Communication method and communication device

Abstract

Provided are a communication method and a communication device, in the method, since a terminal device can obtain a list of PLMNs supporting a target NTN and / or a list of frequency bands, when the terminal device searches a certain NTN, whether the terminal device can reside in the NTN can be quickly judged by receiving the PLMN and / or frequency bands carried in a first message of the NTN. According to the method provided by the invention, the terminal equipment can be helped to quickly judge whether the searched certain NTN is the target NTN or not, so that the power consumption and the time delay overhead of invalid attempts of the terminal equipment are reduced, the abnormal communication between the terminal equipment and the target NTN is avoided, the successful efficiency of network communication is improved, and the service experience of a user is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In the current technology, when a terminal device needs to carry user services in a target non-terrestrial network (NTN) or a customized NTN, it usually searches the network first and resides in a certain NTN cell, and then sends a registration request message to the NTN cell where it resides. However, for example, if the NTN cell where the terminal device currently resides is not the target NTN that supports communication within its capability, or the NTN cell where the terminal device currently resides is incompatible with the terminal device, the communication between the terminal device and the NTN will be abnormal, for example, the terminal device may be in a dead state. At this time, the terminal device needs to search the network again and reside in another NTN cell, and then initiate the registration process again. If the NTN cell where the terminal device resides happens to be the target NTN supported within the capability of the terminal device or the NTN that the terminal device is compatible with, the terminal device will register successfully and establish a network connection with the NTN to carry user services.

[0003] It can be seen that according to the above technical solution, once the terminal device resides in a non-target NTN cell, the communication between the terminal device and NTN will be abnormal and require repeated attempts, resulting in the inability to quickly establish a connection with the target NTN for data transmission, and the user experience is poor.

[0004] Therefore, how to enable the terminal equipment to quickly and successfully establish communication with the NTN network and carry user services has become a technical problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method, which enables a terminal device to make a judgment before residing in a certain NTN, thereby avoiding the situation where the terminal device has already resided in a certain NTN, but the NTN is not the target NTN of the terminal device, and communication anomalies may occur due to problems such as terminal device compatibility or capability support. Communication anomalies between the terminal device and the target NTN can be avoided, the efficiency of successful network communication can be improved, and the user's service experience can be guaranteed.

[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 comprises: a terminal device acquires configuration information, the configuration information comprising a list of first public land mobile networks PLMNs supporting a target non-terrestrial communication network NTN and / or a list of first frequency bands supporting the target non-terrestrial communication network NTN, wherein the target NTN is at least one NTN supporting communication within the capability range of the terminal device; the terminal device receives a first message from a first NTN, the first message carries the PLMN of the first NTN and / or the frequency band of the first NTN, wherein the first NTN is the NTN currently searched by the terminal device; and resides in the first NTN when the list of first PLMNs includes the PLMN of the first NTN and / or the list of first frequency bands includes the frequency band of the first NTN.

[0008] The specific implementation of the above technical solution may include the following three implementation methods:

[0009] Mode 1: When the list of the first PLMN includes the PLMN of the first NTN, the terminal device resides in the first NTN. It can also be understood that at this time, it is not necessary to pay attention to whether the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN.

[0010] Mode 2: When the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN, the terminal device resides in the first NTN. It can also be understood that at this time, it is not necessary to pay attention to whether the list of the first PLMN includes the PLMN of the first NTN.

[0011] Mode 3: When the list of the first PLMN includes the PLMN of the first NTN, and the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN, the terminal device resides in the first NTN. It can also be understood that at this time, it is necessary to determine whether the list of the first PLMN includes the PLMN of the first NTN, and whether the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN.

[0012] Exemplarily, the first message may be a system information block (SIB1) message. In another example, the first message may be a MIB message.

[0013] Exemplarily, the "target NTN" can be understood as one or more NTNs that support communication within the capabilities of the terminal device. Alternatively, it can also be understood as the NTN that the terminal device predetermines to access. Alternatively, it can also be understood as the NTN that the terminal device is compatible with. Exemplarily, the "target NTN" can also be understood as a "customized NTN", that is, an NTN that provides services for terminal devices in a certain area, or an NTN that provides services for certain fixed terminal devices, or an NTN that provides services for certain services, etc. In other words, a "customized NTN" refers to an NTN that is customized to meet the communication needs of different terminal devices in the network or the communication needs of different services.

[0014] In the present application, for example, the terminal device may obtain the configuration information by reading an internal configuration file. For another example, the terminal device may obtain the configuration information by receiving an AT command (attention command). For another example, the terminal device may also obtain the configuration information by receiving an application processor (AP) message. For example, the configuration information may also be pre-configured on the terminal device. In the present application, the method for obtaining the configuration information is not limited.

[0015] In this method, since the terminal device can obtain a list of PLMNs and / or a list of frequency bands that support the target NTN, when the terminal device searches for a certain NTN, by receiving the PLMN and / or frequency band in the system message on the NTN, it can quickly determine whether it needs to reside in the NTN. This method allows the terminal device to make a judgment before residing in a certain NTN, avoiding communication anomalies when the terminal device resides in a certain NTN but the NTN is not the target NTN of the terminal device. This can help the terminal device quickly determine whether a certain NTN searched is the target NTN, reduce the power consumption and delay overhead of invalid attempts of the terminal device, and ensure the user's service experience.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the terminal device updates the list of the first PLMN and / or the list of the first frequency band according to the configuration file or the received message.

[0017] In the present application, the configuration information obtained by the terminal device can also be updated in real time, or updated in real time based on the actual deployment upgrade. Assume that the list of PLMNs supporting NTN#1 (an example of the target NTN) can be updated to: PLMN#1, PLMN#2, PLMN#A (that is, PLMN#A is also deployed in the network, and this PLMN#A also supports NTN#1) according to the technical upgrade or actual deployment situation at any time, and the list of frequency bands supporting NTN#1 is updated to: band#A1, band#A2, band#A3, band#E (that is, the newly added band#E in the communication technology also supports NTN#1).

[0018] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the method also includes: the terminal device obtains a list of target PLMNs and / or a list of target frequency bands based on the configuration information and the current location of the terminal device, wherein the list of target PLMNs is a subset of the list of the first PLMN, and / or the list of target frequency bands is a subset of the list of the first frequency bands.

[0019] In the above scheme, the list of target PLMNs being a subset of the list of the first PLMN can be understood as the list of target PLMNs being part or all of the list of the first PLMN. Similarly, the list of the second frequency band being a subset of the list of the first frequency band can also be understood as the list of the target frequency band being part or all of the list of the first frequency band.

