A communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and related devices, in which a first terminal device receives first transmission information from a target device, wherein the first transmission information is used to indicate a detection position of a synchronization signal block (SSB) corresponding to a wave position where the first terminal device is located; and the first terminal device receives a first SSB based on the first transmission information. In this way, the terminal device does not need to perform blind detection in the whole SSB period to obtain the first SSB, but only needs to perform reception of the first SSB at the detection position indicated by the first transmission information, thereby reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in obtaining SSB information.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In wireless communication, traditional network equipment can be devices fixed at a certain location on the ground, such as the ground base station to which a terrestrial network (TN) cell belongs.

[0003] With the development of communication technology, Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology has become one of the technological directions for direct satellite connection between mobile phones and satellites, serving as an important supplement to terrestrial cellular communication technology. In NTNs, network equipment may not be fixed to a specific location on the ground; for example, the network equipment could be high-speed mobile devices belonging to an NTN cell, including but not limited to low-Earth orbit, medium-Earth orbit, and high-Earth orbit satellites. To improve the system-level downlink coverage of satellite equipment, a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) period extension scheme has been proposed. This scheme divides the extended SSB period into multiple SSB sub-periods, where each SSB sub-period can be 20 milliseconds or other preset durations. Within each SSB sub-period, a corresponding SSB is transmitted to different wavelengths or geographical areas, thereby improving the downlink coverage of the satellite equipment.

[0004] However, with the extension of the SSB cycle, terminal devices may need to perform blind detection within the extended SSB cycle to obtain the required SSB when initially accessing satellite equipment, which will increase the complexity and power consumption of the initial access of terminal devices. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and related apparatus for reducing the complexity and power consumption of terminal devices in obtaining SSB information in scenarios where SSB cycle extension is used.

[0006] The first aspect of this application provides a communication method applicable to a terminal device, for example, executed by a first terminal device, or executed by a component (e.g., a processor, circuit, chip, or chip system) in the first terminal device, or executed by a logic module or software that implements all or part of the functions of the first terminal device.

[0007] For ease of explanation, this application uses a first terminal device as an example. In this method, first transmission information is received from a target device; wherein, the first transmission information is used to indicate the detection position of the synchronization signal block (SSB) corresponding to the wavelength position of the first terminal device; and a first SSB is received based on the first transmission information.

[0008] Based on the above scheme, after obtaining the first transmission information that indicates the detection position of the Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) corresponding to its own wavelength, the first terminal device can receive the first SSB based on the first transmission information. Therefore, the terminal device does not need to perform blind detection throughout the entire SSB cycle to obtain the first SSB; it only needs to receive the first SSB at the detection position indicated by the first transmission information, reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in obtaining SSB information.

[0009] The target device is a device that shares the same wavelength as the first terminal device. In this embodiment, the specific type of the target device is not limited. The target device can be a network device, such as a terrestrial cellular base station, a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT), a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS), or an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The target device can also be other terminal devices, such as other User Equipment (UE).

[0010] It is understood that the position of a satellite beam on the ground is fixed relative to the Earth. The position can be replaced by a geographical area, region, or other names. In this embodiment of the application, the name of the region fixed relative to the Earth is not specifically limited.

[0011] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first transmission information includes SSB transmission information of the target satellite; wherein, the SSB transmission information of the target satellite includes: the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs and the start time of the next SSB cycle of the target satellite, and the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes the time during which the target satellite serves the wavelength corresponding to the wavelength of the first terminal device.

[0012] The SSB period of the target satellite can include multiple SSB sub-periods. Within each SSB sub-period, the target satellite can serve one or more wavelengths (WHS). "Serving" here refers to the target satellite's beam being transmitted to those one or more WHS positions within the SSB sub-period. Therefore, the SSB sub-period corresponding to the WHS position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes the time during which the target satellite serves the WHS position corresponding to the first terminal device. It can be understood that the SSB sub-period corresponding to the WHS position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs can also include the time during which the target satellite serves other WHS positions.

[0013] In this embodiment, each wave position of the target satellite can be configured with an index corresponding to the SSB sub-period. This index indicates the association between the wave position and the SSB sub-period. For example, the satellite's SSB period is 320ms, and the satellite's SSB sub-period is 20ms, meaning the satellite's SSB period is divided into 16 sub-periods. When the SSB sub-period index corresponding to the satellite wave position is 0, then the SSB sub-period corresponding to that wave position is the first SSB sub-period in the satellite's SSB sub-period. Thus, the first terminal device can receive the required SSB within the first SSB sub-period of the target satellite's SSB period. When the SSB sub-period index corresponding to the satellite wave position is 1, then the SSB sub-period corresponding to that wave position is the second SSB sub-period in the satellite's SSB sub-period. Thus, the first terminal device can receive the required SSB within the second SSB sub-period of the target satellite's SSB period.

[0014] It should be understood that in the SSB transmission information of the target satellite, the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelet of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes at least one index, that is, the first terminal device is located in the region corresponding to one wavelet of the target satellite. In some scenarios, the first terminal device may be located at the overlapping position of two or more wavelets. In this case, the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelet of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs may include two or more indices. The case of two or more indices will be specifically described in the following embodiments.

[0015] It should be noted that when the target device sends the first transmission information to the first terminal device, the target device can default to being in the same wavelength as the first terminal device, that is, the target device directly sends the SSB transmission information corresponding to its own wavelength. Alternatively, the target device can determine the wavelength of the first terminal device based on the location information of the first terminal device and send the SSB transmission information corresponding to the wavelength of the first terminal device.

[0016] For example, the positioning information of the first terminal device may include the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) information of the first terminal device, and may also include the Global Positioning System (GPS) information of the first terminal device. This application does not limit the type of positioning information.

[0017] It should also be noted that the name "SSB sub-cycle" in the embodiments of this application does not constitute a limitation of this application. In some optional embodiments, the SSB sub-cycle can also be replaced with the SSB burst set (Burst), and the index of the SSB sub-cycle is correspondingly replaced with the index of the SSB burst set (Burst). An SSB burst set represents a collection of several SSBs bundled together. An SSB cycle may include one or more SSB burst sets, and each SSB burst set contains several SSB beams. It is understood that the SSB sub-cycle in the embodiments of this application can also be replaced with other expressions used to represent the segmentation of the SSB cycle, such as: SSB time interval, SSB time segmentation, etc., which are not limited in this application.

[0018] Specifically, the start time of the next SSB cycle of the target satellite refers to the relative time at which the next SSB cycle of the target satellite begins. Relative time refers to the time description relative to a specific moment, such as the time from the current moment, which can be expressed in the number of subframes or milliseconds. This application does not limit this.

[0019] Based on the above scheme, the first terminal device learns the start time of the next SSB cycle of the target satellite and the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelet of its own target satellite. Therefore, the first terminal device can determine at which time point in the next SSB cycle it should receive the first SSB. Thus, the first terminal device only needs to receive the first SSB at the detection position indicated by the first transmission information, avoiding blind detection throughout the entire SSB cycle, reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in acquiring SSB information.

[0020] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the SSB transmission information of the target satellite further includes: the first SSB is located in the subframe position within the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wavelet of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs.

[0021] It should be understood that since a target satellite can serve multiple spectral positions within one SSB sub-cycle, meaning the target satellite may transmit different SSBs at different times within one SSB sub-cycle, the first terminal device needs to perform further detection within the corresponding SSB sub-cycle to receive the SSB it requires. In this embodiment, the target satellite's SSB transmission information can further indicate the subframe position of the first SSB within the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the spectral position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs. Based on this, the first terminal device does not need to perform blind detection within the target satellite's SSB sub-cycle, but only needs to receive at the subframe position indicated by the first transmission information to obtain the required SSB, further reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in acquiring SSB information.

[0022] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first transmission information includes SSB transmission information of the target satellite; wherein the SSB transmission information of the target satellite includes: the time when the target device last received the first SSB and the SSB period of the target satellite.

[0023] Specifically, the time when the target device last received the first SSB refers to the absolute time when the target device last received the first SSB. The absolute time is independent of any special reference frame and can be Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

[0024] Based on the above scheme, knowing the SSB cycle of the target satellite and the absolute time when the target device last received the first SSB, the first terminal device can calculate at which time point in the next SSB cycle of the target satellite it should receive the required SSB. Therefore, the first terminal device only needs to receive the first SSB at the detection position indicated by the first transmission information, without blind detection throughout the entire SSB cycle, reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in acquiring SSB information.

[0025] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the detection location is used to determine a target time node; receiving the first SSB based on the first transmission information includes: starting to receive the first SSB at the target time node.

[0026] The first transmission information is used to indicate the detection position of the synchronization signal block (SSB) corresponding to the wavelength position of the first terminal device. This detection position is used to determine the target time node so that the first terminal device can start receiving the first SSB at that target time node. Therefore, the first terminal device does not need to perform blind detection throughout the entire SSB cycle of the target satellite; it only needs to receive the first SSB at the target time node indicated by the first transmission information, reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in acquiring SSB information.

[0027] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending a first request, the first request being used to request the first transmission information from the target device.

[0028] When the first terminal device establishes a connection with the target device, such as a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection, the first terminal device can request first transmission information from the target device through a first request, providing a way for the first terminal device to obtain the first transmission information.

[0029] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, receiving the first transmission information from the target device includes: receiving a broadcast message from the target device, the broadcast message including the first transmission information.

[0030] Among them, when the first terminal device does not establish a connection with the target device, the first terminal device can receive the first transmission information broadcast by the target device. That is, the target device can send the first transmission information in the form of broadcast, providing another way for the first terminal device to obtain the first transmission information.

[0031] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the target device includes a first network device connected to the target satellite.

[0032] In this embodiment of the application, the target device includes a first network device, which is connected to the target satellite. This embodiment of the application does not limit the way the first network device establishes a connection with the target satellite. Optionally, the first network device can establish a continuous and stable connection with the target satellite through the Xn interface, or it can establish a connection with the target satellite through the satellite operation control center.

[0033] The specific type of the first network device is not limited in the embodiments of this application. The first network device may be one of the following devices: terrestrial cellular base station, very small aperture terminal (VSAT), high altitude platform station (HAPS), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), etc.

[0034] Based on the above scheme, since the first network device establishes a connection with the target satellite, the first network device can obtain the first transmission information. Subsequently, the first network device can send the first transmission information at the request of the first terminal device, or send the first transmission information in the form of broadcast, thus providing a way for the first terminal device to obtain the first transmission information.

[0035] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the target device includes a first network device connected to a second terminal device, and the second terminal device connected to the target satellite; the first transmission information is reported by the second terminal device to the first network device after it connects to the target satellite, or the first transmission information is requested by the first network device from the second terminal device based on a first request.

[0036] In this embodiment of the application, the target device includes a first network device, which is connected to a second terminal device. The second terminal device is connected to a target satellite. The connection method between the second terminal device and the target satellite is not limited, and the second terminal device can be connected to the target satellite through a Uu interface.

[0037] The specific type of the first network device is not limited in the embodiments of this application. The first network device may be one of the following devices: terrestrial cellular base station, very small aperture terminal (VSAT), high altitude platform station (HAPS), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), etc.

[0038] Based on the above scheme, the second terminal device connects to the target satellite and can obtain the SSB information of the target satellite. The second terminal device can then determine the first transmission information based on the SSB information. The first network device can forward the first request from the first terminal device to the second terminal device, requesting the first transmission information from the second terminal device, and forward the first transmission information fed back by the second terminal device to the first terminal device. Alternatively, the first network device can receive the first transmission information reported by the second terminal device after establishing a connection with the target satellite, and broadcast the first transmission information so that the first terminal device can obtain the first transmission information. This provides a method for the first terminal device to obtain the first transmission information.

[0039] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the target device includes a second terminal device connected to the target satellite.

