Satellite communication method and device, terminal, network side equipment and medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a satellite communication method and device, a terminal, network side equipment and a medium, and belongs to the technical field of communication. The method comprises the following steps: a terminal sends a connection signaling to M communication satellites; wherein the connection signaling is used for triggering establishment of M communication links between the terminal and M communication satellites, the connection signaling carries a service identifier, the service identifier is used for indicating a service type allowed to be transmitted by each communication link, the service type is an uplink service or a downlink service, and M is a positive integer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of communication technology, and specifically relates to a satellite communication method, apparatus, terminal, network-side equipment and medium. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous advancement of communication technology, satellite communication technology has been widely used in various communication equipment.

[0003] In related technologies, satellite communication technology can use satellite links for data transmission. However, in scenarios such as uneven allocation of uplink and downlink resources or unbalanced uplink and downlink loads, wireless resources may not be effectively utilized. Specifically, if the uplink and downlink resources are unevenly allocated or the uplink and downlink loads are unbalanced, it will lead to excess resources on one side and tight resources on the other side. For example, when the uplink resource allocation is small and the uplink communication volume is large, the uplink is prone to congestion, while the downlink may be relatively idle; or, when the uplink load is too high and the downlink load is low, it may lead to tight uplink resources and idle downlink resources, and vice versa. Therefore, how to improve the utilization of wireless resources in satellite communications to further improve transmission performance is a problem to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a satellite communication method, apparatus, terminal, network-side equipment, and medium, which can improve the utilization of wireless resources and thus improve transmission performance.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a satellite communication method, the method comprising: a terminal sends a connection signaling to M communication satellites; wherein the connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of M communication links between the terminal and the M communication satellites, the above connection signaling carries a service identifier, and the service identifier is used to indicate the service type allowed to be transmitted by each communication link, the service type is an uplink service or a downlink service, and M is a positive integer.

[0006] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a satellite communication method, the method comprising: a first communication satellite receives a first connection signaling from a terminal, the first connection signaling is used to trigger establishment of a first communication link between the terminal and the first communication satellite, the first connection signaling carries a service identifier, and the service identifier is used to indicate the type of service allowed to be transmitted by the first communication link, and the first communication satellite establishes a first communication link with the terminal according to the first connection signaling.

[0007] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a satellite communication device, comprising: a sending module; the sending module is used to send connection signaling to M communication satellites; wherein the connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of M communication links between the terminal and the M communication satellites, and the connection signaling carries a service identifier, and the service identifier is used to indicate the type of service allowed to be transmitted by each communication link, and the service type is an uplink service or a downlink service, and M is a positive integer.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a satellite communication device, which includes: a receiving module and a processing module, wherein: the above-mentioned receiving module is used to receive a first connection signaling from a terminal; the first connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a first communication link between the terminal and a first communication satellite, and the first connection signaling carries a service identifier, which is used to indicate the type of service allowed to be transmitted by the first communication link; the processing module is used to establish a first communication link with the terminal according to the first connection signaling received by the receiving module.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a terminal comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores programs or instructions that can be run on the processor, and when the programs or instructions are executed by the processor, the steps of the method described in the first aspect are implemented.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication satellite, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores programs or instructions that can be run on the processor, and when the programs or instructions are executed by the processor, the steps of the method described in the second aspect are implemented.

[0011] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a readable storage medium, on which a program or instruction is stored. When the program or instruction is executed by a processor, the steps of the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect are implemented.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, comprising a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is coupled to the processor, and the processor is used to run a program or instruction to implement the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which is stored in a storage medium and is executed by at least one processor to implement the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal sends a connection signaling to M communication satellites; wherein the connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of M communication links between the terminal and the M communication satellites, and the above connection signaling carries a service identifier, and the service identifier is used to indicate the type of service that each communication link is allowed to transmit, and the service type is an uplink service or a downlink service, and M is a positive integer. Through this method, when the terminal sends a connection to the communication satellite, the service identifier carried in the connection signaling is used to clearly indicate the type of service that each communication link is allowed to transmit, so that the communication satellite can know the service type of the communication link between the terminal and realize the separation of uplink and downlink services. In this way, the communication resources between the terminal and a satellite can be used for uplink transmission or downlink transmission, avoiding the problem that the uplink or downlink wireless resources cannot be effectively utilized, thereby improving the utilization rate of wireless resources and further improving the transmission performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a satellite communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 2 One of the flowcharts of the satellite communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 3 A second flowchart of a satellite communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 4 A third flowchart of the satellite communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 5 One of the structural schematic diagrams of the satellite communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 6 One of the structural schematic diagrams of the satellite communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of the network side device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments in the present application belong to the scope of protection of this application.

[0025] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first", "second", etc. are generally of one type, and the number of objects is not limited. For example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, "and / or" in the specification and claims represents at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship.

[0026] The terms "at least one (item)", "at least one of" and the like in the specification and claims of the present application refer to any one, any two or a combination of more than two of the objects included therein. For example, at least one (item) of a, b, and c can be represented by: "a", "b", "c", "a and b", "a and c", "b and c" and "a, b and c", where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. Similarly, "at least two (items)" refers to two or more, and its meaning is similar to that of "at least one (item)".

[0027] Satellite communication refers to the use of satellites as relay stations to forward microwave signals for communication. Its coverage is much larger than that of general mobile communication systems. It allows mobile phones to automatically switch to satellite signals for the transmission of relevant voice, images, and short messages when there is no 4G / 5G signal coverage. It is often used in geological exploration, ocean shipping, forest patrol and other fields. As a special communication technology, the role of satellite communication is to supplement the ground cellular communication system. In recent years, the smartphone industry chain has been continuously exploring satellite communications. Many mobile phones have gradually begun to be equipped with satellite communication technology, indicating that the application scenarios of satellite communications have gradually expanded from military needs to the civilian market. The industry generally believes that from 2023 to 2024, satellite communication may become a basic function of flagship mobile phones. At present, in the process of satellite communication, wireless resources may not be effectively utilized in some scenarios, thus affecting transmission performance. Based on this, the present application proposes a satellite communication method. Through this method, when the terminal sends a connection to the communication satellite, the service identifier carried in the connection signaling is used to clearly indicate the service type allowed to be transmitted by each communication link, so that the communication satellite can know the service type of the communication link between the terminal and realize the separation of uplink and downlink services. In this way, all wireless resources can be used for uplink transmission or downlink transmission, avoiding the problem of ineffective utilization of uplink or downlink wireless resources, thereby improving the utilization rate of wireless resources and further improving transmission performance.

