Mechanism for selecting non-terrestrial network devices

Abstract

The invention relates to selecting NTN devices. Specifically, the NTN device transmits information related to a set of NTN devices to the terminal device. And the terminal equipment selects the NTN equipment from the NTN equipment set based on the information. And the terminal equipment sends data to the selected NTN equipment. In this way, long time delay can be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to methods, devices, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for selecting non-terrestrial network (NTN) devices. Background Art

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has initiated discussions on NTN for New Radio (NR) and Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT). During the discussions, a store and forward (S&F) operation has been proposed that allows a satellite to provide services to a terminal device even in a period or in an area where the satellite is not simultaneously connected to the terminal device and the core network (CN) device. Summary of the invention

[0003] In a first aspect of the present invention, a device is provided. The device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to: receive information related to a set of candidate non-ground network devices from a non-ground network device, wherein the information indicates at least one of the following: an expected time for each candidate non-ground network device in the set of candidate non-ground network devices to connect to a corresponding candidate core network device, information associated with the candidate core network, and memory usage information of each candidate non-ground network device; and send data to a target non-ground network device selected from the set of candidate non-ground network devices based on the information.

[0004] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a device is provided. The device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the device causes: sending information related to a set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices to a terminal device, wherein the information indicates at least one of the following: an expected time for each candidate non-terrestrial network device to connect to a corresponding candidate core network device, information associated with the candidate core network device, and memory usage information of each candidate non-terrestrial network device.

[0005] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving information related to a set of candidate non-ground network devices from a non-ground network device, wherein the information indicates at least one of the following: an expected time for each candidate non-ground network device in the set of candidate non-ground network devices to connect to a corresponding candidate core network device, information associated with the candidate core network device, and memory usage information of each candidate non-ground network device; and sending data to a target non-ground network device selected from the set of candidate non-ground network devices based on the information.

[0006] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: sending information related to a set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices to a terminal device, wherein the information indicates at least one of the following: an expected time for each candidate non-terrestrial network device to connect to a corresponding candidate core network device, information associated with the candidate core network device, and memory usage information of each candidate non-terrestrial network device.

[0007] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a first device is provided. The first device includes: a component for receiving information related to a set of candidate non-ground network devices from a non-ground network device, wherein the information indicates at least one of the following: an expected time for each candidate non-ground network device in the set of candidate non-ground network devices to connect to a corresponding candidate core network device, information associated with the candidate core network device, and memory usage information of each candidate non-ground network device; and a component for sending data to a target non-ground network device selected from the set of candidate non-ground network devices based on the information.

[0008] In a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a second device is provided. The second device includes: a component for sending information related to a set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices to a terminal device, wherein the information indicates at least one of the following: an expected time for each candidate non-terrestrial network device to connect to a corresponding candidate core network device, information associated with the candidate core network device, and memory usage information of each candidate non-terrestrial network device.

[0009] In a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon, and the instructions are used to cause a device to at least execute the method according to the third aspect.

[0010] In an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon, and the instructions are used to cause a device to at least execute the method according to the fourth aspect.

[0011] It should be understood that the invention summary is not intended to identify the key features or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present invention will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1 An example communication environment is shown in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0014] Figure 2 shows a signaling diagram for selecting an NTN device in which an example embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0015] Figure 3 A flowchart showing a method of selecting an NTN device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0016] Figure 4 A flowchart showing a method implemented at a first device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 5 A flowchart of a method implemented at a second device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0018] Figure 6 shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0019] Figure 7 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium is shown according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The principle of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described only for the purpose of illustration, and help those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure, without implying any limitation to the scope of the present disclosure. In addition to the embodiments described below, the embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways.

[0022] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0023] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, it is considered to be within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments (whether or not explicitly described).

[0024] It should be understood that, although the terms "first", "second", etc. in front of nouns etc. may be used in this article to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element, and they do not limit the order of the nouns. For example, without departing from the scope of the example embodiments, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element may be referred to as the first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0025] As used herein, “at least one of: ” and “at least one of ” and similar expressions, where a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, refer to at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0026] As used herein, unless explicitly stated, performing a step “in response to A” does not mean performing the step immediately after “A” occurs, but may include one or more intermediate steps.

[0027] The terms used herein are used only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the example embodiments. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well. It will be further understood that when used herein, the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has", "having", "includes", and / or "including" specify the presence of features, elements, and / or parts, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, parts, and / or combinations thereof.

[0028] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) hardware circuit implementation only (e.g., implementation only in analog and / or digital circuits), and (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (where applicable): (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, and (ii) any portion of a hardware processor (including a digital signal processor) with software, software and memory that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions; and (c) A hardware circuit and / or processor that requires software (eg, firmware) for operation, such as a microprocessor or portion of a microprocessor, but the software may not be present when not required for operation.

[0029] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. For example and if applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuitry also covers a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0030] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, for example, New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. In addition, the communication between the terminal device and the network device in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation communication protocol, including but not limited to the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G), sixth generation (6G) communication protocol and / or any other protocol currently known or developed in the future. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communication, there are of course future types of communication technologies and systems that can implement the present disclosure. It should not be considered that the scope of the present disclosure is limited to the above-mentioned system.

[0031] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network via which a terminal device accesses a network and receives services from it. A network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also referred to as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a repeater, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a low power node (e.g., a femto, a micro), a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or a non-terrestrial network device (such as a satellite network device, a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite and a geosynchronous orbit (GEO) satellite, an aircraft network device, etc.), depending on the terminology and technology applied. In some example embodiments, a radio access network (RAN) split architecture includes a centralized unit (CU) and one or more distributed units (DU).

[0032] As used herein, the term "non-terrestrial network (NTN)" may refer to a network involving non-terrestrial flying objects. For example, an NTN network may include a satellite communication network, a high altitude platform system (HAPS), and / or an air-to-ground network. The term "NTN equipment" may refer to a network equipment involving an NTN. For example, an NTN equipment may be a satellite hosting a radio access network (RAN) node.

