Network Connection Method, Terminal Device, And Network Device

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application is a network connection method, a terminal device, and a network device, the method comprising: when a request for tracking area updating from a terminal device to a network device fails, the terminal device sends a cell re-registration request message to the network device, said terminal device supporting a dual connection mode and establishing a connection with the network device by means of a first network, and said cell re-registration request message being used for the network device to learn the ability of the terminal device to connect to a second network; and the terminal device receives a network connection mode configured by the network device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2020/089226, filed on May 8, 2020, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. This application is based on Chinese patent applications with an application number 201910870158.7, filed on Sep. 16, 2019, and an application number 201910405971.7, filed on May 16, 2019, and claims the priority of the Chinese patent applications. The entire content of the patent applications is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Disclosure

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and specifically to a network connection method, an electronic device, and a storage medium.

2. Description of the Related Art

[0003] The New Radio (NR) system supports the standalone (SA) architecture and the non-standalone (NSA) architecture. A typical NSA architecture is a dual connection (DC) architecture.

[0004] In the dual connection architecture, a terminal device can work in a dual connection mode. In the dual connection mode, the terminal establishes a connection with two network devices in the NSA architecture. For example, the terminal device establishes connections with a network device in a long term evolution (LTE) system and a network device in the NR system. At this time, there is a problem that the terminal device consumes a lot of power and has short battery life.

SUMMARY

[0005] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a network connection method, an electronic device, and a storage medium, which can save power of the terminal device and extend endurance time of the terminal device.

[0006] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure are implemented as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a network connection method, which includes: sending, by the terminal device, a cell re-registration request message to the network device in a case that a request for updating a tracking area from a terminal device to a network device fails; wherein the terminal device supports a dual connection mode and establishes a connection with the network device through a first network, and the cell re-registration request message is used to cause the network device to know a capability of the terminal device to connect to a second network;

receiving, by the terminal device, a network connection mode configured by the network device.

[0008] In the above solution, the case that the request for updating the tracking area from the terminal device to the network device fails, includes: sending, by the terminal device, a tracking area update request message to the network device, in an idle state; wherein the terminal device does not receive a terminal device capability enquiry request message sent by the network device, within a predetermined duration.

[0009] In the above solution, the cell re-registration request message includes: the terminal device supporting connecting to the second network, or the terminal device not supporting connecting to the second network.

[0010] In the above solution, in a case that the cell re-registration request message includes the terminal device not supporting connecting to the second network, the receiving, by the terminal device, the network connection mode configured by the network device, including: receiving, by the terminal device, a single connection mode configured by the network device; wherein the terminal device is only capable of accessing the first network, in the single connection mode.

[0011] In the above solution, in a case that the cell re-registration request message includes the terminal device supporting connecting to the second network, the receiving, by the terminal device, the network connection mode configured by the network device, including:

[0012] Receiving, by the terminal device, the dual second network connection mode configured by the network device; wherein the terminal device is capable of accessing the first network and the second network simultaneously, in the dual connection mode.

[0013] In the above solution, the method further includes: sending, by the terminal device, first information to the network device, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports connecting to the second network.

[0014] In the above solution, the first network is an LTE network, and the second network is an NR network.

[0015] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a network connection method, which includes:

[0016] Receiving, by a network device, a tracking area update request message sent by a terminal device, wherein the network device establishes a connection with the terminal device through a first network;

ignoring, by the network device, the tracking area update request message.

[0017] In the above solution, the ignoring, by the network device, the tracking area update request, includes: not sending, by the network device, a terminal device capability enquiry request message to the terminal device, within a predetermined duration after the tracking area update request message is received by the network device.

[0018] In the above solution, the method further includes: receiving, by the network device, a cell re-registration request message sent by the terminal device, wherein the cell re-registration request message is used to cause the network device to know a capability of the terminal device to connect to a second network.

[0019] In the above solution, the method further includes: configuring a network connection mode for the terminal device based on the cell re-registration request message by the network device.

[0020] In the above solution, the configuring the network connection mode for the terminal device based on the cell re-registration request message by the network device includes:

[0021] Configuring a single connection mode for the terminal device by the network device in a case that the cell re-registration request message includes the terminal device not supporting a connection to the second network; wherein the terminal device is only capable of accessing the first network, in the single connection mode.