[0040] In this embodiment of the application, the target device includes a second terminal device, which is connected to the target satellite. The connection method between the second terminal device and the target satellite is not limited. The second terminal device can be directly connected to the target satellite through the Uu interface, or the second terminal device can also establish a connection with the target satellite through a Very Small Aperture Antenna Terminal Station (VSAT).

[0041] Based on the above scheme, the second terminal device is connected to the target satellite, and can obtain the SSB information of the target satellite. The second terminal device can then determine the first transmission information based on the SSB information. The first terminal device can directly request the first transmission information from the second terminal device and receive the first transmission information sent by the second terminal device, thus providing a method for the first terminal device to obtain the first transmission information.

[0042] It should be noted that before the first terminal device requests the first transmission information from the second terminal device, the first terminal device needs to establish a connection with the second terminal device. In this embodiment, the connection method between the first terminal device and the second terminal device is not limited. For example, the first terminal device can establish a connection with the second terminal device through the Sidelink method.

[0043] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelet of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes at least two indices.

[0044] As described in the preceding embodiments, in some scenarios, the first terminal device may be located in an overlapping region of two or more wave positions. In this case, the index of the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wave position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs, included in the first transmission information sent by the target device, may include two or more indices, each index corresponding to a wave position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs. Based on the above scheme, when the first terminal device is located in an overlapping region of two or more wave positions, the first transmission information may include the index of the SSB sub-period corresponding to each wave position, so that the first terminal device can subsequently obtain the required SSB based on the actual situation.

[0045] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, receiving the first SSB based on the first transmission information includes: receiving at least two SSBs based on the at least two indices, and determining at least two beam detection results based on the at least two SSBs, the beam detection results including the reference signal received power (RSRP) of the beam; and determining the first SSB based on the at least two beam detection results.

[0046] In this embodiment, when the first transmission information includes at least two indices, the first terminal device receives the corresponding SSB based on each index and simultaneously determines the beam detection result corresponding to each SSB. The beam detection result includes the Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP) of the beam. Finally, the first terminal device can determine the first SSB based on the beam with the higher RSRP. This provides an SSB reception method when the terminal device is in a multi-wavelength overlapping region, ensuring the communication quality of the terminal device in multi-wavelength scenarios.

[0047] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first transmission information further includes: SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites; wherein, the neighboring satellites are satellites that serve the first terminal device after the target satellite, and the SSB transmission information of the neighboring satellites includes: the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the neighboring satellite to which the first terminal device belongs and the start time of the next SSB cycle of the neighboring satellite, and the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the neighboring satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes the time during which the neighboring satellite serves the wavelength corresponding to the wavelength of the first terminal device.

[0048] In this embodiment, the first transmission information may include not only the SSB transmission information of the target satellite, but also the SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites of the first terminal device. The SSB information of neighboring satellites can be used by the first terminal device to access neighboring satellites. For example, when the terminal device moves, the first terminal device is informed of the SSB information of neighboring satellites when a satellite handover occurs, facilitating the first terminal device to quickly access neighboring satellites.

[0049] The adjacent satellites can be satellites in the same orbit as the target satellite, or satellites in a different orbit than the target satellite. This application does not limit the type of adjacent satellites. It is understood that adjacent satellites are satellites that will provide services to the first terminal device after the target satellite has already provided services to it.

[0050] It should be noted that the SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites is similar to that of the target satellite. The SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites can be found in the description of the SSB transmission information of the target satellite mentioned above.

[0051] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the SSB transmission information of the adjacent satellite further includes: the second SSB is located in the subframe position within the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wavelet of the adjacent satellite to which the first terminal device belongs, and the second SSB is the SSB of the adjacent satellite corresponding to the first terminal device.

[0052] In this embodiment, the SSB transmission information of adjacent satellites further includes the subframe position of the second SSB within the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wavelet of the adjacent satellite to which the first terminal device belongs. Thus, the first terminal device does not need to perform blind detection within the SSB sub-period of the adjacent satellite, but only needs to receive at the subframe position indicated by the first transmission information to obtain the required SSB, further reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in obtaining SSB information.

[0053] It should be noted that the SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites is similar to that of the target satellite. The SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites can be found in the description of the SSB transmission information of the target satellite mentioned above.

[0054] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first transmission information further includes: SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites; wherein, the neighboring satellites are satellites that serve the first terminal device after the target satellite, and the SSB transmission information of the neighboring satellites includes: the time when the target device last received a second SSB and the SSB period of the neighboring satellites, and the second SSB is the SSB of the neighboring satellites that corresponds to the first terminal device.

[0055] In this embodiment, the first transmission information may include not only the SSB transmission information of the target satellite, but also the SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites of the first terminal device. The SSB information of neighboring satellites can be used by the first terminal device to access neighboring satellites. For example, when the terminal device moves, the first terminal device is informed of the SSB information of neighboring satellites when a satellite handover occurs, facilitating the first terminal device to quickly access neighboring satellites.

[0056] It should be noted that the SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites is similar to that of the target satellite. The SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites can be found in the description of the SSB transmission information of the target satellite mentioned above.

[0057] The second aspect of this application provides a communication method applicable to a target device, for example, executed by the target device, or executed by a component (e.g., a processor, circuit, chip, or chip system) in the target device, or executed by a logic module or software that implements all or part of the functions of the target device.

[0058] For ease of explanation, this application uses the target device as an example. In this method, first transmission information is sent so that the first terminal device receives the first synchronization signal block (SSB) based on the first transmission information; wherein, the first transmission information is used to indicate the detection position of the SSB corresponding to the wavelength of the first terminal device.

[0059] Based on the above scheme, the target device sends first transmission information to the first terminal device. The first transmission information indicates the detection position of the SSB corresponding to the wavelength of the first terminal device, enabling the first terminal device to receive the first SSB based on the first transmission information. Therefore, the terminal device does not need to perform blind detection throughout the entire SSB cycle to obtain the first SSB; it only needs to receive the first SSB at the detection position indicated by the first transmission information, reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in acquiring SSB information.

[0060] The target device is a device that shares the same wavelength as the first terminal device. In this embodiment, the specific type of the target device is not limited. The target device can be a network device, such as a terrestrial cellular base station, a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT), a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS), or an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The target device can also be other terminal devices, such as other User Equipment (UE).

[0061] It is understood that the position of a satellite beam on the ground is fixed relative to the Earth. The position can be replaced by a geographical area, region, or other names. In this embodiment of the application, the name of the region fixed relative to the Earth is not specifically limited.

[0062] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: the first transmission information includes SSB transmission information of the target satellite; wherein the SSB transmission information of the target satellite includes: the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs and the start time of the next SSB cycle of the target satellite, and the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes the time during which the target satellite serves the wavelength corresponding to the wavelength of the first terminal device.

[0063] The SSB period of the target satellite can include multiple SSB sub-periods. Within each SSB sub-period, the target satellite can serve one or more wavelengths (WHS). "Serving" here refers to the target satellite's beam being transmitted to those one or more WHS positions within the SSB sub-period. Therefore, the SSB sub-period corresponding to the WHS position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes the time during which the target satellite serves the WHS position corresponding to the first terminal device. It can be understood that the SSB sub-period corresponding to the WHS position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs can also include the time during which the target satellite serves other WHS positions.

[0064] In this embodiment, each wave position of the target satellite can be configured with an index corresponding to the SSB sub-period. This index indicates the association between the wave position and the SSB sub-period. For example, the satellite's SSB period is 320ms, and the satellite's SSB sub-period is 20ms, meaning the satellite's SSB period is divided into 16 sub-periods. When the SSB sub-period index corresponding to the satellite wave position is 0, then the SSB sub-period corresponding to that wave position is the first SSB sub-period in the satellite's SSB sub-period. Thus, the first terminal device can receive the required SSB within the first SSB sub-period of the target satellite's SSB period. When the SSB sub-period index corresponding to the satellite wave position is 1, then the SSB sub-period corresponding to that wave position is the second SSB sub-period in the satellite's SSB sub-period. Thus, the first terminal device can receive the required SSB within the second SSB sub-period of the target satellite's SSB period.

[0065] It should be understood that in the SSB transmission information of the target satellite, the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelet of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes at least one index, that is, the first terminal device is located in the region corresponding to one wavelet of the target satellite. In some scenarios, the first terminal device may be located at the overlapping position of two or more wavelets. In this case, the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelet of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs may include two or more indices. The case of two or more indices will be specifically described in the following embodiments.

[0066] It should be noted that when the target device sends the first transmission information to the first terminal device, the target device can default to being in the same wavelength as the first terminal device, that is, the target device directly sends the SSB transmission information corresponding to its own wavelength. Alternatively, the target device can determine the wavelength of the first terminal device based on the location information of the first terminal device and send the SSB transmission information corresponding to the wavelength of the first terminal device.

[0067] For example, the positioning information of the first terminal device may include the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) information of the first terminal device, and may also include the Global Positioning System (GPS) information of the first terminal device. This application does not limit the type of positioning information.

[0068] It should also be noted that the name "SSB sub-cycle" in the embodiments of this application does not constitute a limitation of this application. In some optional embodiments, the SSB sub-cycle can also be replaced with the SSB burst set (Burst), and the index of the SSB sub-cycle is correspondingly replaced with the index of the SSB burst set (Burst). An SSB burst set represents a collection of several SSBs bundled together. An SSB cycle may include one or more SSB burst sets, and each SSB burst set contains several SSB beams. It is understood that the SSB sub-cycle in the embodiments of this application can also be replaced with other expressions used to represent the segmentation of the SSB cycle, such as: SSB time interval, SSB time segmentation, etc., which are not limited in this application.

[0069] Specifically, the start time of the next SSB cycle of the target satellite refers to the relative time at which the next SSB cycle of the target satellite begins. Relative time refers to the time description relative to a specific moment, such as the time from the current moment, which can be expressed in the number of subframes or milliseconds. This application does not limit this.

[0070] Based on the above scheme, the first terminal device learns the start time of the next SSB cycle of the target satellite and the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelet of its own target satellite. Therefore, the first terminal device can determine at which time point in the next SSB cycle it should receive the first SSB. Thus, the first terminal device only needs to receive the first SSB at the detection position indicated by the first transmission information, avoiding blind detection throughout the entire SSB cycle, reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in acquiring SSB information.

[0071] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the SSB transmission information of the target satellite further includes: the first SSB is located in the subframe position within the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wave position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs.

[0072] It should be understood that since a target satellite can serve multiple spectral positions within one SSB sub-cycle, meaning the target satellite may transmit different SSBs at different times within one SSB sub-cycle, the first terminal device needs to perform further detection within the corresponding SSB sub-cycle to receive the SSB it requires. In this embodiment, the target satellite's SSB transmission information can further indicate the subframe position of the first SSB within the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the spectral position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs. Based on this, the first terminal device does not need to perform blind detection within the target satellite's SSB sub-cycle, but only needs to receive at the subframe position indicated by the first transmission information to obtain the required SSB, further reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in acquiring SSB information.

[0073] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the first transmission information includes SSB transmission information of the target satellite; wherein, the SSB transmission information of the target satellite includes: the time when the target device last received the first SSB and the SSB period of the target satellite.

[0074] Specifically, the time when the target device last received the first SSB refers to the absolute time when the target device last received the first SSB. The absolute time is independent of any special reference frame and can be Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

[0075] Based on the above scheme, knowing the SSB cycle of the target satellite and the absolute time when the target device last received the first SSB, the first terminal device can calculate at which time point in the next SSB cycle of the target satellite it should receive the required SSB. Therefore, the first terminal device only needs to receive the first SSB at the detection position indicated by the first transmission information, without blind detection throughout the entire SSB cycle, reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in acquiring SSB information.

[0076] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the detection location is used to determine a target time node such that the first terminal device begins receiving the first SSB at the target time node.

