Switching control method, function network element, communication system and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to a switching control method, a function network element, a communication system and electronic equipment, and relates to the technical field of satellite communication. The switching control method is executed by a first functional network element, and comprises the following steps: receiving a switching target determination request sent by a second functional network element, the switching target determination request comprising position information of user equipment, a service time range and an identifier of a currently accessed satellite; according to the position information of the user equipment, the identifier of the currently accessed satellite and the change information of the topological structure of the satellite network, determining one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within the service time range; and sending a handover target determination response to the second function network element, the handover target determination response comprising the identifiers of the one or more target satellites, so that the second function network element controls handover of the user equipment according to the identifiers of the one or more target satellites.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of satellite communication technology, and in particular to a switching control method, a functional network element, a communication system and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] In the future space-ground integrated network scenario, base stations can be deployed directly on satellites to communicate with user equipment (UE). As the user equipment moves or the satellite moves, the user equipment needs to switch between different satellites.

[0003] Currently, the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) standard is studying the base station satellite and logical base station switching processes. Summary of the invention

[0004] Although the logical base station switching process has been studied in the 3GPP standard, there is no solution on how to select the target satellite before switching.

[0005] A technical problem to be solved by the present disclosure is to propose a switching control method, which can select a target satellite for a user equipment before switching, improve the service continuity of the user equipment, and improve the communication quality.

[0006] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a switching control method is provided, which is executed by a first functional network element, including: receiving a switching target determination request sent by a second functional network element, wherein the switching target determination request includes location information of a user device, a service time range, and an identifier of a currently connected satellite; determining one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user device within the service time range based on the location information of the user device, the identifier of the currently connected satellite, and change information of a topology structure of a satellite network; and sending a switching target determination response to the second functional network element, wherein the switching target determination response includes the identifiers of one or more target satellites, so that the second functional network element controls the switching of the user device based on the identifiers of the one or more target satellites.

[0007] In some embodiments, determining one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within a service time range based on the location information of the user equipment, the identification of the currently connected satellite, and the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network, includes: determining one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within a service time range based on the location information of the user equipment, the identification of the currently connected satellite, the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network, and the load information of multiple satellites in the satellite network.

[0008] In some embodiments, determining one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within a service time range based on the location information of the user equipment, the identification of the currently connected satellite, the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network, and the load information of multiple satellites in the satellite network includes: determining the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network within the service time range based on the operation information of multiple satellites and the current topology structure of the satellite network; determining one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within the service time range based on the location information of the user equipment, the identification of the currently connected satellite, the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network, and the load information of multiple satellites.

[0009] In some embodiments, determining one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within a service time range based on the location information of the user equipment, the identification of the currently connected satellite, the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network and the load information of multiple satellites includes: determining one or more candidate satellites that can provide services to the user equipment within the service time range and the time range for which the one or more candidate satellites provide services based on the location information of the user equipment, the load information of multiple satellites and the operation information of multiple satellites; determining the communication connection relationship between the currently connected satellite and the one or more candidate satellites within the service time range based on the identification of the currently connected satellite and the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network; determining one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within the service time range based on the communication connection relationship between the currently connected satellite and the one or more candidate satellites and the time range for which the one or more candidate satellites provide services.

[0010] In some embodiments, determining one or more target satellites for continuous switching of user equipment within a business time range based on the communication connection relationship between the currently connected satellite and one or more candidate satellites and the time range in which one or more candidate satellites provide services includes: determining one or more groups of satellites for continuous switching of user equipment within a business time range based on the communication connection relationship between the currently connected satellite and one or more candidate satellites and the time range in which one or more candidate satellites provide services; when multiple groups of satellites are determined, selecting a group of satellites as one or more target satellites based on the load information of each group of satellites in the multiple groups of satellites.

[0011] In some embodiments, when multiple target satellites for continuous handover of the user equipment are determined, the identifiers of the multiple target satellites are arranged in the order in which the user equipment is to be handed over.

[0012] In some embodiments, receiving the switching target determination request sent by the second functional network element includes: after the user equipment accesses the currently accessed satellite and completes the session establishment process, receiving the switching target determination request sent by the second functional network element.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first functional network element is a satellite network management function SNMF network element, and the second functional network element is an access and mobility management function AMF network element.

[0014] In some embodiments, when multiple target satellites for continuous handover of the user equipment are determined, the multiple target satellites are located in the same or different satellite orbits.

[0015] According to some other embodiments of the present disclosure, a switching control method is provided, which is executed by a second functional network element, including: sending a switching target determination request to a first functional network element, wherein the switching target determination request includes location information of a user device, a service time range, and an identifier of a currently connected satellite; receiving a switching target determination response sent by the first functional network element, wherein the switching target determination response includes identifiers of one or more target satellites, and the one or more target satellites are determined based on the location information of the user device, the service time range, the identifier of the currently connected satellite, and change information of a topological structure of a satellite network; and controlling continuous switching of the user device within the service time range based on the identifiers of the one or more target satellites.

