Communication method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

The application provides a communication method, device and computer readable storage medium. When a terminal device is located in a cell coverage range of a first network device, the terminal device can receive a first identifier from the first network device, the first identifier is used to identify ephemeris information of a first cell, and the first cell is a neighboring cell of the terminal device. If the first identifier is different from an identifier of the ephemeris information stored in the terminal device, the terminal device sends a request message to the first network device to request the ephemeris information of the first cell. In this way, the terminal device can know the ephemeris information of the first cell in advance, so that the terminal device can use the ephemeris information known in advance to communicate when entering the coverage range of the first cell, and the communication efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, apparatus and computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), network equipment or wireless transmitters within network equipment can be mounted on satellites to provide communication services to terminal devices.

[0003] In NTN communication, communication between terminal devices and network devices requires satellite transmission. Due to the mobility of satellites, the cell covering the terminal devices changes. When a terminal device sends a signal to a network device, it needs to know the satellite's real-time position in the sky to determine information such as the timing of signal transmission. In related technologies, the terminal device can determine the satellite's real-time position in the sky based on its ephemeris information. Satellites operate in predetermined orbits, and their ephemeris information describes their orbits and their position within those orbits at various times.

[0004] However, how terminal devices can obtain satellite ephemeris information to improve communication efficiency is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium that enables terminal devices to obtain ephemeris information of neighboring cells in advance, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a communication method, including:

[0007] The terminal device receives a first identifier from a first network device. The first identifier is used to identify the ephemeris information of a first cell. The ephemeris information of the first cell is used to indicate the orbit and position of a first satellite. The first cell is a neighboring cell of the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0008] If the first identifier is different from the identifier of the ephemeris information stored in the terminal device, the terminal device sends a request message to the first network device, the request message being used to request the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0010] The terminal device receives the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the terminal device receives ephemeris information from the first cell, including:

[0012] The terminal device receives ephemeris information from the first cell of the first network device.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the terminal device receives ephemeris information from the first cell, including:

[0014] The terminal device receives ephemeris information of the first cell from the second network device.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0016] The terminal device receives an ephemeris information acquisition notification from the first network device, the ephemeris information acquisition notification being used to indicate the timing for acquiring the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the terminal device receives a first identifier from the first network device, including:

[0018] The terminal device receives system information from the first network device, the system information including the first identifier.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the system information further includes resource indication information, which indicates the resources used for sending the request message.

[0020] Secondly, this application provides a communication method, including:

[0021] The first network device determines a first identifier, which is used to identify the ephemeris information of the first cell. The ephemeris information of the first cell is used to indicate the orbit and position of the first satellite. The first cell is the cell of the second network device.

[0022] The first network device sends the first identifier.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0024] The first network device receives a request message from a terminal device, the request message being used to request ephemeris information of the first cell, the first cell being a neighboring cell of the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0026] The first network device sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0028] The first network device determines the timing for sending the ephemeris information of the first cell based on the location information of the terminal device.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0030] The first network device sends an ephemeris information acquisition notification to the terminal device, the ephemeris information acquisition notification being used to indicate the timing for acquiring the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0032] The first network device sends ephemeris broadcast timing information to the second network device, the ephemeris broadcast timing information being used to indicate the timing of broadcasting ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0034] The first network device determines the timing for broadcasting the ephemeris information of the first cell based on the location information of the terminal device.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0036] The first network device sends the location information of the terminal device to the second network device.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the first network device sends the first identifier, including:

[0038] The first network device sends system information, which includes the first identifier.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the system information further includes: resource indication information, which indicates the resources used for sending the request message.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0041] The first network device receives ephemeris information of the first cell from the second network device.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0043] The first network device sends a request to the second network device to obtain the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0044] Thirdly, this application provides a communication method, including:

[0045] The second network device determines the ephemeris information of the first cell, which is used to indicate the orbit and position of the first satellite. The first cell is the cell of the second network device.

[0046] The second network device sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the first network device.

[0047] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0048] The second network device receives a request to obtain ephemeris information of the first cell from the first network device.

[0049] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0050] The second network device receives ephemeris broadcast timing information from the first network device, the ephemeris broadcast timing information being used to indicate the broadcast timing of the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0051] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0052] The second network device receives location information from the terminal device of the first network device;

[0053] The second network device determines the timing for broadcasting the ephemeris information of the first cell based on the location information of the terminal device.

[0054] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0055] The second network device sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device according to the broadcast timing of the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0056] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device, comprising:

[0057] The receiving module is used to receive a first identifier from a first network device. The first identifier is used to identify the ephemeris information of a first cell. The ephemeris information of the first cell is used to indicate the orbit and position of a first satellite. The first cell is a neighboring cell of the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0058] The sending module is configured to send a request message to the first network device if the first identifier is different from the identifier of the ephemeris information stored in the terminal device. The request message is used to request the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0059] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device, comprising:

[0060] The processing module is used to determine a first identifier, which is used to identify the ephemeris information of a first cell. The ephemeris information of the first cell is used to indicate the orbit and position of a first satellite. The first cell is a cell of a second network device.

[0061] The sending module is used to send the first identifier.

[0062] Sixthly, this application provides a communication device, comprising:

[0063] The processing module is used to determine the ephemeris information of the first cell, which is used to indicate the orbit and position of the first satellite. The first cell is a cell of the second network device.

[0064] The sending module is used to send the ephemeris information of the first cell to the first network device.

[0065] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a communication device, comprising: a processor, and a memory communicatively connected to the processor;

[0066] The memory stores computer programs;

[0067] The processor executes the computer program stored in the memory to implement the method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or to implement the method as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect, or to implement the method as described in the third aspect or any possible implementation of the third aspect.

[0068] Eighthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a computer, implements the method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or implements the method as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect, or implements the method as described in the third aspect or any possible implementation of the third aspect.

[0069] Ninthly, this application provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a computer, implements the method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or implements the method as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect, or implements the method as described in the third aspect or any possible implementation of the third aspect.

[0070] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a communication chip, comprising: a processor, and a memory communicatively connected to the processor;

[0071] The memory stores computer programs;

[0072] The processor executes the computer program stored in the memory to implement the method as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or to implement the method as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect, or to implement the method as described in the third aspect or any possible implementation of the third aspect.