[0077] The first transmission information is used to indicate the detection position of the synchronization signal block (SSB) corresponding to the wavelength position of the first terminal device. This detection position is used to determine the target time node so that the first terminal device can start receiving the first SSB at that target time node. Therefore, the first terminal device does not need to perform blind detection throughout the entire SSB cycle of the target satellite; it only needs to receive the first SSB at the target time node indicated by the first transmission information, reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in acquiring SSB information.

[0078] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving a first request from the first terminal device, the first request being used to request the first transmission information.

[0079] When the first terminal device establishes a connection with the target device, such as a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection, the first terminal device can request first transmission information from the target device through a first request, providing a way for the first terminal device to obtain the first transmission information.

[0080] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, sending the first SSB transmission information includes: broadcasting the first transmission information.

[0081] Among them, when the first terminal device does not establish a connection with the target device, the first terminal device can receive the first transmission information broadcast by the target device. That is, the target device can send the first transmission information in the form of broadcast, providing another way for the first terminal device to obtain the first transmission information.

[0082] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the target device includes a first network device connected to the target satellite.

[0083] In this embodiment of the application, the target device includes a first network device, which is connected to the target satellite. This embodiment of the application does not limit the way the first network device establishes a connection with the target satellite. Optionally, the first network device can establish a continuous and stable connection with the target satellite through the Xn interface, or it can establish a connection with the target satellite through the satellite operation control center.

[0084] The specific type of the first network device is not limited in the embodiments of this application. The first network device may be one of the following devices: terrestrial cellular base station, very small aperture terminal (VSAT), high altitude platform station (HAPS), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), etc.

[0085] Based on the above scheme, since the first network device establishes a connection with the target satellite, the first network device can obtain the first transmission information. Subsequently, the first network device can send the first transmission information at the request of the first terminal device, or send the first transmission information in the form of broadcast, thus providing a way for the first terminal device to obtain the first transmission information.

[0086] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the target device includes a first network device connected to a second terminal device, and the second terminal device connected to the target satellite; the method further includes: receiving the first transmission information sent by the second terminal device after it is connected to the target satellite, or requesting the second terminal device to obtain the first transmission information based on a first request.

[0087] In this embodiment of the application, the target device includes a first network device, which is connected to a second terminal device. The second terminal device is connected to a target satellite. The connection method between the second terminal device and the target satellite is not limited, and the second terminal device can be connected to the target satellite through a Uu interface.

[0088] The specific type of the first network device is not limited in the embodiments of this application. The first network device may be one of the following devices: terrestrial cellular base station, very small aperture terminal (VSAT), high altitude platform station (HAPS), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), etc.

[0089] Based on the above scheme, the second terminal device connects to the target satellite and can obtain the SSB information of the target satellite. The second terminal device can then determine the first transmission information based on the SSB information. The first network device can forward the first request from the first terminal device to the second terminal device, requesting the first transmission information from the second terminal device, and forward the first transmission information fed back by the second terminal device to the first terminal device. Alternatively, the first network device can receive the first transmission information reported by the second terminal device after establishing a connection with the target satellite, and broadcast the first transmission information so that the first terminal device can obtain the first transmission information. This provides a method for the first terminal device to obtain the first transmission information.

[0090] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the target device includes a second terminal device connected to the target satellite.

[0091] In this embodiment of the application, the target device includes a second terminal device, which is connected to the target satellite. The connection method between the second terminal device and the target satellite is not limited. The second terminal device can be directly connected to the target satellite through the Uu interface, or the second terminal device can also establish a connection with the target satellite through a Very Small Aperture Antenna Terminal Station (VSAT).

[0092] Based on the above scheme, the second terminal device is connected to the target satellite, and can obtain the SSB information of the target satellite. The second terminal device can then determine the first transmission information based on the SSB information. The first terminal device can directly request the first transmission information from the second terminal device and receive the first transmission information sent by the second terminal device, thus providing a method for the first terminal device to obtain the first transmission information.

[0093] It should be noted that before the first terminal device requests the first transmission information from the second terminal device, the first terminal device needs to establish a connection with the second terminal device. In this embodiment, the connection method between the first terminal device and the second terminal device is not limited. For example, the first terminal device can establish a connection with the second terminal device through the Sidelink method.

[0094] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelet of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes at least two indices.

[0095] As described in the preceding embodiments, in some scenarios, the first terminal device may be located in an overlapping region of two or more wave positions. In this case, the index of the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wave position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs, included in the first transmission information sent by the target device, may include two or more indices, each index corresponding to a wave position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs. Based on the above scheme, when the first terminal device is located in an overlapping region of two or more wave positions, the first transmission information may include the index of the SSB sub-period corresponding to each wave position, so that the first terminal device can subsequently obtain the required SSB based on the actual situation.

[0096] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the first transmission information further includes: SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites; wherein, the neighboring satellites are satellites that serve the first terminal device after the target satellite, and the SSB transmission information of the neighboring satellites includes: the index of the SSB sub-cycle of the wavelength position of the neighboring satellite to which the first terminal device belongs and the start time of the next SSB cycle of the neighboring satellite, and the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength position to which the first terminal device belongs includes the time corresponding to the wavelength position to which the neighboring satellite serves the first terminal device.

[0097] In this embodiment, the first transmission information may include not only the SSB transmission information of the target satellite, but also the SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites of the first terminal device. The SSB information of neighboring satellites can be used by the first terminal device to access neighboring satellites. For example, when the terminal device moves, the first terminal device is informed of the SSB information of neighboring satellites when a satellite handover occurs, facilitating the first terminal device to quickly access neighboring satellites.

[0098] It should be noted that the SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites is similar to that of the target satellite. The SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites can be found in the description of the SSB transmission information of the target satellite mentioned above.

[0099] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the SSB transmission information of the adjacent satellite further includes: the second SSB is located in the subframe position within the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wavelet of the adjacent satellite to which the first terminal device belongs, and the second SSB is the SSB of the adjacent satellite that corresponds to the first terminal device.

[0100] In this embodiment, the SSB transmission information of adjacent satellites further includes the subframe position of the second SSB within the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wavelet of the adjacent satellite to which the first terminal device belongs. Thus, the first terminal device does not need to perform blind detection within the SSB sub-period of the adjacent satellite, but only needs to receive at the subframe position indicated by the first transmission information to obtain the required SSB, further reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in obtaining SSB information.

[0101] It should be noted that the SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites is similar to that of the target satellite. The SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites can be found in the description of the SSB transmission information of the target satellite mentioned above.

[0102] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the first transmission information further includes: SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites; wherein, the neighboring satellites are satellites that serve the first terminal device after the target satellite, and the SSB transmission information of the neighboring satellites includes: the time when the target device last received a second SSB and the SSB period of the neighboring satellites, and the second SSB is the SSB of the neighboring satellites that corresponds to the first terminal device.

[0103] In this embodiment, the first transmission information may include not only the SSB transmission information of the target satellite, but also the SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites of the first terminal device. The SSB information of neighboring satellites can be used by the first terminal device to access neighboring satellites. For example, when the terminal device moves, the first terminal device is informed of the SSB information of neighboring satellites when a satellite handover occurs, facilitating the first terminal device to quickly access neighboring satellites.

[0104] It should be noted that the SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites is similar to that of the target satellite. The SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites can be found in the description of the SSB transmission information of the target satellite mentioned above.

[0105] A third aspect of this application provides a communication device, which is a first terminal device, or a component of the first terminal device (e.g., a processor, circuit, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first terminal device. In this third aspect and its possible implementations, the example of the communication device being executed by a first terminal device will be described.

[0106] The device includes: an information receiving module; wherein,

[0107] The information receiving module is used to receive first transmission information from the target device; wherein, the first transmission information is used to indicate the detection position of the synchronization signal block SSB corresponding to the wavelength position of the first terminal device;

[0108] The information receiving module is also used to receive a first SSB based on the first transmitted information.

[0109] In the third aspect of this application, the constituent modules of the communication device can also be used to execute the steps performed in various possible implementations of the first aspect and achieve the corresponding technical effects. For details, please refer to the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0110] The fourth aspect of this application provides a communication device, which is a target device, or a component of the target device (e.g., a processor, circuit, chip, or chip system), or the device may also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a network device. In the sixth aspect and its possible implementations, the communication device is described as an example of a network device.

[0111] The device includes: an information transmission module; wherein,

[0112] The information sending module is used to send first transmission information so that the first terminal device receives the first synchronization signal block (SSB) based on the first transmission information; wherein, the first transmission information is used to indicate the detection position of the SSB corresponding to the wavelength position of the first terminal device.

[0113] In the fourth aspect of this application, the constituent modules of the communication device can also be used to perform the steps executed in various possible implementations of the second aspect and achieve the corresponding technical effects. For details, please refer to the second aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0114] The fifth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one processor coupled to at least one memory; the at least one memory is used to store a program or instructions; the at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions to enable the device to implement the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects.

[0115] The sixth aspect of this application provides a communication device including at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit is used to perform the method as described in any one of the possible implementations of the first to second aspects described above.

[0116] The seventh aspect of this application provides a communication system, which includes the aforementioned first terminal device and target device.

[0117] An eighth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, perform the method as described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects described above.

[0118] The ninth aspect of this application provides a computer program product (or computer program) that, when executed by a processor, performs the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects described above.

[0119] The tenth aspect of this application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device to implement the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects described above.

[0120] In one possible design, the chip or chip system may further include at least one memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip or chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. Optionally, the chip or chip system may also include interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor.

[0121] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects three through ten can be found in the technical effects of the different design methods in aspects one through two above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0122] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the communication system provided in this application;

[0123] Figures 2a to 2d Some schematic diagrams of the satellite communication process provided in this application;

[0124] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the satellite communication process in the 5G system provided in this application;

[0125] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application;

[0126] Figure 5 A satellite waveform diagram provided for this application;

[0127] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in this application;

[0128] Figure 7A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in this application;

[0129] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in this application;

[0130] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in this application;

[0131] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of another communication device provided in this application;

[0132] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of another communication device provided in this application;

[0133] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of another communication device provided in this application;

[0134] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of another communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0135] First, some terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0136] (1) Terminal device: can be a wireless terminal device that can receive network device scheduling and instruction information. The wireless terminal device can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to the user, or a handheld device with wireless connection function, or other processing device connected to a wireless modem.

[0137] Terminal devices can be various communication kits with wireless communication capabilities (the kit may include, for example, antennas, power supply modules, cables, and Wi-Fi modules). Terminal devices can also be communication modules with satellite communication capabilities, satellite phones or components thereof, and very small aperture terminals (VSATs). Terminal devices can be mobile terminal devices, such as mobile phones (or "cellular" phones), computers, and data cards. For example, they can be portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices that exchange voice and / or data with a wireless access network. Examples include personal communication service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, and computers with wireless transceiver capabilities. Wireless terminal equipment can also be referred to as a system, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), remote station, access point (AP), remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, subscriber station (SS), customer premises equipment (CPE), terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile terminal (MT), drone, etc. Terminal equipment can also be wearable devices and next-generation communication systems, such as terminal equipment in 6G communication systems or terminal equipment in future evolved public land mobile networks (PLMNs). Of course, in this application, terminal equipment can also refer to chips, modems, system-on-a-chip (SoC), or communication platforms that may include radio frequency (RF) components, etc., that are primarily responsible for related communication functions.

[0138] (2) Network equipment: This can be equipment in a wireless network. For example, network equipment can be a RAN node (or device) that connects terminal devices to the wireless network, and can also be called a base station. Currently, some examples of RAN equipment include: base station, evolved NodeB (eNodeB), gNB (gNodeB) in 5G communication systems, transmission reception point (TRP), evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), home base station (e.g., home-evolved Node B, or home Node B, HNB), base band unit (BBU), or wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access point (AP), etc. In addition, in a network structure, network equipment can include centralized unit (CU) nodes, distributed unit (DU) nodes, or RAN equipment including CU nodes and DU nodes.