[0020] The above technical solution can also be understood as configuring a more accurate list of PLMNs and / or frequency bands for the terminal device based on the location of the terminal device, thereby further improving the connection efficiency between the terminal device and the NTN device and reducing the probability of access failure.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, when the list of the first PLMN includes the PLMN of the first NTN, and / or when the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN, the terminal device resides in the first NTN, including: when the list of the target PLMN includes the PLMN of the first NTN, and / or when the list of the target frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN, the terminal device resides in the first NTN.

[0022] In this application, when the terminal device resides in the NTN, there is a judgment condition. If the judgment condition is not met, it will not reside in the NTN, which reduces the access delay and the power consumption of the terminal device; while in the current solution, although the terminal device can easily reside successfully, it may not successfully communicate with the NTN. Therefore, compared with the current solution, the solution provided by this application can reduce the access delay of the terminal device, improve the efficiency of the successful connection between the terminal device and the target NTN, and ensure the user's service experience.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the method also includes: the terminal device receives a second message from the first NTN, the second message including satellite ephemeris information; when the list of the first PLMN includes the PLMN of the first NTN, and / or, when the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN, the terminal device resides in the first NTN, including: when the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN, and / or, when the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN, the terminal device resides in the first NTN according to the second message.

[0024] In this application, "satellite ephemeris information" may include, for example: information about the current service satellite and the ephemeris information of neighboring satellites. Satellite ephemeris information mainly defines the trajectory of the satellite and the position of the satellite at a certain moment. The terminal device can estimate the position and coverage of the satellite in the subsequent period of time based on this information (for specific explanations, please refer to the relevant description in the technical specification (TS) 38.331SIB19). It should be noted that in this application, the terminal device can quickly determine whether the searched NTN is the target NTN by whether it can receive satellite ephemeris information. Specifically, if the terminal device does not receive satellite ephemeris information on the searched NTN, the terminal device determines that the NTN is definitely not the target NTN; if the terminal device receives satellite ephemeris information on the searched NTN, the terminal device further needs to compare whether the PLMN and / or frequency band received on the NTN is included in the configuration information. If the configuration information includes the PLMN and / or frequency band received on the NTN, the terminal device will initiate a registration process. If the configuration information does not include the PLMN and / or frequency band received on the NTN, the terminal device will not initiate a registration process to the NTN.

[0025] In the present application, since the second message carries the satellite ephemeris information, if the terminal device does not receive the second message in a searched NTN, the terminal device will not reside in the NTN, which can help the terminal device to more quickly determine whether the NTN is the target NTN, further reduce the access delay, improve the connection efficiency between the terminal device and the target NTN, and ensure the user experience.

[0026] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the second message is a system information block SIB1bis message.

[0027] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, a terminal device sends a request message to a first NTN, where the request message is used to request to establish a radio resource control RRC connection with the first NTN; the terminal device receives a response message from the first NTN, where the response message is used to indicate that the RRC connection with the first NTN is successfully established.

[0028] Exemplarily, the request message may be, for example, a radio resource control setup request RRCSetupRequest message, and the response message may be, for example, a radio resource control setup completion RRCSetupComplete message.

[0029] In the present application, the terminal device may start to determine whether the NTN is the target NTN before residing therein. If it is determined to be the target NTN, the terminal device may reside therein and may initiate an RRC connection request to establish a network connection with the NTN.

[0030] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal device receives a capability query message from the first NTN, where the capability query message is used to query the capability of the terminal device; the terminal device reports a capability response message to the first NTN, where the capability response message is used to report the capability of the terminal device.

[0031] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the method also includes: the terminal device receives a resource reconfiguration message from the first NTN, and the resource reconfiguration message is used to configure one or more of the following contents for the terminal device: wireless bearer configuration, measurement configuration, cell or cell group configuration; the terminal device sends a resource reconfiguration completion message to the first NTN, and the resource reconfiguration completion message is used to indicate that the terminal device has completed the configuration.

[0032] In the present application, the purpose of resource reconfiguration is to reconfigure the resources of a terminal device that has established an RRC connection, for example, including the establishment / modification / release of a radio bearer (RB), synchronization of executing reconfiguration, establishment / modification / release of measurements, establishment / modification / release of a secondary cell (SCell) and a cell group, and so on.

[0033] In a second aspect, the present application proposes a communication device, which is used to execute the method of the first aspect. Specifically, the device may include units and / or modules, such as a transceiver unit and / or a processing unit, for executing the communication method proposed in the present application.

[0034] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided, the device comprising: at least one processor, configured to execute a computer program or instruction stored in a memory to perform the method of the first aspect. Optionally, the device further comprises a memory, configured to store a computer program or instruction. Optionally, the device further comprises a communication interface, and the processor reads the computer program or instruction stored in the memory through the communication interface.

[0035] In one implementation, the device is a functional communication device for implementing the communication method provided in the present application in a chip.

[0036] In another implementation, the device is a functional chip, chip system or circuit used to implement the communication method provided in the present application in a chip.

[0037] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a processor, comprising: an input circuit, an output circuit and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is used to receive a signal through the input circuit and transmit a signal through the output circuit, so that the processor executes the method of the first aspect.

[0038] In the specific implementation process, the processor can be one or more chips, the input circuit can be an input pin, the output circuit can be an output pin, and the processing circuit can be a transistor, a gate circuit, a trigger, and various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit can be received and input by, for example, but not limited to, a transceiver, and the signal output by the output circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, output to a transmitter and transmitted by the transmitter, and the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit, which is used as an input circuit and an output circuit at different times. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation methods of the processor and various circuits.

[0039] 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.

[0040] In a fifth aspect, a processing device is provided, comprising a processor and a memory. The processor is used to read instructions stored in the memory, and can receive signals through a transceiver and transmit signals through a transmitter to execute the method of the first aspect.

[0041] Optionally, the number of the processors is one or more, and the number of the memories is one or more.

[0042] Optionally, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be provided separately from the processor.

[0043] In the specific implementation process, the memory can be a non-transitory memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), which can be integrated with the processor on the same chip or can be set on different chips respectively. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the type of memory and the setting method of the memory and the processor.

[0044] It should be understood that the related data interaction process, such as sending indication information, can be a process of outputting indication information from the processor, and receiving capability information can be a process of receiving input capability information by the processor. Specifically, the data output by the processor can be output to the transmitter, and the input data received by the processor can come from the transceiver. Among them, the transmitter and the transceiver can be collectively referred to as a transceiver.

[0045] The processing device in the fifth aspect may be one or more chips. The processor in the processing device may be implemented by hardware or by software. When implemented by hardware, the processor may be a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, etc.; when implemented by software, the processor may be a general-purpose processor implemented by reading software code stored in a memory, which may be integrated in the processor or located outside the processor and exist independently.

[0046] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable medium stores a program code for execution by a device, wherein the program code includes a method for executing the above-mentioned first aspect.

[0047] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of the first aspect.