[0016] In some embodiments, based on the identifiers of one or more target satellites, controlling the switching of user equipment within a service time range includes: converting the identifiers of one or more target satellites into identifiers of one or more target base stations; and based on the identifiers of one or more target base stations, controlling the user equipment to continuously switch within the service time range.

[0017] In some embodiments, based on the identifiers of one or more target base stations, controlling the user equipment to continuously switch within a service time range includes: receiving a switching confirmation request sent by the base station to which the user equipment is currently connected, wherein the switching confirmation request includes the identifier of the user equipment and the identifier of the currently connected base station; searching for the identifiers of one or more target base stations based on the identifier of the user equipment; determining the identifier of the current target base station based on the identifiers of one or more target base stations and the identifier of the currently connected base station; and sending a switching confirmation response to the currently connected base station, wherein the switching confirmation response includes the identifier of the current target base station so that the user equipment switches from the currently connected base station to the current target base station.

[0018] In some embodiments, sending the switching target determination request to the first functional network element includes: after the user equipment accesses the currently accessed satellite and completes the session establishment process, sending the switching target determination request to the first functional network element.

[0019] In some embodiments, the identifiers of the one or more target satellites include identifiers of multiple target satellites, the multiple target satellite identifiers are arranged in the order in which the user equipment is switched, and the multiple target satellites are located in the same or different satellite orbits.

[0020] In some embodiments, the first functional network element is a satellite network management function SNMF network element, and the second functional network element is an access and mobility management function AMF network element.

[0021] According to some other embodiments of the present disclosure, a functional network element is provided as a first functional network element, including: a receiving module, configured to receive a switching target determination request sent by a second functional network element, wherein the switching target determination request includes location information of a user device, a service time range, and an identifier of a currently connected satellite; a determining module, configured to determine one or more target satellites for switching the user device based on the location information of the user device, the service time range, and the identifier of the currently connected satellite; and a sending module, configured to send a switching target determination response to the second functional network element, wherein the switching target determination response includes the identifiers of one or more target satellites, so that the second functional network element controls the switching of the user device based on the identifiers of the one or more target satellites.

[0022] According to some further embodiments of the present disclosure, a functional network element is provided as a second functional network element, comprising: a sending module, configured to send a switching target determination request to the first functional network element, wherein the switching target determination request includes location information of a user device, a service time range, and an identifier of a currently connected satellite; a receiving module, configured to receive a switching target determination response sent by the first functional network element, wherein the switching target determination response includes identifiers of one or more target satellites, and the one or more target satellites are determined based on the location information of the user device, the service time range, and an identifier of a currently connected satellite; and a control module, configured to control the switching of the user device within the service time range based on the identifiers of the one or more target satellites.

[0023] According to some further embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, for storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to execute the switching control method of any embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] According to some further embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored, wherein the program, when executed by a processor, implements the switching method of any embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] According to still some embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising instructions, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method according to any embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] In the switching control method disclosed in the present invention, the first functional network element receives the switching target determination request sent by the second functional network element, which carries the location information of the user equipment, the service time range, and the identifier of the currently connected satellite. The first functional network element can obtain the change information of the topological structure of the satellite network, and then determine one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within the service time range according to the location information of the user equipment, the identifier of the currently connected satellite, and the change information of the topological structure of the satellite network. The first functional network element carries the identifier of one or more target satellites in the switching target determination response and sends it to the second functional network element, so that the second functional network element can control the user equipment to continuously switch between the currently connected satellite and one or more target satellites. In the switching control method disclosed in the present invention, in the process of determining the target satellite for the user equipment, the change information of the service time range and the topological structure of the satellite network is referred to, so that the determined target satellite can provide continuous service for the user equipment within the service time range, and multiple target satellites can be determined for the user equipment at one time, so that the user equipment can maintain the continuity of the service by continuously switching between multiple target satellites. Therefore, the switching control method disclosed in the present invention can improve the service continuity of the user equipment, thereby improving the communication quality.

[0027] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic flow chart of a switching control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0030] Figure 2 A schematic flow chart showing a switching control method according to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 3 A schematic flow chart showing a switching control method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0032] Figure 4A schematic diagram showing the network architecture of some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the structure of functional network elements of some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the structure of functional network elements of other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing the structure of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram showing the structure of an electronic device according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of the embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is actually only illustrative and is by no means intended to limit the present disclosure and its application or use. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0039] In actual scenarios, the switching of user equipment between base stations on satellites is closely related to the change of satellite network topology. In the scenario of base stations on satellites, due to the complex satellite network topology and the different movement speeds of satellites in different orbits, the connection time varies. In order to reduce interruptions and improve service continuity during the execution of real-time services such as voice, the present disclosure proposes a switching control method. Figures 1 to 4 Some embodiments of the switching control method of the present disclosure are described.

