A movable reflector antenna system and device for satellite equipment

Abstract

The present invention provides a movable reflector antenna system and device for satellite equipment, belonging to the field of communication technology, which is used to ensure the reliability of ground communication in the scenario of satellite DU. The system is configured as follows: the satellite DU determines multiple CUs sharing the satellite DU in the current period, and the multiple CUs are arranged on the ground; the satellite DU determines the target movable angle range of the reflector antenna device facing the ground direction according to the multiple CUs; within the time of the current period, the satellite DU adjusts the angle of the reflector antenna device facing the ground direction according to the target movable angle range. When the satellite DU moves relative to the ground, the angle of the reflector antenna device facing the ground direction changes within the target movable angle range, so that the signal reception range of the reflector antenna device always covers the multiple CUs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of communication technologies, and particularly to a movable reflector antenna system and device for satellite equipment. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of information technologies, satellite communication, as an important long-distance communication means, plays an important role in the fields of military, aviation, meteorology, radio and television, etc. Traditional satellite communication mainly relies on the direct communication link between the ground station and the satellite, but this method has certain limitations, such as limited coverage range and serious signal attenuation. To overcome these problems, researchers have proposed a new communication mode with the satellite as the base station. This mode receives and forwards the ground signals through the reflector antenna of the satellite, so as to achieve a wider coverage and higher communication efficiency.

[0003] The basic principle of satellite communication is to use the satellite in the geosynchronous orbit or low orbit as a relay station, receive the signals sent by the ground transmitting station, process them and then retransmit them to the ground receiving station. This communication method has the advantages of wide coverage range, long transmission distance and small signal attenuation. Among them, the reflector antenna is one of the key devices in satellite communication. It focuses the electromagnetic waves on the ground, improves the receiving sensitivity of the signals, and thus achieves a high-gain communication effect.

[0004] In addition, the distributed unit (DU) is a new type of communication device, mainly used to realize the virtualization and serviceization of network functions. In satellite communication, the distributed unit with the satellite as the base station can realize the direct communication between the satellite and the ground users. This mode can not only improve the reliability of communication, but also reduce the cost of construction and maintenance of the ground station. In addition, through the distributed unit with the satellite as the base station, high-speed and broadband services for ground users can be realized, meeting the requirements of modern communication networks for bandwidth and latency.

[0005] In summary, in the case of the satellite as the DU, that is, the satellite DU, how to further improve the reliability of the communication between the reflector antenna of the satellite and the ground is the current research issue. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present invention provide a movable reflector antenna system and device for satellite equipment, so as to ensure the reliability of communication with the ground in the scenario of the satellite DU.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] In a first aspect, a movable reflector antenna system for a satellite device is provided. The system includes a satellite DU and a reflector antenna device disposed on the satellite DU. The system is configured as follows: The satellite DU determines multiple CUs that share the satellite DU during the current period, and the multiple CUs are disposed on the ground; the satellite DU determines a target movable angle range of the reflector antenna device in the ground direction based on the multiple CUs; within the time of the current period, the satellite DU adjusts the angle of the reflector antenna device in the ground direction according to the target movable angle range. When the satellite DU moves relative to the ground, the angle of the reflector antenna device in the ground direction varies within the target movable angle range, so that the signal reception range of the reflector antenna device always covers the multiple CUs.

[0009] Optionally, the satellite DU determines multiple CUs that share the satellite DU during the current period, including: when the previous period is about to end and the next period is about to start, the satellite DU determines a target CU group corresponding to the next period according to the correspondence between the period and the CU group in the pre-configured information. The next period is the current period, and the target CU group corresponding to the next period is the CU group that shares the satellite DU during the next period, and the target CU group includes multiple CUs.

[0010] Optionally, the satellite DU determines a target movable angle range of the reflector antenna device in the ground direction based on the multiple CUs, including: the satellite DU determines the target movable angle range corresponding to the target CU group according to the correspondence between the movable angle range of the reflector antenna device in the ground direction and the CU group in the pre-configured information.

[0011] Optionally, the reflector antenna device is movably disposed on the base plane of the satellite DU. Taking the movable point of the reflector antenna device on the base plane as the origin of the space coordinate system, the spatial plane angle formed by the spatial vector (x1, y1, z1) and the spatial vector (x2, y2, z2) in the space coordinate system is the target movable angle range.

[0012] Optionally, the system is further configured as follows: within the time of the current period, the satellite DU receives encrypted control information from a target CU among the multiple CUs through the reflector antenna device; the satellite DU decrypts the encrypted control information according to the target CU among the multiple CUs and the key of the CU associated with the target CU to obtain plaintext control information; the satellite DU processes the plaintext control information.

