Communication control method, device and system

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication control method, device and system, and relates to the technical field of mobile communication. In response to determining that the satellite communication signal disappears, continuously searching the satellite communication signal at least once; in response to not searching the satellite communication signal, a terrestrial network communication signal is searched. Through the scheme disclosed by the invention, the switching problem of searching the satellite communication signal and searching the ground network communication signal in the communication technology is solved, and the switching mechanism of searching the satellite communication signal and searching the ground network communication signal is changed by searching the satellite communication signal for at least one time before searching the ground network communication signal; the situation that the satellite mobile network suddenly disappears due to shielding and other reasons is avoided, and the communication efficiency is improved.

Description

Communication control method, device and system Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of mobile communication technology, and in particular to a communication control method, device, and system. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, mobile communications and wireless access technologies have developed rapidly, and user demand for a variety of new services has gradually increased. Terrestrial mobile communication systems have mature mobility management mechanisms, but their coverage is limited. Satellite mobile communication systems, as a powerful complement to terrestrial mobile communication systems, can achieve mobile communications over a wider range. Currently, satellite modems, as a subset of the entire communication modem, have proprietary protocols and lack interfaces related to measurement, switching, and reselection with the public network. Therefore, planning network search between terrestrial and satellite mobile networks has become a necessary issue. Current communication technologies utilize the concept of switching between terrestrial and satellite mobile networks. However, this switching method involves directly searching for the terrestrial mobile network when the satellite mobile network is not available. This cannot prevent the satellite mobile network from suddenly disappearing due to obstructions or other reasons, reducing communication efficiency.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure proposes a communication control method, device and system, which aims to solve the problem of switching between searching for satellite communication signals and searching for terrestrial network communication signals in communication technology. The present disclosure can change the switching mechanism between searching for satellite communication signals and searching for terrestrial network communication signals by searching for satellite communication signals at least once before searching for terrestrial network communication signals, thereby avoiding the situation where the satellite mobile network suddenly disappears due to obstruction or other reasons, and improving communication efficiency.

[0005] An embodiment of a first aspect of the present disclosure provides a communication control method, which is executed by a user equipment UE. The method includes: in response to determining that a satellite communication signal disappears, continuously searching for a satellite communication signal at least once; in response to not finding a satellite communication signal, searching for a terrestrial network communication signal.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, continuously searching for satellite communication signals at least once includes searching for satellite communication signals at a first frequency and for a first duration.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method further includes: in response to not finding a terrestrial network communication signal, stopping the network search within a second time period; after the second time period, determining whether a satellite communication signal exists, and if not, performing a continuous search for the satellite communication signal at least once.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method further includes: performing a communication service in response to searching for a satellite communication signal or searching for a terrestrial network communication signal.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method further includes: executing a communication service in response to searching for a satellite communication signal; and displaying energy-saving prompt information, where the energy-saving prompt information is used to prompt the user whether to shut down the satellite network.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method further includes: executing a communication service in response to searching for a satellite communication signal; determining the current battery level of the UE; and displaying a battery level prompt message in response to the current battery level being lower than a preset threshold, the battery level prompt message being used to prompt the user of the current battery level and the maximum number of satellite communication uses supported by the current battery level.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method further includes: in response to the occurrence of the first event, displaying service prompt information, where the service prompt information is used to prompt the user whether the communication service needs to be enabled.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first event is that the UE is in a service suspension state and lasts for a third period of time, and the communication service is an emergency rescue service.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one of the energy-saving reminder information, the power reminder information, and the service reminder information is displayed in any form of a pop-up window, text, or voice.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method further includes: when an instruction to disable communication services is received, performing a public land mobile network search; when an instruction to enable communication services is received, performing a satellite network search to determine whether a satellite communication signal exists.

[0015] A second aspect embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication control device, which is configured on a user equipment UE and includes: a network search module, which is used to: in response to determining that the satellite communication signal has disappeared, continuously search for the satellite communication signal at least once; in response to not finding the satellite communication signal, search for the terrestrial network communication signal.

[0016] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a communication system, the system including a UE and a network device, wherein:

[0017] The UE is configured to execute a communication control method as described in any one of the embodiments of the first aspect above, and the network device is used to provide a communication signal for the UE.

