Communication method and device

Abstract

The invention discloses a communication method and device, relates to the technical field of communication, and can improve the measurement flexibility, reduce the measurement redundancy and reduce the measurement overhead when a terminal carries out SSB measurement. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring first indication information which corresponds to a terminal and is used for indicating a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSB); wherein the plurality of SSBs comprise a first SSB corresponding to the position information of the terminal, and at least one second SSB; the first SSB corresponds to the first area, the second SSB corresponds to the second area, and the second area is adjacent to the first area; determining at least one third SSB to be measured and measurement time information corresponding to the at least one third SSB according to the first SSB and the at least one second SSB; measuring the at least one third SSB in the measurement time information corresponding to the at least one third SSB to obtain a measurement result; and sending a measurement result.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] In a communication system, network devices can send synchronization signal block (SSB) configuration information to terminals, and the terminals perform SSB measurements based on the received SSB configuration information.

[0003] Among them, network devices can enable terminals to perform SSB measurements through SSB-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC) based on reference signal resources.

[0004] However, SSB measurement configuration based on SMTC is not flexible enough, which can lead to excessive redundancy in terminal measurements and increase the measurement overhead of the terminal. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that enables terminals to improve measurement flexibility, reduce measurement redundancy, and lower measurement overhead when performing SSB measurements.

[0006] Firstly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to a terminal side, such as a terminal or a communication module within a terminal, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip containing a modem core) responsible for communication functions within the terminal. Taking the application of this method to a terminal as an example, the method includes: acquiring first indication information corresponding to the terminal for indicating multiple synchronization signal blocks (SSBs); wherein the multiple SSBs include a first SSB corresponding to the terminal's location information and at least one second SSB; the first SSB corresponds to a first region; the second SSB corresponds to a second region, and the second region is adjacent to the first region; determining at least one third SSB to be measured and measurement time information corresponding to the at least one third SSB based on the first SSB and at least one second SSB; measuring the at least one third SSB within the measurement time information corresponding to the at least one third SSB to obtain a measurement result; and sending the measurement result.

[0007] Based on the first aspect, when configuring SSB measurements for a terminal, the network side can send terminal-level SSB measurement configurations to the terminal, instead of broadcasting cell-level or beam-level SMTC configurations. This means the network side can indicate a finite number of deterministic SSBs to be measured in the terminal's vicinity (i.e., the first SSB corresponding to the terminal's location information, and the second SSB corresponding to its adjacent second area) based on the terminal's location information, improving the flexibility of SSB measurement configuration while reducing signaling overhead. When performing SSB measurements, the terminal can determine at least one third SSB to be measured, and the corresponding measurement time information, from the first SSB and at least one second SSB according to its actual communication needs, improving the flexibility and accuracy of SSB measurements. Simultaneously, it can reduce measurement redundancy, lower measurement overhead, and reduce the terminal's measurement power consumption.

[0008] In one possible design, the first indication information is used to indicate one or more of the following: measurement configuration information of multiple SSBs, coverage information of the areas corresponding to multiple SSBs, or location order information of multiple SSBs; wherein, the location order information is used to indicate the geographical location relationship between the coverage areas of the areas corresponding to multiple SSBs.

[0009] In one possible design, the first indication information includes one or more of the following: index information of a first SSB, coverage information of the area corresponding to the first SSB, measurement time information corresponding to the first SSB, index information of a second SSB, coverage information of the area corresponding to the second SSB, measurement time information corresponding to the second SSB, or location order information of at least one second SSB; wherein the location order information is used to indicate the geographical location relationship between the coverage areas of at least one second SSB.

[0010] Based on the two possible designs mentioned above, multiple possible designs are provided for the design of the first instruction information.

[0011] In one possible design, obtaining the first indication information corresponding to the terminal includes: sending the location information of the terminal; obtaining the first indication information corresponding to the terminal; wherein the first indication information is determined based on the location information of the terminal.

[0012] Based on this possible design, by sending its own location information to the network-side device, the terminal can enable the network-side device to more accurately determine a limited number of deterministic SSBs to be measured around it (i.e., the first SSB corresponding to the terminal's location information and the second SSB corresponding to its adjacent second area), thereby improving the flexibility and accuracy of SSB measurement configuration.

[0013] In one possible design, obtaining the first indication information corresponding to the terminal includes: receiving a first Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling message, wherein the first RRC signaling message includes the first indication information; or, receiving a first Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling message, wherein the first NAS signaling message includes the first indication information.

[0014] Based on this possible design, network-side devices can send terminal-level first indication information to the terminal via RRC signaling or NAS signaling when the terminal is in a connected state.

[0015] In one possible design, determining at least one third SSB to be measured, and measurement time information corresponding to at least one third SSB, based on a first SSB and at least one second SSB, includes: determining measurement time information corresponding to at least one third SSB based on the measurement time information of the first SSB and the transmission period of the SSB.

[0016] Based on this possible design, the terminal can determine the measurement time information corresponding to at least one third SSB according to the measurement time information of the first SSB and the transmission period of the SSB, so as to reduce measurement redundancy and measurement overhead.

[0017] In one possible design, when the terminal moves from the first area to the second area, it sends a second indication message; wherein the second indication message is used to indicate the updating of the first indication message; and the updated first indication message is obtained.

[0018] Based on this possible design, the network-side device sends the terminal-level SSB measurement configuration to the terminal through the first indication information. The terminal does not need to obtain the SSB measurement configuration based on system messages. The terminal can identify the measurement configuration changes caused by the terminal's movement and update them in a timely manner, avoiding inaccurate mobility management caused by SSB measurement deviation.

[0019] In one possible design, sending the second indication information includes: sending a random access request; wherein the random access request includes the second indication information, which is a preamble related to updating the first indication information; or, sending a second RRC signaling; wherein the second RRC signaling includes the second indication information; or, sending a second NAS signaling; wherein the second NAS signaling includes the second indication information.

[0020] Based on this possible design, the terminal can update the first indication information when it is in a connected state via a random access request, or RRC signaling, or NAS signaling request.

[0021] Secondly, this application provides a communication method that can be applied to the network side, such as a network-side device or a communication module in the network-side device, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core) in the network-side device responsible for communication functions. Taking the application of this method to a network-side device as an example, the method includes: acquiring the location information of a terminal; sending, according to the location information, first indication information corresponding to the location information of the terminal for indicating multiple SSBs to the terminal; receiving measurement results from the terminal; wherein, the multiple SSBs include a first SSB corresponding to the location information of the terminal and at least one second SSB; the first SSB corresponds to a first region, the second SSB corresponds to a second region, and the second region is adjacent to the first region; the measurement results are determined according to at least one third SSB, and the at least one third SSB is determined according to the first SSB and at least one second SSB.

[0022] Based on the second aspect, when configuring SSB measurements for a terminal, the network side can send terminal-level SSB measurement configurations to the terminal, instead of broadcasting cell-level or beam-level SMTC configurations. This means the network side can indicate a finite number of deterministic SSBs to be measured in the terminal's vicinity (i.e., the first SSB corresponding to the terminal's location information, and the second SSB corresponding to its adjacent second area) based on the terminal's location information, improving the flexibility of SSB measurement configuration while reducing signaling overhead. When performing SSB measurements, the terminal can determine at least one third SSB to be measured, and the corresponding measurement time information, from the first SSB and at least one second SSB according to its actual communication needs, improving the flexibility and accuracy of SSB measurements. Simultaneously, it can reduce measurement redundancy, lower measurement overhead, and reduce the terminal's measurement power consumption.

[0023] In one possible design, the network-side equipment can be core network equipment or network equipment with base station functionality. This network equipment can be a ground-based device or a non-ground-based device, such as a satellite or drone, without restriction.

[0024] In one possible design, the first indication information is used to indicate one or more of the following: measurement configuration information of multiple SSBs, coverage information of the areas corresponding to multiple SSBs, or location order information of multiple SSBs; wherein, the location order information is used to indicate the geographical location relationship between the coverage areas of the areas corresponding to multiple SSBs.

[0025] In one possible design, the first indication information includes one or more of the following: index information of a first SSB, coverage information of the area corresponding to the first SSB, measurement time information corresponding to the first SSB, index information of a second SSB, coverage information of the area corresponding to the second SSB, measurement time information corresponding to the second SSB, or location order information of at least one second SSB; wherein the location order information is used to indicate the geographical location relationship between the coverage areas of at least one second SSB.

[0026] Based on the two possible designs mentioned above, multiple possible designs are provided for the design of the first instruction information.

[0027] In one possible design, sending the first indication information corresponding to the terminal to the terminal includes: sending a first Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling message to the terminal; wherein the first RRC signaling message includes the first indication information; or, sending a first Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling message to the terminal; wherein the first NAS signaling message includes the first indication information.

[0028] Based on this possible design, network-side devices can send terminal-level first indication information to the terminal via RRC signaling or NAS signaling when the terminal is in a connected state.

[0029] In one possible design, a second indication information is received from the terminal; wherein the second indication information is used to indicate an update of the first indication information; and the updated first indication information is sent to the terminal based on the terminal's location information.

