Background
In a third generation Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile communication system, in order to save battery/power consumption of a User Equipment (UE), the system is configured with a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) function. With DRX, the UE is allowed to stop monitoring a physical downlink Control Channel (PDCCH for short) for a certain time, that is, the UE is allowed to monitor the PDCCH intermittently.
The DRX function includes a Long DRX Cycle (Long DRX Cycle), a DRX inactivity Timer (drxinavity Timer), a DRX retransmission Timer (DRX retransmission Timer), and may also include a Short DRX Cycle (Short DRX Cycle) and a DRX Short Cycle Timer (DRX Short CycleTimer).
To describe the DRX behavior of the UE, the concept of PDCCH subframes (PDCCH-subframe) is introduced. For a UE operating in a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mode, a PDCCH subframe may represent any subframe; for a UE operating in a Time Division Duplex (TDD) mode, a PDCCH subframe only refers to a downlink subframe. Active Time (Active Time) refers to the Time when the UE monitors the PDCCH in a PDCCH subframe.
The Contention Resolution Timer (Contention Resolution Timer) indicates that after the UE sends an uplink message including a cell-radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) medium access control element (MAC control element) or an uplink message related to a UE Contention Resolution identifier (Contention Resolution identity) which is delivered by a higher layer, the UE should monitor the number of consecutive PDCCH subframes of the PDCCH.
The DRX Cycle (DRX Cycle) refers to a period of time Duration (On Duration) and Inactive (Inactive) time that are periodically repeated.
The DRX Inactivity Timer (DRX Inactivity Timer) defines the number of consecutive PDCCH subframes after a UE successfully decodes an initial Uplink (Uplink) or Downlink (Downlink) user data transmission indicated by a PDCCH.
The DRX Retransmission Timer (DRX Retransmission Timer) defines the number of consecutive PDCCH subframes when the UE initially expects a downlink Retransmission.
The DRX Short Cycle Timer defines the number of consecutive subframes for the UE to follow the Short DRX Cycle after the DRX inactivity Timer expires.
A hybrid automatic repeat request loop-back time Timer (HARQ RTT Timer) defines the minimum number of subframes before the UE expects a downlink HARQ retransmission.
The duration timer (On duration timer) defines the number of consecutive PDCCH subframes at the beginning of the DRX cycle.
Fig. 1 illustrates the basic operation principle of DRX, when DRX is configured, the Active Time (Active Time) of a UE includes the Time when a duration timer or a DRX inactivity timer or a DRX retransmission timer or a contention resolution timer is running; or a time when a Scheduling Request (SR) is suspended (Pending) (i.e., a time when the UE transmits an SR waiting for uplink Grant (UL Grant)); or allocating time of possible occurrence of uplink authorization for HARQ retransmission; or after the UE successfully receives the random access response message, the UE does not receive new transmission indicating that the PDCCH has the C-RNTI or the temporary C-RNTI aiming at the UE; and the like.
When the DRX cycle is configured, starting a duration timer at a preset subframe in each DRX cycle; for TDD mode, the duration timer may be started from an uplink subframe. During the DRX active time, the terminal monitors the PDCCH in PDCCH subframes (except subframes needing uplink transmission in FDD half-duplex). If a downlink or uplink new transmission instruction is received on the PDCCH, the terminal starts or restarts the DRX inactivity timer; and under the condition that downlink transmission is indicated on the PDCCH, the terminal starts an HARQ RTT timer for the corresponding HARQ process and stops a DRX retransmission timer, and if the HARQ RTT timer is overtime and the terminal fails to successfully decode data in the HARQ buffer, the DRX retransmission timer is started for the corresponding HARQ process. For the persistent scheduling situation, in a subframe configured with downlink resource allocation, if the terminal does not decode a downlink transmission indication on the PDCCH, an HARQ RTT timer is started for a corresponding HARQ process. The duration timer and the DRX inactivity timer are stopped if the terminal receives the DRX command MAC control element. After the DRX inactivity timer or the DRX retransmission timer is overtime, or when the terminal receives a subframe of a DRX command MAC control element, the terminal starts a DRX short cycle timer under the condition that a short DRX cycle is configured, and the short DRX cycle is used; otherwise the terminal uses the long DRX cycle.