[0018] The fourth aspect embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device, which includes: a transceiver; a memory; and a processor, which is connected to the transceiver and the memory respectively, and is configured to control the wireless signal reception and transmission of the transceiver by executing computer-executable instructions on the memory, and can implement the method of the first aspect embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] The fifth embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer storage medium, wherein the computer storage medium stores computer-executable instructions; after the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the method of the first embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented.

[0020] According to the communication control method disclosed herein, in response to determining that a satellite communication signal has disappeared, a search for a satellite communication signal is continued at least once; in response to not finding a satellite communication signal, a search is performed for a terrestrial network communication signal. The solution proposed in this disclosure addresses the issue of switching between searches for satellite communication signals and terrestrial network communication signals in communication technology. By performing at least one additional search for a satellite communication signal before searching for a terrestrial network communication signal, the switching mechanism between searches for satellite communication signals and terrestrial network communication signals is modified, preventing the sudden disappearance of the satellite mobile network due to obstruction or other reasons, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0021] Additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be given in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] FIG1 is a flow chart of a communication control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG2 is a flow chart of a communication control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] FIG3 is a flow chart of a communication control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG4 is a flow chart of a communication control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG5 is a flow chart of a communication control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG6 is a flow chart of a specific communication control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG7 is a schematic block diagram of a communication control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG8 is a schematic block diagram of a communication control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following describes in detail embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present disclosure, and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

[0035] With the development of mobile communication technology, the rapid development of mobile Internet and the promotion and application of smart terminal devices, people have put forward greater requirements for the speed of mobile communication. Now they are no longer satisfied with using the signals of ground base stations for communication of mobile devices. Mobile communication technology has begun to enter the satellite mobile communication network. Compared with the ground mobile communication network, the satellite mobile communication network has the incomparable advantages of wide coverage, large communication capacity, small terrain influence, high flexibility and adaptability to multiple services. Therefore, satellites can be used to cover sparsely populated areas or areas where it is difficult to lay ground networks, forming a good complement to the ground network, so as to achieve true global coverage and provide non-discriminatory communication services to global users.

[0036] Therefore, in future communication systems, various access technologies will coexist and complement each other. Different networks differ in bandwidth, latency, and coverage, making the convergence of access networks an inevitable trend. Satellite communication systems can cover most of the globe, unrestricted by geography, weather, and environmental constraints, making them a powerful complement to terrestrial networks.

[0037] To improve mobile communication speeds, the network search process between terrestrial and satellite networks has been redesigned. When satellite networks are unavailable, a satellite network search will be performed for a period of time based on actual demand before searching for terrestrial networks. This prevents situations where the satellite network suddenly loses signal due to obstruction or other reasons, further improving communication efficiency and ensuring mobile communication quality.

[0038] To this end, the present disclosure proposes a communication control method, device and system, which aims to solve the problem of switching between searching for satellite communication signals and searching for ground network communication signals in communication technology. By searching for satellite communication signals at least once before searching for ground network communication signals, the switching mechanism between searching for satellite communication signals and searching for ground network communication signals is changed, thereby avoiding the situation where the satellite mobile network suddenly disappears due to obstruction or other reasons, and improving communication efficiency.

[0039] It can be understood that the solution provided in the present disclosure can be used for the fifth generation mobile communication technology (Fifth Generation, 5G) and its subsequent communication technologies, such as the fifth generation mobile communication technology evolution (5G-advanced), the sixth generation mobile communication technology (Sixth Generation, 6G), etc., and is not limited in the present disclosure.

[0040] The communication control method and device provided in this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] Figure 1 shows a flow chart of a communication control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method is executed by a user equipment (UE). The UE in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, smart terminal devices, cellular phones, wireless devices, handsets, mobile units, vehicles, and in-vehicle equipment.

[0042] As shown in FIG1 , the method may include the following steps.

[0043] S101 , in response to determining that the satellite communication signal disappears, continuously searching for the satellite communication signal at least once.

