Communication method, device and electronic equipment for low-orbit IoT constellation

Abstract

The disclosed embodiment discloses a communication method, device, electronic device and storage medium for a low-orbit Internet of Things constellation, the method comprising: configuring multiple random access channel resources for ground terminals in the area covered by the current low-orbit satellite; wherein the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are different, and the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are set based on the path loss of the time period; the resource configuration information of the multiple random access channel resources is sent to the ground terminal, so that the ground terminal randomly selects to use one of the multiple random access channel resources. This technical solution enables the ground terminal to randomly select any one of the channels for data transmission, thereby solving the problem in the prior art that multiple ground terminals collectively select a time when the path loss is small to send data, resulting in data collision.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of satellite communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, device and electronic equipment for a low-orbit Internet of Things constellation. Background Art

[0002] The rapid development of digital mobile communications has brought new information services to the production and life of human society. Among them, terrestrial cellular network technology is currently the main access type of mobile communications, and it is evolving at the rate of one generation every ten years. For example, around 2020, the fifth generation mobile network (5G) was first deployed in some developed countries and regions, bringing users communication speeds of up to 10GBps.

[0003] However, in some underdeveloped countries and regions, mobile communication services still cannot be effectively reached in the short term. This is mainly due to the relatively backward level of local communication network infrastructure construction. For example, in the vast African region, hundreds of millions of people still cannot access Internet services. Using aerial platforms to provide wireless access services can avoid the construction of more arduous ground communication infrastructure. For example, methods such as stratospheric aircraft (High Altitude Platform Station, HAPS) or satellite systems to provide wireless communication services have existed for a long time. Attempts at stratospheric aircraft, such as balloon systems developed by Google or SoftBank, are still unable to be put into actual operation due to various reasons. In comparison, the method of using satellite systems to directly provide wireless communications to the ground has been relatively mature for a long time.

[0004] Based on the type of satellite orbit, a more mature satellite communication system uses geostationary satellites (GEO), which can remain stationary at an altitude of about 3,600 kilometers above the equatorial orbit and provide wireless access services. However, due to orbital limitations, the system capacity of this communication system is limited and the service area cannot cover high-dimensional areas. Therefore, the idea of ​​providing global satellite communication coverage by forming a constellation of low- and medium-orbit (LEO) satellites was proposed in the last century, and a wave of construction has been set off around the world. For example, satellite constellation programs such as Globalstar and Iridium in the United States have attempted to launch and commercialize satellites. However, due to the high cost and limited digital signal processing technology, the first attempts all ended in failure.

[0005] In recent years, with the development of commercial aerospace technology, the launch cost has been greatly reduced. And the cost and computing power of digital signal processing technology have made great progress. Therefore, the communication satellite constellation plan based on medium and low orbit satellites has been proposed again. Although medium and low orbit satellites cannot remain relatively stationary with the earth, global coverage can theoretically be achieved through constellations. And because the capacity of the wireless communication system is determined by the frequency reuse factor, LEO, which is closer to the earth's surface, can provide more communication capacity than GEO.

[0006] Although the use of LEO constellations to build a global coverage, high-capacity communication system can quickly provide wireless access capabilities to the above-mentioned underdeveloped Earth. However, establishing a wireless link between a high-speed moving satellite and a ground terminal also faces many technical challenges, and these challenges do not exist in traditional ground cellular networks, so they have been rarely studied in existing literature. For example, in a low-orbit satellite communication system, the orbit of a low-orbit satellite is relatively fixed, so the path loss of a ground terminal during the visible window of a low-orbit satellite will go from large to small and then from small to large. Therefore, a relatively easy communication method is generated, that is, the ground terminal selects the moment when the path loss is the smallest to send its own small data packet to the low-orbit satellite. However, if the ground terminals in a region all use the moment when the path loss is the smallest to send their own data packets, it means that a large number of conflicts will be generated in the channel resources, which will greatly reduce the transmission efficiency. Therefore, in low-orbit satellite communications, how to resolve data conflicts between multiple ground terminals in the same area and how to improve data transmission efficiency are one of the main technical problems that need to be solved at present. Summary of the invention

[0007] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, device and electronic device for a low-orbit Internet of Things constellation.

[0008] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation, including:

[0009] Configure multiple random access channel resources for ground terminals in the area currently covered by the low-orbit satellite, wherein the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are different, and the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are set based on the path loss of the time period;

[0010] The resource configuration information of the multiple random access channel resources is sent to the ground terminal, so that the ground terminal randomly selects and uses one of the multiple random access channel resources.

[0011] Furthermore, the multiple random access channel resources are divided in the following manner:

[0012] The channels within the visible period of the current low-orbit satellite are obtained by dividing them from two dimensions: time and frequency.

[0013] Furthermore, configuring a plurality of random access channel resources for ground terminals in the area currently covered by the low-orbit satellite includes:

[0014] Dividing a plurality of different time periods based on the elevation angle of the current low-orbit satellite relative to the ground terminal at different times;

[0015] Based on the average path loss when the ground terminal sends data to the current low-orbit satellite in the different time periods, different random access channel resources are configured in the different time periods so that the ground terminal selects to use the corresponding random access channel resources from the corresponding time periods.

[0016] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0017] Sending area division information to the ground terminal within the current low-orbit satellite coverage area so that the ground terminal determines a selectable time period based on the area division information.

[0018] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0019] Receiving reporting information from the ground terminal, the reporting information including path loss continuously measured by the ground terminal by sending data to the low-orbit satellite;

[0020] The time period division information of the ground terminal is determined based on the reported information, so that the ground terminal can select a selectable time period based on the time period division information.

[0021] Furthermore, the random access channel resources in different time periods are different in time and / or frequency; the random access channel resources in the same time period are different in time and / or frequency.

[0022] Furthermore, the difference in power consumed by the ground terminal when sending data of the same size using different random access channel resources is within a preset range.

[0023] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation, which is applied to a ground terminal, including:

[0024] receiving resource configuration information of a ground terminal from a low-orbit satellite, the resource configuration information including a plurality of random access channel resources that can be used by the ground terminal, wherein spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are different, and the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are set based on a path loss in the time period;

[0025] One of the plurality of random access channel resources is randomly selected based on the resource configuration information to send data.

[0026] Furthermore, the multiple random access channel resources are divided in the following manner:

[0027] The channels within the visible period of the current low-orbit satellite are obtained by dividing them from two dimensions: time and frequency.

[0028] Furthermore, the random access channel resources in different time periods are configured based on a power ratio consumed by the ground terminal when sending data of the same size to the low-orbit satellite in the corresponding time period.

[0029] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0030] Receiving the area division information sent by the low-orbit satellite;

[0031] Determine time period division information corresponding to the ground terminal based on the area division information and the position of the ground terminal;

[0032] Randomly selecting one of the plurality of random access channel resources to send data based on the resource configuration information includes:

[0033] One of the plurality of random access channel resources is randomly selected and used to send data based on the time period division information and the resource configuration information.

[0034] Furthermore, the method further comprises:

[0035] continuously measuring the path loss when transmitting data to the low-orbit satellite;

[0036] Determining time period division information of the ground terminal based on the path loss;

[0037] Reporting the time period division information to the low-orbit satellite;

[0038] Randomly selecting one of the plurality of random access channel resources to send data based on the resource configuration information includes:

[0039] One of the plurality of random access channel resources is randomly selected and used to send data based on the time period division information and the resource configuration information.

[0040] Furthermore, the random access channel resources in different time periods are different in time and / or frequency; the random access channel resources in the same time period are different in time and / or frequency.