[0073] The communication method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium provided in this application allow a terminal device to receive a first identifier from the first network device when the terminal device is within the cell coverage area of ​​the first network device. The first identifier identifies the ephemeris information of the first cell, which is a neighboring cell of the terminal device. If the first identifier differs from the identifier of the ephemeris information stored in the terminal device, the terminal device sends a request message to the first network device to request the ephemeris information of the first cell. This allows the terminal device to know the ephemeris information of the first cell in advance, thereby improving communication efficiency when the terminal device enters the coverage area of ​​the first cell and can utilize the pre-obtained ephemeris information for communication. Attached Figure Description

[0074] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0075] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of an NTN system architecture provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 1B A schematic diagram of another NTN system architecture provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 1C This is a schematic diagram of NTN cell movement provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating yet another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0081] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0082] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0083] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0084] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0085] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0086] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0087] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc. (if present) in this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not intended to describe a specific order or sequence. The execution order of the steps in the method provided in this application is merely an example; other orders may exist in actual implementation, and this application does not impose any limitations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0088] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A), New Radio (NR), evolution systems of NR, LTE-based access to unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U), NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum (NR-U), Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), and Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). Networks, WLAN, wireless fidelity (WiFi), 5th-generation (5G) systems or other communication systems, etc.

[0089] In the embodiments of this application, the terminal device typically has wireless transceiver capabilities and may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device, etc. The terminal device can be a station (ST) in a WLAN, a cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA) device, handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, and next-generation communication system, such as a terminal device in an NR network or a terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN) network, etc. Terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminal devices, augmented reality (AR) terminal devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, vehicle-mounted terminal devices, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, wireless terminal devices in remote medical care, wireless terminal devices in smart grids, wireless terminal devices in transportation safety, wireless terminal devices in smart cities, wireless terminal devices in smart homes, wearable terminal devices, etc. The terminal devices involved in the embodiments of this application can also be referred to as terminals, user equipment (UE), access terminal devices, vehicle-mounted terminals, industrial control terminals, UE units, UE stations, mobile stations, mobile stations, remote stations, remote terminal devices, mobile devices, UE terminal devices, wireless communication devices, UE agents, or UE devices, etc. Terminal devices can also be fixed or mobile.

[0090] For example, in this embodiment, the terminal device can be a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not merely hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on a specific type of application function and require the use of other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0091] In the embodiments of this application, the network device can be a device used to communicate with mobile devices. The network device can be an access point (AP) in WLAN, a base transceiver station (BTS) in GSM or CDMA, a base station (nodeB, NB) in WCDMA, an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in LTE, a relay station or access point, or a vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, or a network device (gNB) in an NR network, or a network device in a future evolved PLMN network, etc.

[0092] For example, in this embodiment of the application, the network device may also be a base station located on land, water, or other similar locations. For example, in this embodiment of the application, the network device may have mobility characteristics; for example, the network device may be deployed on a satellite.

[0093] Currently, the maximum coverage of a single cell in a wireless cellular communication system is typically only tens of kilometers. For sparsely populated areas such as rural areas and plains, achieving seamless wireless cellular coverage would require deploying a large number of network devices. For large, continuous bodies of water such as oceans, seamless wireless cellular coverage is completely impossible. To meet the wireless communication needs of these areas, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) introduced non-terrestrial networks (NTNs).

[0094] In NTN, seamless coverage is provided for ground-based terminal devices by deploying base stations or parts of base station functions on satellites.

[0095] In satellite applications, communication satellites can be categorized into geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites and non-geostationary earth orbit (Non-GEO) satellites based on their orbital altitude. Non-GEO satellites can be further divided into low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites, and highly elliptical orbit (HEO) satellites. LEO satellites have orbital altitudes ranging from 500 km to 1500 km, MEO satellites from 2000 km to 20000 km, HEO satellites have their closest point to the Earth's surface from 1000 to 21000 km and their farthest point from 39500 to 50600 km, and GEO satellites have an orbital altitude of 35786 km.

[0096] Typically, in order to ensure satellite coverage and improve the overall system capacity of the satellite communication system, satellites use multiple beams to cover the ground. A single satellite can form dozens or even hundreds of beams to cover the ground; a single satellite beam can cover a ground area with a diameter of tens to hundreds of kilometers.

[0097] Below, in conjunction with Figure 1A and Figure 1B The system architecture of NTN is explained.

[0098] Figure 1A This is a schematic diagram of an NTN system architecture provided for an embodiment of this application. (As shown...) Figure 1A As shown, the system architecture includes: terminal device 101 and satellite 102. Wireless communication is possible between terminal device 101 and satellite 102. The network formed between terminal device 101 and satellite 102 can also be called an NTN. Figure 1A In the system architecture shown, satellite 102 functions as a base station; in other words, a base station is deployed on satellite 102. Terminal device 101 and satellite 102 can communicate directly. Within this system architecture, satellite 102 can be referred to as a network device.

[0099] Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram of another NTN system architecture provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1B As shown, the system architecture includes: terminal device 101, satellite 102, and base station 103. Terminal device 101 and satellite 102 can communicate wirelessly, and satellite 102 can communicate with base station 103. The network formed by terminal device 101, satellite 102, and base station 103 can be called an NTN. Figure 1BIn the system architecture shown, satellite 102 does not have the function of a base station, or satellite 102 has some base station functions. Communication between terminal device 101 and base station 103 needs to be relayed through satellite 102. In this system architecture, base station 103 can be referred to as a network device.

[0100] It should be noted that the system architecture and application scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar problems.

[0101] In NTN communication, communication between terminal devices and network devices requires satellite transmission. Because satellites are mobile, their movement causes changes in the cells covering the terminal devices. Figure 1C This is a schematic diagram of NTN cell movement provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1C As shown, at a certain moment, the terminal device is within the coverage area of ​​cell A. As the satellite moves, at a later moment, the terminal device may be within the coverage area of ​​cell B. Then, as the satellite moves further, at a later moment, the terminal device may be within the coverage area of ​​cell C.

[0102] When a terminal device sends a signal to a network device, it needs to know the satellite's real-time position in the sky to determine information such as the timing advance of the signal transmission. In related technologies, the terminal device can determine the satellite's real-time position in the sky based on its ephemeris information. Satellites operate in predetermined orbits, and their ephemeris information describes their orbits and their position within those orbits at various times.

[0103] However, how terminal devices can obtain satellite ephemeris information is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved.