[0048] In an eighth aspect, a chip system is provided, comprising a processor for calling and running a computer program from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip system executes the method of the first aspect above.

[0049] In a ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, the communication system comprising a terminal device and an NTN device, wherein the terminal device is used to execute any possible implementation method in the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a scenario to which this application is applicable.

[0051] Figure 2 It is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device or NTN device to which the present application is applicable.

[0052] Figure 3It is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 300 provided in the present application.

[0053] Figure 4 It is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 400 provided in the present application.

[0054] Figure 5 It is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 500 provided in the present application.

[0055] Figure 6 It is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 100 provided in the present application.

[0056] Figure 7 It is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 200 provided in the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] In order to facilitate understanding of the technical solution of the present application, the following first briefly introduces some of the professional terms involved in the present application.

[0058] 1. Non-terrestrial network (NTN)

[0059] NTN generally refers to a network that transmits radio frequencies through a satellite network or unmanned aircraft system (UAS) platform. NTN is a direct communication technology between terminal equipment and satellites based on new air interface technology developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) in Release 17 (R17). In response to the problems of large Doppler frequency deviation, large signal attenuation and large propagation delay caused by the characteristics of satellite communication scenarios such as long distance, fast movement and wide coverage, NTN has designed an air interface enhancement protocol and has basic satellite communication capabilities. By integrating satellite communication networks with ground-based 5G networks, it is possible to provide ubiquitous coverage without being restricted by terrain, connecting the multi-dimensional spaces of air, space, land and sea to form an integrated ubiquitous access network, enabling on-demand access in all scenarios.

[0060] 2. Public land mobile network (PLMN)

[0061] PLMN refers to a network established and operated by the government or an operator approved by it for the purpose of providing land mobile communication services to the public. This network is usually interconnected with the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to form a communication network for the entire region or country. It is generally composed of two parts: mobile country code (MCC) and mobile network code (MNC).

[0062] The technical solution of the present application is mainly applicable to wireless communication systems. The wireless communication system may comply with the wireless communication standards of the third generation partnership project (3GPP), or may comply with other wireless communication standards, such as the wireless communication standards of the 802 series (such as 802.11, 802.15, or 802.20) of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

[0063] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a satellite communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, a ground mobile terminal device accesses a base station through an air interface, wherein the base station is deployed on a satellite, the satellite is connected to a ground station through a wireless link, and the ground station and the ground base station are connected to a core network through wired or wireless means. Figure 1 The various network elements and their interfaces are described as follows:

[0064] Terminal device: It can refer to mobile devices that support the new air interface, such as mobile phones, pads and other mobile devices. It can access the satellite network through the air interface and initiate calls, surf the Internet and other services.

[0065] NTN: It can be understood as a base station deployed on a satellite.

[0066] Ground station: responsible for forwarding signaling and business data between satellite base stations and 5G core network.

[0067] 5G base station: mainly provides wireless access services, dispatches wireless resources to access terminals, provides reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols, etc.

[0068] 5G core network: user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, billing and other services. It consists of multiple functional units, which can be divided into functional entities of control plane and data plane. Access and mobility management function (AMF) is responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. Location management function (LMF) is responsible for managing and controlling the positioning service requests of the target terminal and processing positioning related information. User plane function (UPF) is responsible for managing the transmission of user plane data, traffic statistics and other functions.

[0069] Air interface: The wireless link between the terminal and the base station.

[0070] Xn interface: The interface between 5G base stations, mainly used for signaling interactions such as switching.

[0071] NG interface: The interface between the 5G base station and the core network, which mainly interacts with the core network (non-access stratum, NAS) and other signaling, as well as user business data.

[0072] This application can be applied to 4G, 5G and other communication systems, involving terminal equipment, satellites, base stations, ground stations and other wireless access network elements, and performing uplink and downlink data communications based on wireless communication protocols. It should be noted that if it is a 4G communication system, the Xn interface in the figure is called the X2 interface, and the NG interface is the S1 interface.

[0073] Figure 2 The structure diagram of a wireless communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. The wireless communication device may be a terminal device in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the wireless communication device may include multiple components, such as: application subsystem, memory, massive storage, baseband subsystem, radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), radio frequency front end (RFFE) device, and antenna (ANT). These components can be coupled through various interconnection buses or other electrical connection methods.

[0074] Figure 2In , ANT_1 represents the first antenna, ANT_N represents the Nth antenna, and N is a positive integer greater than 1. Tx represents the transmission path, Rx represents the reception path, and different numbers represent different paths. Each path can represent a signal processing channel. Among them, FBRx represents the feedback reception path, PRx represents the main reception path, and DRx represents the diversity reception path. HB represents high frequency, and LB represents low frequency, and the two refer to the relative high and low frequencies. BB represents baseband. It should be understood that Figure 2 The marks and components in the figure are for illustration purposes only and are only used as a possible implementation. The embodiments of the present application also include other implementations. For example, the wireless communication device may include more or fewer paths and more or fewer components.

[0075] Among them, the application subsystem may include one or more processors. Multiple processors may be multiple processors of the same type, or may include a combination of multiple types of processors. In this application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor or a processor designed for a specific field. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), or a microcontroller (MCU). The processor may also be a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), an audio signal processor (ASP), and an AI processor specially designed for artificial intelligence (AI) applications. AI processors include but are not limited to neural network processing units (NPUs), tensor processing units (TPUs), and processors called AI engines.

[0076] RF integrated circuits (including RFIC 1, and one or more optional RFIC 2) and RF front-end devices can together constitute an RF subsystem. Depending on the signal reception or transmission path, the RF subsystem can also be divided into an RF receive path and an RF transmit path. Among them, the RF receive channel can receive the RF signal through the antenna, process the RF signal (such as amplification, filtering and down-conversion) to obtain a baseband signal, and pass it to the baseband subsystem. The RF transmit channel can receive the baseband signal from the baseband subsystem, process the baseband signal (such as up-conversion, amplification and filtering) to obtain an RF signal, and finally radiate the RF signal into space through the antenna. RF integrated circuits can be called RF processing chips or RF chips.

[0077] Similar to the RF subsystem, which mainly processes RF signals, the baseband subsystem mainly processes baseband signals. The baseband subsystem can extract useful information or data bits from the baseband signal, or convert the information or data bits into baseband signals to be sent. These information or data bits can be data representing user data such as voice, text, video, or control information. For example, the baseband subsystem can implement signal processing operations such as modulation and demodulation, encoding, and decoding. For different wireless access technologies, such as 5G NR and 4G LTE, the baseband signal processing operations are not exactly the same.