[0022] In the above solution, the configuring the network connection mode for the terminal device based on the cell re-registration request message by the network device includes:

[0023] Configuring the dual connection mode for the terminal device by the network device in a case that the cell re-registration request message includes the terminal device supporting a connection to the second network; wherein the terminal device is capable of accessing the first network and the second network simultaneously, in the dual connection mode.

[0024] In the above solution, the method further includes: receiving, by the network device, first information sent by the terminal device, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports the connection to the second network.

[0025] In the above solution, the first network is an LTE network, and the second network is an NR network.

[0026] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a terminal device, which includes:

[0027] A first sending unit configured to send a cell re-registration request message to a network device in a case that a request for updating a tracking area from a terminal device to a network device fails; wherein the terminal device supports a dual connection mode and establishes a connection with the network device through a first network, and the cell re-registration request message is configured to cause the network device to know a capability of the terminal device to connect to a second network;

[0028] A first receiving unit configured to receive a network connection mode configured by the network device.

[0029] In the above solution, the first sending unit is configured to send a tracking area update request message to the network device when the terminal device is in an idle state;

[0030] The first receiving unit does not receive a terminal device capability enquiry request message sent by the network device, within a predetermined duration.

[0031] In the above solution, the cell re-registration request message includes: the terminal device supporting connecting to the second network, or the terminal device not supporting connecting to the second network.

[0032] In the above solution, the first receiving unit is configured to receive a single connection mode configured by the network device in a case that the cell re-registration request message includes the terminal device not supporting connecting to the second network; wherein the terminal device is only capable of accessing the first network, in the single connection mode.

[0033] In the above solution, the first receiving unit is configured to receive the dual connection mode configured by the network device in a case that the cell re-registration request message includes the terminal device supporting connecting to the second network;

[0034] The terminal device is capable of accessing the first network and the second network simultaneously, in the dual connection mode.

[0035] In the above solution, the first sending unit is further configured to send first information to the network device, wherein the first information is used to indicate the terminal device supporting connecting to the second network.

[0036] In the above solution, the first network is an LTE network, and the second network is an NR network.

[0037] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a network device, which includes:

[0038] A second receiving unit configured to receive a tracking area update request message sent by a terminal device, wherein the network device establishes a connection with the terminal device through a first network;

[0039] A processing unit configured to ignore the tracking area update request message.

[0040] In the above solution, the processing unit is configured to not send a terminal device capability enquiry request message to the terminal device within a predetermined duration after the tracking area update request message is received by the second receiving unit.

[0041] In the above solution, the second receiving unit is further configured to receive a cell re-registration request message sent by the terminal device, wherein the cell re-registration request message is used to cause the network device to know a capability of the terminal device to connect to a second network.

[0042] In the above solution, the processing unit is further configured to configure a network connection mode for the terminal device based on the cell re-registration request message.

[0043] In the above solution, the processing unit is configured to configure a single connection mode for the terminal device in a case that the cell re-registration request message includes the terminal device not supporting connecting to the second network; wherein the terminal device is only capable of accessing the first network, in the single connection mode.

[0044] In the above solution, the processing unit is configured to configure the dual connection mode for the terminal device in a case that the cell re-registration request message includes the terminal device supporting connecting to the second network; wherein the terminal device is capable of accessing the first network and the second network simultaneously, in the dual connection mode.

[0045] In the above solution, the second receiving unit is further configured to receive first information sent by the terminal device, wherein the first information is configured to indicate that the terminal device supports connecting to the second network.

[0046] In the above solution, the first network is an LTE network, and the second network is an NR network.

[0047] The embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a storage medium storing an executable program, when executed by a processor, to implement the network connection method executed by the terminal device mentioned above.

[0048] The embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a storage medium storing an executable program, when executed by a processor, to implement the network connection method executed by the terminal device mentioned above.

[0049] In the network connection method, the electronic device, and the storage medium provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, in a case that a request for updating a tracking area from a terminal device to a network device fails, the terminal device sends the cell re-registration request message to the network device; the cell re-registration request message is used to cause the network device to know a capability of the terminal device to connect to the second network; the terminal device receives the network connection mode configured by the network device, and the terminal device and the network device establish the connection through a first network. In this way, the terminal device can inform the network device the ability of the terminal device to connect to the second network by the cell re-registration request message, so that the network device can configure the network connection mode for the terminal device according to the ability of the terminal device to connect to the second network; in turn, the power consumption of the terminal device is saved, and the endurance time of the terminal device is prolonged.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0050] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a software/hardware structure of an electronic device of an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0051] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a network connection method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0052] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an optional process of a network connection method, applied to a terminal device, provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0053] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a communication module of a terminal device in a dual connection mode of an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0054] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a tracking area update process of an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0055] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a terminal device, enabling intelligent 5G, in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0056] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a composition structure of a terminal device of an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0057] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a composition structure of a network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0058] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a composition structure of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0059] The present disclosure will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the present disclosure, and are not used to limit the present disclosure.

