Paging method, communication device and storage medium

Abstract

The present application proposes a paging method, a communication device and a storage medium, the paging method being applied to a network device, and comprising the following steps: determining whether to page a terminal device based on satellite coverage auxiliary information (S10). According to the method and the device, when the signaling message or the user data needs to be sent to the terminal equipment, the terminal equipment can be selectively paged according to the satellite coverage auxiliary information instead of paging inevitably, so that paging resources are saved.

Description

Paging method, communication device and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a paging method, communication equipment and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In some implementations, as long as a network device (such as a CN (core network)) has a NAS (Non Access Stratum) signaling message or user data needs to be sent to a terminal device, the network device will initiate a paging call to the terminal device.

[0003] During the process of conceiving and implementing the present application, the inventors discovered that there are at least the following problems: when there is no satellite providing services for the terminal device, the network device still pages the terminal device, resulting in a waste of paging resources.

[0004] The preceding description is intended to provide general background information and does not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] In response to the above technical problems, the present application provides a paging method, communication equipment and storage medium, which enable network equipment to selectively page terminal equipment based on satellite coverage auxiliary information instead of necessarily paging, thereby saving paging resources.

[0007] To solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a paging method that can be applied to a network device, comprising the steps of:

[0008] S10: Determine whether to page the terminal device based on the satellite coverage assistance information.

[0009] Optionally, the satellite coverage assistance information includes at least one of the following:

[0010] The end time of service for the satellite in the current preset service area;

[0011] The next service start time of the satellite in the preset service area;

[0012] The ground reference point information of the satellite in the next preset service area;

[0013] Satellite ephemeris information;

[0014] Location information of the terminal device;

[0015] Satellite service coverage information predicted by terminal equipment.

[0016] Optionally, at least one of the following items is related to the network device directly acquiring satellite assistance information and acquiring location information provided by the terminal device to determine whether to page the terminal device:

[0017] The end time of service for the satellite in the current preset service area;

[0018] The next service start time of the satellite in the preset service area;

[0019] The ground reference point information of the satellite in the next preset service area;

[0020] Satellite ephemeris information;

[0021] The location information of the terminal device.

[0022] Optionally, the network device further determines whether to page the terminal device based on the location information of the terminal device and the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device.

[0023] Optionally, the location information of the terminal device includes at least one of the following:

[0024] Geographic location information reported by the terminal device;

[0025] Information about the cell where the terminal device resides;

[0026] The tracking area information where the terminal device resides.

[0027] It can be understood that, compared with cell information and tracking area information, latitude and longitude information (geographic location information) is more accurate in determining the location of a terminal device. Accordingly, it is also more accurate in determining whether to page the terminal device.

[0028] Optionally, the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device includes at least one of the following:

[0029] Coverage gap time information predicted by terminal devices;

[0030] Effective coverage time information predicted by the terminal device;

[0031] The terminal device predicts the effective duration.

[0032] It can be understood that by setting the predicted effective duration of the terminal device, it is possible to avoid using expired coverage gap time information and / or effective coverage time information to determine whether to page the terminal device, thereby improving the accuracy of determining whether to page the terminal device.

[0033] Optionally, the condition for updating the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device includes at least one of the following:

[0034] Before the predicted effective duration of the terminal device times out;

[0035] When the satellite coverage auxiliary information predicted by the terminal device within the terminal device prediction validity period is inconsistent with the historically reported one.

[0036] Optionally, the condition for updating the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device further includes the network device actively sending a relevant instruction to instruct the terminal device to update the satellite service coverage information.

[0037] Optionally, the step S10 includes:

[0038] If the satellite coverage assistance information meets the preset paging condition, the terminal device is paged, and / or if the satellite coverage assistance information does not meet the preset paging condition, the terminal device is not paged.

[0039] Optionally, the satellite coverage assistance information satisfies a preset paging condition including at least one of the following:

[0040] Not within the time interval between the end of service time and the start of service time;

[0041] The geographical location of the terminal device is within the preset service area;

[0042] The geographical location area corresponding to the cell ID where the terminal device is located coincides with or overlaps with the preset service area;

[0043] The geographical location area corresponding to the tracking area where the terminal device is located coincides with or overlaps with the preset service area;

[0044] The device is not within the coverage gap period predicted by the terminal device;

[0045] It is within the effective coverage time predicted by the terminal device.

[0046] Optionally, for both the case where the terminal device predicts the satellite service coverage information and the case where the network device predicts the satellite service coverage information of the terminal device, there can be two means of determining whether to page the terminal device, so that the data is redundant, and the redundant data can improve the stability of the paging.

[0047] Optionally, the step S10 includes:

[0048] Before the predicted effective duration of the terminal device times out and when the preset paging conditions are met, the terminal device is actively paged to update the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device.

[0049] The present application also provides a paging method, which can be applied to a terminal device, comprising the steps of:

[0050] S100: Send satellite service coverage information, so that a network device determines whether to page a terminal device based on the satellite service coverage information.

[0051] Optionally, the satellite service coverage information includes at least one of the following:

[0052] Coverage gap time information predicted by terminal devices;

[0053] Effective coverage time information predicted by the terminal device;

[0054] The terminal device predicts the effective duration.

[0055] It can be understood that by setting the predicted effective duration of the terminal device, it is possible to avoid using expired coverage gap time information and / or effective coverage time information to determine whether to page the terminal device, thereby improving the accuracy of determining whether to page the terminal device.

[0056] Optionally, the satellite service coverage information is obtained according to at least one of the following information:

[0057] The current geographical location information of the terminal device;

[0058] Predicted geographic location information of the terminal device;

[0059] Satellite ephemeris information;

[0060] Satellite's ground reference point information.

[0061] Obtaining satellite service coverage information through predicted geographic location information rather than only through current geographic location information makes it possible to predict the usage location of the terminal device in advance, thereby avoiding failure of network equipment to page the terminal device and improving user experience.

[0062] Optionally, the triggering condition for sending the satellite service coverage information includes at least one of the following:

[0063] Before the predicted effective duration of the terminal device times out;

[0064] When the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device within the terminal device prediction validity period is inconsistent with the historically reported information;

[0065] When receiving relevant instructions from the network device to update the satellite service coverage information.

[0066] The present application also provides a communication device, comprising: a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a paging program, and when the paging program is executed by the processor, the steps of any of the above paging methods are implemented.

[0067] The communication device in this application can be a terminal device (such as a mobile phone) or a network device (such as a base station). The specific reference needs to be clarified based on the context.

