System frame number allocation method, communication device and computer storage medium

Abstract

A system frame number allocation method, a communication device and a computer storage medium, the system frame number allocation method comprising: determining a plurality of cells within a satellite coverage range; the SFN is allocated to each cell in the plurality of cells, and the SFNs allocated to adjacent cells in the plurality of cells are discontinuous. By implementing the application, a rule for allocating the SFNs to the cells is provided, and since the SFNs allocated to the adjacent cells are discontinuous, the wireless frames of the adjacent cells are not continuous, so that the probability that the terminal equipment simultaneously misses the position of the subframe 0 (namely the frame header of the wireless frame) of the wireless frame of each adjacent cell is reduced, and the user experience is improved. Therefore, the problem of long network searching waiting time caused by the fact that the terminal equipment misses the frame header position of the wireless frame of each adjacent cell is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a system frame number allocation method, a communication device, and a computer storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Satellite communication uses multiple beams to cover all areas within the lowest elevation angle range. The coverage of each beam is the coverage of a cell. The satellite can assign a system frame number (SFN) to each cell and indicate the SFN assigned to the cell to the terminal device. How to assign SFN to each cell is not defined in the current protocol, so how to assign SFN to cells is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present application is to provide a system frame number allocation method, a communication device and a computer storage medium, which provide rules for allocating SFNs to cells and reduce the network search waiting time of terminal equipment.

[0004] In a first aspect, a system frame number allocation method is provided, comprising: Determine multiple cells within the coverage of the satellite. Wherein, the access network equipment is deployed on the satellite, and the multiple cells within the coverage of the satellite can also be understood as multiple cells within the coverage of the access network equipment. The coverage of a beam of the satellite is the range of a cell.

[0005] Allocate SFN to each of the multiple cells, wherein the SFNs allocated to adjacent cells in the multiple cells are discontinuous. Adjacent cells are at least two cells with a common border area, that is, the SFNs allocated to each of the at least two cells with a common border area are discontinuous.

[0006] The method of the first aspect is implemented to allocate discontinuous SFNs to at least two adjacent cells. When the terminal device is located in the boundary area of ​​the at least two adjacent cells, even if the SSB sent by the access network device in one cell to indicate the SFN allocated to the cell is missed (missing the SSB means missing the position of subframe 0 of the wireless frame corresponding to the SFN allocated to the cell), the terminal device can wait to receive the SSB sent by the access network device in other adjacent cells to indicate the SFN allocated to the other adjacent cells, that is, the SFN allocated to the other adjacent cells and the position of subframe 0 of the wireless frame corresponding to the SFN can be determined based on the SSB of the other adjacent cells, thereby reducing the probability of the terminal device missing the SSB of all adjacent cells, that is, reducing the probability of the terminal device missing the position of subframe 0 (that is, the frame header of the wireless frame) of each adjacent cell at the same time, thereby reducing the problem of long network search waiting time caused by the terminal device missing the frame header position of each adjacent cell.

[0007] In a possible implementation manner, the multiple cells include a first cell and a second cell, and the first cell and the second cell are adjacent cells; the first cell and the second cell are any two adjacent cells in the multiple cells.

[0008] The SFN allocated to the first cell is a first SFN, and the SFN allocated to the second cell is a second SFN; The first SFN is a SFN in a first group, and the second SFN is a SFN in a second group; The first group and the second group respectively include at least one SFN.

[0009] By implementing this method, SFNs in different groups are allocated to adjacent cells, thereby improving SFN allocation efficiency.

[0010] In a possible implementation manner, the value of at least one SFN included in the first group is continuous, and the value of at least one SFN included in the second group is continuous.

[0011] When this method is implemented, when grouping, the SFN values ​​in the same group are continuous, so that grouping is convenient.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the first SFN is a SFN with a sequence number of j1 in the first group, and the second SFN is a SFN that satisfies the following conditions: the second SFN is an unallocated SFN in the second group, and the absolute value of the difference between the sequence number of the second SFN in the second group and the sequence number j1 is the smallest.

[0013] By implementing this method, when allocating SFNs to adjacent cells, the values ​​of the sequence numbers of the SFNs allocated by the adjacent cells in each group are made as close as possible, so that the waiting time of the terminal device when searching the network can be as equal as possible.

[0014] In a possible implementation manner, the first group and the second group are two different groups among N groups, where N is an integer greater than 2; The value of N is determined based on the maximum number of adjacent cells having a common boundary area among the multiple cells.

[0015] By implementing this method, the maximum number of adjacent cells with a common border area is used to determine the number of groups, which can ensure that each adjacent cell can be allocated to a SFN in a different group.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the N groups are obtained by dividing all SFNs supported by the satellite, and the number of SFNs included in each group is determined based on the total number X of all SFNs supported by the satellite and the N.

[0017] By implementing this method, when allocating SFNs, the SFNs included in each group are made as equal as possible, so that the waiting time for the terminal device to search the network is also as equal as possible.

[0018] In a possible implementation manner, allocating a system frame number SFN to each of the multiple cells includes: SFNs are allocated to the cells in sequence according to the area of ​​each cell in the plurality of cells from large to small.

[0019] When this method is implemented, SFNs are allocated preferentially to cells with larger areas. Since the SFNs allocated first are the most equal, the SFNs allocated preferentially to cells with larger areas are the most equal. A larger cell area covers more users, allowing more users to have a relatively equal waiting time for network search.

[0020] In a possible implementation, a synchronization signal block SSB is sent in each cell in sequence from small to large according to the value of the SFN allocated to each cell, and the SSB indicates the SFN allocated to the corresponding cell.

[0021] This method is implemented to indicate the SFN allocated to the cell through the SSB, so that the terminal device can determine the SFN for synchronization.

[0022] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, including: A processing unit, configured to determine a plurality of cells within a satellite coverage area; The processing unit is further configured to allocate a system frame number SFN to each of the multiple cells, wherein the SFNs allocated to adjacent cells in the multiple cells are discontinuous.

[0023] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processor and a memory, where the processor and the memory are connected to each other, the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program to execute the method described in the first aspect or any optional implementation method of the first aspect.

[0024] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, comprising a processor and an interface, wherein the processor and the interface are coupled; the interface is used to receive and / or output signals, and the processor is used to execute code instructions to execute a method as described in the first aspect or any optional embodiment of the first aspect.

[0025] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer storage medium, which stores a computer program, wherein the computer program includes program instructions. When a computer executes the program instructions, the method described in the first aspect or any optional implementation method of the first aspect is implemented.

[0026] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program or a computer code, and when the computer program product is run on a computer, it is used to implement the method described in the first aspect or any optional implementation method of the first aspect.

[0027] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes an access network device and a terminal device, and the access network device is used to execute the method described in the first aspect.