[0033] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not limitation, the terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, a user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), a portable subscriber station, a mobile station (MS) or an access terminal (AT). The terminal device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a tablet computer, a wearable terminal device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable computer, a desktop computer, an image capture terminal device such as a digital camera, a game terminal device, a music storage and playback device, a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a laptop embedded device (LEE), a laptop mounted device (LME), a USB dongle, a smart device, a wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a watch or other wearable device, a head mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, medical equipment and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automatic processing chain environments), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. The terminal device may also correspond to the mobile terminal (MT) part of an IAB node (eg, a relay node).In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0034] As used herein, the terms "resource", "transmission resource", "resource block", "physical resource block" (PRB), "uplink resource" or "downlink resource" may refer to any resource used to perform communication (e.g., communication between a terminal device and a network device), such as a resource in the time domain, a resource in the frequency domain, a resource in the spatial domain, a resource in the code domain, or any other combination of time domain, frequency domain, spatial domain and / or code domain resources that enable communication. In the following, unless explicitly stated, resources in the frequency domain and the time domain will be used as examples of transmission resources for describing some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Note that the example embodiments of the present disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0035] As described above, S&F operation has been proposed, which may refer to a discontinuous coverage scenario, where a UE may only occasionally and temporarily have coverage from a satellite hosting a RAN device. A satellite may serve a UE when the satellite's coverage includes the UE's location, for example, the UE may send uplink (UL) data packets, also referred to as mobile origin (MO) data, to the satellite. It is also possible that the discontinuous coverage scenario may be extended by defining that a satellite is not always connected to a CN device. In the following, a RAN device may be referred to as an eNB, a gNB, or any other suitable RAN device.

[0036] The S&F architecture allows for low-cost deployments consisting of only a few satellites and a few ground stations. This means that the connection cost per device can be further reduced, at the expense of being able to support only delay-tolerant data. In addition, in S&F mode, the RAN equipment / satellite may only be connected to the CN equipment for a period of time. Similarly, the RAN equipment / satellite is connected to the UE for a period of time. The RAN equipment / satellite may not have two connections at the same time, namely the connection with the UE and with the CN equipment. The NTN Gateway (NTN-GW) is an earth station located on the surface of the earth that provides connectivity to the satellite / NTN payload using a feeder link. The NTN-GW supports the connection of RAN equipment on the satellite with core network equipment on the earth. Before deployment or configuration, the NTN-GW supports the connection of RAN equipment on the satellite with one or more core network devices belonging to one operator or more than one core network devices belonging to different operators.

[0037] Although S&F operations are used for delay-tolerant services, the services still have an upper time limit. For example, S&F UEs report sensor data every 12 hours. If the total delay is less than 12 hours, for example, 5 hours of waiting for the next satellite and another 6 hours of waiting for the satellite to connect to the core network on the ground via the NTN-GW (NTN-GW) are acceptable, but if the total delay is greater than 12 hours, it is unacceptable. The UE can know how long it needs to wait for the next satellite, but the UE cannot know the total delay (transmission time). For example, the UE cannot know in advance when the satellite will connect to the NTN-Gateway (GW), and the UE may also not know which NTN-GW the satellite will use (for example, due to traffic load, weather conditions). The UE cannot know whether the NTN-GW to which the satellite is to be connected can support routing to the UE's home network. Due to regulatory reasons or other reasons (for example, lack of agreement), the NTN-GW deployed in country B does not allow the satellite to forward UL data received from the UE in country A to the CN in country B. Therefore, an effective solution is needed to help the UE select the most suitable satellite to send data.

[0038] According to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the NTN device sends information related to the set of NTN devices to the terminal device. The terminal device selects an NTN device from the set of NTN devices based on the information. The terminal device sends data to the selected NTN device. In this way, a long delay can be avoided.

[0039] Figure 1 1 shows an example communication network 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Figure 1 As shown, the communication network 100 may include a terminal device 110. Hereinafter, the terminal device 110 may also be referred to as a UE. The communication network 100 may also include a first NTN device 120-1 and a second NTN device 120-2.

[0040] In some scenarios, the first NTN device 120-1 or the second NTN device 120-2 may be hosted in a satellite. In some example embodiments, the first NTN device 120-1 and the second NTN device 120-2 may be network devices in a radio access network (RAN), which may also be referred to as a BS, gNB, or eNB, and may be on a satellite. The terminal device 110 may communicate with the NTN device 120-1 within the coverage of the NTN device 120-1, for example, the geographic area of ​​the terminal device 110 is served by a satellite beam or cell from the NTN device 120-1. Subsequently, at a different time, the terminal device 110 may communicate with the NTN device 120-2 within the coverage of the NTN device 120-2, for example, the geographic area of ​​the terminal device 110 is served by a satellite beam or cell from the NTN device 120-2.

[0041] The communication network 100 may further include a gateway 130 acting as a router. The gateway 130 may provide a connection between the NTN equipment and the core network.

[0042] In addition, the communication network 100 may further include a core network (CN) device 140. Hereinafter, the CN device 140 may also be referred to as a network function in the CN, such as an access and mobility management function (AMF), or a mobility management entity (MME), or a user plane function (UPF), or a serving gateway (S-GW), or a PDN gateway (P-GW), or a home subscriber server (HSS), etc. The terminal device 110 may communicate with the CN device 140, for example, for communication for performing control plane signaling (e.g., NAS process), or communication of user plane packets between the terminal device 110 and the CN device 140 via the NTN device 120-1 and / or 120-2. The NAS process may be a registration process in a 5G system, or an attachment process in an LTE system, or a service request process, etc. In another example, the connection or communication between the NTN device 120-1 (or 120-2) and the CN device 140 may be based on an S1 interface in an LTE system, or a next generation (NG) interface in a 5G system, or any other control plane interface or user plane interface.

[0043] It should be understood that Figure 1 The number of network devices and terminal devices shown in FIG. 1 is given for illustrative purposes and does not imply any limitation. Communication network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and terminal devices.