[0104] In the technical solution provided in this application embodiment, when the terminal device is within the cell coverage area of ​​the first network device, it can receive a first identifier from the first network device. The first identifier is used to identify the ephemeris information of neighboring cells. If the first identifier is different from the identifier of the ephemeris information stored in the terminal device, the terminal device sends a request message to the first network device to request the ephemeris information of neighboring cells. In this way, the terminal device can know the ephemeris information of neighboring cells in advance, and thus, when the terminal device enters the coverage area of ​​neighboring cells, it can use the pre-obtained ephemeris information for communication, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0105] The technical solutions of this application will be described in detail below with specific embodiments. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments.

[0106] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 As shown, the method in this embodiment includes:

[0107] S201: The first network device determines the first identifier, which is used to identify the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0108] The ephemeris information of the first cell is used to indicate the orbit and position of the first satellite, and the first cell is the cell of the second network device.

[0109] First, the relationship between the network device, satellite, cell, and terminal device involved in the embodiments of this application will be introduced. The first network device is the network device currently accessed by the terminal device, that is, the cell of the first network device is the serving cell of the terminal device. In this embodiment, the first cell refers to the cell of the second network device, and the first cell is a neighboring cell of the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0110] The first satellite is the satellite corresponding to the second network device, or in other words, the first satellite is the satellite to which the second network device is connected. For example, the second network device is carried on the first satellite, or at least part of the base station functions of the second network device are carried on the first satellite, thus achieving network coverage of the first cell through the first satellite. When a terminal device enters the first cell, communication between the terminal device and the second network device needs to pass through the first satellite. That is, when the terminal device enters the first cell, during communication with the second network device, the terminal device needs to know the position of the first satellite in order to calculate information such as the time advance of sending signals from the terminal device to the second network device.

[0111] In this embodiment, when the terminal device is located in the cell of the first network device, the terminal device can obtain the ephemeris information of the first satellite in advance through interaction with the first network device. Thus, when the terminal device enters the first cell, it can quickly establish communication with the second network device based on the ephemeris information of the first satellite.

[0112] In this embodiment of the application, the ephemeris information of the first cell is used to indicate the orbit and position of the first satellite. The ephemeris information of the first cell can also be referred to as the ephemeris information of the first satellite. For example, the ephemeris information of the first cell may include the position information of the first satellite at various specific times. In some scenarios, ephemeris information can also be referred to as an ephemeris table or ephemeris book.

[0113] In this embodiment, the first identifier is used to identify the ephemeris information of the first cell. Each identifier uniquely indicates a single ephemeris information, and different identifiers correspond to different ephemeris information. For example, the identifier for ephemeris information can be represented in the form of numerical values, characters, strings, etc., and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0114] In one possible implementation, the first network device may maintain the identifier of the ephemeris information of the first cell. In this implementation, S201 may include: the first network device receiving the ephemeris information of the first cell from the second network device, and generating the first identifier based on the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0115] Specifically, the second network device can send ephemeris information of the first cell to the first network device. For example, it can send it periodically, or when the ephemeris information of the first cell changes. The first network device maintains the first identifier based on the received ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0116] For example, suppose the first identifier is denoted as `flag`, and represented by a numerical type. When the first network device first receives the ephemeris information of the first cell from the second network device, it generates the first identifier `flag = 1`. When the first network device receives the ephemeris information of the first cell from the second network device again, it determines whether the received ephemeris information of the first cell has changed compared to the previous one. If it has changed, the first identifier is updated to `flag = 2`; otherwise, the first identifier remains unchanged. Subsequently, each time the first network device receives the ephemeris information of the first cell from the second network device, if it determines that the ephemeris information of the first cell has changed compared to the previous one, it increments the value of the first identifier `flag` by 1; otherwise, it remains unchanged.

[0117] In another possible implementation, the second network device can maintain the identifier of the ephemeris information of the first cell. In this implementation, S201 may include: the first network device receiving a first identifier from the second network device.

[0118] Specifically, when the ephemeris information of the first cell changes, the second network device updates the first identifier and sends the updated first identifier to the first network device. Thus, the first network device obtains the first identifier.

[0119] S202: The first network device sends the first identifier.

[0120] In this embodiment, the first network device sends a first identifier to the terminal device. For example, the first network device may send the first identifier via broadcast, so that all terminal devices located within the cell of the first network device can receive the first identifier.

[0121] In one possible implementation, the first identifier can be carried in system information and sent. Specifically, the first network device sends system information, which includes the first identifier. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the system information from the first network device and obtains the first identifier from the system information.

[0122] Optionally, the aforementioned system information can be periodically sent system information. For example, the network device will periodically broadcast the system information regardless of whether the terminal device requests it.

[0123] Optionally, the aforementioned system information can be non-periodic system information. For example, the network device may broadcast the system information once or multiple times only when it receives a request from a terminal device.

[0124] For example, the aforementioned system information can be a master information block (MIB) or system information blocks (SIBs). SIBs can be SIB1, SIB2, SIB3 to 11, etc.

[0125] It should be noted that when the cell of the first network device has multiple neighboring cells, the first network device can send identifiers of one or more neighboring cell ephemeris information. When the first network device sends identifiers of multiple neighboring cell ephemeris information, these multiple identifiers can be sent in the same system information or in different system information.

[0126] Optionally, the first network device may also send an identifier of the ephemeris information of its own cell (i.e., the cell of the first network device). For example, the identifiers of the ephemeris information of the current cell and the identifiers of the ephemeris information of neighboring cells are both carried in the system message and broadcast.

[0127] In other possible implementations, the first identifier can also be carried in other information besides system information, such as control information, etc., which will not be listed one by one in this embodiment.

[0128] S203: If the first identifier is different from the identifier of the ephemeris information stored in the terminal device, the terminal device sends a request message to the first network device.

[0129] The request message is used to request the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0130] In this embodiment of the application, the terminal device can store identifiers of one or more cell ephemeris information, as well as the ephemeris information of these cells. The ephemeris information of these cells can be obtained by requesting it from the network device in advance, or it can be pre-stored in the terminal device by other means, such as the operator writing the cell ephemeris information and its identifier into the SIM card of the terminal device.

[0131] When a terminal device receives a first identifier, it can compare the first identifier with the identifier stored in its own memory. If the first identifier is different from the identifier of the ephemeris information stored in the terminal device, it can request the ephemeris information of the first cell from the first network device.

