Non-terrestrial network communication method and apparatus, communication device, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a non-terrestrial network communication method and device, communication equipment and storage medium, relating to the technical field of mobile communication. The method can receive the NTN system message sent by the network equipment through the UE. When the preset condition is met, it is confirmed that the uplink synchronization has been restored. The preset condition can be when the UE applies the NTN system message, or when the UE receives the NTN system message. It can also be when the UE starts the synchronization effective timer. The present disclosure solves the problem of the timing of the RRC layer of the UE indicating to the lower layer that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the effective time in the system message points to a future time in the related technology.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of mobile communication, and particularly relates to a non-terrestrial network communication method and device, a communication device and a storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] Non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication is an important technology introduced by the fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G), which provides wireless resources through satellites or unmanned aerial vehicles instead of ground base stations. However, in the new radio (NR) NTN, the current protocol stipulates that after the user equipment (UE) receives the system message, the MAC layer will be notified that the uplink synchronization has been restored. However, the indication timing problem when the effective time in the system message points to a future time has not been solved. SUMMARY

[0003] The present disclosure provides a non-terrestrial network communication method and device, a communication device and a storage medium, aiming to solve the indication timing problem in the related art.

[0004] The first aspect embodiment of the present disclosure provides a non-terrestrial network communication method, which is executed by a user equipment (UE), and the method comprises: receiving a non-terrestrial network (NTN) system message sent by a network device, and confirming that the uplink synchronization has been restored when a preset condition is met, wherein the preset condition comprises at least one of the following: when the UE applies the NTN system message; when the UE receives the NTN system message; and when the UE starts a synchronization validity timer.

[0005] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the NTN system message comprises satellite assistance information and / or timing advance (TA) information, and applying the NTN system message comprises applying at least part of the information in the NTN system message.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the UE receives the NTN system message, confirming that the uplink synchronization has been restored comprises: if the effective time corresponding to the NTN system message points to a time after the UE receives the NTN system message and the UE supports applying the NTN system message in advance, confirming that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the UE receives the NTN system message.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, if the validity time corresponding to the NTN system message points to a time after the UE receives the NTN system message and the UE supports early application of the NTN system message, applying the NTN system message comprises at least one of the following: determining satellite assistance information used during the current time to the validity time according to the satellite assistance information in the NTN system message, and applying the satellite assistance information used during the current time to the validity time; determining TA information used during the current time to the validity time according to the TA information in the NTN system message, and applying the TA information used during the current time to the validity time; or applying the satellite assistance information and / or the TA information in the NTN system message.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, if the validity time corresponding to the NTN system message points to a time after the UE receives the NTN system message and the UE supports early application of the NTN system message, applying the NTN system message comprises: applying the NTN system message before the validity time, or applying the NTN system message when the validity time comes.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, confirming that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the UE starts the synchronization validity timer comprises: if the validity time corresponding to the NTN system message points to a time after the UE receives the NTN system message and the UE does not support early application of the NTN system message, confirming that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the UE starts the synchronization validity timer.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method further comprises: sending capability information to the network device, the capability information identifying whether the UE supports early application of the NTN system message, and the capability information being used to assist the network device in configuring parameters in the NTN system message.

[0011] A second aspect embodiment of the present disclosure provides a non-terrestrial network communication method, the method being performed by a network device, and the method comprising: sending an NTN system message to a user equipment (UE).

[0012] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method further comprises: receiving capability information sent by the UE, wherein the capability information identifies whether the UE supports early application of the NTN system message; and configuring parameters in the NTN system message based on the capability information.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the configuring the parameters in the NTN system message based on the capability information comprises: if the capability information identifies that the UE supports early application of the NTN system message, configuring the validity times of at least two NTN system messages to overlap.

[0014] The third aspect embodiment of the present disclosure provides a non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication device, applied to a user equipment (UE), the device comprising: a transceiver configured to receive an NTN system message sent by a network device, and confirm that uplink synchronization has been restored when a preset condition is met, wherein the preset condition comprises at least one of the following: when the UE applies the NTN system message; when the UE receives the NTN system message; and when the UE starts a synchronization valid timer.

[0015] The fourth aspect embodiment of the present disclosure provides a non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication device, applied to a network device, the device comprising: a transceiver configured to send an NTN system message to a user equipment (UE).

[0016] The fifth aspect embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device, comprising: a transceiver; a memory; and a processor connected to the transceiver and the memory respectively, configured to control the transceiver to receive and send wireless signals by executing computer executable instructions on the memory, and capable of implementing the method of the first aspect embodiment or the second aspect embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] The sixth aspect embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer storage medium, wherein the computer storage medium stores computer executable instructions; the computer executable instructions are executed by a processor, and capable of implementing the method of the first aspect embodiment or the second aspect embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] The seventh aspect embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication system, comprising: a user equipment (UE) and a network device, wherein,

[0019] The UE is configured to perform the method of the first aspect embodiment;

[0020] The network device is configured to perform the method of the second aspect embodiment.