[0078] Similar to the application subsystem, the baseband subsystem may also include one or more processors. In addition, the baseband subsystem may also include one or more hardware accelerators (HAC). Hardware accelerators can be used to specifically complete some sub-functions with high processing overhead, such as data packet assembly and parsing, data packet encryption and decryption, etc. These sub-functions can also be implemented using general-purpose processors, but due to performance or cost considerations, it may be more appropriate to use hardware accelerators. In a specific implementation, the hardware accelerator is mainly implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Of course, the hardware accelerator may also include one or more relatively simple processors, such as an MCU.

[0079] The baseband subsystem can be integrated into one or more chips, which can be called a baseband processing chip or a baseband chip. The baseband subsystem can be a standalone chip, which can be called a modem or a modem chip. The baseband subsystem can be manufactured and sold in units of modem chips. Modem chips are sometimes also called baseband processors or mobile processors. In addition, the baseband subsystem can be further integrated into a larger chip, which can be manufactured and sold in units of larger chips. This larger chip can be called a system chip, a chip system, or a system on a chip (SoC), or simply a SoC chip. The software components of the baseband subsystem can be built into the hardware components of the chip before the chip leaves the factory, or can be imported from other non-volatile memories into the hardware components of the chip after the chip leaves the factory, or these software components can be downloaded and updated online through the network.

[0080] In addition, the wireless communication device may also include a memory, such as Figure 2 In the application subsystem and the baseband subsystem, one or more caches can be included respectively. In the specific implementation, the memory can be divided into volatile memory and non-volatile memory (NVM). Volatile memory refers to a memory in which the data stored inside will be lost when the power supply is interrupted. At present, volatile memory is mainly random access memory (RAM), including static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Non-volatile memory refers to a memory in which the data stored inside will not be lost even if the power supply is interrupted. Common non-volatile memories include read-only memory (ROM), optical disks, magnetic disks, and various memories based on flash memory technology. Generally speaking, volatile memory can be used for memory and cache, and non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, can be used for large-capacity storage.

[0081] The terminal device in this application may also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. The terminal can be widely used in various scenarios, for example, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle to everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, automatic driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wear, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a wearable device, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a mechanical arm, a smart home device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal.

[0082] As can be seen from the previous introduction, NTN, as a supplement to the ground communication system, is mainly used for emergency communications, blind spots and other scenarios. It deploys 5G services in areas where the ground 5G network cannot cover (remote areas, aircraft or ships) or where services are insufficient (suburbs) to improve the performance of the ground network. It has the following advantages: (1) Wide coverage. In theory, dozens of satellites can cover the entire world; (2) Not restricted by terrain, such as mountains, rivers, etc.

[0083] In the current technology, when a terminal device needs to carry user services in a target non-terrestrial network (NTN) or a customized NTN, it usually searches the network first and resides in a certain NTN cell, and then sends a registration request message to the NTN cell where it resides. However, for example, if the NTN cell where the terminal device currently resides is not the target NTN that supports communication within its capability, or the NTN cell where the terminal device currently resides is incompatible with the terminal device, the communication between the terminal device and the NTN will be abnormal, for example, the terminal device may be in a dead state. At this time, the terminal device needs to search the network again and reside in another NTN cell, and then initiate the registration process again. If the NTN cell where the terminal device resides happens to be the target NTN supported within the capability of the terminal device or the NTN that the terminal device is compatible with, the terminal device will register successfully and establish a network connection with the NTN to carry user services. It can be seen that according to the above technical solution, once the terminal device resides in a non-target NTN cell, the communication between the terminal device and the NTN will be abnormal, and it is necessary to retry to register in other NTNs, resulting in the inability to quickly establish a connection with the target NTN for data transmission, and the user experience is poor.

[0084] In view of this, the present application proposes a communication method, in which, since the terminal device can obtain a list of PLMNs and / or a list of frequency bands that support the target NTN, when the terminal device searches for a certain NTN, by receiving the PLMN and / or frequency band in the system message on the NTN, it can quickly determine whether the searched NTN is the target NTN. The method allows the terminal device to make a judgment before residing on the NTN, avoiding the situation where the terminal device has already resided on a certain NTN, but the NTN is not the target NTN of the terminal device, and communication anomalies may occur due to problems such as terminal device compatibility or capability support. The method of the present application can help the terminal device quickly determine whether a certain NTN searched is the target NTN, avoid communication anomalies between the terminal device and the NTN, reduce the power consumption and delay overhead of invalid attempts of the terminal device, and improve the user's service experience.

[0085] Figure 3 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 300 provided in the present application, such as Figure 3 As shown, the method includes:

[0086] 301. The terminal device obtains configuration information.

[0087] In the present application, the configuration includes a list of first PLMNs supporting the target NTN and / or a list of first frequency bands supporting the target NTN.

[0088] Exemplarily, the "target NTN" can be understood as one or more NTNs that support communication within the capabilities of the terminal device. Alternatively, it can also be understood as the NTN that the terminal device predetermines to access. Alternatively, it can also be understood as the NTN that the terminal device is compatible with. Exemplarily, the "target NTN" can also be understood as a "customized NTN", that is, an NTN that provides services for terminal devices in a certain area, or an NTN that provides services for certain fixed terminal devices, or an NTN that provides services for certain services, etc. In other words, a "customized NTN" refers to an NTN that is customized to meet the communication needs of different terminal devices in the network or the communication needs of different services.

[0089] Exemplarily, the configuration information may be in the form of a table, and the following Table 1 shows a list of NTNs and a list of PLMNs and / or frequency bands in the configuration information for each NTN. For example, each NTN in Table #1 may be understood as a target NTN.

[0090] Table 1

[0091] Target NTN List of PLMNs List of frequency bands NTN#1 PLMN#1, PLMN#2 band#A1, band#A2, band#A3 NTN#2 PLMN#3, PLMN#4, PLMN#5 band#B1, band#B2, band#B3 NTN#3 PLMN#6, PLMN#7 band#C1、band#C2 NTN#4 PLMN#8, PLMN#9 band#D1、band#D2

[0092] For example, the terminal device may obtain the configuration information by reading an internal configuration file. For another example, the terminal device may obtain the configuration information by receiving an AT command (attention command). For another example, the terminal device may also obtain the configuration information by receiving an application protocol (AP) message. For example, the configuration information may also be pre-configured on the terminal device. In this application, the method for obtaining the configuration information is not limited.

[0093] In a possible implementation, the configuration information obtained by the terminal device can also be updated in real time, or updated in real time based on the actual deployment upgrade. For example, the list of PLMNs supporting NTN#1 can be updated to: PLMN#1, PLMN#2, PLMN#A (that is, PLMN#A is also deployed in the network, and the PLMN#A also supports NTN#1), and the list of frequency bands supporting NTN#1 can be updated to: band#A1, band#A2, band#A3, band#E (that is, band#E newly added in the communication technology also supports NTN#1) at any time according to the technical upgrade or actual deployment situation.