[0030] Based on this possible design, network-side equipment sends terminal-level SSB measurement configurations to the terminal via the first indication information. The terminal does not need to obtain the SSB measurement configuration based on system messages, thus improving the flexibility of SSB measurement configuration. Furthermore, the terminal can update the first indication information based on the above possible design, enabling it to identify and promptly update measurement configurations caused by satellite or terminal movement, avoiding inaccurate mobility management due to SSB measurement deviations.

[0031] In one possible design, receiving second indication information from a terminal includes: receiving a random access request from the terminal; wherein the random access request includes second indication information, the second indication information being a preamble related to updating the first indication information; or, receiving second RRC signaling from the terminal; wherein the second RRC signaling includes the second indication information; or, receiving second NAS signaling from the terminal; wherein the second NAS signaling includes the second indication information.

[0032] Based on this possible design, the terminal can update the first indication information when it is in a connected state via a random access request, or RRC signaling, or NAS signaling request.

[0033] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device that can be applied to the terminal described in the first aspect to realize the functions performed by the terminal. The communication device can be the terminal itself, or it can be a terminal chip, a chip system, or a system-on-a-chip, etc. The communication device can execute the functions performed by the terminal through hardware or through corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the functions described above. For example, a transceiver module and a processing module. The transceiver module can independently complete the following transceiver operations or cooperate with the processing module to complete the following transceiver operations; correspondingly, the processing module can independently complete the following processing operations or cooperate with the transceiver module to complete the following processing operations, without limitation.

[0034] For example, the transceiver module can be used to acquire first indication information corresponding to the terminal for indicating multiple SSBs; wherein, the multiple SSBs include a first SSB corresponding to the terminal's location information and at least one second SSB; the first SSB corresponds to a first region, the second SSB corresponds to a second region, and the second region is adjacent to the first region; the processing module can be used to determine at least one third SSB to be measured and measurement time information corresponding to the at least one third SSB based on the first SSB and at least one second SSB; the processing module can also be used to measure at least one third SSB within the measurement time information corresponding to at least one third SSB to obtain a measurement result; the transceiver module can also be used to send the measurement result.

[0035] Optionally, the transceiver module and processing module of the communication device in the third aspect may also perform the corresponding functions in any possible design of the first aspect, as detailed in the method examples, and the beneficial effects that can be achieved can also be found in the foregoing related content.

[0036] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device that can be applied to the network-side device described in the second aspect above to realize the functions performed by the network-side device. The communication device can be the network-side device itself, or it can be a chip, chip system, or system-on-a-chip (SoC) of the network-side device. The communication device can execute the functions performed by the network-side device through hardware, or it can execute corresponding software through hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions. For example, a transceiver module and a processing module. The transceiver module can independently complete the following transceiver operations, or it can cooperate with the processing module to complete the following transceiver operations; correspondingly, the processing module can independently complete the following processing operations, or it can cooperate with the transceiver module to complete the following processing operations, without limitation.

[0037] For example, the transceiver module can be used to acquire the location information of the terminal, send first indication information corresponding to the terminal's location information to the terminal for indicating multiple SSBs based on the location information, and receive measurement results from the terminal. The multiple SSBs include a first SSB corresponding to the terminal's location information and at least one second SSB; the first SSB corresponds to a first region, the second SSB corresponds to a second region, and the second region is adjacent to the first region; the measurement results are determined based on at least one third SSB, and the at least one third SSB is determined based on the first SSB and at least one second SSB.

[0038] Optionally, the transceiver module and processing module of the communication device in the fourth aspect may also perform the corresponding functions in any possible design of the second aspect described above, as detailed in the method examples, and the beneficial effects that can be achieved can also be found in the foregoing related content.

[0039] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which includes one or more processors; the one or more processors are configured to run computer programs or instructions, such that when the one or more processors execute the computer instructions or instructions, the communication method described in any one of the first to second aspects is performed.

[0040] In one possible design, the communication device further includes one or more memories coupled to one or more processors, the memories used to store the aforementioned computer programs or instructions. In one possible implementation, the memories are located outside the communication device. In another possible implementation, the memories are located inside the communication device. In embodiments of this application, the processor and memory may also be integrated into a single device, i.e., the processor and memory may be integrated together. In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes a transceiver for receiving and / or transmitting information.

[0041] In one possible design, the communication device further includes one or more communication interfaces coupled to one or more processors, and the communication interfaces are used to communicate with other modules outside the communication device.

[0042] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which includes an interface circuit and a logic circuit; the interface circuit is used to input and / or output information; the logic circuit is used to perform the communication method as described in any one of the first to second aspects, and to process and / or generate information based on the information.

[0043] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions or programs that, when executed on a computer, cause the communication method described in any one of the first to second aspects to be performed.

[0044] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product containing computer instructions that, when run on a computer, causes the communication method described in any one of the first to second aspects to be executed.

[0045] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the communication method described in any one of the first to second aspects to be executed.

[0046] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a chip, including: a processor coupled to a memory, the memory being used to store programs or instructions, wherein when the program or instructions are executed by the processor, a communication method as described in any one of the first to second aspects is executed.

[0047] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects five through ten are similar to those in aspects one through two, and will not be elaborated upon further.

[0048] Eleventhly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system that may include communication means for performing the communication as described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, and communication means for performing the communication as described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0049] Figure 1 This application provides an illustration of an NTN network application scenario.

[0050] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating an SSB beam transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of satellite coverage provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an SSB arrangement provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of mobility management provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a measurement time window provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a measurement time window provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of an NTN communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of an NTN communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of an NTN communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 12 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of a random access procedure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 14 A schematic diagram illustrating the mapping relationship between a region and an SSB provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of an SSB provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of a region provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 17 A diagram illustrating the composition of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 18 A schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0068] Before describing the embodiments of this application, the technical terms involved in the embodiments of this application will be described.

[0069] Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) refer to networks that use radio frequency resources on satellite platforms (including low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), and geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or high altitude platform stations (HAPS) to provide communication services. Compared to terrestrial cellular networks (such as the 5th generation (5G) new radio (NR) communication systems), NTN networks have advantages such as wider coverage, higher path loss, greater latency, faster speed, and lower cost. As a supplement and extension to terrestrial networks, NTNs can achieve wide-area seamless coverage that wired telephone networks and terrestrial mobile communication networks cannot, effectively solving the problem of internet access in areas with scarce communication infrastructure. For example, deploying a large number of satellites in LEO (Light Array) satellites, through reasonable constellation construction, can achieve seamless ground coverage, and the round-trip latency of data transmission between satellites and ground terminals can be significantly reduced compared to GEO satellites, reaching the tens of milliseconds level. With the use of technologies such as high-frequency bands, multi-beamforming, and frequency reuse, satellite communication capabilities have been significantly improved, while reducing the unit broadband cost, thus meeting the demands of high-data-rate services. Compared with terrestrial 5G networks and submarine fiber optic cables, NTN (Network Telecommunications) also has a significant cost advantage. Modern small satellites have low R&D and manufacturing costs, and software-defined technologies can further extend the on-orbit lifespan of satellites.

[0070] For example, such as Figure 1 As shown, the application scenarios of NTN networks include one or more of the following: broadband access in remote areas (such as home broadband access, rural education, radio and television, etc.), broadband access for major transportation (such as aircraft, high-speed rail and ocean ships, etc.), temporary network applications (such as emergency disaster relief, temporary bandwidth requests, scientific research and exploration, etc.), government and enterprise private networks (such as expansion in remote areas, vertically managed networks, etc.), basic backbone interconnection of telecommunications enterprises (such as remote sites, temporary sites, etc.), Internet of Things (such as geological disaster monitoring, unattended areas, etc.), etc.

[0071] Satellite Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) Broadcast Beams: Communication systems rely on several broadcast beams in different directions to send SSBs to users for terminal synchronization during the initial access phase. Compared to terrestrial networks, NTN networks offer wider coverage, greater transmission loss, and faster mobility, which are significant characteristics. Unlike terrestrial systems where a maximum of 8 SSBs in frequency range 1 (FR1) or a maximum of 64 SSBs in FR2 are sufficient to cover the service area of ​​a single network device, NTN networks may require hundreds or even thousands of broadcast beams. For example, an NTN network with an orbital altitude of 600 km can provide a service area of ​​hundreds of thousands of square kilometers for a single satellite. To overcome path loss due to transmission distance and ensure communication service quality, satellites typically employ large-scale antenna arrays to provide higher array gain, but this also results in narrower beam main lobes. For instance, a 3dB beamwidth coverage radius is only a few tens of kilometers, covering an area of ​​approximately several hundred square kilometers. Therefore, achieving seamless coverage of a single satellite's service area using narrow beams would require thousands of beams. Furthermore, even with some beam widening, hundreds of beams (such as 256 beams) are still needed to achieve coverage in order to maintain the gain level.

[0072] For example, taking the transmission of 256 SSB beams as an example, 8 SSBs can be transmitted within the first 2ms of every 20ms. The overall transmission method of the 256 SSB beams can be as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the 256 SSB beams can be divided into 32 groups, with 8 SSBs in each group. Each group lasts for 20ms, so the total duration is 640ms. Within each group, only the first 2ms contain SSBs, and the remaining 18ms are used to transmit normal data.