[0132] The first identifier differs from the identifier of the ephemeris information stored in the terminal device, including the following two cases:

[0133] Scenario 1: The terminal device does not store the ephemeris information of the first cell. In this case, it means that the terminal device does not store the ephemeris information of the first cell. Therefore, the terminal device can request the ephemeris information of the first cell from the first network device so that the terminal device can obtain the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0134] Scenario 2: The terminal device stores an identifier for the ephemeris information of the first cell, but this identifier is different from the first identifier. In this case, it indicates that the ephemeris information of the first cell has been updated, and the ephemeris information of the first cell stored in the terminal device is no longer up-to-date. Therefore, the terminal device can request the ephemeris information of the first cell from the first network device so that the terminal device can obtain the latest ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0135] In one possible implementation, in S202, the system information sent by the first network device may further include resource indication information, which indicates the resource used to send the request message. Optionally, the resource indication information may indicate at least one of the time domain location, frequency domain location, and code domain location of the resource. Thus, in S203, the terminal device sends the request message to the first network device on the resource.

[0136] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the resource indication information and the first identifier can be carried by the same system information or by different system information, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0137] Optionally, after the terminal device sends a request message to the first network device, the terminal device may also receive ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0138] The communication method provided in this embodiment includes: a terminal device receiving a first identifier from a first network device, the first identifier being used to identify the ephemeris information of a first cell, the first cell being a neighboring cell of the terminal device's serving cell; if the first identifier is different from the identifier of the ephemeris information stored in the terminal device, the terminal device sends a request message to the first network device to request the ephemeris information of the first cell. Through the above process, the terminal device can obtain the ephemeris information of the neighboring cell in advance, thereby improving communication efficiency when the terminal device enters the coverage area of ​​the neighboring cell and can use the pre-obtained ephemeris information for communication.

[0139] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, the method in this embodiment includes:

[0140] S302: The second network device sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the first network device.

[0141] The ephemeris information of the first cell is used to indicate the orbit and position of the first satellite, and the first cell is the cell of the second network device.

[0142] In this embodiment, the second network device determines the ephemeris information of the first cell. For example, the second network device can obtain pre-configured ephemeris information of the first cell. Alternatively, the second network device can receive ephemeris information of the first cell sent by a satellite telemetry and control system. After determining the ephemeris information of the first cell, the second network device sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the first network device. The first network device is the network device corresponding to a neighboring cell of the first cell.

[0143] For example, the second network device can send the ephemeris information of the first cell to the first network device via the Xn interface. In one example, the second network device can periodically send the ephemeris information of the first cell to the first network device. In another example, the second network device sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the first network device after the ephemeris information of the first cell changes.

[0144] One possible implementation is, such as Figure 3 As shown, the following may also be included before S302:

[0145] S301: The first network device sends a request to the second network device to obtain the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0146] For example, the first network device sends a request to the second network device to obtain the ephemeris information of the first cell, so as to inform the second network device to promptly inform the first network device of the updated ephemeris information when the ephemeris of the first cell changes.

[0147] In another possible implementation, the second network device can also determine which network devices to send the ephemeris information of the first cell to based on network management configuration information. For example, one or more cells, or identifiers of one or more network devices, can be configured in advance in the network management system. When the ephemeris information of the first cell changes, the second network device will send the updated ephemeris information to the corresponding network devices according to the pre-configured information.

[0148] S303: The first network device determines a first identifier, which is used to identify the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0149] For example, the first network device determines a first identifier based on the ephemeris information of the first cell received from the second network device. For instance, if the first network device does not store the ephemeris information of the first cell, it initially generates a first identifier. If the first network device has already stored the ephemeris information of the first cell, it determines whether the ephemeris information of the first cell received this time is the same as the ephemeris information of the first cell it stores. If they are the same, the first identifier remains unchanged; if they are different, the first identifier is updated, for example, by incrementing the value of the first identifier by 1.

[0150] S304: The first network device sends system information, which includes a first identifier.

[0151] S305: If the first identifier is different from the identifier of the ephemeris information stored in the terminal device, the terminal device sends a request message to the first network device.

[0152] The request message is used to request the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0153] In this embodiment, the specific implementation methods of S304 and S305 are the same as those of S304 and S305. Figure 2 The embodiments shown are similar and will not be described in detail here.

[0154] In the communication method provided in this embodiment, the second network device sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the first network device. The first network device can then generate a first identifier based on the received ephemeris information and broadcast the first identifier via system information. Subsequently, if the first identifier differs from the identifier in its stored ephemeris information, the terminal device can request the ephemeris information of the first cell from the first network device. This allows the terminal device to obtain the ephemeris information of neighboring cells in advance, thereby improving communication efficiency when entering the coverage area of ​​a neighboring cell.

[0155] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 As shown, the method in this embodiment includes:

[0156] S401: The second network device sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the first network device.

[0157] The ephemeris information of the first cell is used to indicate the orbit and position of the first satellite, and the first cell is the cell of the second network device.

[0158] S402: The first network device determines the first identifier, which is used to identify the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0159] S403: The first network device sends system information, which includes a first identifier.

[0160] The first network device sends a first identifier. The first identifier is used to identify the ephemeris information of the first cell, and the ephemeris information of the first cell is used to indicate the orbit and position of the first satellite. The first cell is a cell of the second network device.

[0161] S404: If the first identifier is different from the identifier of the ephemeris information stored in the terminal device, the terminal device sends a request message to the first network device.

[0162] The request message is used to request the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0163] In this embodiment, the specific implementation of S401 to S404 can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 3 The detailed description of the illustrated embodiments is omitted here.

[0164] S405: The first network device sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device.

[0165] Accordingly, the terminal device receives ephemeris information of the first cell from the first network device. Thus, the terminal device obtains the ephemeris information of the first cell. Optionally, the terminal device may also store the ephemeris information of the first cell and the first identifier for subsequent identifier comparison.

[0166] In this embodiment, the first network device can send the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device via system information. The first network device can also send the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device via other information (such as control information). This embodiment does not limit this.

[0167] In one possible implementation, after receiving a request message from a terminal device, the first network device can immediately send the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device. For example, after receiving the request message, the first network device can send the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device at the most recent transmission time. For example, if the ephemeris information of the first cell is carried through system information, then the ephemeris information of the first cell is sent at the most recent transmission time of system information after receiving the request message.

[0168] In another possible implementation, after receiving the request message from the terminal device, the first network device can determine the timing for sending the ephemeris information of the first cell based on the location information of the terminal device. Then, based on the sending timing, it sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device.