[0139] Optionally, RAN nodes can also be macro base stations, micro base stations, indoor stations, relay nodes, donor nodes, or radio controllers in cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenarios. RAN nodes can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0140] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0141] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an open access network (open RAN, O-RAN, or ORAN) 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 software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0142] Communication between access network devices and terminal devices follows a specific protocol layer structure. This protocol layer may include a control plane protocol layer and a user plane protocol layer. The control plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: radio resource control (RRC) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, radio link control (RLC) layer, media access control (MAC) layer, or physical (PHY) layer, etc. The user plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer, or physical layer, etc.

[0143] The correspondence between network elements and their achievable protocol layer functions in the ORAN system can be found in Table 1 below.

[0144] Table 1

[0145] ORAN network elements 3GPP protocol layer functions O-CU-CP RRC+PDCP-Control Plane (PDCP-C) O-CU-UP SDAP+PDCP - User Plane (PDCP-U) O-DU RLC+MAC+PHY-high O-RU PHY-low

[0146] Network devices can be other devices that provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or form of the network device. For ease of description, the embodiments of this application are not limited.

[0147] Network equipment may also include core network equipment, such as the Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Serving Gateway (S-GW), Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), and Public Data Network Gateway (PDN Gateway, P-GW) in 4th generation (4G) networks; and access and mobility management function (AMF), user plane function (UPF), or session management function (SMF) in 5G networks. Furthermore, this core network equipment may also include other core network equipment in 5G networks and next-generation networks of 5G networks.

[0148] In this embodiment of the application, the network device mentioned above can also be a network node with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, which can provide AI services to terminals or other network devices. For example, it can be an AI node, computing power node, RAN node with AI capabilities, core network element with AI capabilities, etc. on the network side (access network or core network).

[0149] In this application embodiment, the device for implementing the function of the network device can be the network device itself, or it can be a device capable of supporting the network device in implementing that function, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the network device. In the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment, the example of a network device being used to implement the function of the network device is used to describe the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment.

[0150] (3) Configuration and Pre-configuration: In this application, both configuration and pre-configuration are used. Configuration refers to the network device sending configuration information or parameter values ​​of some parameters to the terminal device through messages or signaling, so that the terminal device can determine the communication parameters or resources during transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration; it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​that the network device and the terminal device have negotiated in advance, or it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​that the network device or the terminal device uses as specified by the standard protocol, or it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​that are pre-stored in the network device or the terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0151] Furthermore, these values ​​and parameters can be changed or updated.

[0152] (4) The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. "At least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, 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 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 of A, B and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. And, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority or importance of multiple objects.

[0153] (5) In the embodiments of this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which may include sending directly through the air interface or sending indirectly through the air interface by other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which may include receiving directly from YY through the air interface or receiving indirectly from YY through the air interface by other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0154] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via buses, wiring, or interfaces.

[0155] It is understandable that information may undergo necessary processing, such as encoding and modulation, between the source and destination, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar statements in this application can be interpreted in a similar way and will not be elaborated further.

[0156] (6) Wave position. In the embodiments of this application, wave position can be replaced by geographical region or region. Of course, other names are also possible, and this application does not make specific limitations. Among them, region is fixed relative to the earth, or it can be understood as a geographical area that is fixed relative to the earth.

[0157] For example, a region may have at least one of the following attributes: shape, outline, size, radius, area, geographic location, etc. Furthermore, a "region" may also have an altitude attribute, meaning a region can be understood as a geographic area at a given altitude or within a given altitude range. For instance, a region may refer to a geographic area on the ground with an elevation of 0 km or within a range of 0 km ± 2 km, or a geographic area at a certain average altitude, or a geographic area at a specific altitude, such as an elevation of 10 km or within a range of 10 km ± 3 km.

[0158] In one possible implementation, the shapes, outlines, sizes, radii, and areas of different regions may be the same or different. The geographical locations of the different regions may differ. The different regions may or may not overlap.

[0159] In one possible implementation, the region being fixed relative to the Earth can be understood as follows: the region's outline, size, or geographical location remains unchanged; for example, the region's outline, size, or geographical location does not change over time. Alternatively, the region being fixed relative to the Earth can be understood as follows: the region's outline and the points within it can be described using a fixed Earth coordinate system, or the coordinates of each point on the region's outline in the fixed Earth coordinate system remain constant.

[0160] In one possible implementation, the shape of the region can be a regular hexagon, or other shapes such as a regular pentagon, a circle, an ellipse, etc. Alternatively, the shape of the region can also be irregular, without restriction.

[0161] For example, the shape of a region can be defined by a protocol or by a network device. Regions defined by different network devices can have the same or different shapes. The same network device can also define multiple region shapes. Similarly, the size, radius, and area of ​​a region can also be defined by a protocol or by a network device. Regions defined by different network devices can have the same or different sizes, radii, or areas. The same network device can also define multiple region sizes, multiple region radii, or multiple region areas.

[0162] In one possible implementation, the Earth's surface can be divided into multiple regions, and these regions can be indexed (e.g., numbered). Terminal devices and network devices can agree on the numbering method for these regions (e.g., starting from 1 or 0) and the correspondence between regions and indexes. Alternatively, the protocol can define the numbering method for these regions and the correspondence between regions and indexes. Based on the region indexes, information such as the region's geographical location can be determined.

[0163] Optionally, the multiple regions can completely cover the Earth's surface, such that any location on the Earth's surface belongs to a certain region; or, the multiple regions can also cover part of the geographical location on Earth, for example, the multiple regions may not cover the Earth's South Pole and / or North Pole, that is, the South Pole and / or North Pole may not exist in the region.

[0164] Optionally, the method of dividing the network into multiple zones can be defined by a protocol or by the network device. Different network devices can define the same or different division methods. The same network device can also define multiple division methods.

[0165] As a first possible method of partitioning, the Earth's surface can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity, for example, a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 1 degree. If only this discretization method is used, the globe can be divided into 360×360=129600 regions. Terminal devices and network devices can define the indexes of these 129600 regions as 0,1,…,129599, or they can also define them as 1,2,…,129600.

[0166] Optionally, when introducing the altitude attribute of a geographic region, multiple grids can be defined to divide the Earth's surface. For example, a grid at an altitude of 0 km or within a range of 0 km ± 2 km can be divided into 1-degree latitude and longitude grids, generating 129,600 regions. At an altitude of 10 km or within a range of 10 km ± 3 km, another 1-degree latitude and longitude grid can be used, generating yet another 129,600 regions. When indexing these grids, the index range of a single-layer grid needs to be expanded. For example, the total index could be 0, 1, ..., 129599, 129600, 129601, ..., 259199, where the first 129,600 indices represent the grid index at an altitude of 0 km, and the last 129,600 indices represent the grid index at an altitude of 10 km.

[0167] For example, the granularity of the latitude and longitude grid can be determined based on the type of network device. For instance, a relatively small granularity can be used for discretization when the network device is a LEO satellite, and a relatively large granularity can be used when the network device is a GEO satellite.

[0168] As a second possible method of division, the Earth's surface can be divided using latitude and longitude grids of various granularities. For example, a portion of the Earth's surface or a portion of its administrative region can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 1 degree, while another portion of the surface or administrative region can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 2 degrees.

[0169] Alternatively, by introducing the altitude attribute of a geographic region, the Earth's surface can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 1 degree at an altitude of 0 km, and the Earth's surface can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 2 degrees at an altitude of 10 km.

[0170] As a third possible method of division, the Earth's surface can be divided by administrative regions. For example, a township-level administrative region could be considered as a region.

[0171] As a fourth possible division method, for GEO satellites, the projection of one of the GEO satellite's beams onto the ground can be considered as a region. Since GEO satellites are stationary relative to the Earth, the projection of the GEO satellite's beams onto the ground can be considered fixed relative to the Earth.

[0172] In practical applications, the Earth's surface can be divided using a combination of different methods. For example, a portion of the Earth's surface or a part of its administrative region can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 1, while another portion of the surface or administrative region can be divided according to its administrative region.

[0173] In one possible implementation, when the Earth's surface is divided into multiple regions, different levels of region division can be applied to the same surface area. For example, for a given surface area, a first level of region division can be performed using a 10-degree granularity latitude and longitude grid, a second level using a 6-degree granularity grid, and a third level using a 1-degree granularity grid. In this case, within the surface area, the number of regions at the first level is greater than the number at the second level, and the number of regions at the second level is greater than the number at the third level. Furthermore, in this scenario, each level of region can be individually numbered.

[0174] (7) In the embodiments of this application, "instruction" may include direct instruction and indirect instruction, as well as explicit instruction and implicit instruction. The information indicated by a certain piece of information (as described below, the instruction information) is called the information to be instructed. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is an association between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can only indicate a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts of the information to be instructed are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction can be implemented by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol predefined) arrangement order of various information, thereby reducing the instruction overhead to a certain extent. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction. It is understood that for the sender of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to indicate the information to be instructed; for the receiver of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to determine the information to be instructed.

[0175] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. In the various embodiments of this application, and the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments and between the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment are consistent and can be mutually referenced. The technical features in different embodiments and the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment can be combined to form new embodiments, methods, or implementations based on their inherent logical relationships. The following descriptions of the embodiments of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0176] This application can be applied to long-term evolution (LTE) systems, new radio (NR) systems, or new radio vehicle-to-everything (NR V2X) systems; it can also be applied to systems with hybrid LTE and 5G networks; or device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, or drone communication systems; or communication systems supporting multiple wireless technologies, such as LTE and NR technologies; or non-terrestrial communication systems, such as satellite communication systems and high-altitude communication platforms. Optionally, this communication system can also be applied to narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems or other communication systems, wherein the communication system includes network devices and terminal devices, with the network devices acting as configuration information sending entities and the terminal devices acting as configuration information receiving entities. Specifically, in this communication system, one entity sends configuration information to another entity and sends data to or receives data from another entity; the other entity receives the configuration information and, based on the configuration information, sends data to or receives data from the entity that sent the configuration information. This application can be applied to terminal devices in a connected or active state, as well as to terminal devices in an inactive or idle state.

[0177] Please see Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 10 used in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 may also include an Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., ...). Figure 1 110a and 110b, collectively referred to as 110, may also include at least one terminal (such as...). Figure 1 RAN100, denoted as RAN100, comprises RAN nodes 120a-120j, collectively referred to as RAN120. RAN100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment. Figure 1(Not shown in the image). Terminal 120 connects wirelessly to RAN node 110, and RAN node 110 connects wirelessly or via a wired connection to core network 200. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be independent physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating the logical functions of core network equipment and RAN nodes. Terminals can connect to each other, and RAN nodes can connect to each other, via wired or wireless connections.

[0178] It should be noted that the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application are applicable to satellite communication systems, or to terrestrial communication systems, or to communication systems that integrate terrestrial and satellite communication. This communication system can also be referred to as a non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication system. For example, Figure 1 RAN100 in the above can include a ground base station, wherein the ground base station can include a TN cell (i.e., the signal of the TN cell can be transmitted and received through the ground base station); and, Figure 1 RAN100 can also include non-terrestrial base stations. Taking a satellite as an example, the satellite can include NTN cells (i.e., the signals of the NTN cells can be transmitted and received via the satellite). The terrestrial communication system can be, for example, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), a 5G communication system, a new radio (NR) system, or a communication system that is the next step in the development of 5G communication systems, etc., without limitation here.

[0179] Compared to traditional mobile communication systems, satellite communication offers advantages such as wider coverage, communication costs independent of transmission distance, and the ability to overcome natural geographical barriers like oceans, deserts, and mountains. To overcome the shortcomings of traditional communication networks, satellite communication can serve as an effective supplement. It is generally believed that non-terrestrial network communication has different channel characteristics compared to terrestrial network communication, such as large transmission delays and Doppler frequency offsets. For example, the round-trip time (RTT) of GEO satellite communication is 238–270 milliseconds (ms), while that of LEO satellite communication is 8 ms–20 ms. Based on orbital altitude, satellite communication systems can be classified into three types: geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite communication systems (also known as geosynchronous orbit satellite systems); medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite communication systems; and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication systems.