[0073] Considering that satellites maintain a specific relative relationship with each other while flying in orbit, such as Figure 3 As shown, when each satellite covers a rectangular area, seamless coverage of the entire constellation can be guaranteed. Furthermore, the terminal can perform beam management and mobility management during the satellite's service time. Taking the rectangular coverage as an example, assuming the satellite corresponds to 256 SSB beams, the satellite's service area can be evenly divided into 256 regions, with each SSB beam covering one corresponding region. The SSB arrangement pattern can then be as follows: Figure 4 As shown. According to a certain arrangement pattern, the area on the ground actually covered by the satellite SSB beam can be called the SSB coverage pattern.

[0074] Beam management and mobility management: In communication systems, the movement of a terminal causes it to select and switch access between different beams or cells within a network device, or between different network devices. Especially in NTN systems, because satellites move very quickly, terminals frequently select and switch between multiple beams or multiple satellites, making beam management and mobility management particularly important.

[0075] Specifically, when a terminal is in a disconnected state (such as idle state or inactive state), movement will cause the terminal to reselect between beams or cells; when a terminal is in a connected state, movement will cause the terminal to handover between beams or cells. The determination of beam reselection and handover depends on beam management, while the determination of cell reselection and handover related states depends on mobility management.

[0076] Beam management generally includes a beam pairing process. Through beam management, the terminal obtains the transmit and receive beam directions for data transmission, signal reception, link recovery, and other related processes. In communication systems, there are two main types of reference signals used for beam management: SSB and Channel State Information – Reference Signal (CSI-RS). This application's embodiments primarily focus on SSB-based beam management.

[0077] Mobility management primarily refers to the measurement procedures related to radio resource management (RRM) and the mobility signaling procedures triggered by the measurement results. In mobility management, network devices or the network side issue RRM measurement tasks to terminals, including two basic measurement configurations: ① Measurement object: specifying the frequency band to be measured, the form of the reference signal, and the time-domain location of the reference signal to be measured, etc. ② Measurement reporting: specifying the conditions for triggering the measurement and the method for reporting the measurement results, etc. If, during RRM measurement, the center frequencies of the SSBs of two measurement cells are the same, and the subcarrier spacing is also the same, then the measurement between these two cells is called an intra-frequency measurement; otherwise, it is called an inter-frequency measurement. Similar to beam management, in communication systems, there are two types of reference signals that can be used for RRM measurement: SSB and CSI-RS. This application's embodiments mainly focus on mobility management based on SSB.

[0078] SSB-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC): For SSB-based mobility management, since SSBs are not continuous in the time domain in most cases, the terminal does not need to continuously search for and measure SSBs in the time domain when performing measurements. Instead, it only needs to operate within the time window where these SSBs are located. Therefore, the communication protocol introduces the concept of SMTC in the measurement configuration issued by the network side. SMTC is configured with intervals in the time domain according to a certain period (e.g., minimum period 5ms, maximum period 160ms), and its measurement window maintains a fixed duration (e.g., minimum 1ms, maximum 5ms). From the measurement perspective, the terminal will only search for and measure SSBs within the measurement window of the SMTC and assumes that SSBs outside the SMTC do not exist. The network side configures an SMTC for each SSB measurement frequency point. For intra-frequency measurements, the SSBs to be measured in multiple cells are all included in this one SMTC, which is issued to the terminal by the network side of the serving cell. Additionally, for individual cells on this SSB frequency point, the network side can configure another SMTC with a shorter cycle, but the measurement windows of the two SMTCs need to remain consistent over a long period of time.

[0079] Specifically, in 5G NR communication systems, network devices or the network side primarily enable terminals to perform SSB measurements in both connected and disconnected states through Reference Signal Resource Configuration (RSR) and SMTC configuration. RSR is used for beam management, and SMTC is used for mobility management. In beam management, for terminals in disconnected states, the SSB resources to be measured are indicated by the signaling parameter "ssb-PositionsInBurst" in System Information Blocks 1 (SIB1) (by default, the terminal measures all SSBs within one cycle). For terminals in connected states, the SSB index to be measured can be indicated by the measurement resource configuration in radio resource control (RRC) signaling. In mobility management, such as... Figure 5As shown, the SMTC configuration of a non-connected terminal is mainly configured in "intraFreqCellReselectionInfo" of SIB2 and "InterFreqCarrierFreqInfo" of SIB4. These SIB2 / SIB4 configurations can be set at the cell or region level and broadcast via the network side. The SMTC configuration of a connected terminal is mainly configured in the measurement object "MeasObjectNR" of the RRC signaling. This RRC signaling can be configured at the user level, meaning that the parameters configured for each user are different. The terminal can obtain the SSB measurement configuration of the serving cell and neighboring cells based on the received SMTC configuration and select the optimal SSB to initiate an access request to the network device or report the measurement results.

[0080] Based on the above description of SMTC, the NR protocol defines a total of 4 types of SMTC, namely SMTC1 to 4.

[0081] SMTC1 is defined as the primary measurement configuration, including three parameters: periodicity, offset, and duration. The period specifies the frequency at which the terminal measures SSBs. The offset specifies the start time position of the terminal's SSB measurement, ensuring that the measurement start time position equals the start frame number of the measurement period plus the offset time, and cannot exceed the configured period. The duration controls the length of the time window for SSB measurement. SMTC2 mainly includes a cell list (such as a physical cell identifier list, PCI-list) and a period. Compared to SMTC1, SMTC2 only performs SSB measurements on specific cells, and its period is generally shorter than SMTC1, but it reuses the same offset and duration as SMTC1. Compared to SMTC1 and SMTC2, SMTC3 not only configures the period, offset, duration, and cell list separately, but also specifies the SSB index to be measured. However, it is generally used in integrated access and backhaul (IAB) scenarios.

[0082] In NTN systems, the large number of SSB beams on satellites significantly prolongs the SSB search and measurement time for terminals during beam management and mobility management. Additionally, as... Figure 6As shown, because the distances from the serving satellite and neighboring satellites to the terminal are different, the transmission delays of the SSBs from the serving satellite and neighboring satellites to the terminal are also different. If the same offset configuration is used, the SSBs of neighboring satellites may not be measured within the configured duration, resulting in measurement failure. Therefore, to address the different delays of different satellites, an SMTC4 configuration is added. This allows for the configuration of a longer measurement window time for each neighboring satellite to ensure the feasibility of SSB measurement.

[0083] SMTC4 includes cell lists and offsets. For each cell list, an offset can be configured, allowing for a maximum of three cell lists. Compared to SMTC1, the network typically calculates the arrival delay of different satellites based on their locations and the terminal's location, and configures the corresponding satellite cell lists and offsets in SMTC4 to ensure that the SSBs of adjacent satellites can be detected by the terminal at their corresponding time and location. The period and duration are shared between SMTC4 and SMTC1. Furthermore, the NR protocol, based on the SMTC window, configures the `ssb-ToMeasure` parameter, which further reduces the number of SSBs to be measured by specifying the index of the SSB to be measured.

[0084] Of the four SMTC configurations mentioned above, for the NTN scenario, due to the large number of SSB beams on the satellite, and the use of SSB beams as described above... Figure 2 The method shown involves segmented transmission. To ensure that the SSB to be measured by the terminal can be included in the configured SMTC window, the values ​​of the SMTC period, offset, and duration can be expanded. However, an extended SMTC window with a long duration can lead to excessive measurement redundancy on the terminal, significantly increasing measurement overhead.

[0085] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, taking a satellite with 256 SSBs as an example, the scan period for these 256 SSBs is 640ms, and they are transmitted in segments, with a maximum of 8 SSBs transmitted every 20ms. The SSBs that the terminal needs to measure may span multiple different 20ms intervals. To ensure that the terminal can completely measure all SSBs, the network side needs to configure an excessively long measurement time for the terminal, which will lead to excessive measurement redundancy and increase the terminal's measurement overhead.

[0086] To address the aforementioned technical issues, it is proposed that when configuring an SMTC window for a terminal on the network side, multiple offsets can be configured within the window to support the terminal in opening multiple measurement windows at different starting points. This allows for the use of intermittently opened short windows for SSB measurement, thereby reducing measurement redundancy and lowering measurement overhead.

[0087] Specifically, the network side can add multiple offset values ​​in SMTC4 in the following ways:

[0088] SSB-MTC4-r17::={

[0089] pci-List-r17:{PCI0}

[0090] offset1:0,

[0091] offset2:40,

[0092] offset3:80,

[0093] duration:2ms}

[0094] By configuring three starting offsets of 0ms, 40ms, and 80ms, with a duration of 2ms, the following can be achieved: Figure 7 The measurement time window configuration shown enables the terminal to measure multiple SSB segments within 0-2ms, 40-42ms, and 80-82ms, saving the measurement overhead of extending the measurement time window to ensure measurement. Compared to configuring only one offset (e.g., 0ms) and extending the duration to 82ms, this configuration reduces the terminal's measurement overhead while still ensuring the terminal can measure the required SSBs.

[0095] However, in the above scheme, for terminals in the connected state, when the network side issues SMTC, the terminal needs to use the intermittently open short window to perform measurements in full accordance with the SMTC instructions. This means that the terminal needs to frequently switch between measurement and sleep, resulting in high power consumption.