[0044] The communication in the communication environment 100 may be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols of the first generation (1G), the second generation (2G), the third generation (3G), the fourth generation (4G), the fifth generation (5G), the sixth generation (6G), etc. indicating narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) and enhanced machine type communication (eMTC), wireless local area network communication protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, etc., and / or any other protocol currently known or developed in the future. In addition, the communication may utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDM), discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) and / or any other technology currently known or developed in the future.

[0045] For example, in Figure 1In the illustrated example communication network 100, the first NTN device 120-1 may not be connected to the terminal device 110 and the CN device 140 all the time or at the same time. When the satellite moves to the geographical area of ​​the terminal device 110, the first NTN device 120-1 can provide cell coverage covering the geographical area 102, and the terminal device 110 can connect to the first NTN device 120-1. However, at the same time, the first NTN device 120-1 may not be connected to the gateway 130 and the CN device 140. At a different time later (or earlier), the first NTN device 120-1 may be connected to the gateway 130, but the first NTN device 120-1 may move out of the geographical area of ​​the terminal device 110 and cannot connect to the terminal device 110. That is, the possibility of UE connectivity and CN connectivity may be at different time instances.

[0046] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] Reference now Figure 2 , which shows a signaling diagram 200 for communication according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 As shown, the signaling diagram 200 involves the terminal device 110, the first NTN device 120-1, the second NTN device 120-2, the gateway 130 and the CN device 140. For the purpose of discussion, reference is made to Figure 1 2. The signaling diagram 200 is described below. By way of example, the first NTN device 120-1 may be a current NTN device, and the second NTN device 120-2 may be a next or subsequent NTN device. The first NTN device 120-1 may have discontinuous connections with the terminal device 110 and the CN device 140.

[0048] The first NTN device 120-1 may provide satellite assistance information to the terminal device 110. For example, the satellite assistance information may include ephemeris information of the first NTN device 120-1 and / or other NTN devices.

[0049] The first NTN device 120-1 sends (2010) information about the set of candidate NTN devices to the terminal device 110. In other words, the terminal device 110 receives information about the set of candidate NTN devices from the first NTN device 120-1. For example, the information may refer to expected payload offload information (EPOI). The set of candidate NTN devices may include any suitable number of candidate NTN devices. For example, the set of candidate NTN devices may include only the first NTN device 120-1. Alternatively, the set of candidate NTN devices may include the first NTN device 120-1 and other NTN devices, such as the second NTN device 120-2. In some example embodiments, the set of candidate NTN devices may not include the first NTN device 120-1. In this way, the terminal device may be helped to select a suitable NTN device, thereby reducing transmission delay.

[0050] In some example embodiments, the information indicates an expected time for each candidate NTN device in the set of candidate NTN devices to connect to the corresponding candidate core network device. For example, the information may indicate an expected time for the first NTN device 120-1 to connect to the CN device 140 via the gateway 130. In some example embodiments, the expected time may be an absolute timing when the NTN device 120-1 connects to the CN device 140. Alternatively, the expected time may be a relative timing, for example, relative to the epoch time of the satellite assistance information. In some other example embodiments, the terminal device 110 may predict the expected time based on the information. For example, the information may include location information of the gateway 130 via which the first NTN device 120-1 connects to the CN device 140. In this case, the terminal device 110 may predict the expected time based on the location information of the RAN device and the location of the gateway.

[0051] Alternatively or additionally, the information indicates information associated with the CN device 140. For example, in one example embodiment, the NTN-GW may only support connecting the NTN device 120-1 to certain CN devices, and the information associated with the CN device may include an identification associated with the CN device 140. For example, the identification may include a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier (ID) that identifies the operator that owns / manages the CN device 140. Alternatively, the identification associated with the CN device 140 may include a non-public network (NPN) identification, or a separate non-public network (SNPN) ID including a PLMN ID and an NID. In some other example embodiments, the identification associated with the CN device 140 may include an identification of an access and mobility management function (AMF). In another example embodiment, if the NTN-GW (e.g., device 130) supports connecting the NTN device 120-1 to any CN device, the information associated with the CN device may have a special value (e.g., "all") indicating that all CN devices are supported. In yet another example embodiment, when the NTN-GW supports connecting the NTN device 120-1 to any CN device, the information associated with the CN device may not exist and does not include an identifier associated with the CN device 140, which implicitly means that the relevant NTN device can be connected to any CN device via the NTN-GW. The information may also indicate usage information, such as memory usage information of each candidate NTN in the set of candidate NTN devices. For example, the usage information or memory usage information may include information related to the load of the cell or the amount of effective load that the cell has carried. The term "identifier associated with the core network" and the term "identifier associated with the core network device" may be used interchangeably.

[0052] For example, as described above, the information may be associated with a plurality of candidate NTN devices. In this case, for each candidate NTN device in the set of candidate NTN devices, the information indicates an expected time for the candidate NTN device to connect with the corresponding CN device, information associated with the CN device, and memory usage information thereof. In other words, the information may include information associated with CN devices that can be supported by the set of candidate NTN devices, a plurality of expected times when the set of NTN devices connects with the corresponding CN device, and memory usage information about the set of candidate NTN devices. By way of example, the information may indicate another expected time when the second NTN device 120-2 connects with another CN device and information associated with the other CN device.

