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flow or blocks of the flowcharts and/or the block or blocks of the block diagrams.

Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the embodiments of the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, provided that these modifications and variations of the embodiments of the present disclosure fall within the scope of the claims of the present disclosure and their equivalents, the present disclosure is also intended to cover such modifications and variations.

Claims

A method of processing a reference signal, comprising:

In an idle state or an inactive state, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information;

Wherein, the first information includes one or more of the following combinations:

the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained by the terminal through a radio resource control RRC configuration message;

the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message;

All configuration information or part of the configuration information of a reference signal configured in the connected state obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message is still valid configuration information in the idle state or the inactive state;

The terminal obtains all the configuration information of the multiple reference signals configured in the connected state through the RRC connection release message or the configuration information that is still valid in the idle state or the inactive state.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information, comprising:

The terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information before the specified time expires or before the failure condition takes effect.
The method of claim 2, further comprising:

After the specified time expires or a failure condition takes effect, the terminal does not support the first reference signal indicated by the first information.
The method of claim 2 or 3, wherein the expiration of the specified time comprises any of the following:

The timer times out, and the timer starts to count when the terminal enters an idle state or an inactive state or starts to support the reference signal, or the timer starts to count from the relevant time when the RRC connection release message is sent;

The effective time expires, and the effective time starts to count when the terminal enters an idle state or an inactive state or starts to support the reference signal, or the effective time starts to count from the relevant time when the RRC connection release message is sent.
The method of claim 2 or 3, wherein the failure condition comprises any of the following:

The terminal receives the paging message;

The terminal enters the RRC connected state.
The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the time length of the specified time or the failure condition is configured by the network side or agreed by a protocol.
The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein if the first information is configured through RRC and there is no additional configuration message about the first information or no additional configuration information about the specified time length or When there is no additional configuration information about the failure condition, the failure condition or the expiration of the specified time includes any of the following:

the terminal receives a paging message;

the terminal enters the RRC connected state;

No time limit.
The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information, comprising:

The terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information in the initial bandwidth part.
The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the idle state or the inactive state, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information, comprising:

receiving, by the terminal, the second configuration information from the network side;

The terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information in an idle state or an inactive state according to the second configuration information.
The method according to claim 9, wherein the second configuration information is a higher layer signaling or a radio resource control connection release message.
The method according to claim 1, wherein, in an idle state or an inactive state, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information, comprising:

According to a protocol agreement, in an idle state or an inactive state, the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information.
The method of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the first reference signal is used in one or more of the following combinations:

time-frequency tracking;

Channel state information calculation;

Channel state information measurements.
A method for processing a reference signal, applied to a network side device, includes:

configuring first information, where the first information is used to indicate a first reference signal supported by the terminal in an idle state or an inactive state;

Wherein, the first information includes one or more of the following combinations:

the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained by the terminal through the RRC configuration message;

the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message;

All configuration information or part of the configuration information of a reference signal configured in the connected state obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message is still valid configuration information in the idle state or the inactive state;

The whole configuration information or part of the configuration information of the multiple reference signals configured in the connected state obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message is still valid in the idle state or the inactive state.
The method of claim 13, further comprising:

The configuration or protocol stipulates that the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information before the specified time expires or before the failure condition takes effect.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the expiration of the specified time comprises any of the following:

The timer times out, and the timer starts to count when the terminal enters an idle state or an inactive state or starts to support reference signals, or the timer starts to count from the relevant time when the RRC connection release message is sent;

The effective time expires, and the effective time starts to count when the terminal enters the idle state or the inactive state or starts to support the reference signal, or the effective time starts to count from the relevant time when the RRC connection release message is sent.
The method of claim 14, wherein the failure condition comprises any of the following:

The terminal receives the paging message;

The terminal enters the RRC connected state.
The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the time length of the specified time or the failure condition is configured by the network side or agreed by a protocol.
The method of claim 14, wherein if the first information is configured through RRC and there is no additional configuration message about the first information or no additional configuration information about the specified time length or no additional Regarding the configuration information of the failure condition, the specified time expires or the failure condition includes any of the following:

the terminal receives a paging message;

the terminal enters the RRC connected state;

No time limit.
The method of claim 13, wherein the configuring the first information comprises:

Send second configuration information, where the second configuration information indicates that the terminal supports the first reference signal indicated by the first information in an idle state or an inactive state.
The method according to claim 19, wherein the second configuration message is a higher layer signaling, or a radio resource control connection release message.
The method of any one of claims 13 to 20, wherein the first reference signal is used in one or more of the following combinations:

time-frequency tracking;

Channel state information calculation;

Channel state information measurements.
An apparatus for processing a reference signal, applied to a terminal, comprising:

a processing module, configured to support the first reference signal indicated by the first information in an idle state or an inactive state;

Wherein, the first information includes one or more of the following combinations:

the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained by the terminal through the RRC configuration message;

the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message;

All configuration information or part of the configuration information of a reference signal configured in the connected state obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message is still valid configuration information in the idle state or the inactive state;

The whole configuration information or part of the configuration information of the multiple reference signals configured in the connected state obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message is still valid in the idle state or the inactive state.
A terminal, comprising: a processor, a memory, and a program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, the program being executed by the processor to implement any one of claims 1 to 12 Steps of the method for processing reference signals.
An apparatus for processing reference signals, applied to network side equipment, includes:

a configuration module, configured to configure first information, where the first information is used to indicate a first reference signal supported by the terminal in an idle state or an inactive state;

Wherein, the first information includes one or more of the following combinations:

the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained by the terminal through the RRC configuration message;

the configuration information of the first reference signal obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message;

All configuration information or part of the configuration information of a reference signal configured in the connected state obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message is still valid configuration information in the idle state or inactive state;

The whole configuration information or part of the configuration information of the multiple reference signals configured in the connected state obtained by the terminal through the RRC connection release message is still valid in the idle state or the inactive state.
A network side device, comprising: a processor, a memory, and a program stored on the memory and running on the processor, the program being executed by the processor to implement any one of claims 13 to 21 The steps of a method of processing a reference signal.
A readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored, the program implementing the steps of the method for processing a reference signal according to any one of claims 1 to 21 when the program is executed by a processor.