[0021] According to the non-terrestrial network communication method of the present disclosure, the UE can receive an NTN system message sent by a network device, and confirm that uplink synchronization has been restored when a preset condition is met, wherein the preset condition can be when the UE applies the NTN system message, or when the UE receives the NTN system message, or when the UE starts a synchronization valid timer. Therefore, the present disclosure solves the problem of the timing of the RRC layer of the UE indicating to the lower layer that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the effective time in the system message points to a future time in the related art.

[0022] Additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] The above mentioned and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent and readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0024] Figure 1 A timing synchronization schematic diagram according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 2 A flowchart schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 3 A flowchart schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 4 A flowchart schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 5 A flowchart schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 6 A signaling interaction schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 7 A schematic block diagram of a non-terrestrial network communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 8 A schematic block diagram of a non-terrestrial network communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 9 A schematic block diagram of a non-terrestrial network communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 10 A structural schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 11 A structural schematic diagram of a chip according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which examples of embodiments are shown, and the same or similar reference numerals are used throughout to designate the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below by reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to explain the present disclosure, and cannot be understood as a limitation of the present disclosure.

[0036] NTN communication is an important technology introduced by 5G, and a UE can access a core network through a satellite access network, wherein a communication connection between the UE and a satellite is a service link, a connection between the satellite and a ground receiving station is a feeder link, and the ground receiving station is connected with the core network, thereby forming that the UE accesses the core network through the satellite access network. However, in NR NTN, the protocol currently stipulates that after the UE receives a system message, the MAC layer is notified that the uplink synchronization has been restored, but the indication timing problem when the effective time in the system message points to a future time has not been solved.

[0037] To this end, the present disclosure provides an NTN communication method, which aims to solve the indication timing problem in the related art. In order to better understand the inventive point of the present disclosure, the concept of timing advance (TA) is first introduced as follows.

[0038] TA is an important concept in the process of 5G communication. The 5G network is a synchronous network, and the UE needs to ensure the synchronization of uplink and downlink. Downlink synchronization is obtained by receiving a downlink synchronization signal sent by the base station. After obtaining the downlink synchronization, the UE needs to perform uplink synchronization to ensure that the time of the uplink signal of all UEs reaching the base station is aligned with the uplink time of the base station. The uplink obtains the uplink synchronization by initiating random access. Specifically, the UE sends a preamble to the base station, the base station obtains the transmission delay between the UE and the base station by receiving the preamble, and then the base station issues a timing advance TA command (TA value equal to twice the transmission delay) to the UE. The UE advances the uplink by the value indicated by the TA to obtain the uplink synchronization. Figure 1 A timing synchronization diagram is shown in FIG. 1.

[0039] Since the downlink signal sent by the base station reaches the terminal and experiences a one-way propagation delay, the downlink time of the terminal is delayed by a one-way propagation delay time compared with the base station. When the UE aligns its own uplink time with its own downlink time and then performs uplink transmission, it will experience a one-way propagation delay time to reach the base station. Therefore, at the base station side, the uplink time is delayed by a round-trip time (RTT) compared with the downlink time, as shown in FIG. 1(a). Since the RTT of different UEs and base stations is different, the uplink time of different UEs is not aligned at the base station side, which will cause interference between the data sent by the UEs. In order to solve this problem, the base station adjusts the uplink time of the UE by sending a TA adjustment command, so that the uplink time of the UE is advanced by an RTT time to ensure that the uplink time of all UEs reaching the base station side is aligned, as shown in FIG. 1(b). Figure 1 Figure 1

[0040] ​​In addition to the common TA that the UE needs to compensate for, the network also broadcasts the satellite ephemeris information to help the UE obtain the position of the satellite to calculate the RTT of the UE to the satellite. Due to the mobility of the satellite, both the common TA and the ephemeris information change, so the ephemeris information and the common TA broadcast in the system message have a validity time, referred to as the UL synchronization validity duration. The ephemeris information and the common TA are sent in a system message (SIB), and they share a validity time. The value of the validity time is broadcast by the network to the UE, and the UE starts the UL synchronization validity timer according to the starting effective time (also referred to as the epoch time) of the validity time corresponding to the ephemeris information and the common TA in the broadcast message.

[0041] For the NR NTN, SIB19 broadcasts the NTN-related system message, and for the LTE NTN, SIB31 broadcasts the NTN-related system message. Taking the NR NTN as an example, when the UE obtains SIB19, the UE starts the timer T430 (also referred to as the UL synchronization validity timer) according to the starting effective time indicated in SIB19. The starting effective time can point to a future time. Then, whether the UE can apply the SIB19 at the current time in advance is not concluded. Taking the NR NTN as an example, the current protocol stipulates that after the UE receives SIB19, the MAC layer is notified that the uplink synchronization has been restored. However, the epoch time can point to the future, and the UE can not have applied SIB19, so there is a problem with the indication time.