[0040] Figure 1 Flow charts of some embodiments of the switching control method disclosed in the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the method of this embodiment includes: steps S102 to S106. The method of this embodiment is executed by the first functional network element.

[0041] In step S102, a switching target determination request sent by the second functional network element is received.

[0042] For example, the first functional network element is SNMF (Satellite Network Management Function). The name of the first functional network element can be determined according to actual needs and is not limited to the examples given. The first functional network element can be an existing network element in the 3GPP standard or a newly added network element. The first functional network element can be used to obtain or manage the topological structure of the satellite network, and can obtain information about the topological structure in real time. The first functional network element can also manage or obtain in real time information about each satellite in the satellite network, for example, one or more items of the identification, location, ephemeris information, and operation information of each satellite. For example, the second functional network element AMF (Access and Mobility management Function) is not limited to the examples given.

[0043] For example, the switching target determination request includes the location information of the user equipment, the service time range, and the identifier of the currently connected satellite. For example, the service time range can be represented by the duration of the service, the start and end time of the service, etc., and is not limited to the examples given. The service time range corresponding to different types of services can be pre-configured, and the service time range can be obtained based on the actual execution time of different types of services. The service time range can also be sent by the user equipment and determined by the user equipment according to the needs. The switching target determination request can also include the identifier of the cell currently accessed by the user equipment.

[0044] In step S104, one or more target satellites for continuous handover of the user equipment within the service time range are determined according to the location information of the user equipment, the identifier of the currently accessed satellite and the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network.

[0045] The topology of a satellite network includes the communication connection relationship between multiple satellites in the satellite network, for example, whether there is a communication interface between satellites. A satellite network can include multiple satellites in multiple orbits. Medium and low orbit satellites orbit the earth, so the topology of the satellite network changes in real time.

[0046] The time range in which one or more target satellites continuously provide services to the user equipment can cover the business time range. If the time range in which the currently connected satellite and one target satellite continuously provide services to the user equipment can cover the business time range, only one target satellite can be determined. For example, after the currently connected satellite has been serving for a period of time, the user equipment switches to the target satellite and the target satellite continues to provide services until the business ends. When multiple target satellites are required to continuously provide services to the user equipment to complete the business, multiple target satellites need to be determined for the user equipment.

[0047] When multiple target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment are determined, the user equipment will switch among the multiple target satellites in sequence.

[0048] In step S106, a switching target determination response is sent to the second functional network element.

[0049] For example, the handover target determination response includes the identifiers of one or more target satellites. The handover target determination response may also include a queue consisting of the identifiers of the currently connected satellite and one or more target satellites. In some embodiments, when multiple target satellites are determined for continuous handover of the user equipment, the identifiers of the multiple target satellites are arranged in the order in which the user equipment is switched. The first functional network element may also determine one or more target cells corresponding to the one or more target satellites, and send the identifiers of the one or more target cells to the second functional network element.

[0050] Subsequently, when the switching condition is met, the second functional network element controls the user equipment to switch in sequence between the currently accessed satellite and the one or more target satellites according to the identifiers of the one or more target satellites.

[0051] In the method of the above embodiment, the first functional network element receives the switching target determination request sent by the second functional network element, which carries the location information of the user equipment, the service time range, and the identifier of the currently connected satellite. The first functional network element can obtain the change information of the topological structure of the satellite network, and then determine one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within the service time range according to the location information of the user equipment, the identifier of the currently connected satellite, and the change information of the topological structure of the satellite network. The first functional network element carries the identifier of one or more target satellites in the switching target determination response and sends it to the second functional network element, so that the second functional network element can control the user equipment to continuously switch between the currently connected satellite and one or more target satellites. In the method of the above embodiment, in the process of determining the target satellite for the user equipment, the change information of the service time range and the topological structure of the satellite network is referred to, so that the determined target satellite can provide continuous service to the user equipment within the service time range, and multiple target satellites can be determined for the user equipment at one time, so that the user equipment can maintain service continuity by continuously switching between multiple target satellites. Therefore, the method of the above embodiment can improve the service continuity of the user equipment, thereby improving the communication quality.

[0052] The following describes a switching control method performed by the second functional network element in conjunction with some embodiments.

[0053] Figure 2 Flow charts of other embodiments of the switching control method disclosed in the present invention. Figure 2As shown, the method of this embodiment includes: steps S202 to S206. The method of this embodiment is executed by the second functional network element.