[0169] For example, the first network device can determine the moment when the terminal device enters the coverage area of ​​the first cell based on the location information of the terminal device, and determine that moment as the aforementioned transmission timing, or determine a moment before that moment as the aforementioned transmission timing. In this way, while ensuring that the terminal device can know the ephemeris information of neighboring cells in advance, the flexibility of the first network device in transmitting the ephemeris information of the first cell can also be increased.

[0170] The above Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, after receiving the request message, the first network device sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device. In some possible implementations, after receiving the request message, the first network device may also send the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device via a second network device. The following two scenarios will be described separately.

[0171] Scenario 1: If the coverage area of ​​the second network device switches in a hopping manner, for example, if the original coverage area of ​​the second network device is region 1, and its coverage area needs to change, its coverage area directly jumps to region 2. In this case, the cell of the second network device can be called a fixed cell.

[0172] In this scenario, let's assume the cell of the first network device (i.e., the current serving cell of the terminal device) is referred to as cell A. The second network device can determine the coverage area handover time and, at that time, begin broadcasting the ephemeris information of the first cell, or, at some time after the coverage area handover time, broadcast the ephemeris information of the first cell. The coverage area handover time refers to the moment when the coverage area of ​​the second network device switches to the area corresponding to the original cell A.

[0173] Scenario 2: If the coverage area of ​​the second network device changes continuously, for example, if the original coverage area of ​​the second network device is region 1, and the coverage area of ​​the second network device gradually moves over time, then the cell of the second network device can be called a moving cell.

[0174] In this scenario, the first network device can inform the second network device of the broadcast timing for the ephemeris information of the first cell, so that the second network device can broadcast the ephemeris information of the first cell according to that broadcast timing. The following section combines... Figure 5 The illustrated embodiments will be described in detail.

[0175] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, the method in this embodiment includes:

[0176] S501: The second network device sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the first network device.

[0177] The ephemeris information of the first cell is used to indicate the orbit and position of the first satellite, and the first cell is the cell of the second network device.

[0178] S502: The first network device determines the first identifier, which is used to identify the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0179] S503: The first network device sends system information, which includes a first identifier.

[0180] The first network device sends a first identifier. The first identifier is used to identify the ephemeris information of the first cell, and the ephemeris information of the first cell is used to indicate the orbit and position of the first satellite. The first cell is a cell of the second network device.

[0181] S504: If the first identifier is different from the identifier of the ephemeris information stored in the terminal device, the terminal device sends a request message to the first network device.

[0182] The request message is used to request the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0183] In this embodiment, the specific implementation of S501 to S504 can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 3 The detailed description of the illustrated embodiments is omitted here.

[0184] S505: The first network device sends an ephemeris information acquisition notification to the terminal device.

[0185] The ephemeris information acquisition notification is used to indicate when to acquire the ephemeris information of the first cell. In other words, the ephemeris information acquisition notification informs the terminal device at what time to acquire the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0186] Optionally, the ephemeris information acquisition notification is used to indicate the timing and cell information for acquiring the ephemeris information of the first cell. That is, the ephemeris information acquisition notification is used to inform the terminal device at what time and from which cell to acquire the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0187] For example, the first network device may inform the terminal device: Please obtain the ephemeris information of the first cell from the first cell at the first moment. The first moment can be an absolute moment, such as 12:38:26:340 on October 15, 2021. The first moment can also be a relative moment, such as 30 seconds, indicating that the ephemeris information of the first cell will be obtained from the first cell 30 seconds after receiving the ephemeris information acquisition notification.

[0188] Optionally, the first network device can determine the timing for acquiring the ephemeris information of the first cell based on the location information of the terminal device, and send this acquisition timing information to the terminal device in an ephemeris information acquisition notification. For example, the first network device can determine the moment when the terminal device enters the coverage area of ​​the first cell based on the location information of the terminal device, and designate that moment as the aforementioned acquisition timing, or designate a moment after that moment as the aforementioned acquisition timing. This ensures that the terminal device can promptly obtain the ephemeris information of the first cell when it enters the coverage area of ​​the first cell.

[0189] S506: The first network device sends ephemeris broadcast timing information to the second network device.

[0190] Among them, the ephemeris broadcast timing information is used to indicate the timing of broadcasting ephemeris information for the first cell.

[0191] In this embodiment, the ephemeris broadcast timing information is used to inform the second network device at what time to broadcast the ephemeris information of the first cell. In this embodiment, the first network device can indicate the broadcast timing explicitly or implicitly.

[0192] When an explicit indication is used, the ephemeris broadcast timing information may include a second time frame to inform the second network device to broadcast the ephemeris information of the first cell at that second time frame. The second time frame can be an absolute time, such as 12:38:26:340 on October 15, 2021. It can also be a relative time, such as 30 seconds, indicating that the ephemeris information of the first cell will be broadcast 30 seconds after receiving the ephemeris broadcast timing information.

[0193] Optionally, the first network device can determine the broadcast timing of the ephemeris information of the first cell based on the location information of the terminal device, and send the broadcast timing information to the second network device in the ephemeris broadcast timing information. For example, the first network device can determine the time when the terminal device enters the coverage area of ​​the first cell based on the location information of the terminal device, and determine that time as the aforementioned broadcast timing, or determine a time after that time as the aforementioned broadcast timing. This ensures that the terminal device can promptly obtain the ephemeris information of the first cell when it enters the coverage area of ​​the first cell.

[0194] Optionally, the aforementioned broadcast timing can refer to the timing when the second network device can begin broadcasting the ephemeris information of the first cell. The second network device can broadcast the ephemeris information of the first cell at some time after this broadcast timing. For example, if the broadcast timing is T, then the second network device can broadcast the ephemeris information of the first cell at some time after T. The specific time at which the second network device broadcasts can be determined by the second network device itself, as long as it is after the aforementioned broadcast timing T.

[0195] Optionally, the aforementioned broadcast timing can refer to the timing when the second network device actually broadcasts the ephemeris information of the first cell. For example, if the broadcast timing is T, then the second network device broadcasts the ephemeris information of the first cell at time T.

[0196] When an implicit method is used, the ephemeris broadcast timing information may include the location information of the terminal device. In this way, the second network device can determine the broadcast timing of the ephemeris information for the first cell based on the location information of the terminal device.