[0028] The present application embodiment provides a satellite communication system, such as Figure 1 As shown, the satellite communication system at least includes: a transparent forwarding mode architecture consisting of a user equipment (UE) 21, a satellite 22, a non-terrestrial network (NTN) gateway (Gateway) 23, a 5G core network (5GC) 24, and a network server (DataNetwork) 25. Among them, UE 21 (i.e., terminal) is connected to the satellite through a link, and then connected to the ground gateway and base station via a feeder link. The wireless interface between UE 21 and the satellite gateway is the NR-Uu interface, which is responsible for the interaction of physical layer and control layer signals between UE and satellite, including data transmission, access control, mobility management, etc. The satellite and the NTN gateway transmit NG interface data through the satellite radio link interface (Satellite Radio Interface, SRI). NG-over SRI is a special NG interface implementation method. The NG interface is the interface between the radio access network (RAN) and the 5G core network (5G CN). The interface between the 5G core network and the DN is N6, also known as the user plane part of the N3 / N9 interface. The N6 interface is responsible for transmitting user service data between the terminal and the DN.

[0029] It should be noted that the NTN gateway can also be called a satellite gateway.

[0030] The execution subject of the satellite communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application may be a satellite communication device, and the satellite communication device may be a communication satellite, or a functional module or functional entity in a communication satellite. The satellite communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application is described below by taking a communication satellite executing the satellite communication method as an example.

[0031] The satellite communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below through specific embodiments and their application scenarios in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a satellite communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 2 As shown, the satellite communication method may include the following steps 201:

[0033] Step 201: The terminal sends connection signaling to M communication satellites.

[0034] Among them, the above-mentioned connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of M communication links between the terminal and M communication satellites. The above-mentioned connection signaling carries a service identifier, which is used to indicate the service type allowed to be transmitted by each communication link. The service type is an uplink service or a downlink service, and M is a positive integer.

[0035] In some embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned M communication satellites may include one communication satellite or at least two communication satellites.

[0036] Exemplarily, the terminal may send a connection signaling to a communication satellite to trigger the establishment of a communication link with the communication satellite for uplink service transmission, or the establishment of a communication link with the communication satellite for downlink service transmission.

[0037] Exemplarily, the terminal may send connection signaling to multiple communication satellites respectively to trigger establishment of communication links with the multiple communication satellites, wherein the communication link between the terminal and one of the multiple communication satellites is used for uplink service transmission or downlink service transmission.

[0038] It should be noted that when the service type allowed to be transmitted by the communication link between the terminal and the communication satellite is uplink service, the communication link is a communication link used for uplink service transmission, that is, an uplink communication link; when the service type allowed to be transmitted by the communication link between the terminal and the communication satellite is downlink service, the communication link is a communication link used for downlink service transmission, that is, a downlink communication link.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present application, after the terminal sends connection signaling to M communication satellites, the terminal receives connection feedback signaling from the M communication satellites, where the connection feedback signaling is used to indicate that a communication link between the terminal and the M communication satellites has been established.

[0040] The satellite communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal sends a connection signaling to M communication satellites; wherein the connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of M communication links between the terminal and the M communication satellites, and the above connection signaling carries a service identifier, and the service identifier is used to indicate the service type allowed to be transmitted by each communication link, and the service type is an uplink service or a downlink service, and M is a positive integer. Through this method, when the terminal sends a connection to the communication satellite, the service identifier carried in the connection signaling is used to clearly indicate the service type allowed to be transmitted by each communication link, so that the communication satellite can know the service type of the communication link between the terminal and realize the separation of uplink and downlink services. In this way, all wireless resources can be used for uplink transmission or downlink transmission, avoiding the problem that uplink or downlink wireless resources cannot be effectively utilized, thereby improving the utilization rate of wireless resources and further improving transmission performance.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present application, the M communication satellites may include a first communication satellite and a second communication satellite; illustratively, the step 201 may be implemented by the following steps 201a and 201b.

[0042] Step 201a: The terminal sends a first connection signaling to the first communication satellite.

[0043] Step 201b: The terminal sends a second connection signaling to the second communication satellite.

[0044] Among them, the above-mentioned first connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a first communication link between the terminal and the first communication satellite, and the above-mentioned second connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a second communication link between the terminal and the second communication satellite; the service identifiers carried in the above-mentioned first connection signaling and the second connection signaling are the same or different.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present application, the service identifiers carried in the first connection signaling and the second connection signaling are the same or different, which means that the service types indicated by the service identifiers carried in the first connection signaling and the second connection signaling are the same or different.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present application, the first communication link and the second communication link allow different types of services to be transmitted. For example, the first communication link is used to transmit uplink services, and the second communication link is used to transmit downlink services, that is, the first communication satellite and the second communication satellite are responsible for uplink service transmission and downlink service transmission with the terminal, respectively. For another example, the first communication link is used to transmit downlink services, and the second communication link is used to transmit uplink services, that is, the first communication satellite and the second communication satellite are responsible for downlink service transmission and uplink service transmission with the terminal, respectively.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present application, the first communication link and the second communication link allow the same type of service to be transmitted. For example, the first communication link is used to transmit uplink services, and the second communication link is also used to transmit uplink services, that is, the first communication satellite and the second communication satellite are simultaneously responsible for uplink service transmission with the terminal. For another example, the first communication link is used to transmit downlink services, and the second communication link is also used to transmit downlink services, that is, the first communication satellite and the second communication satellite are simultaneously responsible for downlink service transmission with the terminal.

[0048] In some embodiments of the present application, after sending the first connection signaling to the first communication satellite, the terminal may receive a connection feedback signaling from the first communication satellite.

[0049] The connection feedback signaling is used to feedback the established communication link between the terminal and the first communication satellite.

[0050] In some embodiments of the present application, the first communication satellite may receive connection feedback signaling from a satellite gateway or a core network device, and then send the connection feedback signaling to the terminal.