[0180] GEO satellites, also known as geostationary orbit satellites, orbit at an altitude of 35,786 kilometers. Their main advantages are relative stationary position and large coverage area. However, GEO satellites also have significant drawbacks: their large distance from Earth necessitates larger antennas; their transmission latency is relatively high, around 0.5 seconds, failing to meet the demands of real-time services; and their orbital resources are relatively scarce, resulting in high launch costs and an inability to provide coverage to polar regions. MEO satellites, orbiting at altitudes between 2,000 and 35,786 km, can achieve global coverage with a relatively small number of satellites, but their transmission latency is higher than that of LEO satellites, and they are primarily used for positioning and navigation. Furthermore, satellites orbiting at altitudes between 300 and 2,000 km are called Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. LEO satellites are lower in altitude than MEO and GEO satellites, resulting in lower data propagation latency, lower power loss, and relatively lower launch costs. Therefore, LEO satellite communication networks have made significant progress and attracted considerable attention in recent years.

[0181] In one possible implementation, satellite equipment can be categorized into transparent mode and regenerative mode based on its operating mode.

[0182] The following will be through Figure 2a , Figure 2b , Figure 2c and Figure 2d The implementation shown illustrates these two modes.

[0183] like Figure 2a In the implementation of the transparent transmission mode shown, the satellite and the gateway station (i.e. Figure 2a The NTN Gateway in the middle is used as a relay, that is Figure 2a The Remote Radio Unit shown is used as a relay for communication between the terminal equipment and the gNB. In other words, in transparent transmission mode, the satellite has a relay function.

[0184] For example, in Figure 2b In the implementation of the transparent transmission mode shown, when the satellite (including GEO, MEO, LEO, etc.) operates in transparent transmission mode, the satellite has a relay forwarding function. The gateway station (or signaling station) has the function of a base station or part of the function of a base station; in this case, the gateway station can be regarded as a base station. Alternatively, the base station and the gateway station can be deployed separately, in which case the delay of the feeder link includes two parts: the delay from the satellite to the gateway station and the delay from the gateway station to the gNB.

[0185] Optionally, the transparent transmission mode can be used as an example where the gateway station and gNB are together or in close proximity. For cases where the gateway station and gNB are far apart, the feeder link delay can be calculated by adding the delay from the satellite to the gateway station and the delay from the gateway station to the gNB.

[0186] like Figure 2c In the implementation of the regeneration mode shown, the satellite and the gateway station (i.e. Figure 2c The NTN Gateway (gNB) in the satellite can communicate with terminal devices. In other words, in regeneration mode, the satellite has the functions of a base station or part of the functions of a base station, and in this case, the satellite can be regarded as a base station.

[0187] For example, in Figure 2d In the implementation of the regeneration mode shown, when satellites (including GEO satellites, MEO satellites, LEO satellites, etc.) operate in regeneration mode, compared to... Figure 2b In the implementation shown, the satellite has the function of a base station or part of the function of a base station. In this case, the satellite can be regarded as a base station (i.e., an airborne base station).

[0188] Optionally, in Figure 2b and / or Figure 2d In this case, satellites can be used in other ways, such as drones or high-altitude platforms as shown in the image.

[0189] It should be noted that NTN and terrestrial network base stations can interconnect through a shared core network. They can also achieve more timely assistance and interconnection through interfaces defined between base stations. In NR, the interface between terminal equipment and base stations is called the Uu interface, the interface between base stations is called the Xn interface, the interface between base stations and the core network is called the NG interface, and the interface between the core network and the data network is called the N6 interface. In a converged network, both NTN nodes and terrestrial nodes can achieve interoperability and collaboration through these interfaces.

[0190] It should be noted that this application can be applied to long term evolution (LTE) systems, new radio (NR) systems, or future communication networks / systems.

[0191] Taking 5G as an example, a 5G satellite communication system architecture is as follows: Figure 3 As shown, ground terminal equipment accesses the network via the 5G New Radio interface. 5G base stations are deployed on satellites and connected to the ground core network via wireless links. Simultaneously, wireless links exist between satellites to facilitate signaling interaction and user data transmission between base stations. Figure 3 The devices and interfaces described are as follows:

[0192] 5G Core Network: This includes services such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing. It consists of multiple functional units, which can be divided into control plane and data plane functional entities. The Access and Mobility Management Unit (AMF) is responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. The User Plane Unit (UPF) is responsible for managing user plane data transmission and traffic statistics. The Session Management Function (SMF) is mainly used for session management in the mobile network, such as session establishment, modification, and release.

[0193] Ground station: Responsible for forwarding signaling and service data between satellite base stations and the 5G core network.

[0194] 5G New Radio: The wireless link between a terminal and a base station.

[0195] Xn interface: The interface between 5G base stations, mainly used for signaling interactions such as handover.

[0196] NG interface: The interface between 5G base stations and 5G core networks, mainly used for exchanging non-access stratum (NAS) signaling of the core network and user service data.

[0197] Furthermore, network devices in terrestrial network communication systems and satellites in NTN communication systems can be uniformly considered as network devices. The apparatus used to implement the functions of a network device can be a network device itself; it can also be an apparatus capable of supporting the network device in implementing that function, such as a chip system, which can be installed within the network device. In the following description of the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application, a satellite is used as an example to illustrate the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application. It is understood that when the methods provided by the embodiments of this application are applied to terrestrial network communication systems, the actions performed by the satellite can be applied to the base station or network device for execution.

[0198] In this application embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself; it can also be a device capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the terminal device. In this application embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices. In the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device is a terminal or UE as an example to describe the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment.

[0199] In addition, the aforementioned satellites can be geostationary satellites, non-geostationary satellites, artificial satellites, low-Earth orbit satellites, medium-Earth orbit satellites, and high-Earth orbit satellites, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0200] The foregoing content describes various wireless communication scenarios involved in this application. It should be understood that the above content is merely an illustrative description of the scenarios in which this application can be applied, and this application can also be applied to other application scenarios, which are not limited here. The wireless communication process involved in this application will be described below.

[0201] exist Figure 1 / Figure 2a / Figure 2b / Figure 2c / Figure 2d / Figure 3 In the communication system shown, satellites are farther away and faster than ground base stations, which inevitably brings some problems. One important problem is the system-level downlink coverage problem.

[0202] To improve the system-level downlink coverage of satellite equipment, a scheme for extending the Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) period has been proposed. For example, in existing technologies, the default SSB period for initial access of terminal equipment is 20 milliseconds, and the maximum SSB period supported by the network is 160 milliseconds. After SSB period extension, a maximum SSB period of 640 milliseconds can be supported. The extended SSB period is divided into multiple SSB sub-periods, where each sub-period can be 20 milliseconds or other preset durations. In each SSB sub-period, the satellite equipment transmits the corresponding SSB to different spectral positions or geographical areas, thereby improving the downlink coverage of the satellite equipment. However, with the extension of the SSB period, the terminal equipment may need to perform blind detection within the extended SSB period to obtain the required SSB during initial access to the satellite equipment. This will increase the complexity and power consumption of the initial access process for the terminal equipment.

[0203] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a communication method and related apparatus, which will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0204] Please see Figure 4 The diagram below illustrates the communication method provided in this application, which includes the following steps.

[0205] It should be understood that Figure 4 The method illustrated uses different communication devices (e.g., a first terminal device, a network device, etc.) as examples to demonstrate the execution of the interaction step, but this application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction step. For example, in Figure 4 In the implementation process, the interaction steps can be executed through communication devices, or through chips, chip systems, processors, circuits, logic modules or software that support the communication devices to implement the interaction steps.

[0206] S401: The first terminal device receives first transmission information from the target device. The first transmission information is used to indicate the detection position of the synchronization signal block SSB corresponding to the wavelength position of the first terminal device.

[0207] The Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) consists of three parts: the Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), the Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), and the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH). The SSB is typically used for cell search, time and frequency synchronization, and other applications.

[0208] In this embodiment, the first transmission information is used to indicate the detection position of the synchronization signal block (SSB) corresponding to the wavelength position of the first terminal device. It should be understood that this detection position can indicate at what time point in the SSB cycle of the target satellite the first terminal device should begin receiving the corresponding SSB. The target satellite is the serving satellite that the first terminal device wants to access, and the target satellite can be a satellite based on a regenerative network architecture (NG-RAN architecture).

[0209] The target device is a device that shares the same wavelength as the first terminal device. In this embodiment, the specific type of the target device is not limited. The target device can be a network device, such as a terrestrial cellular base station, a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT), a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS), or an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The target device can also be other terminal devices, such as other User Equipment (UE).

[0210] It is understood that the position of a satellite beam on the ground is fixed relative to the Earth. The position can be replaced by a geographical area, region, or other names. In this embodiment of the application, the name of the region fixed relative to the Earth is not specifically limited.

[0211] In an optional implementation, before step S401, the method further includes: a first terminal device sending a first request, the first request being used to request first transmission information from a target device.

[0212] Specifically, the first terminal device can establish a connection with the target device, such as a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection. The first terminal device can send a first request to the target device based on the RRC connection to request first transmission information.

[0213] In one optional implementation, the first terminal device receiving first transmission information from the target device in step S401 specifically includes: the first terminal device receiving a broadcast message from the target device, the broadcast message including the first transmission information.

[0214] Specifically, when the first terminal device has not established a connection with the target device, the first terminal device can receive the first transmission information broadcast by the target device by receiving broadcast messages, that is, the target device can send the first transmission information in the form of broadcast.

[0215] S402: The first terminal device receives the first SSB based on the first transmission information.

[0216] In this embodiment, after obtaining first transmission information indicating the detection position of the SSB corresponding to its own wavelength, the first terminal device can receive the first SSB based on the first transmission information. Therefore, the terminal device does not need to perform blind detection throughout the entire SSB cycle to obtain the first SSB; it only needs to receive the first SSB at the detection position indicated by the first transmission information, reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in obtaining SSB information.

[0217] In one optional implementation, the first transmission information includes the SSB transmission information of the target satellite; wherein, the SSB transmission information of the target satellite includes: the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs and the start time of the next SSB cycle of the target satellite, and the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes the time during which the target satellite serves the wavelength corresponding to the wavelength of the first terminal device.

[0218] The SSB period of the target satellite can include multiple SSB sub-periods. Within each SSB sub-period, the target satellite can serve one or more wavelengths (WHS). "Serving" here refers to the target satellite's beam being transmitted to those one or more WHS positions within the SSB sub-period. Therefore, the SSB sub-period corresponding to the WHS position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes the time during which the target satellite serves the WHS position corresponding to the first terminal device. It can be understood that the SSB sub-period corresponding to the WHS position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs can also include the time during which the target satellite serves other WHS positions.

[0219] In this embodiment, each wave position of the target satellite can be configured with an index corresponding to the SSB sub-period. This index indicates the association between the wave position and the SSB sub-period. For example, the SSB period of the target satellite is 320ms, and the SSB sub-period of the target satellite is 20ms, meaning the SSB period of the target satellite is divided into 16 sub-periods. When the SSB sub-period index corresponding to the satellite wave position is 0, then the SSB sub-period corresponding to that wave position is the first SSB sub-period in the satellite's SSB sub-period. Therefore, the first terminal device can receive the required SSB within the first SSB sub-period of the target satellite's SSB period. When the SSB sub-period index corresponding to the satellite wave position is 1, then the SSB sub-period corresponding to that wave position is the second SSB sub-period in the satellite's SSB sub-period. Therefore, the first terminal device can receive the required SSB within the second SSB sub-period of the target satellite's SSB period.

[0220] It is understandable that since a satellite can serve multiple positions within one SSB sub-cycle, the SSB sub-cycle indexes corresponding to different satellite positions can be the same, that is, one SSB sub-cycle index can correspond to multiple satellite positions.