[0197] For example, the second network device can determine the time when the first cell covers the terminal device based on the terminal device's location information, and designate that time as the aforementioned broadcast timing, or designate a time after that time as the aforementioned broadcast timing. This ensures that the terminal device can promptly obtain the ephemeris information of the first cell after entering its coverage area.

[0198] It is understandable that when an implicit method is used, the above-mentioned S506 can also be described as: the first network device sends the location information of the terminal device to the second network device, so that the second network device can determine the broadcast timing of the ephemeris information of the first cell based on the location information of the terminal device.

[0199] It should be noted that this embodiment does not limit the execution order of S505 and S506, and their order can be interchanged.

[0200] S507: The second network device sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device.

[0201] Specifically, the second network device transmits the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal devices in a combined manner, based on the broadcast timing of the ephemeris information of the first cell. Correspondingly, the terminal devices receive the ephemeris information of the first cell from the second network device, based on the acquisition timing of the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0202] In this embodiment, the second network device can send the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device via system information. The second network device can also send the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device via other information (such as control information). This embodiment does not limit this.

[0203] Optionally, after receiving the ephemeris information of the first cell, the terminal device can also store the ephemeris information and the first identifier of the first cell for subsequent identifier comparison.

[0204] Based on the above embodiments, it should be noted that the embodiments are illustrated by taking the example of a terminal device requesting ephemeris information of a neighboring cell (i.e., the first cell). In practical applications, the serving cell of a terminal device may have multiple neighboring cells; therefore, the terminal device can request ephemeris information of multiple neighboring cells. In other words, the system information sent by the first network device may include identifiers of ephemeris information of multiple neighboring cells.

[0205] In one example, the ephemeris information of multiple neighboring cells can use a unified identifier. This way, when a terminal device determines that the identifier differs from its own stored identifier, it can simultaneously request the ephemeris information of multiple neighboring cells. The first network device can then send the ephemeris information of multiple neighboring cells to the terminal device together.

[0206] In another example, the ephemeris information of multiple neighboring cells can use their own identifiers. For instance, taking three neighboring cells as an example, namely cell A, cell B, and cell C, the system information received by the terminal device includes the identifiers of the ephemeris information of cell A, cell B, and cell C. The terminal device can determine whether each identifier is different from the identifier of its own stored ephemeris information. If the identifier of the ephemeris information of cell A is different from the identifier of its own stored ephemeris information, while the identifier of the ephemeris information of cell B is the same as the identifier of its own stored ephemeris information, and the identifier of the ephemeris information of cell C is the same as the identifier of its own stored ephemeris information, then the terminal device can request the ephemeris information of cell A only from the first network device.

[0207] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the first cell may serve as a neighboring cell to multiple cells, and the identifier of the ephemeris information of the first cell (i.e., the first identifier) ​​may be broadcast in the system information of multiple neighboring cells. The following example illustrates this, using three cells: cell A, cell B, and cell C. These three cells are neighboring cells. Assume the terminal device is located within the coverage area of ​​cell A, meaning cell A is the serving cell for the terminal device, and cells B and C are neighboring cells. In this scenario, the terminal device can obtain the identifier of the ephemeris information of cell B from the system information of cell A, and it can also obtain the identifier of the ephemeris information of cell B from the system information of cell C.

[0208] In one possible implementation, the terminal device can combine system information from cell A and cell C to jointly determine whether it needs to request ephemeris information from cell B. For example, if the terminal device previously obtained cell B's ephemeris information from cell A's system information with an identifier of 2, and this time obtains cell B's ephemeris information from cell C's system information with an identifier of 3, in this case, the terminal device considers that cell B's ephemeris information has changed and needs to re-request cell B's ephemeris information. As another example, if the terminal device previously obtained cell B's ephemeris information from cell A's system information with an identifier of 2, and this time obtains cell B's ephemeris information from cell C's system information with an identifier of 2, in this case, the terminal device considers that cell B's ephemeris information has not changed and does not need to re-request cell B's ephemeris information.

[0209] In another example, the terminal device independently assesses the system information of cell A and cell C, determining whether to re-request the ephemeris information of cell B based on the identifiers of the ephemeris information of cell B obtained successively from the same cell. For example, if the identifier for the ephemeris information of cell B obtained by the terminal device in the system information of cell A last time was 2, and the identifier for the ephemeris information of cell B obtained in the system information of cell A this time is 3, then the terminal device considers that the ephemeris information of cell B has changed and needs to re-request the ephemeris information of cell B. As another example, if the identifier for the ephemeris information of cell B obtained by the terminal device in the system information of cell C last time was 3, and the identifier for the ephemeris information of cell B obtained in the system information of cell C this time is 3, then the terminal device considers that the ephemeris information of cell B has not changed and does not need to re-request the ephemeris information of cell B.

[0210] In the case of independent judgment, if the terminal device obtains the identifier of cell B's ephemeris information from cell A's system information and then from cell C's system information, the terminal device will not determine whether cell B's ephemeris information has changed, regardless of whether the two identifiers are the same. In this situation, because the terminal device cannot determine whether its stored ephemeris information is up-to-date, it needs to request cell B's ephemeris information again.

[0211] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device provided in this embodiment can be in the form of software and / or hardware. The communication device provided in this embodiment can be a terminal device, or a module, unit, chip, chip module, etc. in a terminal device.

[0212] like Figure 6 As shown, the communication device 600 provided in this embodiment may include: a receiving module 601 and a transmitting module 602. Wherein,

[0213] The receiving module 601 is used to receive a first identifier from the first network device. The first identifier is used to identify the ephemeris information of the first cell. The ephemeris information of the first cell is used to indicate the orbit and position of the first satellite. The first cell is a neighboring cell of the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0214] The sending module 602 is configured to send a request message to the first network device if the first identifier is different from the identifier of the ephemeris information stored in the terminal device. The request message is used to request the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0215] In one possible implementation, the receiving module 601 is further configured to: receive ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0216] In one possible implementation, the receiving module 601 is specifically used to: receive ephemeris information from the first cell of the first network device.

[0217] In one possible implementation, the receiving module 601 is specifically used to: receive ephemeris information of the first cell from the second network device.

[0218] In one possible implementation, the receiving module 601 is further configured to: receive an ephemeris information acquisition notification from the first network device, the ephemeris information acquisition notification being used to indicate the timing of acquiring the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0219] In one possible implementation, the receiving module 601 is specifically used to: receive system information from the first network device, the system information including the first identifier.

