Data transmission method, device, electronic device and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a data transmission method, device, electronic device and storage medium, which relate to the field of communication technology. The method includes: when a user equipment UE accesses a core network through at least one satellite that is not continuously connected, selecting a satellite from at least one satellite to insert an on-board user plane function UPF network element; wherein the on-board UPF network element is used to receive and store downlink data sent by the core network when it is not connected to the UE and is connected to the core network, and forward the stored downlink data to the UE when it is connected to the UE. Compared with waiting for the UE to connect to the core network before sending the downlink data, this data transmission method improves the communication time efficiency when sending downlink data to the UE.

Description

Background Art

[0002] In the field of communication technology, the integrated air-ground network is a key technology for the future 6G (6th Generation Mobile Networks), and satellites on network elements are also a key feature. As the satellite orbits the earth, its position relative to the ground is constantly changing, which results in the UE (User Equipment) being unable to maintain a continuous connection when accessing the core network via satellite. When the link is interrupted, the transmission of downlink data is also interrupted, and it is necessary to wait for the link to be restored before continuing to send downlink data.

[0003] However, the communication efficiency of waiting for the link to be restored before continuing to send downlink data is low, and a method to improve the communication efficiency is urgently needed.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a data sending method, device, electronic device and storage medium, which at least to a certain extent provide a way to improve the timeliness of communication.

[0006] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part by the practice of the present disclosure.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a data sending method is provided, comprising: when a user equipment UE accesses a core network through at least one satellite in non-continuous connection, selecting a satellite from the at least one satellite to insert an on-board user plane function UPF network element; wherein the on-board UPF network element is used to receive and store downlink data sent by the core network when it is not connected to the UE and is connected to the core network, and forward the stored downlink data to the UE when it is connected to the UE.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, it also includes: acquiring the operation trajectory information of the on-satellite UPF network element and the first location information of the UE; generating a first connection time indicating that the on-satellite UPF network element maintains a connection with the UE based on the operation trajectory information and the first location information; and sending the first connection time to the on-satellite UPF network element so that the on-satellite UPF network element can send downlink data to the UE through the base station to which the UE is connected during the first connection time.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, it also includes: acquiring second position information of the ground station corresponding to the satellite; generating a second connection time indicating that the on-board UPF network element maintains connection with the core network based on the operation trajectory information and the second position information; sending the second connection time to the anchor UPF network element in the core network, so that the anchor UPF network element can send downlink data to the on-board UPF network element within the second connection time, and store the received downlink data outside the second connection time.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, it also includes: obtaining the storage space information signed by the UE; and sending respective storage space information to the on-board UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element according to the storage space information, so that the on-board UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element configure the storage space for storing the downlink data of the UE according to their respective storage space information.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, it also includes: sending a first notification to the onboard UPF network element to perform downlink data storage and forwarding operations under non-continuous connection and keep the N3 interface open, so that the onboard UPF network element, based on the first notification, performs reception and storage of downlink data sent by the core network when not connected to the UE and connected to the core network, and forwards the stored downlink data to the base station connected to the UE through the N3 interface when connected to the UE; sending a second notification to the base station to perform downlink data forwarding operations under non-continuous connection and keep the N3 interface open, so that the base station receives the downlink data sent by the onboard UPF network element through N3 based on the second notification, and forwards the received downlink data to the UE; sending a third notification to the UE to perform downlink data operations under non-continuous connection, so that the UE receives the downlink data forwarded by the base station based on the third notification.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, it also includes: sending parameter information of the UE to the base station so that the base station stores the parameter information, establishing a communication connection with the UE based on the parameter information, and forwarding downlink data to the UE based on the communication connection.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the base station stores the context information of the UE according to the second notification; the parameter information includes paging parameters; and the base station establishes a communication connection with the UE based on the paging parameters and the context information.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the selecting a satellite from the at least one satellite to insert into the on-board user plane function UPF network element includes: obtaining satellite information and third position information of the at least one satellite, wherein the satellite information includes the satellite's orbit information, or the satellite information includes the satellite's orbit information and link information, and the link information is the link information between the satellite and the ground station; the third position information includes the first position information of the UE and / or the second position information of the ground station; and according to the satellite information and the third position information, selecting a satellite from the at least one satellite to insert into the on-board UPF network element.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a data sending device is provided, including: an insertion module, used to select a satellite from the at least one satellite to insert an on-board user plane function UPF network element when a user equipment UE accesses a core network through at least one satellite that is not continuously connected; wherein the on-board UPF network element is used to receive and store downlink data sent by the core network when it is not connected to the UE and is connected to the core network, and to forward the stored downlink data to the UE when it is connected to the UE.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the device also includes: an acquisition module, used to acquire the operation trajectory information of the on-board UPF network element and the first location information of the UE; a generation module, used to generate a first connection time indicating that the on-board UPF network element maintains a connection with the UE based on the operation trajectory information and the first location information; a sending module, used to send the first connection time to the on-board UPF network element, so that the on-board UPF network element can send downlink data to the UE through the base station to which the UE is connected during the first connection time.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the acquisition module is also used to acquire the second position information of the ground station corresponding to the satellite; the generation module is also used to generate a second connection time indicating that the on-board UPF network element maintains connection with the core network based on the operation trajectory information and the second position information; the sending module is also used to send the second connection time to the anchor UPF network element in the core network, so that the anchor UPF network element can send downlink data to the on-board UPF network element within the second connection time, and store the received downlink data outside the second connection time.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the acquisition module is also used to acquire the storage space information signed by the UE; the sending module is also used to send respective storage space information to the on-board UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element according to the storage space information, so that the on-board UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element can configure the storage space for storing the downlink data of the UE according to their respective storage space information.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the sending module is also used to send a first notification to the onboard UPF network element to perform downlink data storage and forwarding operations under non-continuous connection and keep the N3 interface open, so that the onboard UPF network element, based on the first notification, receives and stores downlink data sent by the core network when it is not connected to the UE and is connected to the core network, and forwards the stored downlink data to the base station connected to the UE through the N3 interface when it is connected to the UE; sends a second notification to the base station to perform downlink data forwarding operations under non-continuous connection and keep the N3 interface open, so that the base station receives the downlink data sent by the onboard UPF network element through N3 based on the second notification, and forwards the received downlink data to the UE; sends a third notification to the UE to perform downlink data operations under non-continuous connection, so that the UE receives the downlink data forwarded by the base station based on the third notification.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the sending module is also used to send parameter information of the UE to the base station so that the base station can store the parameter information, establish a communication connection with the UE based on the parameter information, and forward downlink data to the UE based on the communication connection.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the base station stores the context information of the UE according to the second notification; the parameter information includes paging parameters; and the base station establishes a communication connection with the UE based on the paging parameters and the context information.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the insertion module is used to obtain satellite information and third position information of the at least one satellite, wherein the satellite information includes the satellite's trajectory information, or the satellite information includes the satellite's trajectory information and link information, and the link information is the link information between the satellite and the ground station; the third position information includes the first position information of the UE and / or the second position information of the ground station; and according to the satellite information and the third position information, a satellite is selected from the at least one satellite to be inserted into the onboard UPF network element.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to execute any of the above-mentioned data sending methods by executing the executable instructions.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, any of the above-mentioned data sending methods is implemented.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, wherein the computer program product comprises a computer program or computer instructions, wherein the computer program or the computer instructions are loaded and executed by a processor so that a computer implements any of the above-mentioned data sending methods.