[0053] In some example embodiments, the information may be sent (2010) in dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling. For example, the information may be provided during RRC establishment. In some other example embodiments, the information may be sent (2010) in system information. For example, the information may be provided as part of a system information block (SIB) 32. SIB 32 may be dedicated to discontinuous coverage and may provide satellite assistance information for up to 4 upcoming satellites. Table 1 below shows an example information element (IE) of the information, wherein the information (e.g., named EPOI IE) includes dataOffloadTime indicating the expected time for the satellite to connect to the CN device, a list of supportedPLMNs associated with the CN device connected to the satellite, and a memory usage indication. It should be noted that Table 1 is only an example and not a limitation. Table 1

[0054] The terminal device 110 may select (220) an NTN device to send its data based on the information. For example, the terminal device 110 may determine a subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices from the set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices. In this case, each device in the subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices is connected to a target core network device associated with information supporting an identity selected by the terminal device 110. In some example embodiments, the identity selected by the terminal device 110 may be a PLMN identity. Alternatively, the identity selected by the terminal device 110 may be an NPN identity or an SNPN ID. In some other example embodiments, the identity selected by the terminal device 110 may be an identity of the AMF. In another example embodiment, the information may not include any identity associated with a CN device to which the candidate non-terrestrial network device is connected. This means that the candidate NTN device can be connected to any CN device, which implicitly means that the candidate NTN device can support the identity selected by the terminal device 110. The terminal device 110 may then determine the total transmission delay of each candidate non-terrestrial network device in the subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices. The terminal device 110 may select a candidate non-terrestrial network device having the shortest total transmission delay from the subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices as the target non-terrestrial network device.

[0055] Figure 3 A flow chart of a method 300 for selecting an NTN device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0056] At block 310, the terminal device 110 may check the information associated with the CN devices of each satellite. In an example embodiment, the information associated with the CN devices includes one or more identities associated with the CN devices or has a special value (e.g., "all") indicating support for any / all CN devices. For example, if the NTN-GW can support connecting the NTN device 120-1 to any CN device, the information associated with the CN devices may have a special value (e.g., "all") indicating support for all CN devices. In another example embodiment, the information associated with the CN devices does not exist, which implicitly means that the NTN device can be connected to any CN device. For example, the terminal device 110 may determine whether the identity associated with the CN device connected to the first NTN device 120-1 matches the identity of the terminal device 110. In other words, the terminal device 110 may determine whether the operator of the CN device to which the satellite is to be connected is selected by the terminal device 110, which is identified by the PLMN of the terminal device 110. The terminal device 110 may also determine whether the additional identification (i.e., PLMN) associated with the additional CN connected to the second NTN device 120-2 matches the PLMN of the terminal device 110. In another example embodiment, the information associated with the CN device has a special value (e.g., "all") indicating that any CN device is supported, and the terminal device 110 may determine that the operator of the CN device to which the satellite is to be connected is the one selected by the terminal device 110, which is identified by the PLMN of the terminal device 110. In yet another example, when there is no information related to the CN device for the NTN device / satellite, this implicitly means that the NTN device can be connected to any CN device, and the terminal device 110 determines that the NTN device can be connected to any CN device and supports the PLMN ID selected by the terminal device 110.

[0057] If the IDs associated with the (multiple) CN devices in the information do not include the PLMN ID of the terminal device 110, then at block 320, the terminal device 110 may notify the application layer that the information does not include the PLMN ID of the terminal device 110. For example, the application layer may decide whether to select an NTN device. In an example embodiment, the terminal device 110 may select an NTN device to send UL data / signaling.

[0058] For example, if the information associated with the CN device supports the identification selected by the terminal device 110, the information associated with the CN device connected to the NTN device exists, and the ID associated with the CN device in the information includes the PLMN ID of the terminal device 110, or the information associated with the CN device connected to the NTN device has a special value (e.g., "all"), or the information associated with the CN device connected to the NTN device does not exist, which implicitly means that the CN device supports the PLMN ID of the terminal device 110, the terminal device 110 can determine the total transmission delay at block 330. For example, if the identification associated with the CN device 140 connected to the first NTN device 120-1 matches the PLMN of the terminal device 110, the terminal device 110 can determine the total transmission delay between the terminal device 110 and the CN device 140 based on the expected time when the first NTN device 120-1 is connected to the CN device 140 and the time when the terminal device 110 can send the payload to the first NTN device 120-1. In other words, the total transmission delay includes the delay of the terminal device waiting for the NTN device and the delay of the NTN device waiting to connect to the core network.

[0059] At block 340, the terminal device 110 may determine whether the determined total transmission delay is greater than a delay threshold. For example, the delay threshold may be an upper limit time. The upper limit time may refer to a maximum duration for which data transmission may be postponed. The terminal device 110 may determine whether the total transmission delay between the terminal device 110 and the CN device 140 is greater than the delay threshold.

[0060] If the determined total transmission delay is not greater than the delay threshold, the terminal device 110 may select an NTN device at block 350. For example, if the total transmission delay between the terminal device 110 and the CN device 140 is not greater than the delay threshold, the terminal device 110 may select the first NTN device 120-1 to send its data.

[0061] If the determined total transmission delay is greater than the delay threshold, then at block 360, the terminal device 110 may determine another total transmission delay of another NTN device. For example, the terminal device 110 may determine another total transmission delay between the terminal device 110 and another CN device associated with the NTN 120-2 device based on another expected time for the second NTN device 120-2 to connect to the other CN device and the time when the second NTN device 120-2 serves the terminal device 110. The terminal device 110 may return to block 340 to determine whether another total transmission delay between the terminal device 110 and the CN device 140 is greater than the delay threshold. In this case, if another total transmission delay between the terminal device 110 and the CN device 140 is not greater than the delay threshold, the terminal device 110 may select the second NTN device 120-2 to send its data.

[0062] In some example embodiments, if the total transmission delay of all NTN devices is greater than the delay threshold, the terminal device 110 may provide an indication to the application layer and let the application layer decide whether to select the NTN device. Alternatively, the terminal device 110 may select the NTN device.