[0096] Furthermore, for terminals in idle state, since the network side lacks location information, it cannot provide precise indication. The network side could configure each SSB beam at the beam level and broadcast the corresponding measurement configuration for each SSB beam. However, this would result in excessive signaling overhead in the system messages, exceeding permissible limits. Alternatively, the network side could configure the offset as the upper or lower limit of all beam sets, using the maximum value to ensure all terminals have the required SSB within the configured measurement time window. However, this would lead to a large amount of redundant measurements, resulting in high measurement overhead for the terminals.

[0097] In summary, reducing the power consumption, redundancy, and overhead of the terminal during SSB measurement is an urgent technical problem to be solved.

[0098] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of this application provide a communication method. In this method, a terminal can obtain first indication information corresponding to the terminal for indicating multiple SSBs. These multiple SSBs may include a first SSB corresponding to the terminal's location information and at least one second SSB. The first SSB corresponds to a first region, and the second SSB corresponds to a second region, with the second region adjacent to the first region. The terminal can determine at least one third SSB to be measured, and measurement time information corresponding to the at least one third SSB, based on the first SSB and at least one second SSB. Within the measurement time information corresponding to the at least one third SSB, the at least one third SSB is measured to obtain a measurement result. The measurement result is then sent.

[0099] In this embodiment, when configuring SSB measurements for a terminal, the network side can send terminal-level SSB measurement configurations to the terminal, instead of broadcasting cell-level or beam-level SMTC configurations. This means the network side can indicate a limited number of deterministic SSBs to be measured around the terminal (i.e., the first SSB corresponding to the terminal's location information and the second SSB corresponding to its adjacent second area) based on the terminal's location information, improving the flexibility of SSB measurement configurations while reducing signaling overhead. When performing SSB measurements, the terminal can determine at least one third SSB to be measured, and the corresponding measurement time information, from the first SSB and at least one second SSB according to its actual communication needs. This improves the flexibility and accuracy of SSB measurements, while also reducing measurement redundancy, measurement overhead, and terminal measurement power consumption.

[0100] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0101] The communication method provided in this application can be used in any communication system, such as a third-generation partnership project (3GPP) communication system, for example, a long-term evolution (LTE) system, or a 5G communication system, a hybrid LTE and 5G network system, an NR system, an NR vehicle-to-everything (V2X) system, a device-to-device (D2D) communication system, a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication system, an Internet of Things (IoT) system, a narrow band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) system, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC), enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC), and various types of future communication systems. It can also be an NTN system (such as a satellite communication system), a non-3GPP communication system, etc., without limitation.

[0102] The following is based on Figure 8 Taking an example, the communication system provided in the embodiments of this application will be described.

[0103] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application is shown below. Figure 8 As shown, the communication system may include terminals, network equipment, and core network equipment.

[0104] in, Figure 8The terminal in this context can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities or a chip or chip system that can be configured on that device. It allows users to access the network and is used to provide voice and / or data connectivity to users. It can be located within the beam / cell coverage area of ​​the network equipment, and the network equipment provides communication services to the terminal. The terminal can also be called user equipment (UE), subscriber unit, terminal equipment, mobile station (MS), or mobile terminal (MT), etc. Terminals can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld, wearable, or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water (such as on ships); and they can also be deployed in the air (such as airplanes, balloons, etc.), without restriction.

[0105] For example, the terminal can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities. Terminals can also be user stations, mobile stations, remote stations, remote terminals, mobile terminals, user terminals, wireless communication equipment, user agents, user devices, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices, processing devices connected to wireless modems, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminals in the Internet of Things (IoT), home appliances, virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in autonomous driving, wireless terminals in telemedicine, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, roadside units (RSUs), vehicles with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication capabilities, intelligent connected vehicles, and UAV-to-UAV communication. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with U2U communication capabilities, terminals in future networks, or terminals in future evolved public land mobile networks (PLMNs) are not restricted.

[0106] in, Figure 8The network equipment in this context can be any device deployed in the access network capable of wireless communication with terminals. It can also be a chip or chip system configurable within such devices, a logical node or module, or a function implemented in software. Its main responsibilities include air interface-side wireless physical control, resource scheduling, wireless resource management, quality of service management, data compression and encryption, wireless access control, and mobility management. Specifically, the network equipment can be either wired or wireless access-enabled.

[0107] Multiple network devices can support networks using the same technology or networks using different technologies. A network device can include one or more co-located or non-co-located transmission reception points (TRPs). Multiple network devices can be the same type of base station or different types of base stations. Base stations can communicate directly with terminals or via relay stations. Terminals can communicate with multiple base stations supporting different technologies; for example, a terminal can communicate with a base station supporting LTE networks, or with a base station supporting 5G networks, and can also support dual connectivity with both LTE and 5G base stations.

[0108] For example, a network device can consist of one or more access network (AN) / radio access network (RAN) nodes. AN / RAN nodes can be various types of base stations, such as: satellite base stations, evolved Node Bs (gNBs), TRPs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), radio network controllers (RNCs), Node Bs (NBs), base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), home base stations (e.g., home-evolved Node Bs, or home Node Bs (HNBs), macro base stations, micro base stations, pico base stations, small cells, relay stations, balloon stations, drone stations, wireless backhaul nodes, base band units (BBUs), or wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access points (APs), etc. It is understood that network devices can be terrestrial devices or non-terrestrial devices (such as satellites, drones, high-altitude communication equipment, etc.). Furthermore, in communication systems employing different wireless access technologies, the names of network devices with base station functions may differ, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0109] In another example, the network equipment may include a BBU and a remote radio unit (RRU). The BBU and RRU can be located in different places; for example, the RRU can be moved remotely to a high-traffic area, while the BBU is located in the central equipment room. The BBU and RRU can also be located in the same equipment room. The BBU and RRU can also be different components under the same rack.

[0110] In another example, the network device can be a device that includes centralized unit (CU) nodes, distributed unit (DU) nodes, or both CU and DU nodes. For instance, the network device can be logically divided into CUs and DUs, with some protocol layer functions centrally controlled by the CU, and the remaining partial or complete protocol layer functions distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU. The CU and DU can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a BBU. Furthermore, the centralized unit (CU) can be further divided into a control plane (CU-CP) and a user plane (CU-UP).

[0111] In another example, the network device may also be a device that includes a radio unit (RU), or a device that includes a CU, a DU, and a RU. The RU may be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as an RRU, an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0112] It is understood that CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names in different systems, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an open radioaccess network (O-RAN) system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0113] in, Figure 8 The core network equipment in a network can be used to transmit data from terminals sent by network devices to the data network. Specifically, core network equipment can be used to implement services such as user registration, access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing. Core network equipment can consist of one or more functional units; for example, core network equipment can be divided into control plane and data plane functional entities. Control plane functional entities may include mobility management network elements, session management network elements, etc., while data plane functional entities may include user plane network elements, etc.

[0114] Mobility management network elements are primarily responsible for signaling processing, such as access control, mobility management, attach and detach, and gateway selection. When providing services to a session within a terminal, the mobility management network element can provide control plane storage resources for that session to store session identifiers and associated session management network element identifiers. Session management network elements primarily perform session management functions such as Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation, user plane network element selection, and charging and Quality of Service (QoS) policy control. User plane network elements primarily perform user plane data forwarding and generate call detail records (CDRs) based on traffic conditions. They also function as data plane anchors.

[0115] Optionally, core network equipment may also include policy control network elements and network open network elements. Policy control network elements are used for policy management of charging and QoS policies. Network open network elements are used to expose the services and capabilities of 3GPP network functions to application function network elements, and also allow application function network elements to provide information to 3GPP network functions.

[0116] Based on the above description of the communication system, taking the above communication system as an example, the NTN communication system may include a transparent forwarding scenario based on satellite communication and a regeneration mode scenario based on satellite communication.

[0117] For example, such as Figure 9 As shown, in a transparent forwarding scenario based on satellite communication, the terminal can communicate with ground base stations and core network equipment via satellite and NTN gateway. In this scenario, the satellite mainly acts as a frequency conversion relay, equivalent to an analog radio frequency repeater. Specifically, the satellite can replicate the NR Uu radio interface signal from the feeder link (the link between the NTN gateway and the satellite) to the serving link (the link between the satellite and the terminal), and vice versa. The satellite radio interface on the feeder link transmits the NR Uu interface signal; the satellite does not terminate the NR Uu interface signal but replicates it to the serving link. The NTN gateway can support all the necessary functions for forwarding NR Uu interface signals. Different satellites can connect to the same ground base station.

[0118] In another example, for a satellite-based regeneration mode scenario, the terminal can communicate with the terrestrial network via satellite and an NTN gateway. In this scenario, the satellite can possess some or all of the processing functions of a base station, such as... Figure 10 As shown, the satellite can act as a base station, communicating with the ground-based core network equipment through an NTN gateway, or, as... Figure 11 As shown, the satellite may include a DU (Dedicated Unit) and communicate with CU (Combined Unit) and core network equipment located on the ground via an NTN gateway. The satellite can regenerate signals received from the ground; that is, the satellite can transmit NR Uu radio interface signals on the service link between the terminal and the satellite, and transmit satellite radio interface signals on the feed link between the NTN gateway and the satellite. The NTN gateway then transmits the satellite radio interface signals sent by the satellite to the ground network.