[0041] Further, randomly selecting one of the plurality of random access channel resources to send data based on the resource configuration information includes:

[0042] Randomly selecting a channel resource with a larger spectrum resource from the multiple random access channel resources based on the resource configuration information;

[0043] After copying the data to be sent by β2 times, the copied data to be sent is sent to the low-orbit satellite using the selected channel resources; wherein the β2 is related to the ratio of spectrum resources between different random access channel resources.

[0044] Furthermore, the difference in power consumed by the ground terminal when sending data of the same size using different random access channel resources is within a preset range.

[0045] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device for a low-orbit IoT constellation, including:

[0046] The first configuration module is configured to configure a plurality of random access channel resources for ground terminals in the area covered by the current low-orbit satellite, wherein the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are different, and the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are set based on the path loss of the time period;

[0047] The first sending module is configured to send resource configuration information of the multiple random access channel resources to the ground terminal, so that the ground terminal randomly selects and uses one of the multiple random access channel resources.

[0048] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device for a low-orbit IoT constellation, including:

[0049] A second receiving module is configured to receive resource configuration information of a ground terminal from a low-orbit satellite, wherein the resource configuration information includes a plurality of random access channel resources that can be used by the ground terminal, wherein the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are different, and the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are set based on the path loss of the time period;

[0050] The selection module is configured to randomly select one of the multiple random access channel resources to send data based on the resource configuration information.

[0051] The functions can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the functions.

[0052] In one possible design, the structure of the above-mentioned device includes a memory and a processor, the memory is used to store one or more computer instructions that support the above-mentioned device to execute the above-mentioned corresponding method, and the processor is configured to execute the computer instructions stored in the memory. The above-mentioned device may also include a communication interface for the above-mentioned device to communicate with other devices or communication networks.

[0053] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the method described in any one of the above aspects.

[0054] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing computer instructions used by any of the above-mentioned devices, and when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, they are used to implement the method described in any of the above-mentioned aspects.

[0055] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer program product, which includes computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed by a processor, they are used to implement the method described in any of the above aspects.

[0056] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure may have the following beneficial effects:

[0057] In the communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation in the disclosed embodiment, for the process of a ground terminal randomly accessing and sending uplink data, a visible period is pre-divided in time and / or frequency to obtain a plurality of random access channel resources, and resource configuration information of the plurality of random access channel resources is sent to the ground terminal in the area covered by the low-orbit satellite; after receiving the above resource configuration information, the ground terminal can select one or more of the plurality of random access channel resources to send data; since the plurality of random access channel resources divided by the low-orbit satellite are different in time and / or frequency, and the power consumed by the ground terminal when selecting any channel resource to send data of the same size is similar, the ground terminal can randomly select any one or more channels to send data, thereby solving the problem in the prior art that a plurality of ground terminals collectively select a time when the path loss is smaller to send data, resulting in data collision.

[0058] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] Other features, objectives and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent through the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings:

[0060] Figure 1A schematic diagram of the communication process of transmitting small data packets using two-step random access in a 5G NR system is shown;

[0061] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the change of the maximum supportable data rate disclosed in the prior art during the entire visible window;

[0062] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a process flow in which a conflict occurs when a ground terminal in a low-orbit satellite communication system selects the moment of maximum elevation angle to send a small data packet;

[0063] Figure 4 A flow chart of a communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0064] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a low-orbit satellite constellation applicable to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0065] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing a single low-orbit satellite providing wireless access services to a ground terminal to which an embodiment of the present disclosure is applicable;

[0066] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the channel resource division and data transmission effect in two time periods according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0067] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing the relationship between pilot signals and resources sent by three ground terminals according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0068] Fig. 9 A flow chart of a communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0069] Fig.10 It is a structural schematic diagram of an electronic device suitable for implementing a communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0070] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. In addition, for the sake of clarity, parts not related to the description of the exemplary embodiments are omitted in the accompanying drawings.

[0071] In the present disclosure, it should be understood that terms such as "include" or "have" are intended to indicate the presence of features, numbers, steps, behaviors, components, parts, or a combination thereof disclosed in the specification, and do not exclude the possibility that one or more other features, numbers, steps, behaviors, components, parts, or a combination thereof exist or are added.

[0072] It should also be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined with each other. The present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0073] An important ground terminal for low-orbit satellite constellation services is the IoT ground terminal, which has the characteristics of low cost, low power consumption, and small data volume. IoT ground terminals are considered to be an important application scenario for low-orbit satellite communications, because monitoring equipment in a large number of remote areas cannot use ground cellular systems to achieve data backhaul.

[0074] In the existing technology, there are many related technical studies on IoT ground terminals, and their characteristics can be summarized as follows:

[0075] 1. Narrowband: Using a narrower frequency band can reduce the manufacturing cost of the equipment and also reduce the power consumption of the equipment during operation.

[0076] 2. Small data packets: By designing dedicated channels for small data packets, IoT ground terminals can better adapt to the transmission of small data packets.

[0077] 3. Massive access: The IoT communication system also supports simultaneous access by a large number of ground terminals, so a large number of related channel designs, transmission methods, waveforms and multiple access technologies have been developed specifically.

[0078] In the 5G NR system defined by 3GPP, the 2-step random access (2StepRandomAccess) process is used to support the transmission of small data packets. Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the communication process of transmitting small data packets using two-step random access in a 5G NR system. Figure 1 As shown, in step A, after the terminal (User Equipment, UE) sends a contention-based random access pilot to the next generation base station (the next Generation Node B, gNB), the gNB directly sends the corresponding data packet for conflict resolution to the UE through step B. This process greatly shortens the traditional 4-step random access process (4StepRandomAccess), and is therefore considered to be able to significantly improve the transmission delay and power consumption overhead of IoT ground terminals. This effective gain will be further improved in low-orbit satellite communications. Due to the long distance between low-orbit satellites and ground terminals, the one-way transmission delay of signals is between several milliseconds. Therefore, the 2-step random access method can save more delay and power consumption in low-orbit satellite systems than the 4-step random access method.

[0079] However, in the low-orbit satellite communication system, the orbit of the low-orbit satellite is relatively fixed, so the path loss of an IoT terminal during the visible window of the low-orbit satellite will go from large to small and then from small to large. This phenomenon has been revealed by a large number of research studies. Figure 2 The maximum supported rate P disclosed in the prior art is shown Tx Schematic diagram of changes during the entire visible window. When the elevation angle λ of the low-orbit satellite relative to the ground terminal reaches the maximum, the path loss between the two is the minimum, and this is also the moment when the theoretical data rate between the two is the highest. Since the orbit of the low-orbit satellite is predictable, in a relatively easy way, the IoT ground terminal will choose the moment when the elevation angle is the largest to send its own small data packet. If all IoT terminals in an area use the two-step random access method to send their own data at this moment, it means that the random access channel will generate a large number of conflicts, which will greatly reduce the transmission efficiency.