[0063] For purposes of illustration, the example embodiments are described in detail.The first NTN device 120-1, being the current NTN device, may serve geographic area #A between 7:00 and 7:10. The first NTN device 120-1 may provide the following information to the terminal device 110 via the SIB or the dedicated RRC: for the current NTN device (i.e., the first NTN device 120-1), the first NTN device 120-1 is connected to the NTN-GW11 / CN device at 20:00, the ID associated with the CN device connected to the NTN-GW11 is PLMN#1, and the first NTN device 120-1 will be connected to the NTN-GW12 / CN device at 21:00, and the ID associated with the CN device connected to the NTN-GW12 is PLMN#3; for the next satellite (e.g., the second NTN device 120-2), the second NTN device 120-2 will serve the geographic area #A from 11:00 to 11:10, and the second NTN device 120-2 will be connected to the NTN-GW21 / CN device at 15:00, and the ID associated with the CN device connected to the NTN-GW21 is PLMN#3; The ID associated with the CN device connected to NTN-GW21 is PLMN#1. The second NTN device 120-2 will be connected to NTN-GW22 / CN device at 8:00 (next day). The ID associated with the CN device connected to NTN-GW22 is PLMN#3. In geographic area #A, there may be terminal device 110 (PLMN#1) and another terminal device ( Figure 1). When the first NTN device 120-1 serves the area during 7:00-7:10, the terminal device 110 and another terminal device can determine which NTN device will be used for mobile source (MO) data. The terminal device 110 has an upper limit time of 12 hours: by checking the ID associated with the CN device, the terminal device 110 finds that the first NTN device 120-1+NTN-GW11 and the second NTN device 120-2+NTN-GW21 can be used. The total delay of using the first NTN device 120-1+NTN-GW11 is 13 hours (for example, the terminal device 110 sends MO data at 7:00 and then forwards the MO data to the CN at 20:00). The total delay of using the second NTN device 120-2+NTN-GW21 is 8 hours (for example, the terminal device 110 waits for the second NTN device 120-2 for 4 hours, the terminal device 110 sends MO data at 11:00 and then forwards the MO data to the CN at 15:00). Therefore, the terminal device 110 selects the second NTN device 120-2 for MO (e.g., the terminal device 110 skips the first NTN device 120-1 after it makes the decision, but the terminal device 110 can still monitor the paging from the first NTN device 120-1). Another terminal device hashes the upper limit time 24 hours: By checking the ID associated with the CN device, the other terminal device finds that the first NTN device 120-1+NTN-GW12 and the second NTN device 120-2+NTN-GW22 can be used. The total delay of using the first NTN device 120-1+NTN-GW12 is 14 hours (e.g., the other terminal device sends MO data at 7:00 and then forwards the MO data to CN at 21:00). The total delay of using the second NTN device 120-2+NTN-GW22 is 25 hours (e.g., the other terminal device waits for SAT2 for 4 hours, the other terminal device sends MO data at 11:00, and then the MO data is forwarded to CN at 8:00 the next day). Thus, other terminal devices select the first NTN device 120 - 1 for the MO.

[0064] Return to reference Figure 2 , if the first NTN device 120-1 is the selected NTN device, the terminal device 110 may send (2030) the data to the first NTN device 120-1. Subsequently, the first NTN device 120-1 may forward the data to the CN device 140 via the gateway 130. Alternatively, if the second NTN device 120-2 is the selected NTN device, the terminal device 110 may send (2040) the data to the second NTN device 120-2. Subsequently, the second NTN device 120-2 may forward the data to the CN device 140 via the gateway 130. It should be understood that the NTN devices may use different gateways.

[0065] In an example embodiment, the first NTN device 120-1 may be the selected NTN device, and the total transmission delay between the first NTN device 120-1 and the CN device 140 is greater than the delay threshold. In this case, the terminal device 110 may send the data and the delay threshold to the first NTN device 120-1. Alternatively, the terminal device 110 may only send the delay threshold to the first NTN device 120-1 to indicate the delay problem. In this case, the first NTN device 120-1 may also forward the received data, the delay threshold, and the actual delay to the CN device 140 via the gateway 130. The operator or CN may take further actions, such as adding more satellites or adjusting the charging rate, etc.

[0066] In some example embodiments, there may be multiple NTN devices that meet the above conditions. In this case, the terminal device 110 may select an NTN device for sending data from the multiple NTN devices based on some other information. For example, if the terminal device 110 determines that the first NTN device 120-1 has less memory usage, the terminal device 110 may select the first NTN device 120-1. This can avoid high loads on specific NTN devices.

[0067] Alternatively, multiple NTN devices (e.g., the first NTN device 120-1 and the second NTN device 120-2) may respectively provide link budget information to the terminal device 110. For example, the terminal device 110 may determine the link budget information based on the ephemeris provided by the multiple NTN devices. In this case, the terminal device 110 may select the NTN device that is expected to have the best link budget (e.g., based on the shortest distance between the NTN device and the terminal device 110), or defer transmission to the NTN device that is closest but within the time limit to allow additional data to be sent in one combined packet (if such additional data is expected to occur).

[0068] Figure 4 A flowchart of an example method 400 implemented at an apparatus according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purpose of discussion, Figure 1 A method 400 for describing a perspective of a terminal device 110 in FIG.

[0069] At box 410, the terminal device 110 receives information related to a set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices from a non-terrestrial network device, wherein the information indicates at least one of the following: an expected time for each candidate non-terrestrial network device in the set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices to connect to a corresponding candidate core network device, information associated with the candidate core network device, and memory usage information of each candidate non-terrestrial network device.

[0070] At block 420 , the terminal device 110 sends the data to a target non-terrestrial network device selected from the set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices based on the information.

[0071] In some example embodiments, the method 400 further includes determining whether the information associated with the core network device connected to the non-terrestrial network device indicated in the information supports the identification selected by the apparatus.

[0072] In some example embodiments, method 400 further includes: determining a total transmission delay between the device and the core network device based on when the non-terrestrial network device serves the device and an expected time for the non-terrestrial network device to connect to the core network device, based on a determination that an identifier associated with the core network device indicated in the information associated with the core network device matches an identifier selected by the device; and determining whether the total transmission delay is greater than a delay threshold.

[0073] In some example embodiments, the method 400 further includes: determining the non-terrestrial network device as a target non-terrestrial network device based on a determination that the total transmission delay is not greater than a delay threshold; and sending the data to the non-terrestrial network device.