[0051] Exemplarily, taking the first communication satellite as SAT 1 and the second communication satellite as SAT 2 as an example, after the terminal sends a connection signaling to SAT 1, SAT 1 receives the connection signaling from the terminal, the connection signaling carries a service identifier indicating an uplink service, and SAT 1 carries the service identifier when establishing a data radio bearer (DRB) between the terminal to identify that the DRB only allows the transmission of data packets of the uplink service. After the establishment of the DRB, SAT 1 sends the connection signaling to the satellite gateway to establish the DRB between SAT 1 and the satellite gateway. After receiving the connection feedback signaling from the satellite gateway, SAT 1 sends the connection feedback signaling to the terminal. The terminal receives the connection feedback signaling, and the communication link between the terminal and SAT 1 is completed. Similarly, after the terminal sends a connection signaling to SAT 2, SAT 2 receives the connection signaling from the terminal, the connection signaling carries a service identifier indicating a downlink service. SAT 2 carries the service identifier when establishing the DRB between the terminal to identify that the DRB only allows the transmission of data packets of the downlink service. SAT 2 After the DRB is established, the connection signaling is sent to the satellite gateway to establish the DRB between SAT1 and the satellite gateway. After receiving the connection feedback signaling from the satellite gateway, SAT 1 sends the connection feedback signaling to the terminal. The terminal receives the connection feedback signaling. At this time, the communication link between the terminal and SAT 2 is completed.

[0052] In some embodiments of the present application, after the communication link with the first communication satellite is established, the terminal transmits data of the service type indicated by the above-mentioned service identifier between the first communication satellite, and after the communication link with the second communication satellite is established, the terminal transmits data of the service type indicated by the above-mentioned service identifier between the second communication satellite.

[0053] For example, taking the first communication satellite as SAT 1 and the second communication satellite as SAT 2 as an example, when the terminal establishes a communication link with SAT 1 that allows the transmission of uplink services, the terminal can send service data to SAT 1 through the DRB between the terminal and SAT 1, that is, SAT 1 is responsible for the uplink service data transmission of the UE, and, when the terminal establishes a communication link with SAT 2 that allows the transmission of downlink services, the terminal can receive service data from SAT 2 through the DRB between the terminal and SAT 2, that is, SAT 1 is responsible for the downlink service data transmission of the terminal.

[0054] According to the satellite communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, when a terminal sends a connection signaling to a first communication satellite, the terminal can carry a service identifier in the connection signaling, and the service identifier is used to indicate the service type allowed to be transmitted by the data carrier between the terminal and the first communication satellite. In this way, the terminal can select an independent communication satellite for uplink and downlink services according to actual needs, thereby separating the uplink and downlink services of the terminal, thereby improving the data transmission performance of satellite communication.

[0055] In some embodiments of the present application, after the above step 201a, the satellite communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application may further include the following step 202a:

[0056] Step 202a: When the switching condition is met, the terminal sends a first switching signaling to the second communication satellite.

[0057] The first switching signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a third communication link between the terminal and the second communication satellite, and the third communication link allows the same service type to be transmitted as the first communication link.

[0058] In some embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned switching condition is satisfied including at least one of the following:

[0059] A service abnormality occurs on the first communication link;

[0060] The amount of service data on the first communication link is less than or equal to a first threshold;

[0061] The transmission bandwidth required by the service data of the terminal is less than or equal to the second threshold.

[0062] In some embodiments of the present application, the service abnormality on the first communication link may be: a fault occurs on the communication link between the terminal and the current communication satellite, such as signal interruption, data loss or high bit error rate, etc. Further, when such a service abnormality occurs, the terminal determines that the current link can no longer meet the service demand, and therefore requests to switch to another communication satellite for communication.

[0063] In some embodiments of the present application, the amount of service data on the first communication link being less than or equal to the first threshold may be: the amount of service data on the first communication link is lower than a certain threshold. When the amount of service data is very low, the reason may be that there are very few services on the current link, or that the link quality is poor, resulting in low data transmission efficiency. In this case, the terminal may request to switch to other communication satellites to obtain better transmission effect or resource utilization.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present application, the transmission bandwidth required by the service data of the terminal is less than or equal to the second threshold value, which may be: the bandwidth requirement of the service data currently required to be transmitted by the terminal is lower than a certain threshold value. When the bandwidth requirement is very low, it may be because the terminal is transmitting small data packets or low-bitrate data. In this case, switching to other communication satellites can save resources of the current first communication satellite, thereby obtaining more efficient resource utilization.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present application, the terminal can monitor the service status on the first communication link in real time or periodically, and when it detects that the service abnormality occurs on the first communication link, it sends a switching signaling to the second communication satellite so that the second communication satellite can quickly establish a new communication link (i.e., the third communication link) with the terminal.

[0066] In some embodiments of the present application, after receiving the switching signaling, the second communication satellite will quickly establish a third communication link with the terminal based on the information in the signaling. This new data bearer is configured to allow transmission of the same type of services as the first communication link to ensure service continuity.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present application, after the third communication link is successfully established, the second communication satellite sends a switching feedback signaling to the terminal to inform it that the switching has been successfully completed and confirm the establishment of the new communication link.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present application, after receiving the switching feedback signaling, the terminal confirms that the communication link switching is successful and releases the first communication link between the terminal and the first communication satellite to avoid waste of resources.

[0069] Exemplarily, taking the first communication satellite as SAT 1 and the second communication satellite as SAT 2 as an example, a communication link 1 for transmitting the terminal's uplink service has been established between SAT 1 and the terminal, and a communication link 2 for transmitting the terminal's downlink service has been established between SAT 2 and the terminal. When the signal quality of the service transmitted by the communication link 1 decreases, the terminal sends a switching signaling to SAT 2, and the switching signaling includes the IP information of the terminal. After receiving the switching signaling, SAT 2 establishes a communication link 3 with the terminal for transmitting the uplink service.

[0070] In this way, when a service abnormality occurs in the communication link responsible for uplink service transmission, the terminal can send a switching signaling to the communication satellite responsible for downlink service transmission, and quickly switch the uplink service to another communication satellite for transmission, thereby switching the uplink and downlink services to the same satellite. In this way, by automatically switching to other satellites, the terminal's communication service can be quickly restored, and even if a communication satellite fails or its performance degrades, the continuity of communication can be ensured, thereby improving the reliability of the entire satellite communication system.

[0071] In some embodiments of the present application, when a service abnormality occurs on the second communication link or the amount of service data on the second communication link is less than or equal to a first threshold, the terminal may send a switching signaling to the first communication satellite.

[0072] Exemplarily, taking the first communication satellite as SAT 1 and the second communication satellite as SAT 2 as an example, a communication link 1 for transmitting the terminal's uplink service has been established between SAT 1 and the terminal, and a communication link 2 for transmitting the terminal's downlink service has been established between SAT 2 and the terminal. When the signal quality of the service transmitted by the communication link 2 decreases, the terminal sends a switching signaling to SAT 1, and the switching signaling includes the IP information of the terminal. After receiving the switching signaling, SAT 1 establishes a communication link 4 with the terminal for transmitting the downlink service.