[0080] Figure 3 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the process of generating conflicts when a ground terminal in a low-orbit satellite communication system selects the moment of maximum elevation angle to send a small data packet. Figure 3 As shown in the figure, at time T1, due to the small elevation angle between the three ground terminals and the low-orbit satellite, the path loss is large, and sending uplink data at this time requires a large power overhead. Therefore, the three ground terminals remain silent at time T1, and the corresponding physical random access channel (PRACH) channel is idle. At time T2, the elevation angle between the ground terminal and the low-orbit satellite reaches the maximum, and the path loss is the minimum. The three ground terminals all choose time T2 to send uplink data to achieve the same amount of data with the minimum power. Therefore, the PRACH channel at time T2 will be occupied by three pilot signals and corresponding data signals. Although the ground terminal randomly selects the corresponding random access pilot channel resources and data channel resources, the collision probability is still greatly increased in the channel at time T2. Transmission failures caused by collisions mean signal retransmission. Therefore, even though each ground terminal selects the optimal transmission time, the result is that all terminals consume more energy and suffer longer delays. This phenomenon occurs because the channel quality of low-orbit satellites is predictable. This predictability does not exist in traditional ground cellular systems, so this problem has not been solved in previous studies. In the case of a small number of terminals, the above problem may not be serious. However, for application scenarios with massive access requirements, there is an urgent need to design a communication method for low-orbit satellite communication systems to solve the problem of data conflicts between massive ground terminals and longer delays caused by data retransmission.

[0081] If a ground terminal is forced to send uplink data at a time when the path loss is large, for example, by instructing ground terminal #1 to send random access pilot and data at time T1 through signaling, ground terminal #1 will consume more energy. This means that the battery of terminal #1 will be exhausted faster than that of ground terminal #2 and ground terminal #3, so this is not a fair strategy from a power perspective. In particular, for IoT ground terminals, the design principle is to make all IoT ground terminals have consistent battery life as much as possible.

[0082] To this end, the inventors of the present disclosure have found that by spreading or repeating in the time or frequency direction, the ground terminal can send data of the same size with lower power consumption. Therefore, the present disclosure proposes a communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation, the method comprising: configuring multiple random access channel resources for ground terminals in the area covered by the current low-orbit satellite; wherein the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are different, and the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are set based on the path loss of the time period; and sending the resource configuration information of the multiple random access channel resources to the ground terminal so that the ground terminal randomly selects to use one of the multiple random access channel resources. Through the above-mentioned method disclosed in the present invention, the low-orbit satellite can configure channel resources for the ground terminals in the covered area. Since the configured channel resources are divided into multiple different channel resources from the two dimensions of time and frequency through the satellite visible window, the ground terminal randomly selects one or more of them for channel access. The multiple random access channel resources are divided based on the principle that the power consumed when the ground terminal uses different channel resources to send data of the same size is similar. Therefore, after the ground terminal receives the resource configuration information of the low-orbit satellite, the power consumed by selecting any channel resource to access the channel is not much different, so it will not cause the ground terminals in the same area to concentrate on selecting one or more channel resources. Therefore, the data conflict problem between ground terminals in low-orbit satellite communications is solved, and the data transmission efficiency is further improved.

[0083] The details of the embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below through specific examples.

[0084] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown, the communication method for the low-orbit IoT constellation includes the following steps:

[0085] In step S401, multiple random access channel resources are configured for ground terminals in the area covered by the current low-orbit satellite; wherein the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are different, and the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are set based on the path loss of the time period;

[0086] In step S402, resource configuration information of the multiple random access channel resources is sent to the ground terminal, so that the ground terminal randomly selects to use one of the multiple random access channel resources.

[0087] In this embodiment, the current low-orbit satellite is any low-orbit satellite in a low-orbit satellite communication system, and the ground terminal is one or more ground terminals in an area covered by a beam of the current low-orbit satellite.

[0088] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a low-orbit satellite constellation applicable to the embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , the low-orbit satellite constellation adopts a simple Walker Polar constellation. The constellation includes multiple orbits, each of which has multiple low-orbit satellites running, and the orbits intersect near the North Pole and the South Pole. The low-orbit satellites provide wireless access services to ground terminals in an area on the ground through communication links. A single low-orbit satellite keeps moving relative to the ground, so the area it covers changes over time.

[0089] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing a single low-orbit satellite providing wireless access services to a ground terminal to which the embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable. Figure 6 As shown in the figure, the ground terminal and the low-orbit satellite communicate bidirectionally through the service link, and the low-orbit satellite and the ground gateway communicate bidirectionally through the feeder link. In addition, the ground gateway also provides telemetry and control services for the low-orbit satellite, communicates and controls the onboard computer of the low-orbit satellite, and realizes satellite operation services such as temperature management, attitude adjustment, and positioning. Among them, the carrier frequency of the communication link between the low-orbit satellite and the gateway and the ground terminal can be a wireless signal in the KA, KU, and V bands. The low-orbit satellite sends and receives wireless signals to the ground through beamforming realized by the phased array antenna array.

[0090] In some embodiments, the ground terminal may be any type of terminal. In other embodiments, the ground terminal may be a low-cost, low-power, small-data device with a relatively fixed position relative to the ground, and multiple ground terminals of this type require roughly the same power consumption within the same time range. For example, this type of ground terminal may be an Internet of Things ground terminal.

[0091] In some embodiments, when the IoT ground terminal sends uplink data to the low-orbit satellite through channel resources, it is based on a two-step random access method. The two-step random access method can be referred to in the above description of Figure 1 The description will not be repeated here.

[0092] In some embodiments, the communication method for a low-orbit Internet of Things constellation proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure is applied to a low-orbit satellite, and the current low-orbit satellite may be a satellite currently running the communication method for a low-orbit Internet of Things constellation proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure, and the visible period of the current low-orbit satellite may be understood as the channel period for the current low-orbit satellite to communicate with ground terminals in the area it covers on the PRACH channel in the low-orbit satellite communication system. It is understandable that since the low-orbit satellite keeps moving relative to the ground, the visible period may be different at different times. As mentioned above Figure 2 In the prior art shown, during the visible period of the current low-orbit satellite, the ground terminals in the area covered by the current low-orbit satellite choose to send uplink data to the current low-orbit satellite at the moment when the current low-orbit satellite runs to the maximum elevation angle based on the minimum path loss. However, if the ground terminals in the area covered by the current low-orbit satellite all choose to send uplink data to the current low-orbit satellite at the moment when the elevation angle is maximum in a manner that minimizes the path loss, it will cause the uplink bits of multiple ground terminals to arrive at the current low-orbit satellite in the same period, resulting in data collision. The low-orbit satellite cannot correctly parse the uplink data of each ground terminal, and then data retransmission, loss, etc. are required, which ultimately results in low data transmission efficiency. However, if some ground terminals are forced to send uplink data at the moment when the path loss is large through configuration, it will cause these ground terminals to consume more power to send data. If the ground terminals are similar to IoT ground terminals, the batteries of some IoT ground terminals will be exhausted faster than other IoT ground terminals, which is contrary to the design principles of IoT devices.

[0093] Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, at the low-orbit satellite, the PRACH channel in the visible period is divided in terms of time and / or frequency to obtain multiple random access channel resources, and resource configuration information is generated based on the division result. The resource configuration information can be sent by the low-orbit satellite to the ground terminal in the covered area, so that the ground terminal randomly selects one or more of the multiple random access channel resources for data communication, for example, random access pilot and uplink data can be sent. It should be noted that the multiple random access channel resources may not be continuous in time and frequency.

[0094] In some embodiments, the time and / or frequency of multiple random access channel resources may be different, and the spectrum resources of multiple random access channel resources are set based on the path loss of the time period in which they are located. For example, for the channel resources corresponding to the time period with larger path loss, a wider frequency band or a longer time can be allocated, so that when the ground terminal selects the channel resource to send data, it sends the random access pilot and uplink data by spreading or repeatedly sending. For the channel resources corresponding to the time period with smaller path loss, a narrower frequency band or a shorter time can be allocated, so that when the ground terminal selects the channel resource to send data, it does not send the random access pilot and uplink data by spreading or repeatedly sending.