[0054] In step S202, a switching target determination request is sent to the first functional network element.

[0055] For example, the switching target determination request includes the location information of the user equipment, the service time range, and the identifier of the currently accessed satellite.

[0056] In step S204, a switching target determination response sent by the first functional network element is received.

[0057] For example, the switching target determination response includes the identification of one or more target satellites, and the one or more target satellites are determined based on the location information of the user equipment, the service time range, the identification of the currently accessed satellite and the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network.

[0058] In step S206, the continuous switching of the user equipment within the service time range is controlled according to the identification of one or more target satellites.

[0059] When the switching condition is met, the second functional network element controls the user equipment to switch in sequence between the currently accessed satellite and the one or more target satellites according to the identifiers of the one or more target satellites.

[0060] In the method of the above embodiment, the first functional network element sends the location information, service time range, and identifier of the currently connected satellite of the user equipment to the second functional network element, and receives the identifiers of one or more target satellites returned by the second functional network element, thereby controlling the user equipment to continuously switch between the currently connected satellite and the one or more target satellites. The method of the above embodiment can improve the service continuity of the user equipment, thereby improving the communication quality.

[0061] How to determine one or more target satellites is described below in conjunction with some embodiments.

[0062] In some embodiments, one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within a service time range are determined based on the location information of the user equipment, the identifier of the currently connected satellite, the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network, and the load information of multiple satellites in the satellite network.

[0063] In the process of determining one or more target satellites, in addition to referring to the location information of the user equipment, the identifier of the currently connected satellite, and the change information of the topological structure of the satellite network, the load information of multiple satellites is also referred to, and a satellite with a lighter load can be selected for the user equipment to ensure the communication quality of the user equipment. The load information of each satellite can be determined based on at least one of the number of connected user equipment, the occupied ratio of the transceiver, the idle ratio of the transceiver, etc., and is not limited to the examples given.

[0064] By referring to the load information of the satellites in the process of determining one or more target satellites, the communication quality of the user equipment can be improved, and the loads between multiple satellites can be balanced, thereby effectively utilizing the resources of multiple satellites.

[0065] In some embodiments, information about changes in the topology of the satellite network within a service time range is determined based on operating information of multiple satellites and a current topology of the satellite network; and one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within the service time range are determined based on location information of the user equipment, an identifier of a currently accessed satellite, information about changes in the topology of the satellite network and load information of multiple satellites.

[0066] The operation information of multiple satellites can be determined based on the ephemeris information of each satellite, and the operation information includes, for example, the operation speed and position of each satellite. The satellites with communication connection within the service time range and the connection time range can be determined based on the operation information of multiple satellites and the current topology of the satellite network.

[0067] In some embodiments, based on the location information of the user equipment, the load information of multiple satellites and the operation information of multiple satellites, one or more candidate satellites that can provide services to the user equipment within the business time range and the time range in which one or more candidate satellites provide services are determined; based on the identification of the currently connected satellite and the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network, the communication connection relationship between the currently connected satellite and one or more candidate satellites within the business time range is determined; based on the communication connection relationship between the currently connected satellite and one or more candidate satellites and the time range in which one or more candidate satellites provide services, one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within the business time range are determined.

[0068] When the user equipment is within the coverage of the satellite, the satellite can provide services for the user equipment. When the load information of the satellite is lower than a threshold, the satellite can provide services for the user equipment. One or more candidate satellites can be selected based on the location information of the user equipment, the load information of multiple satellites, and the operation information of multiple satellites. Within the service time range, the user equipment will be within the coverage of the one or more candidate satellites for a period of time, and the load information of the one or more candidate satellites is lower than a threshold.

[0069] Further, according to the change information of the topological structure of the satellite network, the candidate satellites and the connection time range that have communication connection with the currently connected satellite, as well as the communication connection relationship and the connection time range between multiple candidate satellites can be determined within the service time range. Only satellites with communication connection relationship can be switched. Further, according to the communication connection relationship between the currently connected satellite and one or more candidate satellites, the connection time range, and the time range in which one or more candidate satellites provide services, one or more target satellites are selected.

[0070] The process of selecting one or more target satellites may be based on the communication connection relationship between the currently connected satellite and one or more candidate satellites, the connection time range, the time range of service provided by one or more candidate satellites, and the load information of one or more candidate satellites. Each target satellite may be selected in turn according to the switching order, and each time the candidate satellite with the lowest load may be selected as the target satellite.

[0071] In some embodiments, based on the communication connection relationship between the currently connected satellite and one or more candidate satellites and the time range for providing services by one or more candidate satellites, one or more groups of satellites for continuous switching of user equipment within the service time range are determined; when multiple groups of satellites are determined, a group of satellites is selected as one or more target satellites based on the load information of each group of satellites in the multiple groups of satellites.