[0042] It can be understood that the scheme provided by the present disclosure can be applied to a satellite access network, in particular, to a non-terrestrial network NTN, including but not limited to a 5G core network and a core network supporting subsequent communication technologies thereof, such as a long-term evolution technology (LTE), a fifth-generation mobile communication technology evolution (5G-advanced), a sixth-generation mobile communication technology (Sixth Generation, 6G), etc., which are not limited in the present disclosure.

[0043] It should be understood that the method provided by the present disclosure can be applied to an NTN communication system, and can be applied to a transparent mode or a regenerative mode. The present disclosure is not limited.

[0044] The NTN communication scheme provided by the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] Figure 2 A flowchart of a non-terrestrial network communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The method is performed by a UE. The UE described in the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, a smart terminal device, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handset, a mobile unit, a vehicle, a vehicle-mounted device, etc., and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0046] As shown in the method includes the following steps. Figure 2

[0047] S201, receiving an NTN system message sent by a network device, and confirming that uplink synchronization has been restored when a preset condition is met.

[0048] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the preset condition includes at least one of the following: when the UE applies the NTN system message; when the UE receives the NTN system message; and when the UE starts a synchronization valid timer.

[0049] It should be understood that the "confirmation that uplink synchronization has been restored" in the present disclosure means an indication between different layers of the UE, specifically, an indication from a radio resource control (RRC) layer of the UE to lower layers of the UE that uplink synchronization has been restored, wherein the lower layers can be any one of a medium access control (MAC) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0050] In the present disclosure, the NTN system message can be an NR SIB19 or an LTE SIB31 / SIB31-NB, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0051] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the NTN system message can include satellite assistance information and / or timing advance (TA) information, and the effective time of the NTN system message can be directed to any time, in particular, the effective time of the NTN system message can be a future time, i.e., a time after the UE receives the NTN system message.

[0052] ​In summary, according to the method proposed in the present disclosure, the UE can receive the NTN system message sent by the network device, and confirm that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the preset condition is met, wherein the preset condition can be when the UE applies the NTN system message, or when the UE receives the NTN system message, or when the UE starts the synchronization valid timer. Therefore, the present disclosure solves the problem of the timing of the RRC layer of the UE indicating to the lower layer that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the effective time in the system message points to a future time in the related art.

[0053] Figure 3 A flowchart of a non-terrestrial network communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The method can be performed by a UE based on Figure 2 As shown in the embodiment, Figure 3 The method can include the following steps.

[0054] S301, sending capability information to a network device.

[0055] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the capability information is used to identify whether the UE supports early application of the NTN system message. The UE reports its own capability information to the base station, and the capability information indicates whether the UE supports early application of SIB19 / SIB31 / SIB-31NB.

[0056] For example, the value of the capability information can be 1 or 0, where 1 indicates that the UE supports early application, and 0 indicates that the UE does not support early application. For another example, the value of the capability information can be 1, and the UE sends the capability information to the network device only when the UE supports early application, and does not send the capability information to the UE when the UE does not support early application.

[0057] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the capability information is used to assist the network device in configuring parameters in the NTN system message. For example, if the network can know whether the UE supports early application of SIB19, it can help the network to better configure the ephemeris and common TA related parameters of the connected state UE, such as whether the effective time of twice ephemeris and common TA configuration can overlap. For example, when the network knows that the UE supports early application, the network can configure the UE with an overlap between the effective time of twice system message, so that there is no gap between the application of twice system message, avoiding the case that there is no system message available between the two effective time, thereby improving the communication performance.

[0058] In one implementation, the UE capability information can be sent through the RRC message UECapabilityInformation message, which is not limited in the present disclosure.

[0059] It can be understood that the above step S301 is an optional step, which is not limited in the present disclosure. It can be understood that the above step S301 is an optional step, which is not limited in the present disclosure.

[0060] S302, receiving the NTN system message sent by the network device, and confirming that the uplink synchronization has been restored when a preset condition is met.

[0061] In embodiments of the present disclosure, the preset condition includes at least one of the following: the UE applies the NTN system message; the UE receives the NTN system message; and the UE starts a synchronization validity timer.

[0062] In the present embodiment, the above three preset conditions are described in detail.

[0063] In embodiments of the present disclosure, the NTN system message includes satellite assistance information and / or timing advance (TA) information. The satellite assistance information can be ephemeris information.

[0064] In embodiments of the present disclosure, applying the NTN system message includes applying at least part of the information in the NTN system message. For example, only the ephemeris information is applied, or only the TA information is applied, or both are applied.