[0074] In some example embodiments, method 400 further includes: determining a subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices from the set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices, wherein each candidate non-terrestrial network device in the subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices is connected to a target core network device associated with information supporting an identification selected by the apparatus; determining a total transmission delay for each candidate non-terrestrial network device in the subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices; and selecting a candidate non-terrestrial network device having a shortest total transmission delay in the subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices as the target non-terrestrial network device.

[0075] In some example embodiments, the candidate non-terrestrial network device set further includes another non-terrestrial network device, and the information further indicates at least one of the following: another expected time for the other non-terrestrial network device to connect to the other core network device, and information associated with the other core network device.

[0076] In some example embodiments, the method 400 further comprises determining whether information associated with another core network device supports the identification selected by the apparatus.

[0077] In some example embodiments, method 400 also includes: determining another total transmission delay between the device and another core network device based on when the other non-terrestrial network device serves the device and another expected time for the other non-terrestrial network device to connect to the other core network device, based on a determination that another identifier associated with the other core network device indicated in the information associated with the other core network device matches an identifier selected by the device; and determining whether the other total transmission delay is greater than a delay threshold.

[0078] In some example embodiments, method 400 further includes: determining another non-terrestrial network device as a target non-terrestrial network device based on a determination that the total transmission delay is greater than a delay threshold and another total transmission delay is not greater than the delay threshold; and sending data to the other non-terrestrial network device.

[0079] In some example embodiments, method 400 further includes: in response to a determination that neither the total transmission delay nor another total transmission delay is greater than a delay threshold, selecting a non-terrestrial network device or another non-terrestrial network device for sending data based on at least one of: memory usage information of the non-terrestrial network device and the another non-terrestrial network device, and link budget information of the non-terrestrial network device and the another non-terrestrial network device.

[0080] In some example embodiments, method 400 further includes: sending the data and the delay threshold to the selected non-terrestrial network device based on the determination to send the data to the non-terrestrial network device or another non-terrestrial network device; or sending the delay threshold to the selected non-terrestrial network device.

[0081] In some example embodiments, method 400 further includes: providing an indication to an application layer of the apparatus to select a non-terrestrial network device or another non-terrestrial network device for sending data based on a determination that both the total transmission delay and another total transmission delay are greater than a delay threshold; or selecting a non-terrestrial network device or another non-terrestrial network device for sending data based on the total transmission delay and another total transmission delay.

[0082] In some example embodiments, the information includes one of: an absolute timing of the expected time, a relative timing of the expected time, or location information used to determine the expected time.

[0083] In some example embodiments, the apparatus is a terminal device, and wherein the non-terrestrial network device has a discontinuous connection with the apparatus and its corresponding core network device.

[0084] Figure 5 FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an example method 500 implemented at a second device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes, Figure 1 The method 500 is described from the perspective of the first NTN device 120 - 1 in FIG.

[0085] At block 510, the first NTN device 120-1 sends information related to the set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices to the terminal device 110. The information indicates at least one of the following: expected time for each candidate non-terrestrial network device to connect to the corresponding candidate core network device, information associated with the candidate core network device, and memory usage information of each candidate non-terrestrial network device.

[0086] In some example embodiments, the candidate non-terrestrial network device set further includes another non-terrestrial network device, and the information further indicates at least one of: another expected time for the other non-terrestrial network device to connect to the other core network device, and information associated with the other core network device.

[0087] In some example embodiments, the method 500 further includes: sending at least one of the following to the terminal device: link budget information of the non-terrestrial network device and another non-terrestrial network device.

[0088] In some example embodiments, the method 500 further includes: receiving data from the terminal device; and forwarding the data to the core network device.

[0089] In some example embodiments, the first NTN device 120-1 receives data from the terminal device at block 520. The first NTN device 120-1 may forward the data to the core network device via the radio access network device.

[0090] In some example embodiments, the method 500 further comprises: receiving data and a delay threshold for data transmission from the terminal device; and forwarding the data and the delay threshold to the core network device via the radio access network device.

[0091] In some example embodiments, the first NTN device 120 - 1 may have discontinuous connections with the terminal device and the core network device.

[0092] In some example embodiments, a first device (eg, Figure 1 The terminal device 110 in the embodiment may include components for performing the corresponding operations of the method 400. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit or a software module. The first device may be implemented as or included in Figure 1 In the terminal device 110.

[0093] In some example embodiments, the first device includes: a component for receiving information related to a set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices from a non-terrestrial network device, wherein the information indicates at least one of the following: an expected time for each candidate non-terrestrial network device in the set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices to connect to a corresponding candidate core network device, information associated with the candidate core network device, and memory usage information of each candidate non-terrestrial network device; and a component for sending data to a target non-terrestrial network device selected from the set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices based on the information.

[0094] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus further comprises: means for determining whether information associated with a core network device connected to the non-terrestrial network device indicated in the information supports an identification selected by the apparatus.

[0095] In some example embodiments, the first device also includes: a component for determining a total transmission delay between the device and the core network device based on a determination that an identifier associated with the core network device indicated in the information associated with the core network device matches an identifier selected by the device, based on when the non-terrestrial network device serves the device and an expected time for the non-terrestrial network device to connect to the core network device; and a component for determining whether the total transmission delay is greater than a delay threshold.

[0096] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus further comprises: a component for determining that the non-terrestrial network device is a target non-terrestrial network device based on a determination that the total transmission delay is not greater than a delay threshold; and a component for sending data to the non-terrestrial network device.

[0097] In some example embodiments, the first device also includes: a component for determining a subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices from a set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices, wherein each candidate non-terrestrial network device in the subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices is connected to a target core network device associated with information supporting an identification selected by the device; a component for determining a total transmission delay for each candidate non-terrestrial network device in the subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices; and a component for selecting a candidate non-terrestrial network device with a shortest total transmission delay in the subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices as a target non-terrestrial network device.