[0094] In a possible implementation, the terminal device may first obtain a list of all PLMNs of the target NTN (an example of a list of first PLMNs) and / or a list of all frequency bands of the target NTN (an example of a list of first frequency bands). Exemplarily, each NTN in Table 1 may be understood as the target NTN of the terminal device. Assuming that the terminal device currently desires to establish a connection with NTN#1 (an example of a target NTN), the terminal device may determine through Table #1 that the list of first PLMNs supporting NTN#1 is PLMN#1 and PLMN#2, and may also determine that the list of first frequency bands supporting NTN#1 is band#A1, band#A2, and band#A3.

[0095] Furthermore, the terminal device can also obtain a list of target PLMNs and / or a list of target frequency bands according to the current region, such as geographic location, regional location, etc. Among them, the list of target PLMNs can be understood as a subset of the list of the first PLMN, and the list of target frequency bands can be understood as a subset of the list of the first frequency band. Exemplarily, taking Table 1 as an example, assuming that NTN#1 to NTN#4 in Table #1 are the target NTNs of the terminal device, but based on the current location of the terminal device, the terminal device can configure the list of target PLMNs and / or the list of target frequency bands supported by the current region through AT messages, AP messages or configuration files, or autonomously (the target list can be understood as a more accurate list that matches the current location of the terminal device). For example, the terminal device obtains that the current region preferentially supports PLMN#4 and band#B2. It can also be understood that the coverage of this region is more adapted to that of NTN#2, or that the service range of NTN#2 is more matched with that of this region, so the terminal device can choose to initiate a radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment request to NTN#2.

[0096] 302. The terminal device receives a first message from the first NTN.

[0097] For example, the terminal device may perform a network search and search for NTN#A (an example of the first NTN).

[0098] For example, the terminal device can first receive a master information block message (MIB) and a system information block message 1 (SIB 1) from NTN#A, and obtain the NTN#A PLMN identifier and the NTN#A frequency band identifier carried in the message by parsing SIB 1 (an example of the first message).

[0099] In the present application, for example, the first message may be a MIB message, and for another example, the first message may be a SIB 1 message.

[0100] It should be noted that, usually, the terminal device needs to use some information in the MIB when parsing SIB 1.

[0101] 303. The terminal device determines whether to reside in the first NTN according to the configuration information and the first message.

[0102] Case 1

[0103] Assume that the target NTN of the terminal device is NTN#1~NTN#4, and the terminal device parses the PLMN identifier carried in the first message received in NTN#A as PLMN#10 and the frequency band identifier as band#F. At this time, the terminal device determines according to Table#1 that the list of PLMNs supporting NTN#1~NTN#4 does not include PLMN#10, and the list of PLMNs supporting NTN#2 does not include band#F, so the terminal device determines that NTN#A is not the target NTN and will not reside in NTN#A.

[0104] Case 2

[0105] Assume that the terminal device parses the PLMN identifier carried in the first message received in NTN#A as PLMN#2 and the frequency band identifier as band#A2. At this time, the terminal device determines according to Table#1 that the list of PLMNs supporting NTN#1 includes PLMN#2, and the list of PLMNs supporting NTN#2 also includes band#A2, then the terminal device determines that NTN#A is the target NTN and will reside in NTN#A.

[0106] Based on the above technical solution, since the terminal device in this application pre-acquires a list of PMNNs supporting the target NTN or customized NTN and / or a list of frequency bands supporting the target NTN or customized NTN, even if the terminal device subsequently searches for a certain NTN network, it will not send an RRC connection establishment request to the NTN, but needs to make a judgment first. If the conditions are met, the RRC connection request will be sent to the NTN, thereby reducing access delay and improving the user's service experience.

[0107] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: the terminal device also needs to receive a second message from the first NTN, and the second message includes satellite ephemeris information. In the present application, "satellite ephemeris information" may include, for example: information about the current service satellite and information about the ephemeris of neighboring stars. Satellite ephemeris information mainly defines the satellite orbit and the position of the satellite at a certain moment. The terminal device can estimate the position and coverage of the satellite in a subsequent period of time based on this information (for specific explanations, please refer to the relevant description in the technical specification (TS) 38.331SIB19). It should be noted that in the present application, the terminal device determines whether the NTN is the target NTN by whether the satellite ephemeris information can be received in the currently searched NTN.

[0108] In this implementation, whether the terminal device can receive the second message in the first NTN is a necessary condition for whether the terminal device will send an RRC connection establishment request to the NTN. In other words, in this implementation, only when the terminal device receives the second message in the first NTN, the terminal device may send an RRC connection establishment request to the first NTN. For example, the terminal device can subsequently determine whether it will reside in the first NTN by determining whether the PLMN and / or frequency band carried in the first message is included in the list of the first PLMN and / or the list of the first frequency band. However, if the terminal device does not receive the second message in the first NTN, the terminal device will definitely not reside in the first NTN. For example, once the terminal device does not receive the second message in the first NTN, the terminal device generally will not confirm whether the PLMN and / or frequency band carried in the first message is included in the list of the first PLMN and / or the list of the first frequency band, which can further reduce the access delay and improve the user experience. At this time, even if the terminal device determines that the PLMN and / or frequency band carried in the first message is included in the list of the first PLMN and / or the list of the first frequency band, it will not reside in the first NTN in the end.

[0109] For example, the second message may be a SIB 1bis message; for another example, the second message may be SIB19, or SIB19bis, etc. It should be noted that the specific name of the second message is not limited in this application, and any message that can carry satellite ephemeris information can be used as the "second message" in this application.

[0110] Based on the above implementation, in the present application, since the second message carries the satellite ephemeris information, if the terminal device does not receive the second message in a searched NTN, the terminal device will not reside in the NTN, thereby helping the terminal device to more quickly determine whether the NTN is the target NTN, further reducing the access delay, improving the connection efficiency between the terminal device and the target NTN, and ensuring the user experience.

[0111] Further, in a possible implementation, for example, if it is an LTE system, the terminal device can initiate a registration process to NTN#A according to the registration process of LTE. In another possible implementation, if it is an NR system, the terminal device can initiate a registration process to NTN#A according to the registration process in NR. For example, the terminal device can still send an RRC connection establishment request message to the NTN#A, at which time the terminal device will receive a response message from the first NTN, and the response message is used to indicate that the RRC connection establishment with the first NTN is complete.

[0112] Optionally, if the terminal device is determined to reside in the first NTN, it will also receive a capability query message from the first NTN, where the capability query message is used to query the capabilities of the terminal device; the terminal device will report a capability response message to the first NTN, where the capability response message is used to report the capabilities of the terminal device.