[0073] In this way, when a communication satellite responsible for the downlink business transmission of the terminal encounters a service abnormality, a switching signal is sent to another communication satellite responsible for the uplink business transmission of the terminal to quickly switch the downlink business to another communication satellite for transmission. In this way, by automatically switching to other satellites, the terminal's communication service can be quickly restored. Even if a communication satellite fails or its performance degrades, the continuity of communication can be ensured, thereby improving the reliability of the entire satellite communication system.

[0074] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a satellite communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 3 As shown, the satellite communication method may include the following steps 301 and 302:

[0075] Step 301: The first communication satellite receives a connection signaling from a terminal.

[0076] Among them, the above-mentioned connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a first communication link between the terminal and the first communication satellite. The connection signaling carries a service identifier, and the service identifier is used to indicate the service type allowed to be transmitted by the data bearer between the terminal and the first communication satellite. The above-mentioned service type is an uplink service or a downlink service.

[0077] In some embodiments of the present application, the first communication satellite is used to communicate with the terminal through an established communication link.

[0078] It should be noted that the above-mentioned communication link can also be called a communication link or a data transmission path.

[0079] It should be noted that a communication satellite (COMSAT) is an artificial satellite that is mainly used to relay and forward radio waves between different locations on the earth's surface to achieve the purpose of communication. At present, communication satellites have been used in global communications, emergency communications, telemedicine, distance education, the Internet of Things and other fields.

[0080] It should be noted that the communication satellite in the embodiments of the present application can be replaced by a satellite (SAT) or a satellite base station.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned first communication satellite may include one or more communication satellites.

[0082] In some embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned connection signaling may be a radio resource control (Radio Resource Control, RRC) signaling.

[0083] In some embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned connection signaling can be sent through the NR-Uu interface between the first communication satellite and the terminal.

[0084] In some embodiments of the present application, the service identifier may indicate an uplink service or a downlink service, or the service identifier may be associated with an uplink service or a downlink service.

[0085] Exemplarily, taking the first communication satellite as SAT 1, SAT 1 receives connection signaling from the terminal, and the connection signaling carries a service identifier indicating an uplink service. The service identifier can be used by SAT 1 to identify that the DRB can only transmit data packets of the uplink service when subsequently establishing a DRB between the SAT 1 and the UE.

[0086] It should be noted that the above-mentioned service identifier can also be called a service application identifier.

[0087] It should be noted that the uplink service refers to the service of sending data from the terminal to the communication satellite; the downlink service refers to the service of sending data from the communication satellite to the terminal.

[0088] In some embodiments of the present application, when establishing a first communication link with a terminal, the first communication satellite carries the service identifier when establishing a data bearer to identify that the data bearer of the communication link can only transmit service data of the service type indicated by the service identifier.

[0089] It should be noted that the above data bearer can be replaced by a data radio bearer (DRB). DRB is a radio bearer allocated by a base station to a terminal and is responsible for transmitting user data packets on a radio interface (such as a Uu interface).

[0090] Step 302: The first communication satellite establishes a first communication link with the terminal according to the connection signaling.

[0091] In some embodiments of the present application, the first communication satellite may establish a first communication link dedicated to transmitting data packets of a service type indicated by the service identifier based on the service identifier in the connection signaling. Exemplarily, the first communication satellite parses the connection signaling, obtains the service identifier, and determines the service type allowed to be transmitted by the data bearer to be established according to the service identifier.

[0092] Exemplarily, in combination with the above example, SAT 1 receives connection signaling from the terminal, and the connection signaling carries a service identifier indicating an uplink service. The service identifier can be used by SAT 1 to identify that the DRB of the communication link can only transmit data packets of the uplink service when subsequently establishing a communication link with the UE. Then, SAT1 carries the service identifier when establishing the DRB with the terminal to identify that the DRB only allows the transmission of data packets of the uplink service.

[0093] Exemplarily, in combination with the above example, SAT 1 receives connection signaling from the terminal, and the connection signaling carries a service identifier indicating the downlink service. The service identifier can be used by SAT 1 to identify that the DRB of the communication link can only transmit data packets of the downlink service when subsequently establishing a communication link with the UE. Then, SAT1 carries the service identifier when establishing the DRB of the communication link with the terminal to identify that the DRB only allows the transmission of data packets of the downlink service.

[0094] In some embodiments of the present application, the first communication satellite may be one of a plurality of communication satellites that establish a communication link with the terminal. After receiving the connection signaling from the terminal, the plurality of communication satellites establish a first communication link dedicated to transmitting data packets of the service type indicated by the service identifier when establishing a data bearer with the terminal.

[0095] For example, taking multiple communication satellites including SAT 1 and SAT 2 as an example, after SAT 1 and SAT 2 receive connection signaling from a terminal, the connection signaling carries a service identifier indicating an uplink service, and SAT 1 and SAT 2 carry the service identifier when establishing a DRB between each of them and the terminal, so as to identify that the DRB between each of them and the terminal only allows the transmission of data packets of the uplink service. In this way, uplink or downlink data transmission through multiple satellites is realized, thereby improving transmission efficiency.

[0096] It should be noted that the satellite communication method provided by the present application can more accurately allocate wireless resources according to business needs by separating uplink services and downlink services. For example, if the uplink business demand is much higher than the downlink business in a certain time period, more resources can be allocated to the uplink. On the other hand, since the uplink and downlink services are physically separated, the mutual interference between the two can be reduced. In addition, the separation of uplink and downlink services can reduce the complexity of network design.

[0097] In the satellite communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application, the first communication satellite receives a connection signaling from a terminal, the connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a communication link with the first communication satellite, the connection signaling carries a service identifier, the service identifier is used to indicate the service type allowed to be transmitted by the data bearer between the terminal and the first communication satellite, the service type is an uplink service or a downlink service, and the first communication satellite establishes a first communication link with the terminal according to the connection signaling. Through this method, the first communication satellite can establish a corresponding type of data bearer with the terminal according to the service identifier of the service type allowed to be transmitted by the data bearer between the terminal and the configuration, so that the first communication satellite is only responsible for the transmission of the uplink service or the transmission of the downlink service, and the separation of the uplink and downlink services is realized. In this way, all wireless resources can be used for uplink transmission or downlink transmission, avoiding the problem that the wireless resources on one side of the uplink or downlink cannot be effectively utilized, thereby improving the utilization rate of wireless resources and further improving the transmission performance.

[0098] In some embodiments of the present application, after the above step 301, the satellite communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application may further include the following steps 303 and 304:

[0099] Step 303: The first communication satellite parses the connection signaling to obtain a service identifier.