[0028] The beneficial effects of the technical solutions provided in the second to seventh aspects of this application can refer to the beneficial effects of the technical solutions provided in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 A communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 A network architecture diagram for deploying access network equipment on a satellite provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the projection topology structure of the beam of a LEO satellite irradiated onto the ground provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of allocating continuous SFNs to at least two adjacent cells provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the locations of adjacent cells provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 A flowchart of a system frame number allocation method provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 7 A flowchart of another system frame number allocation method provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of allocating SFN to a cell provided in an embodiment of the present application; Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of allocating SFN to a cell provided in an embodiment of the present application; Fig.10 A schematic diagram of another method of allocating SFN to a cell provided in an embodiment of the present application; Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application; Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application; Fig.13 A schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the character " / " indicates that the objects before and after the association are in an or relationship. For example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone.

[0031] It should be pointed out that the words "first", "second", etc. involved in the embodiments of the present application are only used to distinguish the description purpose, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated, nor can they be understood as indicating or implying order.

[0032] In the embodiments of the present application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. In addition, "at least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, which may include any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of A, B, or C can represent: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A, B and C. Among them, each of A, B, and C can be an element itself, or a set containing one or more elements.

[0033] In the embodiments of the present application, "exemplary", "in some embodiments", "in another embodiment", etc. are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" in the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the word "exemplary" is intended to present concepts in a concrete way.

[0034] In the embodiments of the present application, "of", "corresponding", and "corresponding" can sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that when the distinction between them is not emphasized, the meanings to be expressed are consistent. In the embodiments of the present application, communication and transmission can sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that when the distinction between them is not emphasized, the meanings to be expressed are consistent. For example, transmission can include sending and / or receiving, which can be a noun or a verb.

[0035] The equal to involved in the embodiments of the present application can be used in conjunction with greater than, and is applicable to the technical solution adopted when greater than, and can also be used in conjunction with less than, and is applicable to the technical solution adopted when less than. It should be noted that when equal to is used in conjunction with greater than, it cannot be used in conjunction with less than; when equal to is used in conjunction with less than, it cannot be used in conjunction with greater than.

[0036] The system frame number allocation method proposed in this application can be applied to the long term evolution (LTE) system, 5G NR (5G New Radio) system, the sixth generation mobile information technology (6G) system and subsequent evolution standards, and this application does not limit this. Figure 1 As shown, the communication system includes at least terminal equipment, access network equipment and core network equipment.

[0037] Among them, the terminal device includes a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to the user. For example, it may include a handheld device with a wireless connection function or a processing device connected to a wireless modem. The terminal device can communicate with a core network (e.g., 5G core network (5th generation core, 5GC)) via a radio access network (RAN), and can exchange voice and / or data with the RAN. The terminal device may also be referred to as a terminal (Terminal), user equipment (UE), wireless terminal equipment, mobile terminal (MT) equipment, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station (MS), mobile station (mobile), remote station (remote station), access point (AP), remote terminal equipment (remote terminal), access terminal equipment (access terminal), user terminal equipment (user terminal), user agent (user agent), or user equipment (user device), etc. In addition, the terminal device can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, etc. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal device. The terminal device in the present application can be any of the above-mentioned devices or chips, which are not specifically limited here. Whether as a device or as a chip, the terminal device can be manufactured, sold or used as an independent product. In this embodiment and subsequent embodiments, the terminal device is introduced as an example.

[0038] The access network device may be any device with wireless transceiver function, and may be used to be responsible for air interface related functions, such as wireless link maintenance function, wireless resource management function, and part of mobility management function. In addition, the access network device may also be configured with a baseband unit (BBU) having baseband signal processing function. Exemplarily, the access network device may be a radio access network (RAN) that currently provides services for the terminal device. At present, some common examples of access network devices are: Node B (NB), evolved Node B (eNB), next generation node B (gNB) in 5G new radio (NR) system, node in 6G system (e.g., xNodeB), transmission reception point (TRP), radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home evolved NodeB or home node (HNB)), etc. In addition, in a network structure such as a cloud radio access network (CloudRAN) or an open radio access network (ORAN), the access network device may be a device including a centralized unit (CU) (also referred to as a control unit) and / or a distributed unit (DU). It should be understood that the access network device in the embodiment of the present application may be any of the above-mentioned devices or a chip in the above-mentioned device, and the specific details are not limited here. Whether as a device or as a chip, the access network device can be manufactured, sold or used as an independent product. In this embodiment and subsequent embodiments, the access network device is taken as an example for introduction.

[0039] Core network equipment refers to equipment in the core network (CN) that provides service support for terminal devices. At present, some common examples of core network equipment are: access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, session management function (SMF) entity, user plane function (UPF) entity, mobility management entity (MME), etc., which are not listed here one by one. Among them, the AMF entity can be responsible for access management and mobility management of terminal devices; the SMF entity can be responsible for session management, such as user session establishment, etc.; the UPF entity can be a functional entity of the user plane, mainly responsible for connecting to the external network; the MME is mainly responsible for signaling processing, etc.

[0040] It should be noted that the entity in this application may also be referred to as a network element or a functional entity. For example, an AMF entity may also be referred to as an AMF network element or an AMF functional entity; for another example, an SMF entity may also be referred to as an SMF network element or an SMF functional entity, etc.

[0041] Exemplarily, the system frame number allocation method proposed in the present application can be applied to the radio access network (RAN) architecture of non-terrestrial networks (NTN). For example, the non-terrestrial communication network (NTN-based NG-RAN architectures) based on the NG-RAN architecture defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) protocol. At this time, some or all of the functions of the aforementioned access network equipment can be implemented by non-terrestrial communication network equipment (such as satellites, tethered unmanned aerial systems (TUA), etc.), that is, the access network equipment can be deployed on non-terrestrial communication network equipment. It should be noted that the present application describes the non-terrestrial communication network equipment as a satellite, but the present application is not limited. There may be other non-terrestrial communication network devices, that is, the satellite described in the embodiment of the present application can also be replaced by other non-terrestrial communication network devices.

[0042] like Figure 2As shown, it is a network architecture diagram of deploying access network equipment on a satellite provided in an embodiment of the present application. The network architecture includes terminal equipment, satellite, NTN gateway (also known as ground station, gateway, gateway) and core network equipment, and the access network equipment is deployed on the satellite. In some implementations, part of the core network equipment or part of the core network equipment functions may also be deployed on the satellite, which is not limited in the present application.

[0043] The satellite may be a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite, a medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite or a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite of a non-geostationary earth orbit (NGEO), or a high altitude platform station (HAPS), etc. The present application does not limit the specific type of satellite.