[0026] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure includes at least the following beneficial effects:

[0027] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure selects a satellite from at least one satellite to insert an on-board UPF network element when the UE accesses the core network through at least one satellite that is not continuously connected, so that all downlink data sent from the core network to the UE must be forwarded by the on-board UPF network element. The on-board UPF network element is used to receive and store downlink data sent by the core network when it is not connected to the UE but connected to the core network, and to forward the stored downlink data to the UE when it is connected to the UE. Downlink data can be sent to the UE without waiting for the link between the UE and the core network to be restored. Compared with waiting for the UE to connect to the core network before sending the downlink data, the communication time efficiency when sending downlink data to the UE is improved.

[0028] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The accompanying drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and together with the specification are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without creative work.

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a data transmission system in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing a disconnection between an onboard UPF network element and a UE in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a disconnection between an onboard UPF network element and a UE in another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing a disconnection between an on-board UPF network element and a core network in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 5 A flow chart of a data sending method in one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0035] Figure 6 A signaling diagram showing data transmission in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a data sending device in one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0037] Figure 8 A structural block diagram of an electronic device in one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in a variety of forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete and to fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0039] In addition, the accompanying drawings are only schematic illustrations of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar parts, and their repeated description will be omitted. Some of the block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities can be implemented in software form, or implemented in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or implemented in different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0040] It should be understood that the various steps described in the method embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed in different orders and / or in parallel. In addition, the method embodiments may include additional steps and / or omit the steps shown. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0041] It should be noted that the concepts such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to limit the order or interdependence of the functions performed by these devices, modules or units.

[0042] It should be noted that the modifications of "one" and "plurality" mentioned in the present disclosure are illustrative rather than restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context, it should be understood as "one or more".

[0043] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a data sending system in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, and the system can apply the data sending method or data sending device in various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the data sending system may include: UE 101, base station 102, at least one satellite 103, an on-satellite UPF (User Plane Function) network element 1031, a core network 104, and an anchor UPF network element 1041 in the core network.

[0045] Among them, UE 101 can establish a signaling plane and a user plane connection with the core network 104 through the base station 102 and at least one satellite 103, thereby forming a link corresponding to each satellite between UE 101 and the core network 104. For example, at least one satellite 103 includes two satellites: satellite 1 and satellite 2. Then the link between UE 101 and the core network 104 may include:

[0046] Link 1: UE 101 - base station 102 - satellite 1 - core network 104;

[0047] Link 2: UE 101 - base station 102 - satellite 2 - core network 104 .

[0048] In one embodiment, the core network 104 may determine the core network 104 that the UE 101 accesses through a non-persistently connected satellite based on the configuration information of the UE 101. For example, by obtaining the link type when the UE 101 accesses the core network 104, it may be determined whether the link connecting the UE 101 and the core network 104 is based on a non-persistently connected satellite.