[0044] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the disappearance of the satellite communication signal specifically means that the satellite communication signal is easily blocked by objects such as large buildings or mountains. In this case, there is temporarily no satellite signal or the satellite signal is very weak, resulting in the satellite communication function of the satellite mobile communication terminal being unavailable.

[0045] The user equipment UE searches for satellite communication signals at a first frequency. When no satellite communication signal is found, the satellite communication signal is continuously searched according to the first frequency and for a first duration. The first frequency can be set according to actual needs, and can be optionally set to search every 5 minutes (i.e., the interval between two adjacent searches). For example, the user equipment UE searches for satellite communication signals every 5 minutes. The first duration can also be set according to actual needs, and can be optionally set within a range of 5 minutes. For example, when the satellite communication signal suddenly disappears due to obstruction or when the satellite communication signal cannot be found for other reasons, the satellite communication signal is searched for for 5 minutes. It is understandable that the first frequency and the first duration can also be set according to application requirements such as the urgency of the service used by the UE, and are not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0046] S102: In response to not finding a satellite communication signal, searching for a terrestrial network communication signal.

[0047] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, if the UE fails to search for a satellite communication signal, indicating that the satellite communication signal is weak or absent in the current environment (e.g., indoors), the UE stops searching for the satellite communication signal and switches the network search to searching for a terrestrial network communication signal. If no satellite communication signal or terrestrial network communication signal is found, the network search is stopped for the second duration and then the search for the satellite communication signal is resumed.

[0048] When a satellite communication signal or a ground network communication signal is found, a communication service is performed, wherein the communication service may be displaying energy-saving prompt information or displaying power prompt information.

[0049] In summary, the communication control method provided by the present disclosure continuously searches for satellite communication signals at least once in response to determining that a satellite communication signal has disappeared; and searches for terrestrial network communication signals in response to failure to find a satellite communication signal. The solution proposed by the present disclosure solves the problem of switching between searches for satellite communication signals and searches for terrestrial network communication signals in communication technology. By performing at least one additional search for satellite communication signals before searching for terrestrial network communication signals, the switching mechanism between searches for satellite communication signals and searches for terrestrial network communication signals is modified, preventing the sudden disappearance of the satellite mobile network due to obstruction or other reasons, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0050] Figure 2 shows a flow chart of a communication control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method is applied to a network device UE, based on the embodiment shown in Figure 1, as shown in Figure 2, the method as a specific implementation example of the embodiment of Figure 1 may include the following steps.

[0051] S201 , in response to determining that the satellite communication signal disappears, continuously searching for the satellite communication signal at least once.

[0052] The principle of the above step S201 is the same as that of step S101 in the embodiment shown in FIG1 , and will not be repeated here.

[0053] S202: In response to not finding a satellite communication signal, searching for a terrestrial network communication signal.

[0054] The principle of the above step S202 is the same as that of step S102 in the embodiment shown in FIG1 , and will not be repeated here.

[0055] S203: In response to not finding a terrestrial network communication signal, stop searching for the network within a second time period.

[0056] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the terrestrial network may be a cellular network, also known as a mobile network. A mobile network is a mobile communication hardware architecture that is categorized as either an analog cellular network or a digital cellular network. The failure to search for a terrestrial network communication signal may be due to the cellular network being offline, which is not a limitation in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0057] The second duration can be set according to actual needs, and can be optionally set to stop network search for 10 minutes. For example, when no terrestrial network communication signal is found, the user equipment UE stops network search for 10 minutes.

[0058] S204: After the second time period, determine whether a satellite communication signal exists. If not, perform a continuous search for the satellite communication signal at least once.

[0059] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, after stopping the network search for the second time period, if there is no satellite communication signal, the above step 201 is restarted.

[0060] It should be noted that in response to searching for a satellite communication signal or searching for a terrestrial network communication signal, the communication service is executed. In other words, when searching for terrestrial network communication or after the second period of time, if the presence of a satellite communication signal is determined, the communication service is executed. The communication service can be a service to be executed using any satellite communication signal or terrestrial network communication signal. For example, if a user wants to use an emergency rescue service, executing the communication service can specifically include sending an OOS (out of service) text message, which is not limited in the present embodiment.

