Communication method and communication device

Abstract

The invention provides a communication method and a communication device, and the method comprises the steps that in a satellite communication scene, terminal equipment obtains non-coverage duration information, and the non-coverage duration information indicates the duration of a reference point under satellite non-coverage; further, the terminal device determines the duration of a first timer according to the non-coverage duration information, and the first timer is used for the terminal device to send a message to the core network device through the satellite. Through the method, when the terminal device determines the time length of the first timer, the time length of the reference point under satellite non-coverage can be considered, the situation that the set time length of the timer is not appropriate is avoided, and the performance that the terminal device sends messages to the core network device through the satellite is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a communication method and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] When the terminal device sends a connection establishment request message to the core network device via the satellite, the terminal device starts a timer. If the terminal device receives a response message from the core network device before the timer expires, the terminal device stops the timer. If the terminal device does not receive a response message from the core network device when the timer expires, the terminal device terminates the connection establishment process between the terminal device and the core network device.

[0003] In the scenario where the satellite acts as the access network device, the connection between the terminal device and the core network device includes: the connection between the terminal device and the satellite (called the access connection), and the connection between the satellite and the ground gateway (called the feeder connection). Due to the mobility of the satellite, the access connection and the feeder connection may be discontinuous, that is, there is a non-coverage situation of the connection, which in turn affects the signaling interaction duration between the terminal device and the core network device. Among them, the non-coverage duration of the access connection and the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection can be collectively referred to as the non-coverage duration.

[0004] In the above case, if the terminal device still determines whether to stop the timer or terminate the connection establishment process with the core network device based on the length of the timer, it will lead to inaccurate judgment. Therefore, in the case of non-coverage, how to reasonably set the length of the timer becomes an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method that can reasonably set the duration of a timer in the presence of non-coverage, so that the terminal device can more accurately judge the message transmission status between the terminal device and the core network device based on the timer.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method may be executed by a terminal device, or may be executed by a component of the terminal device (eg, a chip or a circuit), without limitation.

[0007] The method may include: obtaining non-coverage duration information, which is used to indicate the duration of time that the reference point is under satellite non-coverage; determining the duration of a first timer based on the non-coverage duration information, and the first timer is used by the terminal device to send a message to a core network device via a satellite.

[0008] Based on the above technical solution, before sending a message to the core network device via the satellite, the terminal device obtains the non-coverage duration information, and obtains the duration of the reference point being in the non-satellite coverage according to the non-coverage duration information. And when setting the duration of the first timer, the duration of the reference point being in the non-satellite coverage is taken into account, so that the terminal device can judge the success or failure of the message sent to the core network device via the satellite based on the first timer, thereby improving the accuracy of the terminal device's judgment.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the reference point includes a first reference point and a second reference point; the non-coverage duration information includes information on the first duration and information on the second duration, the first duration being the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point, and the second duration being the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point, or the non-coverage duration information includes information on the sum of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point and the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point.

[0010] Based on the above technical solution, the non-coverage duration obtained by the terminal device includes two parts, one part is the non-coverage duration of the access connection, and the other part is the non-coverage duration of the feed connection. In the scenario where the terminal device communicates with the core network device via a satellite, non-coverage of the access connection and non-coverage of the feed connection may occur. In this technical solution, when the terminal device determines the duration of the first timer, it comprehensively considers the non-coverage duration of the access connection and the non-coverage duration of the feed connection, and can set the duration of the first timer that is more suitable for the satellite communication scenario.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, determining the duration of the first timer based on the non-coverage duration information includes: determining the duration of the first timer based on a preset duration of the first timer, information about the first duration, and information about the second duration.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the duration of the first timer is greater than or equal to the sum of a preset duration of the first timer, the first duration, and the second duration.

[0013] Based on the above technical solution, the duration of the first timer determined by the terminal device is greater than or equal to the sum of the preset duration of the first timer, the first duration and the second duration, that is, the duration of the first timer determined by the terminal device is greater than the preset duration of the first timer, and the message transmission situation between the terminal device and the core network device is no longer judged based on the preset duration of the first timer, thereby improving the performance of the terminal device sending messages to the core network device via satellite.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first reference point is the same as the second reference point, or the first reference point is different from the second reference point.

[0015] Based on the above technical solution, the first reference point and the second reference point may be the same or different, and this is not limited in the technical solution, thereby improving the flexibility of the solution.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first reference point includes at least one of the following: the location of the terminal device, the location of the first gateway, the area where the first gateway is located, or the area where the terminal device is located; the second reference point includes at least one of the following: the location of the terminal device, the location of the first gateway, the area where the first gateway is located, or the area where the terminal device is located. The first gateway may be a designated gateway among at least one gateway deployed by the satellite constellation, and the location or area where the first gateway is located may be pre-configured.

[0017] Based on the above technical solution, the specific forms of the above first reference point and / or second reference point can be multiple, for example, the specific embodiment of the first reference point can be the location or area of ​​the terminal device that currently determines the duration of the first timer, or the location or area of ​​the first gateway; for another example, the specific embodiment of the second reference point can be the location or area of ​​the terminal device that currently determines the duration of the first timer, or the location or area of ​​the first gateway. Therefore, the first reference point and / or the second reference point can be indicated in different ways, thereby improving the flexibility of the solution.

[0018] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, obtaining the non-coverage duration information includes: receiving the non-coverage duration information from an access network device of the terminal device.

[0019] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device can obtain the non-coverage duration information by directly receiving the non-coverage duration information from the access network device without the need for self-calculation, thereby reducing the complexity of the terminal device.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the receiving the non-coverage duration information from the access network device includes: receiving a broadcast message from the access network device, the broadcast message including the non-coverage duration information; or, receiving a wireless connection resource RRC reconfiguration message from the access network device, the RRC reconfiguration message including the non-coverage duration information.

[0021] Based on the above technical solution, the access network device can provide the non-coverage duration information to the terminal device by broadcasting or providing it through an RRC reconfiguration message, that is, the access network device can provide the above-mentioned non-coverage duration information to the terminal device in different ways, thereby improving the flexibility of the solution.

[0022] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the obtaining of the non-coverage duration information includes: determining the non-coverage duration information according to the ephemeris information. The ephemeris information includes traditional ephemeris information and gateway deployment information, the traditional ephemeris information is used to indicate the satellite operation position, and the gateway deployment information is used to indicate the position of at least one gateway deployed by the satellite constellation. Alternatively, the ephemeris information includes satellite coverage information, and the satellite coverage information refers to the satellite coverage that changes with time and position.

[0023] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device can obtain the non-coverage duration information by determining the non-coverage duration information based on the ephemeris information by itself, without the need for the access network device to determine the non-coverage duration information, thereby reducing the complexity of the access network device.

[0024] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the non-coverage duration information is determined based on the ephemeris information, including: determining information about a first duration and information about a second duration based on the ephemeris information, the first duration being the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point, and the second duration being the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the second reference point; wherein the non-coverage duration information includes information about the first duration and information about the second duration.

[0025] Based on the above technical solution, when the terminal device determines the non-coverage duration information based on the ephemeris information, it determines the first duration information based on the ephemeris information (e.g., based on the traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information; or, satellite coverage information), and determines the second duration information based on the ephemeris information (e.g., based on the traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information and the deployment information of the gateway). The non-coverage duration of the access connection and the non-coverage duration of the feed connection are considered at the same time, and the duration of the first timer that is more suitable for the satellite communication scenario can be set.

[0026] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, obtaining the non-coverage duration information includes: receiving information about a second duration from an access network device of the terminal device, the second duration being the non-coverage duration of the feeding connection corresponding to the second reference point; determining information about a first duration based on ephemeris information (e.g., based on traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information; or, satellite coverage information), the first duration being the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point; wherein the non-coverage duration information includes information about the first duration and information about the second duration.

[0027] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, obtaining the non-coverage duration information includes: receiving information about a first duration from an access network device of the terminal device, the first duration being the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point; determining information about a second duration based on ephemeris information (e.g., based on traditional ephemeris information and deployment information of a gateway in the ephemeris information; or, satellite coverage information), the second duration being the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point; wherein the non-coverage duration information includes information about the first duration and information about the second duration.

[0028] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device can obtain the non-coverage duration information by determining the first duration information or the second duration information in the non-coverage duration information based on the ephemeris information, and receiving the undetermined second duration information or the first duration information from the access network device. In this technical solution, both the terminal device and the access network device can calculate part of the duration information in the non-coverage duration information based on the ephemeris information, and the terminal device and the access network device share the determination of the non-coverage duration information, avoiding the problem of high complexity of a single device caused by the terminal device or the access network device determining the non-coverage duration information separately.

[0029] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the information of the first duration is determined based on the ephemeris information, including: determining the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to at least one reference point based on the ephemeris information (such as, based on traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information; or, satellite coverage information); determining that the information of the first duration is the information of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point based on the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the at least one reference point, wherein the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is the largest of the non-coverage durations of the access connections corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0030] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device determines the information of the first duration according to the ephemeris information, which may be: the terminal device determines the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to at least one reference point according to the ephemeris information, and uses the largest duration among the non-coverage durations of the access connection corresponding to the at least one reference point as the first duration. So that the information of the determined first duration can meet the requirements of different reference points to the greatest extent.

[0031] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, determining the information of the second duration based on the ephemeris information includes: determining the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to at least one reference point based on the ephemeris information (e.g., based on traditional ephemeris information and deployment information of the gateway in the ephemeris information; or, satellite coverage information); determining that the information of the second duration is the information of the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point based on the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the at least one reference point, wherein the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point is the largest of the non-coverage durations of the feeder connection corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0032] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device determines the information of the second duration according to the ephemeris information, which may be: the terminal device determines the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to at least one reference point according to the ephemeris information, and uses the largest duration of the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the at least one reference point as the second duration. So that the information of the second duration determined can meet the requirements of different reference points to the greatest extent.

[0033] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving the ephemeris information from an access network device of the terminal device; or, receiving the ephemeris information from a core network device; or, obtaining the ephemeris information through a user plane.

[0034] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device obtains ephemeris information in ways including but not limited to: receiving from access network equipment and / or core network equipment, or obtaining through the user plane and other possible ways, thereby improving the flexibility of the solution.

[0035] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the receiving the ephemeris information from the access network device includes: receiving a broadcast message from the access network device of the terminal device, the broadcast message including the ephemeris information; or, receiving a wireless connection resource RRC reconfiguration message from the access network device of the terminal device, the RRC reconfiguration message including the ephemeris information.

[0036] Based on the above technical solution, the access network device can provide the terminal device with ephemeris information by broadcasting or providing it through an RRC reconfiguration message, that is, the access network device can provide the terminal device with the above ephemeris information in different ways, thereby improving the flexibility of the solution.

[0037] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, before determining the duration of the first timer based on the non-coverage duration information, the method also includes: receiving first indication information from an access network device of the terminal device; wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the terminal device to determine the duration of the first timer based on the non-coverage duration, or to indicate that the terminal device is in a non-continuous coverage scenario.

[0038] Based on the above technical solution, the terminal device can determine, based on the received first indication information, that setting the duration of the first timer needs to take into account the non-coverage duration, so that the terminal device can determine the manner in which to set the duration of the first timer based on clear indication information, thereby avoiding the situation in which the terminal device still considers the non-coverage duration when there is no need to consider the non-coverage duration.

[0039] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method also includes: when the terminal device sends a first request message to the core network device via a satellite, starting the first timer, the first request message being used to request to establish a connection with the core network device; if before the first timer times out, a first response message is received from the core network device in response to the first request message, stopping the first timer; and / or, if a first response message is still not received from the core network device in response to the first request message when the first timer times out, terminating the connection with the core network device.

[0040] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first request message is a registration request message, and the first response message is a registration acceptance message; or, the first request message is a service request message, and the first response message is a service acceptance message.

[0041] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method may be executed by an access network device, or may be executed by a component (such as a chip or circuit) of the access network device, without limitation.

[0042] The method may include: determining non-coverage duration information according to ephemeris information, the non-coverage duration information is used to indicate the duration of time that the reference point is under satellite non-coverage; and sending the non-coverage duration information to the terminal device. The ephemeris information includes traditional ephemeris information and gateway deployment information, the traditional ephemeris information is used to indicate the satellite operating position, and the gateway deployment information is used to indicate the position of at least one gateway deployed by the satellite constellation. Alternatively, the ephemeris information includes satellite coverage information, and the satellite coverage information refers to the satellite coverage that changes with time and position.

[0043] Based on the above technical solution, the access network device can determine the non-coverage duration information based on the ephemeris information, and provide the non-coverage duration information to the terminal device, so that when the terminal device determines the duration of the first timer, it can consider the non-coverage duration and set a more appropriate duration of the first timer.

[0044] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the reference point includes a first reference point and a second reference point; the non-coverage duration information includes information on the first duration and information on the second duration, the first duration being the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point, and the second duration being the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point, or the non-coverage duration information includes information on the sum of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point and the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point.

[0045] Based on the above technical solution, the non-coverage duration obtained by the access network device includes two parts, one part is the non-coverage duration of the access connection, and the other part is the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection. In the scenario where the terminal device communicates with the core network device via a satellite, non-coverage of the access connection and non-coverage of the feeder connection may occur. In this technical solution, the access network device provides the terminal device with the non-coverage duration of the access connection and the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection, so that the terminal device comprehensively considers the non-coverage duration of the access connection and the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection when determining the duration of the first timer.

[0046] In addition, the description related to the first reference point and the second reference point can refer to the first aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0047] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the sending the non-coverage duration information to the terminal device includes: sending a broadcast message to the terminal device, the broadcast message including the non-coverage duration information; or, sending a wireless connection resource RRC reconfiguration message to the terminal device, the RRC reconfiguration message including the non-coverage duration information.