[0049] In one embodiment, each satellite in the at least one satellite 103 supports the function of implementing the UPF network element. In this case, the core network 104 can select a satellite from the at least one satellite 103 to insert the on-board UPF network element 1031 when it is determined that the UE 101 accesses the core network 104 through the at least one satellite 103 that is not continuously connected.

[0050] In another embodiment, at least one satellite 103 includes one or more satellites that can support the implementation of UPF network element functions. In this case, the core network 104 can select a satellite from the one or more satellites to insert the on-board UPF network element 1031 when it is determined that the UE 101 accesses the core network 104 through at least one satellite 103 that is not continuously connected.

[0051] The UPF network element 1031 can receive and store downlink data sent by the core network 104 when it is not connected to the UE 101 but is connected to the core network 104, and forward the stored downlink data to the UE 101 when it is connected to the UE 101 but not connected to the core network 104.

[0052] By adding a UPF network element between UE 101 and the core network 104 and configuring the UPF network element to implement receiving, storing and forwarding operations, UE 101 can forward the downlink data sent by the core network 104 to UE 101 without being fully connected to the core network 104. Compared with the requirement that UE 101 and the core network 104 are fully connected to send downlink data, the communication efficiency when sending downlink data to the UE is improved.

[0053] When the core network 104 sends downlink data to the on-board UPF network element 1031, the anchor UPF network element 1041 in the core network 104 forwards the downlink data to the on-board UPF network element 1031. When the core network 104 is disconnected from the on-board UPF network element 1031, the anchor UPF network element 1041 can store the downlink data to be sent to the UE 101, and forward the stored downlink data to the on-board UPF network element 1031 after restoring the connection with the on-board UPF network element 1031.

[0054] It should be noted that when UE 101 is connected to the core network 104 through the on-board UPF network element 1031, the on-board UPF network element 1031 can directly forward the downlink data sent by the core network 104 to UE 101.

[0055] In one embodiment, the base station 102 may be located on the ground. In this case, the disconnection between the on-board UPF network element 1031 and the UE 101 may be as follows: Figure 2 As shown, as the satellite orbits the earth, the disconnection between the on-board UPF network element 1031 and the UE may mean that the connection between the on-board UPF network element 1031 and the base station 102 is disconnected, while the connection between the base station 102 and the UE 101 is maintained.

[0056] In another embodiment, the base station 102 may be located on one of the at least one satellite 103. In this case, the satellite where the on-board UPF network element 1031 is located may be the same as the satellite where the base station 102 is located, that is, the on-board UPF network element 1031 and the base station 102 are carried by the same satellite. At this time, the connection between the on-board UPF network element 1031 and the UE 101 can be disconnected as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the onboard UPF network element 1031 and the base station 102 can be continuously connected, while the connection between the base station 102 and the UE 101 will be disconnected as the satellite orbits the earth.

[0057] The connection between the on-board UPF network element 1031 and the core network 104 can be disconnected as follows: Figure 4 shown.

[0058] It should be noted that the onboard UPF network element 1031 can be communicatively connected to the core network 104 and UE 101 at the same time, or it can be communicatively connected to only one of the core network 104 or UE 101 while being disconnected from the other and unable to communicate as the satellite orbits the earth, or it can be neither connected to the core network 104 nor to UE 101 as the satellite orbits the earth.

[0059] UE 101, base station 102, at least one satellite 103, on-board UPF network element 1031, core network 104, and anchor UPF network element 1041 in the core network are connected in communication via a network, which may be a wired network or a wireless network.

[0060] Optionally, the wireless network or wired network described above uses standard communication technology and / or protocol. The network is usually the Internet, but it can also be any network, including but not limited to a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a mobile, wired or wireless network, a dedicated network or any combination of a virtual private network). In some embodiments, technologies and / or formats including Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), etc. are used to represent data exchanged through the network. In addition, conventional encryption technologies such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), Virtual Private Network (VPN), Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) can also be used to encrypt all or some links. In other embodiments, customized and / or dedicated data communication technologies can also be used to replace or supplement the above data communication technologies.

[0061] UE 101 may be a variety of electronic devices, including but not limited to smartphones, tablet computers, laptop computers, desktop computers, wearable devices, augmented reality devices, virtual reality devices, etc.

[0062] Those skilled in the art will know that Figure 1 The number of satellites is only for illustration, and any number of satellites may be provided according to actual needs, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit this.

[0063] The present exemplary implementation is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0064] The present disclosure provides a method for sending data, which can be executed by any electronic device with computing and processing capabilities. For example, the method for sending data is executed by a core network.

[0065] Figure 5 A flow chart of a data transmission method in one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the data sending method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure includes the following S501.

[0066] S501, when the UE accesses the core network through at least one satellite in non-continuous connection, select a satellite from at least one satellite to insert an on-board UPF network element, wherein the on-board UPF network element is used to receive and store downlink data sent by the core network when it is not connected to the UE but connected to the core network, and forward the stored downlink data to the UE when it is connected to the UE.

[0067] In one embodiment, when the UE accesses the core network through at least one satellite with non-persistent connection, before selecting a satellite from at least one satellite to insert into the on-board UPF network element, the method may further include: obtaining the link type between the UE and the core network. The link type may indicate whether the connection between the UE and the core network is realized through a non-persistently connected satellite, that is, whether the link between the UE and the core network is realized based on a non-persistently connected satellite.