[0044] The NTN gateway in the embodiment of the present application can be used to connect the satellite and the core network equipment on the ground. The communication link between the NTN gateway and the satellite can be called a feeder link (or feedback link); the communication link between the satellite and the terminal equipment can be called a service link.

[0045] Understandable, Figure 2 Only one satellite and one NTN gateway are shown. In actual use, a multi-satellite and / or multi-NTN gateway architecture may be adopted as required. Each satellite may provide services to one or more terminal devices, each satellite may correspond to one or more NTN gateways, each NTN gateway may correspond to one or more satellites, etc., which are not specifically limited in this application.

[0046] Satellites use multiple beams to cover all areas within the lowest elevation angle range. The footprint of a beam on the ground is a cell, that is, one beam corresponds to one cell. The topological structure of the footprint of each beam on the ground also determines the topological structure of each cell. Figure 3 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the projection topology structure of the beam of the LEO satellite irradiating the ground. The geometric shape of a beam projection is a hexagon. For example, the maximum number of beams of an NTN satellite is 1058, and the maximum number of cells is 1008. The minimum value of the two is 1008. Each cell can be assigned a beam, and some redundant beams can be idle, that is, unassigned.

[0047] Understandable, Figure 3 The beam projection topology is only an example. Since the antenna array structure of satellites in other satellite systems may be different, the projection shape of the beam irradiated to the ground may be different. Therefore, there may be other beam projection geometric shapes and topologies, which are not limited in this application. Figure 4 , which is a schematic diagram of another beam projection topology structure provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0048] Some terms involved in the embodiments of the present application are explained below to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0049] 1. SFN SFN is a number used to identify a radio frame (also called a system frame). Radio frame is one of the basic time units in wireless communication systems. In the LTE system, the duration of a radio frame is defined as 10ms, and each radio frame has a unique number, namely the system frame number (SFN). In some implementations, the value range of SFN can be from 0 to 1023 or from 1 to 1024, which means that SFN has 1024 possible values, and SFN has 1024 values, that is, the satellite system supports 1024 SFNs. In other implementations, SFN may have less than 1024 values, for example, SFN has X values, X is a natural number less than 1024, then the value range of SFN can be from 0 to X-1 or from 1 to X, SFN has X values, that is, the satellite system supports X SFNs. For example, in some satellite communication systems, X=52.

[0050] The main function of SFN is to help terminal devices achieve synchronization with access network devices. The synchronization may include that the frame numbers of the wireless frames corresponding to the current time of the terminal device and the access network device are synchronized. The access network device (such as a base station) can use the beam allocated to the cell to send a synchronization signal (synchronization signal, SS) or a synchronization signal block (synchronization signal block, SSB) in the cell. The terminal device within the coverage of the beam will obtain the SS or SSB sent by the network device. The terminal device parses the SS or SSB to obtain the SFN allocated to the cell, and then communicates with the access network device based on the SFN. The SFN can be carried in the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) of the SSB, and specifically can be carried in the Master Information Block (MIB) of the PBCH.

[0051] 2. SFN cycle The value of SFN has a certain periodicity. The duration of a round of SFN value is an SFN cycle. For example, the value range of SFN is 1 to 1024, an SFN cycle is 1024 radio frames, and a radio frame is 10ms, so an SFN cycle is 10.24 seconds. This means that after 10.24 seconds, the value of SFN will be repeated. For another example, the value range of SFN is 1 to 52, and an SFN cycle is 52 radio frames.

[0052] 3. Community search Cell search is required when the terminal device is turned on, disconnected from the network, reselected or switched. Cell search is the first step for the terminal device to access the network, which is related to whether the terminal device can access the network quickly and accurately. The terminal device identifies the physical layer cell through cell search and completes the downlink synchronization with the access network device. Then the terminal device can read the cell broadcast information and complete the residence. After that, you can use various services provided by the network.

[0053] The purpose of cell search is to obtain the physical cell identity (PCI) and complete downlink synchronization. The terminal device completes the cell search through the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and secondary synchronization signal (SSS) in the SSB sent by the access network device. In other words, after the cell search process, the terminal device obtains subframe synchronization and frame synchronization through the synchronization signal in the SSB, that is, it knows the location of subframe 0 in a wireless frame, and also identifies the physical cell.

[0054] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can also obtain SFN through SSB. See point 1 of the terminology explanation for details. Therefore, through SSB, not only the SFN of the wireless frame can be identified, but also the location of subframe 0 of the wireless frame can be determined. Therefore, frame synchronization between the access network device and the terminal device can be achieved, which facilitates subsequent service interaction between the terminal device and the access network device.

[0055] It can be understood that if the terminal device does not receive the SSB (that is, it misses the SSB), then it is impossible to obtain the SFN in the SSB, and it is impossible to determine the position of subframe 0 of the wireless frame corresponding to the SFN. This scenario can be understood as the terminal device missed the frame header position of the wireless frame corresponding to the SFN, and the frame header position of the wireless frame is the position of subframe 0.

[0056] 4. Beam The embodiment of beam in the protocol can be a spatial filter, or a spatial filter or spatial parameters. The beam used to send signals can be called a transmission beam (Tx beam), which can be called a spatial domain transmit filter or a spatial domain transmit parameter; the beam used to receive signals can be called a reception beam (Rx beam), which can be called a spatial domain receive filter or a spatial domain receive parameter. The transmission beam can refer to the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space after the signal is transmitted by the antenna, and the reception beam can refer to the distribution of signal strength in different directions in space of the wireless signal received from the antenna.

[0057] It should be understood that the embodiment of beam in the above-listed protocols is only an example and should not constitute any limitation to the present application. The present application does not exclude the possibility of defining other terms in future protocols to express the same or similar meanings.

[0058] The beam generally corresponds to the reference signal, that is, the access network device uses the beam corresponding to the reference signal to send the reference signal. For example, beam 1 corresponds to SSB1, and beam 2 corresponds to SSB2, so the access network device uses beam 1 to send SSB1 and beam 2 to send SSB2.

[0059] Since each SSB includes an SFN in the embodiment of the present application, the SFN included in the SSB is allocated to the beam corresponding to the SSB, and since one beam corresponds to one cell in the embodiment of the present application, the SFN included in the SSB is also allocated to the corresponding cell. For example, SSB1 includes SFN1, which is allocated to beam 1, and the coverage range of beam 1 is cell 1, so SFN1 can also be understood as being allocated to cell 1.

[0060] The following is an example of an access network device deployed on a satellite, and the way the access network device allocates SFNs. The access network device allocates SFNs to cells based on beams, which is related to the number of beams and the topological structure of the footprint of the beams irradiated on the ground. NTN follows the SFN configuration rules of NR and allocates an SFN to each beam. Since one beam corresponds to one cell, one SFN is also allocated to each cell. The access network device deployed on the satellite can indicate the SFN allocated to the cell to the terminal device through SSB.