[0061] In summary, the communication control method provided by the present disclosure responds to determining that a satellite communication signal has disappeared, continuously searching for satellite communication signals at least once; responds to not finding a satellite communication signal, searching for a terrestrial network communication signal, and if no terrestrial network communication signal is found, stopping the network search within a second time period. After the second time period, determining whether a satellite communication signal exists, and if not, continuously searching for a satellite communication signal at least once. The solution proposed by the present disclosure solves the problem of switching between searching for satellite communication signals and searching for terrestrial network communication signals in communication technology. By performing at least one search for satellite communication signals before searching for terrestrial network communication signals, the switching mechanism between searching for satellite communication signals and searching for terrestrial network communication signals is changed, thereby avoiding the situation where the satellite mobile network suddenly disappears due to other reasons such as obstruction, and improving communication efficiency.

[0062] Figure 3 shows a flow chart of a communication control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method is applied to a user equipment (UE), based on the embodiment shown in Figure 1 , as shown in Figure 3 , and as a specific implementation example of the embodiment shown in Figure 1 , the method may include the following steps.

[0063] S301: In response to searching for a satellite communication signal, executing a communication service.

[0064] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication service can be a service to be performed using any satellite communication signal or terrestrial network communication signal, and is not limited in the embodiment of the present disclosure. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, sending an OOS (out of service) text message is taken as an example.

[0065] S302: Display energy-saving prompt information.

[0066] The energy-saving prompt information is used to prompt the user whether to shut down the satellite network.

[0067] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the display of energy-saving reminder information is not limited to the current power level of the UE. Regardless of whether the UE power level is above or below a preset threshold, the UE will display the energy-saving reminder information. Specifically, taking the emergency service scenario as an example, if a satellite communication signal is searched, an Out-of-Service (OOS) message will be sent, followed by a power-saving reminder, prompting the user whether to shut down the satellite network. If the satellite network is shut down, the communication service will not be performed, that is, the OOS message will not be received.

[0068] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the UE may also display energy-saving prompt information when the power is sufficient. Specifically, the current power of the UE is determined, and when it is determined that the current power is greater than a preset threshold, the energy-saving prompt information is displayed.

[0069] It should be noted that the energy-saving reminder information is displayed in any form of pop-up window, text, or voice.

[0070] In summary, through the communication control method provided by the present invention, in response to searching for satellite communication signals, communication services are executed and energy-saving prompt information is displayed, thereby realizing energy-saving prompts when users use network searches, avoiding the situation where communication cannot be achieved due to power exhaustion, and improving user experience.

[0071] Figure 4 shows a flow chart of a communication control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method is applied to a user equipment (UE), and based on the embodiment shown in Figure 1, as shown in Figure 4, the method, as a specific implementation example of the embodiment shown in Figure 1, may include the following steps.

[0072] S401: In response to searching for a satellite communication signal, executing a communication service.

[0073] The principle of the above step S401 is the same as that of step S301 in the embodiment shown in FIG3 , and will not be repeated here.

[0074] S402: Determine the current power level of the UE.

[0075] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the UE can measure the current remaining power through methods such as voltage testing, battery modeling, and coulomb counting. The specific measurement method is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Among them, voltage testing is obtained by monitoring the battery voltage; battery modeling is to create a data table based on the battery discharge curve, and the data table will indicate the power value at different voltages; the coulomb counting is to connect a current detection resistor in series with the positive and negative electrodes of the battery. When current flows through the resistor, Vsense (which can be understood as a voltage) is generated. By detecting Vsense, the current flowing through the battery can be calculated.

[0076] S403: When the current power level is lower than a preset threshold, a power prompt message is displayed.

[0077] The power prompt information is used to remind the user of the current power and the maximum number of satellite communications supported by the current power.

[0078] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the preset threshold can be set according to actual needs, and can be optionally set to 20%. For example, when it is determined that the current battery level of the UE is lower than 20% or is about to run out, the user is prompted that the battery level is about to run out and the number of times the current satellite communication can be used is displayed.

[0079] It should be noted that the battery level reminder information can be displayed in any form of pop-up window, text, or voice.