[0068] The link type has been stored and recorded by the corresponding network element when the UE requests to establish a link with the core network, and the core network can obtain the link type from the record of the network element.

[0069] When the link type indicates that the UE accesses the core network through at least one satellite with non-persistent connection, the core network may select a satellite from the at least one satellite to insert into the on-board UPF network element.

[0070] In one embodiment, selecting a satellite from the at least one satellite to insert into the on-board UPF network element may include: acquiring satellite information and third position information of the at least one satellite, wherein the satellite information includes the satellite's orbit information, or the satellite information includes the satellite's orbit information and link information, and the link information is link information between the satellite and the ground station; the third position information includes the first position information of the UE and / or the second position information of the ground station; and selecting a satellite from the at least one satellite to insert into the on-board UPF network element based on the satellite information and the third position information.

[0071] The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit what information the link information specifically includes. In some embodiments, the link information may include information such as link bandwidth and / or link delay.

[0072] The satellite's orbital information is used to indicate the satellite's position relative to the ground as it orbits the earth. Based on the satellite's orbital information, the satellite's position relative to the ground can be determined in real time.

[0073] According to the satellite's trajectory information and the first location information of the UE, the time during which the satellite and the UE can maintain a connection can be determined. According to the satellite's trajectory information and the second location information of the ground station, the time during which the satellite can connect to the core network through the ground station can be determined, that is, the time during which the onboard UPF network element carried by the satellite can connect to the core network. It should be noted that there can be multiple ground stations.

[0074] When the at least one satellite includes one satellite, the satellite can be directly selected as the satellite of the inserted on-board UPF network element without considering the satellite's trajectory information, link information, first position information and second position information.

[0075] When at least one satellite includes multiple satellites, the satellite information and the third position information can be integrated to select a satellite suitable for inserting the on-board UPF network element from at least one satellite. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit how to select a satellite suitable for inserting the on-board UPF network element from at least one satellite based on the satellite information and the third position information, and can be set as needed. For example, when comprehensively considering the satellite information and the third position information, the time when the UE is connected to the on-board UPF network element may account for a larger proportion when selecting the satellite, or the time when the core network is connected to the on-board UPF network element may account for a larger proportion when selecting the satellite.

[0076] In one embodiment, after completing the selection of the satellite and inserting the on-board UPF network element into the satellite, it may also include: sending a first notification to the on-board UPF network element to perform downlink data storage and forwarding operations under non-continuous connection, and keeping the N3 interface (N3 is an interface in the 5G (5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology, fifth generation mobile communication technology) network, used to connect the data processing node between the 5G base station and the 5G core network) open, so that the on-board UPF network element can receive and store the downlink data sent by the core network based on the first notification when it is not connected to the UE but connected to the core network, and forward the stored downlink data to the base station connected to the UE through the N3 interface when it is connected to the UE.

[0077] In one embodiment, after completing the selection of the satellite and inserting the on-board UPF network element into the satellite, it may also include: sending a second notification to the base station to perform a downlink data forwarding operation under a non-continuous connection and keep the N3 interface open, so that the base station receives the downlink data sent by the on-board UPF network element through N3 based on the second notification, and forwards the received downlink data to the UE.

[0078] In one embodiment, after completing the selection of the satellite and inserting the onboard UPF network element into the satellite, it may also include: sending a third notification to the UE to perform downlink data operations under non-continuous connection, so that the UE receives the downlink data forwarded by the base station based on the third notification.

[0079] Taking the base station located on the ground as an example, the connection between the on-board UPF network element and the base station will be disconnected as the satellite orbits the earth. Correspondingly, the communication connection between the base station and the UE will also be released. Since the N3 interface between the on-board UPF network element and the base station is kept open, when the on-board UPF network element can reconnect with the base station as the satellite orbits the earth, it can send the stored downlink data to the base station through the N3 interface. After receiving the downlink data, the base station needs to forward the downlink data to the UE. Before forwarding the downlink data, the base station needs to re-establish the communication connection with the UE.

[0080] In one embodiment, the core network may send parameter information of the UE to the base station so that the base station stores the parameter information, establishes a communication connection with the UE based on the parameter information, and forwards downlink data to the UE based on the communication connection.

[0081] The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit which parameters of the UE are specifically included in the parameter information. The specific information included in the parameter information only needs to enable the base station to establish a communication connection with the UE.

[0082] In one embodiment, the parameter information includes a paging parameter, and the base station may also store the context information of the UE after receiving the second notification, and when subsequently receiving downlink data from the UE, establish a communication connection with the UE based on the paging parameter and the context information. It should be noted that the context information will not be cleared when the connection between the base station and the on-board UPF network element is disconnected, so that after the base station is subsequently reconnected to the core network, it can receive the downlink data sent by the on-board UPF network element based on the context information, and forward the downlink data to the UE based on the context information.

[0083] For example, the base station initiates RAN (Radio Access Network) paging to the UE. After receiving the paging, the UE responds to the paging and initiates the RRC (Radio Resource Control) process, thereby establishing a communication connection between the base station and the UE. Afterwards, the base station can forward downlink data to the UE based on the UE's address information.