[0065] It should be understood that, in embodiments of the present disclosure, applying the NTN system message can be early application. When the validity time point corresponding to the NTN system message points to a time point after the UE receives the NTN system message and the UE supports early application of the NTN system message, the UE can apply the NTN system message before the future time point. In other words, when the UE receives the system message, the validity time point corresponding to the system message points to a future time point after the UE receives the system message, and the UE can apply the information in the SIB before the validity time point. The way of application includes applying all or only part of the parameters in the SIB.

[0066] Specifically, the way of early application includes the following two ways:

[0067] 1) According to the information in the NTN system message, the information that can be applied at the current time point is calculated:

[0068] For example, the UE can determine the satellite assistance information used during the current time to the validity time (future time) according to the satellite assistance information in the NTN system message, so as to apply the satellite assistance information used during the current time to the future time before the future time comes.

[0069] For another example, the UE can determine the TA information used during the current time to the future time according to the TA information in the NTN system message, so as to apply the TA information used during the current time to the future time before the future time comes.

[0070] 2) Directly use the information in the NTN system message:

[0071] For example, the UE can directly apply the satellite assistance information and / or the TA information in the NTN system message without further calculation.

[0072] In an optional embodiment, the UE can also apply the NTN system message when the future time comes.

[0073] In another embodiment, when the validity time corresponding to the NTN system message points to a time after the UE receives the NTN system message and the UE supports early application of the NTN system message, the RRC layer of the UE indicates to the lower layer that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the UE receives the NTN system message. It can be understood that the case of confirming that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the NTN system message is received can also be applicable to the case where the validity time points to a time before the UE receives the NTN system message, which is not discussed in the present disclosure.

[0074] In another embodiment, when the validity time corresponding to the NTN system message points to a time after the UE receives the NTN system message and the UE does not support early application of the NTN system message, the RRC layer of the UE indicates to the lower layer that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the synchronization validity timer is started.

[0075] In summary, according to the method proposed in the present disclosure, the UE can receive the NTN system message sent by the network device, and confirm that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the preset condition is met, wherein the UE can report its capability information to the network to inform the network whether it supports early application of the system message, so that the network can better configure the parameters in the system message and improve the communication performance. In addition, the present disclosure solves the problem of the timing of the RRC layer of the UE indicating to the lower layer that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the validity time in the system message points to a future time in the related art.

[0076] Figure 4 A flowchart of a non-terrestrial network communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The method is performed by a network device. As shown in the figure, the method comprises the following steps. Figure 4

[0077] S401, sending an NTN system message to a user equipment (UE).

[0078] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the NTN system message is used to assist the UE to confirm that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the preset condition is met, that is, to assist the RRC layer of the UE to indicate to the MAC layer or the RLC layer or the PDCP layer of the UE that the uplink synchronization has been restored.

[0079] In the present disclosure, the preset condition comprises at least one of the following: when the UE applies the NTN system message; when the UE receives the NTN system message; and when the UE starts the synchronization validity timer.

[0080] ​In the present disclosure, the NTN system message can be NR SIB19, or LTE SIB31 / SIB31-NB, which is not limited in the present disclosure.

[0081] In summary, according to the method proposed in the present disclosure, the network device can send the NTN system message to the UE, and the NTN system message can assist the UE to confirm that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the preset condition is met, thereby solving the problem of the timing of the RRC layer of the UE indicating to the lower layer that the uplink synchronization has been restored in the NTN communication related technology when the effective time in the system message points to a future time.

[0082] Figure 5 A flowchart of a non-terrestrial network communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The method can be performed by a network device, based on Figure 4 As shown in the embodiment, the method can include the following steps. Figure 5

[0083] S501, receiving the capability information sent by the UE.

[0084] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the capability information is used to identify whether the UE supports early application of the NTN system message. The UE reports its own capability information to the base station, and the capability information indicates whether the UE supports early application of SIB19 / SIB31 / SIB-31NB.

[0085] For example, the value of the capability information can be 1 or 0, where 1 indicates that the UE supports early application, and 0 indicates that the UE does not support early application. For another example, the value of the capability information can be 1, and the UE sends the capability information to the network device only when the UE supports early application, and does not send the capability information to the UE when the UE does not support early application.

[0086] In an embodiment, the UE capability information can be sent through the RRC message UECapabilityInformation message, which is not limited in the present disclosure.

[0087] S502, based on the capability information, configuring parameters in the NTN system message.

[0088] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the capability information is used to assist the network device to configure the parameters in the NTN system message. Specifically, if the capability information identifies that the UE supports early application of the NTN system message, the effective time of at least two NTN system messages is configured to overlap.