[0013] Optionally, multiple CUs are divided into multiple CU subsets, each of the multiple CU subsets contains at least two CUs of the multiple CUs, and any two CU subsets of the multiple CU subsets contain different CUs; the satellite DU decrypts the encrypted control information according to the key of the target CU and the CUs associated with the target CU among the multiple CUs to obtain the plaintext control information, including: the satellite DU determines the target CU subset where the target CU is located among the multiple CU subsets; the satellite DU derives the current security key of the target CU using the root key of each DU in the target CU subset; the satellite DU uses the current security key of the target CU to decrypt the encrypted control information to obtain the plaintext control information.

[0014] Optionally, the target CU subset includes N CUs, N is an integer greater than 1, and the index of the target CU indicates that the target CU is the k-th CU in the target CU subset, k is an integer taking values from 1 to N; the satellite DU derives the current security key of the target CU using the root key of each DU in the target CU subset, including: the satellite DU determines whether the satellite DU has a key for communicating with the target CU, or whether the key for communicating between the satellite DU and the target CU needs to be updated; if the satellite DU does not have a key for communicating with the target CU, or the key for communicating between the satellite DU and the target CU needs to be updated, then when k is less than N, the satellite DU uses the count value of the counter of the (k + 1)-th CU in the target CU subset and the root keys of the N CUs as input parameters, and derives the current security key of the target CU through the key derivation algorithm KDF; or when k is equal to N, the satellite DU uses the count value of the counter of the 1st CU in the target CU subset and the root keys of the N CUs as input parameters, and derives the current security key of the target CU through KDF; wherein, the count value of the counter of each CU among the N CUs is incremented by 1 after the security key of the CU is updated once.

[0015] Optionally, the target CU group includes M CUs, M is an integer greater than 1, and the satellite DU decrypts the encrypted control information according to the key of the target CU and the CUs associated with the target CU among the multiple CUs to obtain the plaintext control information, including: the satellite DU determines at least one CU in the target CU group whose index is related to the target CU; the satellite DU derives the current security key of the target CU using the root key of the target CU and the at least one CU respectively; the satellite DU uses the current security key of the target CU to decrypt the encrypted control information to obtain the plaintext control information.

[0016] Optionally, the index of the target CU indicates that the target CU is the p-th CU in the target CU group, where p is an integer ranging from 1 to M; the satellite DU determines at least one CU in the target CU group whose index is related to the target CU, including: when p is less than M, the satellite DU determines that the (p + 1)-th CU in the target CU group is the CU related to the target CU; when p is equal to M, the satellite DU determines that the 1st CU in the target CU group is the CU related to the target CU; correspondingly, the satellite DU derives the current security key of the target CU by using the root keys of the target CU and at least one CU respectively. When p is less than M, the satellite DU takes the count value of the counter of the (p + 1)-th CU in the target CU group, and the root keys of the target CU and the (p + 1)-th CU as input parameters, and derives the current security key of the target CU through KDF; or when p is equal to M, the satellite DU takes the count value of the counter of the 1st CU in the target CU group, and the root keys of the target CU and the 1st CU as input parameters, and derives the current security key of the target CU through KDF; where the count value of the counter of each of the M CUs is incremented by 1 after the security key of the CU is updated once.

[0017] Optionally, the satellite DU is a DU of a low-earth orbit satellite or a medium-earth orbit satellite.

[0018] In a second aspect, a movable reflector antenna device for a satellite device is provided. The reflector antenna device is movably disposed on the satellite DU, and the satellite DU is the satellite DU in the system described in the first aspect.

[0019] In a third aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, including: a computer program or instruction; when the computer program or instruction runs on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method described in the first aspect.

[0020] In a fourth aspect, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program or instruction, when the computer program or instruction runs on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method described in the first aspect.

[0021] In summary, since multiple CUs are set on the ground, the signal range of the satellite DU can theoretically cover these multiple CUs, so they can be shared by these multiple CUs. Since the satellite DU is moving relative to the ground, it is possible to determine the multiple CUs sharing the satellite DU within the current period in units of the period, and determine the target movable angle range of the reflector antenna device in the direction of the ground within the period, so that when the satellite DU moves relative to the ground, the angle of the reflector antenna device in the direction of the ground changes within the target movable angle range, and the signal reception range of the reflector antenna device always covers multiple CUs, thereby ensuring the reliability between the satellite DU and multiple CUs. Description of the Drawings

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the NTN architecture;

[0023] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the system provided by the embodiments of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the scenario of the system provided by the embodiments of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0026] 1. Non-terrestrial networks (NTN) communication:

[0027] NTN communication can use devices such as drones and high-altitude platforms to form a network to provide services such as data transmission and voice communication for user equipment (UE). Taking the satellite in a high-altitude platform station (HAPS) as an example, the satellite is generally at a height of 8 kilometers (km) - 50 km from the ground. According to the orbital altitude of the satellite, it can be divided into the following three types: geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites, also known as geosynchronous orbit satellites, medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites, and low earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

[0028] The orbital altitude of a GEO satellite is 35,786 km. Its main advantages are that it can remain stationary relative to the ground and provide a large coverage area. However, GEO satellites also have corresponding disadvantages: 1) The orbital distance of GEO satellites from the Earth is relatively far, resulting in large free-space propagation losses, which causes a tight communication link budget. To increase the transmit / receive gain, it is necessary to equip the satellite with a larger-aperture antenna; 2) The communication transmission delay is large, and the round-trip delay can reach about 500 milliseconds (ms), which cannot meet the requirements of real-time services; 3) The orbital resources are relatively tight, the launch cost is high, and it cannot provide coverage for the polar regions of the Earth. The orbital altitude of MEO satellites is in the range of 2,000 km - 35,786 km. The advantage is that global coverage can be achieved with a relatively small number of satellites. However, its orbital altitude is higher than that of LEO, and the transmission delay is still relatively large compared to LEO satellite communication. Therefore, MEO satellites are mainly used for positioning and navigation. The orbital altitude of LEO satellites is in the range of 300 km - 2,000 km. LEO satellites have a lower orbital altitude than MEO and GEO satellites, and have the advantages of small data propagation delay, small transmission loss, and relatively low launch cost. Therefore, LEO satellite communication has also received extensive attention in recent years.

[0029] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the architecture of NTN communication in the regeneration mode, as Figure 2 shown, the satellite has data processing capabilities and has the functions of a base station or some base station functions. That is to say, the satellite can be understood as a base station. At this time, the UE can access the satellite, thereby realizing communication with the data network (DN) through the core network (CN).

[0030] It can be seen that NTN communication can achieve the interconnection between the satellite and the CN through the defined interface between the base station and the CN, and can also achieve higher-timeliness assistance and interconnection between satellites through the defined interface between base stations. Among them, in the new radio (NR) system, that is, the 5G system, the interface between base stations is called the Xn interface, and the interface between the base station and the core network is called the NG interface.

[0031] The present invention will present various aspects, embodiments, or features around a system that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and clear that each system may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the drawings. In addition, combinations of these solutions can also be used.

[0032] In the embodiments of the present invention, "indication" may include direct indication and indirect indication, and may also include explicit indication and implicit indication. If the information indicated by a certain piece of information (such as the first indication information, the second indication information, or the third indication information below) is called the information to be indicated, then in the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated. For example, but not limited to, the information to be indicated can be directly indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or the index of the information to be indicated, etc. It is also possible to indirectly indicate the information to be indicated by indicating other information, where there is an association relationship between the other information and the information to be indicated. It is also possible to only indicate a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts of the information to be indicated are known or pre-agreed. For example, it is also possible to use the arrangement order of each piece of information pre-agreed (such as stipulated in the protocol) to implement the indication of specific information, thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent. At the same time, it is also possible to identify the common parts of each piece of information and indicate them uniformly to reduce the indication overhead caused by separately indicating the same information.

[0033] In addition, the specific indication method can also be various existing indication methods, such as, but not limited to, the above-mentioned indication methods and their various combinations, etc. The specific details of various indication methods can refer to the prior art and will not be elaborated herein. As can be seen from the above, for example, when it is necessary to indicate multiple pieces of information of the same type, there may be a situation where the indication methods of different pieces of information are different. In the specific implementation process, the required indication method can be selected according to specific needs. The embodiments of the present invention do not limit the selected indication method. In this way, the indication methods involved in the embodiments of the present invention should be understood to cover various methods that can enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated.

[0034] It should be understood that the information to be indicated can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information and sent separately, and the sending periods and / or sending times of these sub-information can be the same or different. The specific sending method is not limited in the embodiments of the present invention. Among them, the sending periods and / or sending times of these sub-information can be predefined, such as predefined according to the protocol, or can be configured by the sending device by sending configuration information to the receiving device.

[0035] "Pre - defined" or "pre - configured" can be achieved by pre - storing corresponding codes, tables or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device. The embodiments of the present invention do not limit the specific implementation methods thereof. Among them, "storage" can refer to storage in one or more memories. The one or more memories can be separately provided, or integrated in an encoder, a decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The one or more memories can also be partially separately provided and partially integrated in a decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and the embodiments of the present invention do not limit this.

[0036] The "protocol" involved in the embodiments of the present invention can refer to a protocol family in the communication field, a standard protocol with a frame structure similar to that of a protocol family, or a relevant protocol applied to future communication systems. The embodiments of the present invention do not make specific limitations on this.