[0048] Based on the above technical solution, the access network device can provide the non-coverage duration information to the terminal device by broadcasting or providing it through an RRC reconfiguration message, that is, the access network device can provide the above-mentioned non-coverage duration information to the terminal device in different ways, thereby improving the flexibility of the solution.

[0049] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the non-coverage duration information is determined based on the ephemeris information, including: determining information of a first duration based on the ephemeris information (e.g., based on traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information; or, satellite coverage information), the first duration being the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point.

[0050] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the information of the first duration is determined based on the ephemeris information (e.g., based on traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information; or, satellite coverage information), including: determining the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to at least one reference point based on the ephemeris information (e.g., based on traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information; or, satellite coverage information); determining that the information of the first duration is the information of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point based on the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the at least one reference point, wherein the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is the largest of the non-coverage durations of the access connections corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0051] Based on the above technical solution, the access network device determines the information of the first duration according to the ephemeris information: the access network device determines the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to at least one reference point according to the ephemeris information (e.g., according to the traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information; or satellite coverage information), and takes the largest duration among the non-coverage durations of the access connection corresponding to the at least one reference point as the first duration. So that the information of the first duration determined can meet the requirements of different reference points to the greatest extent.

[0052] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the non-coverage duration information is determined based on the ephemeris information, including: determining information of a second duration based on the ephemeris information (e.g., based on traditional ephemeris information and deployment information of a gateway in the ephemeris information; or, satellite coverage information), the second duration being the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the second reference point.

[0053] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the information of the second duration is determined based on the ephemeris information (e.g., based on traditional ephemeris information and deployment information of a gateway in the ephemeris information; or, satellite coverage information), including: determining the non-coverage duration of a feeder connection corresponding to at least one reference point based on the ephemeris information (e.g., based on traditional ephemeris information and deployment information of a gateway in the ephemeris information; or, satellite coverage information); determining the information of the second duration as the information of the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point based on the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the at least one reference point, wherein the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point is the largest of the non-coverage durations of the feeder connection corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0054] Based on the above technical solution, the access network device determines the second duration information according to the ephemeris information, which may be: the access network device determines the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to at least one reference point according to the ephemeris information (e.g., according to the traditional ephemeris information and the deployment information of the gateway in the ephemeris information; or satellite coverage information), and takes the largest duration of the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the at least one reference point as the second duration. So that the information of the second duration determined can meet the requirements of different reference points to the greatest extent.

[0055] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the method also includes: sending first indication information to the terminal device; wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the terminal device to determine the duration of the first timer based on the non-coverage duration, or to indicate that the terminal device is in a non-continuous coverage scenario.

[0056] Based on the above technical solution, the access network device can provide the first indication information to the terminal device so that the terminal device can determine the method for setting the duration of the first timer based on the clear indication information, thereby avoiding the terminal device still considering the non-coverage duration when the non-coverage duration does not need to be considered.

[0057] On the third aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a core network device, or can also be executed by a component of the core network device (such as a chip or circuit), without limitation.

[0058] The method may include: obtaining non-coverage duration information, which is used to indicate the duration of time that the reference point is under satellite non-coverage; determining the duration of a second timer based on the non-coverage duration information, and the second timer is used by the core network device to send a message to the terminal device via a satellite.

[0059] Based on the above technical solution, before sending a message to a terminal device via a satellite, the core network device obtains non-coverage duration information, and obtains the duration of the reference point being in non-satellite coverage according to the non-coverage duration information. When setting the duration of the second timer, the duration of the reference point being in non-satellite coverage is taken into account, so that the core network device can judge whether the message sent to the terminal device via the satellite is successful or failed based on the second timer, thereby improving the accuracy of the judgment of the core network device.

[0060] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the reference point includes a third reference point and a fourth reference point; the non-coverage duration information includes information on the third duration and information on the fourth duration, the third duration being the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the third reference point, and the fourth duration being the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the fourth reference point, or the non-coverage duration information includes information on the sum of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the third reference point and the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the fourth reference point.

[0061] Based on the above technical solution, the non-coverage duration obtained by the core network device includes two parts, one part is the non-coverage duration of the access connection, and the other part is the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection. In the scenario where the core network device communicates with the terminal device via a satellite, non-coverage of the access connection and non-coverage of the feeder connection may occur. In this technical solution, when the core network device determines the duration of the second timer, it comprehensively considers the non-coverage duration of the access connection and the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection, and can set the duration of the second timer that is more suitable for the satellite communication scenario.

[0062] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the duration of the second timer is determined based on the non-coverage duration information, including: determining the duration of the second timer based on the preset duration of the second timer, the information of the third duration, and the information of the fourth duration.

[0063] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the duration of the second timer is greater than or equal to the sum of a preset duration of the second timer, the third duration, and the fourth duration.

[0064] Based on the above technical solution, the duration of the second timer determined by the core network device is greater than or equal to the sum of the preset duration of the second timer, the third duration and the fourth duration, that is, the duration of the second timer determined by the core network device is greater than the preset duration of the second timer, and the message transmission situation between the terminal device is no longer judged based on the preset duration of the second timer, thereby improving the performance of the core network device in sending messages to the terminal device via satellite.

[0065] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the third reference point is the same as the fourth reference point, or the third reference point is different from the fourth reference point.

[0066] Based on the above technical solution, the third reference point and the fourth reference point may be the same or different, and this is not limited in the technical solution, thereby improving the flexibility of the solution.

[0067] In conjunction with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the third reference point includes at least one of the following: the location of the core network device or the terminal device, the location of the second gateway, the area where the second gateway is located, or the area where the core network device is located; the fourth reference point includes at least one of the following: the location of the core network device, the location of the second gateway, the area where the second gateway is located, or the area where the core network device is located. The second gateway may be a designated gateway among at least one gateway deployed by a satellite constellation, the second gateway may be a gateway associated with the core network device among at least one gateway deployed by a designated satellite constellation, and the location or area where the second gateway is located may be pre-configured.

[0068] Based on the above technical solution, the third reference point and / or the fourth reference point may be in various specific forms. For example, the third reference point may be in a specific form where the core network device or terminal device that currently determines the duration of the second timer is located or in a region where the second gateway is located; or the fourth reference point may be in a specific form where the core network device or terminal device that currently determines the duration of the second timer is located or in a region where the second gateway is located. Thus, the third reference point and / or the fourth reference point may be indicated in different ways, thereby improving the flexibility of the solution.

[0069] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the acquiring of the non-coverage duration information includes: receiving the non-coverage duration information from an operation, maintenance and management OAM device or an application function entity AF.

[0070] Based on the above technical solution, the core network device can obtain the non-coverage duration information by directly receiving the non-coverage duration information from the OAM device or AF without calculating it by itself, thereby reducing the complexity of the core network device.

[0071] In conjunction with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the obtaining of the non-coverage duration information includes: determining the non-coverage duration information according to the ephemeris information. The ephemeris information includes traditional ephemeris information and gateway deployment information, the traditional ephemeris information is used to indicate the satellite operating position, and the gateway deployment information is used to indicate the position of at least one gateway deployed by the satellite constellation. Alternatively, the ephemeris information includes satellite coverage information, and the satellite coverage information refers to the satellite coverage that changes with time and position.

[0072] Based on the above technical solution, the core network device can obtain the non-coverage duration information by determining the non-coverage duration information based on the ephemeris information, without the need for the OAM device or AF to determine the non-coverage duration information, thereby reducing the complexity of the OAM device or AF.

[0073] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the determining the non-coverage duration information according to the ephemeris information includes: determining information of a third duration and information of a fourth duration according to the ephemeris information, the third duration being the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the third reference point, and the fourth duration being the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the fourth reference point; wherein the non-coverage duration information includes information of the third duration and information of the fourth duration. The ephemeris information includes traditional ephemeris information and gateway deployment information, the traditional ephemeris information is used to indicate the satellite operating position, the gateway deployment information is used to indicate the position of at least one gateway deployed by the satellite constellation, or the gateway deployment information is used to indicate the position of the gateway connected to the core network device among at least one gateway deployed by the satellite constellation.

[0074] Based on the above technical solution, when the core network device determines the non-coverage duration information based on the ephemeris information, it determines the third duration information based on the ephemeris information and determines the fourth duration information based on the ephemeris information. The non-coverage duration of the access connection and the non-coverage duration of the feed connection are considered at the same time, and the duration of the second timer that is more suitable for the satellite communication scenario can be set.

[0075] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes: receiving the ephemeris information from an operation, maintenance and management OAM device or an application function entity AF.

[0076] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the information of the third duration is determined based on the ephemeris information (such as, based on traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information; or, satellite coverage information), including: determining the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to at least one reference point based on the ephemeris information; determining that the information of the third duration is the information of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the third reference point based on the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the at least one reference point, wherein the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the third reference point is the largest of the non-coverage durations of the access connections corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0077] Based on the above technical solution, the core network device determines the third duration information according to the ephemeris information (e.g., according to the traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information; or the satellite coverage information): the core network device determines the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to at least one reference point according to the ephemeris information (e.g., according to the traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information; or the satellite coverage information), and takes the largest duration of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the at least one reference point as the third duration. So that the information of the third duration determined can meet the requirements of different reference points to the greatest extent.

[0078] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the information of the fourth duration is determined based on the ephemeris information (e.g., based on traditional ephemeris information and deployment information of a gateway in the ephemeris information; or, satellite coverage information), including: determining the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to at least one reference point based on the ephemeris information; and determining that the information of the fourth duration is the information of the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the fourth reference point based on the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the at least one reference point, wherein the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the fourth reference point is the largest of the non-coverage durations of the feeder connection corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0079] Based on the above technical solution, the core network device determines the fourth duration information according to the ephemeris information (e.g., according to the traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information and the deployment information of the gateway; or the satellite coverage information): the core network device determines the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to at least one reference point according to the ephemeris information (e.g., according to the traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information and the deployment information of the gateway; or the satellite coverage information), and takes the largest duration of the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the at least one reference point as the fourth duration. So that the information of the fourth duration determined can meet the requirements of different reference points to the greatest extent.

[0080] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the method also includes: when the core network device sends a first response message to the terminal device via a satellite, starting the second timer, and the first response message is used to respond to the terminal device's request to establish a connection; if before the second timer times out, a second response message is received from the terminal device in response to the first response message, stopping the second timer; and / or, if, when the second timer times out, a second response message from the terminal device in response to the first response message is still not received, terminating the connection with the terminal device.

[0081] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the first response message includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that after the terminal device receives the first response message, it feeds back a second response message in response to the first response message.

[0082] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the first response message is a registration acceptance message, and the second response message is a registration success message.

[0083] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, which is used to execute the method provided in the first to third aspects. Specifically, the device may include a unit and / or module, such as a processing unit and / or a communication unit, for executing the method provided in any one of the above implementations of the first to third aspects.

[0084] In one implementation, the apparatus is a terminal device. When the apparatus is a terminal device, the communication unit may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface; the processing unit may be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0085] In another implementation, the device is a chip, a chip system or a circuit used in a terminal device. When the device is a chip, a chip system or a circuit used in a terminal device, the communication unit may be an input / output interface, an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, a pin or a related circuit on the chip, the chip system or the circuit; the processing unit may be at least one processor, a processing circuit or a logic circuit.

[0086] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a memory for storing programs; and at least one processor for executing computer programs or instructions stored in the memory to execute any one of the implementations of the first to third aspects, or a method provided by any one of the implementations of the second to third aspects.

[0087] In one implementation, the apparatus is a terminal device.

[0088] In another implementation, the apparatus is a chip, a chip system or a circuit used in a terminal device.

[0089] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a processor for executing the methods provided in the above aspects.

[0090] For the operations such as sending and acquiring / receiving involved in the processor, unless otherwise specified, or unless they conflict with their actual function or internal logic in the relevant description, they can be understood as operations such as processor output, reception, input, etc., or as sending and receiving operations performed by the radio frequency circuit and antenna, and this application does not limit this.

[0091] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a program code for execution by a device, wherein the program code includes a method for executing any one of the above-mentioned implementations of the first to third aspects.

[0092] In an eighth aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided. When the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the method provided in any one of the implementations of the first to third aspects.

[0093] In a ninth aspect, a chip is provided, the chip comprising a processor and a communication interface, the processor reads instructions stored in a memory through the communication interface, and executes the method provided by any one of the above-mentioned implementation methods of the first to third aspects.

[0094] Optionally, as an implementation method, the chip also includes a memory, in which a computer program or instructions are stored, and the processor is used to execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer program or instructions are executed, the processor is used to execute the method provided in any one of the above-mentioned implementation methods of the first to third aspects.

[0095] In a tenth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising the terminal device of the first aspect and the access network device of the second aspect.

[0096] In the eleventh aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising the terminal device of the first aspect, the access network device of the second aspect and the core network device of the third aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0097] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a network architecture is shown.

[0098] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing discontinuous coverage of an access connection is shown.

[0099] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a discontinuous coverage of a feed connection.

[0100] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a NAS timer is shown.

[0101] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0102] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a terminal device obtaining non-coverage duration information provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0103] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing another terminal device obtaining non-coverage duration information provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0104] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing another terminal device obtaining non-coverage duration information provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0105] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram showing another terminal device obtaining non-coverage duration information provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0106] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0107] Fig.11 A schematic block diagram of a communication device 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0108] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of another communication device 20 provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0109] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of a chip system 30 provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0110] The technical solution in this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0111] The technical solution provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: fifth generation (5th generation, 5G) or new radio (new radio, NR) system, long term evolution (long term evolution, LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (frequency division duplex, FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (time division duplex, TDD) system, etc. The technical solution provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication system. The technical solution provided in this application can also be applied to device to device (D2D) communication, vehicle to everything (V2X) communication, machine to machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), and Internet of things (IoT) communication system or other communication systems.