[0061] When allocating SFNs to cells, continuous SFNs may be allocated to at least two adjacent cells. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , it is a schematic diagram of allocating continuous SFNs to at least two adjacent cells. Figure 4 In the case of a satellite irradiating the ground, there are 52 beam footprints, that is, there are 52 cells. The number of beams = the number of cells = the maximum number of SFNs = 52. Figure 4 In the figure, the SFNs allocated to the four cells at the center are continuous, the SFNs allocated to the adjacent cells in the middle circle are continuous, and the SFNs allocated to the adjacent cells in the outermost circle are continuous.

[0062] The access network equipment deployed on the satellite can send SSBs in each cell in a certain time sequence using the beam corresponding to the cell. The SSB includes the SFN assigned to the corresponding cell. During the cell search process, the terminal device can parse the SFN assigned to the cell based on the received SSB and perform frame synchronization. If adjacent cells allocate continuous SFNs, that is, the wireless frames of the adjacent cells are continuous, the time when the access network equipment sends SSBs is also relatively close. For example, SSB1 includes SFN1, and SSB2 includes SFN2, then the first SSB sent by the access network equipment after sending SSB1 is SSB2.

[0063] If continuous SFNs are allocated to adjacent cells, the following problems will occur: 1. When the terminal device is in the border area of ​​an adjacent cell, the terminal device is very likely to miss the SSB of the adjacent cell when searching for a cell. Specifically, when the terminal device determines that a cell search is required, the access network device is very likely not sending the SSB of the adjacent cell, but sending the SSB of other cells. The terminal device needs to wait for the next SFN cycle to search for a cell, and the waiting time is relatively long. Figure 4 As an example, Figure 4 1 to 52 can be understood as the SFN assigned to the corresponding cell. If the terminal device is located in Figure 4At the position shown by the middle triangle, the terminal device is located in the boundary area of ​​4 adjacent cells, and the SFNs assigned to the 4 adjacent cells are SFN1, SFN2, SFN3, and SFN4 respectively. When the access network device sends SSB1 including SFN1, SSB2 including SFN2, SSB3 including SFN3, and SSB4 including SFN4, the terminal device does not perform a cell search. For example, when the access network device sends SSB10 including SFN10, the terminal device determines that a cell search is required. Since the access network device does not send SSB1 including SFN1, SSB2 including SFN2, SSB3 including SFN3, and SSB4 including SFN4 at this time, the terminal device cannot successfully search for the network. The terminal device needs to wait for the access network device to send SSB1 including SFN1 again before it can successfully search for the network, that is, it needs to wait until the next SFN cycle, and the waiting time for searching the network is relatively long.

[0064] 2. For the scenario where the terminal device switches cells, it takes a certain amount of switching time for the terminal device to switch from the serving cell to the neighboring cell. However, the SFN of the neighboring cell is continuous with the SFN of the serving cell. Therefore, the probability that the terminal device misses the SSB including the SFN of the neighboring cell sent by the access network device is relatively high. The terminal device also needs to wait until the next SFN cycle to successfully receive the SSB including the SFN of the neighboring cell. The waiting time of the terminal device is relatively long.

[0065] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application allocates discontinuous SFNs to each cell within the satellite coverage area when allocating SFNs to the cells. Figure 5 For example, cell 1, cell 2, and cell 3 are three adjacent cells, and the terminal device is located in the boundary area of ​​the three cells. Figure 5 In the location of the terminal device shown, cell 2 and cell 3 are neighboring cells of cell 1, and the terminal device can choose to access the neighboring cell of cell 1, that is, it can choose to access cell 2 or cell 3. The SFNs allocated to cell 1, cell 2 and cell 3 are not continuous. For example, the SFN allocated to cell 1 is SFN1, the SFN allocated to cell 2 is SFN343, and the SFN allocated to cell 3 is SFN685. When the terminal device needs to search for a cell, even if it misses the SSB including SFN1 sent by the access network device in cell 1, it does not need to wait for an SFN cycle to search the network, and can receive the SSB including SFN343 sent by the access network device in cell 2. Even if the terminal device misses the SSB including SFN343 sent by the access network device in cell 2, it can still receive the SSB including SFN685 sent by the access network device in cell 3.

[0066] In the embodiment of the present application, since the SFNs allocated to at least two adjacent cells are discontinuous, for a terminal device located in a cell boundary area, when a cell search is required, even if the SSB of the cell where the terminal device is located is missed, the terminal device can wait to receive the SSB of the neighboring cell without waiting until the next SFN cycle, thereby reducing the network search waiting time of the terminal device.

[0067] For terminal devices that need to switch cells, since the SFN of the neighboring cell is not continuous with the SFN of the serving cell, there is sufficient time for the terminal device to prepare to switch to the neighboring cell. The probability of the terminal device missing the SSB sent by the access network device in the neighboring cell, including the SFN allocated to the neighboring cell, is also relatively small. The terminal device does not need to wait for the next SFN cycle to switch cells, thereby reducing the waiting time of the terminal device.

[0068] It should be noted that the various technical solutions (or embodiments) of the present application can be implemented independently or in combination based on certain internal connections. The present application is not limited thereto. In addition, the various terms and definitions between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other. In each embodiment of the present application, different implementations can also be implemented in combination or independently.

[0069] Please refer to Figure 6 , is a flow chart of a system frame number allocation method provided in an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 6 As shown, the system frame number allocation method of this embodiment may include the following steps: 601. The access network device determines a plurality of cells within the coverage of a satellite.

[0070] The access network equipment is deployed on the satellite. The antenna array structure of the access network equipment is different. The beam of the access network equipment is projected to the ground in different shapes. Therefore, the shapes and topological structures of each cell within the satellite coverage may be different. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , a schematic diagram of a topological structure of multiple cells within the satellite coverage area is shown, and the shape of a cell is a hexagon. Figure 4 As shown, it is another schematic diagram of the topological structure of multiple cells within the coverage area of ​​the satellite.

[0071] 602, the access network device allocates SFN to each of the multiple cells, wherein the SFNs allocated to adjacent cells in the multiple cells are not continuous.

[0072] An SFN is allocated to each of the multiple cells within the satellite coverage area, and one SFN is allocated to each cell. The SFNs allocated to adjacent cells are not continuous. In the embodiment of the present application, at least two cells with a common boundary area are called adjacent cells, such as Figure 5As shown in the figure, cell 1, cell 2 and cell 3 are three adjacent cells. Multiple adjacent cells are neighboring cells to each other. Taking one of the multiple adjacent cells as an example, the one cell is called a reference cell. The reference cell may have at least one neighboring cell, and the at least one neighboring cell is a cell other than the reference cell among the multiple adjacent cells. Figure 5 For example, Figure 5 As shown, cell 1, cell 2, and cell 3 are adjacent cells, wherein, if the reference cell is cell 1, cell 2 and cell 3 are neighboring cells of cell 1, if the reference cell is cell 3, cell 1 and cell 2 are neighboring cells of cell 3, and if the reference cell is cell 2, cell 1 and cell 3 are neighboring cells of cell 2.