[0089] ​For example, if the network can know whether the UE supports early application of SIB19, the network can better configure the ephemeris and common TA related parameters of the connected state UE, such as whether there can be an overlap between the valid time of two ephemeris and common TA configurations. For example, when the network knows that the UE supports early application, the network can configure the UE that there is an overlap between the valid time of two system messages, and there will be no gap between the application of two system messages, avoiding the case that there is no system message available between the two valid time periods, thereby improving the communication performance.

[0090] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the start time of the valid time is the effective time described in the above embodiment.

[0091] It can be understood that the above steps S501 and S502 are optional steps, which are not limited in the present disclosure.

[0092] S503, sending the NTN system message to the UE.

[0093] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the network device can send the configured NTN system message to the UE to assist the UE in confirming that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the preset condition is met. The specific implementation can refer to the UE side embodiment shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 , which will not be described here.

[0094] In summary, according to the method proposed in the present disclosure, the network can receive the capability information reported by the UE, and the network can know whether the UE supports early application of system messages, so as to better configure the parameters in the system message and improve the communication performance. The network device sends the configured NTN system message to the UE to assist the UE in confirming that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the preset condition is met. The present disclosure solves the problem of the timing of the RRC layer of the UE indicating to the lower layer that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the effective time in the system message points to a future time in the related art.

[0095] Figure 6 An interaction diagram of a non-terrestrial network communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method is applied to a communication system, which includes a UE and a network device. As shown in Figure 6 , the method includes the following steps.

[0096] S601, the UE reports capability information to the network device.

[0097] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the capability information of the UE is used to identify whether the UE supports early application of the NTN system message.

[0098] S602, the network device configures parameters in the NTN system message according to the capability information of the UE.

[0099] Network devices can better configure the ephemeris and common TA related parameters of connected UEs based on whether the UE supports advance application, such as whether the effective time of two ephemeris and common TA configurations can overlap.

[0100] It is understood that steps S601 and S602 above are optional steps.

[0101] S603, the network device sends an NTN system message to the UE.

[0102] The network device may send NTN system messages to the UE, which include satellite-aided information and / or advance timing (TA) information. These system messages may be configured by the network device based on the UE's capability information, or they may be configured without considering the UE's capability information; this disclosure does not impose any restrictions.

[0103] S604, the UE confirms that uplink synchronization has been restored when the preset conditions are met, based on the NTN system message.

[0104] The UE can, based on parameters in the NTN system message, indicate to the lower layer that uplink synchronization has been restored when preset conditions are met. For detailed implementation methods, please refer to [link to implementation details]. Figures 2 to 5 The embodiments shown will not be described in detail here.

[0105] In summary, according to the method proposed in this disclosure, the network can receive capability information reported by the UE, and the network can know whether the UE supports the advance application of system messages, thereby better configuring the parameters in the system messages and improving communication performance. The network device sends the configured NTN system message to the UE to assist the UE in confirming that uplink synchronization has been restored when preset conditions are met. This disclosure solves the problem in related technologies where the UE's RRC layer indicates to the lower layer that uplink synchronization has been restored when the effective time in the system message points to a future time.

[0106] In the embodiments provided above, the methods provided by the embodiments of this application have been described from the perspectives of the user equipment side and the network equipment side, respectively. To implement the functions of the methods provided in the embodiments of this application, the network equipment and the user equipment may include hardware structures and software modules, and may implement the above functions in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules. One of the above functions may be executed in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules.

[0107] Corresponding to the non-terrestrial network communication methods provided in the above embodiments, this disclosure also provides a non-terrestrial network communication device. Since the non-terrestrial network communication device provided in this disclosure corresponds to the non-terrestrial network communication methods provided in the above embodiments, the implementation methods of the non-terrestrial network communication methods are also applicable to the non-terrestrial network communication device provided in this embodiment, and will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0108] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a non-terrestrial network communication device 700 provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The non-terrestrial network communication device 700 can be used in user equipment.

[0109] like Figure 7 As shown, the device 700 may include:

[0110] The transceiver module 710 is used to receive NTN system messages sent by the network device and confirm that uplink synchronization has been restored when preset conditions are met. The preset conditions include at least one of the following: when NTN system messages are applied; when the UE receives NTN system messages; when the UE starts a synchronization validity timer.

[0111] According to the non-terrestrial network communication method provided in this disclosure, the UE can receive NTN system messages sent by the network device and confirm that uplink synchronization has been restored when preset conditions are met. These preset conditions can be when the UE applies the NTN system message, when the UE receives the NTN system message, or when the UE starts a synchronization validity timer. Therefore, this disclosure solves the problem in related technologies where the UE's RRC layer indicates to the lower layer that uplink synchronization has been restored when the effective time in the system message points to a future time.

[0112] In some embodiments of this disclosure, NTN system messages include satellite auxiliary information and / or timing advance TA information, and application NTN system messages include at least a portion of the information in the application NTN system messages.