[0221] It should be understood that in the SSB transmission information of the target satellite, the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelet of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes at least one index, that is, the first terminal device is located in the region corresponding to one wavelet of the target satellite. In some scenarios, the first terminal device may be located at the overlapping position of two or more wavelets. In this case, the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelet of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs may include two or more indices. The case of two or more indices will be specifically described in the following embodiments.

[0222] It should be noted that when the target device sends the first transmission information to the first terminal device, the target device can default to being in the same wavelength as the first terminal device, that is, the target device directly sends the SSB transmission information corresponding to its own wavelength. Alternatively, the target device can determine the wavelength of the first terminal device based on the location information of the first terminal device and send the SSB transmission information corresponding to the wavelength of the first terminal device.

[0223] For example, the positioning information of the first terminal device may include the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) information of the first terminal device, and may also include the Global Positioning System (GPS) information of the first terminal device. This application does not limit the type of positioning information.

[0224] It should also be noted that the name "SSB sub-cycle" in the embodiments of this application does not constitute a limitation of this application. In some optional embodiments, the SSB sub-cycle can also be replaced with the SSB burst set (Burst), and the index of the SSB sub-cycle is correspondingly replaced with the index of the SSB burst set (Burst). An SSB burst set represents a collection of several SSBs bundled together. An SSB cycle may include one or more SSB burst sets, and each SSB burst set contains several SSB beams. It is understood that the SSB sub-cycle in the embodiments of this application can also be replaced with other expressions used to represent the segmentation of the SSB cycle, such as: SSB time interval, SSB time segmentation, etc., which are not limited in this application.

[0225] Specifically, the start time of the next SSB cycle of the target satellite refers to the relative time at which the next SSB cycle of the target satellite begins. Relative time refers to the time description relative to a specific moment, such as the time from the current moment, which can be expressed in the number of subframes or milliseconds. This application does not limit this.

[0226] Optionally, since the distance between the target satellite and the ground is relatively far, the start time of the next SSB cycle of the target satellite can also take into account the propagation delay between the target satellite and the ground, so as to ensure the accuracy of the first terminal device receiving the first SSB based on the first transmission information.

[0227] As shown above, the first transmission information can indicate the start time of the next SSB cycle of the target satellite and the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelet of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs. Therefore, the first terminal device can determine at which time point in the next SSB cycle of the target satellite it should receive the first SSB. Consequently, the first terminal device only needs to receive the first SSB at the detection position indicated by the first transmission information, avoiding blind detection throughout the entire SSB cycle, thus reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in acquiring SSB information.

[0228] In one optional implementation, the SSB transmission information of the target satellite further includes: the subframe position of the first SSB within the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wave position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs.

[0229] It should be understood that since a target satellite can serve multiple spectral positions within one SSB sub-cycle, meaning the target satellite may transmit different SSBs at different times within one SSB sub-cycle, the first terminal device needs to perform further detection within the corresponding SSB sub-cycle to receive the SSB it requires. In this embodiment, the target satellite's SSB transmission information can further indicate the subframe position of the first SSB within the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the spectral position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs. Based on this, the first terminal device does not need to perform blind detection within the target satellite's SSB sub-cycle, but only needs to receive at the subframe position indicated by the first transmission information to obtain the required SSB, further reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in acquiring SSB information.

[0230] In one optional implementation, the first transmission information includes the SSB transmission information of the target satellite; wherein, the SSB transmission information of the target satellite includes: the time when the target device last received the first SSB and the SSB period of the target satellite.

[0231] Specifically, the time when the target device last received the first SSB refers to the absolute time when the target device last received the first SSB. The absolute time is independent of any special reference frame and can be Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

[0232] As shown above, the first transmission information can indicate the SSB cycle of the target satellite and the absolute time when the target device last received the first SSB. The first terminal device can then calculate at which time point in the next SSB cycle of the target satellite it should receive the required SSB. Therefore, the first terminal device only needs to receive the first SSB at the detection position indicated by the first transmission information, without blind detection throughout the entire SSB cycle, thus reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in acquiring SSB information.

[0233] Understandably, since the first terminal device knows the SSB cycle information of the target satellite, it can also receive the first SSB based on actual service requirements. For example, if the current network signal quality is poor and the first terminal device cannot fully receive the first SSB within the current SSB cycle of the target satellite, it can continue to receive the first SSB in the next SSB cycle based on the target satellite's SSB cycle information. Whether receiving the first SSB within the current SSB cycle or the first SSB in the next SSB cycle, the first terminal device does not need to perform blind detection within the SSB cycle; it only needs to receive at the corresponding time point, further reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in acquiring SSB information.

[0234] In one optional implementation, the detection position in step S401 is used to determine the target time node; in step S402, the first terminal device receives the first SSB based on the first transmission information, specifically including: the first terminal device starts receiving the first SSB at the target time node.

[0235] The first transmission information is used to indicate the detection position of the synchronization signal block (SSB) corresponding to the wavelength position of the first terminal device. This detection position is used to determine the target time node so that the first terminal device can start receiving the first SSB at that target time node. Therefore, the first terminal device does not need to perform blind detection throughout the entire SSB cycle of the target satellite; it only needs to receive the first SSB at the target time node indicated by the first transmission information, reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in acquiring SSB information.

[0236] In one optional implementation, the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelet of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes at least two indices in the SSB transmission information of the target satellite.

[0237] As described in the preceding embodiments, in some scenarios, the first terminal device may be located in an overlapping region of two or more wavelengths. The index of the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wavelength of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs, included in the first transmission information sent by the target device, may include two or more indices, each index corresponding to a wavelength of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs. Based on the above scheme, when the first terminal device is located in an overlapping region of two or more wavelengths, the first transmission information may include the index of the SSB sub-period corresponding to each wavelength, so that the first terminal device can subsequently obtain the required SSB based on the actual situation.

[0238] For example, refer to Figure 5 A satellite wave position diagram is provided. When the first terminal device is in the overlapping area between wave position 1 and wave position 2 (shown as shaded area in the diagram), the index of the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wave position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs, included in the first transmission information sent by the target device, can include the index of the SSB sub-period corresponding to wave position 1 and the index of the SSB sub-period corresponding to wave position 2. Subsequently, the first terminal device can obtain the required SSB based on the actual situation.

[0239] In one optional implementation, receiving a first SSB based on the first transmission information includes: receiving at least two SSBs based on at least two indices, and determining at least two beam detection results based on the at least two SSBs, the beam detection results including the reference signal received power (RSRP) of the beam; and determining the first SSB based on the at least two beam detection results.

[0240] Specifically, when the first transmitted information includes at least two indices, the first terminal device receives the corresponding SSB based on each index, and simultaneously determines the beam detection result corresponding to each SSB. The beam detection result includes the Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP) of the beam. Finally, the first terminal device can determine the first SSB based on the beam with the higher RSRP. This provides an SSB reception method when the terminal device is in a multi-wavelength overlapping region, ensuring the communication quality of the terminal device in multi-wavelength scenarios.

[0241] In one optional implementation, the first transmission information further includes: SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites; wherein, the neighboring satellites are satellites that serve the first terminal device after the target satellite, and the SSB transmission information of the neighboring satellites includes: the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the neighboring satellite to which the first terminal device belongs and the start time of the next SSB cycle of the neighboring satellite, and the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the neighboring satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes the time corresponding to the wavelength of the neighboring satellite serving the first terminal device.

[0242] In addition to the SSB transmission information of the target satellite, the first transmission information may also include the SSB transmission information of satellites adjacent to the first terminal device. The SSB information of adjacent satellites can be used by the first terminal device to access adjacent satellites. For example, when the terminal device moves and a satellite handover occurs, the first terminal device can be informed of the SSB information of adjacent satellites in advance, which facilitates the first terminal device to quickly access adjacent satellites.

[0243] The adjacent satellites can be satellites in the same orbit as the target satellite, or satellites in a different orbit than the target satellite. This application does not limit the type of adjacent satellites. It is understood that adjacent satellites are satellites that will provide services to the first terminal device after the target satellite has already provided services to it.

[0244] It should be noted that the SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites is similar to that of the target satellite. The SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites can be found in the description of the SSB transmission information of the target satellite mentioned above.

[0245] In one optional implementation, the SSB transmission information of adjacent satellites further includes: the second SSB is located in the subframe position within the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wave position of the adjacent satellite to which the first terminal device belongs, and the second SSB is the SSB of the adjacent satellite that corresponds to the first terminal device.

[0246] In this embodiment, the SSB transmission information of adjacent satellites further includes the subframe position of the second SSB within the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wavelet of the adjacent satellite to which the first terminal device belongs. Thus, the first terminal device does not need to perform blind detection within the SSB sub-period of the adjacent satellite, but only needs to receive at the subframe position indicated by the first transmission information to obtain the required SSB, further reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in obtaining SSB information.

[0247] It should be noted that the SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites is similar to that of the target satellite. The SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites can be found in the description of the SSB transmission information of the target satellite mentioned above.

[0248] In one optional implementation, the first transmission information further includes: SSB transmission information of adjacent satellites; wherein, the adjacent satellites are satellites that serve the first terminal device after the target satellite, and the SSB transmission information of the adjacent satellites includes: the time when the target device last received the second SSB and the SSB period of the adjacent satellites, and the second SSB is the SSB of the adjacent satellites that corresponds to the first terminal device.

[0249] In this embodiment, the first transmission information may include not only the SSB transmission information of the target satellite, but also the SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites of the first terminal device. The SSB information of neighboring satellites can be used by the first terminal device to access neighboring satellites. For example, when the terminal device moves, the first terminal device is informed of the SSB information of neighboring satellites when a satellite handover occurs, facilitating the first terminal device to quickly access neighboring satellites.

[0250] The adjacent satellites can be satellites in the same orbit as the target satellite, or satellites in a different orbit than the target satellite. This application does not limit the type of adjacent satellites. It is understood that adjacent satellites are satellites that will provide services to the first terminal device after the target satellite has already provided services to it.

[0251] It should be noted that the SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites is similar to that of the target satellite. The SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites can be found in the description of the SSB transmission information of the target satellite mentioned above.

[0252] Reference Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. This method is applied to a scenario combining a terrestrial network (TN) and a non-terrestrial network (NTN). In this scenario, the first network device can directly obtain the first transmission information and send the information to the first terminal device. Detailed explanation follows:

[0253] S601: The first network device establishes a connection with the target satellite.

[0254] In this embodiment of the application, the target device includes a first network device. The first network device establishes a connection with the target satellite. After the first network device is connected to the target satellite, it can obtain the SSB information of the target satellite. Accordingly, the first network device can determine the first transmission information based on the SSB information of the target satellite.

[0255] In this embodiment, the method by which the first network device establishes a connection with the target satellite is not limited. Optionally, the first network device can establish a continuous and stable connection with the target satellite through the Xn interface, or it can establish a connection with the target satellite through the satellite operation control center.

[0256] The specific type of the first network device is not limited in the embodiments of this application. The first network device may be one of the following devices: terrestrial cellular base station, very small aperture terminal (VSAT), high altitude platform station (HAPS), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), etc.

[0257] S602: The first terminal device establishes a connection with the first network device.

[0258] This step is optional. Optionally, the first terminal device initiates an initial access request to a nearby first network device to establish a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection. For example, the first terminal device and the first network device establish a connection via the Uu interface.

[0259] S603: The first terminal device sends a first request to the first network device.

[0260] This step is optional. Specifically, when the first terminal device has a satellite communication requirement, it can send a first request to the first network device. The first request is used to request first transmission information from the first network device.

[0261] S604: The first terminal device receives the first transmission information sent by the first network device.

[0262] If a connection exists between the first terminal device and the first network device, and the first terminal device sends a first request to the first network device (i.e., steps S602 and S603 described above exist), the first network device sends first transmission information to the first terminal device. If no connection exists between the first terminal device and the first network device (i.e., steps S602 and S603 described above do not exist), the first network device may send the first transmission information in a broadcast manner so that the first terminal device can obtain the first transmission information.