[0112] First, a brief introduction to the network architecture applicable to this application is as follows.

[0113] As an example, Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a network architecture is shown.

[0114] like Figure 1As shown, the network architecture takes the 5G system (the 5th generation system, 5GS) as an example. The network architecture may include but is not limited to: network slice selection function (NSSF), authentication server function (AUSF), unified data management (UDM), network exposure function (NEF), network storage function (NF repository function, NRF), policy control function (PCF), application function (AF), access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), user equipment (UE), radio access network equipment, user plane function (UPF), data network (DN).

[0115] Among them, DN can be the Internet; NSSF, AUSF, UDM, NEF, NRF, PCF, AF, AMF, SMF, and UPF are network elements in the core network. Figure 1 Taking the 5G system as an example, the core network can be called the 5G core network (5G core network, 5GC or 5GCN).

[0116] Below Figure 1 A brief introduction is given to each network element shown in FIG.

[0117] 1. UE: may be referred to as terminal equipment, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent or user device.

[0118] The terminal device may be a device that provides voice / data to users, for example, a handheld device or a vehicle-mounted device with a wireless connection function. At present, some examples of terminals are: mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to wireless modems, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks or future evolved public land mobile communication networks (public land mobile The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0119] As an example but not limitation, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device may also be a wearable device. Wearable devices may also be referred to as wearable smart devices, which are a general term for wearable devices that are intelligently designed and developed using wearable technology for daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. A wearable device is a portable device that is worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothes or accessories. Wearable devices are not only hardware devices, but also powerful functions achieved through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include full-featured, large-sized, and fully or partially independent of smartphones, such as smart watches or smart glasses, as well as devices that only focus on a certain type of application function and need to be used in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various types of smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0120] In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device can also be a terminal device in an IoT system. IoT is an important part of the future development of information technology. Its main technical feature is to connect objects to the network through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network that interconnects people and machines and things.

[0121] It should be noted that the terminal device and the access network device can communicate with each other using a certain air interface technology (such as NR or LTE technology, etc.). The terminal devices can also communicate with each other using a certain air interface technology (such as NR or LTE technology, etc.).

[0122] In the embodiment of the present application, the device for realizing the function of the terminal device can be the terminal device, or it can be a device that can support the terminal device to realize the function, such as a chip system or a chip, which can be installed in the terminal device. In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or it can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0123] 2. (Radio) access network ((R)AN) equipment: can provide authorized users in a specific area with access to the communication network. Specifically, it can include wireless network equipment in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) network and access points in non-3GPP networks. For the convenience of description, AN equipment is used below.

[0124] AN equipment can use different wireless access technologies. There are currently two types of wireless access technologies: 3GPP access technology (for example, the wireless access technology used in the third generation (3rd generation, 3G), fourth generation (4th generation, 4G) or 5G systems) and non-3GPP (non-3GPP) access technology. 3GPP access technology refers to access technology that complies with 3GPP standard specifications. For example, the access network equipment in the 5G system is called the next generation NodeBase station (gNB) or RAN equipment. Non-3GPP access technology may include air interface technology represented by access points (AP) in wireless fidelity (WiFi), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), code division multiple access (CDMA), etc. AN equipment can allow terminal devices and 3GPP core networks to interconnect and communicate using non-3GPP technologies.

[0125] AN equipment is responsible for wireless resource management, quality of service (QoS) management, data compression and encryption, etc. on the air interface side. AN equipment provides access services for terminal equipment, and then completes the forwarding of control signals and user data between terminal equipment and the core network.

[0126] AN equipment may include, for example, but is not limited to: macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small stations), radio network controllers (RNCs), node Bs (NBs), base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), home base stations (e.g., home evolved NodeBs, or home Node Bs, HNBs), baseband units (BBUs), APs in WiFi systems, wireless relay nodes, wireless backhaul nodes, transmission points (TPs) or transmission and reception points (TRPs), etc., and may also be gNBs or transmission points (TRPs or TPs) in 5G (e.g., NR) systems, one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G system, or network nodes constituting gNBs or transmission points, such as distributed units (DUs), or base stations in next-generation communication 6G systems, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form used by AN equipment.

[0127] It should be noted that in this application, the satellite can act as the RAN, that is, the terminal device can communicate with the core network side through the satellite. For example, satellite communication can be used to solve coverage problems in remote areas such as mountainous areas and oceans. This method is called satellite communication in regeneration mode. Alternatively, the satellite can also be used only as a radio frequency unit, that is, the RAN function is still performed by the ground base station. This is also a way to implement satellite communication, which is called satellite communication in transparent mode.

[0128] 3. AMF: Mainly used for access control, mobility management, attachment and detachment functions.

[0129] 4. SMF: Mainly used for user plane network element selection, user plane network element redirection, Internet protocol (IP) address allocation for terminal devices, as well as session establishment, modification and release and QoS control.

[0130] 5. UPF: Mainly used for receiving and forwarding user plane data. For example, UPF can receive user plane data from DN and send the user plane data to the terminal device through the AN device. UPF can also receive user plane data from the terminal device through the AN device and forward it to the DN.

[0131] 6. NEF: Mainly used to securely open the services and capabilities provided by 3GPP network functions to the outside world.

[0132] 7. PCF: A unified policy framework mainly used to guide network behavior and provide policy rule information for control plane network elements (such as AMF, SMF, etc.).

[0133] 8. AF: Mainly used to provide services to the 3GPP network, such as interacting with the PCF for policy control.

[0134] 9. Network slice selection function (NSSF): mainly used for network slice selection.

[0135] 10. UDM: Mainly used for UE contract data management, including storage and management of UE identification, UE access authorization, etc.

[0136] 11. DN: It is mainly used for the operator network that provides data services to UE, such as the Internet, third-party service networks, and IP multimedia service (IMS) networks.

[0137] 12. AUSF: Mainly used for user authentication, etc.

[0138] 13. NRF: Mainly used to store descriptive information of network functional entities and the services they provide.

[0139] exist Figure 1 In the network architecture shown, each network element can communicate with each other via an interface. For example, a UE is connected to an AN device via a radio resource control (RRC) protocol, and the UE and the AN device communicate via a Uu interface.

[0140] It should be understood that the network architecture shown above is only an exemplary description, and the network architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application is not limited thereto. Any network architecture that can realize the functions of the above-mentioned network elements is applicable to the embodiments of the present application.

[0141] It should also be understood that Figure 1The functions or network elements such as AMF, SMF, UPF, PCF, UDM, NSSF, AUSF shown in the specification can be understood as network elements used to implement different functions, for example, they can be combined into network slices as needed. These network elements can be independent devices, or they can be integrated into the same device to implement different functions, or they can be network elements in hardware devices, or they can be software functions running on dedicated hardware, or they can be virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (for example, a cloud platform). This application does not limit the specific form of the above network elements.

[0142] It should also be understood that the above naming is only defined for the convenience of distinguishing different functions and should not constitute any limitation to this application. This application does not exclude the possibility of using other naming in 6G networks and other future networks. For example, in a 6G network, some or all of the above network elements may use the terminology in 5G, or may use other names, etc.

[0143] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, a brief description is given of the basic concepts involved in the present application.

[0144] 1. Satellite communication ground system: Generally, a star structure consisting of a gateway (GW) and user stations is adopted. The gateway has a large capacity and is generally equipped with a large-diameter antenna to connect the ground network and the satellite feed beam. The user station communicates with the gateway through a communication satellite. In addition, the satellite communication ground system can also include a network operation center to manage the satellite network and user services.

[0145] 2. Discontinuous coverage of access connection: As mentioned above, the function of RAN can be performed by satellite. The connection between the terminal device and the satellite is called service connection (also called access connection).

[0146] Satellites move around the earth regularly, so the coverage of satellites is always in a moving state. For a specific ground area, there is often a scene of discontinuous coverage. For example, at an oil field mining site deep in the desert, one or more satellites may only provide network communication services for the oil field mining site during a specific period of time while rotating around the earth regularly, such as collecting and reporting data from various sensors in the oil field mining. In other words, ground equipment is often in a scene without network coverage.

[0147] For ease of understanding, combined Figure 2 Briefly introduce the scenario of discontinuous coverage of access connection.

[0148] like Figure 2As shown, at time #1, the area covered by the satellite is area #1; as the satellite moves, at time #2, the area covered by the satellite is area #2. At time #1, the terminal device is located in area #1 and can communicate with the satellite through the access connection; at time #2, the terminal device is not located in area #2, and there is no coverage. Figure 2 The scenario shown is a scenario of discontinuous coverage of the access connection.

[0149] 3. Discontinuous coverage duration of access connection: It can also be called the non-coverage duration of access connection. As can be seen from the above, the access connection between the terminal device and the satellite may not be always in a connected state, and there may be discontinuous situations.

[0150] Exemplarily, within 24 hours, the access connection between a terminal device and a satellite may be disconnected at least once, and the sum of the duration of at least one access connection disconnection is the discontinuous coverage duration of the access connection; or, the maximum duration of at least one access connection disconnection is the discontinuous coverage duration of the access connection; or, the minimum duration of at least one access connection disconnection is the discontinuous coverage duration of the access connection; or, the average duration of at least one access connection disconnection is the discontinuous coverage duration of the access connection; or, the discontinuous coverage duration when the access connection between the terminal device and the satellite is disconnected, that is, when the connection is disconnected at least once, the discontinuous coverage duration of the access connection may vary.

[0151] It should be understood that the above-mentioned method for determining the discontinuous coverage duration of the access connection is only an example and does not constitute any limitation on the protection scope of the present application.

[0152] 4. Non-continuous coverage of feeder connection: The connection between the satellite and the ground gateway is called feeder connection. Similar to the non-continuous coverage of access connection mentioned above, feeder connection also has non-continuous coverage due to the movement of satellite.

[0153] For ease of understanding, combined Figure 3 The following briefly introduces the scenario of discontinuous coverage of the feeder connection.

[0154] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , at time #1, the satellite can provide access services to the terminal device, and there is a service connection between the terminal device and the satellite. At this time, since the satellite cannot be connected to the ground gateway, that is, there is no feeder connection, the signaling and / or data of the terminal device cannot be sent to the ground core network through the ground gateway.

[0155] As the satellite moves, at time #2, the satellite may be connected to the ground gateway, that is, there is a feeder connection, or feeder coverage, and the signaling and / or data of the terminal device can be sent to the ground core network through the ground gateway. At this time, the connection between the satellite and the terminal device does not exist. In addition, as the satellite continues to move, at time #3, the satellite may cover the terminal device again, that is, it can provide access services for the terminal device. At this time, there is no feeder connection.

[0156] 5. Discontinuous coverage duration of the feed connection: It can also be called the non-coverage duration of the feed connection. As can be seen from the above, the connection between the satellite and the ground gateway may not always be in a connected state, and there may be discontinuous situations.

[0157] Exemplarily, within the satellite constellation operation cycle, the number of times the feed connection between a gateway station and the satellite is disconnected may be at least once, and the sum of the duration of at least one feed connection disconnection is the discontinuous coverage duration of the feed connection; or, the maximum value of the duration of at least one feed connection disconnection is the discontinuous coverage duration of the feed connection; or, the minimum value of the duration of at least one feed connection disconnection is the discontinuous coverage duration of the feed connection; or, the average value of the duration of at least one feed connection disconnection is the discontinuous coverage duration of the feed connection; or, the discontinuous coverage duration when the feed connection between the gateway station and the satellite is disconnected, that is, when the connection is disconnected at least once, the discontinuous coverage duration of the feed connection may vary.

[0158] It should be understood that the above-mentioned method for determining the discontinuous coverage duration of the feeding connection is only an example and does not constitute any limitation on the protection scope of the present application.

[0159] 6. Non-coverage duration information: It can also be called non-continuous coverage duration information. It is used to indicate that the non-coverage situation of the satellite changes with time and position. The non-coverage duration information is information indicating the duration of a certain location not covered by the satellite.

[0160] Exemplarily, within the satellite constellation operation cycle, position #1 is not covered by the satellite at least once, and the duration indicated by the non-coverage duration information is: the maximum duration of at least one non-satellite coverage; or, the average duration of at least one non-satellite coverage; or, the minimum duration of at least one non-satellite coverage; or, the duration each time position #1 is not covered, that is, for position #1, the discontinuous coverage duration may vary, etc.

[0161] There are many specific ways to represent the non-coverage duration information, for example, it can be represented by time length (i.e., duration), it can also be represented by start time and end time, or it can be represented by start time and time length. There are many ways to obtain the non-coverage duration information, for example, it can be represented by ephemeris information, or it can be represented by a map. This application does not limit the specific method. It is understandable that this application will be explained later using time length as an example.

[0162] Exemplarily, the non-coverage duration information representation mode #1 is: the duration of time that position #1 is outside the coverage of access connection and / or feed connection during the satellite constellation operation cycle. Alternatively, the non-coverage duration information representation mode #2 is: position #2 has no access connection and / or feed connection until time #1.

[0163] 7. Ephemeris information: As a possible implementation method, the ephemeris information involved in this application includes but is not limited to traditional ephemeris information and deployment information of the gateway. Among them, traditional ephemeris information includes but is not limited to orbital parameters, or parameters such as the satellite position calculated based on the orbital parameters. It can be understood that traditional ephemeris information can be used to calculate, predict, describe, or track the time, position, speed and other states of the satellite flight. Exemplarily, traditional ephemeris information can be 17 bytes of information to represent position (78 bits) and speed (54 bits), or traditional ephemeris information can be 18 bytes of information to represent orbital parameters (such as semi-major axis, range, eccentricity, perigee angular distance and other parameters).

[0164] It should be noted that the specific form and content of traditional ephemeris information are not limited in this application, and the definition of ephemeris information in existing protocols may be referred to.