[0113] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the transceiver module 710 is specifically configured to: if the effective time corresponding to the NTN system message points to a time after the UE receives the NTN system message and the UE supports applying the NTN system message in advance, confirm that uplink synchronization has been restored when the UE receives the NTN system message.

[0114] In some embodiments of this disclosure, if the effective time corresponding to the NTN system message points to a time after the UE receives the NTN system message and the UE supports the early application of the NTN system message, the transceiver module 710 is further configured to:

[0115] According to the satellite assistance information in the NTN system message, satellite assistance information used during a current time to an effective time is determined, and the satellite assistance information used during the current time to the effective time is applied.

[0116] According to the TA information in the NTN system message, TA information used during a current time to an effective time is determined, and the TA information used during the current time to the effective time is applied.

[0117] The satellite assistance information and / or the TA information in the NTN system message are applied.

[0118] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, if the effective time corresponding to the NTN system message points to a time after the UE receives the NTN system message and the UE supports early application of the NTN system message, the transceiver 710 is further configured to: apply the NTN system message before the effective time, or apply the NTN system message when the effective time comes.

[0119] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transceiver 710 is specifically configured to: if the effective time corresponding to the NTN system message points to a time after the UE receives the NTN system message and the UE does not support early application of the NTN system message, confirm that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the UE starts the synchronization validity timer.

[0120] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transceiver 710 is further configured to:

[0121] Send the capability information to the network device, the capability information indicating whether the UE supports early application of the NTN system message, and the capability information being used to assist the network device in configuring parameters in the NTN system message.

[0122] In summary, according to the non-terrestrial network communication method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, the UE can receive the NTN system message sent by the network device, and confirm that the uplink synchronization has been restored when a preset condition is met, wherein the UE can report its own capability information to the network to inform the network whether it supports early application of the system message, so that the network can better configure the parameters in the system message and improve the communication performance.

[0123] In addition, the present disclosure solves the problem of the timing of the RRC layer of the UE indicating to the lower layer that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the effective time in the system message points to a future time.

[0124] Figure 8 A structural schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network communication device 800 provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The non-terrestrial network communication device 800 can be used in a network device.

[0125] As Figure 8As shown, the apparatus 800 can include:

[0126] The transceiver is configured to transmit an NTN system message to a user equipment (UE).

[0127] According to the non-terrestrial network communication method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, the network device can transmit an NTN system message to the UE, so as to solve the problem of the timing of the RRC layer of the UE indicating to the lower layer that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the effective time in the system message points to a future time in the related art.

[0128] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transceiver 810 is further configured to:

[0129] Receive capability information transmitted by the UE, wherein the capability information indicates whether the UE supports early application of the NTN system message.

[0130] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as Figure 9 As shown, the apparatus 800 further includes:

[0131] The configuration module is configured to configure a parameter in the NTN system message based on the capability information.

[0132] In summary, according to the non-terrestrial network communication method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, the network can receive the capability information reported by the UE, and the network can know whether the UE supports early application of the system message, so as to better configure the parameter in the system message and improve the communication performance. The network device transmits the configured NTN system message to the UE to assist the UE in confirming that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the preset condition is met. The present disclosure solves the problem of the timing of the RRC layer of the UE indicating to the lower layer that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the effective time in the system message points to a future time in the related art.

[0133] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a communication system, which includes a user equipment (UE) and a network device, wherein:

[0134] The UE reports capability information to the network device.

[0135] The network device configures a parameter in the NTN system message according to the capability information of the UE.

[0136] The network device transmits the NTN system message to the UE.

[0137] The UE confirms that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the preset condition is met according to the NTN system message.

[0138] In summary, according to the non-terrestrial network communication method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, the network can receive the capability information reported by the UE, and the network can know whether the UE supports the early application of system messages, so as to better configure the parameters in the system messages and improve the communication performance. The network device sends the configured NTN system message to the UE to assist the UE in confirming that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the preset condition is met. The present disclosure solves the problem of the timing of the RRC layer of the UE indicating to the lower layer that the uplink synchronization has been restored when the effective time in the system message points to a future time in the related art.

[0139] Please refer to Figure 10 , Figure 10 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication apparatus 1000 provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication apparatus 1000 can be a network device, can be a user equipment, can be a chip, a chip system, or a processor supporting the network device to implement the method described above, and can also be a chip, a chip system, or a processor supporting the user equipment to implement the method described above. The apparatus can be used to implement the method described in the method embodiment described above, and specific reference can be made to the description in the method embodiment described above.

[0140] The communication apparatus 1000 can include one or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 can be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, etc. For example, it can be a baseband processor or a central processor. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processor can be used to control the communication apparatus (such as a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal device, a terminal device chip, a DU or a CU, etc.), execute a computer program, and process data of the computer program.