[0037] In the embodiments of the present invention, descriptions such as "when...", "in the case of...", "if", and "when" all refer to the device making corresponding processing under a certain objective situation, which does not limit time, and does not require the device to have a judgment action during implementation, nor does it mean there are other limitations.

[0038] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, " / " indicates that the objects associated before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B may represent A or B. The "and / or" in the embodiments of the present invention is merely 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 simultaneously, and B exists alone. Here, A and B can be singular or plural. Also, in the description of the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "a plurality of" means two or more than two. "At least one (item)" or its similar expression refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of a single item or plural items. For example, at least one (item) of a, b, and c, or at least one (item) of a, b, or c, can represent: a, b, c, a - b, a - c, b - c, or a - b - c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. Additionally, for the convenience of clearly describing the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, in the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish the same items or similar items with basically the same functions and roles. Those skilled in the art can understand that terms such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and "first", "second", etc. do not necessarily mean different. At the same time, in the embodiments of the present invention, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to represent examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design solution described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as being more preferred or having more advantages than other embodiments or design solutions. Exactly, using words such as "exemplary" or "for example" aims to present relevant concepts in a specific way for easy understanding.

[0039] The network architecture and service scenarios described in the embodiments of the present invention are for more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and do not constitute a limitation to the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present invention. As known to those of ordinary skill in the art, with the evolution of the network architecture and the emergence of new service scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present invention are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0040] To facilitate the understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, first, a satellite - terrestrial communication system applicable to the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail using the system Figure 2 shown in... as an example. Exemplarily, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a satellite - terrestrial communication system applicable to the method provided by the embodiments of the present invention.

[0041] The satellite - terrestrial communication system may include: radio access network (RAN) equipment.

[0042] A RAN device can be a device that provides access for terminals. For example, a RAN device can include: A RAN device can also include 5G, such as a gNB in a new radio (NR) system, or one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in 5G, or it can also be a network node that constitutes a gNB, a transmission and reception point (TRP) or a transmission point (TP), or a transmission measurement function (TMF), such as a building base band unit (BBU), or a centralized unit (CU) or a distributed unit (DU), an RSU with base station functions, or a wired access gateway, or a core network element of 5G. Or, a RAN device can also include an access point (AP) in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small stations), relay stations, access points, wearable devices, vehicle-mounted devices, and so on. Or, a RAN device can also include a next-generation mobile communication system, such as an access network device of 6G, such as a 6G base station, or in a next-generation mobile communication system, this network device can also have other naming methods, all of which are covered by the protection scope of the embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention makes no limitation thereto.

[0043] Specifically, a RAN device can be a baseband unit (BBU) and a radio unit (RU), etc. The BBU and the RU can be co-located or not. The BBU includes a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU), and they communicate through a midhaul link. The BBU communicates with the core network through a backhaul link, the DU communicates with the RU through a fronthaul link, and the RU communicates with at least one UE through the air interface. The integrated DU includes the functions of the above-mentioned DU and RU.

[0044] As Figure 2 shown, the satellite-ground communication system of the embodiments of the present invention can be applied to Figure 1The scenario shown, where the CU can be deployed on the ground and the DU can be deployed on a satellite, is also known as a satellite DU. The satellite DU can be the DU of a low-earth orbit satellite or a medium-earth orbit satellite. The signal of a single satellite DU can cover multiple CUs on the ground. Therefore, it can also be considered that multiple CUs share this satellite DU, or share the use of this satellite DU. As the satellite DU moves relative to the ground, the coverage area of its signal also moves accordingly, causing changes in the CUs sharing this satellite DU.

[0045] In response to this, a system can be designed that includes this satellite DU and a reflector antenna device installed on the satellite DU, such as a movable reflector antenna system for satellite equipment. The reflector antenna device can be a reflector antenna with multi-polarization units, capable of generating beams in different pointing directions.

[0046] As Figure 3 shown, the reflector antenna device can be installed on the satellite DU through movable components. For example, it includes a base 31 installed on the satellite DU that can rotate horizontally and a rotating arm 32 installed on the base 31 that can adjust the pitch angle of the reflector antenna device. The rotating arm 32 can adjust the pitch angle of the reflector antenna device along a fixed direction. By coordinating with the rotation of the base 31, flexible adjustment of the pointing direction of the reflector antenna device can be achieved.

[0047] The following provides a detailed introduction to the movable reflector antenna system for satellite equipment.

[0048] The system is configured as follows:

[0049] S1: The satellite DU determines multiple CUs that share the satellite DU in the current period.

[0050] Multiple CUs are installed on the ground.