[0068] The present application also provides a storage medium storing a computer program, which implements the steps of the above method when executed by a processor.

[0069] As described above, the paging method of the present application includes the steps of: determining whether to page a terminal device based on satellite coverage assistance information. Through the above technical solution, when there is a signaling message or user data to be sent to the terminal device, the present application can selectively page the terminal device based on the satellite coverage assistance information, rather than necessarily paging the terminal device, thereby saving paging resources. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0070] The accompanying drawings herein are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application, and together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present application. In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without inventive work.

[0071] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a communication device implementing various embodiments of the present application;

[0072] FIG2 is a diagram of a communication network system architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] FIG3 is a schematic flow chart of a paging method according to a first embodiment;

[0074] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a scenario of a paging method according to the first embodiment;

[0075] FIG5 is a diagram of an NTN network topology structure involved in the paging method according to the first embodiment;

[0076] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of another scenario of the paging method according to the first embodiment;

[0077] FIG7 is a signaling diagram of a paging method according to the first embodiment;

[0078] FIG8 is another signaling diagram of the paging method according to the first embodiment;

[0079] FIG9 is a schematic flow chart of a paging method according to the second embodiment.

[0080] The purpose of this application, its features, and advantages will be further described in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and the accompanying text are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way, but rather to illustrate the concepts of this application to those skilled in the art by reference to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0081] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present application, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0082] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device comprising the element. In addition, components, features, and elements with the same name in different embodiments of the present application may have the same meaning or different meanings, and their specific meanings need to be determined by their explanation in the specific embodiment or further combined with the context of the specific embodiment.

[0083] It should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," "third," etc. may be used herein to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the term "if," as used herein, may be interpreted as "upon," "when," or "in response to a determination." Furthermore, as used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms "comprising" and "including" indicate the presence of the recited features, steps, operations, elements, components, items, types, and / or groups, but do not preclude the presence, occurrence, or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, items, types, and / or groups. The terms "or," "and / or," "including at least one of the following," etc., as used herein, may be interpreted as inclusive, meaning any one or any combination. For example, “comprising at least one of the following: A, B, C” means “any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A and B and C”; and for another example, “A, B or C” or “A, B and / or C” means “any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A and B and C”. An exception to this definition will occur only when a combination of elements, functions, steps or operations are inherently mutually exclusive in some manner.

[0084] It should be understood that, although the various steps in the flowchart in the embodiment of the present application are shown in sequence according to the indication of the arrows, these steps are not necessarily performed in sequence in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless clearly stated herein, the execution of these steps is not strictly limited in order, and they can be performed in other orders. Moreover, at least a portion of the steps in the figure may include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages, and these sub-steps or stages are not necessarily performed at the same time, but can be performed at different times, and their execution order is not necessarily performed in sequence, but can be performed in turn or alternately with at least a portion of other steps or sub-steps or stages of other steps.

[0085] As used herein, the words "if" and "if" may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting," depending on the context. Similarly, the phrases "if it is determined" or "if (stated condition or event) is detected" may be interpreted as "when it is determined" or "in response to the determination" or "when detecting (stated condition or event)" or "in response to detecting (stated condition or event)," depending on the context.

[0086] It should be noted that, in this article, step codes such as S10, S100, etc. are used for the purpose of expressing the corresponding content more clearly and concisely, and do not constitute a substantial limitation on the sequence.

[0087] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0088] In the subsequent description, the use of suffixes such as "module", "component" or "unit" to represent elements is only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and has no specific meaning. Therefore, "module", "component" or "unit" can be used interchangeably.

[0089] The communication device in this application can be a terminal device (such as a mobile phone) or a network device (such as a base station). The specific reference needs to be clarified based on the context.

[0090] The terminal device may be implemented in various forms. For example, the terminal device described in this application may include communication devices such as mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, PDAs, portable media players (PMPs), navigation devices, wearable devices, smart bracelets, pedometers, and other fixed terminals such as digital TVs and desktop computers.

[0091] The subsequent description will be made by taking a mobile terminal as an example. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, in addition to components specifically used for mobile purposes, the configuration according to the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to fixed-type terminals.

[0092] Please refer to FIG1 , which is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a mobile terminal for implementing various embodiments of the present application. The mobile terminal 100 may include components such as an RF (Radio Frequency) unit 101, a WiFi module 102, an audio output unit 103, an A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 104, a sensor 105, a display unit 106, a user input unit 107, an interface unit 108, a memory 109, a processor 110, and a power supply 111. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mobile terminal structure shown in FIG1 does not limit the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal may include more or fewer components than shown, or may combine certain components or arrange the components differently.

[0093] The following is a detailed introduction to the various components of the mobile terminal in conjunction with Figure 1:

[0094] The RF unit 101 can be used to send and receive information or receive signals during calls. Specifically, it receives downlink information from the base station and transmits it to the processor 110 for processing. It also transmits uplink data to the base station. Typically, the RF unit 101 includes, but is not limited to, an antenna, at least one amplifier, a transceiver, a coupler, a low-noise amplifier, a duplexer, and more. Furthermore, the RF unit 101 can communicate with the network and other devices via wireless communication. The above-mentioned wireless communications can use any communication standard or protocol, including but not limited to GSM (Global System of Mobile communication), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), CDMA2000 (Code Division Multiple Access 2000), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), TD-SCDMA (Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access), FDD-LTE (Frequency Division Duplexing-Long Term Evolution), TDD-LTE (Time Division Duplexing-Long Term Evolution) and 5G, etc.

[0095] WiFi is a short-range wireless transmission technology. A mobile terminal, through WiFi module 102, enables users to send and receive emails, browse web pages, and access streaming media, providing wireless broadband Internet access. Although FIG1 illustrates WiFi module 102, it is understood that it is not a required component of the mobile terminal and can be omitted as needed without altering the essence of the invention.

[0096] The audio output unit 103 can convert audio data received by the RF unit 101 or the WiFi module 102 or stored in the memory 109 into an audio signal and output it as sound when the mobile terminal 100 is in a call signal reception mode, a talk mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, or the like. Furthermore, the audio output unit 103 can also provide audio output related to a specific function performed by the mobile terminal 100 (e.g., a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.). The audio output unit 103 may include a speaker, a buzzer, or the like.