[0165] The deployment information of the gateway includes the location information of at least one gateway deployed by the satellite constellation. For example, the satellite constellation deploys three ground gateways GW#1 to GW#3, corresponding to three locations GW-location#1, GW-location#2, and GW-location#3, respectively. The specific form, content, and name of the ephemeris information are not limited in this application. For example, the ephemeris information in this application may also be referred to as satellite coverage availability information.

[0166] In addition, it should be noted that the discontinuous coverage duration of the access connection can be determined based on the traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information. The discontinuous coverage duration of the feed connection can be determined based on the traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information and the deployment information of the gateway.

[0167] As another possible implementation, the ephemeris information involved in the present application includes satellite coverage information, and the satellite coverage information refers to the satellite coverage conditions that change with time and position.

[0168] For example, for a certain fixed location, the satellite coverage information is expressed as: <n> <0or 1> <duration1><0or1><Duration 2> ....<0or 1><Duration N> Wherein, N represents the specific number of durations of no coverage or coverage; 0 represents no coverage, and 1 represents coverage; and duration (Duration) represents the duration of no coverage or coverage.

[0169] For example, <0><duration 1,9:00-10:00> Indicates no coverage from 9:00 to 10:10; for example, <1><duration 2,10:00-12:00> It means that there is coverage from 10:00-12:10.

[0170] For example, for a fixed time, the satellite coverage information is expressed as: <n> <0or 1> <location1><0or 1><location 2> ....<0or 1><location N> Wherein, N represents the specific number of locations or location areas without coverage or with coverage; 0 represents no coverage, and 1 represents coverage; location represents a location or location area without coverage or with coverage.

[0171] For example, <0><location 1> Indicates that location 1 has no coverage at a fixed time; for example, <1><location 2> Indicates that location 2 is covered at a fixed time.

[0172] 8. NAS timer: A timer used to determine whether the non-access layer signaling is successfully transmitted. This timer includes but is not limited to a timer for determining whether the signaling in the registration process is successfully transmitted, and can also be a timer for determining whether the signaling in the service request process is successfully transmitted, without limitation.

[0173] For ease of understanding, combined Figure 4 The following describes possible forms of the NAS timer involved in the embodiments of the present application.

[0174] Figure 4 Taking the terminal device accessing the core network as an example, the NAS timer maintained on the terminal device side and the NAS timer maintained on the AMF side are described.

[0175] from Figure 4 It can be seen that when the terminal device initiates the network access process (i.e., the registration process), the terminal device starts the NAS timer T3510 when sending a registration request message to the AMF. If the terminal device receives a response message sent by the AMF during the T3510 timing process, such as a registration accept message, T3510 is stopped and the terminal device successfully accesses the network. If the terminal device still does not receive any response message, such as a registration accept or a registration reject, when T3510 times out, the terminal device fails to send the registration request message, that is, the message is not sent successfully, and the terminal device can start other timers for the terminal device to re-initiate the registration process.

[0176] For example, after sending a registration accept to the terminal device, the AMF can start the NAS timer T3550. If the AMF receives a registration complete message sent by the terminal device during the T3550 timing process, the AMF stops T3550 and the terminal device network access process is completed. If the AMF still does not receive the registration complete message when T3550 times out, the terminal device fails to join the network or the registration accept fails to be sent. The AMF can start other timers for the terminal device to re-initiate the registration process.

[0177] It should be noted that if AMF does not need to receive the registration completion message, AMF does not start NAS timer T3550.

[0178] The above briefly describes the basic concepts involved in this application, which will not be repeated in the following embodiments.

[0179] In addition, in order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following points are first explained.

[0180] First, in this application, "used to indicate" may include being used to indicate directly or indirectly. When describing that a certain indication information is used to indicate A, it may include that the indication information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but it does not mean that the indication information must carry A.

[0181] Second, "at least one" shown in the present application refers to one or more, and "multiple" refers to two or more. In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, "first", "second" and various digital numbers (for example, "#1", "#2", etc.) are only for the convenience of description, and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. The size of the sequence number of each process below does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the objects described in this way can be interchangeable under appropriate circumstances so as to be able to describe solutions other than the embodiments of the present application. In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "S510" are only marks made for the convenience of description, and are not used to limit the order of execution steps.

[0182] Third, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a specific way.

[0183] Fourth, in the embodiments of the present application, the terms "of", "corresponding, relevant", "corresponding" and "associate" may sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that when the distinction between them is not emphasized, the meanings they intend to express are consistent.

[0184] Fifth, in the embodiments of the present application, "under the circumstances", "when", and "if" can sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be pointed out that when the distinction between them is not emphasized, the meanings they intend to express are consistent.

[0185] Sixth, the term "and / or" in this article is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0186] Combination of the above Figure 1 The present invention briefly introduces the scenarios in which the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied, and introduces the basic concepts that may be involved in the embodiments of the present application. The basic concepts include discontinuous coverage of access connections, discontinuous coverage of feeder connections, and NAS timers.

[0187] Currently, in the scenario where the terminal device accesses the core network via satellite, the duration of the NAS timer maintained on the terminal device side is 27 seconds (seconds, s), and the duration of the NAS timer maintained on the AMF side is 11s.

[0188] Specifically, in the case of discontinuous coverage of the access connection and the feeder connection, the current design of the NAS timer may affect the accuracy of the device (such as the terminal device and / or AMF) in judging whether the non-access layer signaling is successfully transmitted. For example, due to the discontinuous coverage of the feeder connection (or the feeder connection is not always present), the signaling interaction between the terminal device and the terrestrial core network takes a long time.

[0189] With the above Figure 4 The registration process shown is used as an example: in the registration process of the terminal device, when the terminal device is in satellite access coverage, the registration request message sent by the terminal device will be cached on the satellite until there is a feed connection satellite to forward the registration request message to the AMF. In other words, due to the discontinuous coverage of the feed connection, the registration request message cannot reach the AMF in time. Similarly, for the registration acceptance message sent by the AMF, the discontinuous coverage of the access connection will also cause the registration acceptance message to fail to reach the terminal device in time.

[0190] In view of the above situation, due to the discontinuous coverage of the feeding connection, the terminal device is unlikely to receive the registration acceptance message sent by AMF before the timer T3510 times out. The terminal device will fail to access the network and will re-initiate the registration process, which will not only cause the registration to fail to be completed in time, but also generate unnecessary signaling overhead.

[0191] Therefore, the embodiment provided in the present application introduces the discontinuous coverage duration of the access connection and the discontinuous coverage duration of the feeding connection when setting the duration of the NAS timer maintained by the terminal device side.

[0192] For example, when the AMF in the ground core network receives the registration request message sent by the terminal device, the AMF sends a registration acceptance message to the terminal device and starts the NAS timer maintained by the AMF side. Due to the discontinuous coverage of the access connection and the discontinuous coverage of the feeder connection, the AMF cannot send the registration acceptance message to the terminal device in time; the terminal device cannot send the registration completion message to the AMF in time.

[0193] Therefore, the embodiment provided in the present application introduces the discontinuous coverage duration of the access connection and the discontinuous coverage duration of the feeder connection when setting the duration of the NAS timer maintained on the AMF side.

[0194] The present application provides a communication method for setting a suitable timer duration in a scenario where discontinuous coverage occurs.

[0195] The technical solution provided by the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments of the present application can be applied to a variety of different scenarios, including Figure 1 The scenario shown is, but not limited to, that scenario.

[0196] Below, without loss of generality, Figure 5 The communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application is described in detail by taking the interaction between the terminal device and the network device as an example. The network device includes an access network device and a core network device.

[0197] It should be understood that the embodiments shown below do not particularly limit the specific structure of the execution subject of the method provided by the embodiments of the present application. As long as it is possible to communicate according to the method provided by the embodiments of the present application by running a program that records the code of the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, for example, the execution subject of the method provided by the embodiments of the present application may be a terminal device and a network device, or a functional module in the terminal device and the network device that can call and execute the program.

[0198] Figure 5 A schematic flow chart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown. The communication method is applied in a communication system in which a terminal device accesses a core network via a satellite.

[0199] The communication method comprises the following steps:

[0200] S510, the terminal device obtains non-coverage duration information.

[0201] The non-coverage duration information may be used to indicate the duration of time the reference point is in non-satellite coverage. The reference point may be understood as a location point such as a geographical location or a geographical area, without limitation.

[0202] It can be understood that the non-coverage duration information can be used to indicate the duration during which the reference point is not under satellite coverage.

[0203] For example, the reference point is not covered by the satellite during duration #1 and duration #2, and the non-coverage duration may be the sum of duration #1 and duration #2, or the non-coverage duration may be the maximum value between duration #1 and duration #2, or the non-coverage duration may be the average value of duration #1 and duration #2, or the corresponding satellite non-coverage duration when the terminal device obtains the discontinuous coverage duration information, etc.

[0204] In one example, the reference point may include a first reference point and a second reference point, and the non-coverage duration information may include information about the first duration and information about the second duration. The first duration may be the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point, and the second duration may be the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point.

[0205] In another example, the reference point may include a first reference point and a second reference point, and the non-coverage duration information may include information on the sum of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point and the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point.

[0206] It should be noted that the first reference point and the second reference point may be the same or different, without limitation.

[0207] In the case where the first reference point and the second reference point are the same, the first reference point and the second reference point may be a certain area where both the terminal device and the gateway exist.

[0208] Optionally, the first reference point includes at least one of the following: a location of the terminal device, a location of the first gateway, an area where the first gateway is located, or an area where the terminal device is located. The first gateway may be a designated gateway among at least one gateway deployed by the satellite constellation, the location or area where the first gateway is located may be preconfigured, and the terminal device is the above-mentioned terminal device for obtaining the non-coverage duration information.

[0209] If the first reference point is the location of the terminal device, the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is the non-coverage duration of the access connection between the terminal device and the satellite. For example, if the first reference point is the location of the terminal device #1, and the non-coverage duration of the access connection between the terminal device #1 and the satellite is duration #1, then the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is duration #1.

[0210] If the first reference point is the area where the terminal device is located, the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is the maximum value, average value, weighted average value, etc. of the non-coverage durations of the access connections between all the terminal devices in the area and the satellite, wherein the area where the terminal device is located can be a geographical area, a cell or a TA, etc. For example, the first reference point is area #1 where the terminal device #1 is located, the terminal device #1 is located in the area #1, and there are also terminal devices #2 and #3 in the area #1. The non-coverage duration of the access connection between the terminal device #1 and the satellite is duration #1, the non-coverage duration of the access connection between the terminal device #2 and the satellite is duration #2, the non-coverage duration of the access connection between the terminal device #3 and the satellite is duration #3, and the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is the maximum duration of duration #1, duration #2 and duration #3; or, the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is the average value of duration #1, duration #2 and duration #3.

[0211] If the first reference point is the location of the first gateway, the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is the non-coverage duration of the access connection between the terminal device and the satellite at the location of the first gateway. For example, if the first reference point is the location of the first gateway, the non-coverage duration of the access connection between the terminal device #2 at the location of the first gateway and the satellite is duration #2, and the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is duration #2.

[0212] If the first reference point is the area where the first gateway is located, the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is the maximum value, average value, weighted average value, etc. of the non-coverage durations of the access connections between all the terminal devices in the area and the satellite, respectively, wherein the area where the first gateway is located may be a geographical area, a cell, or a TA, etc. For example, the first reference point is area #2 where gateway #1 is located, terminal device #1 is located in area #2, and there are also terminal devices #2 and #3 in area #2. The non-coverage duration of the access connection between terminal device #1 and the satellite is duration #1, the non-coverage duration of the access connection between terminal device #2 and the satellite is duration #2, the non-coverage duration of the access connection between terminal device #3 and the satellite is duration #3, and the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is the maximum duration of duration #1, duration #2, and duration #3; or, the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is the average value of duration #1, duration #2, and duration #3.

[0213] Optionally, the second reference point includes at least one of the following: a location of the terminal device, a location of the first gateway, an area where the first gateway is located, or an area where the terminal device is located. The first gateway may be a designated gateway among at least one gateway deployed by the satellite constellation, the location or area where the first gateway is located may be preconfigured, and the terminal device is the above-mentioned terminal device for obtaining the non-coverage duration information.

[0214] If the second reference point is the location of the terminal device, the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the second reference point is the non-coverage duration of the feed connection between the gateway and the satellite at the location of the terminal device. For example, if the second reference point is the location of the terminal device #1, and the non-coverage duration of the feed connection between the gateway and the satellite at the location of the terminal device #1 is duration #1, the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the second reference point is duration #1.

[0215] If the second reference point is the area where the terminal device is located, the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the second reference point is the maximum value, average value, weighted average value, etc. of the non-coverage durations of the feed connection between all gateways in the area and the satellite, wherein the area where the terminal device is located may be a geographical area, a cell, or a TA, etc. For example, the second reference point is area #1 where the terminal device #1 is located, gateway #1 is located in area #1, and gateways #2 and #3 also exist in area #1. The non-coverage duration of the feed connection between gateway #1 and the satellite is duration #1, the non-coverage duration of the feed connection between gateway #2 and the satellite is duration #2, the non-coverage duration of the feed connection between gateway #3 and the satellite is duration #3, and the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the second reference point is the maximum duration among duration #1, duration #2, and duration #3; or, the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the second reference point is the average of duration #1, duration #2, and duration #3.

[0216] If the second reference point is the location of the first gateway, the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the second reference point is the non-coverage duration of the feed connection between the first gateway and the satellite. For example, if the second reference point is the location of the first gateway, the non-coverage duration of the feed connection between the first gateway and the satellite is duration #2, and the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the second reference point is duration #2.