[0080] In summary, through the communication control method provided by the present invention, in response to searching for a satellite communication signal, the communication service is executed, the current power level of the UE is determined, and when the current power level is lower than a preset threshold, the power level prompt information number is displayed. This realizes the determination of the current power level when the user uses the network search, prompting the number of times satellite communication can be used, avoiding the situation where communication cannot be achieved due to power exhaustion, and improving the user experience.

[0081] Figure 5 shows a flow chart of a communication control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method is applied to a user equipment (UE), and based on the embodiment shown in Figure 1, as shown in Figure 5, the method, as a specific implementation example of the embodiment shown in Figure 1, may include the following steps.

[0082] S501: In response to a first event, display service prompt information.

[0083] The service prompt information is used to prompt the user whether to enable the communication service.

[0084] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first event is a UE being in a service-suspended state for a third duration, and the communication service is an emergency service. The third duration can be set based on actual needs and can be optionally set to 5 minutes. For example, if a user sends an OOS (out of service) SMS message for more than 5 minutes, a service prompt message is displayed to prompt the user whether satellite emergency service is required. The communication service can be any service, such as an emergency service, and is not limited in the present embodiment.

[0085] It should be noted that service prompt information is displayed in any form of pop-up window, text, or voice.

[0086] S502: When receiving an instruction to disable the communication service, perform a public land mobile network search.

[0087] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, when a user triggers a command to disable communication services, a public land mobile network search is performed with a relatively long activation interval. A public land mobile network (PLMN) is a network established and operated by the government or its approved operators to provide land mobile communication services to the public. This network is typically interconnected with the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to form a regional or national communication network.

[0088] S503: When receiving the instruction to start the communication service, perform a satellite network search to determine whether there is a satellite communication signal.

[0089] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a user triggers an instruction to enable a communication service, a satellite network search is performed to determine whether a satellite communication signal exists. If a satellite communication signal exists, the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is executed; if no satellite communication signal exists, the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are executed.

[0090] In summary, the communication control method provided by this disclosure displays a service prompt in response to a first event; performs a public land mobile network search upon receiving a command to disable a communication service; and performs a satellite network search to determine whether a satellite communication signal is available upon receiving a command to enable the communication service. This solution can be applied to any communication service scenario, and the network search method can be determined based on actual needs, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0091] It should be noted that the embodiments in Figures 1-5 above can be implemented individually or in combination, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0092] Based on the above-mentioned Figures 1 to 5 , taking the communication service as an emergency solution service as an example, as shown in Figure 6 , a flowchart of a specific communication control method is provided.

[0093] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, if a user sends an Out-of-Service (OOS) SMS for more than five minutes, a pop-up window prompts the user whether satellite emergency services are required. If satellite emergency services are not required, a PLMN search is initiated at a longer interval. If satellite emergency services are required, a satellite communication search is initiated. When a satellite communication signal is found, the satellite search process is completed, and an Out-of-Service (OOS) SMS is sent. The user is also prompted to disable the satellite network, thereby saving power. If the satellite network is disabled, the OOS SMS cannot be received.

[0094] At the same time, when a satellite communication signal is searched and it is determined that the current remaining power is less than 20%, the user is prompted that the power is about to run out and the satellite communication can still be used once.

[0095] If the satellite communication signal suddenly disappears due to obstruction, the system will continue searching for the satellite communication signal every 5 minutes, with each search lasting 5 minutes. If no satellite communication signal is found again, the system will search for the terrestrial network communication signal. If neither the satellite communication signal nor the terrestrial network communication signal is found, the network search will be stopped for 10 minutes, and then the satellite communication signal search will be restarted.

[0096] In the embodiments provided above, the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application are described from the perspectives of user equipment (UE) and network equipment. To implement the various functions of the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application, the network equipment and user equipment (UE) may include hardware structures and software modules, and implement the aforementioned functions in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or hardware structures plus software modules. Certain of the aforementioned functions may be implemented in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or hardware structures plus software modules.

[0097] Corresponding to the communication control methods provided in the above-mentioned embodiments, the present disclosure also provides a communication control device. Since the communication control device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure corresponds to the communication control methods provided in the above-mentioned embodiments, the implementation method of the communication control method is also applicable to the communication control device provided in this embodiment and will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0098] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication control device 700 provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication control device 700 may be applied to a user equipment UE.