In the LTE system, when a terminal performs Inter-frequency (Inter-frequency) or Inter-RAT (Inter-RAT) measurement (e.g., when serving cell quality is lower than a configured threshold), measurement gap (measured gap) -assisted measurement (gap-assisted measurement) is required. During the measurement gap, the terminal cannot monitor the PDCCH and the downlink shared channel, nor can it transmit on the uplink shared channel. The base station configures, activates and deactivates a measurement gap (measurement gap) parameter for the terminal through Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. The length of the measurement gap is 6ms or 8ms, and the period is 40ms or 120ms (wherein the period of 120ms may be modified later to be 80ms, 128ms or 160 ms). The configuration and activation of the measurement gap are simultaneously effective, the measurement gap operation of the base station and the terminal needs to be kept synchronous after the measurement gap is configured and activated, and the base station needs to avoid scheduling downlink/uplink transmission (including feedback information) of the corresponding terminal during the measurement gap.
In the case where the terminal is configured with DRX and activates a measurement gap, a phenomenon may occur in which DRX and the measurement gap collide, i.e., both Overlap in time (Overlap). The 3GPP (third Generation Partnership Project: 3rd Generation Partnership Project) concluded that the measurement gap is larger than the HARQ retransmission by more than DRX for DRX, measurement gap, and HARQ retransmission. However, the current 3GPP MAC protocol TS 36.321 v8.2.0 only defines the relationship between the measurement gap and the HARQ retransmission, i.e. HARQ retransmission is not allowed in the measurement gap; the protocol does not define how to implement the priority relationship of measurement gaps and DRX.
Disclosure of Invention
The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for processing when discontinuous reception and measurement gap conflict, so as to implement the priority relationship between the measurement gap and the discontinuous reception.
In order to solve the above technical problem, the present invention provides a method for handling when discontinuous reception and measurement gap conflict, if there is a measurement gap in discontinuous reception DRX active time, the terminal does not monitor a physical downlink control channel PDCCH in a time range where the DRX active time and the measurement gap overlap.
Further, the method may further comprise the step of operating at least one of a duration timer, a DRX inactivity timer, and a DRX retransmission timer.
Furthermore, the method may further have the following characteristic that the DRX active time having the measurement gap means that the measurement gap is entirely within the DRX active time, or that the DRX active time and the measurement gap are partially overlapped; or that the PDCCH subframes and measurement gaps in DRX active time overlap, either completely or partially.
Further, the above method may have a feature that, if the duration timer running time and the measurement gap overlap, the duration timer is stopped at a time when the duration timer running time and the measurement gap overlap.
Further, the method may further have a characteristic that if the operation time of the duration timer overlaps with the measurement gap, the duration timer is not stopped, and the terminal does not monitor the physical downlink control channel PDCCH in a time range in which the operation time of the duration timer overlaps with the measurement gap.
Further, the above method may further have a feature that if the DRX inactivity timer operation time overlaps with the measurement gap, the DRX inactivity timer is stopped at a time when the DRX inactivity timer operation time overlaps with the measurement gap.
Further, the method may further have a characteristic that if the operation time of the DRX inactivity timer overlaps with the measurement gap, the DRX inactivity timer is not stopped, and the terminal does not monitor the physical downlink control channel PDCCH within a time range in which the operation time of the DRX inactivity timer overlaps with the measurement gap.
Further, the method may further have a feature that if the DRX retransmission timer operation time overlaps with the measurement gap, the DRX retransmission timer is stopped at a time when the DRX retransmission timer operation time overlaps with the measurement gap.
Further, the method may further have a characteristic that if the DRX retransmission timer operation time overlaps with the measurement gap, the DRX retransmission timer is not stopped, and the terminal does not monitor the physical downlink control channel PDCCH within a time range in which the DRX retransmission timer operation time overlaps with the measurement gap.
Further, the above method may have a feature that if there is a starting timing of a certain DRX cycle duration in the measurement gap, the duration in the DRX cycle is cancelled and the duration timer is not started.
Further, the method may have a feature that if the measurement gap has a starting timing of a certain DRX cycle duration and an overlapping time range of the measurement gap and the duration is less than a time length of the duration, the duration timer is delayed to start at a trailing edge of the measurement gap.
Further, the above method may further have a characteristic that the length of the duration timer after the delay start is the duration length of the DRX cycle, or the duration length of the DRX cycle minus the overlapping time length of the duration and the measurement gap.
Further, the method may further have the following characteristic that if the measurement gap has a starting opportunity of a certain DRX cycle duration, the duration in the DRX cycle is not cancelled, the duration timer is still started, and the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH in a time range where the duration timer runs and the measurement gap overlaps.
Furthermore, the method may further comprise that the presence of the measurement gap at the beginning timing of the duration of a certain DRX cycle means that the leading edge of the measurement gap is not later than the beginning timing of the duration of the DRX cycle, and the time range of the measurement gap covers all or part of the duration of the DRX cycle.