[0113] Optionally, if the terminal device is determined to reside in the first NTN, the terminal device will also receive a resource reconfiguration message from the first NTN, and the resource reconfiguration message is used to configure one or more of the following contents for the terminal device: wireless bearer configuration, measurement configuration, cell or cell group configuration; the terminal device will send a resource reconfiguration completion message to the first NTN, and the resource reconfiguration completion message is used to indicate that the terminal device has completed the resource configuration.

[0114] Combine the following Figure 4 and Figure 5 The communication method provided by this application is specifically introduced.

[0115] Figure 4 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 400 provided by the present application. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the target cell of the terminal device is NTN#1 to NTN#4. Figure 4 As shown, the method includes:

[0116] 401. The terminal device obtains configuration information.

[0117] For example, after the terminal device is powered on, the list of PLMNs and / or frequency bands of the currently supported target NTN can be obtained by reading the NV configuration file or receiving the AT command or introducing the AP message, and saved locally. For example, the configuration information obtained by the terminal device is the configuration information in the above Table 1.

[0118] 402, the terminal device starts searching the network and finds NTN#B

[0119] For example, the terminal device may perform a network search and search for a network NTN#B.

[0120] 403. The terminal device receives message #1 from NTN #B.

[0121] For example, the terminal device receives the MIB message and the SIB 1 message in NTN#B, and by parsing the SIB 1 message, determines that the PLMN carried in the SIB 1 message is PLMN#11 and the frequency band carried in the SIB 1 message is band#K.

[0122] 404. The terminal device determines that it cannot reside in NTN#B according to the configuration information and message #1.

[0123] The terminal device can determine based on the configuration information (eg, Table 1) that the PLMN and frequency band carried in SIB 1 are not in the configured PLMN list and frequency band list, and therefore, the terminal device determines that it will not send an RRC connection establishment request to NTN#B.

[0124] 405, the terminal device continues to search the network and finds NTN#C.

[0125] For example, the terminal device may search the network again and successfully search for another network NTN#C.

[0126] 406. The terminal device receives message #2 from NTN #C.

[0127] For example, the terminal device may first receive the MIB message and SIB 1 message from NTN#B, and obtain the PLMN identifier and frequency band identifier carried in the message by parsing SIB 1. Assume that the terminal device parses the PLMN identifier as PLMN#3 and the frequency band identifier as band#B1.

[0128] 407. The terminal device determines to reside in NTN#C according to the configuration information and the SIB 1 message.

[0129] At this time, the terminal device determines according to Table #1 that the list of PLMNs supporting NTN#2 (an example of target NTN) includes PLMN#3, and the list of PLMNs supporting NTN#2 also includes band#B1, then the terminal device determines that NTN#B is the target NTN and resides there.

[0130] 408. The terminal device sends message #3 to NTN#C, requesting to register in NTN#C.

[0131] For example, the terminal device may send a radio resource control establishment request "RRCSetupRequest" message to NTN#C to register in NTN#C.

[0132] 409, NTN#C sends message #4 to the terminal device, instructing the terminal device to complete registration in NTN#C.

[0133] For example, NTN#C may send a radio resource control setup completion "RRCSetupComplete" message to the terminal device, indicating that the terminal device has completed registration in NTN#C.

[0134] 410, NTN#C sends message #5 to the terminal device to query the capability of the terminal device.

[0135] Exemplarily, NTN#C sends "UECapabilityEnquiry" to the terminal device to query the capabilities of the terminal device.

[0136] 411. The terminal device sends message #6 to NTN#C to report the capabilities of the terminal device.

[0137] For example, the terminal device can send a "UECapabilityInformation" message to NTN#C to report its own capabilities.

[0138] 412, NTN#C sends message #7 to the terminal device, indicating that the terminal device has completed the registration.

[0139] For example, the terminal device may receive a NTN#C "DLInformationTransfer" message indicating that the registration was successful.

[0140] 413, NTN#C sends message #8 to the terminal device to configure resources for the terminal device.

[0141] For example, the terminal device may receive an "RRCRecfguration" message from NTN#C, which is used to configure resources for the terminal device.

[0142] 414. The terminal device sends message #9 to NTN#C, indicating that the terminal device has completed resource configuration.

[0143] In the present application, the purpose of resource reconfiguration is to reconfigure the resources of a terminal device that has established an RRC connection, for example, including the establishment / modification / release of a radio bearer (RB), synchronization of executing reconfiguration, establishment / modification / release of measurements, establishment / modification / release of a secondary cell (SCell) and a cell group, and so on.

[0144] For example, the terminal device may send an "RRCRecfgurationComplete" message to NTN#C, which is used to indicate that the terminal device has completed the resource configuration process. At this point, the terminal device may initiate a service on NTN#C normally.

[0145] Based on the above technical solution, in this application, the terminal device pre-acquires a list of PMNNs supporting the target NTN or customized NTN and / or a list of frequency bands supporting the target NTN or customized NTN. Even if the terminal device searches for a certain NTN network later, it will not easily reside in the NTN, but needs to make a judgment, thereby reducing access delay and improving the user's service experience. In this application, the judgment is made before residing in the NTN, thereby reducing the power consumption and delay overhead of invalid attempts of the terminal device, improving the efficiency of successful network communication, and ensuring the user's service experience.

[0146] Figure 5 5 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 500 provided by the present application. In this embodiment, it is still assumed that the target cells of the terminal device are NTN#1 to NTN#4, and the NTN#B and NTN#C searched by the terminal device are used as an example to introduce the scheme. Figure 5 As shown, the method includes:

[0147] Steps 501 to 502 may refer to 401 to 402 in method 400 and will not be described in detail.

[0148] 503. The terminal device does not receive SIB 1bis in NTN#B.

[0149] For example, although the terminal device receives the MIB message and the SIB 1 message in NTN#B, it never receives the SIB 1bis (an example of the second message) within a prescribed time period.

[0150] In this application, it is proposed that the satellite ephemeris information of the target NTN be carried in SIB 1bis. For example, the satellite ephemeris information includes: information about the current service satellite and information about the ephemeris of neighboring stars. The satellite ephemeris information mainly defines the satellite orbit and the position of the satellite at a certain moment. The terminal device can estimate the position and coverage of the satellite in a subsequent period of time based on this information (for specific explanations, please refer to the relevant description in the technical specification (technical specification, TS) 38.331 SIB19). It should be noted that in this application, the terminal device can determine whether the searched NTN is the target NTN through the information of the satellite ephemeris.

[0151] 504. The terminal device determines that it cannot reside in NTN#B.

[0152] In this embodiment, whether the terminal device can receive SIB 1bis in the searched NTN becomes a necessary condition for whether the terminal device can reside in the NTN. If the terminal device fails to receive SIB 1bis in the searched NTN, the terminal device will not reside in the NTN. Alternatively, it can also be understood that even if the terminal device finds that the PLMN and / or frequency band carried in the received SIB 1 message is included in the list of PLMNs and / or the list of frequency bands in the configuration information, the terminal device still will not reside in the NTN.