[0095] In some embodiments, the low-orbit satellite keeps moving relative to the ground, and the ground terminals in the area covered by the low-orbit satellite beam have different elevation angles with the low-orbit satellite at different time periods, and thus the average path loss of the ground terminal sending data to the low-orbit satellite at different time periods is also different. Based on this, the low-orbit satellite can allocate different channel resources at different time periods, and the spectrum resources of different channel resources are set based on the path loss of the time period in which they are located. It can be understood that the purpose of setting the spectrum resources of the channel resources based on the path loss of the time period in which the channel resources are located is to ensure that when any ground terminal in the area covered by the low-orbit satellite beam randomly selects one of the channel resources to send data of the same size, the path loss consumed is close.

[0096] In some embodiments, the setting of the spectrum resources of the channel resources can be set based on the following conditions: the difference in power consumed when the same ground terminal or different ground terminals select different random access channels to send data packets with the same amount of data is within a preset range. The preset range can be set smaller so that the power consumed when each ground terminal randomly selects one of the random access channels to send data of the same size is similar.

[0097] Assume that a period T is selected before and after the maximum elevation angle of the low-orbit satellite d1 , this period is the first resource period of the ground terminal, and the average path loss in this period is recorded as PL Optimum At this time, if a ground terminal sends uplink data, the corresponding uplink transmission power is recorded as PT Optimum , in T d1 Select another time period T d2 , the average path loss during this period is recorded as PL2, and

[0098]

[0099] At this time, if the same data packet is to be sent, the uplink transmission power required by the ground terminal is:

[0100] PT2=β2PTOptimum

[0101] That is to say, the ground terminal needs more power. Spread spectrum transmission theory shows that under coherent demodulation, if a signal uses a spreading factor N at the transmitter, the receiving end will obtain N times the processing gain, which means that using more resources can reduce the above power consumption. Assume that the low-orbit satellite is in the period T d2 The allocated channel resources R d2 Compared with the optimal T d1 The channel resources R allocated in the time period d1 satisfy:

[0102]

[0103] This allows the ground terminal to consume the same power when sending the same data in two time periods.

[0104] In the communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation in the disclosed embodiment, for the process of a ground terminal randomly accessing and sending uplink data, a visible period is pre-divided in time and / or frequency to obtain a plurality of random access channel resources, and resource configuration information of the plurality of random access channel resources is sent to the ground terminal in the area covered by the low-orbit satellite; after receiving the above resource configuration information, the ground terminal can select one or more of the plurality of random access channel resources to send data; since the plurality of random access channel resources divided by the low-orbit satellite are different in time and / or frequency, and the power consumed by the ground terminal when selecting any channel resource to send data of the same size is similar, the ground terminal can randomly select any one or more channels to send data, thereby solving the problem in the prior art that a plurality of ground terminals collectively select a time when the path loss is smaller to send data, resulting in data collision.

[0105] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the multiple random access channel resources are divided in the following manner:

[0106] The channels within the visible period of the current low-orbit satellite are obtained by dividing them from two dimensions: time and frequency.

[0107] In this optional implementation, the entire channel resources within the current low-orbit satellite visible period can be divided from two dimensions: time and frequency, so that among the multiple random access channel resources divided, the time or frequency between different channel resources is different.

[0108] In some embodiments, the current low-orbit satellite can also divide the visible period into multiple different time periods. The channel resources between different time periods differ in frequency and / or time dimensions, while the channel resources within the same time period can be the same or different in frequency and / or time.

[0109] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, step S401, i.e., the step of configuring a plurality of random access channel resources for ground terminals within the area currently covered by the low-orbit satellite, further includes the following steps:

[0110] Dividing a plurality of different time periods based on the elevation angle of the current low-orbit satellite relative to the ground terminal at different times;

[0111] Based on the average path loss when the ground terminal sends data to the current low-orbit satellite in the different time periods, different random access channel resources are configured in the different time periods so that the ground terminal selects to use the corresponding random access channel resources from the corresponding time periods.

[0112] In this optional implementation, the current low-orbit satellite can be divided into multiple different time periods based on the elevation angle between the ground terminal and the ground terminal, and the average path loss when the ground terminal sends data to the low-orbit satellite in multiple different time periods can be calculated. Different channel resources can be configured in different time periods, so that the power consumed by the ground terminal when randomly selecting a channel resource in the corresponding time period to send the same amount of data is close, for example, the power difference is within a preset range.

[0113] It should be noted that the channel resources in different time periods are different in time and / or frequency, while the channel resources in the same time period can be the same in time and frequency, or of course can be different; whether it is the channel resources of the same time period or the channel resources of different time periods, the principle to be followed is that the power consumed by different ground terminals or the same ground terminal using any channel resource to send the same amount of data is close.

[0114] Figure 7 FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of channel resource division and data transmission effect in two time periods according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 As shown, assuming β2 = 2, that is, in the period T d2 The power consumed when the same amount of data is sent using the same channel resources in the time period T d1 Therefore, in the period T d2 The allocated spectrum resources can be in the period T d1 Ground terminal #1 is configured with T d2 and T d1 The PRACH resources in the range of T are randomly selected. d1 A resource in the configured T is used to send uplink data using a two-step random access method; ground terminal #2 d2 and T d1 The PRACH resources in the range of T are randomly selected. d2The second resource in the configured T d2 and T d1 The PRACH resources in the range of T are randomly selected. d2 The first resource in the UE uses a two-step random access method to send uplink data. At this time, the three ground terminals use similar uplink power to send random access pilots and uplink data, and avoid conflicts in the same resource.

[0115] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the method further includes the following steps:

[0116] Sending area division information to the ground terminal within the current low-orbit satellite coverage area so that the ground terminal determines a selectable time period based on the area division information.

[0117] In this optional implementation, the area division information includes dividing the area covered by the beam of the current low-orbit satellite into multiple sub-areas, and the time period division information corresponding to the ground terminal in each sub-area. Since the current low-orbit satellite moves relative to the ground, the elevation angle between the current low-orbit satellite and the same ground terminal is different at different times. Therefore, different time periods can be divided for ground terminals in different sub-areas, and different channel resources can be configured in different time periods. The ground terminal can determine the sub-area it is in based on its own location information and randomly select the channel resources in the corresponding time period based on the time period division information and resource configuration information in the sub-area. In this way, the ground terminal can have positioning capability, that is, it can determine its own location information.

[0118] Assuming that the orbit of a low-orbit satellite is 500km and the elevation angle relative to a ground terminal is between 30 and 60 degrees, the distance difference between the two is about 30 meters. According to the free space fading model, the path loss differs by about 4dB at the highest and lowest points. Therefore, dividing the entire visible period into three equal parts and setting β=2 at both ends except the central segment can satisfy the ground terminal to use the configured uplink resources at any time and send data packets of the same size with relatively close power consumption.

[0119] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the method further includes the following steps:

[0120] Receiving reporting information from the ground terminal; the reporting information includes resource configuration information calculated by the ground terminal through continuous measurement of path loss for sending data to the low-orbit satellite;

[0121] Step S401, i.e., the step of configuring a plurality of random access channel resources for ground terminals in the area currently covered by the low-orbit satellite, further comprises the following steps:

[0122] Based on the reported information, multiple random access channel resources are configured for the ground terminal.

[0123] In this optional implementation, if the ground terminal does not have positioning capability, for example, the IoT ground terminal does not have positioning capability due to manufacturing cost considerations, then the time period division cannot be achieved through the location-based method in the previous embodiment. At this time, the ground terminal can calculate multiple sending resources by itself based on the method of continuous measurement of path loss, and report to the low-orbit satellite through signaling. Since the IoT device is relatively less mobile, after a report, a resource can be randomly selected from the selected multiple resources to send uplink data periodically.