Further, the method may further have a characteristic that the terminal does not perform downlink and/or uplink transmission in a time range in which the DRX active time and the measurement gap overlap.
The invention also provides a processing method for conflict between discontinuous reception and measurement gaps, and the terminal cancels the measurement gap if the measurement gap exists when the contention resolution timer runs.
The invention provides a specific scheme when the measurement gap conflicts with the DRX activity time, and the PDCCH is not monitored in the time range of overlapping the DRX activity time and the measurement gap, thereby solving the contradiction existing in the current 3GPP protocol under the above conditions and defining the priority relation between the DRX and the measurement gap.
Detailed Description
The present invention notes that resolving the conflict between DRX and measurement gaps is mainly the case where measurement gaps may occur during DRX active time. In DRX active time, UE needs to monitor PDCCH on PDCCH sub-frame; and during the measurement gap time, the UE is not allowed to monitor the PDCCH and perform downlink/uplink transmission. Since the DRX active time is controlled by the duration timer or the DRX inactivity timer or the DRX retransmission timer or the contention resolution timer, when any one or more of the above timers are running, the UE is in the DRX active time.
The processing method for the conflict between the discontinuous reception and the measurement gap provided by the invention comprises the following steps:
if there is a measurement gap in the DRX active time, the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH in a time range in which the DRX active time and the measurement gap overlap.
Further, the terminal does not perform downlink and/or uplink transmission in a time range in which the DRX active time and the measurement gap overlap.
The DRX active time at least means that at least one of an duration timer, a DRX inactive timer and a DRX retransmission timer is running.
Having a measurement gap in DRX active time means that the entire duration of the measurement gap is within the DRX active time, or that the DRX active time and the measurement gap partially overlap, or that a PDCCH subframe in DRX active time and the measurement gap completely or partially overlap.
Wherein the measurement gap leading edge is after the DRX active time starts or the measurement gap leading edge is before the DRX active time starts.
If the On Duration Timer running time and the measurement gap are overlapped, the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH within the time range of the overlapping of the On Duration Timer running time and the measurement gap; alternatively, the terminal stops the duration timer at the time when the duration timer runs and the measurement gap overlaps.
If the operation time of a DRX Inactivity Timer (DRX Inactivity Timer) overlaps with the measurement gap, the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH within the time range where the operation time of the DRX Inactivity Timer overlaps with the measurement gap; alternatively, the terminal stops the duration timer at a time when the DRX inactivity timer is running and the measurement gap overlaps.
If the operation time of a DRX Retransmission Timer (DRX Retransmission Timer) is overlapped with the measurement gap, the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH within the time range overlapped with the measurement gap when the DRX Retransmission Timer is operated; alternatively, the terminal stops the duration timer at a time when the DRX retransmission timer is running and the measurement gap overlaps.
If there is a duration (OnDuration) start opportunity of a certain DRX Cycle (DRX Cycle) in the measurement gap, the duration of the DRX Cycle is cancelled and the duration Timer (OnDuration Timer) is not started; that is, the terminal does not enter the Duration (On Duration), if the terminal is in the Inactive (Inactive) time originally, the terminal is kept in the Inactive (Inactive) time, and the period equivalent to one DRX cycle is cancelled; or,
if the starting time of the Duration (OnDuration) of a certain DRX Cycle (DRX Cycle) exists in the measurement gap, the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH and does not perform downlink/uplink transmission within the time range from the start of the Duration Timer (OnDuration Timer) to the trailing edge of the measurement gap; or,
if there is a duration (OnDuration) start opportunity of a certain DRX Cycle (DRX Cycle) at the measurement gap time, and the repetition time of the measurement gap and the DRX duration is less than the duration length of DRX, the DRX duration timer is started with a delay to the trailing edge of the measurement gap;
the length of the duration timer is started according to the duration length of the configured DRX cycle; or,
the length of the duration timer is started according to the length of the residual time after the duration of the configured DRX cycle is subtracted by the overlapping time of the duration and the measurement gap;
the measurement gap time has a Duration (On Duration) starting opportunity of a certain DRX cycle, the leading edge of the measurement gap is no later than the Duration starting opportunity of the DRX cycle, and the time range of the measurement gap covers all or part of the Duration of the DRX cycle; in the measurement gap, since the base station does not schedule downlink/uplink transmission, the DRX Inactivity Timer (DRX Inactivity Timer) or the DRX Retransmission Timer (DRX Retransmission Timer) is not started in a time range that precedes and overlaps with the DRX active time start timing at the leading edge of the measurement gap.