[0099] As shown in FIG7 , the device 700 may include: a network search module 710 configured to continuously search for satellite communication signals at least once in response to determining that the satellite communication signal disappears; and to search for terrestrial network communication signals in response to not finding the satellite communication signal.

[0100] According to the communication control device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, in response to determining that the satellite communication signal has disappeared, the UE continuously searches for the satellite communication signal at least once; and in response to failing to find the satellite communication signal, it searches for the terrestrial network communication signal. The solution proposed in this disclosure solves the problem of switching between searching for satellite communication signals and searching for terrestrial network communication signals in communication technology. By performing at least one additional search for satellite communication signals before searching for terrestrial network communication signals, the switching mechanism between searching for satellite communication signals and searching for terrestrial network communication signals is changed, preventing the satellite mobile network from suddenly disappearing due to occlusion or other reasons, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0101] In some embodiments, the network search module 710 is further configured to search for satellite communication signals at a first frequency and for a first duration.

[0102] In some embodiments, the network search module 710 is further used to: stop the network search within a second time period in response to no terrestrial network communication signal being found; after the second time period, determine whether a satellite communication signal exists, and if not, perform a continuous search for the satellite communication signal at least once.

[0103] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8 , the apparatus 700 further includes an execution module 720 for executing a communication service in response to searching for a satellite communication signal or searching for a terrestrial network communication signal.

[0104] In some embodiments, the execution module 720 is further used to: execute a communication service in response to searching for a satellite communication signal; and display energy-saving prompt information, where the energy-saving prompt information is used to prompt the user whether to shut down the satellite network.

[0105] In some embodiments, the execution module 720 is also used to: execute communication services in response to searching for satellite communication signals; determine the current power level of the UE; and display power prompt information when the current power level is lower than a preset threshold, where the power prompt information is used to prompt the user of the current power level and the maximum number of satellite communication uses supported by the current power level.

[0106] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG9 , the apparatus 700 further includes a prompt module 730 for displaying service prompt information in response to the occurrence of the first event, where the service prompt information is used to prompt the user whether the communication service needs to be enabled.

[0107] In some embodiments, the first event is that the UE is in a service suspension state for a third period of time, and the communication service is an emergency rescue service.

[0108] In some embodiments, at least one of the energy-saving reminder information, the power reminder information, and the service reminder information is displayed in any form of a pop-up window, text, or voice.

[0109] In some embodiments, the network search module 710 is further used to: when receiving an instruction to disable communication services, perform a public land mobile network search; when receiving an instruction to enable communication services, perform a satellite network search to determine whether there is a satellite communication signal.

[0110] In summary, according to the communication control device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, through the communication control method provided by the present disclosure, in response to determining that the satellite communication signal has disappeared, the satellite communication signal is continuously searched for at least once; in response to not searching for the satellite communication signal, the ground network communication signal is searched, and if the ground network communication signal is not searched, the network search is stopped for a second time period, and after the second time period, it is determined whether a satellite communication signal exists, and if not, a continuous search for the satellite communication signal is performed at least once. The solution proposed in the present disclosure solves the problem of switching between searching for satellite communication signals and searching for ground network communication signals in communication technology. By searching for satellite communication signals at least once before searching for ground network communication signals, the switching mechanism between searching for satellite communication signals and searching for ground network communication signals is changed, thereby avoiding the situation where the satellite mobile network suddenly disappears due to other reasons such as obstruction, and improving communication efficiency.

[0111] In addition, in response to searching for a satellite communication signal, a communication service is executed, an energy-saving reminder is displayed, or the current battery level of the UE is determined. In response to the current battery level falling below a preset threshold, a battery level reminder is displayed. This provides a battery level reminder when the user is searching the network, avoiding situations where communication is interrupted due to battery depletion, improving the user experience. Furthermore, a service reminder is displayed when a first event occurs. When an instruction is received to disable the communication service, a public land mobile network search is executed. When an instruction is received to enable the communication service, a satellite network search is executed to determine whether a satellite communication signal is present. This solution can be used in any service scenario, and the network search method is determined according to actual needs, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0112] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, which includes a network device and a user equipment UE, wherein the system includes the communication control device shown in the embodiments of Figures 7-9 above, the UE is configured to execute the communication control method shown in the embodiments of Figures 1-5, and the network device is used to provide communication signals for the UE.