[0141] Optionally, the communication apparatus 1000 can further include one or more memories 1002, which can have a computer program 1004 stored thereon. The processor 1001 executes the computer program 1004 to enable the communication apparatus 1000 to perform the method described in the method embodiment described above. Optionally, the memory 1002 can also store data. The communication apparatus 1000 and the memory 1002 can be separately arranged or integrated together.

[0142] Optionally, the communication apparatus 1000 can further include a transceiver 1005, an antenna 1006. The transceiver 1005 can be referred to as a transceiving unit, a transceiver, or a transceiving circuit, etc., and is used to realize the transceiving function. The transceiver 1005 can include a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver can be referred to as a receiver or a receiving circuit, etc., and is used to realize the receiving function. The transmitter can be referred to as a transmitter or a transmitting circuit, etc., and is used to realize the transmitting function.

[0143] Optionally, the communication apparatus 1000 can further include one or more interface circuits 1007. The interface circuits 1007 are used to receive code instructions and transmit to the processor 1001. The processor 1001 runs the code instructions to make the communication apparatus 1000 perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0144] In an implementation manner, the processor 1001 can include a transceiver for implementing receiving and sending functions. For example, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit, or an interface, or an interface circuit. The transceiver circuit, interface or interface circuit for implementing receiving and sending functions can be separate or integrated together. The above transceiver circuit, interface or interface circuit can be used for reading and writing of code / data, or the above transceiver circuit, interface or interface circuit can be used for transmission or transfer of signals.

[0145] In an implementation manner, the processor 1001 can store a computer program 1003, which runs on the processor 1001 and can make the communication apparatus 1000 perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The computer program 1003 can be fixed in the processor 1001, in which case the processor 1001 can be implemented by hardware.

[0146] In an implementation manner, the communication apparatus 1000 can include a circuit, which can implement the functions of sending or receiving or communication in the above method embodiments. The processor and the transceiver described in the present application can be implemented on an integrated circuit (IC), an analog IC, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), a mixed signal IC, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a printed circuit board (PCB), an electronic device, etc. The processor and the transceiver can also be manufactured by various IC process technologies, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), N-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS), P-type metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS), bipolar junction transistor (BJT), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), etc.

[0147] The communication device described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a user equipment, but the scope of the communication device described in this application is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device may vary. Figure 10 The communication device can be a standalone device or part of a larger device. For example, the communication device could be:

[0148] (1) Independent integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem;

[0149] (2) A collection of one or more ICs, optionally including storage components for storing data and computer programs;

[0150] (3) ASIC, such as modem;

[0151] (4) Modules that can be embedded in other devices;

[0152] (5) Receivers, terminal equipment, smart terminal equipment, cellular phones, wireless equipment, handheld devices, mobile units, vehicle-mounted equipment, network equipment, cloud equipment, artificial intelligence equipment, etc.

[0153] (6) Others, etc.

[0154] For cases where the communication device can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 11 The diagram shows the structure of the chip. Figure 11 The chip shown includes a processor 1101 and an interface 1102. There can be one or more processors 1101, and multiple interfaces 1102.

[0155] Optionally, the chip also includes a memory 1103 for storing necessary computer programs and data.

[0156] Those skilled in the art will also understand that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps listed in the embodiments of this application can be implemented by electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. Whether such functionality is implemented through hardware or software depends on the specific application and the overall system design requirements. Those skilled in the art can implement the functionality using various methods for each specific application, but such implementation should not be construed as exceeding the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application.

[0157] This application also provides a readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, implement the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0158] The application further provides a computer program product, which, when executed by a computer, implements the functions of any of the method embodiments described above.

[0159] In the above embodiments, the implementation can be wholly or partially realized by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When realized by software, the implementation can be wholly or partially realized in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs. When the computer programs are loaded and executed by a computer, the whole or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of the application is produced. The computer can be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable apparatus. The computer program can be stored in a computer readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer readable storage medium to another computer readable storage medium, for example, the computer program can be transmitted from one website site, computer, server or data center to another website site, computer, server or data center through wired (for example, coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (for example, infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode. The computer readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. containing one or more available media sets. The available media can be magnetic media (for example, floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), optical media (for example, high-density digital video disc (digital video disc, DVD)), or semiconductor media (for example, solid state disk (solid state disk, SSD)) and the like.

[0160] Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that the various numbers such as first, second, etc. involved in the application are only distinguished for the convenience of description, and do not limit the scope of the embodiments of the application, nor represent the order of precedence.

[0161] At least one of the present application can also be described as one or more, and the plurality can be two, three, four or more, which is not limited in the present application. In the embodiments of the present application, for a technical feature, the technical features in the technical feature are distinguished by "first", "second", "third", "A", "B", "C" and "D", and there is no order or size order between the technical features described by "first", "second", "third", "A", "B", "C" and "D".