[0073] Continue with Figure 5 As an example to illustrate SFN allocation, when SFNs are allocated to cell 1, cell 2, and cell 3, the SFNs allocated to the three cells are discontinuous. For example, the satellite system supports 1024 SFNs, and the values ​​of the 1024 SFNs are SFN1 to SFN1024, or the values ​​of the 1024 SFNs are SFN0 to SFN1023. The values ​​of SFN1 to SFN1024 are taken as an example below. The SFN allocated to cell 1 is SFN1, the SFN allocated to cell 2 is SFN343, and the SFN allocated to cell 3 is SFN685. For another example, the SFN allocated to cell 1 is SFN1, the SFN allocated to cell 2 is SFN300, and the SFN allocated to cell 3 is SFN600. The specific allocation method of SFN is not limited in the embodiments of the present application, as long as the SFNs allocated to adjacent cells are discontinuous, they belong to the protection scope of the present application.

[0074] 603, the access network device sends SSB in each cell in turn according to a preset order, wherein the SSB indicates the SFN allocated to the corresponding cell.

[0075] Among them, step 603 may be an optional step. Each SSB may indicate the SFN allocated to the corresponding cell. The SSB sent in each cell corresponds to the beam allocated to the cell, that is, the access network device uses the beam allocated to the cell to send the SSB in the cell, and the SSB indicates the SFN allocated to the cell.

[0076] The access network device may send the SSB in each cell in the order of the SFN values ​​indicated in the SSB from small to large. Optionally, the SSB may also be used for frame synchronization, so that the terminal device can determine the position of subframe 0 of the wireless frame corresponding to the allocated SFN.

[0077] For example, the beam allocated to cell 1 is beam 1, the beam allocated to cell 2 is beam 2, and the beam allocated to cell 3 is beam 3. Beam 1 corresponds to SSB1, beam 2 corresponds to SSB2, and beam 3 corresponds to SSB3. SSB1 indicates SFN1 allocated to cell 1, SSB2 indicates SFN2 allocated to cell 2, and SSB3 indicates SFN3 allocated to cell 3. The access network device can use beam 1 to send SSB1 in cell 1, then use beam 2 to send SSB2 in cell 2, and finally use beam 3 to send SSB3 in cell 3.

[0078] It can be understood that the value of SFN is periodic, so the access network device can start the next round of SSB transmission after sending a round of SSB. A round of SSB can be understood as all the values ​​of SFN are fully cycled.

[0079] 604, the terminal device receives the SSB of the first cell, and communicates with the access network device according to the SFN indicated in the SSB of the first cell. The first cell is the cell where the terminal device is located, or the first cell is a neighboring cell of the cell where the terminal device is located.

[0080] Among them, step 604 may be an optional step. When the terminal device determines that a cell search is required, the terminal device may receive the SSB of the first cell, the SSB of the first cell indicating the SFN allocated to the first cell, and the terminal device may communicate with the access network device according to the SFN indicated in the SSB of the first cell. The terminal device may also perform frame synchronization with the access network device based on the SSB, for example, determining the position of subframe 0 of the wireless frame corresponding to the SFN.

[0081] In one implementation, the first cell may be a cell where the terminal device is located, and the cell where the terminal device is located is the cell where the terminal device is geographically located. Figure 5 As shown, the cell where the terminal device is located is cell 1. When performing cell search, the terminal device can receive the SSB sent in cell 1, and determine the SFN allocated to cell 1 through the SSB, so as to communicate with the access network device based on the SFN.

[0082] In another implementation, the first cell may be a neighboring cell of the cell where the terminal device is located. When the terminal device is located in a cell boundary area, such as Figure 5 As shown, the terminal device is located in the border area of ​​cell 1. Since the beam of the neighboring cell can simultaneously cover the border area of ​​the cell where the terminal device is located, if the beam quality of the neighboring cell meets the preset condition, the terminal device can choose to access the neighboring cell and receive the SSB of the neighboring cell. The preset condition may include, for example, that the beam quality of the neighboring cell is greater than or equal to a preset threshold. Figure 5In the present invention, if the beam quality of cell 2 or cell 3 meets the preset conditions, the terminal device may also choose to access cell 2 or cell 3 whose beam quality meets the preset conditions. Therefore, the terminal device may receive the SSB of cell 2 or cell 3 to determine the SFN of cell 2 or cell 3.

[0083] In the embodiment of the present application, since the SFNs allocated to the adjacent multiple cells (such as the above-mentioned cell 1, cell 2, and cell 3) are not continuous, even if the terminal device misses the SSB of one of the multiple adjacent cells, it can wait for the SSB of other cells in the multiple adjacent cells without waiting until the next SFN cycle, thereby reducing the cell search waiting time. For example, even if the terminal device misses the SSB of the cell where the terminal device is located (i.e., cell 1), it can wait for the SSB of the neighboring cells of cell 1 (such as cell 2 or cell 3).

[0084] When a terminal device is located in the boundary area of ​​one of multiple adjacent cells, even if the terminal device misses the SSB of the cell in which it is located, it can wait for the SSB sent in other adjacent cells in the same SFN cycle without waiting until the next SFN cycle, thereby reducing the cell search waiting time of the terminal device. Figure 5 As shown, the terminal device is located in cell 1, and the terminal device can choose to access the neighboring cell of cell 1 (i.e., cell 2 or cell 3). Since the SFNs allocated to cells 1, 2, and 3 are not continuous, even if the SSB of cell 1 is missed (i.e., the SFN of cell 1 is missed), it can wait for the SFN of other neighboring cells (such as cell 2 or cell 3). In addition, in the cell switching scenario, since the SFN is not continuous, sufficient time can be reserved for the terminal device to prepare for the cell switching.

[0085] Please refer to Figure 7 , is a flow chart of a system frame number allocation method provided in an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 7 As shown, the system frame number allocation method of this embodiment may include the following steps: 701, divide the total number X of SFNs supported by the satellite system into N groups.

[0086] X is an integer greater than 1, N is an integer greater than 1, and in some implementations N is an integer greater than 2.

[0087] Exemplarily, the value of X may be, for example, 1024, that is, the satellite system supports 1024 SFNs, and the 1024 SFNs are divided into N groups. Exemplarily, the value of X may be, for example, 52, that is, the satellite system supports 52 SFNs, and the 52 SFNs are divided into N groups.