[0072] When multiple groups of satellites are determined, one or more satellites included in each group of satellites can be used as one or more target satellites. A group of satellites with the lowest load can be selected from the multiple groups of satellites.

[0073] When a plurality of target satellites for continuous handover of the user equipment are determined, the plurality of target satellites are located in the same or different satellite orbits.

[0074] Through the method of the above embodiment, one or more target satellites can be selected more accurately for the user equipment, thereby improving the service continuity of the user equipment and improving the communication quality.

[0075] Combine the following Figure 3Some further embodiments of the handover control method disclosed herein are described.

[0076] Figure 3 Flowcharts of some other embodiments of the switching control method disclosed in the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, the method of this embodiment includes: steps S302 to S310.

[0077] In step S302, the user equipment accesses the current satellite and completes the session establishment process.

[0078] After the user equipment completes the session establishment, it can learn the type of service currently being performed by the user equipment and determine the service time range.

[0079] In step S304, the second functional network element sends a switching target determination request to the first functional network element.

[0080] The switching target determination request includes the location information of the user equipment, the service time range, and the identifier of the currently accessed satellite.

[0081] In step S306, the first functional network element determines one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within the service time range according to the location information of the user equipment, the identifier of the currently connected satellite, and the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network.

[0082] In step S308, the first functional network element sends a switching target determination response to the second functional network element.

[0083] In step S310, the second functional network element controls the switching of the user equipment according to the identifiers of one or more target satellites.

[0084] In some embodiments, the second functional network element converts the identifiers of one or more target satellites into identifiers of one or more target base stations; and controls the user equipment to switch continuously within a service time range according to the identifiers of the one or more target base stations.

[0085] The correspondence between the satellite identifier and the base station identifier may be stored in the second functional network element or other network elements, and the second functional network element may perform conversion between the two.

[0086] In some embodiments, the second functional network element receives a switching confirmation request sent by a base station to which the user equipment is currently connected, wherein the switching confirmation request includes an identifier of the user equipment and an identifier of the currently connected base station; searches for identifiers of one or more target base stations based on the identifier of the user equipment; determines an identifier of the current target base station based on the identifiers of the one or more target base stations and the identifier of the currently connected base station; and sends a switching confirmation response to the currently connected base station, wherein the switching confirmation response includes the identifier of the current target base station, so that the user equipment switches from the currently connected base station to the current target base station.

[0087] The second functional network element may store the identifier of the user equipment in correspondence with the identifier of one or more target base stations. In the case of storing the identifiers of multiple target base stations, the above process may be executed cyclically according to the switching order of the multiple target base stations. The second functional network element may also actively send the identifiers and switching order of the multiple target base stations to each target base station before switching, or send the identifier of the next target base station in the switching order to each target base station, so that each target base station knows in advance which base station to switch the user equipment to.

[0088] The second functional network element may send a handover confirmation response to the currently connected base station via a high-orbit satellite or directly. The second functional network element may also receive a handover confirmation request sent by the currently connected base station via a high-orbit satellite or directly.

[0089] For specific switching preparation, switching execution and other processes, please refer to the solutions in the standard and will not be repeated here.

[0090] like Figure 4 As shown, the satellite system includes multiple satellites in different orbits. The satellite to which the user equipment is currently connected is SAT-1, which is also base station 1. AMF can send a switching target confirmation request to SNMF. SNMF calculates that if the service time of the user equipment is less than the continuous service time of two satellites (such as short message service), SNMF will return the queue [base station 1, base station 2] or [SAT-1, SAT-2], or only return base station 2 or SAT-2. If the service time is greater than the continuous service time of two satellites (such as voice service), SNMF will return the queue [base station 1, base station 3, base station 4] or [SAT-1, SAT-3, SAT-4], or only return [base station 3, base station 4] or [SAT-3, SAT-4].

[0091] The method of the above embodiment implements a satellite base station switching method that ensures service continuity, so that the network side can assist the onboard base station to achieve certain continuous switching, improve the reliability of access, fully ensure the continuity of terminal data services, and greatly avoid the instability of non-ground access. Based on the above method, mobile phone direct satellite services can be carried out. According to the method of the above embodiment, more reliable and controllable user-oriented continuous base station switching can be achieved. The method of the above embodiment can be used to realize multi-orbit collaborative communication of satellites in the future, and has good application prospects and value.

[0092] The present disclosure also provides a functional network element, which can be used as a first functional network element. Figure 5 Give a description.