[0060] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a network connection method and an electronic device. The electronic device serves as an entity implementing the network connection method, it can be implemented by using various ways in practical applications. For example, the electronic device may be a smartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or a wearable device (such as a smart glasses, a smart watch, etc.). An operating system of the electronic device can be Android operating system, IOS operating system or any other operation system (such as a mobile version of Linux system, a BlackBerry QNX operating system, etc.) that is developed by a third-party and can run on a microcomputer structure (including at least a processor and a memory). In the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device is illustrated as a smartphone, which does not constitute a limitation on a type of the electronic device to which the technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable.

[0061] The software/hardware structure of the electronic device 10, see FIG. 1, includes a hardware layer, a driver layer, an operating system layer, and an application layer. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the electronic device 10 used for information processing may be equipped with more components than in FIG. 1 according to implementation requirements, or some components may be omitted according to implementation requirements.

[0062] The hardware layer of the electronic device 10 includes a processor 161, an input/output interface 163, a memory 164, and a network interface 162. The components can be connected and communicated via a system bus.

[0063] The processor 161 may be implemented by using a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor (MCU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a logic programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0064] The input/output interface 163 can be implemented by using input/output devices such as a display screen, a touch screen, and a speaker.

[0065] The memory 164 can be implemented by using non-volatile storage media such as flash memory, hard disks, and optical disks, or can be implemented by using volatile storage media such as double data rate (DDR) dynamic caches, in which executable instructions are stored to execute the above-mentioned network connection method.

[0066] The network interface 162 provides the processor 161 with the capability to access external data, such as in the memory 164 located at a remote location, based on a network transmission protocol such as transfer control protocol (TCP)/user datagram protocol (UDP).

[0067] The driver layer includes middleware 165 for the operating system 166 to recognize the hardware layer and communicate with components of the hardware layer. For example, the middleware 165 may be a collection of drivers for each component of the hardware layer.

[0068] The operating system 166 is used to provide a user-oriented graphical interface, and the operating system 166 supports the user to control a pointed device via the graphical interface. The embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the software environment of the above-mentioned device, such as a type and a version of the operating system, for example, which can be a Linux operating system and a UNIX operating system, etc.

[0069] The application layer includes an application program 167 for implementing the network connection method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Certainly, it may also include other programs 168.

[0070] The architecture of the network connection method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is briefly described as follows. In the dual-connection architecture as shown in FIG. 2. A terminal device 101 can establish an air interface connection with a primary network device 102 (also referred to as a primary node) to realize communication with the primary network device 102. The terminal device 101 can also establish an air interface connection with a secondary network device 103 (also referred to as a secondary node) to realize communication with a secondary network device 103. The terminal device 101 can also simultaneously establish air interface connections with the primary network device 102 and the secondary network device 103, so as to simultaneously realize the communication with the primary network device 102 and the secondary network device 103, so as to simultaneously realize communication with the primary network device 102 and the secondary network device 103.

[0071] In the dual connection mode, the terminal device 101 simultaneously establishes two connections with the primary network device 102 and the secondary network device 103, wherein the primary network device 102 is mainly responsible for transmitting signalling, and the secondary network device 103 is responsible for transmitting data. The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure are mainly aimed at a terminal in the dual connection mode.

[0072] The types of the primary network device 102 and the secondary network device 103, shown in FIG. 2, may be the same or different. In an example, the primary network device 102 is an LTE network device, and the secondary network device 103 is an NR network device. In another example, the primary network device 102 is an NR network device, and the secondary network device 103 is also an NR network device. In another example, the primary network device 102 is an NR network device, and the secondary network device 103 is an LTE network device. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the types of the primary network device 102 and the secondary network device 103 do not be limited.

[0073] In an example, the dual connection mode is an EN-DC mode or a next generation EN-DC (NGEN-DC) mode. In this case, the primary network device is an LTE network device, and the secondary network device is an NR network device, the terminal communicates with both the LTE network device and the NR network device.