[0113] Please refer to Figure 10, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Communication device 1000 can be a network device, a user device, a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports the network device to implement the above method, or a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports the user device to implement the above method. This device can be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiment.

[0114] The communication device 1000 may include one or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor. For example, it may be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control the communication device (e.g., a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal device, a terminal device chip, a DU or CU, etc.), execute computer programs, and process computer program data.

[0115] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include one or more memories 1002, on which a computer program 1004 may be stored. The processor 1001 executes the computer program 1004 to cause the communication device 1000 to perform the method described in the above method embodiment. Optionally, the memory 1002 may also store data. The communication device 1000 and the memory 1002 may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0116] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include a transceiver 1005 and an antenna 1006. The transceiver 1005 may be referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, or a transceiver circuit, etc., and is configured to implement transceiver functions. The transceiver 1005 may include a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver may be referred to as a receiver or a receiving circuit, etc., and is configured to implement a receiving function; the transmitter may be referred to as a transmitter or a transmitting circuit, etc., and is configured to implement a transmitting function.

[0117] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include one or more interface circuits 1007. The interface circuit 1007 is configured to receive code instructions and transmit the code instructions to the processor 1001. The processor 1001 executes the code instructions to enable the communication device 1000 to perform the method described in the above method embodiment.

[0118] In one implementation, processor 1001 may include a transceiver for implementing receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, or an interface circuit. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit for implementing the receiving and transmitting functions may be separate or integrated. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit may be used for reading and writing code / data, or may be used for transmitting or delivering signals.

[0119] In one implementation, processor 1001 may store a computer program 1003. Computer program 1003, when executed on processor 1001, enables communication device 1000 to perform the method described in the above method embodiment. Computer program 1003 may be embedded in processor 1001, in which case processor 1001 may be implemented by hardware.

[0120] In one implementation, the communication device 1000 may include a circuit that can implement the functions of sending, receiving, or communicating in the aforementioned method embodiments. The processor and transceiver described in this application can be implemented on an integrated circuit (IC), an analog IC, a radio frequency integrated circuit RFIC, a mixed signal IC, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a printed circuit board (PCB), an electronic device, etc. The processor and transceiver can also be manufactured using various IC process technologies, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), N-type metal oxide semiconductor (nMetal-oxide-semiconductor, NMOS), P-type metal oxide semiconductor (positive channel metal oxide semiconductor, PMOS), bipolar junction transistor (bipolar junction transistor, BJT), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), etc.

[0121] The communication device described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a user device, but the scope of the communication device described in this application is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device may not be limited to FIG10. The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be:

[0122] (1) An independent integrated circuit (IC), or chip, or chip system or subsystem;

[0123] (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally including a storage component for storing data and computer programs;

[0124] (3) ASIC, such as modem;

[0125] (4) Modules that can be embedded in other devices;

[0126] (5) Receivers, terminal devices, intelligent terminal devices, cellular phones, wireless devices, handheld devices, mobile units, vehicle-mounted devices, network devices, cloud devices, artificial intelligence devices, etc.;

[0127] (6)Others, etc.

[0128] If the communication device can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the chip structure shown in Figure 11. The chip shown in Figure 11 includes a processor 1101 and an interface 1102. The number of processors 1101 can be one or more, and the number of interfaces 1102 can be multiple.

[0129] Optionally, the chip further includes a memory 1103, which is used to store necessary computer programs and data.

[0130] Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps listed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. Whether such functions are implemented by hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design requirements of the entire system. Those skilled in the art may use various methods to implement the functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be construed as exceeding the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application.

[0131] The present application also provides a readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which implement the functions of any of the above method embodiments when executed by a computer.

[0132] The present application also provides a computer program product, which implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments when executed by a computer.