[0093] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of some embodiments of the functional network element of the present disclosure. Figure 5 As shown, the functional network element 50 of this embodiment includes: a receiving module 510, a determining module 520, and a sending module 530.

[0094] The receiving module 510 is configured to receive a switching target determination request sent by the second functional network element, wherein the switching target determination request includes location information of the user equipment, a service time range, and an identifier of a currently connected satellite.

[0095] The determination module 520 is configured to determine one or more target satellites for handover of the user equipment according to the location information of the user equipment, the service time range, and the identifier of the currently accessed satellite.

[0096] The sending module 530 is configured to send a switching target determination response to the second functional network element, wherein the switching target determination response includes the identifiers of one or more target satellites, so that the second functional network element controls the switching of the user equipment according to the identifiers of one or more target satellites.

[0097] In some embodiments, the determination module 520 is configured to determine one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within a service time range based on the location information of the user equipment, the identification of the currently connected satellite, the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network, and the load information of multiple satellites in the satellite network.

[0098] In some embodiments, the determination module 520 is configured to determine, based on the operating information of multiple satellites and the current topology of the satellite network, information about changes in the topology of the satellite network within a service time range; and to determine, based on the location information of the user device, the identifier of the currently accessed satellite, information about changes in the topology of the satellite network and load information of multiple satellites, one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user device within the service time range.

[0099] In some embodiments, the determination module 520 is configured to determine one or more candidate satellites that can provide services to the user equipment within a business time range, and the time range in which one or more candidate satellites provide services based on the location information of the user equipment, the load information of multiple satellites, and the operation information of multiple satellites; determine the communication connection relationship between the currently connected satellite and one or more candidate satellites within the business time range based on the identification of the currently connected satellite and the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network; determine one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within the business time range based on the communication connection relationship between the currently connected satellite and one or more candidate satellites, and the time range in which one or more candidate satellites provide services.

[0100] In some embodiments, the determination module 520 is configured to determine one or more groups of satellites for continuous switching of user equipment within a business time range based on the communication connection relationship between the currently connected satellite and one or more candidate satellites and the time range for services provided by one or more candidate satellites; when multiple groups of satellites are determined, a group of satellites is selected as one or more target satellites based on the load information of each group of satellites in the multiple groups of satellites.

[0101] In some embodiments, when multiple target satellites for continuous handover of the user equipment are determined, the identifiers of the multiple target satellites are arranged in the order in which the user equipment is to be handed over.

[0102] In some embodiments, the receiving module 510 is configured to receive a switching target determination request sent by the second functional network element after the user equipment accesses the currently accessed satellite and completes the session establishment process.

[0103] In some embodiments, when multiple target satellites for the user equipment to perform continuous handover are determined, the multiple target satellites are located in the same or different satellite orbits.

[0104] The present disclosure also provides a functional network element, which can be used as a second functional network element and is described below in conjunction with some embodiments.

[0105] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of some embodiments of the functional network element of the present disclosure. Figure 6 As shown, the functional network element 60 of this embodiment includes: a sending module 610 , a receiving module 620 , and a control module 630 .

[0106] The sending module 610 is configured to send a switching target determination request to the first functional network element, wherein the switching target determination request includes the location information of the user equipment, the service time range, and the identifier of the currently connected satellite.

[0107] The receiving module 620 is configured to receive a switching target determination response sent by the first functional network element, wherein the switching target determination response includes the identifiers of one or more target satellites, and the one or more target satellites are determined based on the location information of the user equipment, the service time range, and the identifier of the currently connected satellite.

[0108] The control module 630 is configured to control the switching of the user equipment within the service time range according to the identification of one or more target satellites.

[0109] In some embodiments, the control module 630 is configured to convert the identifiers of one or more target satellites into identifiers of one or more target base stations; and control the user equipment to switch continuously within a service time range according to the identifiers of the one or more target base stations.

[0110] In some embodiments, the receiving module 620 is configured to receive a switching confirmation request sent by the base station to which the user equipment is currently connected, wherein the switching confirmation request includes an identifier of the user equipment and an identifier of the base station to which the user equipment is currently connected; the control module 630 is configured to search for identifiers of one or more target base stations based on the identifier of the user equipment; and determine an identifier of the current target base station based on the identifiers of one or more target base stations and the identifier of the currently connected base station; the sending module 610 is configured to send a switching confirmation response to the currently connected base station, wherein the switching confirmation response includes the identifier of the current target base station, so that the user equipment switches from the currently connected base station to the current target base station.

[0111] In some embodiments, the sending module 610 is configured to send a switching target determination request to the first functional network element after the user equipment accesses the currently accessed satellite and completes the session establishment process.

[0112] In some embodiments, the identifiers of the one or more target satellites include identifiers of multiple target satellites, the multiple target satellite identifiers are arranged in the order in which the user equipment is switched, and the multiple target satellites are located in the same or different satellite orbits.