[0098] In some example embodiments, the candidate non-terrestrial network device set further includes another non-terrestrial network device, and the information further indicates at least one of the following: another expected time for the other non-terrestrial network device to connect to the other core network device, and information associated with the other core network device.

[0099] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus further comprises means for determining whether information associated with another core network device supports an identification selected by the apparatus.

[0100] In some example embodiments, the first device also includes: a component for determining another total transmission delay between the device and another core network device based on a determination that another identifier associated with the other core network device indicated in the information associated with the other core network device matches an identifier selected by the device, based on when the other non-terrestrial network device serves the device and another expected time for the other non-terrestrial network device to connect to the other core network device; and a component for determining whether the other total transmission delay is greater than a delay threshold.

[0101] In some example embodiments, the first device also includes: a component for determining another non-terrestrial network device as a target non-terrestrial network device based on a determination that the total transmission delay is greater than a delay threshold and another total transmission delay is not greater than the delay threshold; and a component for sending data to the other non-terrestrial network device.

[0102] In some example embodiments, the first device also includes: a component for selecting the non-terrestrial network device or another non-terrestrial network device for sending data based on at least one of the following items: memory usage information of the non-terrestrial network device and the another non-terrestrial network device, and link budget information for the non-terrestrial network device and the another non-terrestrial network device, based on the determination that the total transmission delay and the another total transmission delay are not greater than the delay threshold.

[0103] In some example embodiments, the first device also includes: based on the determination of sending the data to the non-terrestrial network device or another non-terrestrial network device, a component for sending the data and the delay threshold to the selected non-terrestrial network device; or a component for sending the delay threshold to the selected non-terrestrial network device.

[0104] In some example embodiments, the first device also includes: a component for providing an indication to an application layer of the device to select a non-terrestrial network device or another non-terrestrial network device for sending data based on a determination that the total transmission delay and another total transmission delay are both greater than a delay threshold; or a component for selecting a non-terrestrial network device or another non-terrestrial network device for sending data based on the total transmission delay and another total transmission delay.

[0105] In some example embodiments, the information includes one of: an absolute timing of the expected time, a relative timing of the expected time, or location information used to determine the expected time.

[0106] In some example embodiments, the apparatus is a terminal device, and wherein the non-terrestrial network device has a discontinuous connection with the apparatus and its corresponding core network device.

[0107] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus further comprises means for performing the method 400 or other operations in some example embodiments of the terminal device 110. In some example embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the execution of the first apparatus.

[0108] In some example embodiments, a second device (eg, Figure 1The first NTN device 120-1) in the method 500 may include components for performing the corresponding operations of the method 500. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit or a software module. The second device may be implemented as or included in Figure 1 In the first NTN device 120-1.

[0109] In some example embodiments, the second device includes a component for sending information related to a set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices to a terminal device, wherein the information indicates at least one of the following: an expected time for each candidate non-terrestrial network device to connect to a corresponding candidate core network device, information associated with the candidate core network device, and memory usage information of each candidate non-terrestrial network device.

[0110] In some example embodiments, the candidate non-terrestrial network device set further includes another non-terrestrial network device, and the information further indicates at least one of: another expected time for the other non-terrestrial network device to connect to the other core network device, and information associated with the other core network device.

[0111] In some example embodiments, the second apparatus further comprises: means for sending at least one of the following to the terminal device: link budget information of the non-terrestrial network device and another non-terrestrial network device.

[0112] In some example embodiments, the second apparatus further comprises: a component for receiving data from a terminal device and forwarding the data to a core network device.

[0113] In some example embodiments, the second apparatus further comprises: means for receiving data and a delay threshold for data transmission from a terminal device, and forwarding the data and the delay threshold to a core network device.

[0114] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes non-terrestrial network equipment that may have discontinuous connections with terminal equipment and core network equipment.

[0115] In some example embodiments, the second apparatus further comprises means for performing the method 500 or other operations in some example embodiments of the first NTN device 120-1. In some example embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause execution of the second device.

[0116] Figure 6 6 is a simplified block diagram of a device 600 suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 600 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as Figure 1The terminal device 110 or the first NTN device 120 - 1 or the second NTN device 120 - 2 is shown. As shown in the figure, the device 600 includes one or more processors 610 , one or more memories 620 coupled to the processor 610 , and one or more communication modules 640 coupled to the processor 610 .

[0117] The communication module 640 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 640 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communicating with other network elements. In some example embodiments, the communication module 640 may include at least one antenna.

[0118] Processor 610 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network, and may include one or more of the following: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture, as non-limiting examples. Device 600 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips that are time slaved to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0119] The memory 620 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 624, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD), optical disk, laser disk, and other magnetic storage and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 622 and other volatile memories that will not persist during a power outage.

[0120] The computer program 630 includes computer executable instructions executed by the associated processor 610. The instructions of the program 630 may include instructions for performing the operations / actions of some example embodiments of the present disclosure. The program 630 may be stored in a memory, such as ROM 624. The processor 610 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading the program 630 into the RAM 622.

[0121] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by a program 630 so that the device 600 may execute the following steps: Figures 2 to 5 Any process of the present disclosure discussed. Example embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0122] In some exemplary embodiments, the program 630 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be included in the device 600 (such as in the memory 620) or in other storage devices accessible by the device 600. The device 600 may load the program 630 from the computer-readable medium to the RAM 622 for execution. In some exemplary embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. The term "non-transitory" as used herein is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal), not a limitation on data storage persistence (e.g., RAM versus ROM).

[0123] Figure 7 An example of a computer readable medium 700 is shown, which may be in the form of a CD, DVD or other optical storage disk. The computer readable medium 700 has a program 630 stored thereon.