[0124] After the ground terminal continuously measures the path loss when sending data to the low-orbit satellite at different times, it can divide the visible period of the low-orbit satellite into different time periods according to the path loss, and then report the time period division information divided into different time periods to the low-orbit satellite. In some embodiments, different time periods can be divided based on the principle that the path loss at each time in the same time period differs within a certain range.

[0125] Taking the above example as an example, assuming that the orbit of a low-orbit satellite is 500km, the ground terminal measures that during the entire visible period of the low-orbit satellite, the path loss differs by about 4dB between the highest and lowest points. Therefore, the entire visible period can be divided into three equal parts, and β=2 is set at both ends except the central segment to satisfy the ground terminal to use the configured uplink resources at any time, and to send data packets of the same size with relatively close power consumption. The ground terminal reports the resource configuration information to the low-orbit satellite, so that the low-orbit satellite can configure multiple random access channel resources for the ground terminal based on this, and the ground terminal can randomly select any one of the multiple random access channel resources configured by the low-orbit satellite to send random uplink pilot and uplink data.

[0126] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the random access channel resources in different time periods are different in time and / or frequency; the random access channel resources in the same time period are different in time and / or frequency.

[0127] In this optional implementation, after the time periods are divided, multiple random access channel resources can be configured in the same time period, and the bandwidth and / or time length of each channel resource can be the same or different, and the channel resources configured in different time periods can have different bandwidths and / or time lengths. The ratio of the bandwidths of different time periods is related to the ratio of the power consumed by sending the same amount of data in the two time periods mentioned above.

[0128] Figure 8 FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram showing the relationship between pilot signals and resources sent by three ground terminals according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 8 As shown, the ground terminal is in the period T d2 The corresponding channel resources are sent by replicating the random access pilot (or uplink data) by β2 times. Ground terminal #1 replicates the randomly selected pilot 1 twice and sends it on the corresponding channel resources; ground terminal #2 replicates the randomly selected pilot 10 twice and sends it on the corresponding channel resources; ground terminal #3 transmits the randomly selected pilot 20 on the corresponding channel resources.

[0129] In some embodiments, if the ratio of power consumed by sending the same amount of data in two time periods is not an integer, the ratio can be obtained by rounding up, and the random access pilot times the ratio is copied and sent on the corresponding channel resources.

[0130] Fig. 9 FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 As shown, the communication method for the low-orbit IoT constellation includes the following steps:

[0131] In step S901, resource configuration information of a current ground terminal is received from a low-orbit satellite; the resource configuration information includes a plurality of random access channel resources that can be used by the ground terminal, wherein the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are different, and the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are set based on the path loss of the time period;

[0132] In step S902, one of the plurality of random access channel resources is randomly selected to be used to send data based on the resource configuration information.

[0133] In this embodiment, the ground terminal may be any ground terminal that needs to communicate with a low-orbit satellite, the low-orbit satellite is one of the low-orbit satellites in a low-orbit satellite communication system, and the ground terminal is currently covered by the beam of the low-orbit satellite.

[0134] In some embodiments, the ground terminal may be any type of terminal. In other embodiments, the ground terminal may be a low-cost, low-power, small-data device with a relatively fixed position relative to the ground, and multiple ground terminals of this type require roughly the same power consumption within the same time range. For example, this type of ground terminal may be an Internet of Things ground terminal.

[0135] In some embodiments, when the IoT ground terminal sends uplink data to the low-orbit satellite through channel resources, it is based on a two-step random access method. The two-step random access method can be referred to in the above description of Figure 1 The description will not be repeated here.

[0136] In some embodiments, the communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure is applied to a ground terminal, and the current ground terminal may be a ground terminal currently running the communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 In the prior art shown, during the visible period of the low-orbit satellite, the ground terminals in the area covered by the low-orbit satellite choose to send uplink data to the low-orbit satellite at the moment when the low-orbit satellite reaches the maximum elevation angle based on the minimum path loss. However, if the ground terminals in the area covered by the low-orbit satellite all choose to send uplink data to the low-orbit satellite at the moment when the elevation angle is the maximum in a way that minimizes the path loss, it will cause the uplink bits of multiple ground terminals to arrive at the low-orbit satellite at the same time, resulting in data collision. The low-orbit satellite cannot correctly parse the uplink data of each ground terminal, and then data retransmission, loss, etc. are required, which ultimately results in low data transmission efficiency. However, if some ground terminals are forced to send uplink data at the moment when the path loss is large through configuration, it will cause these ground terminals to consume more power to send data. If the ground terminals are similar to IoT ground terminals, the batteries of some IoT ground terminals will be exhausted faster than other IoT ground terminals, which is contrary to the design principles of IoT devices.

[0137] Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, at the low-orbit satellite, the PRACH channel in the visible period is divided from the two dimensions of time and / or frequency to obtain multiple random access channel resources, and resource configuration information is generated based on the division result. The resource configuration information can be sent by the low-orbit satellite to the ground terminal in the covered area, and after receiving the resource configuration information, the ground terminal randomly selects one or more of the multiple random access channel resources to send random access pilot or uplink data to the low-orbit satellite. It should be noted that the multiple random access channel resources may not be continuous in time and frequency.

[0138] In some embodiments, the time and / or frequency of multiple random access channel resources may be different, and the spectrum resources of multiple random access channel resources are set based on the path loss of the time period in which they are located. For example, for the channel resources corresponding to the time period with larger path loss, a wider frequency band or a longer time can be allocated, so that when the ground terminal selects the channel resource to send data, it sends the random access pilot and uplink data by spreading or repeatedly sending. For the channel resources corresponding to the time period with smaller path loss, a narrower frequency band or a shorter time can be allocated, so that when the ground terminal selects the channel resource to send data, it does not send the random access pilot and uplink data by spreading or repeatedly sending.

[0139] In some embodiments, the low-orbit satellite keeps moving relative to the ground, and the elevation angles of the ground terminals in the area covered by the low-orbit satellite beam and the low-orbit satellite are different at different time periods, and thus the average path loss of the ground terminals sending data to the low-orbit satellite at different time periods is also different. Based on this, the low-orbit satellite can allocate different channel resources to the ground terminals at different time periods, and the spectrum resources of different channel resources are set based on the path loss of the time period in which they are located. It can be understood that the purpose of setting the spectrum resources of the channel resources based on the path loss of the time period in which the channel resources are located is to ensure that when any ground terminal in the area covered by the low-orbit satellite beam randomly selects one of the channel resources to send data of the same size, the path loss consumed is close.

[0140] In some embodiments, the setting of the spectrum resources of the channel resources can be set based on the following conditions: the difference in power consumed when the same ground terminal or different ground terminals select different random access channels to send data packets with the same amount of data is within a preset range. The preset range can be set smaller so that the power consumed when each ground terminal randomly selects one of the random access channels to send data of the same size is similar.

[0141] Assume that a period T is selected before and after the maximum elevation angle of the low-orbit satellite d1 , this period is the first resource period of the ground terminal, and the average path loss in this period is recorded as PL Optimum At this time, if a ground terminal sends uplink data, the corresponding uplink transmission power is recorded as PT Optimum , in T d1 Select another time period T d2 , the average path loss during this period is recorded as PL2, and

[0142]

[0143] At this time, if the same data packet is to be sent, the uplink transmission power required by the ground terminal is:

[0144] PT2=β2PT Optimum

[0145] That is to say, the ground terminal needs more power. Spread spectrum transmission theory shows that under coherent demodulation, if a signal uses a spreading factor N at the transmitter, the receiving end will obtain N times the processing gain, which means that using more resources can reduce the above power consumption. Assume that the low-orbit satellite is in the period T d2 The allocated channel resources R d2 Compared with the optimal T d1 The channel resources R allocated in the time period d1 satisfy:

[0146]

[0147] This allows the ground terminal to consume the same power when sending the same data in two time periods.