[0051] Among them, when the previous period is about to end and the next period is about to start, the satellite DU can determine the target CU group corresponding to the next period based on the correspondence between the period and the CU group in the pre-configured information. The next period is the current period, and the target CU group corresponding to the next period is the CU group that shares the satellite DU in the next period. The target CU group includes multiple CUs.

[0052] The duration of one orbit of satellite DU around the Earth is divided into multiple periods. During each period, satellite DU moves along a predetermined orbit. The length of the period is set such that the distance of the predetermined orbit satisfies the requirement that the reflector antenna device can still cover multiple CU settings at the extreme angles. That is, at the starting and ending positions of the predetermined orbit of the satellite, the reflector antenna device can still cover multiple CU settings at the extreme angles. After moving to the next predetermined orbit, the reflector antenna device cannot cover these multiple CU settings at the extreme angles, but needs to cover the corresponding CUs in the next period.

[0053] The pre-configured information may include a CU group corresponding to each period in multiple periods, with a total of multiple CU groups. Each CU group contains multiple CUs. Each CU in each CU group has a unique index within the CU group. A CU can be uniquely indicated by the identifier of the CU group and the index of the CU within the CU group. For example, the identifier of CU group #1 is id1, and the indexes within CU group #1 are CU#1, CU#2, CU#3 respectively. The identifier of CU group #2 is id2, and the indexes within CU group #2 are CU#1, CU#2, CU#3 respectively. Thus, the first CU in CU group #1 can be indicated by CU#1 and id1. Similarly, the third CU in CU group #2 can be indicated by CU#3 and id2.

[0054] S2: Satellite DU determines the target movable angle range of the reflector antenna device facing the ground direction based on multiple CUs.

[0055] S3: During the time of the current period, satellite DU adjusts the angle of the reflector antenna device facing the ground direction according to the target movable angle range.

[0056] Satellite DU determines the target movable angle range corresponding to the target CU group according to the corresponding relationship between the movable angle range of the reflector antenna device facing the ground direction and the CU group in the pre-configured information.

[0057] Among them, since the movable setting of the reflector antenna device is on the base plane of satellite DU, taking the movable point of the reflector antenna device on the base plane (or a certain position of the above-mentioned rotating arm 32 or base 31) as the origin of the space coordinate system, the included angle of the space plane formed by the space vector (x1, y1, z1) and the space vector (x2, y2, z2) in the space coordinate system is the target movable angle range. For example, as Figure 3As shown, the origin of the space coordinate system is the articulation point on the rotating arm 32 that can be adjusted in pitch. The plane formed by the x and y axes is parallel to the plane of the base 31, and the z-axis direction is perpendicular to the plane of the base 31. The target movable angle range is the included angle between vector A and vector B, indicating that the reflector antenna device can perform pitch adjustment on the plane formed by vector A and vector B, at the included angle between vector A and vector B, or in Figure 3 the adjustment direction shown. The adjustment direction can be such that at the start of the current cycle, the direction of the reflector antenna device points in the direction of vector A, and then within the current cycle, it is gradually adjusted along the adjustment direction towards the direction of vector A, and finally at the start of the current cycle, the direction of the reflector antenna device is adjusted to point in the direction of vector B. Thus, in the case where the satellite DU moves relative to the ground, the angle of the reflector antenna device facing the ground direction varies within the target movable angle range, so that the signal reception range of the reflector antenna device always covers multiple CUs, ensuring that it can always be shared by the multiple CUs within this cycle.

[0058] Optionally, since the links between the multiple CUs and the satellite DU are wireless links, the communication between the multiple CUs and the satellite DU also needs to be securely protected within this current cycle. For example, the system is further configured as:

[0059] S4: During the time of the current cycle, the satellite DU receives encrypted control information from the target CU among the multiple CUs through the reflector antenna device.

[0060] S5: The satellite DU decrypts the encrypted control information according to the key of the target CU among the multiple CUs and the CUs associated with the target CU to obtain the plaintext control information.

[0061] Method 1:

[0062] The multiple CUs are divided into multiple CU subsets. Each CU subset contains at least two CUs among the multiple CUs, and any two CU subsets among the multiple CU subsets contain different CUs, which can be specifically indicated in the pre-configured information. On this basis, the satellite DU determines the target CU subset where the target CU among the multiple CU subsets is located. The satellite DU derives the current security key of the target CU using the root key of each DU in the target CU subset.