Fig. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment 1 of the present invention.
One can see the scenario where DRX active time and measurement gap conflict, with conflicts at location (2), location (3). The whole time of the measurement gap in the positions (2) and (3) is in the DRX active time, namely the front edge and the back edge of the measurement gap are both in the DRX active time. According to the current protocol, it is not clear whether the terminal monitors the behavior of the PDCCH.
According to the invention, the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH and does not perform downlink/uplink transmission in the time range of overlapping DRX activity time and measurement gap at the positions (2) and (3).
The DRX active time at the positions (2), (3) means that any one or more of an On Duration Timer (On Duration Timer), or a DRX Inactivity Timer (DRX Inactivity Timer), or a DRX retransmission Timer (drxrettransmission Timer) is running.
FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment 2 of the present invention;
the conflict scenario between DRX active time and measurement gap still adopts the conflict scenario of fig. 2, but adopts another solution of the present invention, that is, if any one or more of an On Duration Timer (On Duration Timer), a DRX Inactivity Timer (DRX Inactivity Timer), or a DRX Retransmission Timer (DRX Retransmission Timer) is/are running during the DRX active time, the terminal stops the corresponding Timer at the time when the corresponding Timer runs and the measurement gap overlaps; as can be seen from the figure, DRX active time ends at the leading edge of the measurement gap at positions (2), (3). Since the timer related to controlling the DRX active time is stopped, the terminal enters a DRX Inactive (Inactive) time. In the DRX inactive time, the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH, thereby solving the problem of conflict between the DRX active time and the measurement gap.
Figure 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment 3 of the present invention.
One can see the scenario where DRX active time and measurement gap conflict, with conflicts at location (2), location (3). Part of the time of the measurement gap in the position (2) is in DRX active time, the leading edge of the measurement gap is in DRX active time, and the trailing edge is in DRX inactive time; the measurement gap at location (3) lies completely within the DRX active time. According to the current protocol, it is not clear whether the terminal monitors the behavior of the PDCCH.
According to the invention, the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH and does not perform downlink/uplink transmission in the time range of overlapping DRX activity time and measurement gap at the positions (2) and (3).
The DRX active time at the positions (2), (3) means that any one or more of an On Duration Timer (On Duration Timer), or a DRX Inactivity Timer (DRX Inactivity Timer), or a DRX retransmission Timer (drxrettransmission Timer) is running.
FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment 4 of the present invention;
the scenario of the conflict between the DRX active time and the measurement gap still adopts the conflict scenario of fig. 4, but adopts another solution of the present invention, that is, if any one or more of an On Duration Timer (On Duration Timer), a DRX Inactivity Timer (DRX Inactivity Timer), or a DRX Retransmission Timer (DRX Retransmission Timer) is running during the DRX active time, the terminal stops the corresponding Timer; as can be seen from the figure, DRX active time at location (2) terminates at the leading edge of the measurement gap; since the leading edge of the measurement gap precedes the start time of the duration timer at position (3), the duration timer is not started and the DRX cycle is cancelled. Since the timer related to controlling the DRX active time is stopped or cancelled, the terminal enters a DRX Inactive (Inactive) time. During DRX inactivity time, the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH.
Embodiments 3 and 4 differ from embodiments 1 and 2 in the conflicting scenarios of DRX active time and measurement gap at locations (2) and (3). In embodiments 3, 4, DRX active time and part of the time of the measurement gap at positions (2), (3) overlap; the DRX active time and the total time of the measurement gap overlap in embodiments 1, 2.
Fig. 6 illustrates a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment 5 of the present invention.
The scene of conflict between DRX active time and measurement gap can be seen, the conflict exists at the position (1), and the front edge of the measurement gap just conflicts with the starting point of the DRX duration time; according to the current protocol, it is not clear whether the terminal monitors the behavior of the PDCCH.
According to the present invention, if there is an On Duration start timing of a DRX Cycle (DRX Cycle) in a measurement gap, the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH and does not perform downlink/uplink transmission within a time range from the start of the On Duration Timer to the trailing edge of the measurement gap.
Fig. 7 illustrates a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment 6 of the present invention.
The scenario of the conflict between DRX active time and measurement gap still adopts the conflict scenario of fig. 6, but with another solution of the present invention, DRX Duration (On Duration) at the measurement gap at location (1) is cancelled, and Duration Timer (On Duration Timer) is not started; the terminal remains in the Inactive (Inactive) time, does not monitor the PDCCH, and does not perform downlink/uplink transmission.