[0113] In some embodiments, the first functional network element is a satellite network management function SNMF network element, and the second functional network element is an access and mobility management function AMF network element.

[0114] The present disclosure also provides a communication system, Figure 7 Give a description.

[0115] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of some embodiments of the communication system disclosed in the present invention. Figure 7 As shown, the system 7 of this embodiment includes: a functional network element 50 and a functional network element 60. The functional network element 50 can be used as a first functional network element, and the functional network element 60 can be used as a second functional network element.

[0116] The system 7 may also include a plurality of satellites 72 .

[0117] The present disclosure also provides an electronic device, Figure 8 as well as Fig. 9 Give a description.

[0118] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of some embodiments of the electronic device disclosed in the present invention. Figure 8 As shown, the electronic device 80 of this embodiment includes: a memory 810 and a processor 820 coupled to the memory 810 , and the processor 820 is configured to execute the switching control method in any of some embodiments of the present disclosure based on instructions stored in the memory 810 .

[0119] The memory 810 may include, for example, a system memory, a fixed non-volatile storage medium, etc. The system memory may store, for example, an operating system, an application program, a boot loader, a database, and other programs.

[0120] Fig. 9 FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of some other embodiments of the electronic device disclosed in the present invention. Fig. 9 As shown, the electronic device 90 of this embodiment includes: a memory 910 and a processor 920, which are similar to the memory 810 and the processor 820 respectively. It can also include an input and output interface 930, a network interface 940, a storage interface 950, etc. These interfaces 930, 940, 950 and the memory 910 and the processor 920 can be connected, for example, via a bus 960. Among them, the input and output interface 930 provides a connection interface for input and output devices such as a display, a mouse, a keyboard, and a touch screen. The network interface 940 provides a connection interface for various networked devices, for example, it can be connected to a database server or a cloud storage server. The storage interface 950 provides a connection interface for external storage devices such as SD cards and USB flash drives.

[0121] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present disclosure may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Furthermore, the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable non-transient storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0122] The present disclosure is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each process and / or block in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or blocks in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0123] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture comprising an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A function specified in one or more boxes.

[0124] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for implementing the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps for the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0125] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A handover control method, performed by a first functional network element, comprising: Receiving a switching target determination request sent by the second functional network element, wherein the switching target determination request includes location information of the user equipment, a service time range, and an identifier of a currently connected satellite; Determine one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within the service time range according to the location information of the user equipment, the identifier of the currently accessed satellite, and the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network; A switching target determination response is sent to the second functional network element, wherein the switching target determination response includes the identifiers of the one or more target satellites, so that the second functional network element controls the switching of the user equipment according to the identifiers of the one or more target satellites.

2. The switching control method according to claim 1, wherein: The determining, according to the location information of the user equipment, the identifier of the currently accessed satellite, and the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network, one or more target satellites for the user equipment to continuously switch within the service time range comprises: One or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within the service time range are determined based on the location information of the user equipment, the identifier of the currently accessed satellite, the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network, and the load information of multiple satellites in the satellite network.

3. The switching control method according to claim 2, wherein: The determining, according to the location information of the user equipment, the identifier of the currently accessed satellite, the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network, and the load information of multiple satellites in the satellite network, one or more target satellites for the user equipment to continuously switch within the service time range comprises: Determine, according to the operation information of the plurality of satellites and the current topology of the satellite network, change information of the topology of the satellite network within the service time range; One or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within the service time range are determined based on the location information of the user equipment, the identifier of the currently accessed satellite, the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network and the load information of the multiple satellites.

4. The switching control method according to claim 3, wherein: The determining, according to the location information of the user equipment, the identifier of the currently accessed satellite, the change information of the topology structure of the satellite network, and the load information of the plurality of satellites, one or more target satellites for the user equipment to continuously switch within the service time range comprises: Determine, according to the location information of the user equipment, the load information of the multiple satellites, and the operation information of the multiple satellites, one or more candidate satellites that can provide services for the user equipment within the service time range, and a time range for the one or more candidate satellites to provide services; Determine, according to the identifier of the currently connected satellite and the change information of the topological structure of the satellite network, a communication connection relationship between the currently connected satellite and the one or more candidate satellites within the service time range; According to the communication connection relationship between the currently accessed satellite and the one or more candidate satellites and the time range in which the one or more candidate satellites provide services, one or more target satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within the service time range are determined.