[0074] In another example, the dual connection mode is an NR-evolved UMTS (NR-EUTRA, NE-DC) mode. In this case, the primary network device is an NR network device, the secondary network device is an LTE network device, and the terminal communicates with both the LTE network device and the NR network device.

[0075] It should be noted that the dual connection mode is not limited to the aforementioned EN-DC mode and NE-DC mode, and the specific type of the dual connection mode does not be limited in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] In the specific implementation, the deployment method of the primary network device and the secondary network device can be co-site deployment (e.g., the NR network device and the LTE network device can be set on one physical device), or non-co-site deployment (e.g., the NR network device and the LTE network device can be set on different physical devices), which is not limited to the present disclosure. Herein, the LTE network device may also be referred to as an evolved network device (evolved Node B, eNB), and the NR network device may also be referred to as a next generation node B (gNB). It should be noted that the relationship between coverage ranges of the primary network device and the secondary network device may not be limited to the present disclosure. For example, the primary network device and the secondary network device may have coverage ranges in an overlapping manner.

[0077] The specific type of the terminal device 101 is not limited to the present disclosure. It can be any user device that supports the aforementioned dual connection mode, such as a smartphone, a personal computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, and a portable wearable device.

[0078] Hereinafter, the technical solution of the present disclosure and how the technical solution of the present disclosure solves the above-mentioned technical problems will be described in detail by using the embodiments in conjunction with the drawings. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments.

[0079] Until here, the electronic device involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure has been described according to its functions. Based on the software/hardware structure of the electronic device shown in FIG. 1 and the network architecture shown in FIG. 2, continue to describe the network connection scheme provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0080] FIG. 3 shows an optional flowchart of a network connection method applied to a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which will be described according to each step.

[0081] Step S201: sending, by the terminal device, a cell re-registration request message to the network device in a case that a request for updating a tracking area from a terminal device to a network device fails.

[0082] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal device supports a dual connection mode. In the dual connection mode, the terminal device communicates with both a first network device and a second network device. In an optional embodiment, the first network device is a secondary network device, and the second network device is a primary network device. The secondary network device is responsible for transmitting data. The primary network device is mainly responsible for transmitting signalling. The device forms a dual-connection architecture with the first network device and the second network device, refer to FIG. 2.

[0083] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the dual connection mode is, for example, an EN-DC mode, or an NGEN-DC mode, or an NE-DC mode. Taking the EN-DC mode as an example, the second network device is an NR network device (i.e. gNB), the first network device is an LTE network device (i.e. eNB), and the terminal device simultaneously communicates with both the NR network device and the LTE network device. Compared with the terminal device in the single connection mode that needs to communicate with one network device (such as an LTE network device or an NR network device), the terminal device in the dual connection mode consumes more power. For this reason, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmission rate of the terminal is limited to save the power consumption of the terminal in the dual connection mode.

[0084] FIG. 4 is a structural diagram of a communication module of a terminal device in a dual connection mode. As shown in FIG. 4, in order for the terminal device to communicate with two network devices at the same time, the terminal device needs to have two sets of communication modules, which correspond to two network devices, respectively. A first modem module and a first radio frequency path (including a first radio frequency circuit and a first radio frequency antenna) form a first set of communication modules, and the first set of communication modules corresponds to the first network device. A second modem module and a second radio frequency path (including a second radio frequency circuit and a second radio frequency antenna) form a second set of communication modules, and the second set of communication modules corresponds to the second network device. In an example, the second modem is a 5G modem, the first modem is a 4G modem, the second radio frequency circuit is related to 5G RF, and the first radio frequency circuit is related to 4G RF. In the dual connection mode, the first communication module and the second communication module work at the same time.

[0085] In an example, the terminal device first establishes a connection with the first network device and then establishes a connection with the second network device. For example, in a case that a terminal device is connected to a first network device, a control instruction sent by a second network device is received, and the control instruction is used to trigger the activation of the communication function corresponding to the second network device; the terminal device establishes a connection with the second network device in response to the control instruction.

[0086] Before performing step S201, if the terminal device in the dual connection mode determines to disable the dual connection mode and adopts a single connection mode, the terminal device returns to an idle state and initiates a tracking area update (TAU) process. Optionally, the terminal device may also release radio resource control (RRC) by itself in a specific scenario and fall back to the idle state. During the tracking area update process that is initiated by the terminal device, the terminal device sends a TAU request message to the network device. In the TAU request message, a value of UE radio capability information update needed is set to 1, and a value of an active flag in "EPS update type" is set to 0. In this way, the network device can configure the terminal device to the idle state after the TAU process ends.