[0263] S605: The first terminal device receives the first SSB based on the first transmission information.

[0264] The specific details of this step and the first transmitted information can be found in the description of the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0265] S606: The first terminal device completes the initial access based on the first SSB.

[0266] After acquiring the first SSB, the first terminal device can perform initial synchronization based on the first SSB and complete the initial access with the target satellite.

[0267] Based on the above scheme, the first network device establishes a connection with the target satellite and can obtain the first transmission information. Subsequently, the first network device can send the first transmission information upon request from the first terminal device, or send the first transmission information in the form of broadcast. Thus, the first terminal device obtains the first transmission information and can receive the required first SSB based on the first transmission information. The first terminal device can accurately receive the required first SSB without blind detection throughout the entire SSB cycle of the target satellite, reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in obtaining SSB information.

[0268] Reference Figure 7 The illustration shows a flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. This method is applied in a common scenario, which refers to a scenario where there is neither a link between the network device and the target satellite nor a link between the terminal devices. In this scenario, the first network device cannot directly obtain the first transmission information, but instead obtains the first transmission information through a nearby second terminal device that has already established a connection with the target satellite. Detailed explanation follows:

[0269] S701: The second terminal device establishes a connection with the target satellite.

[0270] Specifically, the second terminal device initiates a normal cell search and initial access procedure to the target satellite. After connecting with the target satellite, the second terminal device can obtain the target satellite's SSB information. Accordingly, the second terminal device can determine the first transmission information based on the target satellite's SSB information. The connection method between the second terminal device and the target satellite is not limited; the second terminal device can connect to the target satellite via a Uu interface.

[0271] Optionally, the second terminal device first obtains the satellite SSB signal through blind detection, and then initiates initial access. The connection establishment method between the second terminal device and the target satellite can refer to existing technologies, and will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the second terminal device can establish a connection with the target satellite through a Very Small Aperture Antenna Terminal Station (VSAT). This application does not limit the method by which the second terminal device establishes a connection with the target satellite.

[0272] S702: The second terminal device is connected to the first network device.

[0273] Specifically, the second terminal device can initiate an initial access request to the first network device to establish a connection with the first network device.

[0274] The specific type of the first network device is not limited in the embodiments of this application. The first network device may be one of the following devices: terrestrial cellular base station, very small aperture terminal (VSAT), high altitude platform station (HAPS), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), etc.

[0275] S703: The first terminal device establishes a connection with the first network device.

[0276] This step is optional. Optionally, the first terminal device initiates an initial access request to a nearby first network device to establish a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection. For example, the first terminal device and the first network device establish a connection via the Uu interface.

[0277] It should be noted that the first terminal device, the first network device, and the second terminal device are devices operating on the same wavelength.

[0278] S704: The first terminal device sends a first request to the first network device.

[0279] This step is optional. Specifically, when the first terminal device has a satellite communication requirement, it can send a first request to the first network device. The first request is used to request first transmission information from the first network device.

[0280] S705: The first network device forwards the first request to the second terminal device.

[0281] This step is optional. When step S704 is present, the first network device can forward the first request sent by the first terminal device to the second terminal device.

[0282] S706: The second terminal device reports the first transmission information to the first network device.

[0283] This step is optional. When step S705 is present, the second terminal device responds to the first request and reports the first transmission information to the first network device.

[0284] In practical applications, the first network device may not be aware of which terminal devices have established a connection with the target satellite. The first network device can forward the first request to all online terminal devices so that the terminal devices that have established a connection with the target satellite can report the first transmission information.

[0285] In an optional implementation, when steps S704 and S705 are not present, the second terminal device can proactively report the first transmission information to the first network device after establishing a connection with the target satellite.

[0286] S707: The first terminal device receives the first transmission information sent by the first network device.

[0287] If a connection exists between the first terminal device and the first network device, and the first terminal device sends a first request to the first network device (i.e., steps S703 to S705 described above exist), the first network device sends first transmission information to the first terminal device. If no connection exists between the first terminal device and the first network device (i.e., steps S703 to S705 described above do not exist), the first network device may send the first transmission information in a broadcast manner so that the first terminal device can obtain the first transmission information.

[0288] S708: The first terminal device receives the first SSB based on the first transmission information.

[0289] The specific details of this step and the first transmitted information can be found in the description of the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0290] S709: The first terminal device completes the initial access based on the first SSB.

[0291] After acquiring the first SSB, the first terminal device can perform initial synchronization based on the first SSB and complete the initial access with the target satellite.

[0292] Based on the above scheme, the second terminal device connects to the target satellite and can obtain the SSB information of the target satellite. Based on this SSB information, the second terminal device determines the first transmission information. The first network device can forward the first request from the first terminal device to the second terminal device, requesting the first transmission information from the second terminal device, and forward the first transmission information fed back by the second terminal device to the first terminal device. Alternatively, the first network device can receive the first transmission information reported by the second terminal device after establishing a connection with the target satellite, and broadcast the first transmission information, enabling the first terminal device to obtain the first transmission information and receive the required first SSB based on it. The first terminal device can accurately receive the required first SSB without blind detection throughout the entire SSB cycle of the target satellite, reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in obtaining SSB information.

[0293] Reference Figure 8A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. This method is applied to scenarios where there is a communication link between terminal devices, such as a Sidelink scenario. In this scenario, the second terminal device has established a connection with the target satellite, and the first terminal device can request first transmission information from the second terminal device. Detailed explanation follows:

[0294] S801: The second terminal device establishes a connection with the target satellite.

[0295] Specifically, the second terminal device initiates a normal cell search and initial access procedure to the target satellite. After connecting with the target satellite, the second terminal device can obtain the target satellite's SSB information. Accordingly, the second terminal device can determine the first transmission information based on the target satellite's SSB information. The connection method between the second terminal device and the target satellite is not limited; the second terminal device can connect to the target satellite via a Uu interface.

[0296] Optionally, the second terminal device first obtains the satellite SSB signal through blind detection, and then initiates initial access. The connection establishment method between the second terminal device and the target satellite can refer to existing technologies, and will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the second terminal device can establish a connection with the target satellite through a Very Small Aperture Antenna Terminal Station (VSAT). This application does not limit the method by which the second terminal device establishes a connection with the target satellite.

[0297] S802: The first terminal device establishes a connection with the second terminal device.

[0298] Specifically, the first terminal device can initiate a Sidelink connection request to the second terminal device, and the second terminal device responds to the connection request, establishing a Sidelink connection between the first and second terminal devices. It should be noted that a Sidelink connection refers to a channel for information transmission between terminal devices (UEs), enabling direct communication between terminal devices (UEs) without relying on the underlying cellular network.

[0299] S803: The first terminal device sends a first request to the second terminal device.

[0300] When the first terminal device has a satellite communication requirement, it can send a first request to the second terminal device. The first request is used to request the second terminal device to obtain the first transmission information.

[0301] S804: The first terminal device receives the first transmission information sent by the second terminal device.

[0302] Specifically, the first terminal device receives the first transmission information sent by the second terminal device based on the Sidelink connection.

[0303] S805: The first terminal device receives the first SSB based on the first transmission information.

[0304] The specific details of this step and the first transmitted information can be found in the description of the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0305] S806: The first terminal device completes the initial access based on the first SSB.

[0306] After acquiring the first SSB, the first terminal device can perform initial synchronization based on the first SSB and complete the initial access with the target satellite.

[0307] Based on the above scheme, the second terminal device connects to the target satellite, obtains the SSB information of the target satellite, and determines the first transmission information based on the SSB information. The first terminal device can directly request the first transmission information from the second terminal device and receive the first transmission information sent by the second terminal device. It can also receive the required first SSB based on the first transmission information. The first terminal device can accurately receive the required first SSB without blind detection throughout the entire SSB cycle of the target satellite, reducing the complexity and power consumption of the terminal device in obtaining SSB information.

[0308] Reference Figure 9 This application illustrates a communication device 900, specifically a first terminal device, which includes an information receiving module 901.

[0309] The information receiving module is used to receive first transmission information from the target device; wherein, the first transmission information is used to indicate the detection position of the synchronization signal block SSB corresponding to the wavelength position of the first terminal device;

[0310] The information receiving module is also used to receive a first SSB based on the first transmitted information.

[0311] It should be understood that the communication device 900 can realize the functions of any of the first terminal devices in the above method embodiments, and therefore can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device 900 can be any of the communication devices in the above method embodiments, or it can be an integrated circuit or component, such as a chip, inside any of the communication devices in the above method embodiments.

[0312] It should be noted that the methods and corresponding technical effects performed by the modules of the aforementioned communication device 900 can be found in the descriptions of the method embodiments shown in the foregoing of this application, and will not be repeated here.

[0313] Reference Figure 10This application illustrates another communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Specifically, the communication device 1000 is a target device, which includes: an information sending module 1001; wherein,

[0314] The information sending module is used to send first transmission information so that the first terminal device receives the first synchronization signal block (SSB) based on the first transmission information; wherein, the first transmission information is used to indicate the detection position of the SSB corresponding to the wavelength position of the first terminal device.

[0315] It should be understood that the communication device 1000 can realize the function of any target device in the above method embodiments, and therefore can also achieve the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of this application, the communication device 1000 can be any communication device in the above method embodiments, or it can be an integrated circuit or component, such as a chip, inside any communication device in the above method embodiments.

[0316] It should be noted that the methods and corresponding technical effects performed by the modules of the aforementioned communication device 1000 can be specifically described in the method embodiments shown above in this application, and will not be repeated here.

[0317] Please see Figure 11 This is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in this application. The communication device 1100 includes at least an input / output interface 1101. The communication device 1100 can be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0318] Optionally, the communication device may also include logic circuitry 1102.

[0319] The logic circuit 1102 and the input / output interface 1101 can execute the method executed by any of the communication devices (e.g., the first terminal device or the target device) in the aforementioned method embodiments and achieve the corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be elaborated here.

[0320] Optionally, the logic circuit 1102 can be a processing device, the functions of which can be partially or entirely implemented in software.

[0321] Optionally, the processing apparatus may include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor reads and executes the computer program stored in the memory to perform the corresponding processing and / or steps in any of the method embodiments.

[0322] Optionally, the processing device may consist of only a processor. A memory for storing computer programs is located outside the processing device, and the processor is connected to the memory via circuitry / wires to read and execute the computer programs stored in the memory. The memory and processor may be integrated together or physically independent of each other.

[0323] Optionally, the processing device may be one or more chips, or one or more integrated circuits. For example, the processing device may be one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), system on-chips (SoCs), central processors (CPUs), network processors (NPs), digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontroller units (MCUs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or other integrated chips, or any combination of the above chips or processors.

[0324] Please see Figure 12 The above-described embodiment of the present application provides a schematic diagram of the communication device involved in the communication device. Specifically, the communication device 1200 can be the communication device that serves as the first terminal device in the above-described embodiment.

[0325] The present invention provides a possible logical structure diagram of the communication device 1200, which may include, but is not limited to, at least one processor 1201 and a communication interface 1202.

[0326] Further optionally, the device may also include at least one of a memory 1203 and a bus 1204. In the embodiments of this application, the at least one processor 1201 is used to control the operation of the communication device 1200.

[0327] Furthermore, the processor 1201 can be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor can also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0328] It should be noted that, Figure 12 The communication device 1200 shown can be used to implement the steps implemented by the terminal device in the aforementioned method embodiments, and to achieve the technical effects corresponding to the first terminal device. Figure 12 The specific implementation of the communication device shown can be referred to the description in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0329] Please see Figure 13 The above-described embodiments of the communication device provided in this application are schematic diagrams of the structure of the communication device. Specifically, the communication device can be the first network device in the above embodiments. The structure of the communication device can be referenced from... Figure 13 The structure shown.