[0133] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs. When the computer program is loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions according to the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer program can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. Available media may be magnetic media (eg, floppy disks, hard disks, tapes), optical media (eg, high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (eg, solid state disks (SSDs)).

[0134] Those skilled in the art will understand that the various numerical numbers such as first and second involved in this application are only for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application, and also indicate the order of precedence.

[0135] In this application, at least one can also be described as one or more, and multiple can be two, three, four or more, which is not limited in this application. In the embodiments of this application, for a technical feature, the technical features in the technical feature are distinguished by "first", "second", "third", "A", "B", "C" and "D", and there is no order of precedence or size between the technical features described by "first", "second", "third", "A", "B", "C" and "D".

[0136] As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any computer program product, apparatus, and / or device (e.g., a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a memory, a programmable logic device (PLD)) for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term "machine-readable signal" refers to any signal for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0137] The systems and techniques described herein can be implemented in a computing system that includes back-end components (e.g., as a data server), or a computing system that includes middleware components (e.g., an application server), or a computing system that includes front-end components (e.g., a user computer having a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with implementations of the systems and techniques described herein), or a computing system that includes any combination of such back-end components, middleware components, or front-end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and the Internet.

[0138] Computer systems may include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The client and server relationship arises through computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

[0139] It should be understood that the various forms of the processes shown above can be used to reorder, add, or delete steps. For example, the steps described in this disclosure can be performed in parallel, sequentially, or in a different order, as long as the desired results of the technical solutions disclosed in this disclosure can be achieved. This is not limited herein.

[0140] Furthermore, it should be understood that the various embodiments of the present application may be implemented individually or in combination with other embodiments where the solution permits.

[0141] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0142] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0143] The above are only specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication control method, characterized in that: The method is performed by a user equipment UE, and the method includes: In response to determining that the satellite communication signal has disappeared, continuously searching for the satellite communication signal at least once; In response to not finding the satellite communication signal, searching for a terrestrial network communication signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The continuously searching for the satellite communication signal at least once comprises: The satellite communication signal is searched for at a first frequency and for a first duration.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: In response to not finding the terrestrial network communication signal, stopping the network search within a second time period; After the second time period has elapsed, it is determined whether the satellite communication signal exists, and if not, the continuous search for the satellite communication signal is performed at least once.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The method further comprises: In response to the satellite communication signal being searched for or the terrestrial network communication signal being searched for, a communication service is performed.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: executing a communication service in response to searching for the satellite communication signal; The energy-saving prompt information is displayed, where the energy-saving prompt information is used to prompt the user whether to shut down the satellite network.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The method further comprises: executing a communication service in response to searching for the satellite communication signal; Determining a current battery level of the UE; In response to the current power level being lower than a preset threshold, power level prompt information is displayed, where the power level prompt information is used to prompt the user of the current power level and the maximum number of satellite communication usages supported by the current power level.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: In response to the occurrence of the first event, service prompt information is displayed, where the service prompt information is used to prompt the user whether the communication service needs to be activated.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The first event is that the UE is in a service suspension state and lasts for a third period of time, and the communication service is an emergency rescue service.

9. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that At least one of the energy-saving prompt information, power prompt information, and service prompt information is displayed in any form of a pop-up window, text, or voice.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: When receiving an instruction to disable the communication service, performing a public land mobile network search; When an instruction to activate the communication service is received, a satellite network search is performed to determine whether the satellite communication signal exists.

11. A communication control device, characterized in that: The device is configured on a UE and includes a network search module, which is configured to: In response to determining that the satellite communication signal has disappeared, continuously searching for the satellite communication signal at least once; In response to not finding the satellite communication signal, searching for a terrestrial network communication signal.

12. A communication device, wherein: include: transceiver; Memory; A processor is connected to the transceiver and the memory respectively, and is configured to control the wireless signal reception and transmission of the transceiver by executing computer-executable instructions on the memory, and can implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. A computer storage medium, wherein: The computer storage medium stores computer-executable instructions; after the computer-executable instructions are executed by the processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 can be implemented.

14. A communication system, characterized in that: Includes UE and network equipment, including: The UE is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and the network device is configured to provide a communication signal for the UE.

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