[0087] In some embodiments, in a schematic diagram of the tracking area update process, as shown in FIG. 5, the terminal device in EN-DC mode determines to disable the EN-DC mode and adopts the single connection mode, then the terminal device returns to the idle state and initiates the TAU process to the network device. After the TAU request message is received by the network device, the network device knows that the terminal device needs to update a capability of the terminal device, and then initiates a UE capability enquiry process to the terminal device. Then, the terminal device reports a UE capability report to the network device and indicates whether the terminal device has the capability to connect to the second network. When the terminal device does not have the capability to connect to the second network is instructed, the network device does not configure the dual connection mode to the terminal device.

[0088] In other embodiments, after the network device receives the TAU request message, the network device ignores the TAU request message, that is, the network device does not initiate the UE capability enquiry process to the terminal device; if the terminal device does not receive a terminal device capability enquiry request message sent by the network device within a predetermined duration, it is considered that the TAU has failed. At this time, the terminal device sends a re-registration process to the network device. The terminal device provides the re-registration request message including that: the terminal device supports connecting to the second network, or the terminal device does not support connecting to the second network.

[0089] Step S202: receiving, by the terminal device, a network connection mode configured by the network device.

[0090] In some embodiments, in a case that the cell re-registration request message includes that the terminal device does not support connecting to the second network, the terminal device receives the single connection mode configured by the network device; in the single connection mode, the terminal device can only access the first network. In a scenario wherein a terminal device is switched from a dual connection mode to a single connection mode, the network device is the primary network device. The primary network device sends a message to the secondary network device in the dual connection mode to instruct the secondary network device to disconnect from the terminal device. Namely, it is instructed that data transmission is no longer performed between the secondary network device and the terminal device. In a scenario wherein a terminal device is switched from a dual connection mode to a single connection mode, the network device is the primary network device, before the terminal device receives the single connection configuration sent by the network device, the terminal device disconnects the terminal device from the secondary network device, the secondary network device sends a message to the primary network device, and the message is used to notify the primary network device and the terminal device to perform data transmission and signalling transmission. In this scenario, the terminal device may also continue to send first information to the network device, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports connecting to the second network. After the network device receives the first information sent by the terminal device, the network device configures the dual connection mode for the terminal device. In a case that a network device is configured with a dual connection mode for a terminal device, the network device can be considered as the primary network device; the primary network device also needs to send a message to the secondary network device to instruct the secondary network device to establish a connection with the terminal device and indicate to perform data transmission between the secondary network device and the terminal device. In this scenario, the primary network device and the terminal device perform signalling transmission.

[0091] In the specific implementation, the terminal device can restart to perform a measurement report for the second network, and the measurement report for the second network is reported to the network device by the terminal device, so that the network device knows that the terminal device has the capability to support the second network; then the network device configures the dual connection mode for the terminal device. In the dual connection mode, the terminal device can simultaneously access the first network and the second network.

[0092] In other embodiments, when the cell re-registration request message includes that the terminal device supports connecting to the second network, the terminal device receives the dual connection mode configured by the network device.

[0093] It should be noted that, in an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the first network is an LTE network, and the second network is an NR network. A connection established between the terminal device and the network device through the first network refers to that the terminal device and the network device communicate within the first network. The dual connection mode can be an EN-DC mode.

[0094] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, after a connection is established between the terminal device and the second network device corresponding to the second network, the terminal device can communicate with the second network device. It should be noted that the connection described in the embodiments of the present disclosure refers to access. After the terminal device enables a communication function of the second network device, it needs to adjust various parameters of the terminal device according to the actual situation, so as to achieve the best compromise between performance and power consumption, so that the user can obtain a better experience. Taking the communication function corresponding to the second network device as a 5G function as an example, refer to FIG. 6, which is a schematic diagram of a terminal device enabling an intelligent 5G. Herein, enabling the intelligent 5G means optimizing the 5G function. Specifically, when the 5G function is used by the terminal device, which can adjust various parameters (such as the transmission rate) of the terminal device according to the actual situation. As shown in FIG. 6, enabling the intelligent 5G by a terminal device includes the following processes:

[0095] 1. The terminal device determines whether an operation to enable the intelligent 5G has been received.