[0153] It should be understood that, normally, in order to save time, in this embodiment, if the terminal device does not receive SIB1bis, the terminal device will not parse the content carried in the SIB 1 message, nor will it determine whether the content carried in the SIB 1 message is included in the list of configuration information.

[0154] 505, the terminal device continues to search the network and finds NTN#C.

[0155] For example, the terminal device may search the network again and successfully search for another network NTN#C.

[0156] 506. The terminal device receives SIB 1bis from NTN#C.

[0157] Since the terminal device receives SIB 1bis in NTN#C, the terminal device determines that it may reside in the NTN.

[0158] 507, the terminal device receives message #2 from NTN #C.

[0159] For example, the terminal device may receive the MIB message and SIB 1 message from NTN#B, and obtain the PLMN identifier and frequency band identifier carried in the message by parsing SIB1. Assume that the terminal device parses the PLMN identifier as PLMN#2 and the frequency band identifier as band#C.

[0160] 508. The terminal device determines to reside in NTN#C according to SIB 1bis, configuration information and message #2.

[0161] At this time, the terminal device determines according to Table #1 that the list of PLMNs supporting NTN#2 includes PLMN#2, and the list of PLMNs supporting NTN#2 also includes band#A3, so the terminal device determines that NTN#B is the target NTN and resides there.

[0162] Next, the terminal device may register with NTN#C and establish a network connection. For the specific process, please refer to 408 to 414 in the above method 400, which will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0163] Based on the above technical solution, in the present application, since the second message carries the information of the satellite ephemeris, if the terminal device does not receive the second message in a certain NTN searched, the terminal device will not reside in the NTN, which can help the terminal device to more quickly determine whether the NTN is the target NTN, and can further reduce the access delay compared with the solution provided by method 400, improve the connection efficiency between the terminal device and the target NTN, and ensure the user experience. In the present application, the judgment is made before residing in the NTN, which reduces the power consumption and delay overhead of invalid attempts of the terminal device, and ensures the user's service experience.

[0164] It can be understood that 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.

[0165] 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 performed 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 should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0166] The embodiment of the present application can divide the functional modules of the communication device according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided corresponding to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated module 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 embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The following is an example of dividing each functional module corresponding to each function.

[0167] Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 As shown, the communication device 100 may include: a processing unit 110 and a transceiver unit 120 .

[0168] Among them, the above-mentioned modules are respectively used to execute the steps in the above-mentioned communication method 300, method 400, and method 500, which will not be repeated here.

[0169] It should also be understood that the communication device 100 herein is embodied in the form of functional units. The term "unit" herein may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (e.g., a shared processor, a dedicated processor, or a group processor, etc.) and a memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combined logic circuit, and / or other suitable components that support the described functionality.

[0170] The communication device 100 of each of the above schemes has the function of implementing the corresponding steps of the above methods 300, 400, and 500. The functions can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions; for example, the determination unit can be replaced by a processor to respectively perform the transceiver operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment. In addition, the determination unit can be a processing circuit.

[0171] It should be pointed out that Figure 6 The communication device in the embodiment may be the communication device in the aforementioned method, or may be a chip or chip system of the communication device, such as a system on chip (SoC). The processing unit is a processor or microprocessor or integrated circuit integrated on the chip. This is not limited here.

[0172] Figure 7 1 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device 200 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the device 200 includes: at least one processor 210. The processor 210 is coupled to the memory and is used to execute instructions stored in the memory to send signals and / or receive signals. Optionally, the device 200 also includes a memory 230 for storing instructions. Optionally, the device 200 also includes a transceiver 220, and the processor 210 controls the transceiver 220 to send signals and / or receive signals.

[0173] It should be understood that the processor 210 and the memory 230 can be combined into one processing device, and the processor 210 is used to execute the program code stored in the memory 230 to implement the above functions. In specific implementation, the memory 230 can also be integrated into the processor 210, or independent of the processor 210.

[0174] It should also be understood that the transceiver 220 may include a transceiver (or receiver) and a transmitter (or transmitter). The transceiver may further include an antenna, and the number of antennas may be one or more. The transceiver 220 may also be a communication interface or an interface circuit.

[0175] Specifically, the processor 210 in the device 200 may correspond to the processing unit 110 in the communication device 100. The transceiver 220 in the device 200 may correspond to the sending unit 120 in the communication device 100.

[0176] As a solution, the communication device 200 is used to implement each step in the above method 300, method 400, and method 500 embodiments.

[0177] For example, the processor 210 is used to execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory 230 to implement the various steps in the above method 300, method 400, and method 500.

[0178] According to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application, the present application also provides a computer program product, on which a computer program code is stored. When the computer program code is run on a computer, the computer executes each step in the embodiments of method 300, method 400, and method 500.

[0179] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the present application also provides a computer-readable medium, which stores a program code. When the program code is run on a computer, the computer executes each step in the above-mentioned method 300, method 400, and method 500.

[0180] 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.

[0181] It should be understood that the specific process of each transceiver and processor 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.

[0182] In the implementation process, each step of the above method can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of hardware in a processor or an instruction in the form of software. The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiment of the present application can be directly embodied as a hardware processor for execution, or a combination of hardware and software modules in a processor for execution. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in a memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in conjunction with its hardware. To avoid repetition, it is not described in detail here.

[0183] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiment of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each step of the above method embodiment can be completed by the hardware integrated logic circuit or software instructions in the processor. The above processor can be a general processor, a digital signal processor (digitalsignal processor, DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (application-specific integrated circuit, ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (field-programmable gate array, FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components. The methods, steps and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or executed. The general processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiment of the present application can be directly embodied as a hardware decoding processor to perform, or the hardware and software modules in the decoding processor can be combined and performed. The software module can be located in a mature storage medium in the field such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware.

[0184] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using 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 instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions 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 instructions may be transmitted from a website site, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (digital subscriber line, DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website site, computer, server or data center. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a high-density digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disc (SSD)).

[0185] In the above-mentioned various device embodiments, the corresponding modules or units perform the corresponding steps. For example, the transceiver unit (transceiver) performs the steps of receiving or sending in the method embodiment, and other steps except sending and receiving can be performed by the processing unit (processor). The functions of the specific units can refer to the corresponding method embodiments. Among them, there can be one or more processors.