[0217] If the second reference point is the area where the first gateway is located, the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the second reference point is the maximum value, average value, weighted average value, etc. of the non-coverage durations of the feed connections between all gateways in the area and the satellites, respectively, wherein the area where the first gateway is located may be a geographical area, a cell, or a TA, etc. For example, the second reference point is area #2 where gateway #1 is located, gateway #1 is located in area #2, and there are also gateways #2 and gateway #3 in area #2. The non-coverage duration of the feeder connection between gateway station #1 and the satellite is duration #1, the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection between gateway station #2 and the satellite is duration #2, the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection between gateway station #3 and the satellite is duration #3, and the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point is the maximum duration among duration #1, duration #2 and duration #3; or, the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point is the average of duration #1, duration #2 and duration #3.

[0218] In this embodiment, the non-coverage duration information indicates the non-coverage duration of the access connection and the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection. For example, the non-coverage duration information includes two parts: information about the first duration and information about the second duration. For another example, the non-coverage duration information is one part: information about the sum of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point and the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point.

[0219] Among them, the first duration can be the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to a certain reference point (for distinction, called the first reference point), and the second duration can be the non-coverage duration of the feeding connection corresponding to a certain reference point (for distinction, called the second reference point).

[0220] The non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point can be understood as the non-coverage duration of the access connection between the terminal device at the first reference point and the satellite. For example, the terminal device at the first reference point includes terminal device #1, and the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is: the duration during which there is no access connection between terminal device #1 and the satellite. The access connection refers to the connection between terminal device #1 and the satellite, or in other words, the access connection refers to the terminal device #1 being covered by the satellite and provided with services by the satellite. It can be understood that the satellite here is a general concept, which can be one or more satellites in a satellite constellation.

[0221] The non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the second reference point can be understood as the non-coverage duration of the feed connection between the gateway station at the second reference point and the satellite. For example, the gateway station at the second reference point is gateway station #1, and the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the second reference point is: the duration of the non-existence of the feed connection between gateway station #1 and the satellite. The feed connection refers to the connection between gateway station #1 and the satellite, or in other words, the feed connection refers to the satellite being served by gateway station #1 or gateway station #1 being served by the satellite. It can be understood that the satellite here is a general concept, which can be one or more satellites in a satellite constellation.

[0222] It should be understood that the information of the first duration includes but is not limited to the first duration or information related to the first duration. For example, the information of the first duration is the first duration itself, or the information of the first duration is the indication information of the first duration, which is used to indicate the first duration. Similarly, the information of the second duration includes but is not limited to the second duration or information related to the second duration. For example, the information of the second duration is the second duration itself, or the information of the second duration is the indication information of the second duration, which is used to indicate the second duration.

[0223] In addition, it should be noted that the above first duration is the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point and is only an example and does not constitute any limitation on the protection scope of the present application. Exemplarily, the first duration may also include the following possible value taking methods:

[0224] As a possible implementation, the reference point includes at least one reference point, and the non-coverage duration information includes information of a first duration. The first duration may be the largest of the non-coverage durations of the access connections respectively corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0225] For example, the reference points include reference point #1_1, reference point #2_1, and reference point #3_1. The non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to reference point #1_1 is duration #1_1, the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to reference point #2_1 is duration #2_1, and the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to reference point #3_1 is duration #3_1. The first duration is the maximum value among duration #1_1, duration #2_1, and duration #3_1.

[0226] As another possible implementation, the reference point includes at least one reference point, and the non-coverage duration information includes information of a first duration. The first duration may be an average or weighted average of non-coverage durations of access connections corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0227] For example, the reference points include reference point #1_1, reference point #2_1, and reference point #3_1. The non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to reference point #1_1 is duration #1_1, the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to reference point #2_1 is duration #2_1, and the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to reference point #3_1 is duration #3_1. The first duration is an average or weighted average of duration #1_1, duration #2_1, and duration #3_1.

[0228] As another possible implementation, the reference point includes at least one reference point, and the non-coverage duration information includes information of a first duration. The first duration may be the smallest of the non-coverage durations of the access connections respectively corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0229] For example, the reference points include reference point #1_1, reference point #2_1, and reference point #3_1. The non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to reference point #1_1 is duration #1_1, the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to reference point #2_1 is duration #2_1, and the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to reference point #3_1 is duration #3_1. The first duration is the minimum value among duration #1_1, duration #2_1, and duration #3_1.

[0230] As another possible implementation, the reference point includes at least one reference point, and the non-coverage duration information includes information of a first duration. The first duration may be a value that appears most frequently in the non-coverage durations of the access connections corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0231] For example, the reference points include reference point #1_1, reference point #2_1, and reference point #3_1. The non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to reference point #1_1 is duration #1_1, the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to reference point #2_1 is duration #2_1, and the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to reference point #3_1 is duration #3_1. Duration #1_1 is equal to duration #2_1, and the first duration is duration #1_1.

[0232] Similarly, the above second duration is the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the second reference point, which is only an example and does not constitute any limitation on the protection scope of the present application. Exemplarily, the second duration may also include the following possible value taking methods:

[0233] As a possible implementation, the reference point includes at least one reference point, and the non-coverage duration information includes information of a second duration. The second duration may be the largest of the non-coverage durations of the feeder connections respectively corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0234] For example, the reference points include reference point #1_2, reference point #2_2, and reference point #3_2. The non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to reference point #1_2 is duration #1_2, the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to reference point #2_2 is duration #2_2, and the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to reference point #3_2 is duration #3_2. The second duration is the maximum value among duration #1_2, duration #2_2, and duration #3_2.

[0235] As another possible implementation, the reference point includes at least one reference point, and the non-coverage duration information includes information of a second duration. The second duration may be an average or weighted average of the non-coverage durations of the feeder connections respectively corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0236] For example, the reference points include reference point #1_2, reference point #2_2, and reference point #3_2. The non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to reference point #1_2 is duration #1_2, the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to reference point #2_2 is duration #2_2, and the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to reference point #3_2 is duration #3_2. The second duration is the average or weighted average of duration #1_2, duration #2_2, and duration #3_2.

[0237] As another possible implementation, the reference point includes at least one reference point, and the non-coverage duration information includes information of a second duration. The second duration may be the smallest of the non-coverage durations of the feeder connections respectively corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0238] For example, the reference points include reference point #1_2, reference point #2_2, and reference point #3_2. The non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to reference point #1_2 is duration #1_2, the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to reference point #2_2 is duration #2_2, and the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to reference point #3_2 is duration #3_2. The second duration is the minimum value among duration #1_2, duration #2_2, and duration #3_2.

[0239] As another possible implementation, the reference point includes at least one reference point, and the non-coverage duration information includes information of a second duration. The second duration may be a value that appears most frequently in the non-coverage durations of the feeder connections corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0240] For example, the reference points include reference point #1_2, reference point #2_2, and reference point #3_2. The non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to reference point #1_2 is duration #1_2, the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to reference point #2_2 is duration #2_2, and the non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to reference point #3_2 is duration #3_2. Duration #1_2 is equal to duration #2_2, and the second duration is duration #1_2.

[0241] In this embodiment, the terminal device can obtain the non-coverage duration information in a variety of different ways. Figures 6 to 9 How the terminal device obtains the non-coverage duration information is described in detail, which is not described here.

[0242] S520: The terminal device determines the duration of the first timer according to the non-coverage duration information.

[0243] The first timer may be used by the terminal device to send a message to the core network device via a satellite. Specifically, the first timer may be a timer such as T3510, T3511, or T3517 defined by the 3GPP protocol. The first timer may be a timer maintained by the terminal device in the registration process, for example, T3510 or T3511; the first timer may be a timer maintained by the terminal device in the service request process, for example, T3517.

[0244] Specifically, the first timer is maintained by the terminal device, and the terminal device can determine the success or failure of sending a message to the core network device according to the timeout of the first timer. The terminal device can also determine the action to be performed after sending a message to the core network device via the satellite according to the timeout of the first timer.

[0245] In this embodiment, the terminal device takes the non-coverage duration into consideration when setting the duration of the first timer, thereby solving the problem of unreasonable duration setting of the first timer.

[0246] In an optional implementation, step S520 may be performed by the terminal device based on the first indication information provided by the access network device. For example, the terminal device receives the first indication information from the access network device, and the first indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to determine the duration of the first timer based on the non-coverage duration, or is used to indicate that the terminal device is in a non-continuous coverage scenario, and step S520 is performed.

[0247] The discontinuous coverage scenario may include a discontinuous coverage scenario of an access connection and / or a discontinuous coverage scenario of a feeding connection.

[0248] In another optional implementation, when the terminal device can determine that it is in a discontinuous coverage scenario, step S520 is performed. For example, the terminal device determines that the terminal device is in a discontinuous coverage scenario based on satellite-related information (such as satellite identification, satellite constellation characteristics, etc.). The satellite-related information can come from the access network device or from a third-party device without limitation.

[0249] The non-coverage duration information may include information about the first duration and information about the second duration. Further, step S520 may include: the terminal device determines the duration of the first timer according to the preset duration of the first timer, the information about the first duration, and the information about the second duration. The preset duration of the first timer may be the duration of the first timer predefined in the 3GPP protocol, without limitation.

[0250] Specifically, the duration of the first timer may be greater than or equal to the sum of the preset duration of the first timer, the first duration, and the second duration.

[0251] Exemplarily, if the first timer is the NAS timer T3510, the duration of the first timer is ≥ 27s + the first duration + the second duration.

[0252] In this embodiment, before the terminal device sends a message to the core network device via the satellite, it obtains the non-coverage duration information, and obtains the duration of the reference point being in the non-satellite coverage according to the non-coverage duration information. And when setting the duration of the first timer, the duration of the reference point being in the non-satellite coverage is taken into account, so that the terminal device can judge the success or failure of the message sent to the core network device via the satellite based on the first timer, thereby improving the accuracy of the terminal device's judgment.

[0253] Optionally, based on the above embodiment, after step S520, the method further includes:

[0254] S530, the terminal device sends a first request message to the core network device via the satellite and starts a first timer.

[0255] Specifically, when the terminal device sends a first request message to the core network device via the satellite, the first timer is started.

[0256] The first request message may be used to request to establish a connection with a core network device.

[0257] Further, after step S530, the method may further include: if the terminal device receives a first response message from the core network device in response to the first request message before the first timer times out, the terminal device stops the first timer; and / or,

[0258] If the terminal device has not received a first response message from the core network device in response to the first request message when the first timer times out, the terminal device terminates establishing a connection with the core network device.

[0259] Exemplarily, the first request message is a registration request message. For example, the terminal device sends an RRC establishment completion message to the satellite, and the RRC establishment completion message carries the registration request message sent by the terminal device to the core network device.

[0260] It should be noted that the RRC establishment completion message may also include other information (such as the selected land public mobile communication network (Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN) identifier, network slice list, etc.) This embodiment does not limit the specific content carried in the RRC establishment completion message and the specific content carried in the registration request message. This embodiment mainly involves the terminal device determining the duration of the first timer, and determining whether the first message is sent successfully based on the timeout of the first timer.

[0261] Optionally, the first request message is a registration request message, and the first response message is a registration acceptance or registration rejection message. It should be understood that, in the case where the first request message is a registration request message, before the first timer times out, the terminal device receives a first response message from the core network device in response to the first request message, which can be understood as: the terminal device determines that the registration is successful or the first request message is sent successfully; if the first response message from the core network device in response to the first request message is not received when the first timer times out, it can be understood as: the terminal device determines that the registration has failed or the first request message has failed to be sent.

[0262] Optionally, the first request message is a service request message, and the first response message is a service acceptance message.

[0263] exist Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, when the terminal device accesses the core network via a satellite, the terminal device sends a first request message to the core network device via the satellite and starts a first timer. Based on the timeout of the first timer, it is determined whether the first request message is sent successfully. For example, before the first timer times out, the terminal device receives a first response message from the core network device, and stops the first timer.

[0264] Since the satellite coverage varies with time and location, Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the terminal device takes the non-coverage duration into consideration when determining the duration of the first timer, thereby preventing the terminal device from determining an inappropriate duration of the first timer.

[0265] It should be understood that Figure 5 In the communication method shown, the first timer is used by the terminal device to send a message to the core network device via a satellite. This is only an example and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. The terminal device can also consider the non-coverage duration when determining the duration of other timers. For example, the first timer is an AS timer, and the terminal device can also consider the impact of the non-coverage duration when determining the duration of the AS timer (such as an air interface timer).

[0266] Specifically, the air interface timer is used to manage the air interface connection between the terminal device and the access network device. The air interface timer can be T310. When the terminal device detects a physical layer problem (such as RRC link disconnection), T310 is started. During the operation of T310, if the RRC link is restored, T310 is stopped. When T310 times out, the terminal device releases the current RRC connection, or starts the RRC connection re-establishment process. That is, when T310 times out, the terminal device considers that the RRC link has failed, thereby starting the above-mentioned action release or re-establishment process.

[0267] It should be understood that due to the discontinuous coverage of the satellite (such as discontinuous coverage of the access connection and / or discontinuous coverage of the feeder connection), the following scenario may occur: when there is coverage of the access connection (i.e., access network device #1 can provide access services to the terminal device), the terminal device initiates the RRC connection establishment process with access network device #1. However, as the satellite moves, access network device #1 is unable to provide access services to the terminal device, i.e., it enters discontinuous coverage of the access connection. At this point, the terminal device starts T310. When T310 times out, the terminal device initiates the release or reconstruction of the RRC connection, causing the terminal device to be unable to complete the network access process.

[0268] If the T310 duration does not take into account the non-coverage duration, the T310 duration may be set shorter (for example, set to a duration predefined by the protocol), so that the terminal device initiates the release or reconstruction of the RRC connection, resulting in a high probability that the terminal device cannot complete the network access process.

[0269] If the T310 duration takes into account the non-coverage duration, the T310 duration is set longer than the duration predefined in the protocol, thereby reducing the probability that the terminal device initiates the release or reconstruction of the RRC connection due to T310 timeout and fails to complete the network access process.