[0084] If the connection between the base station and the UE is not released when the connection between the base station and the onboard UPF network element is disconnected, the base station can directly forward the downlink data to the UE.

[0085] If the base station and the on-board UPF network element are both carried on the satellite, the connection between the on-board UPF network element and the UE is disconnected, which means that the connection between the base station and the UE is disconnected, so the base station needs to re-establish the communication connection with the UE after receiving the downlink data.

[0086] The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit how to implement the onboard UPF network element to receive and store downlink data sent by the core network when it is not connected to the UE but connected to the core network, and to forward the stored downlink data to the base station connected to the UE when it is connected to the UE but not connected to the core network.

[0087] In one embodiment, the core network may obtain the operation trajectory information of the on-board UPF network element and the first location information of the UE; generate a first connection time indicating that the on-board UPF network element maintains connection with the UE based on the operation trajectory information and the first location information; and send the first connection time to the on-board UPF network element so that the on-board UPF network element sends downlink data to the UE through the base station to which the UE is connected during the first connection time. It should be noted that when the on-board UPF network element sends downlink data to the UE through the base station to which the UE is connected during the first connection time, the downlink data may include the stored downlink data of the UE, and may also include the currently received downlink data sent from the core network.

[0088] The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit how to obtain the running trajectory information of the on-board UPF network element and the first location information of the UE. The running trajectory information of the on-board UPF network element is the running trajectory information of the satellite, and the running trajectory information of the satellite can be stored in the ground station or its device for storing the running trajectory information of the satellite.

[0089] In one embodiment, the base station is located on the ground. In this case, the first location information of the UE may be the location information of the UE or the location information of the base station.

[0090] In one embodiment, obtaining the operation trajectory information of the onboard UPF network element and the first location information of the UE may include: obtaining the operation trajectory information from a device storing the operation trajectory information, and obtaining the location information of the UE or the base station.

[0091] In one embodiment, the base station and the on-board UPF network element are located on the same satellite, and obtaining the operation trajectory information of the on-board UPF network element and the first location information of the UE may include: obtaining the operation trajectory information from a device storing the operation trajectory information, and obtaining the location information of the UE.

[0092] According to the location of the UE and the running track information of the on-board UPF network element, the time during which the on-board UPF network element covers the UE can be determined, thereby generating a first connection time for indicating that the on-board UPF network element maintains connection with the UE. Afterwards, the core network sends the first connection time to the on-board UPF network element, so that the on-board UPF network element can store the received downlink data outside the first connection time, and send downlink data to the UE within the first connection time.

[0093] In one embodiment, the first connection time can be determined by the on-board UPF network element after obtaining the first location information and the running track information of the on-board UPF network element. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit how the on-board UPF network element obtains the first location information and the running track information of the on-board UPF network element, and the manner in which the core network obtains the first location information and the running track information can be referred to.

[0094] When the on-board UPF network element is not connected to the core network, the core network needs to store the downlink data, and after connecting to the on-board UPF network element, forward the stored downlink data to the on-board UPF network element.

[0095] In one embodiment, the data sending method may also include obtaining second position information of the ground station corresponding to the satellite; generating a second connection time indicating that the UPF network element on the satellite is connected to the core network based on the trajectory information and the second position information; sending the second connection time to the anchor UPF network element in the core network, so that the anchor UPF network element can send downlink data to the UPF network element on the satellite within the second connection time, and store the received downlink data outside the second connection time.

[0096] It should be noted that the on-board UPF network element and the core network are connected via the satellite's ground station. Determining the connection time between the on-board UPF network element and the core network is to determine the connection time between the on-board UPF network element and the ground station.

[0097] The running track information can be stored in the core network after the first acquisition, and can be directly acquired from the storage space when the running track information is needed, or can be re-acquired from the device storing the running track information, and the present disclosure does not limit this. The second location information of the ground station is stored in the ground station or other devices. The second location information can be acquired from the ground station or the other device.

[0098] Through the second location information and the operation trajectory information of the on-board UPF network element, the time when the on-board UPF network element covers the ground station can be determined, thereby generating a second connection time for indicating that the on-board UPF network element is connected to the core network (connected to the core network through the ground station). Afterwards, the core network sends the second connection time to the anchor UPF network element in the core network, so that the anchor UPF network element sends downlink data to the on-board UPF network element during the second connection time, and stores the received downlink data outside the second connection time. It should be noted that the downlink data sent by the anchor UPF network element to the on-board UPF network element during the second connection time may include the stored downlink data of the UE, and may also include the downlink data of the UE received from the core network.

[0099] In one embodiment, the second connection time can be determined by the anchor UPF network element after obtaining the second location information and the running track information of the on-board UPF network element. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit how the anchor UPF network element obtains the second location information and the running track information of the on-board UPF network element, and the manner in which the core network obtains the second location information and the running track information can be referred to.

[0100] By receiving, storing and forwarding the UE's downlink data at the anchor UPF network element, the data can be sent to the on-board UPF network element when the core network is connected to the on-board UPF network element, without the need to fully connect the UE to the core network before forwarding the downlink data. Through the cooperation between the anchor UPF network element and the on-board UPF network element, the downlink data can be sent to the UE in the case of partial connection, thereby improving the communication timeliness when sending downlink data to the UE.