[0096] Herein, a terminal displays a user interface. The user interface includes an option to enable the intelligent 5G, and the user can trigger an operation to select options corresponding to the intelligent 5G, thereby enabling the intelligent 5G. Herein, the user's operation may be a touch operation, a keying operation, a voice operation, a gesture operation, or the like.

[0097] 2. If the operation to enable the intelligent 5G is received, the 5G function is optimized.

[0098] Herein, the optimization of the 5G function includes at least: informing the network device through the re-registration message that the terminal device does not have the capability to support 5G, thereby avoiding the network device from configuring the terminal device with the dual connection mode, so as to save the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0099] 3. If the control instruction to enable the 5G function is not received, the 5G function will not be optimized.

[0100] An application scenario of the network connection method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is that: the terminal device detects its own remaining power, and when the remaining power is lower than a predetermined threshold, the terminal device enables to restrict the communication function corresponding to the second network device. In a case that the communication function corresponding to the second network device starts to be restricted, the terminal device reports to the network device that the terminal device does not have the capability to support the second network (5G network) through a re-registration request message, thereby avoiding the network device from configuring the dual connection mode for the terminal device to save the power consumption of the terminal device. In the specific implementation, the threshold, such as 20%, can be flexibly set according to the needs of the user.

[0101] Another application scenario of the network connection method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is that: in a case that the second network is abnormally established or disconnected frequently, the terminal device enables to restrict the communication function corresponding to the second network device. In a case that the communication function corresponding to the second network device starts to be restricted, the terminal device reports to the network device that the terminal device does not have the capability to support the second network (5G network) through a re-registration request message, thereby avoiding the network device from configuring the dual connection mode for the terminal device to save the power consumption of the terminal device. In the specific implementation, the second network established or disconnected abnormally frequently may be three times of establishing or disconnecting the second network within 1 minute.

[0102] Another application scenario of the network connection method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure is that: in a case that the terminal device is in deep sleep, the terminal device enables to restrict the communication function corresponding to the second network device. In a case that the communication function corresponding to the second network device starts to be restricted, the terminal device reports to the network device that the terminal device does not have the capability to support the second network (5G network) through a re-registration request message, thereby avoiding the network device from configuring the dual connection mode for the terminal device to save the power consumption of the terminal device. In the specific implementation, the terminal device in deep sleep can be that: a power consumption optimization software module inside the terminal device sends a deep sleep state event registration request message to an application layer power management system inside the terminal device, and the application layer power management system sends a deep sleep event occurrence indication based on the deep sleep state event registration request message to the power consumption optimization software module, wherein the deep sleep event occurrence indication is used to instruct the terminal device to enter a deep sleep state.

[0103] In the above technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal device reports to the network device that the terminal device does not have the capability to support the second network (5G network) through the re-registration request message, thereby avoiding the network device from configuring the dual connection mode for the terminal device to save the power consumption of the terminal device and increase the service life of the terminal device.

[0104] Based on the network connection method provided in the foregoing embodiment, an embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a terminal device. The terminal device 300, as shown in a schematic diagram of a composition structure in FIG. 7, includes:

[0105] A first sending unit 301 that is configured to send a cell re-registration request message to a network device in a case that a request for updating a tracking area from a terminal device to a network device fails; the terminal device supports a dual connection mode and establishes a connection with the network device through a first network, and the cell re-registration request message is used to cause the network device to know the capability of the terminal device to connect to the second network;

[0106] A first receiving unit 302 that is configured to receive a network connection mode configured by the network device.

[0107] In an embodiment, the first sending unit 301 is configured to send a tracking area update request message to the network device in a case that the terminal device is in an idle state;

[0108] The first receiving unit 302 has not received a terminal device capability enquiry request message sent by the network device within a predetermined duration.

[0109] In an embodiment, the cell re-registration request message includes that: the terminal device supports connecting to the second network, or the terminal device does not support connecting to the second network.

[0110] In an embodiment, the first receiving unit 302 is configured to receive a single connection mode configured by the network device in a case that the cell re-registration request message includes that the terminal device does not support connecting to the second network; in the single connection mode, the terminal device can only access the first network.

[0111] In an embodiment, the first receiving unit 302 is configured to receive a dual connection mode configured by the network device in a case that the cell re-registration request message includes that the terminal device supports connecting to the second network; in the dual connection mode, the terminal device can simultaneously access the first network and the second network.