5. The switching control method according to claim 4, wherein: The determining, according to the communication connection relationship between the currently accessed satellite and the one or more candidate satellites and the time range for the one or more candidate satellites to provide services, one or more target satellites for the user equipment to continuously switch within the service time range comprises: Determine, according to the communication connection relationship between the currently accessed satellite and the one or more candidate satellites, and the time range for which the one or more candidate satellites provide services, one or more groups of satellites for continuous switching of the user equipment within the service time range; When multiple groups of satellites are determined, a group of satellites is selected as the one or more target satellites according to load information of each group of satellites in the multiple groups of satellites.

6. The switching control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: In the case of determining a plurality of target satellites for the user equipment to perform continuous switching, the identifiers of the plurality of target satellites are arranged in the order in which the user equipment performs switching.

7. The switching control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The receiving the switching target determination request sent by the second functional network element includes: After the user equipment accesses the currently accessed satellite and completes the session establishment process, a switching target determination request sent by the second functional network element is received.

8. The switching control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The first functional network element is a satellite network management function SNMF network element, and the second functional network element is an access and mobility management function AMF network element.

9. The switching control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: In case that a plurality of target satellites for the user equipment to perform continuous handover are determined, the plurality of target satellites are located in the same or different satellite orbits.

10. A handover control method, performed by a second functional network element, comprising: Sending a switching target determination request to the first functional network element, wherein the switching target determination request includes location information of the user equipment, a service time range, and an identifier of a currently connected satellite; receiving a handover target determination response sent by the first functional network element, wherein the handover target determination response includes identifiers of one or more target satellites, and the one or more target satellites are determined according to location information of the user equipment, the service time range, the identifier of the currently accessed satellite, and change information of a topological structure of a satellite network; According to the identifiers of the one or more target satellites, continuous switching of the user equipment within the service time range is controlled.

11. The switching control method according to claim 10, wherein: The controlling the switching of the user equipment within the service time range according to the identifiers of the one or more target satellites includes: Converting the identification of the one or more target satellites into identification of one or more target base stations; According to the identifiers of the one or more target base stations, the user equipment is controlled to be switched continuously within the service time range.

12. The switching control method according to claim 11, wherein: The controlling the user equipment to continuously switch within the service time range according to the identifiers of the one or more target base stations includes: receiving a handover confirmation request sent by a base station to which the user equipment is currently connected, wherein the handover confirmation request includes an identifier of the user equipment and an identifier of the base station to which the user equipment is currently connected; Searching for the identifiers of the one or more target base stations according to the identifier of the user equipment; Determining an identifier of a current target base station according to the identifiers of the one or more target base stations and the identifier of the currently connected base station; A handover confirmation response is sent to the currently connected base station, wherein the handover confirmation response includes an identifier of the current target base station, so that the user equipment is handed over from the currently connected base station to the current target base station.

13. The switching control method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein: The sending a switching target determination request to the first functional network element includes: After the user equipment accesses the currently accessed satellite and completes the session establishment process, a switching target determination request is sent to the first functional network element.

14. The switching control method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein: The identifiers of the one or more target satellites include identifiers of multiple target satellites, the multiple target satellite identifiers are arranged in the order in which the user equipment is switched, and the multiple target satellites are located in the same or different satellite orbits.

15. The switching control method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein: The first functional network element is a satellite network management function SNMF network element, and the second functional network element is an access and mobility management function AMF network element.

16. A functional network element, serving as a first functional network element, comprising: A receiving module is configured to receive a switching target determination request sent by the second functional network element, wherein the switching target determination request includes location information of the user equipment, a service time range, and an identifier of a currently connected satellite; a determination module, configured to determine one or more target satellites for handover of the user equipment according to the location information of the user equipment, the service time range, and the identifier of the currently accessed satellite; The sending module is configured to send a switching target determination response to the second functional network element, wherein the switching target determination response includes the identifiers of the one or more target satellites, so that the second functional network element controls the switching of the user equipment according to the identifiers of the one or more target satellites.

17. A functional network element, serving as a second functional network element, comprising: A sending module is configured to send a switching target determination request to the first functional network element, wherein the switching target determination request includes location information of the user equipment, a service time range, and an identifier of a currently connected satellite; a receiving module, configured to receive a handover target determination response sent by the first functional network element, wherein the handover target determination response includes an identifier of one or more target satellites, and the one or more target satellites are determined according to the location information of the user equipment, the service time range, and the identifier of the currently connected satellite; The control module is configured to control the switching of the user equipment within the service time range according to the identification of the one or more target satellites.

18. An electronic device comprising: processor; as well as A memory coupled to the processor, for storing instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by the processor, the processor executes the switching control method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

19. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein: When the program is executed by a processor, the switching control method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 is implemented.

20. A computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the handover control method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

21. A communication system comprising: The functional network element described in claim 16 is used as the first functional network element, and the functional network element described in claim 17 is used as the second functional network element.

Images