[0220] In one possible implementation, the system information further includes resource indication information, which indicates the resources used for sending the request message.

[0221] The communication device provided in this embodiment can be used to execute the communication method executed by the terminal device in any of the above method embodiments. Its implementation principle and technical effect are similar, and will not be described in detail here.

[0222] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device provided in this embodiment can be in the form of software and / or hardware. The communication device provided in this embodiment can be a first network device, or a module, unit, chip, chip module, etc. in the first network device.

[0223] like Figure 7 As shown, the communication device 700 provided in this embodiment includes: a processing module 701 and a transmitting module 702. Wherein,

[0224] Processing module 701 is used to determine a first identifier, the first identifier being used to identify the ephemeris information of a first cell, the ephemeris information of the first cell being used to indicate the orbit and position of a first satellite, and the first cell being a cell of a second network device;

[0225] The sending module 702 is used to send the first identifier.

[0226] One possible implementation is, such as Figure 7 As shown, the communication device 700 provided in this embodiment may further include a receiving module 703. The receiving module 703 is configured to receive a request message from a terminal device, the request message being used to request ephemeris information of the first cell, wherein the first cell is a neighboring cell of the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0227] In one possible implementation, the sending module 702 is further configured to: send the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device.

[0228] In one possible implementation, the processing module 701 is further configured to: determine the timing for sending the ephemeris information of the first cell based on the location information of the terminal device.

[0229] In one possible implementation, the sending module 702 is further configured to: send an ephemeris information acquisition notification to the terminal device, the ephemeris information acquisition notification being used to indicate the timing of acquiring the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0230] In one possible implementation, the sending module 702 is further configured to: send ephemeris broadcast timing information to the second network device, the ephemeris broadcast timing information being used to indicate the broadcast timing of the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0231] In one possible implementation, the processing module 701 is further configured to: determine the timing of broadcasting the ephemeris information of the first cell based on the location information of the terminal device.

[0232] In one possible implementation, the sending module 702 is further configured to: send the location information of the terminal device to the second network device.

[0233] In one possible implementation, the sending module 702 is specifically used to: send system information, the system information including the first identifier.

[0234] In one possible implementation, the system information further includes: resource indication information, which indicates the resources used for sending the request message.

[0235] In one possible implementation, the receiving module 703 is further configured to: receive ephemeris information of the first cell from the second network device.

[0236] In one possible implementation, the sending module 702 is further configured to: send a request to the second network device to obtain the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0237] The communication device provided in this embodiment can be used to execute the communication method executed by the first network device in any of the above method embodiments. Its implementation principle and technical effect are similar, and will not be described in detail here.

[0238] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device provided in this embodiment can be in the form of software and / or hardware. The communication device provided in this embodiment can be a second network device, or a module, unit, chip, chip module, etc. in a second network device.

[0239] like Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 800 provided in this embodiment includes: a processing module 801 and a transmitting module 802.

[0240] The processing module 801 is used to determine the ephemeris information of the first cell, which is used to indicate the orbit and position of the first satellite. The first cell is the cell of the second network device.

[0241] The sending module 802 is used to send the ephemeris information of the first cell to the first network device.

[0242] One possible implementation is, such as Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 800 provided in this embodiment may further include a receiving module 803, which is used to receive a request for obtaining ephemeris information of the first cell from the first network device.

[0243] In one possible implementation, the receiving module 803 is configured to: receive ephemeris broadcast timing information from the first network device, the ephemeris broadcast timing information being used to indicate the broadcast timing of the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0244] In one possible implementation, the receiving module 803 is used to: receive location information of a terminal device from a first network device; and the processing module 801 is used to: determine the broadcast timing of the ephemeris information of the first cell based on the location information of the terminal device.

[0245] In one possible implementation, the sending module 802 is specifically used to: send the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device according to the broadcast timing of the ephemeris information of the first cell.

[0246] The communication device provided in this embodiment can be used to execute the communication method executed by the second network device in any of the above method embodiments. Its implementation principle and technical effect are similar, and will not be described in detail here.

[0247] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device can be a terminal device, or a chip, chip module, processor, etc., within a terminal device. The communication device can also be a network device, or a chip, chip module, processor, etc., within a network device.

[0248] like Figure 9 As shown, the communication device 900 provided in this embodiment includes a transceiver 901, a memory 902, and a processor 903. The transceiver 901 may include a transmitter and / or a receiver. The transmitter may also be referred to as a transmitter, transmitter, transmitting port, or transmitting interface, etc., and the receiver may also be referred to as a receiver, receiver, receiving port, or receiving interface, etc. Exemplarily, the transceiver 901, memory 902, and processor 903 are interconnected via a bus 904.

[0249] The memory 902 is used to store computer programs.

[0250] The processor 903 is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory to implement the communication method executed by the terminal device in any of the above method embodiments, or to implement the communication method executed by the first network device in any of the above method embodiments, or to implement the communication method executed by the second network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0251] The receiver in transceiver 901 can implement the receiving function of the terminal device / network device in the above method embodiments. The transmitter in transceiver 901 can implement the transmitting function of the terminal device / network device in the above method embodiments. The processor 903 can be used to execute the processing function of the terminal device / network device in the above method embodiments.

[0252] The communication device provided in this embodiment can be used to implement the communication method executed by the terminal device in any of the above method embodiments, or the communication method executed by the first network device, or the communication method executed by the second network device. The implementation principle and technical effect are similar, and will not be described in detail here.

[0253] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a computer, it implements the communication method executed by the terminal device, the communication method executed by the first network device, or the communication method executed by the second network device in any of the above method embodiments. The implementation principle and technical effect are similar, and will not be described in detail here.

[0254] This application embodiment also provides a communication chip, including: a memory, a processor, and hardware system resources. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor runs the computer program to implement the communication method executed by the terminal device, or the communication method executed by the first network device, or the communication method executed by the second network device in any of the above method embodiments. The implementation principle and technical effect are similar, and will not be described in detail here.

[0255] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a computer, it implements the communication method executed by the terminal device, the communication method executed by the first network device, or the communication method executed by the second network device in any of the above method embodiments. The implementation principle and technical effect are similar, and will not be described in detail here.

[0256] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of modules is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices, or modules, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0257] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as modules may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0258] Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one unit. The unit composed of the above modules can be implemented in hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0259] The integrated modules implemented as software functional modules described above can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. These software functional modules, stored in a storage medium, include several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute some steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0260] It should be understood that the aforementioned processor can be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in the application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0261] The memory may include high-speed RAM, and may also include non-volatile storage (NVM), such as at least one disk storage device, and may also be a USB flash drive, external hard drive, read-only memory, disk or optical disc, etc.