[0112] In an embodiment, the first sending unit 301 is further configured to send first information to the network device, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports connecting to the second network.

[0113] In an embodiment, the first network is an LTE network, and the second network is an NR network.

[0114] Based on the network connection method provided in the above embodiments, an embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a terminal device. The network device 400, as shown in a schematic diagram of a composition structure in FIG. 8, includes:

[0115] A second receiving unit 401 that is configured to receive a tracking area update request message sent by a terminal device, wherein the network device establishes a connection with the terminal device through a first network;

[0116] A processing unit 402 that is configured to ignore the tracking area update request message.

[0117] In an embodiment, the processing unit 402 is configured to not send a terminal device capability enquiry request message to the terminal device within a predetermined duration after the tracking area update request message is received by the second receiving unit.

[0118] In an embodiment, the second receiving unit 401 is further configured to receive a cell re-registration request message sent by the terminal device, wherein the cell re-registration request message is used to cause the network device to know the capability of the terminal device to connect to the second network.

[0119] In an embodiment, the processing unit 402 is further configured to configure a network connection mode for the terminal device based on the cell re-registration request message.

[0120] In an embodiment, the processing unit 402 is configured to configure a single connection mode for the terminal device in a case that the cell re-registration request message includes that the terminal device does not support connecting to the second network; in the single connection mode, the terminal device can only access the first network.

[0121] In an embodiment, the processing unit 402 is configured to configure a dual connection mode for the terminal device in a case that the cell re-registration request message includes that the terminal device supports connecting to the second network; in the dual connection mode, the terminal device can simultaneously access the first network and the second network.

[0122] In an embodiment, the second receiving unit 401 is further configured to receive first information sent by the terminal device, wherein the first information is used to indicate that the terminal device supports connecting to the second network.

[0123] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first network is an LTE network, and the second network is an NR network.

[0124] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a hardware composition structure of an electronic device (such as a terminal device and a network device) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic device 700 includes at least one processor 701, a memory 702, and at least one network interface 704. The various components in the electronic device 700 are coupled together through a bus system 705. It can be understood that the bus system 705 is used to implement connection and communication between these components. In addition to a data bus, the bus system 705 also includes a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus. However, for the sake of clear description, various buses are marked as the bus system 705 in FIG. 9.

[0125] It can be understood that the memory 702 may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, and may also include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be a ROM, a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a ferromagnetic random access memory (FRAM), a flash memory, a magnetic surface memory, an optical disk, or a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM); wherein the magnetic surface memory can be disk storage or tape storage. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of exemplary but not restrictive description, many forms of RAM are available, such as a static random access memory (SRAM), a synchronous static random access memory (SSRAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), a double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDRSDRAM), an enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), a SyncLink dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and a direct Rambus random access memory (DRRAM). The memory 702 described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0126] The memory 702 in the embodiment of the present disclosure is used to store various types of data to support the operation of the electronic device 700. Examples of such data include any computer program used to operate on the electronic device 700, such as an application program 7022. The program for implementing the method of the embodiment of the present disclosure may be included in the application program 7022.

[0127] The method disclosed in the above embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to the processor 701 or implemented by the processor 701. The processor 701 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, the steps of the above method can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of hardware in the processor 701 or instructions in the form of software. The aforementioned processor 701 may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, and the like. The processor 701 may implement or execute the methods, steps, and logical block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor or the like. Combining the steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure, it may be directly embodied as being executed and completed by a hardware decoding processor, or executed and completed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module may be located in a storage medium, and the storage medium is located in the memory 702. The processor 701 reads the information in the memory 702 and completes the steps of the foregoing method in combination with its hardware.

[0128] In an exemplary embodiment, the electronic device 700 may be implemented by one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), DSP, programmable logic devices (PLD), complex programmable logic devices (CPLD), FPGA, general-purpose processors, controller, MCU, MPU, or other electronic components to execute the aforementioned method.

[0129] The embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a storage medium for storing computer programs.

[0130] Optionally, the storage medium may be applied to the terminal device in the embodiment of the present disclosure, and the computer program causes a computer to execute a corresponding process in each method executed by the terminal device in the embodiment of the present disclosure. For brevity, details are not described herein again.

[0131] Optionally, the storage medium can be applied to the network device in the embodiment of the present disclosure, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the corresponding process in each method executed by the network device in the embodiment of the present disclosure. For the sake of brevity, details are not described herein again.