[0330] The communication device includes at least one processor 1311 and at least one network interface 1314.

[0331] Optionally, the communication device further includes at least one memory 1312, at least one transceiver 1313, and one or more antennas 1315. The processor 1311, memory 1312, transceiver 1313, and network interface 1314 are connected, for example, via a bus. In this embodiment, the connection may include various interfaces, transmission lines, or buses, etc., and this embodiment is not limited thereto. The antenna 1315 is connected to the transceiver 1313. The network interface 1314 is used to enable the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through a communication link. For example, the network interface 1314 may include a network interface between the communication device and core network equipment, such as an S1 interface. The network interface may also include a network interface between the communication device and other communication devices (e.g., other network devices or core network equipment), such as an X2 or Xn interface.

[0332] The processor 1311 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process data from the software programs, for example, to support the communication device in performing the actions described in the embodiments. The communication device may include a baseband processor and a central processing unit. The baseband processor is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the central processing unit is mainly used to control the entire terminal device, execute software programs, and process data from the software programs. Figure 13 The processor 1311 can integrate the functions of a baseband processor and a central processing unit. Those skilled in the art will understand that the baseband processor and the central processing unit can also be independent processors interconnected via technologies such as buses. Those skilled in the art will understand that a terminal device can include multiple baseband processors to adapt to different network standards, and a terminal device can include multiple central processing units to enhance its processing capabilities. The various components of the terminal device can be connected via various buses. The baseband processor can also be described as a baseband processing circuit or a baseband processing chip. The central processing unit can also be described as a central processing circuit or a central processing chip. The function of processing communication protocols and communication data can be built into the processor or stored in memory as a software program, with the processor executing the software program to implement the baseband processing function.

[0333] The memory is primarily used to store software programs and data. The memory 1312 can exist independently or be connected to the processor 1311. Optionally, the memory 1312 can be integrated with the processor 1311, for example, integrated into a single chip. The memory 1312 can store program code that executes the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and its execution is controlled by the processor 1311. The various types of computer program code being executed can also be considered as drivers for the processor 1311.

[0334] Figure 13 Only one memory and one processor are shown. In actual terminal devices, there may be multiple processors and multiple memories. Memory can also be called storage medium or storage device, etc. Memory can be a storage element on the same chip as the processor, i.e., an on-chip storage element, or it can be a separate storage element; this application does not limit this.

[0335] Transceiver 1313 can be used to support the reception or transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals between a communication device and a terminal. Transceiver 1313 can be connected to antenna 1315. Transceiver 1313 includes a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx. Specifically, one or more antennas 1315 can receive RF signals. The receiver Rx of transceiver 1313 receives the RF signals from the antennas, converts the RF signals into digital baseband signals or digital intermediate frequency (IF) signals, and provides the digital baseband signals or IF signals to processor 1311 so that processor 1311 can perform further processing on the digital baseband signals or IF signals, such as demodulation and decoding. Furthermore, the transmitter Tx in transceiver 1313 is also used to receive modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals from processor 1311, convert the modulated digital baseband signals or IF signals into RF signals, and transmit the RF signals through one or more antennas 1315. Specifically, the receiver Rx can selectively perform one or more stages of downmixing and analog-to-digital conversion on the radio frequency signal to obtain a digital baseband signal or a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The order of these downmixing and IF conversion processes is adjustable. The transmitter Tx can selectively perform one or more stages of upmixing and digital-to-analog conversion on the modulated digital baseband signal or digital IF signal to obtain a radio frequency signal. The order of these upmixing and IF conversion processes is also adjustable. The digital baseband signal and the digital IF signal can be collectively referred to as digital signals.

[0336] The transceiver 1313 can also be called an interface unit, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver device, interface module, etc. Optionally, the device in the interface unit that implements the receiving function can be regarded as the receiving unit, and the device in the interface unit that implements the transmitting function can be regarded as the transmitting unit. That is, the interface unit includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit can also be called a receiver, input port, receiving circuit, etc., and the transmitting unit can be called a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit, etc.

[0337] It should be noted that, Figure 13 The communication device shown can be used to implement the steps implemented by the network device in the aforementioned method embodiments, and to achieve the corresponding technical effects of the network device. Figure 13 The specific implementation of the communication device shown can be referred to the descriptions in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0338] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a computer, the processor performs the method as described in any possible implementation of a communication device (e.g., a terminal device or a network device) in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0339] This application also provides a computer program product (or computer program) including instructions. When the instructions in the computer program product are executed by a processor, the processor performs a method that may be implemented by any of the communication devices (e.g., terminal devices or network devices) described in the above method embodiments.

[0340] This application also provides a chip system including at least one processor for implementing the functions involved in any possible implementation of the communication device (e.g., terminal device or network device) in the above method embodiments.

[0341] Optionally, the chip system further includes interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor. In one possible design, the chip system may also include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the terminal device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0342] In one possible design, the chip system may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for any of the communication devices described in the above method embodiments. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0343] This application also provides a communication system, the network system architecture of which includes the terminal device and network device in any of the above embodiments.

[0344] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are illustrative; for instance, the division of units is 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 system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units through some interfaces, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0345] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0346] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into a processing module, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated units can be implemented in hardware or as software functional units. 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 computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the essential contribution of the technical solution of this application, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) 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, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0347] The above description is merely a specific implementation of the embodiments of this application, but the protection scope of the embodiments of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of this application should be included within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of the embodiments of this application should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a first terminal device, and the method includes: Receive first transmission information from the target device, wherein the first transmission information is used to indicate the detection position of the synchronization signal block SSB corresponding to the wavelength position of the first terminal device; The first SSB is received based on the first transmission information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first transmission information includes SSB transmission information of the target satellite, wherein the SSB transmission information of the target satellite includes: the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs and the start time of the next SSB cycle of the target satellite, and the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes the time during which the target satellite serves the wavelength corresponding to the wavelength of the first terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The SSB transmission information of the target satellite also includes: the first SSB is located in the subframe position within the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wave position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first transmission information includes the SSB transmission information of the target satellite, wherein the SSB transmission information of the target satellite includes: the time when the target device last received the first SSB and the SSB period of the target satellite.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The detection location is used to determine the target time node, wherein receiving the first SSB based on the first transmission information includes: starting to receive the first SSB at the target time node.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The method further includes: A first request is sent, which is used to request the first transmission information from the target device.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The receipt of the first transmission information from the target device includes: Receive a broadcast message from the target device, the broadcast message including the first transmission information.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The target device includes a first network device, which is connected to the target satellite.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The target device includes a first network device, which is connected to a second terminal device, and the second terminal device is connected to a target satellite. The first transmission information is reported by the second terminal device to the first network device after the second terminal device connects with the target satellite, or the first transmission information is requested by the first network device from the second terminal device based on a first request.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The target device includes a second terminal device, which is connected to the target satellite.

11. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wave position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes at least two indices.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, Receiving the first SSB based on the first transmission information includes: At least two SSBs are received based on the at least two indices, and at least two beam detection results are determined based on the at least two SSBs, the beam detection results including the reference signal received power (RSRP) of the beam; The first SSB is determined based on the detection results of the at least two beams.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The first transmission information further includes: SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites, wherein the neighboring satellites are satellites that serve the first terminal device after the target satellite. The SSB transmission information of the neighboring satellites includes: the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the neighboring satellite to which the first terminal device belongs, and the start time of the next SSB cycle of the neighboring satellite. The SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the neighboring satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes the time during which the neighboring satellite serves the wavelength corresponding to the wavelength of the first terminal device.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The SSB transmission information of the adjacent satellites also includes: the second SSB is located in the subframe position within the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wave position of the adjacent satellite to which the first terminal device belongs, and the second SSB is the SSB of the adjacent satellites that corresponds to the first terminal device.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The first transmission information further includes: SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites, wherein the neighboring satellites are satellites that serve the first terminal device after the target satellite, and the SSB transmission information of the neighboring satellites includes: the time when the target device last received the second SSB and the SSB period of the neighboring satellites, and the second SSB is the SSB of the neighboring satellites that corresponds to the first terminal device.

16. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a target device, and the method includes: Send first transmission information so that the first terminal device receives the first synchronization signal block (SSB) based on the first transmission information, wherein the first transmission information is used to indicate the detection position of the SSB corresponding to the wavelength position of the first terminal device.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The first transmission information includes SSB transmission information of the target satellite, wherein the SSB transmission information of the target satellite includes: the index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs and the start time of the next SSB cycle of the target satellite, and the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes the time during which the target satellite serves the wavelength corresponding to the wavelength of the first terminal device.

18. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The SSB transmission information of the target satellite also includes: the first SSB is located in the subframe position within the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wave position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs.

19. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The first transmission information includes the SSB transmission information of the target satellite, wherein the SSB transmission information of the target satellite includes: the time when the target device last received the first SSB and the SSB period of the target satellite.

20. The method according to any one of claims 16-19, characterized in that, The detection location is used to determine the target time node so that the first terminal device starts receiving the first SSB at the target time node.

21. The method according to any one of claims 16-20, characterized in that, The method further includes: A first request is received from the first terminal device, the first request being used to request the first transmission information.

22. The method according to any one of claims 16-20, characterized in that, Sending the first SSB transmission information includes: broadcasting the first transmission information.

23. The method according to any one of claims 16-22, characterized in that, The target device includes a first network device, which is connected to the target satellite.

24. The method according to claims 16-22, characterized in that, The target device includes a first network device, which is connected to a second terminal device, and the second terminal device is connected to a target satellite. The method further includes: receiving the first transmission information sent by the second terminal device after it connects with the target satellite, or requesting the second terminal device to obtain the first transmission information based on a first request.

25. The method according to any one of claims 16-21, characterized in that, The target device includes a second terminal device, which is connected to the target satellite.

26. The method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that, The index of the SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wave position of the target satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes at least two indices.

27. The method according to any one of claims 16-26, characterized in that, The first transmission information further includes: SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites, wherein the neighboring satellites are satellites that serve the first terminal device after the target satellite. The SSB transmission information of the neighboring satellites includes: the index of the SSB sub-cycle of the wavelength position of the neighboring satellite to which the first terminal device belongs and the start time of the next SSB cycle of the neighboring satellite. The SSB sub-cycle corresponding to the wavelength position of the neighboring satellite to which the first terminal device belongs includes the time corresponding to the wavelength position to which the neighboring satellite serves the first terminal device.

28. The method according to claim 27, characterized in that, The SSB transmission information of the adjacent satellites also includes: the second SSB is located in the subframe position within the SSB sub-period corresponding to the wave position of the adjacent satellite to which the first terminal device belongs, and the second SSB is the SSB of the adjacent satellites that corresponds to the first terminal device.

29. The method according to any one of claims 16-26, characterized in that, The first transmission information further includes: SSB transmission information of neighboring satellites, wherein the neighboring satellites are satellites that serve the first terminal device after the target satellite, and the SSB transmission information of the neighboring satellites includes: the time when the target device last received the second SSB and the SSB period of the neighboring satellites, and the second SSB is the SSB of the neighboring satellites that corresponds to the first terminal device.

30. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is specifically a first terminal device, which includes: The information receiving module is used to receive first transmission information from the target device, wherein the first transmission information is used to indicate the detection position of the synchronization signal block SSB corresponding to the wavelength position of the first terminal device. The information receiving module is also used to receive a first SSB based on the first transmitted information.

31. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is specifically a target device, which includes: The information sending module is used to send first transmission information so that the first terminal device receives the first synchronization signal block (SSB) based on the first transmission information, wherein the first transmission information is used to indicate the detection position of the SSB corresponding to the wavelength position of the first terminal device.

32. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor, said at least one processor being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 15 or 16 to 29.

33. The communication device according to claim 32, characterized in that, The communication device is a chip or chip system.

34. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a communication device, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 15 or 16 to 29.

35. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a computer, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 15 or 16 to 29.

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