[0148] In the communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation in the disclosed embodiment, for the process of random access and uplink data transmission by a ground terminal, the low-orbit satellite divides the visible period in time and / or frequency in advance to obtain multiple random access channel resources, and sends resource configuration information of the multiple random access channel resources to the ground terminal in the area covered by the low-orbit satellite; after receiving the above resource configuration information, the ground terminal can select one or more of the multiple random access channel resources to transmit data; since the multiple random access channel resources divided by the low-orbit satellite are different in time and / or frequency, and the power consumed by the ground terminal when selecting any channel resource to send data of the same size is similar, the ground terminal can randomly select any one or more channels to transmit data, thereby solving the problem of data collision caused by multiple ground terminals centrally selecting a time when the path loss is smaller to transmit data in the prior art.

[0149] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the multiple random access channel resources are divided in the following manner:

[0150] The channels within the visible period of the current low-orbit satellite are obtained by dividing them from two dimensions: time and frequency.

[0151] In this optional implementation, the entire channel resources within the current low-orbit satellite visible period can be divided from two dimensions: time and frequency, so that among the multiple random access channel resources divided, the time or frequency between different channel resources is different.

[0152] In some embodiments, the current low-orbit satellite can also divide the visible period into multiple different time periods. The channel resources between different time periods differ in frequency and / or time dimensions, while the channel resources within the same time period can be the same or different in frequency and / or time.

[0153] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the random access channel resources in different time periods are configured based on the power ratio consumed by the ground terminal when sending data of the same size to the low-orbit satellite in the corresponding time period.

[0154] In this optional implementation, as described above, since the low-orbit satellite moves relative to the ground, the elevation angle with the ground terminal is different at different times. Therefore, the power consumed by the ground terminal when sending the same amount of data to the low-orbit satellite at different times is also different. In order to make the power consumed by the same terminal at different times or different terminals at different locations at the same time when sending the same amount of data to the low-orbit satellite close, the low-orbit satellite divides its visible period into different time periods and configures different channel resources in different time periods, and the configuration of channel resources can be based on the ratio of the power consumed when the ground terminal sends the same size of data in different time periods. For example, if the power consumed in the first time period is twice that of the second time period, the channel resources configured in the first time period are twice the channel resources configured in the second time period in time or frequency. If the power ratio is not an integer, the power ratio can be rounded up.

[0155] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the method further includes the following steps:

[0156] Receiving the area division information sent by the low-orbit satellite;

[0157] Determine time period division information corresponding to the ground terminal based on the area division information and the position of the ground terminal;

[0158] The step S902, i.e. the step of randomly selecting one of the plurality of random access channel resources to send data based on the resource configuration information, further comprises the following steps:

[0159] One of the plurality of random access channel resources is randomly selected and used to send data based on the time period division information and the resource configuration information.

[0160] In this optional implementation, the area division information includes dividing the area covered by the beam of the current low-orbit satellite into multiple sub-areas, and the time period division information corresponding to the ground terminal in each sub-area. Since the current low-orbit satellite moves relative to the ground, the elevation angle between the current low-orbit satellite and the same ground terminal is different at different times. Therefore, different time periods can be divided for ground terminals in different sub-areas, and different channel resources can be configured in different time periods. The ground terminal can determine the sub-area it is in based on its own location information and randomly select the channel resources in the corresponding time period based on the time period division information and resource configuration information in the sub-area. In this way, the ground terminal can have positioning capability, that is, it can determine its own location information.

[0161] Assuming that the orbit of a low-orbit satellite is 500km and the elevation angle relative to a ground terminal is between 30 and 60 degrees, the distance difference between the two is about 30 meters. According to the free space fading model, the path loss differs by about 4dB at the highest and lowest points. Therefore, dividing the entire visible period into three equal parts and setting β=2 at both ends except the central segment can satisfy the ground terminal to use the configured uplink resources at any time and send data packets of the same size with relatively close power consumption.

[0162] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the method further includes the following steps:

[0163] Sending area division information to the ground terminal within the current low-orbit satellite coverage area so that the ground terminal determines a selectable time period based on the area division information.

[0164] In this optional implementation, since the current low-orbit satellite moves relative to the ground, the elevation angle between the current low-orbit satellite and the same ground terminal is different at different times, so different time periods can be divided for ground terminals in different areas, and different channel resources can be configured in different time periods. The ground terminal can determine the area it is in based on its own location information and the channel resources in the corresponding time period selected for the configuration information in the area. In this way, the ground terminal can have positioning capability, that is, it can determine its own location information.

[0165] Assuming that the orbit of a low-orbit satellite is 500km and the elevation angle relative to a ground terminal is between 30 and 60 degrees, the distance difference between the two is about 30 meters. According to the free space fading model, the path loss differs by about 4dB at the highest and lowest points. Therefore, dividing the entire visible period into three equal parts and setting β=2 at both ends except the central segment can satisfy the ground terminal to use the configured uplink resources at any time and send data packets of the same size with relatively close power consumption.

[0166] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the method further includes the following steps:

[0167] continuously measuring the path loss when transmitting data to the low-orbit satellite;

[0168] Determining time period division information of the ground terminal based on the path loss;

[0169] Reporting the time period division information to the low-orbit satellite;

[0170] The step S902, i.e. the step of randomly selecting one of the plurality of random access channel resources to send data based on the resource configuration information, further comprises the following steps:

[0171] One of the plurality of random access channel resources is randomly selected and used to send data based on the time period division information and the resource configuration information.

[0172] In this optional implementation, if the ground terminal does not have positioning capability, for example, the IoT ground terminal does not have positioning capability due to manufacturing cost considerations, then the time period division cannot be achieved through the location-based method in the previous embodiment. At this time, the ground terminal can calculate multiple sending resources by itself based on the method of continuous measurement of path loss, and report to the low-orbit satellite through signaling. Since the IoT device is relatively less mobile, after a report, a resource can be randomly selected from the selected multiple resources to send uplink data periodically.

[0173] After the ground terminal continuously measures the path loss when sending data to the low-orbit satellite at different times, it can divide the visible period of the low-orbit satellite into different time periods according to the path loss, and then report the time period division information divided into different time periods to the low-orbit satellite. In some embodiments, different time periods can be divided based on the principle that the path loss at each time in the same time period differs within a certain range.

[0174] Taking the above example as an example, assuming that the orbit of a low-orbit satellite is 500km, the ground terminal measures that during the entire visible period of the low-orbit satellite, the path loss differs by about 4dB between the highest and lowest points. Therefore, the entire visible period can be divided into three equal parts, and β=2 is set at both ends except the central segment to satisfy the ground terminal to use the configured uplink resources at any time, and to send data packets of the same size with relatively close power consumption. The ground terminal reports the resource configuration information to the low-orbit satellite, so that the low-orbit satellite can configure multiple random access channel resources for the ground terminal based on this, and the ground terminal can randomly select any one of the multiple random access channel resources configured by the low-orbit satellite to send random uplink pilot and uplink data.

[0175] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the random access channel resources in different time periods are different in time and / or frequency; the random access channel resources in the same time period are different in time and / or frequency.