[0124] Generally, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, and other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0125] Some example embodiments of the present disclosure also provide at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium (such as, non-volatile computer-readable medium). The computer program product includes computer executable instructions, such as those computer executable instructions executed in a device on a target physical or virtual processor included in a program module to perform any method as described above. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functionality of a program module can be combined or split between program modules as needed in different embodiments. Machine executable instructions for program modules can be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in local and remote storage media.

[0126] The program code for performing the method of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device so that the program code, when executed by the processor or controller, causes the realization of the functions / operations specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram. The program code can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0127] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer readable media, etc.

[0128] The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices or apparatuses, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer readable storage media will include an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0129] In addition, although the operations are depicted in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring the execution of such operations in the particular order shown or in a sequential order, or the execution of all described operations, to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Unless explicitly stated, certain features described in the context of a separate embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, unless explicitly stated, the different features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0130] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it is to be understood that the present disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A device for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: receiving information related to a set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices from a non-terrestrial network device, wherein the information indicates at least one of: an expected time for each candidate non-terrestrial network device in the set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices to connect with a corresponding candidate core network device, information associated with the candidate core network device, and memory usage information for each candidate non-terrestrial network device; as well as The data is sent to a target non-terrestrial network device selected from the set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices based on the information.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to: Determine whether the information associated with the core network device connected to the non-terrestrial network device indicated in the information supports the identification selected by the apparatus.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to: Based on a determination that an identifier associated with the core network device indicated in the information associated with the core network device matches the identifier selected by the apparatus, determining a total transmission delay between the device and the core network device based on when the non-terrestrial network device serves the device and the expected time for the non-terrestrial network device to connect with the core network device; and It is determined whether the total transmission delay is greater than a delay threshold.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the apparatus is configured to: Determining that the non-terrestrial network device is the target non-terrestrial network device based on a determination that the total transmission delay is not greater than the delay threshold; and The data is sent to the non-terrestrial network device.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to: determining a subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices from the set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices, wherein each candidate non-terrestrial network device in the subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices is connected to a target core network device associated with information supporting an identification selected by the apparatus; determining a total transmission delay for each candidate non-terrestrial network device in the subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices; as well as A candidate non-terrestrial network device having a shortest total transmission delay is selected from the subset of candidate non-terrestrial network devices as the target non-terrestrial network device.

6. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices also includes another non-terrestrial network device, and the information further indicates at least one of the following: another expected time for the other non-terrestrial network device to connect to another core network device, and information associated with the other core network device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the apparatus is configured to: Determine whether the information associated with the other core network device supports the identification selected by the apparatus.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the apparatus is configured to: Based on a determination that another identification associated with the other core network device indicated in the information associated with the other core network device matches the identification selected by the apparatus, determining another total transmission delay between the apparatus and the another core network device based on when the another non-terrestrial network device serves the apparatus and the another expected time for the another non-terrestrial network device to connect with the another core network device; and A determination is made as to whether the another total transmission delay is greater than the delay threshold.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus is caused to: Determining the other non-terrestrial network device as the target non-terrestrial network device based on a determination that the total transmission delay is greater than the delay threshold and the other total transmission delay is not greater than the delay threshold; and The data is sent to the other non-terrestrial network device.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus is caused to: In accordance with a determination that both the total transmission delay and the another total transmission delay are not greater than the delay threshold, selecting the non-terrestrial network device or the another non-terrestrial network device for sending the data based on at least one of the following: memory usage information of the non-terrestrial network device and the other non-terrestrial network device, and link budget information of the non-terrestrial network device and the another non-terrestrial network device.

11. The device according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the device is configured to: According to the determination to send the data to the non-terrestrial network device or the other non-terrestrial network device, sending the data and the delay threshold to the selected non-terrestrial network device; or The delay threshold is sent to the selected non-terrestrial network device.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus is caused to: Based on the determination that the total transmission delay and the another total transmission delay are both greater than the delay threshold, providing an indication to an application layer of the apparatus to select the non-terrestrial network device or the other non-terrestrial network device for transmitting the data; or Based on the total transmission delay and the further total transmission delay, the non-terrestrial network device or the further non-terrestrial network device is selected for transmitting the data.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the information comprises one of the following: the absolute timing of said expected time, the relative timing of said expected time, or The location information is used to determine the expected time.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the apparatus is a terminal device, and The non-terrestrial network equipment has a discontinuous connection with the apparatus and its corresponding core network equipment.

15. An apparatus for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: Information related to a set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices is sent to a terminal device, wherein the information indicates at least one of the following: an expected time for each candidate non-terrestrial network device to connect to a corresponding candidate core network device, information associated with the candidate core network device, and memory usage information of each candidate non-terrestrial network device.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the candidate non-terrestrial network device set further includes another non-terrestrial network device, and the information further indicates at least one of the following: another expected time for the another non-terrestrial network device to connect to another core network device, and information associated with the another core network device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is caused to: Send at least one of the following to the terminal device: link budget information of the non-terrestrial network device and the another non-terrestrial network device.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the apparatus is configured to: receiving data from the terminal device; and The data is forwarded to the core network device.

19. The apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the apparatus is configured to: receiving data from the terminal device and a delay threshold for data transmission; and The data and the delay threshold are forwarded to the core network device.

20. The apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the apparatus comprises a non-terrestrial network device having a discontinuous connection with the terminal device and the core network device.

21. A method for communication, comprising: receiving, at the apparatus, information related to a set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices from a non-terrestrial network device, wherein the information indicates at least one of: an expected time for each candidate non-terrestrial network device in the set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices to connect with a corresponding candidate core network device, information associated with the candidate core network device, and memory usage information for each candidate non-terrestrial network device; as well as The data is sent to a target non-terrestrial network device selected from the set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices based on the information.

22. A method for communication, comprising: Information related to a set of candidate non-terrestrial network devices is sent to a terminal device at an apparatus, wherein the information indicates at least one of the following: an expected time for each candidate non-terrestrial network device to connect to a corresponding candidate core network device, information associated with the candidate core network device, and memory usage information of each candidate non-terrestrial network device.

Images