[0270] Exemplarily, the terminal device can determine that the non-coverage duration needs to be considered when setting the duration of the first timer based on the indication information provided by the access network device. For example, the access network device sends information to the terminal device indicating that the terminal device is in a non-continuous coverage scenario; or, the terminal device itself determines that it is accessing a non-continuous coverage scenario.

[0271] It should be noted that when the first timer is an AS timer, the terminal device needs to obtain the first duration (ie, the discontinuous coverage duration of the access connection) and determine the duration of the first timer based on the first duration.

[0272] As a possible implementation manner, the way in which the terminal device obtains the first duration can refer to the way in which the terminal device obtains the first duration in the above-mentioned step S510, which will not be repeated here.

[0273] As another possible implementation method, the terminal device may obtain the first duration by: the terminal device estimates the first duration based on the operating cycle of the satellite (i.e., the access network device to which the terminal device accesses). For example, the satellite operating cycle is duration #1, and the first duration estimated by the terminal device is less than or equal to duration #1.

[0274] Furthermore, after the terminal device obtains the first duration, it determines the duration of the first timer based on the first duration. For example, the duration of the first timer may be greater than or equal to the sum of the preset duration of the first timer and the first duration.

[0275] In addition, when the first timer is an AS timer, after the terminal device determines the duration of the first timer, the terminal device controls the release or re-establishment of the RRC connection according to the duration of the first timer, instead of executing the above-mentioned step S530.

[0276] In this application,

[0277] Exemplarily, step S510 may be implemented by way 1 to way 4, which are described in detail as follows.

[0278] Mode 1: Step S510 includes: the terminal device receives non-coverage duration information from the access network device.

[0279] For ease of understanding, the following Figure 6 Detailed introduction method 1.

[0280] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a terminal device obtaining non-coverage duration information provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0281] S610: The access network device determines non-coverage duration information.

[0282] The access network equipment can serve Figure 5 The access network device of the terminal device shown in the figure may be located on a satellite or on the ground.

[0283] Among them, the description of non-coverage duration information can be referred to Figure 5 The description of the non-coverage duration information in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0284] In a possible implementation manner, the access network device determines the non-coverage duration information based on ephemeris information.

[0285] The ephemeris information may be used to indicate or determine the discontinuous coverage condition of the access connection (or referred to as the coverage condition of the access connection).

[0286] Specifically, the access network device determines the information of the first duration based on the ephemeris information, which may include: the access network device determines the information of the first duration based on the discontinuous coverage of the access connection. The discontinuous coverage of the access connection may be determined based on traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information; or may be determined based on satellite coverage information in the ephemeris information, without limitation.

[0287] Exemplarily, the access network device determines the information of the first duration according to the ephemeris information, including: the access network device determines the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to at least one reference point according to the ephemeris information; and determines, according to the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the at least one reference point, that the information of the first duration is the information of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point. The non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is the largest of the non-coverage durations of the access connections corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0288] For ease of understanding, a specific method for the access network device to determine the first duration is described with reference to a specific example:

[0289] Example 1: The access network device determines the first duration.

[0290] At position #1 (or reference point #1), the discontinuous coverage duration of the access connection is 5 hours; at position #2, the discontinuous coverage duration of the access connection is 6 hours; ...; at position #n, the discontinuous coverage duration of the access connection is 7 hours.

[0291] In the case shown in Example 1, in order to make the first duration determined by the access network device include the discontinuous coverage duration of the access connections at different locations mentioned above, the first duration determined by the access network device is 7 hours. The first duration can be understood as the discontinuous coverage duration of the largest access connection among the discontinuous coverage durations of multiple access connections corresponding to multiple locations.

[0292] It should be noted that the above example 1 only proposes a possible way to determine the first duration for ease of understanding, and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of the present application, and the first duration may also be determined in other ways. For example, the first duration is the average value, minimum value, or weighted average value of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to at least one reference point. No further details are given here.

[0293] Exemplarily, the ephemeris information is used to indicate or determine the discontinuous coverage of the feed connection (or referred to as the coverage of the feed connection). The access network device determines the information of the second duration based on the ephemeris information, including: the access network device determines the information of the second duration based on the discontinuous coverage of the feed connection. The discontinuous coverage of the feed connection can be determined based on the traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information and the deployment information of the gateway; or, the discontinuous coverage of the feed connection can be determined based on the satellite coverage information in the ephemeris information.

[0294] Exemplarily, the access network device determines information about the second duration based on the ephemeris information, including: the access network device determines the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to at least one reference point based on the ephemeris information; and determines, based on the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the at least one reference point, that the information about the second duration is the information about the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point, wherein the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point is the largest of the non-coverage durations of the feeder connections corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0295] For ease of understanding, a specific method for the access network device to determine the second duration is described with reference to a specific example:

[0296] Example 2: The access network device determines the second duration.

[0297] The satellite constellation deploys three ground gateways (e.g., GW#1, GW#2, and GW#3), which correspond to three locations, respectively. For example, GW#1 corresponds to GW-location#1, GW#2 corresponds to GW-location#2, and GW#3 corresponds to GW-location#3.

[0298] Specifically, the feeding connection coverage of GW#1 is that there is feeding connection coverage from 9:00-10:00 and 15:00-18:00, that is, the feeding connection coverage time is 1 hour and 3 hours respectively, and the corresponding feeding connection non-coverage time is 20 hours; the feeding connection coverage of GW#2 is: there is feeding connection coverage from 11:00-12:30, that is, the feeding connection coverage time is 1.5 hours, and the corresponding feeding connection non-coverage time is 22.5 hours; the feeding connection coverage of GW#3 is that there is feeding connection coverage from 13:00-14:00, that is, the feeding connection coverage time is 2 hours, and the corresponding feeding connection non-coverage time is 22 hours.

[0299] In the case shown in Example 2, in order to make the second duration determined by the access network device include the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection of the above-mentioned three gateways, the second duration determined by the access network device is 22.5 hours. The second duration can be understood as the non-coverage duration of the largest feeder connection among the non-coverage durations of the multiple feeder connections corresponding to the multiple gateways.

[0300] It should be noted that the above example 2 is only a possible way to determine the second duration for ease of understanding, and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of the present application, and the second duration can also be determined in other ways. For example, the second duration is the average value, minimum value or weighted average value of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to at least one reference point. No further details will be given here.

[0301] S620, the access network device sends non-coverage duration information to the terminal device.

[0302] In this embodiment, the non-coverage duration information includes information about the first duration and information about the second duration; or, the non-coverage duration information includes information about the sum of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point and the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point. Figure 5 The description of the reference points in the illustrated embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0303] As a possible implementation manner, step S620 includes: the access network device sends a broadcast message to the terminal device, the broadcast message includes non-coverage duration information, that is, the access network device provides the non-coverage duration information to the terminal device by broadcasting.

[0304] In this implementation, the access network device may provide the terminal device with non-coverage duration information before the terminal device requests access to the core network.

[0305] As another possible implementation method, step S620 includes: the access network device sends an RRC connection reconfiguration message to the terminal device, and the RRC connection reconfiguration message includes non-coverage duration information, that is, the access network device provides the non-coverage duration information to the terminal device during the RRC connection establishment process.

[0306] In this implementation, the access network device can provide the non-coverage duration information to the terminal device after the terminal device initiates a network access request. For example, after the terminal device sends the RRC establishment completion to the access network device, the access network device determines that there is a discontinuous coverage scenario, that is, there is discontinuous coverage of the access connection and / or the feeder connection, and the access network device can provide the non-coverage duration information to the terminal device through an RRC connection reconfiguration message.

[0307] Figure 6 In the manner shown in which the terminal device obtains the non-coverage duration information, the terminal device can directly receive the non-coverage duration information from the access network device, and the access network device calculates the non-coverage duration information, thereby simplifying the operation of the terminal device.

[0308] Mode 2: The non-coverage duration information includes information of the first duration and information of the second duration. Step S510 includes: the terminal device receives information of the first duration from the access network device, and the terminal device determines information of the second duration according to the ephemeris information.

[0309] For ease of understanding, the following Figure 7 Detailed introduction to method 2.

[0310] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing another terminal device obtaining non-coverage duration information provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0311] S710, the access network device determines information about the first duration.

[0312] The way in which the access network device determines the information of the first duration can refer to the way in which the access network device determines the information of the first duration according to the ephemeris information in the above step S610, which will not be repeated here.

[0313] S720, the access network device sends information of the first duration to the terminal device.

[0314] As a possible implementation manner, step S720 includes: the access network device sends a broadcast message to the terminal device, where the broadcast message includes information of the first duration, that is, the access network device provides the information of the first duration to the terminal device by broadcasting.

[0315] In this implementation, the access network device may provide the terminal device with information about the first duration before the terminal device requests access to the core network.

[0316] As another possible implementation method, step S720 includes: the access network device sends an RRC connection reconfiguration message to the terminal device, and the RRC connection reconfiguration message includes information of the first duration, that is, the access network device provides the information of the first duration to the terminal device during the RRC connection establishment process.

[0317] In this implementation, the access network device can provide the terminal device with information about the first duration after the terminal device initiates a network access request. For example, after the terminal device sends an RRC establishment completion message to the access network device, the access network device determines that there is discontinuous coverage of the access connection and the feeder connection, and the access network device can provide the terminal device with information about the first duration through an RRC connection reconfiguration message.

[0318] S730, the terminal device obtains ephemeris information.

[0319] As a possible implementation manner, step S730 includes: the terminal device receives ephemeris information from the access network device.

[0320] It should be understood that, in the case of determining the information of the second duration, the ephemeris information includes traditional ephemeris information and deployment information of the gateway.

[0321] Optionally, the access network device sends a broadcast message to the terminal device, where the broadcast message includes ephemeris information.

[0322] Optionally, the access network device sends an RRC connection reconfiguration message to the terminal device, where the RRC connection reconfiguration message includes ephemeris information.

[0323] It can be understood that in this implementation, the access network device provides the terminal device with information of the first duration and ephemeris information.

[0324] As another possible implementation, step S730 includes: the terminal device receives ephemeris information from the core network device. Specifically, the terminal device receives a short message sent from the core network device, and the short message includes the ephemeris information.

[0325] As another possible implementation, step S730 includes: the terminal device obtains the ephemeris information through the user plane. Specifically, the terminal device obtains the ephemeris information from the third-party application server through the user plane.

[0326] As another possible implementation, step S730 includes: the terminal device is locally configured with ephemeris information.

[0327] S740, the terminal device determines information of the second duration based on the ephemeris information.

[0328] The information about the way in which the terminal device determines the second duration according to the ephemeris information can refer to the way in which the access network device determines the second duration according to the ephemeris information in the above step S610, which will not be repeated here.

[0329] It should be noted that Figure 7 In the embodiment shown, the terminal device determines the information of the second time period based on the acquired ephemeris information. As described above, the information of the second time period can be determined based on the traditional ephemeris information and the deployment information of the gateway station in the ephemeris information, that is, the ephemeris information acquired in the above step S730 includes the traditional ephemeris information and the deployment information of the gateway station.

[0330] Figure 7 In the manner shown in which the terminal device obtains non-coverage duration information, the terminal device can directly receive information about the first duration from the access network device, and obtain ephemeris information by itself, and determine information about the second duration based on the ephemeris information. The access network device and the terminal device respectively determine the information about the first duration and the information about the second duration, thereby simplifying the operation of the access network device and the terminal device to a certain extent.

[0331] Mode 3: The non-coverage duration information includes the first duration information and the second duration information. Step S510 includes: the terminal device receives the second duration information from the access network device, and the terminal device determines the first duration information according to the ephemeris information.

[0332] For ease of understanding, the following Figure 8 Detailed introduction to method 3.

[0333] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing another terminal device obtaining non-coverage duration information provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0334] S810, the access network device determines information about a second duration.

[0335] The way in which the access network device determines the information of the second duration can refer to the way in which the access network device determines the information of the second duration according to the ephemeris information in the above step S610, which will not be repeated here.

[0336] It should be understood that, in the case of determining the information of the second duration, the ephemeris information may include traditional ephemeris information and deployment information of the gateway.

[0337] S820, the access network device sends information of the second duration to the terminal device.

[0338] As a possible implementation manner, step S820 includes: the access network device sends a broadcast message to the terminal device, the broadcast message includes information about the second duration, that is, the access network device provides the information about the second duration to the terminal device by broadcasting.

[0339] In this implementation, the access network device may provide the terminal device with information about the second duration before the terminal device requests access to the core network.

[0340] As another possible implementation method, step S820 includes: the access network device sends an RRC connection reconfiguration message to the terminal device, and the RRC connection reconfiguration message includes information about the second duration, that is, the access network device provides the terminal device with information about the second duration during the RRC connection establishment process.

[0341] In this implementation, the access network device can provide the terminal device with information about the second duration after the terminal device initiates a network access request. For example, after the terminal device sends an RRC establishment completion message to the access network device, the access network device determines that there is discontinuous coverage of the access connection and the feeder connection, and the access network device can provide the terminal device with information about the second duration through an RRC connection reconfiguration message.

[0342] S830, the terminal device obtains ephemeris information.

[0343] Among them, step S830 can refer to the relevant description of the above-mentioned step S730 and will not be repeated here.

[0344] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the ephemeris information acquired by the terminal device may be different from the ephemeris information acquired by the terminal device in step S730. For example, the ephemeris information may include traditional ephemeris information.

[0345] S840, the terminal device determines information of the first duration based on the ephemeris information.

[0346] Among them, S840 can refer to the relevant description of the access network device determining the information of the first duration according to the ephemeris information in the above step S610, and will not be repeated here.

[0347] based on Figure 8 According to the method provided by the illustrated embodiment, a terminal device can directly receive information of a second duration from an access network device, the terminal device obtains ephemeris information, and determines information of a first duration based on the ephemeris information. In other words, the access network device and the terminal device respectively determine information of the first duration and information of the second duration, thereby simplifying the operation of the access network device and the terminal device to a certain extent.