[0132] The present disclosure is described with reference to flowcharts and/or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each process and/or block in the flowchart and/or block diagram, and the combination of processes and/or blocks in the flowchart and/or block diagram can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing equipment to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment can be used to generate a device that implements the functions specified in one process or multiple processes in the flowchart and/or one block or multiple blocks in a block diagram.

[0133] These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to work in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including the instruction device. The device implements the functions specified in one process or multiple processes in the flowchart and/or one block or multiple blocks in a block diagram.

[0134] These computer program instructions can also be loaded on a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, so that a series of operation steps are executed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce computer-implemented processing, so as to execute on the computer or other programmable equipment. The instructions provide steps for implementing functions specified in a flow or multiple flows in the flowchart and/or a block or multiple blocks in a block diagram.

[0135] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and are not used to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Any modification, equivalent replacement, and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present disclosure shall be included within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A network connection method, comprising: sending, by the terminal device, a cell re-registration request message to the network device in a case that a request for updating a tracking area from a terminal device to a network device fails; wherein the terminal device supports a dual connection mode and establishes a connection with the network device through a first network, and the cell re-registration request message is configured to cause the network device to know a capability of the terminal device to connect to a second network; and receiving, by the terminal device, a network connection mode configured by the network device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the case that the request for updating the tracking area from the terminal device to the network device fails, comprises: sending, by the terminal device, a tracking area update request message to the network device, in an idle state; wherein the terminal device does not receive a terminal device capability enquiry request message sent by the network device, within a predetermined duration.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cell re-registration request message comprises: the terminal device supporting connecting to the second network, or the terminal device not supporting connecting to the second network.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein, in a case that the cell re-registration request message comprises the terminal device not supporting connecting to the second network, the receiving, by the terminal device, the network connection mode configured by the network device, comprising: receiving, by the terminal device, a single connection mode configured by the network device; wherein the terminal device is only capable of accessing the first network, in the single connection mode.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein, in a case that the cell re-registration request message comprises the terminal device supporting connecting to the second network, the receiving, by the terminal device, the network connection mode configured by the network device, comprising: receiving, by the terminal device, the dual connection mode configured by the network device; wherein the terminal device is capable of accessing the first network and the second network simultaneously, in the dual connection mode.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising: sending, by the terminal device, first information to the network device, wherein the first information is configured to indicate that the terminal device supports connecting to the second network.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the first network is a long-term evolution (LTE) network, and the second network is a new radio (NR) network.

8. A network connection method, comprising: receiving, by a network device, a tracking area update request message sent by a terminal device, wherein the network device establishes a connection with the terminal device through a first network; and ignoring, by the network device, the tracking area update request message; wherein the terminal device supports a dual connection mode.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the ignoring, by the network device, the tracking area update request, comprises: not sending, by the network device, a terminal device capability enquiry request message to the terminal device, within a predetermined duration after the tracking area update request message is received by the network device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: receiving, by the network device, a cell re-registration request message sent by the terminal device, wherein the cell re-registration request message is configured to cause the network device to know a capability of the terminal device to connect to a second network.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: configuring a network connection mode for the terminal device based on the cell re-registration request message by the network device.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the configuring the network connection mode for the terminal device based on the cell re-registration request message by the network device comprises: configuring a single connection mode for the terminal device by the network device in a case that the cell re-registration request message comprises the terminal device not supporting connecting to the second network; wherein the terminal device is only capable of accessing the first network, in the single connection mode.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the configuring the network connection mode for the terminal device based on the cell re-registration request message by the network device comprises: configuring the dual connection mode for the terminal device by the network device in a case that the cell re-registration request message comprises the terminal device supporting connecting to the second network; wherein the terminal device is capable of accessing the first network and the second network simultaneously, in the dual connection mode.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising: receiving, by the network device, first information sent by the terminal device, wherein the first information is configured to indicate that the terminal device supports connecting to the second network.

15. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first network is a long term evolution (LTE) network, and the second network is a new radio (NR) network.

16. A terminal device, comprising a processor and a memory for storing a computer program that is capable of running on the processor, wherein in response to the processor being configured to run the computer program, the processor executes steps of the network connection method as claimed in claim 1.

17. A network device comprising a processor and a memory for storing a computer program that is capable of running on the processor, wherein in response to the processor being configured to run the computer program, the processor executes steps of the network connection method as claimed in claim 8.

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