[0186] The terms "component", "module", "system", etc. used in this specification are used to represent computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, an execution thread, a program and / or a computer. By way of illustration, both applications running on a communication device and a communication device can be components. One or more components can reside in a process and / or an execution thread, and a component can be located on a computer and / or distributed between two or more computers. In addition, these components can be executed from various computer-readable media having various data structures stored thereon. Components can, for example, communicate through local and / or remote processes according to signals having one or more data packets (e.g., data from two components interacting with another component between a local system, a distributed system and / or a network, such as the Internet interacting with other systems through signals).

[0187] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0188] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0189] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0190] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0191] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0192] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application can be essentially or partly embodied in the form of a software product that contributes to the prior art. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present application. The aforementioned storage media include: various media that can store program codes, such as USB flash drives, mobile hard disks, read-only memories (ROM), random access memories (RAM), magnetic disks or optical disks.

[0193] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the present technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: Acquire configuration information, the configuration information including a list of first public land mobile networks PLMN supporting a target non-terrestrial communication network NTN and / or a list of first frequency bands supporting a target non-terrestrial communication network NTN, wherein the target NTN is at least one NTN supporting communication within a capability range of the terminal device; receiving a first message from a first NTN, wherein the first message carries a PLMN of the first NTN and / or a frequency band of the first NTN, wherein the first NTN is the NTN currently searched; In case the list of the first PLMN includes the PLMN of the first NTN, and / or the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN, camping in the first NTN.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The obtaining of configuration information includes: Obtaining the configuration information according to a configuration file, and / or; acquiring the configuration information according to the received application processor AP message, and / or; The configuration information is acquired according to the received AT command.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The method further comprises: According to the configuration information and the current location of the terminal device, a list of target PLMNs and / or a list of target frequency bands are obtained, wherein the list of target PLMNs is a subset of the list of the first PLMN, and the list of target frequency bands is a subset of the list of the first frequency bands.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that In a case where the list of the first PLMN includes the PLMN of the first NTN, and / or the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN, residing in the first NTN comprises: In case the list of target PLMNs includes the PLMN of the first NTN, and / or the list of target frequency bands includes the frequency band of the first NTN, camping in the first NTN.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving a second message from the first NTN, wherein the second message includes satellite ephemeris information; In a case where the list of the first PLMN includes the PLMN of the first NTN, and / or the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN, residing in the first NTN comprises: In case the list of the first PLMN includes the PLMN of the first NTN, and / or the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN, and according to the second message, camping in the first NTN.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The second message is a system information block SIB1bis message.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending a request message to the first NTN, where the request message is used to request to establish a radio resource control RRC connection with the first NTN; A response message is received from the first NTN, where the response message is used to indicate that the RRC connection establishment is completed.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving a capability query message from the first NTN, where the capability query message is used to query the capability of the terminal device; Report a capability response message to the first NTN, where the capability response message is used to report the capability of the terminal device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving a resource reconfiguration message from the first NTN, where the resource reconfiguration message is used to configure one or more of the following contents for the terminal device: radio bearer configuration, measurement configuration, cell or cell group configuration; A resource reconfiguration completion message is sent to the first NTN, where the resource reconfiguration completion message is used to indicate that the terminal device has completed the resource configuration.

10. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A transceiver unit and a processing unit, wherein: The processing unit is used to obtain configuration information, wherein the configuration information includes a list of first public land mobile networks PLMNs supporting a target non-terrestrial communication network NTN and / or a list of first frequency bands supporting the target non-terrestrial communication network NTN, wherein the target NTN is at least one NTN supporting communication within a capability range of the terminal device; The transceiver unit is used to receive a first message from a first NTN, wherein the first message includes a PLMN of the first NTN and / or a frequency band of the first NTN, wherein the first NTN is the NTN currently searched by the communication device; The processing unit is used to determine that the list of the first PLMN includes the PLMN of the first NTN, and / or to determine that the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN, and the processing unit is used to control the communication device to reside in the first NTN.

11. The communication device according to claim 10, characterized in that The processing unit is used to obtain configuration information, including: The processing unit is used to obtain the configuration information according to the configuration file, and / or; The processing unit is used to obtain the configuration information according to the application processor AP message received by the transceiver unit, and / or; The processing unit is used to obtain the configuration information according to the AT command received by the transceiver unit.

12. The communication device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The processing unit is used to obtain a list of target PLMNs and / or a list of target frequency bands based on the configuration information and the current location of the communication device, wherein the list of target PLMNs is a subset of the list of the first PLMNs, and the list of target frequency bands is a subset of the list of the first frequency bands.

13. The communication device according to claim 12, characterized in that The processing unit is used to determine that the list of the first PLMN includes the PLMN of the first NTN, and / or is used to determine that the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN, and the processing unit is used to control the communication device to reside in the first NTN, including: The processing unit is used to determine that the list of target PLMNs includes the PLMN of the first NTN, and / or the list of target frequency bands includes the frequency band of the first NTN, and the processing unit is used to control the communication device to reside in the first NTN.

14. The communication device according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that: The transceiver unit is used to receive a second message from the first NTN, where the second message includes satellite ephemeris information; The processing unit is used to determine that the list of the first PLMN includes the PLMN of the first NTN, and / or is used to determine that the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN, and the processing unit is used to control the communication device to reside in the first NTN, including: The processing unit is configured to determine that the list of the first PLMN includes the PLMN of the first NTN, and / or determine that the list of the first frequency band includes the frequency band of the first NTN, and according to the second message, the processing unit is configured to control the communication device to reside in the first NTN.

15. The communication device according to claim 14, characterized in that The second message is a system information block SIB1bis message.

16. The communication device according to any one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that: The processing unit is used to control the transceiver unit to send a request message to the first NTN, where the request message is used to request to establish a radio resource control RRC connection with the first NTN; The transceiver unit is used to receive a response message from the first NTN, where the response message is used to indicate that the RRC connection establishment is completed.

17. The communication device according to any one of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that: The transceiver unit is used to receive a capability query message from the first NTN, where the capability query message is used to query the capability of the terminal device; The transceiver unit is used to report a capability response message to the first NTN, and the capability response message is used to report the capability of the terminal device.

18. The communication device according to any one of claims 10 to 17, characterized in that: The transceiver unit is used to receive a resource reconfiguration message from the first NTN, where the resource reconfiguration message is used to configure one or more of the following contents for the terminal device: radio bearer configuration, measurement configuration, cell or cell group configuration; The transceiver unit is used to send a resource reconfiguration completion message to the first NTN, and the resource reconfiguration completion message is used to indicate that the terminal device has completed the resource configuration.

19. A communication device, characterized in that: It includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device, and the processor is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 through a logic circuit or executing code instructions.

20. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor, the processor is coupled to a memory, the memory is used to store instructions, when the instructions are executed by the processor, the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

21. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is implemented.

22. A computer program product, characterized in that When the method is executed on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

23. A communication system, characterized in that: The method comprises at least one communication device and an NTN device for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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