[0262] The bus can be an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of illustration, the buses shown in the accompanying drawings are not limited to a single bus or a single type of bus.

[0263] The aforementioned storage medium can be implemented from any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk. The storage medium can be any available medium accessible to general-purpose or special-purpose computers.

[0264] An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium can be an integral part of the processor. Both the processor and the storage medium can reside in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Alternatively, the processor and storage medium can exist as discrete components in an electronic device or host device.

[0265] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above-described method embodiments can be implemented by hardware related to program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When executed, the program performs the steps of the above-described method embodiments; and the aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0266] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: The terminal device receives a first identifier from a first network device, the first identifier being used to identify ephemeris information of a first cell, the ephemeris information of the first cell being used to indicate an orbit and a position of a first satellite, the first cell being a neighbor cell of a serving cell of the terminal device; If the first identifier is different from an identifier of ephemeris information stored in the terminal device, the terminal device sends a request message to the first network device, the request message being used to request the ephemeris information of the first cell; The method further comprises: The terminal device receives the ephemeris information of the first cell from the first network device; Or, The terminal device receives the ephemeris information of the first cell from a second network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: The terminal device receives an ephemeris information acquisition notification from the first network device, the ephemeris information acquisition notification being used to indicate an acquisition occasion of the ephemeris information of the first cell.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The terminal device receives a first identifier from a first network device, comprising: The terminal device receives system information from the first network device, the system information comprising the first identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The system information further comprises resource indication information, the resource indication information being used to indicate resources for sending the request message.

5. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: A first network device determines a first identifier, the first identifier being used to identify ephemeris information of a first cell, the ephemeris information of the first cell being used to indicate an orbit and a position of a first satellite, the first cell being a cell of a second network device; The first network device sends the first identifier; The method further comprises: The first network device receives a request message from a terminal device, the request message being used to request the ephemeris information of the first cell, the first cell being a neighbor cell of a serving cell of the terminal device; The method further comprises: The first network device sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device; The method further comprises: The first network device sends an ephemeris information acquisition notification to the terminal device, the ephemeris information acquisition notification being used to indicate an acquisition occasion of the ephemeris information of the first cell; The method further comprises: The first network device sends ephemeris broadcast occasion information to the second network device, the ephemeris broadcast occasion information being used to indicate a broadcast occasion of the ephemeris information of the first cell.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The method further comprises: The first network device determines a sending occasion of the ephemeris information of the first cell according to position information of the terminal device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The method further comprises: The first network device determines a broadcast occasion of the ephemeris information of the first cell according to position information of the terminal device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The method further comprises: The first network device sends the position information of the terminal device to the second network device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that, The first network device sends the first identifier, comprising: The first network device sends system information, the system information comprising the first identifier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The system information further comprises resource indication information, the resource indication information being used to indicate resources for sending the request message.

11. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 10, characterized in that, The method further comprises: The first network device receives the ephemeris information of the first cell from the second network device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The method further includes: The first network device sends a request for the ephemeris information of the first cell to the second network device.

13. A method of communication, comprising: Comprising: The second network device determines the ephemeris information of the first cell, the ephemeris information of the first cell being used to indicate the running track and position of the first satellite, the first cell being a cell of the second network device; The second network device sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the first network device; The method further includes: The second network device receives the ephemeris broadcast timing information from the first network device, the ephemeris broadcast timing information being used to indicate the broadcast timing of the ephemeris information of the first cell.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The method further includes: The second network device receives the request for the ephemeris information of the first cell from the first network device.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second network device receives the position information of the terminal device from the first network device; The second network device determines the broadcast timing of the ephemeris information of the first cell according to the position information of the terminal device.

16. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that The method further includes: The second network device sends the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device according to the broadcast timing of the ephemeris information of the first cell.

17. A communications device, characterized by Comprising: The receiving module is used to receive the first identifier from the first network device, the first identifier being used to identify the ephemeris information of the first cell, the ephemeris information of the first cell being used to indicate the running track and position of the first satellite, the first cell being a neighboring cell of the serving cell of the terminal device; The sending module is used to send a request message to the first network device if the first identifier is different from the identifier of the ephemeris information stored in the terminal device, the request message being used to request the ephemeris information of the first cell; The receiving module is used to: Receive the ephemeris information of the first cell from the first network device; Or, Receive the ephemeris information of the first cell from the second network device.

18. A communications device, characterized by Comprising: The processing module is used to determine the first identifier, the first identifier being used to identify the ephemeris information of the first cell, the ephemeris information of the first cell being used to indicate the running track and position of the first satellite, the first cell being a cell of the second network device; The sending module is used to send the first identifier; The receiving module is used to: Receive the request message from the terminal device, the request message being used to request the ephemeris information of the first cell, the first cell being a neighboring cell of the serving cell of the terminal device; The sending module is further used to: Send the ephemeris information of the first cell to the terminal device; The sending module is further used to: Send the ephemeris information acquisition notification to the terminal device, the ephemeris information acquisition notification being used to indicate the acquisition timing of the ephemeris information of the first cell; The sending module is further used to: Send the ephemeris broadcast timing information to the second network device, the ephemeris broadcast timing information being used to indicate the broadcast timing of the ephemeris information of the first cell.

19. A communications device, characterized by Comprising: The processing module is configured to determine ephemeris information of a first cell, the ephemeris information of the first cell being used to indicate an orbit and a position of a first satellite, and the first cell being a cell of the second network device. The sending module is configured to send the ephemeris information of the first cell to the first network device. The receiving module is further configured to receive ephemeris broadcast occasion information from the first network device, the ephemeris broadcast occasion information being used to indicate a broadcast occasion of the ephemeris information of the first cell.

20. A communications device, characterized by Comprise: a processor, and a memory connected with the processor in communication; The memory stores a computer program; The processor executes the computer program stored in the memory to implement the method in any one of claims 1 to 4, or to implement the method in any one of claims 5 to 12, or to implement the method in any one of claims 13 to 16.

21. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer program stored in the computer readable storage medium is executed by a computer to implement the method in any one of claims 1 to 4, or to implement the method in any one of claims 5 to 12, or to implement the method in any one of claims 13 to 16.

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