[0100] Step 304: The first communication satellite saves the service identifier.

[0101] In some embodiments of the present application, after receiving the connection signaling from the terminal, the first communication satellite parses the connection signaling to obtain the service identifier carried in the connection signaling, and stores the service identifier in its internal storage system or database.

[0102] Illustratively, in combination with the above example, SAT 1 receives connection signaling from a terminal, the connection signaling carries a service identifier indicating an uplink service, SAT 1 parses the connection signaling, obtains the service identifier carried by the connection signaling, and stores the service identifier in an internal memory.

[0103] In the embodiment of the present application, the first satellite device saves the service identifier so that the first communication satellite can identify and process the corresponding data packet or signaling according to the service identifier in the subsequent communication process, thereby ensuring the continuity and reliability of communication.

[0104] In some embodiments of the present application, after the above step 302, the satellite communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application may further include the following steps 305 to 307:

[0105] Step 305: The first communication satellite sends a connection signaling to the target communication device.

[0106] Step 306: The first communication satellite receives the connection feedback signaling from the target communication device.

[0107] The connection feedback signaling is used to feedback the established communication link between the terminal and the first communication satellite.

[0108] Step 307: The first communication satellite sends a connection feedback signaling to the terminal.

[0109] Among them, the above-mentioned target communication equipment is a satellite gateway or a core network equipment.

[0110] In some embodiments of the present application, after receiving a connection request from a terminal and establishing a data bearer with the terminal, the first communication satellite sends the connection request to a satellite gateway or a core network device to establish a wireless bearer between other network nodes.

[0111] Exemplarily, the above-mentioned core network device may be an access and mobility management function (Access and Mobility Management Function, AMF).

[0112] It should be noted that, when the function of the satellite gateway is integrated in the first communication satellite, the first communication satellite can receive connection feedback signaling from the core network device, or, when the first communication satellite and the satellite gateway are two devices, the first communication satellite can receive connection feedback signaling from the satellite gateway, and the connection feedback signaling of the satellite gateway is sent by the core network device.

[0113] Exemplarily, taking the target communication device as a satellite gateway, in combination with the above example, SAT 1 receives connection signaling from the terminal, and the connection signaling carries a service identifier indicating an uplink service. SAT 1 carries the service identifier when establishing a DRB with the terminal to identify that the DRB only allows the transmission of data packets for uplink services. After the DRB is established, SAT 1 sends the connection signaling to the satellite gateway to establish a DRB between SAT1 and the satellite gateway. After receiving the connection feedback signaling from the satellite gateway, SAT 1 sends the connection feedback signaling to the terminal. At this time, the communication link between the terminal and the first communication satellite is completed.

[0114] In some embodiments of the present application, after the above step 302, the satellite communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application may further include the following steps 308 and 309:

[0115] Step 308: When the switching condition is met, the first communication satellite sends a second switching signaling to the second communication satellite.

[0116] The switching signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a third communication link between the terminal and the second communication satellite, and the service type allowed to be transmitted by the third communication link is the same as the service type allowed to be transmitted by the first communication link.

[0117] Step 309: The first communication satellite releases the first communication link when receiving the switching feedback signaling from the second communication satellite.

[0118] The switching feedback signaling is used to feedback that the third communication link has been established with the terminal.

[0119] In some embodiments of the present application, the service anomaly of the first communication link includes but is not limited to at least one of the following: a decrease in signal quality of the service transmitted by the first communication link, an increase in the packet loss rate of the service transmitted by the first communication link, an interruption of the service transmitted by the first communication link, etc.

[0120] In some embodiments of the present application, the second communication satellite is a communication satellite that only establishes a second communication link with the terminal, and the service type allowed to be transmitted by the second communication link is an uplink service or a downlink service.

[0121] Exemplarily, a data bearer dedicated to uplink services is established between the second communication satellite and the terminal, that is, the second communication satellite is only responsible for uplink service transmission between the terminal; or, a data bearer dedicated to downlink services is established between the second communication satellite and the terminal, that is, the second communication satellite is only responsible for downlink service transmission between the terminal.

[0122] In some embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned switching feedback signaling includes at least one of the following: an identifier of the terminal, an IP of the terminal, an IP of a core network device, and link information of the first communication link.

[0123] In some embodiments of the present application, the first communication satellite monitors the service status currently carried by it and sends a second switching signaling to the second communication satellite when it is detected that the first communication link meets the switching condition, so that the second communication satellite can quickly establish a new communication link (i.e., the third communication link) with the terminal.

[0124] In some embodiments of the present application, after receiving the switching signaling, the second communication satellite will quickly establish a third communication link with the terminal based on the information in the switching signaling. This new data bearer is configured to allow transmission of the same type of services as the first communication link to ensure service continuity.

[0125] In some embodiments of the present application, after the third communication link is successfully established, the second communication satellite sends a switching feedback signaling to the first communication satellite to inform it that the switching has been successfully completed and confirm the establishment of the new communication link.

[0126] In some embodiments of the present application, after receiving the switching feedback signaling, the first communication satellite confirms that the bearer switching is successful, and then releases the first communication link between the first communication satellite and the terminal to avoid waste of resources.

[0127] For example, taking the first communication satellite as SAT 1 and the second communication satellite as SAT 2, a communication link 1 for transmitting the terminal's uplink service has been established between SAT 1 and the terminal, and a communication link 2 for transmitting the terminal's downlink service has been established between SAT 2 and the terminal. When the signal quality of the service transmitted by DRB 1 decreases, SAT 1 sends a switching signaling to SAT 2, where the switching signaling includes the IP information of the terminal. After receiving the switching signaling, SAT 3 establishes a communication link 3 with the terminal for transmitting the uplink service, and sends a switching feedback to SAT 1 after the communication link 3 is established. After receiving the switching feedback, SAT 1 releases the communication link 1 with the terminal.

[0128] In this way, when a service abnormality occurs in the communication satellite responsible for the uplink service transmission of the terminal, the uplink service is quickly switched to another communication satellite for transmission by sending a switching signaling to the communication satellite responsible for the downlink service transmission of the terminal, thereby switching the uplink and downlink services to the same satellite. In this way, by automatically switching to other satellites, the terminal's communication service can be quickly restored, and even if a communication satellite fails or its performance degrades, the continuity of communication can be ensured, thereby improving the reliability of the entire satellite communication system.