[0348] Method 4: Step S510 includes: the terminal device determines the non-coverage duration information according to the ephemeris information.

[0349] For ease of understanding, the following Fig. 9 Detailed introduction to method 4.

[0350] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram showing another terminal device obtaining non-coverage duration information provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0351] S910, the terminal device obtains ephemeris information.

[0352] Among them, S910 can refer to the above Figure 7 The relevant description of step S730 in the method shown is not repeated here.

[0353] S920, the terminal device determines the non-coverage duration information according to the ephemeris information.

[0354] Exemplarily, the way in which the terminal device determines the non-coverage duration information based on the ephemeris information can refer to the way in which the access network device determines the non-coverage duration information based on the ephemeris information in the above step S610, which will not be repeated here.

[0355] based on Fig. 9 According to the method provided by the illustrated embodiment, the terminal device can determine the information of the first duration and the information of the second duration, without the need for the access network device to determine the information of the first duration and the second duration, thereby simplifying the operation of the access network device.

[0356] The above Figures 5 to 9 The invention describes in detail how to obtain the non-coverage duration information when the terminal device sets the duration of the first timer, and how to set the duration of the first timer based on the non-coverage duration information, so that the terminal device sets an appropriate timing duration.

[0357] The present application also provides a communication method, in which, when a terminal device accesses a core network device via a satellite, and the core network device instructs the terminal device to return a second response message in response to the first response message after sending a first response message to the terminal device via a satellite, the core network device can determine whether the first response message is sent successfully based on the timeout of the second timer, and the duration of the second timer is set taking into account the non-coverage duration. Fig.10 This communication method is described in detail.

[0358] Fig.10 A schematic flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. The method includes the following steps:

[0359] S1010, the core network device obtains non-coverage duration information.

[0360] The non-coverage duration information may be used to indicate the duration of time that the reference point is under satellite non-coverage. The reference point may be understood as a location point such as a geographical location or a geographical area. For details, please refer to the relevant description in the above embodiments.

[0361] Optionally, the reference point includes a third reference point and a fourth reference point, and the non-coverage duration information includes information about the third duration and information about the fourth duration, the third duration is the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the third reference point, and the fourth duration is the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the fourth reference point, or the non-coverage duration information includes information about the sum of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the third reference point and the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the fourth reference point.

[0362] The third reference point and the fourth reference point may be the same or different.

[0363] For example, the third duration may be Figure 5 The first duration in the communication method shown in the figure may be the same as or different from the first duration; similarly, the fourth duration may be the same as Figure 5 The second durations in the communication methods shown may be the same or different.

[0364] For example, the third reference point may be Figure 5 The first reference point in the communication method shown in the figure may be the same as or different from the first reference point; similarly, the fourth reference point may be the same as Figure 5 The second reference points in the communication methods shown may be the same or different.

[0365] The reference point can be referred to Figure 5 For example, the third reference point includes at least one of the following: the location of the core network device, the location of the second gateway, the area where the second gateway is located, or the area where the core network device is located. The fourth reference point includes at least one of the following: the location of the core network device, the location of the second gateway, the area where the second gateway is located, or the area where the core network device is located. The core network device is the core network device for obtaining the non-coverage duration information.

[0366] Among them, the second gateway station can be a designated gateway station among at least one gateway station deployed by the satellite constellation, the second gateway station can be a gateway station associated with the core network device among at least one gateway station deployed by the designated satellite constellation, and the location or area where the second gateway station is located can be pre-configured.

[0367] As a possible implementation manner, step S1010 includes: the core network device receives non-coverage duration information from an operation, maintenance and management OAM device or a third party (eg, an application function entity AF).

[0368] In this implementation, the OAM device or a third party determines the non-coverage duration information based on the ephemeris information and sends it to the core network device. Figure 6 The description of determining the non-coverage duration information in step S610 will not be repeated here.

[0369] As another possible implementation manner, step S1010 includes: the core network device determines the non-coverage duration information according to the ephemeris information.

[0370] In this implementation, the core network device may receive the ephemeris information from the OAM device or a third party. Alternatively, the core network device may be locally configured with the ephemeris information.

[0371] In this embodiment, the specific manner in which the core network device determines the non-coverage duration information based on the ephemeris information can refer to the description of the access network device and / or the terminal device determining the non-coverage duration information based on the ephemeris information in the above text. The difference is that, in the case of gateway deployment (e.g., the reference point is the location or area where the gateway is located), the ground gateway deployment obtained by the core network device may be a subset of the overall gateway deployment. For example, the core network device obtains the deployment of gateways that can be connected to the core network device. For example, GW#1 and GW#2 can be connected to the core network device, but GW#3 is not connected to the core network device, then the core network device may obtain the deployment of GW#1 and GW#2.

[0372] It should be understood that, in the case of determining the information of the fourth time period, the ephemeris information includes traditional ephemeris information and gateway deployment information. The gateway deployment information is used to indicate the location of at least one gateway deployed by the satellite constellation, or the gateway deployment information is used to indicate the location of the gateway connected to the core network device among the at least one gateway deployed by the satellite constellation.

[0373] Exemplarily, the core network device determines information about a third duration and information about a fourth duration based on ephemeris information, wherein the third duration is the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the third reference point, and the fourth duration is the non-coverage duration of the feeding connection corresponding to the fourth reference point; wherein the non-coverage duration information includes information about the third duration and information about the fourth duration.

[0374] Exemplarily, the core network device determines information about the third duration based on ephemeris information (e.g., based on traditional ephemeris information in the ephemeris information; or, satellite coverage information), including: the core network device determines the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to at least one reference point based on the ephemeris information; based on the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the at least one reference point, determines that the information about the third duration is the information about the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the third reference point, wherein the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the third reference point is the largest of the non-coverage durations of the access connections corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0375] Exemplarily, the core network device determines information of a fourth duration based on ephemeris information (e.g., based on traditional ephemeris information and deployment information of a gateway in the ephemeris information; or, satellite coverage information), including: the core network device determines, based on the ephemeris information, the non-coverage duration of a feeder connection corresponding to at least one reference point; based on the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the at least one reference point, determining that the information of the fourth duration is information of the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the fourth reference point, wherein the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the fourth reference point is the largest of the non-coverage durations of the feeder connections corresponding to the at least one reference point.

[0376] S1020, the core network device determines the duration of the second timer according to the non-coverage duration information.

[0377] The second timer is used by the core network device to send a message to the terminal device via a satellite. In this embodiment, the second timer may be a timer such as T3550 defined by the 3GPP protocol. If the second timer is T3550, the second timer may be a timer maintained by the core network device in the registration process.

[0378] In this embodiment, the second timer is maintained in the core network device and is used by the core network device to send a message to the terminal device via a satellite. For example, the core network device can determine the success or failure of sending a message to the terminal device based on the timeout of the second timer. For another example, the timeout of the second timer is used by the core network device to determine the action to be performed after sending the message to the terminal device via a satellite.

[0379] In this embodiment, the core network device considers the non-coverage duration when setting the duration of the second timer, thereby avoiding unreasonable setting of the duration of the second timer.

[0380] As a possible implementation method, in this embodiment, the core network device can determine the duration of the second timer based on the non-coverage duration based on the third indication information provided by the OAM device or a third party. For example, before the core network device determines the duration of the second timer based on the non-coverage duration information, it receives third-party indication information from the OAM device or a third party, and the third-party indication information is used to indicate that the core network device determines the duration of the second timer based on the non-coverage duration, or is used to indicate that the core network device is in a discontinuous coverage scenario. Among them, the discontinuous coverage scenario includes a discontinuous coverage scenario of the access connection and / or a discontinuous coverage scenario of the feeder connection.

[0381] As a possible implementation, in this embodiment, the core network device can determine the duration of the second timer by itself, taking into account the non-coverage duration, or the core network device can determine that the core network device is in a non-continuous coverage scenario by itself, without being based on the third indication information mentioned above. For example, the core network device determines that the core network device is in a non-continuous coverage scenario based on satellite-related information (such as satellite identification, satellite constellation characteristics, etc.). The satellite-related information can come from the OAM device or a third-party device.

[0382] Exemplarily, the non-coverage duration information includes information about the third duration and information about the fourth duration, and step S1020 includes: the core network device determines the duration of the second timer according to the preset duration of the second timer, the information about the third duration, and the information about the fourth duration. The preset duration of the second timer may be the duration of the second timer predefined in the 3GPP protocol, without limitation.

[0383] Optionally, the duration of the second timer is greater than or equal to the sum of the preset duration of the second timer, the third duration and the fourth duration.

[0384] For example, the second timer is NAS timer T3550, and the duration of the second timer is ≥11s+the third duration+the fourth duration.

[0385] In this embodiment, before sending a message to the terminal device via the satellite, the core network device obtains the non-coverage duration information, and obtains the duration of the reference point being in the non-coverage of the satellite according to the non-coverage duration information. When setting the duration of the second timer, the duration of the reference point being in the non-coverage of the satellite is taken into consideration, so that the core network device can judge the success or failure of the message sent to the terminal device via the satellite based on the second timer, thereby improving the accuracy of the judgment of the core network device.

[0386] Optionally, based on the above embodiment, after step S1020, the method further includes:

[0387] S1030, the core network device sends a first response message to the terminal device via the satellite and starts a second timer.

[0388] Specifically, when the core network device sends a first response message to the terminal device via the satellite, the second timer is started.

[0389] The first response message is used to respond to the connection establishment request of the terminal device.

[0390] Further, after step S103 0, it may also include: if before the second timer times out, the core network device receives a second response message from the terminal device in response to the first response message, then the core network device stops the second timer; and / or,

[0391] If the core network device has not received a second response message from the terminal device in response to the first response message when the second timer times out, the core network device terminates establishing a connection with the terminal device.

[0392] Optionally, the first response message includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to feed back a second response message in response to the first response message after receiving the first response message.

[0393] Optionally, the first response message is a registration acceptance message, and the second response message is a registration completion message. It should be understood that, in the case where the first response message is a registration acceptance message, the core network device determining that the first response message is sent successfully can be understood as the terminal device determining that the registration is successful; conversely, if the core network device determines that the first response message fails to be sent, it can be understood as the terminal device determining that the registration fails.

[0394] Fig.10 In the illustrated embodiment, when the terminal device accesses the core network via a satellite, the core network device sends a first response message to the terminal device via the satellite and starts a second timer. Based on the timeout of the second timer, it determines whether the first response message is successfully sent. For example, if the second response message is received from the terminal device before the second timer times out, the core network device determines that the first response message is successfully sent. Otherwise, the first response message fails to be sent and the first response message may be resent.

[0395] Since satellite coverage varies with time and location, Fig.10 In the embodiment shown, when the core network device determines the duration of the second timer, the discontinuous coverage duration of the access connection and the discontinuous coverage duration of the feeding connection are taken into consideration, thereby avoiding the situation where the second timer duration determined by the core network device is inappropriate, resulting in incorrect judgment by the core network device.

[0396] It should be understood that the sequence numbers of the above processes do not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0397] It should also be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their internal logical relationships.

[0398] It should also be understood that in some of the above embodiments, the devices in the existing network architecture are mainly used as examples for exemplary description, and it should be understood that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific form of the devices. For example, devices that can achieve the same function in the future are applicable to the embodiments of the present application.

[0399] It can be understood that in the above-mentioned method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by devices (such as terminal devices, access network devices and core network devices) can also be implemented by components that can be used in the devices (such as chips or circuits).

[0400] It can also be understood that in each embodiment of the present application, the interaction between the terminal device, the access network device and the core network device is mainly used as an example for illustrative description, and the present application is not limited to this. The satellite can be replaced by a transmitting device; the terminal device can be replaced by a receiving device.

[0401] It can also be understood that some optional features in the embodiments of the present application may not depend on other features in some scenarios, or may be combined with other features in some scenarios, without limitation.

[0402] Above, combined Figures 5 to 10 The communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application is described in detail. The above communication method is mainly introduced from the perspective of interaction between terminal equipment, access network equipment and core network equipment. It can be understood that the terminal equipment, access network equipment and core network equipment, in order to realize the above functions, include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function.

[0403] Those skilled in the art should be aware that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware 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 still falls within the scope of the present application.

[0404] The following, combined Figures 11 to 13 The communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment, so the contents not described in detail can be referred to the method embodiment above, and some contents will not be repeated for the sake of brevity.

[0405] The embodiments of the present application can divide the functional modules of the terminal equipment, access network equipment and core network equipment according to the above method examples. 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 in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiments of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The following is an example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0406] Fig.11 A schematic block diagram of a communication device 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. The device 10 includes a transceiver module 11 and a processing module 12.

[0407] Optionally, the device 10 may further include a storage module 13, which may be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 12 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage module so that the device implements the actions of the devices in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0408] In a possible design, the apparatus 10 may correspond to the terminal device in the above method embodiment, or be a component (such as a chip) of the terminal device.

[0409] Accordingly, the device 10 can implement the steps or processes executed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment. Specifically, the transceiver module 11 can be used to perform the transceiver-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 12 can be used to perform the processing-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0410] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 11 is used to obtain non-coverage duration information, where the non-coverage duration information is used to indicate the duration during which the reference point is under satellite non-coverage; the processing module 12 is used to determine the duration of a first timer based on the non-coverage duration information, where the first timer is used by the terminal device to send a message to a core network device via a satellite.

[0411] When the device 10 is used to perform Figure 5 When the method is performed, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S510 and S530, and the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S520.

[0412] When the device 10 is used to perform Figure 6 When the method is performed, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as step S620, and the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method.

[0413] When the device 10 is used to perform Figure 7 When the method is performed, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as step S720, and the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as steps S730 and S740.

