Communication method and apparatus for activating secondary cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12336029-B2
Application number	US-202217704528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2022
Priority date	Sep 26, 2019
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

This application discloses a communication method and apparatus that activate a secondary cell. If the activated cell is an unknown secondary cell, in response to a terminal device detecting the secondary cell, the terminal device may send indication information to a network device. The indication information is used to trigger the network device to send an RS. In this way, in response to receiving the indication information, the network device may send the RS to the terminal device. Therefore, the terminal device avoids waiting a long period of time for the network device to send a reference signal, which can reduce a delay for activating the secondary cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication method, comprising:
receiving, by a terminal device, configuration information from a network device, wherein the configuration information includes a time threshold for detecting a secondary cell by the terminal device;
determining, by the terminal device, the secondary cell within the time threshold;
sending, by the terminal device, indication information to the network device using a primary cell in a sending occasion after detecting within the time threshold the secondary cell by the terminal device, wherein the sending occasion includes a first sending occasion during the time threshold or a first sending occasion occurring after the time threshold;
receiving, at the terminal device, a reference signal (RS) sent by the network device on the secondary cell, wherein the RS is triggered to be sent by the network device in response to the sending the indication information by the terminal device; and
activating the secondary cell based on the RS.

2. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the sending the indication information to the network device is not later than after a time threshold for detecting the secondary cell.

3. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving the configuration information further comprising:
receiving first configuration information sent by the network device, wherein the first configuration information indicates a first resource for sending the indication information; and
wherein the sending of the indication information to the network device comprises:
sending the indication information to the network device by using the first resource indicated by the first configuration information.

4. The communication method according to claim 3 , wherein the first resource indicated by the first configuration information is a resource for reporting layer 1 reference signal received power (L1-RSRP).

5. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the indication information indicates a synchronization signal/physical broadcast channel block (SSB) index corresponding to a transmit beam recommended to be used by the network device, and a quantity of SSB indexes is equal to one.

6. The communication method according to claim 5 , wherein the RS and a second SSB corresponding to the SSB index indicated by the indication information are quasi co-located (QCL).

7. The communication method according to claim 5 , wherein the RS comprises the SSB, and the receiving the RS sent by the network device comprises:
receiving the second SSB corresponding to the SSB index indicated by the indication information sent by the network device.

8. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to being executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive configuration information from a network device, wherein the configuration information includes a time threshold for detecting a secondary cell by the terminal device;
determine the secondary cell within the time threshold;
send indication information to the network device using a primary cell in a sending occasion after detecting within the time threshold the secondary cell by the terminal device, wherein the sending occasion includes a first sending occasion during the time threshold or a first sending occasion occurring after the time threshold;
receive a reference signal (RS) sent by the network device on the secondary cell, wherein the RS is triggered to be sent by the network device in response to the sending the indication information; and
activate the secondary cell based on the RS.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to send the indication information to the network device not later than after time threshold for detecting the secondary cell.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive the configuration information by receiving
first configuration information sent by the network device, wherein the first configuration information indicates a first resource for sending the indication information; and
wherein the sending of the indication information to the network device comprises:
sending the indication information to the network device by using the first resource indicated by the first configuration information.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the first resource indicated by the first configuration information is a resource for reporting layer 1 reference signal received power (L1-RSRP).

12. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the indication information indicates a synchronization signal/physical broadcast channel block (SSB) index corresponding to a transmit beam recommended to be used by the network device, and a quantity of SSB indexes is equal to one.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the RS and a second SSB corresponding to the SSB index indicated by the indication information are quasi co-located (QCL).

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the RS comprises the SSB, and the processor is further configured to receive the RS sent by the network device by:
receiving the second SSB corresponding to the SSB index indicated by the indication information sent by the network device.

15. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to being executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
send configuration information to a terminal device, wherein the configuration information includes a time threshold for detecting a secondary cell by the terminal device, wherein the secondary cell is to be determined by the terminal device within the time threshold;
receive indication information sent by a terminal device using a primary cell in a sending occasion after detecting within the time threshold the secondary cell by the terminal device, wherein the sending occasion includes a first sending occasion during the time threshold or a first sending occasion occurring after the time threshold; and
trigger sending a reference signal (RS) to the terminal device on a secondary cell in response to receiving the indication information.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to send configuration information to the terminal device by:
sending first configuration information to the terminal device, wherein the first configuration information indicates a first resource for sending the indication information by the terminal device; and
wherein the processor is further configured to receive the indication information sent by the terminal device by:
receiving, on the first resource, the indication information sent by the terminal device.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the first resource indicated by the first configuration information is a resource for reporting layer 1 reference signal received power (L1-RSRP) by the terminal device.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the indication information indicates a synchronization signal/physical broadcast channel block SSB index corresponding to a transmit beam recommended to be used by a network device, and a quantity of SSB indexes is equal to one.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the network device ensures that the RS and a second SSB corresponding to the SSB index indicated by the indication information are quasi co-located (QCL).

20. The appara

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Li
• Han Jing
• Xue Jiantao

Classifications

• H04L5/0048

  Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091) · CPC title

• H04W76/15 Primary

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title

• H04L5/001 Primary

  the frequencies being arranged in component carriers · CPC title