[0162] As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any computer program product, apparatus and / or device (e.g., magnetic discs, optical disks, memory, Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs)) used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term "machine-readable signal" refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0163] The systems and techniques described here can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back end component (e.g., as a data server), or that includes a middleware component (e.g., an application server), or that includes a front end component (e.g., a user computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the systems and techniques described here), or any combination of such back end, middleware, or front end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and the Internet.

[0164] The computer system can include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server is generally established using computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship with one another.

[0165] It should be understood that the various forms of flow shown in the above figures can be re-ordered, added to, or deleted from, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the steps recited in the present disclosure can be performed in parallel, in series, or in different orders, without departing from the desired results of the technology disclosed in the present disclosure, and are not limited herein.

[0166] In addition, it should be understood that various embodiments of the present application can be implemented alone or in combination with other embodiments as allowed by the schemes.

[0167] Those of skill in the art would understand that the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. The

[0168] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the above-described system, device and unit can refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be described herein again.

[0169] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed by the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication method, comprising: The method is performed by a user equipment (UE), and the method comprises: receiving an NTN system message sent by a network device, and confirming that uplink synchronization has been restored when a preset condition is met; wherein the preset condition comprises at least one of the following: when the UE applies the NTN system message; when the UE receives the NTN system message; when the UE starts a synchronization validity timer; The method further comprises: sending capability information to the network device, wherein the capability information indicates whether the UE supports early application of the NTN system message, and the capability information is used to assist the network device in configuring parameters in the NTN system message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The NTN system message comprises satellite assistance information and / or timing advance (TA) information, and the application of the NTN system message comprises application of at least part of the information in the NTN system message.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, When the UE receives the NTN system message, confirming that uplink synchronization has been restored comprises: if the validity time of the NTN system message points to a time after the UE receives the NTN system message, and the UE supports early application of the NTN system message, confirming that uplink synchronization has been restored when the UE receives the NTN system message.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, If the validity time of the NTN system message points to a time after the UE receives the NTN system message and the UE supports early application of the NTN system message, the application of the NTN system message comprises at least one of the following: determining satellite assistance information used during the validity time from the current time according to the satellite assistance information in the NTN system message, and applying the satellite assistance information used during the validity time from the current time; determining TA information used during the validity time from the current time according to the TA information in the NTN system message, and applying the TA information used during the validity time from the current time; applying the satellite assistance information and / or TA information in the NTN system message.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, If the validity time of the NTN system message points to a time after the UE receives the NTN system message and the UE supports early application of the NTN system message, the application of the NTN system message comprises: applying the NTN system message before the validity time, or applying the NTN system message when the validity time comes.

6. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, Confirming that uplink synchronization has been restored when the UE starts the synchronization validity timer comprises: if the validity time of the NTN system message points to a time after the UE receives the NTN system message, and the UE does not support early application of the NTN system message, confirming that uplink synchronization has been restored when the UE starts the synchronization validity timer.

7. A non-terrestrial network, NTN, communication method, comprising: The method is performed by a network device, and the method comprises: sending an NTN system message to a user equipment (UE); The method further comprises: receiving capability information sent by the UE, wherein the capability information indicates whether the UE supports early application of the NTN system message; configuring parameters in the NTN system message based on the capability information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The configuring the parameters in the NTN system message based on the capability information comprises: If the capability information indicates that the UE supports early application of the NTN system message, configuring at least two NTN system messages with overlapping validity time.

9. A non-terrestrial network, NTN, communication apparatus, comprising: The apparatus comprises: The transceiver is configured to receive an NTN system message sent by a network device, and confirm that uplink synchronization has been restored when a preset condition is met, The preset condition comprises at least one of the following: When the UE applies the NTN system message; When the UE receives the NTN system message; When the UE starts a synchronization validity timer; The transceiver is further configured to send capability information to the network device, the capability information indicating whether the UE supports early application of the NTN system message, and the capability information being used to assist the network device in configuring parameters in the NTN system message.

10. A non-terrestrial network, NTN, communication apparatus, comprising: The apparatus comprises: The transceiver is configured to send an NTN system message to a user equipment (UE). The transceiver is further configured to receive capability information sent by the UE, the capability information indicating whether the UE supports early application of the NTN system message. The processing module is configured to configure parameters in the NTN system message based on the capability information.

11. A communication device, wherein, It comprises: A transceiver; A memory; A processor connected with the transceiver and the memory respectively, configured to control wireless signal transceiving of the transceiver by executing computer executable instructions on the memory, and capable of realizing the method in any one of claims 1-8.

12. A computer storage medium, wherein, The computer storage medium stores computer executable instructions; the computer executable instructions are executed by the processor, and capable of realizing the method in any one of claims 1-8.

13. A communication system, characterized by It comprises: A user equipment (UE) and a network device, wherein The UE is configured to execute the method in any one of claims 1-6; The network device is configured to execute the method in any one of claims 7-8.

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