[0088] The value of N can be determined according to the beam projection shape, which is the shape of a cell. Exemplarily, the value of N satisfies the following condition: the boundary area of ​​one cell among multiple cells within the satellite coverage is covered by at most N beams at the same time. In other words, the boundary area of ​​one cell among multiple cells within the satellite coverage has at most N-1 neighboring cells. For example, Figure 3 In the example, a cell is hexagonal, and the border area of ​​a cell is covered by at most three beams at the same time, that is, there are at most two neighboring cells in the border area of ​​a cell, so N=3. For another example, Figure 4 In the example, the border area of ​​a cell can be covered by at most 4 beams simultaneously, that is, there are at most 3 neighboring cells in the border area of ​​a cell, so N=4.

[0089] The number of SFNs included in each group can be obtained based on X / N. If the result of X / N is an integer, the number of SFNs included in each group is X / N. If the result of X / N is a decimal, the number of SFNs included in each group can be CEIL(X / N), where CEIL means rounding up. It is understandable that rounding up is only for example, and it can also be obtained in other ways, such as rounding off or rounding down, etc. For example, the number of SFNs included in each group is floor(X / N), where floor means rounding down. It is understandable that when grouping, the number of SFNs included in the last group is all the remaining SFNs that are not grouped.

[0090] The values ​​of the SFNs included in each group are continuous, that is, each group includes continuous wireless frames. For example, X=52, N=4, then each group includes 13 SFNs, and the values ​​of the 13 SFNs included in each group are continuous. For example, the values ​​of 52 SFNs are 1 to 52, then the first group includes SFN1 to SFN13, the second group includes SFN14 to SFN26, the third group includes SFN27 to SFN39, and the fourth group includes SFN40 to SFN52. For another example, X=1024, N=3, then each group includes 342 SFNs, and the values ​​of the 342 SFNs included in each group are continuous. For example, the values ​​of 1024 SFNs are 1 to 1024, then the first group includes SFN1 to SFN342, the second group includes SFN343 to 684, and the third group includes SFN685 to SFN1024.

[0091] 702. Allocate SFNs in different groups to at least two adjacent cells respectively.

[0092] When allocating SFNs to multiple cells within the satellite coverage area, at least two adjacent cells are allocated SFNs from different groups. Figure 5As shown, cell 1, cell 2, and cell 3 are adjacent cells, and the SFN in the first group can be allocated to cell 1, the SFN in the second group can be allocated to cell 2, and the SFN in the third group can be allocated to cell 3. In the embodiment of the present application, the SFNs allocated between the multiple cells are not repeated, that is, different cells are allocated different SFNs, and the allocated SFNs are not allocated repeatedly.

[0093] In some embodiments, the absolute value of the difference between the sequence numbers corresponding to the SFNs allocated to each cell in at least two adjacent cells is the smallest, and the sequence number corresponding to the SFN allocated to a cell is the sequence number of the SFN allocated to the cell in the corresponding group.

[0094] For example, X=1024, N=3, the first group includes SFN1 to SFN342, the second group includes SFN343 to 684, and the third group includes SFN685 to SFN1024. Figure 8 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of allocating SFN to a cell provided by an embodiment of the present application, wherein ij indicates that the SFN allocated to the cell is the jth SFN in the i-th group, that is, j is the sequence number of the allocated SFN in the i-th group. Figure 8 In the example, the SFN allocated to cell 1 is the first SFN in the first group, that is, SFN1 is allocated to cell 1, and the sequence number of SFN1 in the first group is 1. The SFN allocated to cell 2 is the first SFN in the second group, that is, SFN343 is allocated to cell 2, and the sequence number of SFN343 in the second group is 1. The SFN allocated to cell 3 is the first SFN in the third group, that is, SFN685 is allocated to cell 3, and the sequence number of SFN685 in the third group is 1. The absolute value of the difference between the sequence numbers corresponding to the SFNs allocated to cells 1, 2, and 3 is 0. When allocating SFNs to other cells, it is necessary to ensure that the already allocated SFNs (i.e., SFN1, SFN343, and SFN685) cannot be allocated repeatedly.

[0095] The following is an example to illustrate Figure 8 Other cells in the SFN allocation, for example, Figure 8 When allocating SFNs to cell 4 and cell 5, it is necessary not only to ensure that the SFNs allocated to cell 4, cell 5, and cell 3 are SFNs in different groups, and the absolute value of the difference in the sequence numbers corresponding to the allocated SFNs is the smallest, but also to ensure that the SFNs allocated to cell 4 and cell 5 are unallocated SFNs. Figure 8In the example, the SFN in the first group is assigned to cell 4, and the SFN in the second group is assigned to cell 5. To ensure that the absolute value of the difference in the sequence number is the smallest, the SFNs can be assigned in the same group in the order of SFN values ​​from small to large. Since the first SFN in the first group has been assigned, the second SFN in the first group is assigned to cell 4, that is, SFN2 is assigned to cell 4. Since the first SFN in the second group has been assigned, the second SFN in the second group is assigned to cell 5, that is, SFN344 is assigned to cell 5, so as to ensure that the absolute value of the difference in the sequence number corresponding to the SFNs assigned to adjacent cells is the smallest. A similar method can be used to assign the second SFN in the third group to cell 6, the third SFN in the second group to cell 7, and the third SFN in the third group to cell 8.

[0096] The absolute value of the difference between the sequence numbers corresponding to the SFNs allocated to adjacent cells is the smallest, which can ensure that the SFN values ​​allocated to adjacent cells are relatively equal, so that the maximum network search delay between adjacent cells is relatively equal, avoiding the need to wait for an SFN cycle to search for the network. Even if the terminal device misses the SFN of the cell where it is located, it only needs to wait for one-Nth of an SFN cycle to reach the SFN of the adjacent cell, reducing the waiting time.

[0097] In some implementations, when allocating SFNs to multiple cells within the satellite coverage area, the access network device may allocate SFNs to each cell in the order of the cell area from large to small, that is, SFNs are allocated preferentially to cells with larger areas. Fig. 9 For example, Fig. 9 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of allocating SFNs to cells provided by an embodiment of the present application, X=52, N=4, each group includes 13 SFNs, the first group includes SFN1 to SFN13, the second group includes SFN14 to SFN26, the third group includes SFN27 to SFN39, and the fourth group includes SFN40 to SFN52. SFNs are allocated to the four adjacent cells with the largest areas first, that is, the four cells with 1 / 4 circle area near the center of the circle. The SFNs allocated to the four cells are in four different groups. For example, the SFNs with sequence number a in the four groups can be selected and allocated to the four cells, a=[1,13]. The following takes a=1 as an example, that is, the first SFN of the first group (i.e. SFN1), the first SFN of the second group (i.e. SFN14), the first SFN of the third group (i.e. SFN27), and the first SFN of the fourth group (i.e. SFN40) are selected, and the selected four SFNs are allocated to the four cells with the largest areas. For details, see Fig. 9As shown, ij indicates that the SFN allocated to the cell is the jth SFN in the i-th group, that is, j is the sequential number of the allocated SFN in the i-th group.