[0063] For example, the target CU subset includes N CUs, where N is an integer greater than 1. The index of the target CU indicates that the target CU is the k-th CU in the target CU subset, and k is an integer ranging from 1 to N. The satellite DU determines whether it has the key used for communication with the target CU, or whether the key used for communication between the satellite DU and the target CU needs to be updated. If the satellite DU does not have the key used for communication with the target CU, or the key used for communication between the satellite DU and the target CU needs to be updated, then when k is less than N, the satellite DU uses the count value of the counter of the (k + 1)-th CU in the target CU subset and the root keys of each of the N CUs as input parameters, and derives the current security key of the target CU through the key derivation function (KDF). Or when k is equal to N, the satellite DU uses the count value of the counter of the 1st CU in the target CU subset and the root keys of each of the N CUs as input parameters, and derives the current security key of the target CU through the KDF. Among them, the count value of the counter of each CU in the N CUs is incremented by 1 after the security key of the CU is updated once.

[0064] That is to say, the key derivation uses the keys of different CUs, and the count values used for derivation are also updated periodically, so that within different periods, the security keys used for communication between the same CU and the satellite DU can be different, thus further ensuring communication security. For the same CU, the security key is used to communicate with the satellite DU during the time when the security key of the CU is valid (which can also be understood as a period), and after it expires (which can also be understood as the next period), a new security key needs to be derived according to the above method.

[0065] The satellite DU uses the current security key of the target CU to decrypt the encrypted control information to obtain the plaintext control information.

[0066] Method 2:

[0067] The target CU group includes M CUs, where M is an integer greater than 1. On this basis, the satellite DU determines at least one CU in the target CU group whose index is related to the target CU. The satellite DU uses the root keys of the target CU and each of the at least one CU to derive the current security key of the target CU. For example, the index of the target CU indicates that the target CU is the p-th CU in the target CU group, and p is an integer ranging from 1 to M. When p is less than M, the satellite DU determines that the (p + 1)-th CU in the target CU group is the CU related to the target CU; when p is equal to M, the satellite DU determines that the 1st CU in the target CU group is the CU related to the target CU.

[0068] Correspondingly, when p is less than M, the satellite DU uses the count value of the counter of the (p + 1)-th CU in the target CU group, and the respective root keys of the target CU and the (p + 1)-th CU as input parameters, and derives the current security key of the target CU through KDF; or when p is equal to M, the satellite DU uses the count value of the counter of the 1st CU in the target CU group, and the respective root keys of the target CU and the 1st CU as input parameters, and derives the current security key of the target CU through KDF. Among them, the count value of the counter of each of the M CUs is incremented by 1 after the security key of the CU is updated once.

[0069] The satellite DU uses the current security key of the target CU to decrypt the encrypted control information to obtain the plaintext control information.

[0070] It can be seen that the logic of Method 2 is similar to that of Method 1. The difference is that Method 2 does not divide subsets, and the implementation is simpler. In addition, in Method 2, since the key derivation uses the keys of different CUs, and the count values used for derivation are also updated periodically, the security keys used by the same CU to communicate with the satellite DU can be different in different periods, thereby further ensuring communication security. For the same CU, the security key is used to communicate with the satellite DU during the time when the security key of the CU is valid (which can also be understood as a period), and a new security key needs to be derived according to the above method after it expires (which can also be understood as the next period).

[0071] S5: The satellite DU processes the plaintext control information.

[0072] After the satellite DU processes the plaintext control information, it can perform corresponding operations according to the instructions of the control information, such as access control, beam measurement, etc., without specific limitations.

[0073] It can be understood that the encryption logic of the CU is the same as the decryption logic of the satellite DU. The difference lies in that it is the reverse process of the satellite DU decryption. It can be understood by referring to the satellite DU decryption and will not be elaborated here.

[0074] In summary, since multiple CUs are set on the ground, the signal range of the satellite DU can theoretically cover these multiple CUs, so they can be shared by these multiple CUs. Since the satellite DU is moving relative to the ground, the multiple CUs sharing the satellite DU in the current period can be determined in units of the period, and the target movable angle range of the reflecting surface antenna device in the ground direction in this period can be determined, so that when the satellite DU moves relative to the ground, the angle of the reflecting surface antenna device in the ground direction changes within the target movable angle range, and the signal reception range of the reflecting surface antenna device always covers multiple CUs, thereby ensuring the reliability between the satellite DU and multiple CUs.

[0075] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Exemplarily, the electronic device may be a terminal device, or a chip (system) or other components or assemblies that can be disposed in the terminal device. As Figure 4 shown, the electronic device 400 may include a processor 401. Optionally, the electronic device 400 may further include a memory 402 and / or a transceiver 403. Among them, the processor 401 is coupled to the memory 402 and the transceiver 403, and may be connected through a communication bus, for example. In addition, the electronic device 400 may also be a chip, such as including a processor 401. At this time, the transceiver may be an input / output interface of the chip.