[0176] In this optional implementation, after the time periods are divided, multiple random access channel resources can be configured in the same time period, and the bandwidth and / or time length of each channel resource can be the same or different, and the channel resources configured in different time periods can have different bandwidths and / or time lengths. The ratio of the bandwidths of different time periods is related to the ratio of the power consumed by sending the same amount of data in the two time periods mentioned above.

[0177] In an optional implementation manner of this embodiment, randomly selecting one of the multiple random access channel resources to send data based on the resource configuration information includes:

[0178] Randomly selecting a channel resource with a larger spectrum resource from the multiple random access channel resources based on the resource configuration information;

[0179] After copying the data to be sent by β2 times, the copied data to be sent is sent to the low-orbit satellite using the selected channel resources; wherein the β2 is related to the ratio of spectrum resources between different random access channel resources.

[0180] In this optional embodiment, when configuring channel resources, the low-orbit satellite configures the channel resources based on the power consumed when the ground terminal sends the same amount of data to the low-orbit satellite in different time periods, and the size of the spectrum resources of the configured different channel resources is related to the ratio of the power corresponding to the time period in which the channel resources are located. For example, the size of the spectrum resources of the channel resources in two time periods is proportional to the ratio of the power.

[0181] After the ground terminal selects the channel resources in the corresponding time period, in order to achieve better transmission effect, the data to be sent can be copied by β2 times when the spectrum resources are large and then sent. The β2 can be related to the ratio of spectrum resources between different channel resources (or the ratio of power corresponding to the time period where the channel resources are located). For example, the β2 can be the ratio of spectrum resources between different channel resources (or the ratio of power corresponding to the time period where the channel resources are located). If the ratio of spectrum resources between different channel resources (or the ratio of power corresponding to the time period where the channel resources are located) is not an integer, it is rounded up to obtain β2.

[0182] The following are embodiments of the apparatus of the present disclosure, which can be used to execute embodiments of the method of the present disclosure.

[0183] According to a communication device for a low-orbit IoT constellation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the device can be implemented as part or all of an electronic device through software, hardware, or a combination of both. The communication device for a low-orbit IoT constellation includes:

[0184] The first configuration module is configured to configure a plurality of random access channel resources for ground terminals in the area covered by the current low-orbit satellite; wherein the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are different, and the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are set based on the path loss of the time period;

[0185] The first sending module is configured to send resource configuration information of the multiple random access channel resources to the ground terminal, so that the ground terminal randomly selects and uses one of the multiple random access channel resources.

[0186] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the multiple random access channel resources are divided in the following manner:

[0187] The channels within the visible period of the current low-orbit satellite are obtained by dividing them from two dimensions: time and frequency.

[0188] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the first configuration module includes:

[0189] A division submodule is configured to divide the time periods into a plurality of different time periods based on the elevation angle of the current low-orbit satellite relative to the ground terminal at different times;

[0190] The first sending submodule is configured to configure different random access channel resources in different time periods based on the average path loss when the ground terminal sends data to the current low-orbit satellite in the different time periods, so that the ground terminal selects to use the corresponding random access channel resources from the corresponding time period.

[0191] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the device further includes:

[0192] The second sending module is configured to send area division information to the ground terminal in the current low-orbit satellite coverage area, so that the ground terminal determines the selectable time period based on the area division information.

[0193] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the device further includes:

[0194] A first receiving module is configured to receive reporting information of the ground terminal; the reporting information includes a path loss continuously measured by the ground terminal by sending data to the low-orbit satellite;

[0195] The first determination module is configured to determine the time period division information of the ground terminal based on the reported information, so that the ground terminal can select a selectable time period based on the time period division information.

[0196] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the random access channel resources in different time periods are different in time and / or frequency; the random access channel resources in the same time period are different in time and / or frequency.

[0197] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the difference in power consumed by the ground terminal when sending data of the same size using different random access channel resources is within a preset range.

[0198] The communication device for low-orbit IoT constellation in this embodiment is Figure 4The communication method for the low-orbit IoT constellation in the illustrated embodiment and the related embodiments corresponds to each other. For details, please refer to the above description of Figure 4 The description of the illustrated embodiment and related embodiments will not be repeated here.

[0199] According to a communication device for a low-orbit IoT constellation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the device can be implemented as part or all of an electronic device through software, hardware, or a combination of both. The communication device for a low-orbit IoT constellation includes:

[0200] A second receiving module is configured to receive resource configuration information of a ground terminal from a low-orbit satellite; the resource configuration information includes a plurality of random access channel resources that can be used by the ground terminal, wherein the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are different, and the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are set based on the path loss of the time period;

[0201] The selection module is configured to randomly select one of the multiple random access channel resources to send data based on the resource configuration information.

[0202] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the multiple random access channel resources are divided in the following manner:

[0203] The channels within the visible period of the current low-orbit satellite are obtained by dividing them from two dimensions: time and frequency.

[0204] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the random access channel resources in different time periods are configured based on the power ratio consumed by the ground terminal when sending data of the same size to the low-orbit satellite in the corresponding time period.

[0205] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the device further includes:

[0206] A third receiving module is configured to receive the area division information sent by the low-orbit satellite;

[0207] A second determining module is configured to determine time period division information corresponding to the ground terminal based on the area division information and the position of the ground terminal;

[0208] The selection module comprises:

[0209] The first selection submodule is configured to randomly select one of the multiple random access channel resources to send data based on the time period division information and the resource configuration information.

[0210] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the device further includes:

[0211] A measurement module, configured to continuously measure a path loss when sending data to the low-orbit satellite;

[0212] A third determining module is configured to determine time period division information of the ground terminal based on the path loss;

[0213] A reporting module, configured to report the time period division information to the low-orbit satellite;

[0214] The selection module comprises:

[0215] The second selection submodule is configured to randomly select one of the multiple random access channel resources to send data based on the time period division information and the resource configuration information.

[0216] In another optional implementation of this embodiment, the random access channel resources in different time periods are different in time and / or frequency; the random access channel resources in the same time period are different in time and / or frequency.

[0217] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the selection module includes:

[0218] A third selection submodule is configured to randomly select a channel resource with a larger spectrum resource from the multiple random access channel resources based on the resource configuration information;

[0219] The second sending submodule is configured to copy the data to be sent by β2 times, and then use the selected channel resources to send the copied data to be sent to the low-orbit satellite; wherein the β2 is related to the ratio of spectrum resources between different random access channel resources.

[0220] In an optional implementation of this embodiment, the difference in power consumed by the ground terminal when sending data of the same size using different random access channel resources is within a preset range.

[0221] The communication device for low-orbit IoT constellation in this embodiment is Fig. 9 The communication method for the low-orbit IoT constellation in the illustrated embodiment and the related embodiments corresponds to each other. For details, please refer to the above description of Fig. 9 The description of the illustrated embodiment and related embodiments will not be repeated here.

[0222] Fig.10 It is a structural schematic diagram of an electronic device suitable for implementing the communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0223] like Fig.10As shown, the electronic device 1000 includes a processing unit 1001, which can be implemented as a processing unit such as a CPU, a GPU, an FPGA, and an NPU. The processing unit 1001 can perform various processes in the implementation of any of the above methods of the present disclosure according to a program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 1002 or a program loaded from a storage part 1008 into a random access memory (RAM) 1003. In RAM 1003, various programs and data required for the operation of the electronic device 1000 are also stored. The processing unit 1001, ROM 1002, and RAM 1003 are connected to each other via a bus 1004. An input / output (I / O) interface 1005 is also connected to the bus 1004.