[0119] It should be noted that the terminal, network device, and core network device in the embodiments of this application can all be one or more chips, or they can be SOCs, etc. Figures 8 to 11 The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only, and the number of devices included is not limited. Figures 8 to 11 The names of the various devices and links are unrestricted, except... Figures 8 to 11In addition to the names shown, each device and each link can be named with other names without restriction.

[0120] The following is combined with Figures 8 to 11 Any of the communication systems shown, refer to the following Figure 12 The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described.

[0121] It is understood that the processing performed by a single execution entity (terminal, network device, or core network device) shown in the embodiments of this application can also be divided into multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated, without limitation. Furthermore, the message names or parameter names in the messages exchanged between devices in the embodiments of this application are merely examples; other names can be used in specific implementations without limitation. Actions, terms, etc., involved in the various embodiments of this application can be referenced mutually without limitation.

[0122] Figure 12 A flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application is shown below. Figure 12 As shown, the method may include:

[0123] Step 1201: The network-side device obtains the location information of the terminal.

[0124] Among them, network-side equipment can be core network equipment or network equipment with base station functions. Network equipment can be equipment set on the ground or non-ground equipment, such as satellites, drones, etc., without restriction.

[0125] For example, the network-side device can obtain the terminal's location information by referring to either of the following two possible designs:

[0126] In the first possible design, taking the network-side device as an example, the network device can obtain the terminal's location information based on the positioning process, or the terminal can also actively report its own location information to the network device.

[0127] The location process for a terminal can be triggered by either a network device or a core network device. For example, a network device can send a location request to the terminal, requesting it to report its own location information; alternatively, a core network device can send a location request to the terminal through the network device, requesting it to report its own location information. When reporting its location information, the terminal can directly report its own location information or report the measurement results of the reference signal sent by the network device. The network device then determines the terminal's location information based on these measurement results. Alternatively, the core network device can determine the terminal's location information based on the measurement results reported by the terminal and send it to the network device. Alternatively, the network device can also measure the reference signal sent by the terminal and determine the terminal's location information based on the measurement results. Specific location procedures can be found in the relevant descriptions in the communication protocol and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0128] For example, after establishing an RRC connection between the terminal and the network device, the network device can send a "coarseLocationRequest" element to the terminal to request the terminal to report its own location information. The terminal can send its own location information to the network device in a "coarseLocationInfo" element.

[0129] The terminal can refer to, for example, Figure 13The described method establishes an RRC connection with the network device through a random access procedure: After performing a cell search, the terminal obtains downlink synchronization with the cell, acquires the SSB and remaining minimum system information (RMSI) broadcast by the network device, decodes the physical broadcast channel (PBCH) content by detecting an SSB resource block, and obtains timing information. The terminal can also obtain CORESET 0 information based on the content of the master information block (MIB) broadcast by the network device, further obtain the location information of SIB 1, and obtain random access channel (RACH) configuration information, uplink and downlink initial bandwidth part (BWP) configuration, physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) configuration information, etc. by decoding SIB 1 information. The terminal can then send a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) message via Msg1 on the corresponding RACH resource. Upon receiving the PRACH, the network device obtains the SSB index and the corresponding beam ID. The network device can then send a Random Access Response (RAR) message to the terminal via Msg2. After receiving the RAR message, the terminal can report its own identification information to the network device via Msg3 to initiate an RRC establishment request. The network device can then send Msg4 to the terminal in response to the RRC establishment. After successfully decoding Msg4, the terminal can send an acknowledgment (ACK) frame to the network device as a response to Msg4.

[0130] In the second possible design, taking the network-side device as the core network device as an example, the core network device can obtain the terminal's location information based on the positioning process, or the terminal can also actively report its own location information to the core network device.

[0131] Similar to the first possible design mentioned above, the terminal or network device can send the terminal's location information to the core network device, or the core network device can determine the terminal's location information based on the positioning process.

[0132] Step 1202: The network-side device sends the first indication information corresponding to the terminal to the terminal based on the terminal's location information; correspondingly, the terminal receives the first indication information corresponding to the terminal from the network-side device.

[0133] The first indication information can be used to indicate multiple SSBs, which may include a first SSB corresponding to the terminal's location information and at least one second SSB; the first SSB corresponds to a first region, the second SSB corresponds to a second region, and the second region is adjacent to the first region. The first region can be understood as the region where the terminal's location information is located.

[0134] The region can be a geographical area or range, an administrative region or range, or a beam position, etc. A beam position refers to the coverage area of ​​the ground mapped by the satellite beam, or can be described as the projection range of the beam on the Earth's surface. Satellites can move or adjust the weights of their antennas to make the beams they transmit point in different directions, corresponding to different coverage areas.

[0135] With the deployment of numerous satellites, to improve the effectiveness and simplicity of satellite beam management, the ground control center can divide the overall ground coverage area into several fixed-size regions. Each region corresponds to a beam position, and all regions are assigned unique numbers. The size of each region can be set to be the same as the coverage area of ​​the SSB beam, facilitating periodic satellite scanning. The specific location and number of each region can be pre-set in the satellite, terminal, or ground network equipment, or periodically distributed by the ground control center or core network equipment. Within a certain period, a satellite will cover the same number of ground regions as the number of SSB beams; therefore, a one-to-one mapping relationship exists between the SSB index and the ground region numbers. This mapping relationship can be maintained by the ground control center and sent to one or more of the following: satellite, terminal, ground network equipment, and core network equipment.

[0136] For example, such as Figure 14 As shown, taking the ground regions numbered 0-1023 as an example, assuming that the satellite corresponds to 256 SSB beams with indices 0-255, these 256 SSB beams can correspond one-to-one with the 256 ground regions.

[0137] Optionally, the coverage information of the region can be beam coverage information or beam position coverage information. The beam coverage information can include one or more of the following: the scanning order of the spatial coverage of multiple beams, the geographical area covered by the spatial coverage of multiple beams, the spatial filtering parameters of the spatial coverage of multiple beams, and the shape information of the spatial coverage of multiple beams.

[0138] Alternatively, the beam coverage information may include one or more of the following: the coverage radius or coverage diameter of the beams in the multiple beams, the center point and / or beam center angle of the beams in the multiple beams, and the coverage angle information of the beams in the multiple beams.

[0139] For example, such as Figure 15As shown in (b), the beam coverage information may include one or more of the following: radius R, beam center point location information C(x,y), where x represents longitude and y represents latitude.

[0140] The coverage angle information may include one or more of the following: the beam coverage angle when the beam is projected onto the ground, the beam coverage angle when the beam is projected onto a reference plane at a predetermined height, and the beam angle or beamwidth angle when the beam is emitted from the network device.

[0141] Alternatively, the beam coverage information may also include parameters related to the beam scanning pattern of multiple beams. These parameters may include one or more of the following: shape information of the multiple beams, the number of long-side beams in the rectangular coverage area of ​​the multiple beams, the number of short-side beams in the rectangular coverage area, the number of beams per circle when the beam scanning pattern is circular, the number of beams per square side when the beam scanning pattern is square, the position information of the starting numbered beam, the scanning method of the multiple beams, and the coverage radius or coverage diameter of the beams among the multiple beams.

[0142] The description of beam coverage information is similar to that of beam coverage information described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0143] Specifically, the network-side equipment can determine the first SSB corresponding to the terminal's location information and at least one second SSB corresponding to at least one second region adjacent to the first region based on the mapping relationship between the region and the SSB beam and the terminal's location information.

[0144] For example, such as Figure 15 As shown in (a), taking SSB17 as the first SSB corresponding to the first area where the terminal is located as an example, the network-side device can determine the SSB corresponding to the second area adjacent to the first area as at least one of the above-mentioned second SSBs, that is, at least one second SSB may include SSB2, SSB18, SSB34, SSB1, SSB33, SSB0, SSB16, and SSB32.

[0145] In the first possible design, the multiple SSBs indicated by the first indication information sent by the network-side device to the terminal can be all the SSBs corresponding to the network-side device. When the terminal receives the first indication information, it can determine its own first SSB and at least one second SSB from the multiple SSBs indicated by the first indication information.

[0146] For example, when a network-side device indicates multiple SSBs to a terminal via first indication information, it can use the information of the first SSB corresponding to the terminal as the first piece of information among the multiple SSBs. Thus, when the terminal receives the first indication information, it can identify the SSB corresponding to the first piece of information as the first SSB. Furthermore, the terminal can also determine at least one second SSB based on the coverage information of the area corresponding to the first SSB and the coverage information of the areas corresponding to other SSBs. Alternatively, the terminal can also determine at least one second SSB based on the positional order information of the multiple SSBs, which can be used to indicate the geographical location relationship between the coverage areas of the areas corresponding to the multiple SSBs.

[0147] The coverage information of the area corresponding to the SSB (or the geographical location relationship between multiple SSBs) can be pre-configured in the terminal or sent to the terminal by the network-side device. For example, the coverage information of the area corresponding to the SSB (or the geographical location relationship between multiple SSBs) can be sent to the terminal through the first indication information, or it can be sent to the terminal through other information, without restriction.