[0097] The A / V input unit 104 is used to receive audio or video signals. The A / V input unit 104 may include a graphics processing unit (GPU) 1041 and a microphone 1042. The GPU 1041 processes image data of still images or videos captured by an image capture device (e.g., a camera) in video capture mode or image capture mode. The processed image frames may be displayed on the display unit 106. The image frames processed by the GPU 1041 may be stored in the memory 109 (or other storage medium) or transmitted via the RF unit 101 or the WiFi module 102. The microphone 1042 may receive sound (audio data) in operating modes such as a phone call mode, a recording mode, and a voice recognition mode, and may process such sound into audio data. In the phone call mode, the processed audio (voice) data may be converted into a format that can be transmitted to a mobile communication base station via the RF unit 101. The microphone 1042 may implement various types of noise cancellation (or suppression) algorithms to eliminate (or suppress) noise or interference generated during the reception and transmission of audio signals.

[0098] The mobile terminal 100 also includes at least one sensor 105, such as a light sensor, a motion sensor, and other sensors. Optionally, the light sensor includes an ambient light sensor and a proximity sensor. Optionally, the ambient light sensor can adjust the brightness of the display panel 1061 according to the brightness of the ambient light, and the proximity sensor can turn off the display panel 1061 and / or the backlight when the mobile terminal 100 is moved to the ear. As a type of motion sensor, the accelerometer sensor can detect the magnitude of acceleration in all directions (generally three axes), and can detect the magnitude and direction of gravity when stationary. It can be used for applications that recognize the posture of the mobile phone (such as horizontal and vertical screen switching, related games, magnetometer posture calibration), vibration recognition related functions (such as pedometer, tapping), etc.; as for other sensors that can be configured in the mobile phone, such as fingerprint sensors, pressure sensors, iris sensors, molecular sensors, gyroscopes, barometers, hygrometers, thermometers, infrared sensors, etc., they will not be described in detail here.

[0099] The display unit 106 is used to display information input by the user or information provided to the user. The display unit 106 may include a display panel 1061, which may be configured in the form of a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), or the like.

[0100] The user input unit 107 can be used to receive input digital or character information, and to generate key signal input related to the user settings and function control of the mobile terminal. Optionally, the user input unit 107 may include a touch panel 1071 and other input devices 1072. The touch panel 1071, also known as a touch screen, can collect user touch operations on or near it (such as operations performed by the user using a finger, stylus, or any other suitable object or accessory on or near the touch panel 1071) and drive the corresponding connection device according to a pre-set program. The touch panel 1071 may include two parts: a touch detection device and a touch controller. Optionally, the touch detection device detects the user's touch direction and detects the signal generated by the touch operation, and transmits the signal to the touch controller; the touch controller receives the touch information from the touch detection device and converts it into touch point coordinates, which are then sent to the processor 110. It can also receive commands sent by the processor 110 and execute them. In addition, the touch panel 1071 can be implemented using various types such as resistive, capacitive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave. In addition to the touch panel 1071, the user input unit 107 may further include other input devices 1072. Optionally, the other input devices 1072 may include, but are not limited to, one or more of a physical keyboard, function keys (such as volume control keys, power keys, etc.), a trackball, a mouse, a joystick, etc., and the specifics are not limited here.

[0101] Optionally, the touch panel 1071 may overlay the display panel 1061. When the touch panel 1071 detects a touch operation on or near it, it transmits the information to the processor 110 to determine the type of touch event. The processor 110 then provides a corresponding visual output on the display panel 1061 based on the type of touch event. Although in FIG1 , the touch panel 1071 and the display panel 1061 are shown as two separate components to implement the input and output functions of the mobile terminal, in some embodiments, the touch panel 1071 and the display panel 1061 may be integrated to implement the input and output functions of the mobile terminal, which is not limited to this specific embodiment.

[0102] The interface unit 108 serves as an interface through which at least one external device can be connected to the mobile terminal 100. For example, the external device may include a wired or wireless headset port, an external power supply (or battery charger) port, a wired or wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device with an identification module, an audio input / output (I / O) port, a video I / O port, a headphone port, etc. The interface unit 108 may be used to receive input (e.g., data information, power, etc.) from an external device and transmit the received input to one or more elements within the mobile terminal 100 or may be used to transmit data between the mobile terminal 100 and an external device.

[0103] Memory 109 can be used to store software programs and various data. Memory 109 may primarily include a program storage area and a data storage area. Optionally, the program storage area may store an operating system and at least one application required for a function (such as a sound playback function or an image playback function); the data storage area may store data generated based on the use of the mobile phone (such as audio data, a phone book, etc.). Furthermore, memory 109 may include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other volatile solid-state storage device.

[0104] Processor 110 is the control center of the mobile terminal, connecting all components of the mobile terminal using various interfaces and circuits. By running or executing software programs and / or modules stored in memory 109 and accessing data stored in memory 109, it executes various functions of the mobile terminal and processes data, thereby providing overall monitoring of the mobile terminal. Processor 110 may include one or more processing units; preferably, processor 110 may integrate an application processor and a modem processor. Optionally, the application processor primarily handles the operating system, user interface, and application programs, while the modem processor primarily handles wireless communications. It is understood that the modem processor may not be integrated into processor 110.

[0105] The mobile terminal 100 may also include a power supply 111 (such as a battery) for supplying power to various components. Preferably, the power supply 111 may be logically connected to the processor 110 through a power management system, thereby managing functions such as charging, discharging, and power consumption through the power management system.

[0106] Although not shown in FIG. 1 , the mobile terminal 100 may further include a Bluetooth module, etc., which will not be described in detail here.

[0107] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the communication network system on which the mobile terminal of the present application is based is described below.

[0108] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a communication network system architecture diagram provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication network system is an LTE system of universal mobile communication technology. The LTE system includes a UE (User Equipment) 201, an E-UTRAN (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) 202, an EPC (Evolved Packet Core) 203 and an operator's IP service 204, which are connected in sequence.

[0109] Optionally, UE201 may be the above-mentioned terminal 100, which will not be described in detail here.

[0110] E-UTRAN 202 includes eNodeB 2021 and other eNodeBs 2022 . Optionally, eNodeB 2021 may be connected to other eNodeBs 2022 via a backhaul (eg, an X2 interface). eNodeB 2021 is connected to EPC 203 , and eNodeB 2021 may provide access from UE 201 to EPC 203 .