[0098] Then, the access network equipment allocates SFNs to the 16 cells with the second largest area, which are in the middle ring. When allocating SFNs to the 16 cells with the second largest area, it is necessary to ensure that the adjacent cells use SFNs in different groups, and the selected SFNs are the unallocated SFNs in the group. In order to ensure that the absolute value of the difference in the sequence numbers corresponding to the SFNs allocated to the adjacent cells is the smallest, the SFN selected for each group can be selected in the order of SFN values ​​from small to large. For example, if the first SFN of the first group has been allocated, the second SFN of the first group can be selected for allocation next time.

[0099] Finally, the access network equipment allocates SFNs to the 32 cells with the smallest areas, which are the outermost ring. When allocating SFNs to the 32 cells with the smallest areas, it is necessary to ensure that adjacent cells use SFNs in different groups, and the selected SFN is an unallocated SFN in the group.

[0100] It is understandable that the embodiment of the present application provides a rule for allocating SFNs to each cell, and the specific SFNs allocated to each cell are not limited in the present application. Fig.10 , is another schematic diagram of allocating SFN to a cell provided in an embodiment of the present application, Fig.10 and Fig. 9 The cell topology is the same. Although SFNs are allocated to each cell based on the same rules, Fig.10 The SFNs allocated to each cell in Fig. 9 The SFNs allocated to each cell may be different. Fig.10 4-13 (i.e. the 13th SFN in the fourth group) and Fig. 9 The cells assigned to 4-13 are the same. Fig.10 3-13 (i.e. the 13th SFN in the third group) and Fig. 9 The cells assigned to 3-13 are the same. Fig.10 1-13 (i.e. the 13th SFN in the first group) and Fig. 9 The cells assigned to 1-13 are different. Fig.10 2-13 (13th SFN in the second group) with Fig. 9 The cells to which 2-13 are allocated are different.

[0101] If the areas of the cells within the satellite coverage are equal, the priority of SFN allocation of the cells does not need to be considered. For example, if the topological structure of the cells within the satellite coverage is as follows: Figure 3As shown, the priority of SFN allocation of each cell does not need to be considered.

[0102] The access network equipment allocates SFNs to each cell in the order of cell area from large to small, that is, SFNs are allocated to the cell with the largest area first. Due to the priority allocation of SFNs, the SFN values ​​of each cell are relatively equal, that is, the maximum network search delay is relatively equal. The larger the cell area, the more users it covers. Prioritizing the allocation of SFNs with relatively equal values ​​to cells with large cell areas can ensure that more users have equal network search delays and improve user experience.

[0103] The following is an introduction to the communication device provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0104] The present application divides the functional modules of the communication device according to the above method embodiment. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the present application is schematic and is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. Figures 11 to 13 The communication device according to the embodiment of the present application is described in detail.

[0105] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application, such as Fig.11 As shown, the communication device 1000 can correspondingly implement the functions or steps implemented by the terminal device or the access network device in the above-mentioned various method embodiments.

[0106] In some possible implementations, the communication device 1000 can implement the behaviors and functions of the access network device in the above method embodiments. For example, the communication device 1000 can be an access network device, or a component (such as a chip or circuit) used in the access network device. The transceiver unit 1100 can be used to perform all receiving or sending operations performed by the access network device in the above method embodiments. The processing unit 1200 is used to perform all operations performed by the access network device except the receiving and sending operations.

[0107] The communication device 1000 includes: a processing unit 1200 , and optionally, the communication device may also include a transceiver unit 1100 .

[0108] The processing unit 1200 is used to determine a plurality of cells within the coverage area of ​​the satellite; The processing unit 1200 is further configured to allocate a system frame number SFN to each cell among the multiple cells, wherein the SFNs allocated to adjacent cells among the multiple cells are not continuous.

[0109] In a possible implementation manner, the multiple cells include a first cell and a second cell, and the first cell and the second cell are adjacent cells; The SFN allocated to the first cell is a first SFN, and the SFN allocated to the second cell is a second SFN; The first SFN is a SFN in a first group, and the second SFN is a SFN in a second group; The first group and the second group respectively include at least one SFN.

[0110] In a possible implementation manner, the value of at least one SFN included in the first group is continuous, and the value of at least one SFN included in the second group is continuous.

[0111] In a possible implementation, the first SFN is a SFN with a sequence number of j1 in the first group, and the second SFN is a SFN that satisfies the following conditions: the second SFN is an unallocated SFN in the second group, and the absolute value of the difference between the sequence number of the second SFN in the second group and the sequence number j1 is the smallest.

[0112] In a possible implementation manner, the first group and the second group are two different groups among N groups, where N is an integer greater than 2; The value of N is determined based on the maximum number of adjacent cells having a common boundary area among the multiple cells.

[0113] In a possible implementation, the N groups are obtained by dividing all SFNs supported by the satellite, and the number of SFNs included in each group is determined based on the total number X of all SFNs supported by the satellite and the N.

[0114] In a possible implementation manner, the processing unit 1200 is specifically configured to: sequentially allocate SFNs to the cells in the order of area of ​​each cell in the multiple cells from large to small.

[0115] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 1100 is used to send a synchronization signal block SSB in each cell in order from small to large according to the value of the SFN allocated to each cell, where the SSB indicates the SFN allocated to the corresponding cell.

[0116] Fig.11 The specific description and beneficial effects of the illustrated device embodiment can be referred to the description of the aforementioned method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0117] The access network device of the embodiment of the present application is introduced above, and the possible product forms of the access network device are introduced below. It should be understood that any device having the above Fig.11 Any form of product with the functions of the access network device described above falls within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application. It should also be understood that the following description is only an example and does not limit the product form of the access network device of the embodiments of the present application to this.

[0118] In one possible implementation, Fig.11 In the communication device shown, the processing unit 1200 may be one or more processors, the transceiver unit 1100 may be a transceiver, or the transceiver unit 1100 may also be a sending unit and a receiving unit, the sending unit may be a transmitter, the receiving unit may be a receiver, and the sending unit and the receiving unit are integrated into one device, such as a transceiver. In the embodiment of the present application, the processor and the transceiver may be coupled, etc., and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the connection method between the processor and the transceiver.

[0119] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device 2000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Fig.12 The communication device in the communication network may be the above-mentioned access network device.