[0148] In another example, when the network-side device indicates multiple SSBs to the terminal through the first indication information, it can use the information of the first SSB corresponding to the terminal and the information of at least one second SSB as the first n information of the multiple SSBs. In this way, when the terminal receives the first indication information, it can determine the SSB corresponding to the first information as the first SSB, and determine the SSBs corresponding to the second to nth information as at least one second SSB.

[0149] In the second possible design, the multiple SSBs indicated by the first indication information determined based on the terminal's location information sent by the network-side device to the terminal may also include only the first SSB and at least one second SSB, in order to reduce signaling overhead and reduce the processing complexity of the terminal.

[0150] Based on the two possible designs mentioned above, optionally, the first indication information can be used to indicate one or more of the following: measurement configuration information of multiple SSBs, coverage information of the areas corresponding to multiple SSBs, or location sequence information of multiple SSBs.

[0151] The location order information of multiple SSBs can be used to indicate the geographical location relationship between the coverage areas of the areas corresponding to the multiple SSBs. By carrying the location order information in the first indication information, the terminal can determine the specific coverage area of ​​the area corresponding to the multiple SSBs indicated by the first indication information. For example, Figure 15As shown in (a), taking multiple SSBs as the first SSB and at least one second SSB, and with the position order information indicating a left-to-right and top-to-bottom order, the network-side device can indicate multiple SSBs to the terminal in the following order: SSB2, SSB18, SSB34, SSB1, SSB17, SSB33, SSB0, SSB16, and SSB32. After receiving this first indication information, the terminal can determine that SSB17 corresponds to its own first area, and SSB2, SSB18, SSB34, SSB1, SSB33, SSB0, SSB16, and SSB32 correspond to the eight second areas adjacent to the first area, arranged from left to right and top to bottom.

[0152] For example, taking multiple SSBs as the first SSB and at least one second SSB as an example, the first indication information may include one or more of the following: index information of the first SSB, coverage information of the area corresponding to the first SSB, measurement time information corresponding to the first SSB, index information of the second SSB, coverage information of the area corresponding to the second SSB, measurement time information corresponding to the second SSB, or positional order information of at least one second SSB.

[0153] The measurement time information may include information that can be used to indicate the measurement time, such as measurement time, measurement period, or measurement time offset.

[0154] The location sequence information of at least one second SSB can be used to indicate the geographical location relationship between the coverage areas of the areas corresponding to at least one second SSB. By carrying the location sequence information of at least one second SSB in the first indication information, the terminal can determine the beam / bow position (or describe it as the specific coverage area of ​​the area corresponding to at least one second SSB) respectively indicated by the first indication information.

[0155] Based on the above description of the first indication information, the network-side device can send terminal-level first indication information to the terminal when the terminal is in a connected state.

[0156] In the first possible design, taking the network-side device as an example, the network device can carry the first indication information in the RRC signaling (such as the first RRC signaling) and send it to the terminal.

[0157] In this case, the network device can send the first indication information to the terminal by adding a new RRC signaling message, or the network device can send the first indication information to the terminal by RRC reconfiguration signaling message, without restriction.

[0158] For example, taking the network device sending a first indication message to the terminal by adding a new RRC signaling message as an example, the RRC signaling message may include the following content:

[0159] SSBpattern::=SEQUENCE{

[0160] SSBindex SSB-Index

[0161] coverageinfo CoverageInfo

[0162] }

[0163] Here, SSBpattern represents the first indication information, SSB index represents the index of the SSB indicated by the first indication information, the first index is the index of the SSB corresponding to the terminal's location information, and the indices of at least one second SSB can be given in order from left to right and top to bottom. Taking SSB17 as an example, the indices of at least one second SSB are SSB2, SSB18, SSB34, SSB1, SSB33, SSB0, SSB16, and SSB32 in sequence. Coverageinfo represents the coverage information of the area corresponding to each SSB. Through the first indication information, the terminal can uniquely determine all SSBs to be measured (including the first SSB and at least one second SSB) and their corresponding precise locations.

[0164] In another example, unlike the above method where the first indication information first indicates the indices of all first SSBs and second SSBs, and then indicates the coverage information of the area corresponding to each SSB, the network device can also send the first indication information to the terminal via the following RRC signaling: that is, the network device can indicate the first SSB and at least one second SSB in the form of (SSB index, coverage information) in sequence.

[0165] SSBpattern::=SEQUENCE{

[0166] SSBindex, coverageinfo SSB-Index, CoverageInfo

[0167] }

[0168] In the second possible design, taking the network-side device as the core network device as an example, the core network device can send the first indication information to the terminal by carrying it in non-access stratum (NAS) signaling (such as the first NAS signaling).

[0169] NAS signaling can be transmitted from the core network device to the network device via a container, and then transparently from the network device to the terminal. Optionally, the core network device can send NAS signaling, including first indication information, to the terminal in a downlink information transfer (DLInformationTransfer) message.

[0170] It is understandable that, unlike the network-side device that sends a first indication message to the terminal to indicate the difference between the first SSB and at least one second SSB based on the pre-configured mapping relationship between the area and the SSB, the terminal can also determine the first SSB and at least one second SSB on its own based on the pre-configured mapping relationship between the area and the SSB beam.

[0171] Step 1203: The terminal determines at least one third SSB to be measured and the measurement time information corresponding to the at least one third SSB based on the first SSB and at least one second SSB.

[0172] The third SSB is the SSB among the first SSB and at least one second SSB.

[0173] Specifically, the terminal can determine at least one third SSB to be measured from the first SSB and at least one second SSB according to its actual communication needs.

[0174] For example, when the terminal is not moving, the terminal can use the first SSB as the third SSB to be measured. Optionally, the terminal can also select one or more second SSBs from among the various second SSBs as the third SSB to be measured, so as to prepare for cell handover or beam switching by measuring the one or more second SSBs when the signal quality is poor.

[0175] In another example, when the terminal moves, it can use the first SSB as the third SSB to be measured. The terminal can also determine one or more second SSBs to be measured based on its own movement trajectory and the coverage information of the area corresponding to each second SSB, in order to prepare for cell handover or beam handover.

[0176] For example, if the SSB corresponding to the first area where the terminal is located is SSB17, then at least one second SSB can include: SSB2, SSB18, SSB34, SSB1, SSB33, SSB0, SSB16, and SSB32. Assuming the terminal determines based on its own movement trajectory that it is currently moving towards the coverage area corresponding to SSB18, then the terminal can use SSB18 as the third SSB to be measured.

[0177] After identifying the third SSB to be measured, the terminal can also determine the measurement time information corresponding to at least one third SSB based on the measurement time information of the first SSB and the transmission period of the SSB.

[0178] The measurement time information can include measurement period, measurement bias, measurement duration, etc., and is not limited.

[0179] For example, taking the SSB transmission period as an example... Figure 2 As shown in the example of sending 8 SSBs within the first 2ms of every 20ms, the terminal can use the measurement time information of the first SSB and, for example, ... Figure 2 The transmission period of the SSB shown is used to determine the measurement time information corresponding to the third SSB to be measured.

[0180] Optionally, the measurement cycle of the third SSB can be a multiple of the default SSB measurement cycle.

[0181] Step 1204: Within the measurement time information corresponding to at least one third SSB, the terminal measures at least one third SSB and obtains the measurement result.

[0182] Step 1205: The terminal sends the measurement results to the network-side device; correspondingly, the network-side device receives the measurement results from the terminal.

[0183] The terminal can assist the network-side equipment in beam switching by reporting measurement results to the network-side equipment. Based on the measurement results, the terminal can enable subsequent processes such as cell reselection and cell handover.

[0184] Specifically, after the terminal reports the measurement results to the network-side equipment, if the terminal's current optimal SSB changes, the network-side equipment can subsequently determine the scheduling beam for the terminal based on the updated optimal SSB. Alternatively, if the terminal measures a neighboring satellite with better SSB signal quality, the terminal can subsequently perform cell reselection or cell handover procedures based on the measured optimal neighboring satellite SSB. Furthermore, the terminal can initiate the initial access procedure for the neighboring satellite based on its optimal neighboring satellite SSB, and initiate random access, without restrictions.

[0185] Based on the above Figure 12The method shown allows the network side to send terminal-level SSB measurement configurations to the terminal when configuring SSB measurements, instead of broadcasting cell-level or beam-level SMTC configurations. This means the network side can indicate a finite number of deterministic SSBs to be measured around the terminal (i.e., the first SSB corresponding to the terminal's first area and the second SSB corresponding to its adjacent second area) based on the first area where the terminal is located. This improves the flexibility of SSB measurement configuration while reducing signaling overhead. When performing SSB measurements, the terminal can determine at least one third SSB to be measured, along with the measurement time information corresponding to the at least one third SSB, from the first SSB and at least one second SSB, based on its actual communication needs. This improves the flexibility and accuracy of SSB measurements, while also reducing measurement redundancy, measurement overhead, and terminal measurement power consumption.

[0186] Based on the above Figure 12 Optionally, to prevent the index of the SSB to be measured at the terminal from changing frequently as the satellite moves, the above method can be applied to scenarios with fixed ground areas, that is, SSB coverage map design schemes based on ground areas, in which the mapping relationship between the fixed ground area number and the SSB index remains unchanged.