[0111] EPC 203 may include an MME (Mobility Management Entity) 2031, an HSS (Home Subscriber Server) 2032, other MMEs 2033, an SGW (Serving Gate Way) 2034, a PGW (PDN Gate Way) 2035, and a PCRF (Policy and Charging Rules Function) 2036. Optionally, MME 2031 is a control node that processes signaling between UE 201 and EPC 203, providing bearer and connection management. HSS 2032 provides registers for managing functions such as the Home Location Register (not shown) and stores user-specific information such as service features and data rates. All user data can be sent through SGW2034, PGW2035 can provide IP address allocation and other functions for UE 201, PCRF2036 is the policy and charging control policy decision point for service data flow and IP bearer resources, and it selects and provides available policy and charging control decisions for the policy and charging execution function unit (not shown in the figure).

[0112] The IP service 204 may include the Internet, an intranet, an IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), or other IP services.

[0113] Although the above introduction takes the LTE system as an example, those skilled in the art should know that this application is not only applicable to the LTE system, but can also be applied to other wireless communication systems, such as GSM, CDMA2000, WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, 5G and future new network systems (such as 6G), etc., which are not limited here.

[0114] Currently, when a network device receives a NAS signaling message or has user data to send to a terminal device, it initiates paging to the terminal device, even if the paging fails. This results in wasted paging resources on the network device. This application is targeted at the Internet of Things-Non-Terrestrial Network (IoT-NTN) and aims to avoid wasting paging resources on network devices in the IoT-NTN.

[0115] Optionally, IoT-NTN includes NB-IoT-NTN (Narrowband Internet of things-Non-Terrestrial Network), eMTC-NTN (Enhanced Machine-Type Communication-Non-Terrestrial Network), etc.

[0116] Optionally, the network device includes a device in a CN (Core Network), or a device used to implement the functions of a CN in a converged network consisting of a CN (Core Network) and a RAN (Radio Access Network). In an NTN, the RAN is a satellite network.

[0117] Optionally, paging is initiated by the network device to establish a signaling connection with the terminal device. Paging includes coordinated paging and non-cooperative paging.

[0118] Based on the above-mentioned mobile terminal hardware structure, communication network system and IoT-NTN status quo, various embodiments of the present application are proposed.

[0119] First embodiment

[0120] 3, which is a flow chart of a paging method according to a first embodiment. The paging method of this embodiment is applied to a network device, and the method includes:

[0121] Step S10: Determine whether to page the terminal device based on the satellite coverage assistance information.

[0122] It can be understood that satellite coverage assistance information is used to determine whether to page a terminal device. This means that the satellite coverage assistance information may or may not satisfy the conditions for paging a terminal device. Therefore, when a signaling message or user data needs to be sent to a terminal device, the terminal device can be selectively paged based on the satellite coverage assistance information, rather than necessarily being paged, thereby saving paging resources.

[0123] The terminal device is a device with satellite communication function.

[0124] Optionally, the satellite coverage assistance information includes at least one of the following:

[0125] The end time of service for the satellite in the current preset service area;

[0126] The next service start time of the satellite in the preset service area;

[0127] The ground reference point information of the satellite in the next preset service area;

[0128] Satellite ephemeris information;

[0129] Location information of the terminal device;

[0130] Satellite service coverage information predicted by terminal equipment.

[0131] It should be noted that the satellite coverage auxiliary information is used to determine whether the terminal device is within the preset service area.

[0132] Optionally, this embodiment is implemented based on a quasi-Earth-fixed cell and / or an Earth-moving cell.

[0133] For quasi-geofixed cells, since the beam emitted by the serving satellite's transmitting antenna covers one geographic area for a period of time and another geographic area for another period of time, the geographic area is the preset service area. Referring to FIG. 4 , FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a scenario of a paging method according to the first embodiment. 401' represents the position of the satellite moving from 401 at time T0 along direction 402 to time T1. 403 represents the satellite's preset service area. During movement, the satellite can adjust the angle of its transmitting antenna. At time T0, the satellite begins providing service to the preset service area, and at time T1, the satellite ceases providing service to the preset service area.

[0134] When there are multiple satellites, due to the limitations of the number of satellite deployments, satellite movement, and the size of the satellite's preset service area, there is a situation where the preset service area has discontinuous coverage of the terminal device's location. For example, there are satellites A and B. Satellite A stops providing service to the preset service area at the first moment, and satellite B starts providing service to the preset service area at the second moment. From the first moment to the second moment, no satellite provides service to the preset service area, that is, the first moment to the second moment is a time interval where there is no satellite service to the preset service area. During this time interval, the preset service area has discontinuous coverage of the terminal device's location. Accordingly, if the network device pages the terminal device in the preset service area during this time interval, the network device will inevitably fail to paging because there is no satellite that can provide service to the terminal device.

[0135] Optionally, the ground reference point information is the projection coordinate information of the satellite on the ground and the coverage radius information of the preset service area. Combined with the ground reference point information and the location information of the terminal device, it can be determined whether the terminal device is within the preset service area.

[0136] Optionally, the satellite ephemeris information refers to the precise position or trajectory table of the satellite as it changes over time. It is understood that the start time and end time of the service provided by the satellite for the preset service area can be determined based on the satellite ephemeris information.

[0137] Optionally, the network device broadcasts satellite assistance information (determined by the protocol SIB32 / SIB32-NB). After the terminal device receives the satellite assistance information, it can predict the satellite service coverage information based on the satellite assistance information and the terminal device's location information or the terminal device's predicted location information. Optionally, the satellite assistance information includes satellite ephemeris information, the coordinates of the satellite's ground reference point, the satellite's coverage radius, the time when the next satellite starts service, etc. Optionally, the coverage radius is used to determine the size of the preset service area. For example, when the preset service area is circular, the preset service area is a circle with the coverage radius as the radius; for another example, when the preset service area is sector-shaped, the preset service area is a sector with the coverage radius as the radius, and the angle of the sector is a preset angle (determined by the satellite's transmitting antenna).