[0120] like Fig.12 As shown, the communication device 2000 includes one or more processors 2200 and a transceiver 2100. The transceiver 2100 can implement the function of the transceiver unit 1100, and the processor 2200 can implement the function of the processing unit 1200.

[0121] exist Fig.12 In various implementations of the communication device shown, the transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, wherein the receiver is used to perform a receiving function (or operation) and the transmitter is used to perform a transmitting function (or operation). The transceiver is used to communicate with other devices / devices through a transmission medium.

[0122] Optionally, the communication device 2000 may also include one or more memories 2300 for storing program instructions and / or data. The memory 2300 is coupled to the processor 2200. The coupling in the embodiment of the present application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units or modules, which may be electrical, mechanical or other forms, and is used for information exchange between devices, units or modules. The processor 2200 may operate in conjunction with the memory 2300. The processor 2200 may execute program instructions stored in the memory 2300.

[0123] The specific connection medium between the transceiver 2100, the processor 2200 and the memory 2300 is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. Fig.12The transceiver 2100, the processor 2200 and the memory 2300 are connected via a bus 2400. Fig.12 The connections between the other components are shown in bold lines, which are only for illustration and are not intended to be limiting. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Fig.12 Only one thick line is used in the diagram, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0124] In the embodiments of the present application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, etc., and may implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present application may be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware processor, or may be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor, etc.

[0125] In the embodiment of the present application, the memory may include, but is not limited to, non-volatile memory such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), a random access memory (RAM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a read-only memory (ROM) or a portable read-only memory (CD-ROM), etc. The memory is any storage medium that can be used to carry or store program codes in the form of instructions or data structures and can be read and / or written by a computer (such as the communication device shown in the present application), but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiment of the present application can also be a circuit or any other device that can realize a storage function, used to store program instructions and / or data.

[0126] The processor 2200 is mainly used to process the communication protocol and communication data, and to control the entire communication device, execute the software program, and process the data of the software program. The memory 2300 is mainly used to store the software program and data. The transceiver 2100 may include a control circuit and an antenna. The control circuit is mainly used to convert the baseband signal and the radio frequency signal and to process the radio frequency signal. The antenna is mainly used to send and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. The input and output devices, such as a touch screen, a display screen, a keyboard, etc., are mainly used to receive data input by the user and output data to the user.

[0127] When the communication device is turned on, the processor 2200 can read the software program in the memory 2300, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be sent wirelessly, the processor 2200 performs baseband processing on the data to be sent, and outputs the baseband signal to the RF circuit. The RF circuit performs RF processing on the baseband signal and then sends the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 2200. The processor 2200 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0128] In another implementation, the RF circuit and antenna may be arranged independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the RF circuit and antenna may be arranged remotely from the communication device.

[0129] It is understandable that the communication device shown in the embodiment of the present application may also have Fig.12 The embodiments of the present application do not limit the number of components and the like. The methods executed by the processor and the transceiver shown above are only examples, and the specific steps executed by the processor and the transceiver can refer to the methods described above.

[0130] In another possible implementation, Fig.11 In the communication device shown, the processing unit 1200 may be one or more logic circuits, and the transceiver unit 1100 may be an input / output interface, or a communication interface, or an interface circuit, or an interface, etc. Alternatively, the transceiver unit 1100 may be a sending unit and a receiving unit, the sending unit may be an output interface, the receiving unit may be an input interface, and the sending unit and the receiving unit may be integrated into one unit, such as an input / output interface. Fig.13 As shown, Fig.13 The communication device shown includes a logic circuit 3001 and an interface 3002. That is, the processing unit 1200 can be implemented by the logic circuit 3001, and the transceiver unit 1100 can be implemented by the interface 3002. The logic circuit 3001 can be a chip, a processing circuit, an integrated circuit or a system on chip (SoC) chip, etc., and the interface 3002 can be a communication interface, an input / output interface, a pin, etc. For example, Fig.13 The above communication device is taken as an example of a chip, and the chip includes a logic circuit 3001 and an interface 3002 .

[0131] In the embodiment of the present application, the logic circuit and the interface may also be coupled to each other. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific connection method between the logic circuit and the interface.

[0132] It can be understood that the communication device shown in the embodiment of the present application can implement the method provided in the embodiment of the present application in the form of hardware, or can implement the method provided in the embodiment of the present application in the form of software, etc., and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0133] An embodiment of the present application also provides a wireless communication system, which includes an access network device and a terminal device. The access network device and the terminal device can be used to execute the method in any of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0134] In addition, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer code. When the computer code runs on a computer, the computer executes the operations and / or processing performed by the terminal device and access network device in the method provided by the present application.

[0135] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer code or a computer program. When the computer code or computer program runs on a computer, the operations and / or processing performed by the terminal device and the access network device in the method provided by the present application are executed.

[0136] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, or it can be an electrical, mechanical or other form of connection.

[0137] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the technical effects of the solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0138] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0139] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the part that makes the contribution, or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a readable storage medium, including a number of instructions to enable a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned readable storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), disk or optical disk, etc., various media that can store program codes.

[0140] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the present technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A system frame number allocation method, characterized in that: include: Determine multiple cells within the satellite coverage area; A system frame number SFN is allocated to each of the multiple cells, wherein the SFNs allocated to adjacent cells in the multiple cells are not continuous.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The multiple cells include a first cell and a second cell, and the first cell and the second cell are adjacent cells; The SFN allocated to the first cell is a first SFN, and the SFN allocated to the second cell is a second SFN; The first SFN is a SFN in a first group, and the second SFN is a SFN in a second group; The first group and the second group respectively include at least one SFN.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The values ​​of at least one SFN included in the first group are continuous, and the values ​​of at least one SFN included in the second group are continuous.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first SFN is a SFN with a sequence number of j1 in the first group, and the second SFN is a SFN that satisfies the following conditions: the second SFN is an unallocated SFN in the second group, and the absolute value of the difference between the sequence number of the second SFN in the second group and the sequence number j1 is the smallest.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The first group and the second group are two different groups among N groups, where N is an integer greater than 2; The value of N is determined based on the maximum number of adjacent cells having a common boundary area among the multiple cells.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The N groups are obtained by dividing all SFNs supported by the satellite, and the number of SFNs included in each group is determined based on the total number X of all SFNs supported by the satellite and the N.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The allocating a system frame number SFN to each of the multiple cells includes: SFNs are allocated to the cells in sequence according to the area of ​​each cell in the plurality of cells from large to small.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: According to the value of the SFN allocated to each cell in ascending order, a synchronization signal block SSB is sent in each cell in turn, and the SSB indicates the SFN allocated to the corresponding cell.

9. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A computer storage medium, characterized in that: The computer storage medium is used to store a computer program. When the computer program is executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is executed.

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