[0187] Specifically, based on the upper limit N of the number of SSB indexes, each SSB index can be repeatedly mapped according to certain criteria. The mapping principles are as follows: adjacent areas should not be mapped to the same SSB index; the distance between the center points of two areas mapped to the same SSB index should be as far as possible; and based on the coverage area and shape of a single satellite, the SSB indexes in its coverage area should be different as much as possible.

[0188] For example, taking a single satellite corresponding to 256 SSBs as an example, all ground areas can be mapped one-to-one with the 256 SSBs. When the coverage area of ​​a single satellite is approximately rectangular, the 256 mutually adjacent areas corresponding to SSBs 0 to 255 can form a matrix that is basically consistent with the satellite's coverage area. Furthermore, using such a rectangle as an SSB coverage pattern unit, the mapping configuration is repeated across all ground areas to obtain... Figure 16 The diagram shows the area, which ensures that the SSB indices of adjacent areas are different. At any given time, each satellite can cover an area with 256 different SSB indices.

[0189] From the terminal's perspective, since the mapping relationship between the ground area and the SSB index remains unchanged, for a quasi-stationary terminal, when its geographical location remains unchanged or changes by no more than one area size, the SSB index that needs to be measured also remains unchanged. Therefore, for such quasi-stationary terminals, the network-side equipment can send the first indication information only once to save signaling overhead.

[0190] Furthermore, regarding the aforementioned method of determining SSB measurement configuration based on cell-level or beam-level SMTC configuration broadcast by network-side equipment via system messages, the terminal generally does not update the system message after receiving it once, unless the network-side equipment uses paging resources to page the terminal and instructs it to re-receive the system message. Considering the movement of satellites or terminals, the SSB corresponding to the terminal's location may differ at different times, and its corresponding measurement window and the index of the SSB to be measured may also differ. If the terminal continues to use the original SSB measurement configuration, it will lead to deviations in the measured SSB, resulting in inaccurate mobility judgment, such as cell reselection errors leading to camping failures.

[0191] Based on this, the above can be adopted. Figure 12 The method shown involves the network-side device sending terminal-level SSB measurement configuration to the terminal via a first indication message. The terminal does not need to obtain the SSB measurement configuration based on system messages. In addition, the terminal can also update the first indication message in the following manner so that the terminal can promptly perceive and update the measurement configuration caused by the terminal's movement, thus avoiding inaccurate mobility management caused by SSB measurement deviation.

[0192] When the terminal moves from the first area to the second area, the terminal can send a second indication information to the network-side device; the second indication information is used to indicate the updating of the first indication information; the network-side device sends the updated first indication information to the terminal according to the received second indication information.

[0193] In the first example, the terminal can determine whether it has moved from the first area to the second area based on the distance between its current location and the center points of the first and second areas. For example, when the distance between the terminal and the center point of the first area is greater than the distance between the terminal and the center point of the second area, it can be considered that the terminal has moved from the first area to the second area, and a second indication message can be sent to the network-side device.

[0194] In the second example, the terminal can determine whether it has moved from the first area to the second area based on the distance between its current location and the center point of the first area. For example, when the distance between the terminal and the center point of the first area is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, it can be considered that the terminal has moved from the first area to the second area, and a second indication message can be sent to the network-side device.

[0195] The preset threshold can be the maximum or minimum value between the center point of the area and the edge of the area. This preset threshold can be determined by the terminal itself or indicated by the network-side device.

[0196] Optionally, the network-side device may carry a preset threshold in one or more of the following signaling messages to indicate to the terminal: system messages (such as SIB1, SIB19), RRC signaling, NAS signaling, etc., without restriction.

[0197] In the third example, the terminal can determine whether it has moved out of the coverage area of ​​the first area based on the coverage information of the first area. If it has moved out of the coverage area of ​​the first area, it can be assumed that the terminal has moved from the first area to the second area, and the terminal can send the second indication information to the network side device.

[0198] In the fourth example, the terminal can determine the signal quality corresponding to each SSB based on the measurement results. When the SSB with the strongest signal quality changes from the first SSB to another SSB, it can be assumed that the terminal has moved from the first area to the second area, and a second indication message can be sent to the network-side device.

[0199] The strength of the signal can be characterized by one or more of the following parameters: reference signal receiving power (RSRP), reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ), signal noise ratio (SNR), signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), reference signal strength indication (RSSI), etc., without limitation.

[0200] Based on the above description of the second indication information, the terminal can send the second indication information to the network-side device when it is in a connected state.

[0201] In the first possible design, taking the network-side device as an example, the terminal can send the second indication information to the network device in the random access request.

[0202] The second instruction information may be a preamble related to updating the first instruction information.

[0203] Specifically, a specified preamble can be assigned to the second indication information. The terminal can request the network device to send the updated first indication information by carrying the specified preamble in the random access request. After receiving the random access request, the network device can send Msg2 to respond to the terminal. When the RAPID in Msg2 matches the preamble index sent by the terminal, it is considered that the network device has received the terminal's request. Afterwards, the network device can send the updated first indication information to the terminal through RRC signaling.

[0204] In the second possible design, taking the network-side device as an example, the terminal can send the second indication information to the network device by carrying it in the RRC signaling (such as the second RRC signaling).

[0205] For example, a terminal can add the information element "ondemandSSBpattern" to the RRC signaling, and by setting its value to 0 or 1, indicate to the network device that the terminal needs to obtain the updated first indication information.

[0206] The third possible design, taking the network-side device as the core network device as an example, is that the terminal can send the second indication information to the core network device by carrying it in the NAS signaling (such as the second NAS signaling).

[0207] For example, a terminal can report second indication information by transmitting NAS signaling using the ULInformationTransfer message. The DedicatedNAS-Message cell is used to transmit UE-specific NAS layer information to the core network device, and the terminal can place the second indication information within this cell. When the core network device receives the second indication information placed in the DedicatedNAS-Message cell, it can send updated first indication information to the terminal via the DLInformationTransfer message.

[0208] Based on the above description of the method for obtaining the updated first indication information, when the terminal is in a disconnected state, if the terminal determines that it needs to obtain the updated first indication information according to the aforementioned description, the terminal can first restore itself to a connected state, and then send the second indication information to the network-side device to obtain the updated first indication information.

[0209] When the terminal receives the updated first indication information, it can refer to steps 1203 to 1205 above, determine at least one third SSB to be measured and the measurement time information corresponding to at least one third SSB according to the updated first indication information, measure at least one third SSB within the measurement time information corresponding to at least one third SSB, obtain the measurement result, and send the measurement result to the network side device.

[0210] It should be noted that the various embodiments of this application can be implemented independently or in combination, without limitation. Unless otherwise specified or in conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between the different embodiments provided in this application are consistent and can be referenced mutually. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0211] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, the executing entity may perform some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application may also perform other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the various steps may be executed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessarily necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

[0212] The foregoing primarily describes the solutions provided in this application from the perspective of device-to-device interaction. It is understood that each device, in order to achieve the aforementioned functions, includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0213] This application embodiment can divide each device into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0214] When dividing each function into modules according to its corresponding function. Figure 17 A communication device 170 is shown, which can perform the above-described... Figures 12 to 16 The actions performed by the terminal, network device, or core network device in the method shown, and all related content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced from the functional description of the corresponding functional module. The technical effects that can be obtained can be referred to the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0215] The communication device 170 may include a transceiver module 1701 and a processing module 1702. Exemplarily, the communication device 170 may be a communication equipment, or a chip or other combination device or component having the aforementioned communication device functions applied in the communication equipment. When the communication device 170 is a communication equipment, the transceiver module 1701 may be a transceiver, which may include an antenna and radio frequency circuits, etc.; the processing module 1702 may be a processor (or processing circuit), such as a baseband processor, which may include one or more CPUs. When the communication device 170 is a component having the aforementioned communication device functions, the transceiver module 1701 may be a radio frequency unit; the processing module 1702 may be a processor (or processing circuit), such as a baseband processor. When the communication device 170 is a chip system, the transceiver module 1701 may be an input / output interface of a chip (e.g., a baseband chip); the processing module 1702 may be a processor (or processing circuit) of the chip system, and may include one or more central processing units. It should be understood that the transceiver module 1701 in the embodiments of this application can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components; the processing module 1702 can be implemented by a processor or processor-related circuit components (or, referred to as processing circuit).

[0216] For example, transceiver module 1701 can be used to perform... Figures 12 to 16 In the illustrated embodiment, all transmit and receive operations performed by the communication device, and / or other processes used to support the technology described herein; the processing module 1702 can be used to perform Figures 12 to 16 The embodiments shown include all operations performed by the communication device other than the transmit and receive operations, and / or other processes used to support the techniques described herein.

[0217] As another feasible approach Figure 17 The transceiver module 1701 can be replaced by a transceiver unit, which can integrate the functions of the transceiver module 1701; the processing module 1702 can be replaced by a processor, which can integrate the functions of the processing module 1702. Furthermore, Figure 17 The communication device 170 shown may also include a memory.