[0129] As another example, taking the first communication satellite as SAT 1 and the second communication satellite as SAT 2, a communication link 1 for transmitting the terminal's uplink service has been established between SAT 1 and the terminal, and a communication link 2 for transmitting the terminal's downlink service has been established between SAT 2 and the terminal. When the signal quality of the service transmitted by the communication link 2 decreases, SAT 1 sends a switching signaling to SAT 1, and the switching signaling includes the IP information of the terminal. After receiving the switching signaling, SAT 1 establishes a communication link 4 with the terminal for transmitting the uplink service.

[0130] In this way, when a communication satellite responsible for the downlink business transmission of the terminal encounters a service abnormality, a switching signal is sent to another communication satellite responsible for the uplink business transmission of the terminal to quickly switch the uplink business to another communication satellite for transmission. In this way, by automatically switching to other satellites, the terminal's communication service can be quickly restored. Even if a communication satellite fails or its performance degrades, the continuity of communication can be ensured, thereby improving the reliability of the entire satellite communication system.

[0131] In some embodiments of the present application, the satellite communication method may include the following steps 401 to 403:

[0132] Step 401: The core network device sends a connection signaling to the network server.

[0133] Among them, the above-mentioned connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a communication link with the first communication satellite. The above-mentioned connection signaling carries a service identifier. The above-mentioned service identifier is used to indicate the service type allowed to be transmitted by the data bearer between the terminal and the first communication satellite, and the service type is an uplink service or a downlink service.

[0134] Step 402: The network server sends a connection feedback signaling to the core network device.

[0135] Step 403: The core network device receives the connection feedback signaling from the network server.

[0136] The connection feedback signaling is used to feedback the established communication link between the terminal and the first communication satellite.

[0137] In some embodiments of the present application, the core network device may receive connection signaling from the first communication satellite or a satellite gateway.

[0138] In some embodiments of the present application, after receiving the connection signaling, the core network device parses the IP address information and service identifier of the terminal, communication satellite, and satellite gateway in the connection signaling, and carries the flag when establishing a data transmission bearer with the network server and satellite gateway to indicate that the bearer can only transmit data of the service type indicated by the service identifier.

[0139] In some embodiments of the present application, after the core network device parses the connection signaling and obtains the IP address information and service identifier of the terminal, communication satellite, and satellite gateway in the connection signaling, it stores the above IP address information and service identifier.

[0140] Exemplarily, taking the first communication satellite as SAT 1, after the terminal sends a connection signaling to SAT 1, SAT 1 receives the connection signaling from the terminal, which carries a service identifier indicating the uplink service. SAT 1 carries the service identifier when establishing the DRB of the communication link with the terminal to identify that the DRB only allows the transmission of data packets of the uplink service. After the establishment of the DRB, SAT1 sends the connection signaling to the satellite gateway to establish the DRB between SAT 1 and satellite gateway 1. After the DRB is established, the satellite gateway sends the connection signaling to the core network device. After the core network device establishes the DRB with the satellite gateway, it sends the connection signaling to the DN. After receiving the connection signaling, the DN parses the connection signaling and saves the IP information of the terminal, SAT 1, satellite gateway 1 and the 5G core network, and then sends a connection feedback signaling to the 5G core network. When the 5G core network receives the connection feedback signaling sent by the DN, it parses the signaling and saves the IP information of the DN, and then sends the connection feedback signaling to the satellite gateway 1 for processing.

[0141] In some embodiments of the present application, after the above step 403, the satellite communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application may further include the following step 404:

[0142] Step 404: The core network device sends a connection feedback signaling to the satellite gateway or the first communication satellite.

[0143] In some embodiments of the present application, the core network device may send connection feedback signaling to the satellite gateway via the NG interface.

[0144] It should be noted that the satellite gateway can receive connection feedback signaling, and after parsing and saving the IP information and service identifier of the terminal, the first communication satellite, the satellite gateway, and the core network device, the connection feedback signaling is sent to the first communication satellite; alternatively, the first communication satellite can receive connection feedback signaling, and after parsing and saving the IP information and service identifier of the terminal, the first communication satellite, the satellite gateway, and the core network device, the connection feedback signaling is sent to the terminal.

[0145] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the interactive process of the satellite communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0146] like Figure 4 As shown, the satellite communication method may include the following steps:

[0147] Step 501: The terminal sends a first connection signaling to a first communication satellite.

[0148] Step 502: The terminal sends a second connection signaling to a second communication satellite.

[0149] It should be noted that the above step 501 and step 502 can be performed simultaneously or sequentially.

[0150] Step 503: The first communication satellite receives the first connection signaling from the terminal.

[0151] Step 504: The second communication satellite receives the second connection signaling from the terminal.

[0152] It should be noted that the above step 503 and step 504 can be executed simultaneously or successively.

[0153] Step 505: The first communication satellite establishes a first communication link with the terminal according to the first connection signaling.

[0154] Step 506: The second communication satellite establishes a second communication link with the terminal according to the second connection signaling.

[0155] It should be noted that the above step 505 and step 506 can be executed simultaneously or successively.

[0156] Optionally, after the above step 505 or step 506, the following steps 507a and 508a may be further included, or the following steps 507b and 508b may be included:

[0157] Step 507a: The terminal sends a first switching signaling to the second communication satellite.

[0158] Step 508a: The second communication satellite establishes a third communication link with the terminal according to the first switching signaling.

[0159] Step 507b: When the switching condition is met, the first communication satellite sends a second switching signaling to the second communication satellite.

[0160] Step 508b: The second communication satellite establishes a third communication link with the terminal according to the second switching signaling.

[0161] Optionally, after the above step 508b, the following steps 509 and 510 may also be included:

[0162] Step 509: The second communication satellite sends a switching feedback signaling to the first communication satellite

[0163] Step 510: The first communication satellite releases the first communication link when receiving the switching feedback signaling from the second communication satellite.

[0164] The satellite communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application is described below through specific examples.

[0165] Taking the first communication satellite as satellite 1 (SAT 1), the satellite gateway as satellite gateway 1, and the second communication satellite as satellite 2 (SAT 2) as an example, the above satellite communication method is exemplarily described. Exemplarily, the satellite communication method may include the following steps:

[0166] S101. The terminal selects satellite 1 for connection.

[0167] First, the terminal searches for satellites, selects satellite 1 for connection, and sends satellite connection signaling to satellite 1. The signaling is carried on the NR-Uu interface and carries an uplink service application flag.

[0168] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application takes one satellite as an example, and the actual terminal can send uplink or downlink service applications to multiple connected satellites.

[0169] It should be noted that the above-mentioned uplink service application mark is the service identifier.