[0138] Referring to Figure 5 , Figure 5 is a diagram of an NTN network topology structure involved in the paging method according to the first embodiment. It will be understood that T0, T2, and T4 are the service start times of satellites A, B, and C, respectively, and T1, T3, and T5 are the service end times of satellites A, B, and C, respectively; 501 is the preset service area; and the network equipment belongs to the MME / S-GW. It should be noted that the service start and service end times are in UTC (Universal Time Coordinated) or a time offset relative to the start of the current week (e.g., Monday 00:00:00 UTC). Optionally, the preset service areas of satellites A, B, and C may or may not be the same. For example, the preset service area of ​​satellite A includes cell 1, cell 2 and cell 3, the preset service area of ​​satellite B includes cell 2 and cell 3, and the preset service area of ​​satellite C includes cell 1, cell 2 and cell 3; it can be understood that the preset service area of ​​satellite A is the same as the preset service area of ​​satellite C, and both are larger than the preset service area of ​​satellite B; for another example, the preset service area of ​​satellite A includes tracking area 1, tracking area 2 and tracking area 3, the preset service area of ​​satellite B includes tracking area 2 and tracking area 3, and the preset service area of ​​satellite C includes tracking area 1, tracking area 2 and tracking area 3; it can be understood that the preset service area of ​​satellite A is the same as the preset service area of ​​satellite C, and both are larger than the preset service area of ​​satellite B.

[0139] Optionally, the location information of the terminal device includes at least one of the following:

[0140] Geographic location information reported by the terminal device;

[0141] Information about the cell where the terminal device resides;

[0142] The tracking area information where the terminal device resides.

[0143] For cells or tracking areas, similar to the ground network, for the convenience of management, the ground is divided into multiple cells or tracking areas, and each cell or tracking area has a corresponding cell ID (Identity document) or tracking area identification code (TAI, Tracking Area identity). Referring to Figure 6, Figure 6 is another scenario schematic diagram of the paging method according to the first embodiment. 601 is a satellite, 602 is a cell or tracking area, and 603 is a preset service area of ​​the satellite. It can be understood that the preset service area includes at least one cell or tracking area. It should be noted that the mapping relationship between the cell ID and the geographical location area is pre-set, and accordingly, the tracking area identification code is similar to the cell ID and also has a corresponding mapping relationship. For example, if the cells or tracking areas are divided by city, each city has a unique cell ID or tracking area identification code; for example, if the cells or tracking areas are divided by province, each province has a unique cell ID or tracking area identification code.

[0144] Optionally, the geographic location information reported by the terminal device is GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) positioning information, and the GNSS positioning information includes GPS (Global Positioning System) positioning information, BDS (BeiDou Navigation Satellite System) positioning information, etc. That is, the geographic location information reported by the terminal device is the latitude and longitude information of the terminal device. By determining whether the latitude and longitude of the terminal device are within the preset service area, it can be determined whether to page the terminal device. If the latitude and longitude of the terminal device are within the preset service area, it is determined that the terminal device is paged; and / or, if the latitude and longitude of the terminal device are not within the preset service area, it is determined not to page the terminal device. It can be understood that compared with the cell information and tracking area information, the latitude and longitude information is more accurate for determining the location of the terminal device, and accordingly, it is more accurate to determine whether to page the terminal device.

[0145] Optionally, the cell information where the terminal device resides and the tracking area information where the terminal device resides are the above-mentioned cell ID and tracking area identification code respectively.

[0146] Optionally, the satellite service coverage information is predicted by at least one of geographic location information, resident cell information, resident tracking area information, predicted geographic location information, predicted resident cell information or predicted resident tracking area information reported by the terminal device.

[0147] The predicted geographic location information, the predicted cell information or the predicted tracking area information reported by the terminal device are predicted by the terminal device based on the movement trajectory or historical residence information. For example, if the terminal device is currently in location A and the terminal device predicts that it will be in location B in two hours, the terminal device will report the predicted location B when reporting the geographic location information, so that the network device can page the terminal device at location B when paging it two hours later. For another example, if the cell information in which the terminal device is currently located is cell ID A and the terminal device predicts that the cell information in which the terminal device will be located in two hours will be cell ID B, the terminal device will report the predicted cell ID B when reporting the cell information in which it is located, so that the network device can page the terminal device in the cell corresponding to cell ID B when paging it two hours later. For another example, if the tracking area information in which the terminal device is currently located is tracking area identification code A and the user of the terminal device predicts that the tracking area information in which the terminal device will be located in two hours will be tracking area identification code B, the user of the terminal device will report the predicted tracking area identification code B when reporting the tracking area information in which it is located, so that the network device can page the terminal device in the tracking area corresponding to tracking area identification code B when paging it two hours later. It can be understood that obtaining satellite service coverage information through predicted geographic location information rather than only through current geographic location information makes it possible to predict the usage location of the terminal device in advance, thereby avoiding failure of network equipment to page the terminal device, thereby improving user experience.

[0148] Earth-mobile cells differ from quasi-Earth-fixed cells in that they do not provide service within a fixed, predefined service area. Instead, their service area changes with the satellite's position. That is, the area served by a satellite on the ground moves with its movement. Whether these are Earth-mobile or quasi-Earth-fixed cells, their coverage of the ground is predictable.

[0149] Optionally, the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device includes at least one of the following:

[0150] Coverage gap time information predicted by terminal devices;

[0151] Effective coverage time information predicted by the terminal device;

[0152] The terminal device predicts the effective duration.

[0153] Optionally, when the terminal device predicts the coverage gap time or effective coverage time information based on the satellite auxiliary information and the terminal device's location information or the terminal device's predicted location information, the prediction is for the time interval during which the terminal device's location or the terminal device's predicted location is not within or is within the satellite service area. For example, satellite A, satellite B, and satellite C successively provide services to the terminal device's location or predicted location. The terminal device predicts that satellite A's service start time for the terminal device is 5:01 and its service end time is 8:00. Satellite B's service start time for the terminal device is 8:02 and its service end time is 14:00. Satellite C's service start time for the terminal device is 14:03 and its service end time is 16:00. Then, the coverage gap time information predicted by the terminal device includes at least 8:00-8:02 and 14:00-14:03, and the effective coverage time predicted by the terminal device includes at least 5:01-8:00, 8:02-14:00, and 14:03-16:00.

[0154] The terminal device's predicted validity period is used to limit the validity period of coverage gap time information or effective coverage time information. For example, if the terminal device's predicted validity period is 6 hours, then after the terminal device reports the predicted satellite service coverage information and 6 hours have passed, the reported coverage gap time information and / or effective coverage time information will become invalid. Generally, the terminal device's predicted validity period is the time period during which the terminal device's location information is likely to change, as predicted by the terminal device's user. For example, the terminal device's user predicts that the location information will change 5 hours after the reported coverage gap time information and / or effective coverage time information, while the location information will not change within these 5 hours. Therefore, the terminal device's predicted validity period can be set to 5 hours, so that the reported coverage gap time information and / or effective coverage time information can only be used within 5 hours. After 5 hours, the reported coverage gap time information and / or effective coverage time information will become invalid. This prevents the network device from using the reported coverage gap time information and / or effective coverage time information to determine whether to page the terminal device even after the terminal device's location information has changed. It can be understood that by setting the predicted effective duration of the terminal device, it is possible to avoid using expired coverage gap time information and / or effective coverage time information to determine whether to page the terminal device, thereby improving the accuracy of determining whether to page the terminal device.