[0101] In one embodiment, both the on-board UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element need to reserve storage space for storing the downlink data of the UE, and the size of the storage space can be determined based on the contract information of the UE. In one embodiment, it can also include: the core network obtains the storage space information of the UE contract; according to the storage space information, sends the respective storage space information to the on-board UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element, so that the on-board UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element configure the storage space for storing the downlink data of the UE according to their respective storage space information.

[0102] It should be noted that the storage space information of the on-board UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element may be the same or different. The storage space indicated by the storage space information of the on-board UPF network element may be larger than the storage space indicated by the storage space information of the anchor UPF network element. The storage space indicated by the storage space information of the on-board UPF network element may be smaller than the storage space indicated by the storage space information of the anchor UPF network element. The present disclosure does not impose any restrictions on this, and it can be determined based on the storage space information of the UE's contract.

[0103] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure selects a satellite from at least one satellite to insert an on-board UPF network element when the UE accesses the core network through at least one satellite that is not continuously connected, so that all downlink data sent from the core network to the UE must be forwarded by the on-board UPF network element. The on-board UPF network element is used to receive and store downlink data sent by the core network when it is not connected to the UE but connected to the core network, and to forward the stored downlink data to the UE when it is connected to the UE. Downlink data can be sent to the UE without waiting for the link between the UE and the core network to be restored. Compared with waiting for the UE to connect to the core network before sending the downlink data, the communication time efficiency when sending downlink data to the UE is improved.

[0104] The following will be combined Figure 6 To illustrate the data sending method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein S601 to S607 are steps performed when the UE is connected to the core network; S608 to S610 are steps performed when the onboard UPF network element is connected to the core network but not connected to the UE; S611 to S615 are steps performed when the onboard UPF network element is connected to the UE but not connected to the core network.

[0105] S601: Signaling plane and user plane connections are established between the UE, the base station and the core network.

[0106] S602: The core network determines that the UE accesses the core network through a non-persistently connected satellite and supports a store-and-forward model.

[0107] S603, inserting the on-board UPF network element. After the on-board UPF network element is inserted, the base station needs to be notified.

[0108] S604, the core network notifies the onboard UPF network element to perform downlink data storage and forwarding operations under non-persistent connection, and the N3 interface is not disconnected.

[0109] S605, the core network notifies the base station to perform downlink data forwarding operations under non-persistent connection, and the N3 interface is not disconnected.

[0110] S606: The core network notifies the UE to perform downlink data operations under a non-persistent connection.

[0111] S607, the core network sends parameter information of the UE to the base station, including paging parameters.

[0112] S608, when the on-board UPF network element is connected to the core network but not connected to the UE, the on-board UPF network element receives downlink data sent by the core network.

[0113] S609, the onboard UPF network element stores the received downlink data.

[0114] S610, the core network sends a first connection time to the on-board UPF network element, so that the on-board UPF network element stores the received downlink data outside the first connection time, and sends downlink data to the UE within the first connection time.

[0115] S611, when the onboard UPF network element is connected to the UE but not connected to the core network, forward the stored downlink data to the base station.

[0116] S612: The base station initiates RAN paging to the UE.

[0117] S613, the UE responds to the RAN paging and initiates the RRC process.

[0118] S614: The base station sends downlink data to the UE.

[0119] S615, the anchor UPF network element stores the downlink data.

[0120] It should be noted that the specific implementation of S601 to S615 can be found in Figure 5 The corresponding embodiments will not be described in detail here.

[0121] Based on the same inventive concept, the present disclosure also provides a data sending device in the following embodiments. Since the principle of solving the problem in the device embodiment is similar to that in the above method embodiment, the implementation of the device embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above method embodiment, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0122] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a data sending device in one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 7 As shown, the device includes: an insertion module 701, which is used to select a satellite from at least one satellite to insert an on-board user plane function UPF network element when a user equipment UE accesses the core network through at least one satellite that is not continuously connected; wherein the on-board UPF network element is used to receive and store downlink data sent by the core network when it is not connected to the UE and is connected to the core network, and to forward the stored downlink data to the UE when it is connected to the UE.

[0123] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the device also includes: an acquisition module 702, which is used to acquire the operation trajectory information of the on-board UPF network element and the first position information of the UE; a generation module 703, which is used to generate a first connection time indicating that the on-board UPF network element maintains a connection with the UE based on the operation trajectory information and the first position information; a sending module 704, which is used to send the first connection time to the on-board UPF network element, so that the on-board UPF network element can send downlink data to the UE through the base station connected to the UE during the first connection time.

[0124] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the acquisition module 702 is also used to acquire the second position information of the ground station corresponding to the satellite; the generation module 703 is also used to generate a second connection time indicating that the on-board UPF network element maintains connection with the core network based on the operation trajectory information and the second position information; the sending module 704 is also used to send the second connection time to the anchor UPF network element in the core network, so that the anchor UPF network element can send downlink data to the on-board UPF network element within the second connection time, and store the received downlink data outside the second connection time.

[0125] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the acquisition module 702 is also used to obtain the storage space information signed by the UE; the sending module 704 is also used to send the respective storage space information to the on-board UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element according to the storage space information, so that the on-board UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element can configure the storage space for storing the UE's downlink data according to their respective storage space information.