[0170] S102, satellite 1 sends the connection signaling sent by the terminal to the satellite gateway for processing;

[0171] Secondly, after receiving the uplink connection signaling from the terminal, satellite 1 will save the uplink service application flag in the signaling. After the uplink flag is maintained, it will carry the flag when establishing a data transmission bearer with the terminal and the satellite gateway to indicate that the bearer can only transmit uplink service data packets. The signaling will then continue to be sent to satellite gateway 1 for processing.

[0172] S103. Satellite gateway 1 processes the uplink connection signaling and sends the connection signaling to the 5G core network.

[0173] After receiving the uplink connection signaling from the terminal, satellite gateway 1 will also save the terminal's IP information and uplink service application flag. After the uplink flag is maintained, it will carry the flag when establishing a data transmission bearer with the 5G core network and the satellite to indicate that the bearer can only transmit uplink service data packets. It will then send a connection signaling to the 5G core network to apply for processing uplink transmission services.

[0174] S104, the 5G core network processes the uplink connection signaling and sends the connection signaling to the network server (Data Network).

[0175] When the 5G core network receives the uplink connection signaling sent by satellite gateway 1, it will parse out the IP address information of the terminal, satellite and satellite gateway and the uplink service application flag in the signaling. After the uplink flag is maintained, it will carry the flag when establishing a data transmission bearer with the network server (dataNetwork) and the satellite gateway to indicate that the bearer can only transmit uplink service data packets. Then it will be stored in the 5G core network and the connection signaling will be sent to the network server. At this time, the connection signaling bearer is sent on the N6 interface.

[0176] S105. The network server processes the uplink connection signaling and sends a connection feedback signaling to the 5G core network.

[0177] After receiving the connection signaling from the 5G core network, the network server will also parse the connection signaling, save the IP information of the terminal, satellite 1, satellite gateway 1 and 5G core network, and then send an uplink connection feedback signaling to the 5G core network.

[0178] S106, the 5G core network processes the uplink connection feedback signaling and sends the feedback signaling to the satellite gateway 1 for processing.

[0179] When the 5G core network receives the uplink connection feedback signaling sent by the network server, it will parse and process the signaling, save the IP information of the network server, and then send the feedback signaling to the satellite gateway 1 for processing.

[0180] S107. Satellite gateway 1 processes the uplink connection feedback signaling and sends the feedback signaling to satellite 1 for processing.

[0181] When satellite gateway 1 receives the uplink connection feedback signaling, it will parse and process the signaling, save the IP information of the network server and the IP information of the 5G core network, and then send the feedback signaling to satellite 1 for processing.

[0182] S108. Satellite 1 processes the uplink connection feedback signaling and forwards the signaling to the terminal for processing.

[0183] Satellite 1 processes the uplink connection feedback signaling, parses out the IP information of the network server, 5G core network and satellite gateway 1, updates and saves it, and then sends the uplink connection feedback signaling to the terminal.

[0184] S109: The terminal processes the uplink connection feedback signaling, and sends a downlink connection signaling to satellite 2.

[0185] When the terminal receives the uplink feedback signaling, it will parse the satellite, satellite gateway, and 5G core network IP address information in the feedback signaling and save it. At this time, the uplink connection channel between the terminal and satellite 1 has been established and uplink data can be sent. After that, the terminal sends a downlink connection signaling to satellite 2, which carries a downlink data application flag.

[0186] S110, satellite 1 sends the connection signaling sent by the terminal to satellite gateway 2 for processing;

[0187] After receiving the downlink connection signaling from the terminal, satellite 2 will save the downlink service application flag in the signaling. After the downlink flag is maintained, it will carry the flag when establishing a data transmission bearer with the terminal and the satellite gateway to indicate that the bearer can only transmit downlink service data packets, and continue to send the signaling to satellite gateway 2 for processing.

[0188] S111, satellite gateway 2 processes the downlink connection signaling and sends the connection signaling to the 5G core network.

[0189] After receiving the downlink connection signaling from the terminal, satellite gateway 2 will also save the terminal's IP information and downlink service application flag. After the downlink flag is maintained, it will carry the flag when establishing a data transmission bearer with the 5G core network and the satellite to indicate that the bearer can only transmit downlink service data packets. It then sends a connection signaling to the 5G core network to apply for processing downlink transmission services.

[0190] S112, the 5G core network processes the downlink connection signaling and sends the connection signaling to the network server.

[0191] When the 5G core network receives the downlink connection signaling sent by satellite gateway 2, it will parse the IP address information of the terminal, satellite and satellite gateway and the downlink service application flag in the signaling, and then store it in the 5G core network. After the downlink flag is maintained, it will carry the flag when establishing a data transmission bearer with the network server (data Network) and the satellite gateway to indicate that the bearer can only transmit downlink service data packets, and then send a connection signaling to the network server. At this time, the connection signaling bearer is sent on the N6 interface.

[0192] S113. The network server processes the downlink connection signaling and sends a connection feedback signaling to the 5G core network.

[0193] After receiving the downlink connection signaling from the 5G core network, the network server will also parse the downlink connection signaling, save the IP information of the terminal, satellite 2, satellite gateway 2 and 5G core network, and then send a downlink connection feedback signaling to the 5G core network.

[0194] S114, the 5G core network processes the downlink connection feedback signaling and sends the feedback signaling to the satellite gateway 2 for processing.

[0195] When the 5G core network receives the downlink connection feedback signaling sent by the network server, it will parse and process the signaling, save the IP information of the network server, and then send the downlink feedback signaling to the satellite gateway 2 for processing.

[0196] S115. Satellite gateway 2 processes the downlink connection feedback signaling and sends the feedback signaling to satellite 2 for processing.

[0197] When satellite gateway 2 receives the downlink connection feedback signaling, it will parse and process the signaling, save the IP information of the network server and the IP information of the 5G core network, and then continue to send the feedback signaling to satellite 2 for processing.

[0198] S116. Satellite 1 processes the uplink connection feedback signaling and forwards the signaling to the terminal for processing.

[0199] When the terminal receives the downlink feedback signaling, it will parse the IP address information of the satellite, satellite gateway, and 5G core network in the feedback signaling and save it. At this time, the downlink connection channel between the terminal and satellite 2 has been established, and downlink data can be received. The UE can independently transmit uplink and downlink data through satellite 1 and satellite 2.

[0200] S117: When satellite 1 processes an uplink connection abnormality, satellite 1 sends an uplink connection switch to satellite 2.

[0201] If an abnormality occurs when satellite 1 processes uplink data, it can send an uplink switching request signaling to satellite 2. The switching signaling is a new signaling added when switching uplink and downlink services. The request signaling will carry the IP information of UE, satellite 1, satellite gateway 1, 5G core network and network server, and the signaling is carried on the Xn interface.