[0224] The following components are connected to the I / O interface 1005: an input section 1006 including a keyboard, a mouse, etc.; an output section 1007 including a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), etc., and a speaker, etc.; a storage section 1008 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communication section 1009 including a network interface card such as a LAN card, a modem, etc. The communication section 1009 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. A drive 1010 is also connected to the I / O interface 1005 as needed. A removable medium 1011, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, etc., is installed on the drive 1010 as needed, so that a computer program read therefrom is installed into the storage section 1008 as needed.

[0225] In particular, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, any method in the above referenced embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented as a computer software program. For example, an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a computer program product, which includes a computer program tangibly contained on a machine-readable medium, and the computer program includes a program code for executing any method in the embodiment of the present disclosure. In such an embodiment, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network through the communication part 1009, and / or installed from the removable medium 1011.

[0226] The flow chart and block diagram in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architecture, functions and operations of the system, method and computer program product according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each square box in the road map or block diagram can represent a part of a module, program segment or code, and the part of the module, program segment or code contains one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the square box can also occur in a different order from the order marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two square boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each square box in the block diagram and / or flow chart, and the combination of the square boxes in the block diagram and / or flow chart can be implemented with a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0227] The units or modules involved in the embodiments described in the present disclosure may be implemented by software or hardware. The units or modules described may also be set in a processor, and the names of these units or modules do not constitute limitations on the units or modules themselves in some cases.

[0228] As another aspect, the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium, which may be a computer-readable storage medium included in the device described in the above embodiment; or a computer-readable storage medium that exists independently and is not assembled into the device. The computer-readable storage medium stores one or more programs, and the programs are used by one or more processors to execute the method described in the present disclosure.

[0229] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and an explanation of the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the invention involved in the present disclosure is not limited to the technical solution formed by a specific combination of the above technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by any combination of the above technical features or their equivalent features without departing from the inventive concept. For example, the above features are replaced with the technical features with similar functions disclosed in the present disclosure (but not limited to) by each other.

Claims

1. A communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation, characterized in that: include: Multiple random access channel resources are configured for ground terminals in the area currently covered by the low-orbit satellite, including: Dividing a plurality of different time periods based on the elevation angle of the current low-orbit satellite relative to the ground terminal at different times; Based on the average path loss when the ground terminal sends data to the current low-orbit satellite in the different time periods, different random access channel resources are configured in the different time periods, so that the ground terminal selects to use the corresponding random access channel resources from the corresponding time period, The spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are different, and the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are set based on the path loss of the time period; Sending resource configuration information of the plurality of random access channel resources to the ground terminal so that the ground terminal randomly selects and uses one of the plurality of random access channel resources; sending region division information to the ground terminal in the current low-orbit satellite coverage area, so that the ground terminal determines a selectable time period based on the region division information, The difference in power consumed by the ground terminal when sending data of the same size using different random access channel resources is within a preset range, In different time periods, the ground terminal consumes the same power when sending data of the same size using different random access channel resources.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multiple random access channel resources are divided in the following manner: The channels within the visible period of the current low-orbit satellite are obtained by dividing them from two dimensions: time and frequency.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receiving reporting information from the ground terminal, the reporting information including path loss continuously measured by the ground terminal by sending data to the low-orbit satellite; The time period division information of the ground terminal is determined based on the reported information, so that the ground terminal can select a selectable time period based on the time period division information.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The random access channel resources in different time periods are different in time and / or frequency; the random access channel resources in the same time period are different in time and / or frequency.

5. A communication method for a low-orbit IoT constellation, applied to a ground terminal, characterized in that: include: receiving resource configuration information of a ground terminal from a low-orbit satellite, wherein the resource configuration information includes a plurality of random access channel resources that can be used by the ground terminal, The spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are different, and the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are set based on the path loss of the time period. The random access channel resources in different time periods are configured based on the power ratio consumed by the ground terminal when sending data of the same size to the low-orbit satellite in the corresponding time period; Randomly select one of the multiple random access channel resources to send data based on the resource configuration information; Receiving the area division information sent by the low-orbit satellite; Determine the time period division information corresponding to the ground terminal based on the area division information and the position of the ground terminal, Randomly selecting one of the plurality of random access channel resources to send data based on the resource configuration information includes: Based on the time period division information and the resource configuration information, one of the multiple random access channel resources is randomly selected to be used to send data, The difference in power consumed by the ground terminal when sending data of the same size using different random access channel resources is within a preset range, In different time periods, the ground terminal consumes the same power when sending data of the same size using different random access channel resources.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The multiple random access channel resources are divided in the following manner: The channels within the current visible period of the low-orbit satellite are divided from two dimensions: time and frequency.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: continuously measuring the path loss when transmitting data to the low-orbit satellite; Determining time period division information of the ground terminal based on the path loss; Reporting the time period division information to the low-orbit satellite; Randomly selecting one of the plurality of random access channel resources to send data based on the resource configuration information includes: One of the plurality of random access channel resources is randomly selected and used to send data based on the time period division information and the resource configuration information.

8. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The random access channel resources in different time periods are different in time and / or frequency; the random access channel resources in the same time period are different in time and / or frequency.

9. A communication device for a low-orbit IoT constellation, characterized in that: include: The first configuration module is configured to configure a plurality of random access channel resources for ground terminals in an area currently covered by the low-orbit satellite, including: Dividing a plurality of different time periods based on the elevation angle of the current low-orbit satellite relative to the ground terminal at different times; Based on the average path loss when the ground terminal sends data to the current low-orbit satellite in the different time periods, different random access channel resources are configured in the different time periods, so that the ground terminal selects to use the corresponding random access channel resources from the corresponding time period, The spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are different, and the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are set based on the path loss of the time period; The first sending module is configured as follows: Sending resource configuration information of the plurality of random access channel resources to the ground terminal so that the ground terminal randomly selects and uses one of the plurality of random access channel resources; sending region division information to the ground terminal in the current low-orbit satellite coverage area, so that the ground terminal determines a selectable time period based on the region division information, The difference in power consumed by the ground terminal when sending data of the same size using different random access channel resources is within a preset range, In different time periods, the ground terminal consumes the same power when sending data of the same size using different random access channel resources.

10. A communication device for a low-orbit IoT constellation, characterized in that: include: The second receiving module is configured to receive resource configuration information of a ground terminal from a low-orbit satellite, wherein the resource configuration information includes a plurality of random access channel resources that can be used by the ground terminal. The spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are different, and the spectrum resources of the random access channel resources in different time periods are set based on the path loss of the time period. The random access channel resources in different time periods are configured based on the power ratio consumed by the ground terminal when sending data of the same size to the low-orbit satellite in the corresponding time period; A selection module is configured to randomly select one of the multiple random access channel resources to send data based on the resource configuration information; The second receiving module is further configured to: Receiving the area division information sent by the low-orbit satellite; Determine the time period division information corresponding to the ground terminal based on the area division information and the position of the ground terminal, Randomly selecting one of the plurality of random access channel resources to send data based on the resource configuration information includes: Based on the time period division information and the resource configuration information, one of the multiple random access channel resources is randomly selected to be used to send data, The difference in power consumed by the ground terminal when sending data of the same size using different random access channel resources is within a preset range, In different time periods, the ground terminal consumes the same power when sending data of the same size using different random access channel resources.

11. An electronic device, characterized in that: The method comprises a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 or the method according to any one of claims 5 to 8.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, wherein: When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the method described in any one of claims 1 to 4 or the method described in any one of claims 5 to 8 is implemented.

13. A computer program product comprising computer instructions, wherein: When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the method described in any one of claims 1 to 4 or the method described in any one of claims 5 to 8 is implemented.

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