[0155] Optionally, the condition for updating the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device includes at least one of the following:

[0156] Before the predicted effective duration of the terminal device times out;

[0157] When the satellite coverage auxiliary information predicted by the terminal device within the terminal device prediction validity period is inconsistent with the historically reported one.

[0158] The condition for updating the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device is before the predicted effective duration of the terminal device times out. It is understandable that after the predicted effective duration of the terminal device times out, the network device will lose the basis for determining whether to page the terminal device. Therefore, after the predicted effective duration of the terminal device times out, if there is no new satellite service coverage information to support the network device in determining whether to page the terminal device, the process of the network device determining whether to page the terminal device will lose accuracy, resulting in paging the terminal device when paging is bound to fail, thereby wasting paging resources. Therefore, before the predicted effective duration of the terminal device times out, the network device can actively initiate paging to the terminal device and require the terminal device to report new satellite service coverage information to update the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device.

[0159] The condition for updating the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device is that the satellite coverage auxiliary information predicted by the terminal device is inconsistent with the historically reported information within the terminal device's predicted effective duration. It can be understood that the terminal device's predicted effective duration is obtained by the user's prediction of the terminal device, and the satellite service coverage information may also change within the terminal device's predicted effective duration. For example, the terminal device's location information or predicted location information changes, or the satellite ephemeris information changes. To ensure that the network device can page normally, when the terminal device detects that the new satellite service coverage information and the most recently reported satellite service coverage information are inconsistent within the terminal device's predicted effective duration, it sends new satellite service coverage information to the network device.

[0160] Optionally, the condition for updating the predicted satellite service coverage information of the terminal device further includes the network device proactively issuing a relevant instruction instructing the terminal device to update the satellite service coverage information. The network device issues the relevant instruction once at a preset interval. The issuance of the relevant instruction can be implemented by setting a timer. The relevant instruction is an instruction instructing the terminal device to upload the new satellite service coverage information. Optionally, the preset time can be set as needed and is not specifically limited in this embodiment.

[0161] Optionally, the step S10 includes:

[0162] If the satellite coverage assistance information meets the preset paging condition, the terminal device is paged, and / or if the satellite coverage assistance information does not meet the preset paging condition, the terminal device is not paged.

[0163] It can be understood that the network device only pages the terminal device when the satellite coverage auxiliary information meets the preset paging conditions, and does not page the terminal device when the satellite coverage auxiliary information does not meet the preset paging conditions, thereby avoiding the network device paging the terminal device when paging failure is inevitable.

[0164] It can be understood that the preset paging condition is that the terminal device is within a preset service area.

[0165] Optionally, the satellite coverage assistance information satisfies a preset paging condition including at least one of the following:

[0166] Not within the time interval between the end of service time and the start of service time;

[0167] The geographical location of the terminal device is within the preset service area;

[0168] The geographical location area corresponding to the cell ID where the terminal device is located coincides with or overlaps with the preset service area;

[0169] The geographical location area corresponding to the tracking area where the terminal device is located coincides with or overlaps with the preset service area;

[0170] The device is not within the coverage gap period predicted by the terminal device;

[0171] It is within the effective coverage time predicted by the terminal device.

[0172] It can be understood that the satellite's division of the preset service area is generally different from the division of the cell or tracking area. In this case, the geographic location area corresponding to the cell ID or the geographic location area corresponding to the tracking area may overlap with the preset service area; of course, the satellite's division of the preset service area may also be the same as the division of the cell or tracking area. In this case, the geographic location area corresponding to the cell ID or the geographic location area corresponding to the tracking area may overlap with the preset service area.

[0173] Optionally, in the case where the terminal device needs to predict satellite service coverage information, the satellite coverage auxiliary information meets the preset paging conditions including at least one of the following: not within the coverage gap time predicted by the terminal device; within the effective coverage time predicted by the terminal device.

[0174] Optionally, for the case where the terminal device does not need to predict satellite service coverage information, the satellite coverage auxiliary information satisfies the preset paging conditions including at least one of the following: not within the time interval from the end service time to the start service time; the geographical location of the terminal device is within the preset service area; the geographical location area corresponding to the cell ID where the terminal device is located coincides with or overlaps with the preset service area; the geographical location area corresponding to the tracking area where the terminal device is located coincides with or overlaps with the preset service area.

[0175] Optionally, the time interval is the above time interval.

[0176] Optionally, when the satellite coverage assistance information includes at least one of the following: the end service time of the satellite currently serving the preset service area; the start service time of the satellite next serving the preset service area; the ground reference point information of the satellite next serving the preset service area; satellite ephemeris information; and the location information of the terminal device; and also includes the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device, the satellite coverage assistance information satisfies the preset paging conditions, including not being within the time interval between the end service time and the start service time; the geographical location of the terminal device being within the preset service area; the geographical location area corresponding to the cell ID where the terminal device is located coincides or overlaps with the preset service area; the geographical location area corresponding to the tracking area where the terminal device is located coincides or overlaps with the preset service area; not being within the coverage gap time predicted by the terminal device; and being within the effective coverage time predicted by the terminal device. In this case, although both situations where the terminal device needs to predict satellite service coverage information and situations where the terminal device does not need to predict satellite service coverage information are included, that is, there are two means of determining whether to page the terminal device, resulting in data redundancy, the redundant data can improve the stability of paging.

[0177] Optionally, refer to Figure 7, which is a signaling diagram of the paging method according to the first embodiment. The paging method of the present application is described below in conjunction with a preferred embodiment:

[0178] This embodiment does not predict satellite service coverage information. That is, the terminal device does not need to predict satellite service coverage information using satellite assistance information and its own location information and send the predicted satellite service coverage information to the network device. Instead, it directly determines whether to page the terminal based on the end time of the satellite currently serving the preset service area, the start time of the satellite serving the next preset service area, the ground reference point information of the satellite serving the next preset service area, satellite ephemeris information, and / or the terminal device's location information.