[0414] When the device 10 is used to perform Figure 8 When the method is performed, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as step S820, and the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as steps S830 and S840.

[0415] When the device 10 is used to perform Fig. 9 When the method is performed, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, and the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as steps S910 and S920.

[0416] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0417] In another possible design, the apparatus 10 may correspond to the access network device in the above method embodiment, or a component (such as a chip) of the access network device.

[0418] Accordingly, the apparatus 10 may implement the steps or processes executed by the access network device in the above method embodiment.

[0419] In one possible implementation, the processing module 12 is used to determine the non-coverage duration information based on the ephemeris information, and the non-coverage duration information is used to indicate the duration of time that the reference point is under satellite non-coverage; the transceiver module 11 is used to send the non-coverage duration information to the terminal device.

[0420] When the device 10 is used to perform Figure 6 When the method is performed, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as step S620, and the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S610.

[0421] When the device 10 is used to perform Figure 7 When the method is performed, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as step S720, and the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S710.

[0422] When the device 10 is used to perform Figure 8 When the method is performed, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as step S820, and the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S810.

[0423] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0424] In another possible design, the apparatus 10 may correspond to the core network device in the above method embodiment, or a component (such as a chip) of the core network device.

[0425] Accordingly, the device 10 can implement the steps or processes executed by the core network device in the above method embodiment.

[0426] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 11 is used to obtain non-coverage duration information, where the non-coverage duration information is used to indicate the duration during which the reference point is under satellite non-coverage; the processing module 12 is used to determine the duration of a second timer based on the non-coverage duration information, where the second timer is used by the core network device to send a message to the terminal device via a satellite.

[0427] When the device 10 is used to perform Fig.10 When the method is performed, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as step S1030; the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as steps S1010 and S1020.

[0428] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0429] It should also be understood that the device 10 here is embodied in the form of a functional module. The term "module" here may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a dedicated processor or a group processor, etc.) and a memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a merged logic circuit and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. In an optional example, a person skilled in the art may understand that the device 10 may be specifically a core network device in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the core network device in the above-mentioned method embodiments; or, the device 10 may be specifically a terminal device in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiments. To avoid repetition, it will not be repeated here.

[0430] The apparatus 10 of each of the above schemes has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the device in the above method. The function can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing the corresponding software implementation. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions; for example, the transceiver module can be replaced by a transceiver (for example, the sending unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as the processing module, can be replaced by a processor to respectively perform the transceiver operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0431] In addition, the transceiver module 11 may also be a transceiver circuit (for example, may include a receiving circuit and a sending circuit), and the processing module may be a processing circuit.

[0432] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of another communication device 20 provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. The device 20 includes a processor 21, and the processor 21 is used to execute a computer program or instruction stored in a memory 22, or read data / signaling stored in the memory 22, so as to execute the method executed by the terminal device, access network device or core network device in each method embodiment above.

[0433] The processor 21 may be one or more processors.

[0434] like Fig.12 As shown, the device 20 may also include a memory 22, which is used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data. The memory 22 may be integrated with the processor 21, or may be separately arranged. The memory 22 may be one or more memories.

[0435] like Fig.12 As shown, the device 20 may further include a transceiver 23, and the transceiver 23 is used for receiving and / or sending signals. For example, the processor 21 is used to control the transceiver 23 to receive and / or send signals.

[0436] The processor may be a central processing unit (CPU), other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0437] Among them, the memory can be a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) or a flash memory. The volatile memory can be a random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. As an example and not a limitation, RAM includes the following forms: static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous connection dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM) and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0438] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0439] Fig.13 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 30 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The chip system 30 (or also referred to as a processing system) includes a logic circuit 31 and an input / output interface 32 .

[0440] Among them, the logic circuit 31 can be a processing circuit in the chip system 30. The logic circuit 31 can be coupled to the storage unit and call the instructions in the storage unit so that the chip system 30 can implement the methods and functions of each embodiment of the present application. The input / output interface 32 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system 30, outputting information processed by the chip system 30, or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 30 for processing.

[0441] As a solution, the chip system 30 is used to implement the operations performed by the terminal device, access network device or core network device in the above method embodiments.

[0442] For example, the logic circuit 31 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the terminal device, access network device and core network device in the above method embodiments; the input / output interface 32 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the terminal device, access network device and core network device in the above method embodiments.

[0443] The present application also provides a communication device, including a processor, which is coupled to a memory, the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions and / or data, the processor is used to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory, or read the data stored in the memory, so as to execute the methods executed by the terminal device, access network device or core network device in the above method embodiments.

[0444] Optionally, there are one or more processors and one or more memories.

[0445] Optionally, the communication device includes a memory. Optionally, the memory is integrated with the processor or is separately arranged.

[0446] The present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon. When the computer instructions are executed, the methods performed by the terminal device, access network device or core network device in the above-mentioned method embodiments are implemented.

[0447] The present application provides a computer program product, comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, implement the methods performed by a terminal device, an access network device or a core network device in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0448] The present application provides a communication system, which includes the terminal device and access network device in the above embodiments.

[0449] The present application also provides a communication system, which includes at least one of the terminal device, access network device and core network device in the above embodiments.

[0450] The explanation of the relevant contents and beneficial effects of any of the above-mentioned devices can be referred to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, which will not be repeated here.

[0451] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0452] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disks, mobile hard disks, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a core network device, an access network device, an access and mobility management function network element, a terminal, a session management function or a multicast user plane function network element. Of course, the processor and the storage medium can also be present as discrete components in a core network device, an access network device, an access and mobility management function network element, a terminal, a session management function or a multicast user plane function network element.

[0453] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instruction is loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is executed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device or other programmable device. The computer program or instruction may 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 or instruction may be transmitted from one website site, computer, server or data center to another website site, computer, server or data center by wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape; it may also be an optical medium, for example, a digital video disc; it may also be a semiconductor medium, for example, a solid-state hard disk.

[0454] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or provided for in any logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between the different embodiments are consistent and may be referenced to each other, and the technical features in the different embodiments may be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0455] It is understood that the various numbers involved in the embodiments of the present application are only for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. The size of the sequence number of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

[0456] Unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present application have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art of the technical field of the present application. The terms used in this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. It should be understood that the above is for illustration, and the examples above are only to help those skilled in the art understand the embodiments of the present application, rather than to limit the application embodiments to the specific numerical values ​​or specific scenarios illustrated. It is obvious that various equivalent modifications or changes can be made by those skilled in the art according to the examples given above, and such modifications and changes also fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0457] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the 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. < / n> < / n>

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a terminal device or a chip in the terminal device, the method comprising: Acquire non-coverage duration information, where the non-coverage duration information is used to indicate the duration of time the reference point is in non-satellite coverage; The duration of a first timer is determined based on the non-coverage duration information, where the first timer is used by the terminal device to send a message to a core network device via a satellite.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The reference points include a first reference point and a second reference point; The non-coverage duration information includes information of a first duration and information of a second duration, wherein the first duration is the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point, and the second duration is the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point, or, The non-coverage duration information includes information on the sum of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point and the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The determining, according to the non-coverage duration information, the duration of the first timer includes: The duration of the first timer is determined according to the preset duration of the first timer, the information of the first duration, and the information of the second duration.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The duration of the first timer is greater than or equal to the sum of a preset duration of the first timer, the first duration and the second duration.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that The first reference point and the second reference point are the same, or the first reference point and the second reference point are different.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that The first reference point includes at least one of the following: the location of the terminal device, the location of the first gateway, the area where the first gateway is located, or the area where the terminal device is located; The second reference point includes at least one of the following: The location of the terminal device, the location of the first gateway, the area where the first gateway is located, or the area where the terminal device is located.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The obtaining of non-coverage duration information includes: Receive the non-coverage duration information from the access network device of the terminal device.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The receiving the non-coverage duration information from the access network device of the terminal device includes: receiving a broadcast message from the access network device, wherein the broadcast message includes the non-coverage duration information; or, A radio connection resource RRC reconfiguration message is received from the access network device, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message includes the non-coverage duration information.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The obtaining of non-coverage duration information includes: The non-coverage duration information is determined according to the ephemeris information.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The determining, according to the ephemeris information, the non-coverage duration information includes: Determine, according to the ephemeris information, information of a first duration and information of a second duration, wherein the first duration is a non-coverage duration of an access connection corresponding to a first reference point, and the second duration is a non-coverage duration of a feeder connection corresponding to a second reference point; The non-overlapping duration information includes information about the first duration and information about the second duration.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The obtaining of non-coverage duration information includes: Receiving information about a second duration from an access network device of the terminal device, where the second duration is a non-coverage duration of a feeder connection corresponding to a second reference point; Determine information of a first duration according to the ephemeris information, where the first duration is a non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point; The non-overlapping duration information includes information about the first duration and information about the second duration.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The obtaining of non-coverage duration information includes: Receiving information about a first duration from an access network device of the terminal device, where the first duration is a non-coverage duration of an access connection corresponding to a first reference point; Determine information of a second duration according to the ephemeris information, where the second duration is a non-coverage duration of the feed connection corresponding to the second reference point; The non-overlapping duration information includes information about the first duration and information about the second duration.

13. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The determining of the information of the first duration according to the ephemeris information includes: Determine, according to the ephemeris information, a non-coverage duration of an access connection corresponding to at least one reference point; According to the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the at least one reference point, the information of the first duration is determined to be the information of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point, wherein the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is the largest of the non-coverage durations of the access connection corresponding to the at least one reference point.

14. The method according to claim 9 or 12, characterized in that: The determining of the information of the second duration according to the ephemeris information includes: Determine, according to the ephemeris information, a non-coverage duration of a feed connection corresponding to at least one reference point; According to the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the at least one reference point, the information of the second duration is determined to be the information of the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point, wherein the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point is the largest of the non-coverage durations of the feeder connection corresponding to the at least one reference point.

15. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 14, characterized in that The method further comprises: Receiving the ephemeris information from the access network device of the terminal device; or, Receiving the ephemeris information from a core network device; or, The ephemeris information is obtained through a user plane.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The receiving the ephemeris information from the access network device comprises: receiving a broadcast message from an access network device of the terminal device, wherein the broadcast message includes the ephemeris information; or, A radio connection resource RRC reconfiguration message is received from an access network device of the terminal device, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message includes the ephemeris information.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that Before determining the duration of the first timer according to the non-coverage duration information, the method further includes: Receiving first indication information from an access network device of the terminal device; The first indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to determine the duration of the first timer based on the non-coverage duration, or to indicate that the terminal device is in a non-continuous coverage scenario.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the terminal device sends a first request message to the core network device via the satellite, starting the first timer, the first request message being used to request to establish a connection with the core network device; If a first response message in response to the first request message is received from the core network device before the first timer times out, stopping the first timer; and / or, If a first response message in response to the first request message from the core network device is not received when the first timer times out, establishing a connection with the core network device is terminated.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The first request message is a registration request message, and the first response message is a registration acceptance message; or, The first request message is a service request message, and the first response message is a service acceptance message.

20. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to an access network device or a chip in the access network device, the method comprising: Determine, according to the ephemeris information, non-coverage duration information, where the non-coverage duration information is used to indicate the duration for which the reference point is not covered by the satellite; The non-coverage duration information is sent to the terminal device.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The reference points include a first reference point and a second reference point; The non-coverage duration information includes information of a first duration and information of a second duration, wherein the first duration is the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point, and the second duration is the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point, or, The non-coverage duration information includes information on the sum of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point and the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that The first reference point and the second reference point are the same, or the first reference point and the second reference point are different.

23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that The first reference point includes at least one of the following: the location of the terminal device, the location of the first gateway, the area where the first gateway is located, or the area where the terminal device is located; The second reference point includes at least one of the following: The location of the terminal device, the location of the first gateway, the area where the first gateway is located, or the area where the terminal device is located.

24. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 23, characterized in that The sending the non-coverage duration information to the terminal device includes: Sending a broadcast message to the terminal device, wherein the broadcast message includes the non-coverage duration information; or, A wireless connection resource RRC reconfiguration message is sent to the terminal device, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message includes the non-coverage duration information.

25. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 24, characterized in that The determining of the non-coverage duration information according to the ephemeris information includes: According to the ephemeris information, information of a first duration is determined, where the first duration is a non-coverage duration of an access connection corresponding to a first reference point.

26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that The determining, according to the ephemeris information, information of the first duration includes: Determine, according to the ephemeris information, a non-coverage duration of an access connection corresponding to at least one reference point; According to the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the at least one reference point, the information of the first duration is determined to be the information of the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point, wherein the non-coverage duration of the access connection corresponding to the first reference point is the largest of the non-coverage durations of the access connection corresponding to the at least one reference point.

27. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 26, characterized in that The determining of the non-coverage duration information according to the ephemeris information includes: According to the ephemeris information, information of a second duration is determined, where the second duration is a non-coverage duration of the feeding connection corresponding to the second reference point.

28. The method according to claim 27, characterized in that The determining, according to the ephemeris information, information of the second duration includes: Determine, according to the ephemeris information, a non-coverage duration of a feed connection corresponding to at least one reference point; According to the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the at least one reference point, the information of the second duration is determined to be the information of the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point, wherein the non-coverage duration of the feeder connection corresponding to the second reference point is the largest of the non-coverage durations of the feeder connection corresponding to the at least one reference point.

29. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 27, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending first indication information to the terminal device; The first indication information is used to instruct the terminal device to determine the duration of the first timer based on the non-coverage duration, or to indicate that the terminal device is in a non-continuous coverage scenario.

30. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor, configured to execute a computer program stored in a memory, so that the apparatus performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 29.

31. The device according to claim 30, characterized in that The apparatus also includes the memory.

32. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 29.

33. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises instructions for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 29.

34. A communication system, characterized in that: include: Terminal equipment access network equipment; The terminal device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19; The access network device is used to execute the method as described in any one of claims 20 to 29.

Images