[0076] The following Figure 4 introduces each component of the electronic device 400 in detail:

[0077] Among them, the processor 401 is the control center of the electronic device 400, and may be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, the processor 401 is one or more central processing units (CPUs), or may be an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of the present invention, for example: one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0078] Optionally, the processor 401 may execute various functions of the electronic device 400 by running or executing software programs stored in the memory 402 and calling data stored in the memory 402, for example, executing the functions of the satellite DU in the system shown above Figure 3 shown.

[0079] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 401 may include one or more CPUs, such as Figure 4 the CPU0 and CPU1 shown in

[0080] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the electronic device 400 may also include multiple processors. Each of these processors may be a single-core processor (single-CPU) or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). Here, the processor may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (such as computer programs or instructions).

[0081] Among them, the memory 402 is used to store the software program for implementing the solution of the present invention and is controlled by the processor 401 for execution. The specific implementation manner can refer to the above method embodiments and will not be elaborated here.

[0082] Optionally, the memory 402 can be a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or other optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), a magnetic storage medium or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory 402 can be integrated with the processor 401 or exist independently and is coupled to the processor 401 through the interface circuit of the electronic device 400 ( Figure 4 not shown in the figure), and the embodiments of the present invention do not make specific limitations on this.

[0083] The transceiver 403 is used for communication with other electronic devices. For example, if the electronic device 400 is a terminal device, the transceiver 403 can be used for communication with a network device or with another terminal device. Another example is that if the electronic device 400 is a network device, the transceiver 403 can be used for communication with a terminal device or with another network device.

[0084] Optionally, the transceiver 403 can include a receiver and a transmitter ( Figure 4 not shown separately in the figure). Among them, the receiver is used to implement the receiving function, and the transmitter is used to implement the sending function.

[0085] Optionally, the transceiver 403 can be integrated with the processor 401 or exist independently and is coupled to the processor 401 through the interface circuit of the electronic device 400 ( Figure 4 not shown in the figure), and the embodiments of the present invention do not make specific limitations on this.

[0086] It can be understood that Figure 4 the structure of the electronic device 400 shown in the figure does not constitute a limitation on the electronic device. The actual electronic device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0087] In addition, the technical effects of the electronic device 400 may refer to the technical effects of the method described in the above method embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0088] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present invention may be a central processing unit (CPU), and the processor may also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may also be any conventional processor, etc.

[0089] It should also be understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present invention may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example but not limitation, many forms of random access memory (RAM) are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0090] The above embodiments can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware (such as circuits), firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments 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 or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer programs are loaded or executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present invention are generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center by wired (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that contains one or more collections of available media. The available media can be magnetic media (such as floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (such as DVDs), or semiconductor media. The semiconductor media can be a solid-state drive.

[0091] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. Here, A and B can be singular or plural. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after, but it may also represent an "and / or" relationship, which can be understood specifically with reference to the context before and after.

[0092] In the present invention, "at least one" means one or more, and "a plurality" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or its similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, a - b, a - c, b - c, or a - b - c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0093] It should be understood that in various embodiments of the present invention, the magnitudes of the sequence numbers of the above processes do not mean the order of execution. The order of execution of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0094] Those of ordinary skill in the art can realize that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in combination with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are executed in a hardware or software manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional technicians can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the present invention.

[0095] 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 foregoing method embodiments and will not be elaborated herein.

[0096] In several embodiments provided by the present invention, 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 merely illustrative. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and there can be other division methods in actual implementation. For example, 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 displayed or discussed couplings or direct couplings or communication connections to each other can be through some interfaces, and the indirect couplings or communication connections of the devices or units can be in electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0097] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they can be located in one place or distributed to multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0098] In addition, the functional units in each embodiment of the present invention can be integrated in a processing unit, or each unit can exist physically alone, or two or more units can be integrated in one unit.

[0099] When the above-described function is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art or a part of this technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for causing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in various embodiments of the present invention. The foregoing storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as USB flash drives, mobile hard disks, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical discs.