[0126] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the sending module 704 is also used to send a first notification to the onboard UPF network element to perform downlink data storage and forwarding operations under non-continuous connection and keep the N3 interface open, so that the onboard UPF network element, based on the first notification, receives and stores downlink data sent by the core network when it is not connected to the UE but connected to the core network, and forwards the stored downlink data to the base station connected to the UE through the N3 interface when it is connected to the UE; sends a second notification to the base station to perform downlink data forwarding operations under non-continuous connection and keep the N3 interface open, so that the base station receives the downlink data sent by the onboard UPF network element through N3 based on the second notification, and forwards the received downlink data to the UE; sends a third notification to the UE to perform downlink data operations under non-continuous connection, so that the UE receives the downlink data forwarded by the base station based on the third notification.

[0127] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the sending module 704 is further used to send parameter information of the UE to the base station so that the base station stores the parameter information, establishes a communication connection with the UE based on the parameter information, and forwards downlink data to the UE based on the communication connection.

[0128] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the base station stores the context information of the UE according to the second notification; the parameter information includes paging parameters; and the base station establishes a communication connection with the UE based on the paging parameters and the context information.

[0129] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the insertion module 701 is used to obtain satellite information and third position information of at least one satellite, wherein the satellite information includes the satellite's orbit information, or the satellite information includes the satellite's orbit information and link information, and the link information is the link information between the satellite and the ground station; the third position information includes the first position information of the UE and / or the second position information of the ground station; and according to the satellite information and the third position information, a satellite is selected from at least one satellite to be inserted into the onboard UPF network element.

[0130] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure selects a satellite from at least one satellite to insert an on-board UPF network element when the UE accesses the core network through at least one satellite that is not continuously connected, so that all downlink data sent from the core network to the UE must be forwarded by the on-board UPF network element. The on-board UPF network element is used to receive and store downlink data sent by the core network when it is not connected to the UE but connected to the core network, and to forward the stored downlink data to the UE when it is connected to the UE. Downlink data can be sent to the UE without waiting for the link between the UE and the core network to be restored. Compared with waiting for the UE to connect to the core network before sending the downlink data, the communication time efficiency when sending downlink data to the UE is improved.

[0131] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented as systems, methods or program products. Therefore, various aspects of the present disclosure may be specifically implemented in the following forms, namely: complete hardware implementation, complete software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software, which may be collectively referred to herein as "circuits", "modules" or "systems".

[0132] Refer to the following Figure 8 The electronic device 800 according to this embodiment of the present disclosure is described. Figure 8 The electronic device 800 shown is merely an example and should not bring any limitation to the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0133] like Figure 8 As shown, the electronic device 800 is in the form of a general computing device. The components of the electronic device 800 may include but are not limited to: at least one processing unit 810, at least one storage unit 820, and a bus 830 connecting different system components (including the storage unit 820 and the processing unit 810).

[0134] The storage unit stores program codes, which can be executed by the processing unit 810, so that the processing unit 810 executes the steps according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described in the above “Specific Implementation Methods” section of this specification.

[0135] The storage unit 820 may include a readable medium in the form of a volatile storage unit, such as a random access memory unit (RAM) 8201 and / or a cache memory unit 8202 , and may further include a read-only memory unit (ROM) 8203 .

[0136] The storage unit 820 may also include a program / utility 8204 having a set (at least one) of program modules 8205, such program modules 8205 including but not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, each of which or some combination may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0137] Bus 830 may represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory unit bus or memory unit controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures.

[0138] The electronic device 800 may also communicate with one or more external devices 840 (e.g., keyboards, pointing devices, Bluetooth devices, etc.), one or more devices that enable a user to interact with the electronic device 800, and / or any device that enables the electronic device 800 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., routers, modems, etc.). Such communication may be performed through an input / output (I / O) interface 850. Furthermore, the electronic device 800 may also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and / or a public network, such as the Internet) through a network adapter 860. Figure 8 As shown, the network adapter 860 communicates with other modules of the electronic device 800 via the bus 830. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figure, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with the electronic device 800, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0139] Through the description of the above implementation, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the example implementation described here can be implemented by software, or by software combined with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solution according to the implementation of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a terminal device, or a network device, etc.) to execute the method according to the implementation of the present disclosure.

[0140] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A program product capable of implementing the above-mentioned method of the present disclosure is stored thereon. In some possible implementations, various aspects of the present disclosure may also be implemented in the form of a program product, which includes a program code, and when the program product is run on a terminal device, the program code is used to cause the terminal device to execute the steps according to various exemplary implementations of the present disclosure described in the above “Specific Implementation Methods” section of this specification.

[0141] More specific examples of computer-readable storage media in the present disclosure may include, but are not limited to, an electrical connection having one or more conductors, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0142] In the present disclosure, a computer readable storage medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, wherein a readable program code is carried. Such propagated data signals may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. A readable signal medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, which may send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0143] Alternatively, the program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0144] In a specific implementation, the program code for performing the operations of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as "C" or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user computing device, partially on the user device, as a separate software package, partially on the user computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In the case of a remote computing device, the remote computing device may be connected to the user computing device through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computing device (e.g., using an Internet service provider to connect through the Internet).