[0179] Optionally, the satellite (RAN) sends satellite assistance information (i.e., the end service time T1 of the current satellite and the start service time T2 of the next satellite covering the preset service area, ground reference point information, preset service area radius (the above-mentioned coverage radius), etc.) to the CN through ENB CONFIGURATION UPDATE signaling.

[0180] The RAN reports the current UE location information to the CN through the UE (User Experience) Location Report signaling or the UE CONTEXT RELEASE COMMAND signaling. The UE location information can be the geographical location information reported by the UE, the currently resident mapped cell ID (the above cell ID) and / or TAI information (the above tracking area identity code).

[0181] The CN determines whether to allow triggered paging based on T1, T2, ground reference point information, and a preset service area radius, or alternatively, based on T1, T2, ground reference point information, a preset service area radius, and the UE's location information. It should be noted that the UE's location information is used to determine whether the UE is within the preset service area. Therefore, compared to determining whether to allow triggered paging based solely on T1 and T2, the introduction of the UE's location information can improve the accuracy of determining whether to allow triggered paging.

[0182] Optionally, when there is a NAS signaling message or user data that needs to be sent to the UE, if it is within the T1-T2 time period, paging is not allowed to be triggered; if it is not within the T1-T2 time period, then when there is no UE location information, paging is allowed to be triggered; if it is not within the T1-T2 time period, then when there is geographic location information reported by the UE, if the geographic location information reported by the UE is within the preset service area of ​​the serving satellite, then it is determined that the UE is reachable, and the paging of the corresponding UE is allowed to be triggered; if the geographic location information reported by the UE is not within the preset service area of ​​the serving satellite, then it is determined that the UE is unreachable, and the paging is not allowed to be triggered; if it is not within the T1-T2 time period, then when there is Mapped cell ID information corresponding to the UE, if the geographic location area corresponding to the Mapped cell ID coincides or overlaps with the preset service area of ​​the satellite, then it is determined that the UE is reachable, and the paging of the corresponding UE is allowed to be triggered. If the geographical location area corresponding to the ID and the preset service area of ​​the satellite do not coincide or overlap, the UE is determined to be unreachable and paging is not allowed to be triggered; if it is not within the T1-T2 time period, when the TAI information corresponding to the UE exists, if the geographical location area corresponding to the TAI and the service area of ​​the serving satellite coincide or overlap, the UE is determined to be reachable and paging of the corresponding UE is allowed to be triggered; if the geographical location area corresponding to the TAI and the service area of ​​the serving satellite do not coincide or overlap, the UE is determined to be unreachable and paging is not allowed to be triggered.

[0183] It can be understood that for the quasi-earth fixed cell scenario, since the time for the satellite network to cover a specific area (preset service area) is determined, the CN is only allowed to paging the terminal device during a specific time period (if there is UE location information, it can be further combined with the UE location), thereby avoiding the CN paging the terminal device when the UE has no satellite service coverage, wasting paging resources.

[0184] Optionally, the step S10 includes:

[0185] Before the predicted effective duration of the terminal device times out and when the preset paging conditions are met, the terminal device is actively paged to update the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device.

[0186] Optionally, refer to Figure 8, which is another signaling diagram of the paging method according to the first embodiment. The paging method of the present application is described below in conjunction with a preferred embodiment:

[0187] This embodiment requires predicting satellite service coverage information. The process of the terminal device predicting satellite service coverage information is basically the same as the above-mentioned process of determining whether to page the terminal. The satellite service coverage information includes coverage gap time information, which is the time information when the terminal cannot be paged. The satellite service coverage information includes effective coverage time information, which is the time information when the terminal can be paged.

[0188] Optionally, the UE obtains satellite assistance information (SIB32 / SIB32-NB) and performs coverage prediction based on the UE's location information or predicted location information to obtain the network's discontinuous coverage prediction information (including the terminal device's predicted coverage gap time information, the terminal device's predicted effective duration and / or the terminal device's predicted effective coverage time information).

[0189] The UE reports discontinuous coverage prediction information to the CN via a Tracking Area Update (TAU) message. For example, if the UE predicts no satellite coverage between T1 and T2 and T3 and T4, the terminal device predicts effective coverage duration t1. Alternatively, if the UE predicts satellite coverage between T0 and T1 and T2 and T3, the terminal device predicts effective coverage duration t2.

[0190] The CN maintains or updates the discontinuous coverage prediction information of each UE.

[0191] The UE proactively reports discontinuous coverage prediction information via a TAU message. For example, within the terminal device prediction validity period, if the UE finds that the prediction result is inconsistent with the previously reported prediction or the UE's location information is updated, the CN updates the UE's discontinuous coverage prediction information.

[0192] Based on the discontinuous coverage prediction information, the CN proactively triggers paging to update the UE's discontinuous coverage prediction information. For example, before the predicted effective duration of the terminal device expires and the UE is not in the predicted coverage gap time or is still in the predicted effective coverage time, the CN proactively triggers paging to trigger the UE to report new discontinuous coverage prediction information.

[0193] The CN decides whether to allow triggering paging based on the UE's discontinuous coverage prediction information.

[0194] It can be understood that the CN determines whether to allow triggering paging based on the discontinuous coverage prediction information predicted by the UE, thereby avoiding triggering paging when the UE has no satellite service coverage and wasting paging resources.

[0195] Second embodiment

[0196] 9 is a flow chart of a paging method according to a second embodiment. The paging method of this embodiment is applied to a terminal device, and the method includes:

[0197] S100: Send satellite service coverage information, so that a network device determines whether to page a terminal device based on the satellite service coverage information.

[0198] Optionally, the satellite service coverage information includes at least one of the following:

[0199] Coverage gap time information predicted by terminal devices;

[0200] Effective coverage time information predicted by the terminal device;

[0201] The terminal device predicts the effective duration.

[0202] Optionally, the satellite service coverage information is obtained according to at least one of the following information:

[0203] The current geographical location information of the terminal device;

[0204] Predicted geographic location information of the terminal device;

[0205] Satellite ephemeris information;

[0206] Satellite's ground reference point information.

[0207] Optionally, the triggering condition for sending the satellite service coverage information includes at least one of the following:

[0208] Before the predicted effective duration of the terminal device times out;

[0209] When the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device within the terminal device prediction validity period is inconsistent with the historically reported information;

[0210] When receiving relevant instructions from the network device to update the satellite service coverage information.

[0211] This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the execution entity is different. The specific implementation is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment and will not be further described here. Similarly, the terminal device transmits satellite service coverage information to the network device, so that the network device determines whether to page the terminal device based on the satellite service coverage information. This allows for selective paging of the terminal device when a signaling message or user data needs to be sent to the terminal device, rather than necessarily performing paging, thereby conserving paging resources.