Fig. 8 illustrates a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment 7 of the present invention.
The scene of conflict between DRX activity time and measurement gap can be seen, and the conflict exists at the positions (1) and (2); part of the time of the measurement gap in location (1) and DRX duration conflict; the part time of DRX at location (2) collides with DRX duration and the leading edge of the measurement gap precedes the start time of DRX duration; according to the current protocol, it is not clear whether the terminal monitors the behavior of the PDCCH.
According to the invention, at the position (1), the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH and does not perform downlink/uplink transmission within the time range of overlapping DRX activity time and measurement gap; at the position (2), when there is an On Duration start timing of a DRX Cycle (DRX Cycle) in the measurement gap, the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH and does not perform downlink/uplink transmission within a time range from the start of the On Duration Timer to the trailing edge of the measurement gap.
FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment 8 of the present invention;
the scenario of the conflict between the DRX active time and the measurement gap still adopts the conflict scenario of fig. 8, but another solution of the present invention is adopted, when there is a measurement gap in any one or more of an On duration Timer (On duration Timer), a DRX Inactivity Timer (DRX Inactivity Timer), or a DRX Retransmission Timer (DRX Retransmission Timer) when the terminal at the position (1) runs, the corresponding Timer is stopped at the time when the corresponding Timer runs and the measurement gap overlap, and the DRX inactive time is entered; in the DRX inactivity time, the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH and does not perform downlink/uplink transmission. The DRX Duration (On Duration) at the measurement gap at location (2) is cancelled, and the Duration Timer (On Duration Timer) is not started; the terminal remains in the Inactive (Inactive) time, does not monitor the PDCCH, and does not perform downlink/uplink transmission.
Fig. 10 illustrates a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment 9 of the present invention.
The scenario of the conflict between the DRX active time and the measurement gap still adopts the conflict scenario of fig. 8, but another solution of the present invention is adopted, when the terminal at the position (1) runs in any one or more of an On duration Timer (On duration Timer), a DRX Inactivity Timer (DRX Inactivity Timer), or a DRX Retransmission Timer (DRX Retransmission Timer), there is a measurement gap, the corresponding Timer is stopped, and the DRX inactive time is entered; the terminal does not monitor the PDCCH and does not perform downlink/uplink transmission. The DRX duration (On duration) at location (2) at the measurement gap is delayed until the start of the measurement gap trailing edge, the duration in the DRX cycle is not cancelled; the Duration Timer (On Duration Timer) may be in the length of the original configuration or in the length of the remaining time.
The contention resolution timer has a certain specificity, and is used for starting the timer after the UE sends the message 3 "scheduled transmission" in the contention-based random access process, and waiting for the message 4 "contention resolution" sent by the base station. Before the timer is overtime, if the UE successfully receives the message 4 and the competition resolving is successful, the timer is stopped and the random access process is successful; otherwise, if the timer is overtime, the random access attempt fails. Currently, 3GPP considers that the priority of the random access procedure is greater than that of the measurement gap, and thus special handling is required for the case where the contention resolution timer is running.
Therefore, the present invention also provides a method for processing the conflict between the discontinuous reception and the measurement gap, when the terminal runs in a Contention Resolution Timer (Contention Resolution Timer), if there is a measurement gap, the terminal cancels the measurement gap.
When a Contention Resolution Timer (Contention Resolution Timer) runs, if any one or more of an On Duration Timer (On Duration Timer), a DRX inactivity Timer (DRX inactivity Timer) or a DRX Retransmission Timer (DRX Retransmission Timer) runs, if a measurement gap exists, the terminal cancels the measurement gap; the corresponding duration Timer (OnDuration Timer), or DRX Inactivity Timer (DRX Inactivity Timer), or DRX Retransmission Timer (DRX Retransmission Timer) is executed according to the principles prescribed by the existing protocol. Since the measurement gap is cancelled, the conflict phenomenon between the DRX activity time and the measurement gap is no longer generated.
Fig. 11 illustrates a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment 10 of the present invention.
One can see the scenario where DRX active time and measurement gap conflict, there is a conflict at location (2). The full time of the measurement gap in position (2) is located at the DRX active time, i.e. the leading and trailing edges of the measurement gap are both within the DRX active time. During the time that position (2) and measurement gap overlap, the contention resolution timer is running; according to the current protocol, it is not clear whether the terminal monitors the behavior of the PDCCH.
According to the invention, when a Contention Resolution Timer (Contention Resolution Timer) runs, if a measurement gap exists, the terminal cancels the measurement gap. The terminal then cancels the measurement gap at position (2).