[0100] The above is only the specific implementation manner of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention can easily think of changes or substitutions, which should all be covered by the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A movable reflector antenna system for satellite equipment, characterized in that: The system comprises a satellite DU and a reflector antenna device arranged on the satellite DU, and the system is configured as follows: The satellite DU determines a plurality of CUs that share the satellite DU in a current cycle, wherein the plurality of CUs are arranged on the ground; The satellite DU determines, based on the multiple CUs, a target movable angle range of the reflector antenna device toward the ground direction; During the current cycle, the satellite DU adjusts the angle of the reflector antenna device toward the ground according to the target movable angle range. When the satellite DU moves relative to the ground, the angle of the reflector antenna device toward the ground changes within the target movable angle range, so that the signal receiving range of the reflector antenna device always covers the multiple CUs. The satellite DU determines a plurality of CUs that share the satellite DU in a current cycle, including: When the previous cycle is about to end and the next cycle is about to start, the satellite DU determines the target CU group corresponding to the next cycle according to the correspondence between the cycle and the CU group in the pre-configured information, the next cycle is the current cycle, the target CU group corresponding to the next cycle is the CU group sharing the satellite DU in the next cycle, and the target CU group includes the multiple CUs; The satellite DU determines, according to the multiple CUs, a target movable angle range of the reflector antenna device toward the ground direction, including: The satellite DU determines the target movable angle range corresponding to the target CU group according to the correspondence between the movable angle range of the reflector antenna device toward the ground direction and the CU group in the pre-configured information; The reflector antenna device is movably arranged on the base plane of the satellite DU, and the movable point of the reflector antenna device on the base plane is taken as the origin of the space coordinate system. The space plane angle formed by the space vector (x1, y1, z1) in the space coordinate system and the space vector (x2, y2, z2) in the space coordinate system is the target movable angle range; The system is also configured to: During the current cycle, the satellite DU receives encrypted control information from a target CU among the multiple CUs through the reflector antenna device; The satellite DU decrypts the encrypted control information according to the key of the target CU and the CU associated with the target CU in the multiple CUs to obtain the plaintext control information; The satellite DU processes the plaintext control information; The multiple CUs are divided into multiple CU subsets, each of the multiple CU subsets includes at least two CUs in the multiple CUs, and any two CU subsets in the multiple CU subsets include different CUs; ​​the satellite DU decrypts the encrypted control information according to the key of the target CU in the multiple CUs and the CU associated with the target CU to obtain the plaintext control information, including: The satellite DU determines, among the multiple CU subsets, a target CU subset where the target CU is located; The satellite DU uses the root key of each DU in the target CU subset to derive the current security key of the target CU; The satellite DU uses the current security key of the target CU to decrypt the encrypted control information to obtain the plaintext control information; The target CU subset includes N CUs, where N is an integer greater than 1, and the index of the target CU indicates that the target CU is the kth CU in the target CU subset, where k is an integer ranging from 1 to N; the satellite DU uses the root key of each DU in the target CU subset to derive the current security key of the target CU, including: The satellite DU determines whether the satellite DU has a key used for communication with the target CU, or whether the key used for communication between the satellite DU and the target CU needs to be updated; If the satellite DU does not have a key for communicating with the target CU, or the key used by the satellite DU to communicate with the target CU needs to be updated, then when k is less than N, the satellite DU uses the count value of the counter of the k+1th CU in the target CU subset and the root keys of the N CUs as input parameters, and derives the current security key of the target CU through the key derivation algorithm KDF; or when k is equal to N, the satellite DU uses the count value of the counter of the first CU in the target CU subset and the root keys of the N CUs as input parameters, and derives the current security key of the target CU through KDF; The count value of the counter of each CU in the N CUs is incremented by 1 after the security key of the CU is updated once.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The target CU group includes M CUs, where M is an integer greater than 1. The satellite DU decrypts the encrypted control information according to the key of the target CU and the CU associated with the target CU in the multiple CUs to obtain the plaintext control information, including: The satellite DU determines at least one CU in the target CU group whose index is related to the target CU; The satellite DU uses the root keys of the target CU and the at least one CU to derive a current security key of the target CU; The satellite DU uses the current security key of the target CU to decrypt the encrypted control information to obtain the plaintext control information.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that The index of the target CU indicates that the target CU is the p-th CU in the target CU group, where p is an integer ranging from 1 to M; the satellite DU determines at least one CU in the target CU group whose index is related to the target CU, including: When p is less than M, the satellite DU determines the p+1th CU in the target CU group as a CU related to the target CU; when p is equal to M, the satellite DU determines the first CU in the target CU group as a CU related to the target CU; Accordingly, the satellite DU uses the root keys of the target CU and the at least one CU to derive the current security key of the target CU; When p is less than M, the satellite DU uses the count value of the counter of the p+1th CU in the target CU group and the root keys of the target CU and the p+1th CU as input parameters, and derives the current security key of the target CU through KDF; or when p is equal to M, the satellite DU uses the count value of the counter of the first CU in the target CU group and the root keys of the target CU and the first CU as input parameters, and derives the current security key of the target CU through KDF; The count value of the counter of each CU in the M CUs is incremented by 1 after the security key of the CU is updated once.

4. A movable reflector antenna device for satellite equipment, characterized in that: The reflector antenna device is movably arranged on the satellite DU, and the satellite DU is the satellite DU in the system according to any one of claims 1-3.

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