[0212] Third embodiment

[0213] This embodiment is similar to the above-mentioned combination of obtaining satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device, obtaining location information from the terminal device, and obtaining satellite auxiliary information from the satellite. After receiving the satellite auxiliary information and the location information of the terminal device sent by the satellite, the CN does not directly determine whether to page the terminal device based on the satellite auxiliary information and the location information of the terminal device. Instead, it first predicts discontinuous coverage prediction information based on the satellite auxiliary information and the location information of the terminal device, and then determines whether to page the terminal device based on the discontinuous coverage prediction information. Similarly, determining whether to page the terminal device based on the discontinuous coverage prediction information predicted by the CN can achieve selective paging of the terminal device when a signaling message or user data needs to be sent to the terminal device, rather than necessarily paging the terminal device, thereby saving paging resources.

[0214] The present application also provides a communication device, comprising a memory and a processor. The memory stores a paging program, and when the paging program is executed by the processor, the paging program implements the steps of the paging method in any of the above embodiments. The communication device in the present application can be a terminal device (such as a mobile phone) or a network device (such as a base station). The specific reference needs to be clarified based on the context.

[0215] The present application also provides a storage medium on which a paging program is stored. When the paging program is executed by a processor, the steps of the paging method in any of the above embodiments are implemented.

[0216] In the embodiments of the communication device and storage medium provided in this application, all technical features of any of the above-mentioned paging method embodiments may be included. The expanded and explained contents of the specification are basically the same as those of the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods and will not be repeated here.

[0217] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code. When the computer program code runs on a computer, the computer executes the methods in the various possible implementation modes described above.

[0218] An embodiment of the present application also provides a chip, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store computer programs, and the processor is used to call and run the computer programs from the memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes the methods in the various possible implementation modes as described above.

[0219] It is understood that the above scenarios are merely examples and do not limit the application scenarios of the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. The technical solutions of this application can also be applied to other scenarios. For example, those skilled in the art will appreciate that with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application will also be applicable to similar technical problems.

[0220] The serial numbers of the above-mentioned embodiments of the present application are for description only and do not represent the advantages or disadvantages of the embodiments.

[0221] The steps in the method of the embodiment of the present application can be adjusted in order, combined and deleted according to actual needs.

[0222] The units in the device of the embodiment of the present application can be merged, divided and deleted according to actual needs.

[0223] In this application, the same or similar terminology, technical solutions and / or application scenario descriptions are generally only described in detail the first time they appear. When they appear again later, they are generally not repeated for the sake of brevity. When understanding the technical solutions and other contents of this application, for the same or similar terminology, technical solutions and / or application scenario descriptions that are not described in detail later, you can refer to the previous relevant detailed descriptions.

[0224] In this application, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For parts that are not described or recorded in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant description of other embodiments.

[0225] The various technical features of the technical solution of this application can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the various technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this application.

[0226] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by means of software plus the necessary general hardware platform, and of course can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) as mentioned above, and includes a number of instructions for enabling a terminal device (which can be a mobile phone, computer, server, controlled terminal, or network device, etc.) to execute the method of each embodiment of the present application.

[0227] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When software is used for implementation, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function according to the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a storage medium or transmitted from one storage medium to another storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a storage disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid-state storage disk Solid State Disk (SSD)).

[0228] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and do not limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present application specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A paging method, wherein: Applied to network equipment, including the following steps: S10: Determine whether to page the terminal device based on the satellite coverage assistance information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The satellite coverage assistance information includes at least one of the following: The end time of service for the satellite in the current preset service area; The next service start time of the satellite in the preset service area; The ground reference point information of the satellite in the next preset service area; Satellite ephemeris information; Location information of the terminal device; Satellite service coverage information predicted by terminal equipment.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The location information of the terminal device includes at least one of the following: Geographic location information reported by the terminal device; Information about the cell where the terminal device resides; The tracking area information where the terminal device resides.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device includes at least one of the following: Coverage gap time information predicted by terminal devices; Effective coverage time information predicted by the terminal device; The terminal device predicts the effective duration.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The conditions for updating the predicted satellite service coverage information of the terminal device include at least one of the following: Before the predicted effective duration of the terminal device times out; When the satellite coverage auxiliary information predicted by the terminal device within the terminal device prediction validity period is inconsistent with the historically reported one.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The step S10 includes: If the satellite coverage assistance information meets the preset paging condition, the terminal device is paged, and / or if the satellite coverage assistance information does not meet the preset paging condition, the terminal device is not paged.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The satellite coverage assistance information satisfies a preset paging condition, which includes at least one of the following: Not within the time interval between the end of service time and the start of service time; The geographical location of the terminal device is within the preset service area; The geographical location area corresponding to the cell ID where the terminal device is located coincides with or overlaps with the preset service area; The geographical location area corresponding to the tracking area where the terminal device is located coincides with or overlaps with the preset service area; The device is not within the coverage gap period predicted by the terminal device; It is within the effective coverage time predicted by the terminal device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein: The step S10 includes: Before the predicted effective duration of the terminal device times out and when the preset paging conditions are met, the terminal device is actively paged to update the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device.

9. A paging method, wherein: Applied to a terminal device, the method comprises the following steps: S100: Send satellite service coverage information, so that a network device determines whether to page a terminal device based on the satellite service coverage information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein: The satellite service coverage information includes at least one of the following: Coverage gap time information predicted by the terminal device; Effective coverage time information predicted by the terminal device; The terminal device predicts the effective duration.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The satellite service coverage information is obtained according to at least one of the following information: The current geographical location information of the terminal device; Predicted geographic location information of the terminal device; Satellite ephemeris information; Satellite's ground reference point information.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein The triggering conditions for sending satellite service coverage information include at least one of the following: Before the predicted effective duration of the terminal device times out; When the satellite service coverage information predicted by the terminal device within the terminal device prediction validity period is inconsistent with the historically reported information; When receiving relevant instructions from the network device to update the satellite service coverage information.

13. A communication device, wherein: The communication device comprises: a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a paging program, and when the paging program is executed by the processor, the steps of the paging method according to claim 1 or 9 are implemented.

14. A storage medium, wherein: The storage medium stores a computer program, which implements the steps of the paging method according to claim 1 or 9 when executed by a processor.

Images