[0145] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer program product is also provided, which includes a computer program or computer instructions, and the computer program or computer instructions are loaded and executed by a processor to enable a computer to implement the steps of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described in the above "Specific Implementation" section of this specification.

[0146] It should be noted that, although several modules or units of the device for action execution are mentioned in the above detailed description, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. On the contrary, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided into multiple modules or units to be embodied.

[0147] In addition, although the steps of the method in the present disclosure are described in a specific order in the drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in this specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired results. Additionally or alternatively, some steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or one step may be decomposed into multiple steps, etc.

[0148] Through the description of the above implementation, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the example implementation described here can be implemented by software, or by software combined with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solution according to the implementation of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a mobile terminal, or a network device, etc.) to execute the method according to the implementation of the present disclosure.

[0149] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. The present disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the present disclosure, which follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary technical means in the art that are not disclosed in the present disclosure. The description and examples are to be regarded as exemplary only, and the true scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A data transmission method, characterized in that: include: In the case where the user equipment UE accesses the core network through at least one satellite of non-persistent connection, selecting a satellite from the at least one satellite to insert an on-board user plane function UPF network element; The on-board UPF network element is used to receive and store downlink data sent by the core network when it is not connected to the UE and is connected to the core network, and to forward the stored downlink data to the UE when it is connected to the UE; Among them, the selecting a satellite from the at least one satellite to insert into the on-board user plane function UPF network element includes: obtaining satellite information and third position information of the at least one satellite, the satellite information includes the satellite's orbit information, or the satellite information includes the satellite's orbit information and link information, and the link information is the link information between the satellite and the ground station; the third position information includes the first position information of the UE and / or the second position information of the ground station; according to the satellite information and the third position information, determining the connection time between the on-board UPF network element and the UE or the core network after the at least one satellite is inserted into the on-board UPF network element, and selecting a satellite from the at least one satellite to insert into the on-board UPF network element according to the connection time.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: Obtaining the operation trajectory information of the on-board UPF network element and the first location information of the UE; Generate, according to the running trajectory information and the first location information, a first connection time for indicating that the on-board UPF network element maintains a connection with the UE; The first connection time is sent to the on-board UPF network element so that the on-board UPF network element sends downlink data to the UE through the base station to which the UE is connected during the first connection time.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that Also includes: Acquire second position information of a ground station corresponding to the satellite; Generate a second connection time indicating that the on-board UPF network element maintains connection with the core network according to the operation trajectory information and the second location information; The second connection time is sent to the anchor UPF network element in the core network, so that the anchor UPF network element sends downlink data to the on-board UPF network element within the second connection time, and stores the received downlink data outside the second connection time.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that Also includes: Obtaining storage space information subscribed by the UE; According to the storage space information, the respective storage space information is sent to the on-board UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element respectively, so that the on-board UPF network element and the anchor UPF network element configure the storage space for storing the downlink data of the UE according to their respective storage space information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: Also includes: Sending a first notification to the on-board UPF network element to perform downlink data storage and forwarding operations under non-persistent connection and keep the N3 interface open, so that the on-board UPF network element, based on the first notification, receives and stores downlink data sent by the core network when it is not connected to the UE and is connected to the core network, and forwards the stored downlink data to the base station connected to the UE through the N3 interface when it is connected to the UE; Sending a second notification to the base station that a downlink data forwarding operation under a non-persistent connection is performed and the N3 interface remains open, so that the base station receives the downlink data sent by the onboard UPF network element through N3 based on the second notification, and forwards the received downlink data to the UE; A third notification of performing a downlink data operation under a non-persistent connection is sent to the UE, so that the UE receives the downlink data forwarded by the base station based on the third notification.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that Also includes: Sending parameter information of the UE to the base station so that the base station stores the parameter information, establishes a communication connection with the UE based on the parameter information, and forwards downlink data to the UE based on the communication connection.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The base station stores the context information of the UE according to the second notification; The parameter information includes paging parameters; The base station establishes a communication connection with the UE based on the paging parameters and the context information.

8. A data sending device, characterized in that: include: An insertion module is used to select a satellite from the at least one satellite to insert an on-board user plane function UPF network element when the user equipment UE accesses the core network through at least one satellite with non-persistent connection; The on-board UPF network element is used to receive and store downlink data sent by the core network when it is not connected to the UE and is connected to the core network, and forward the stored downlink data to the UE when it is connected to the UE; Among them, the insertion module is also used to obtain satellite information and third position information of the at least one satellite, the satellite information includes the satellite's orbit information, or the satellite information includes the satellite's orbit information and link information, and the link information is the link information between the satellite and the ground station; the third position information includes the first position information of the UE and / or the second position information of the ground station; according to the satellite information and the third position information, the connection time between the on-board UPF network element and the UE or the core network after the at least one satellite is inserted into the on-board UPF network element is determined, and a satellite is selected from the at least one satellite according to the connection time to insert the on-board UPF network element.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: processor; as well as A memory, configured to store executable instructions of the processor; The processor is configured to execute the data sending method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 by executing the executable instructions.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the data transmission method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is implemented.

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