[0218] Alternatively, when the processing module 1702 is replaced by a processor and the transceiver module 1701 is replaced by a transceiver, the communication device 170 involved in the embodiments of this application can also be... Figure 18 The communication device 180 shown. The processor can be logic circuit 1801, and the transceiver can be interface circuit 1802. Furthermore, Figure 18 The communication device 180 shown may also include a memory 1803.

[0219] This application also provides a communication device 1900, such as... Figure 19 As shown, the communication device 1900 can be a dual-connection device or a chip or system-on-a-chip within a dual-connection device; it can also be a core network device or a chip or system-on-a-chip within a core network device. For example... Figure 19 As shown, the communication device 1900 includes a processor 1901, a transceiver 1902, and a communication line 1903.

[0220] Furthermore, the communication device 1900 may also include a memory 1904. The processor 1901, the memory 1904, and the transceiver 1902 can be connected via a communication line 1903.

[0221] The processor 1901 can be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic device (PLD), or any combination thereof. The processor 1901 can also be other devices with processing capabilities, such as circuits, devices, or software modules, without limitation.

[0222] Transceiver 1902 is used to communicate with other devices or other communication networks. These other communication networks can be Ethernet, radio access network (RAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), etc. Transceiver 1902 can be a module, circuit, transceiver, or any device capable of enabling communication.

[0223] Communication line 1903 is used to transmit information between the components included in communication device 1900.

[0224] Memory 1904 is used to store instructions. These instructions can be computer programs.

[0225] The memory 1904 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and / or instructions; it may also be a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and / or instructions; it may also be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, etc., without limitation.

[0226] It should be noted that the memory 1904 can exist independently of the processor 1901, or it can be integrated with the processor 1901. The memory 1904 can be used to store instructions, program code, or some data, etc. The memory 1904 can be located inside or outside the communication device 1900, without limitation. The processor 1901 is used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 1904 to implement the communication method provided in the following embodiments of this application.

[0227] In one example, processor 1901 may include one or more CPUs, for example Figure 19 CPU0 and CPU1 in the CPU.

[0228] As an optional implementation, the communication device 1900 includes multiple processors, for example, besides Figure 19 In addition to processor 1901, it may also include processor 1907.

[0229] As an optional implementation, the communication device 1900 also includes an output device 1905 and an input device 1906. For example, the input device 1906 is a device such as a keyboard, mouse, microphone, or joystick, and the output device 1905 is a device such as a display screen or speaker.

[0230] It should be noted that the communication device 1900 can be a desktop computer, laptop computer, network server, mobile phone, tablet computer, wireless terminal, embedded device, chip system, or something else. Figure 19 Equipment with a similar structure. Furthermore... Figure 19 The structural composition shown does not constitute a limitation on the communication device, except... Figure 19In addition to the components shown, the communication device may include more or fewer components than illustrated, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0231] In this embodiment of the application, the chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0232] This application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a computer, can implement the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0233] This application also provides a computer program that, when executed by a computer, can implement the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0234] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. This program can be stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the above method embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium can be an internal storage unit of the terminal (including a data sending end and / or a data receiving end) of any of the foregoing embodiments, such as the terminal's hard disk or memory. The computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device of the terminal, such as a plug-in hard disk, smart media card (SMC), secure digital (SD) card, flash card, etc., equipped on the terminal. Further, the computer-readable storage medium can include both the terminal's internal storage unit and external storage devices. The computer-readable storage medium is used to store the computer program and other programs and data required by the terminal. The computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0235] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. "First" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0236] Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the steps or units listed, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0237] It should be understood that in this application, "at least one (item)" means one or more. "More than one" means two or more. "At least two (items)" means two or three or more. "And / or" is used to describe the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one (item) of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one (item) of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. Both "...when" and "if" indicate that a corresponding action will be taken under certain objective circumstances. They are not time limits, nor do they require a judgment action to be taken when the action is taken, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0238] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

[0239] In this application, "sending information to...(terminal)" can be understood as the destination of the information being the terminal. This can include sending information to the terminal directly or indirectly. "Receiving information from...(terminal)" can be understood as the source of the information being the terminal, and can include receiving information from the terminal directly or indirectly. The information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source.

[0240] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0241] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0242] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. A component shown as a unit can be one or more physical units; that is, it can be located in one place or distributed in multiple different locations. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0243] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0244] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application embodiment, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a device (which may be a microcontroller, chip, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: obtaining first indication information corresponding to a terminal; wherein the first indication information is used to indicate a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), and the plurality of SSBs comprise a first SSB corresponding to position information of the terminal and at least one second SSB; the first SSB corresponds to a first area, and the second SSB corresponds to a second area adjacent to the first area; determining, according to the first SSB and the at least one second SSB, at least one third SSB to be measured and measurement time information corresponding to the at least one third SSB; measuring the at least one third SSB within the measurement time information corresponding to the at least one third SSB to obtain a measurement result; sending the measurement result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein: the first indication information is used to indicate one or more of the following: measurement configuration information of the plurality of SSBs, coverage range information of areas corresponding to the plurality of SSBs, or position sequence information of the plurality of SSBs; wherein the position sequence information is used to indicate a geographical position relationship between coverage ranges of the areas corresponding to the plurality of SSBs.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein: the first indication information comprises one or more of the following: index information of the first SSB, coverage range information of the area corresponding to the first SSB, measurement time information corresponding to the first SSB, index information of the second SSB, coverage range information of the area corresponding to the second SSB, measurement time information corresponding to the second SSB, or position sequence information of the at least one second SSB; wherein the position sequence information is used to indicate a geographical position relationship between coverage ranges of the areas corresponding to the at least one second SSB.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further comprises: sending position information of the terminal; obtaining the first indication information corresponding to the terminal; wherein the first indication information is determined according to the position information of the terminal.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further comprises: receiving first radio resource control (RRC) signaling; wherein the first RRC signaling comprises the first indication information; or receiving first non-access stratum (NAS) signaling; wherein the first NAS signaling comprises the first indication information.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method further comprises: determining, according to the measurement time information of the first SSB and a transmission period of an SSB, measurement time information corresponding to the at least one third SSB.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method further comprises: when the terminal moves from the first area to the second area, sending second indication information; wherein the second indication information is used to indicate that the first indication information is updated; obtaining updated first indication information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The method further comprises: sending a random access request; wherein the random access request comprises the second indication information, the second indication information being a preamble related to updating the first indication information; or sending second radio resource control (RRC) signaling; wherein the second RRC signaling comprises the second indication information; or sending second non-access stratum (NAS) signaling; wherein the second NAS signaling comprises the second indication information.

9. A communication method characterized by comprising: comprising: obtaining location information of a terminal; sending, to the terminal, first indication information corresponding to the location information of the terminal according to the location information of the terminal; wherein the first indication information is used to indicate a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), the plurality of SSBs comprising a first SSB corresponding to the location information of the terminal and at least one second SSB; the first SSB corresponding to a first area, and the second SSB corresponding to a second area adjacent to the first area; receiving a measurement result from the terminal; wherein the measurement result is determined according to the at least one third SSB, and the at least one third SSB is determined according to the first SSB and the at least one second SSB.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate one or more of the following: measurement configuration information of the plurality of SSBs, coverage range information of areas corresponding to the plurality of SSBs, or position sequence information of the plurality of SSBs; wherein the position sequence information is used to indicate a geographical position relationship between coverage ranges of the areas corresponding to the plurality of SSBs.

11. The method of claim 9 or 10, wherein the first indication information comprises one or more of the following: index information of the first SSB, coverage range information of the area corresponding to the first SSB, measurement time information corresponding to the first SSB, index information of the second SSB, coverage range information of the area corresponding to the second SSB, measurement time information corresponding to the second SSB, or position sequence information of the at least one second SSB; wherein the position sequence information is used to indicate a geographical position relationship between coverage ranges of the areas corresponding to the at least one second SSB.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9-11, characterized in that, the sending, to the terminal, first indication information corresponding to the location information of the terminal, comprises: sending, to the terminal, first radio resource control (RRC) signaling; wherein the first RRC signaling comprises the first indication information; or sending, to the terminal, first non-access stratum (NAS) signaling; wherein the first NAS signaling comprises the first indication information.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9-12, characterized in that, The method further comprises: receiving second indication information from the terminal; wherein the second indication information is used to indicate updating the first indication information; sending, to the terminal, updated first indication information according to the location information of the terminal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The receiving second indication information from the terminal, comprises: receiving a random access request from the terminal; wherein the random access request comprises the second indication information, the second indication information being a preamble related to updating the first indication information; or receiving a second RRC signaling from the terminal; wherein the second RRC signaling comprises the second indication information; or receiving a second NAS signaling from the terminal; wherein the second NAS signaling comprises the second indication information.

15. A communications device, characterized by comprising a module for performing the method of any one of claims 1-8, or comprising a module for performing the method of any one of claims 9-14.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium stores computer instructions or programs, which, when run on a computer, cause the communication method of any one of claims 1-8 to be performed, or cause the communication method of any one of claims 9-14 to be performed.

17. A computer program product, characterised in that, The computer program product comprises computer instructions; when part or all of the computer instructions are run on a computer, cause the communication method of any one of claims 1-8 to be performed, or cause the communication method of any one of claims 9-14 to be performed.

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