[0202] S118. Satellite 2 processes the uplink connection switching signaling, and sends an uplink connection switching feedback signaling to satellite 1.

[0203] After receiving the uplink switching request from satellite 1, satellite 2 will parse the IP information of UE, satellite 1, satellite gateway 1, 5G core network and network server in the switching request signaling, and re-establish the uplink connection with the terminal while ensuring that the IP addresses of the terminal, 5G core network and network server are consistent to ensure the continuity of uplink transmission services. Then, an uplink connection switching feedback signaling is sent to satellite 1 (this feedback signaling is also a newly added feedback signaling). After receiving the uplink connection switching feedback signaling, satellite 1 will disconnect the current connection with the terminal and 5G core network. At this point, the satellite uplink connection switching process is completed.

[0204] It should be noted that if satellite 2 encounters an abnormality when processing downlink transmission data, it will also send a downlink connection switching signaling to satellite network 1, and then establish a downlink connection on satellite 1 to ensure the continuity of the downlink connection data service.

[0205] The present application proposes a method for multi-link satellite control communication data reception and transmission. The main idea is that when a terminal is performing communication services, on the one hand, it can select an independent satellite for uplink and downlink services, separate the uplink and downlink services of the terminal, and use different satellites for data transmission for the uplink and downlink services, which can improve the success rate and efficiency of satellite communication data transmission; on the other hand, when an abnormality occurs in an independent satellite, the uplink and downlink services can be switched to the same satellite, which improves the continuity of satellite communication processing data transmission, thereby improving the user's satellite communication experience.

[0206] The above-mentioned method embodiments, or various possible implementation methods in each method embodiment, can be executed separately, or, under the premise that there is no contradiction, can also be executed in combination with each other. The specific implementation can be determined according to actual usage requirements, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0207] The satellite communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be executed by a satellite communication device. In the embodiment of the present application, a satellite communication device executing the satellite communication method is taken as an example to illustrate the satellite communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0208] Figure 5 FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a satellite communication device 600 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 As shown, the satellite communication device 600 includes: a sending module 601; the sending module 601 is used to send connection signaling to M communication satellites; wherein the connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of M communication links between the terminal and the M communication satellites, and the connection signaling carries a service identifier, and the service identifier is used to indicate the service type allowed to be transmitted by each communication link, and the service type is an uplink service or a downlink service, and M is a positive integer.

[0209] In some embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned M communication satellites include a first communication satellite and a second communication satellite; a sending module is specifically used to: send a first connection signaling to the first communication satellite; send a second connection signaling to the second communication satellite; wherein the first connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a first communication link between the terminal and the first communication satellite, and the second connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a second communication link between the terminal and the second communication satellite; the service identifiers carried in the first connection signaling and the second connection signaling are the same or different.

[0210] In some embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned sending module is also used to send a first switching signaling to the second communication satellite after sending a connection signaling to the first communication satellite, if the switching conditions are met; wherein the first switching signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a third communication link between the terminal and the second communication satellite, and the third communication link is the same as the first communication link in terms of the service type allowed to be transmitted.

[0211] In some embodiments of the present application, satisfying the switching condition includes at least one of the following: a service abnormality occurs on the first communication link; the amount of service data on the first communication link is less than or equal to a first threshold; the transmission bandwidth required for the terminal's service data is less than or equal to a second threshold.

[0212] The satellite communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application sends a connection signaling to M communication satellites; wherein the connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of M communication links between the terminal and the M communication satellites, and the connection signaling carries a service identifier, and the service identifier is used to indicate the type of service allowed to be transmitted by each communication link, and the service type is an uplink service or a downlink service, and M is a positive integer. Through this method, when the terminal sends a connection to the communication satellite, the service identifier carried in the connection signaling is used to clearly indicate the type of service allowed to be transmitted by each communication link, so that the communication satellite can know the service type of the communication link between the terminal and realize the separation of uplink and downlink services. In this way, all wireless resources can be used for uplink transmission or downlink transmission, avoiding the problem that uplink or downlink wireless resources cannot be effectively utilized, thereby improving the utilization rate of wireless resources and further improving transmission performance.

[0213] Figure 6 FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a satellite communication device 700 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 As shown, the satellite communication device 700 includes: a receiving module 701 and a processing module 702, wherein: the receiving module 701 is used to receive a first connection signaling from a terminal; the first connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a first communication link between the terminal and the first communication satellite, the first connection signaling carries a service identifier, and the service identifier is used to indicate the service type allowed to be transmitted by the first communication link; the processing module 702 is used to establish the first communication link with the terminal according to the first connection signaling received by the receiving module 701.

[0214] In some embodiments of the present application, the sending module is also used to send a second switching signaling to the second communication satellite after establishing the first communication link with the terminal according to the first connection signaling, if the switching condition is met; wherein the second switching signaling is used to trigger establishment of a third communication link between the terminal and the second communication satellite, and the third communication link has the same service type as that allowed to be transmitted by the first communication link.

[0215] In some embodiments of the present application, the processing module is also used to, when the switching conditions are met, use the satellite with a second communication link established with the terminal as the second communication satellite before sending a switching signaling to the second communication satellite; wherein the second communication link and the third communication link allow different types of services to be transmitted.

[0216] In some embodiments of the present application, the satisfying the switching condition includes at least one of the following:

[0217] A service abnormality occurs on the first communication link;

[0218] The amount of service data on the first communication link is less than or equal to a first threshold;

[0219] The transmission bandwidth required by the service data of the terminal is less than or equal to the second threshold.

[0220] The satellite communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application receives a connection signaling from a terminal, the connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a communication link between the terminal and the first communication satellite, the connection signaling carries a service identifier, the service identifier is used to indicate the service type allowed to be transmitted by the data bearer between the terminal and the first communication satellite, the service type is an uplink service or a downlink service, and the satellite communication device establishes a first data bearer with the terminal according to the connection signaling. Through this method, the satellite communication device can establish a corresponding type of data bearer with the terminal according to the service identifier of the service type allowed to be transmitted by the data bearer between the terminal and the configuration, so that the first communication satellite is only responsible for the transmission of the uplink service or the transmission of the downlink service, and the separation of the uplink and downlink services is realized. In this way, all wireless resources can be used for uplink transmission or downlink transmission, avoiding the problem that the wireless resources on one side of the uplink or downlink cannot be effectively utilized, thereby improving the utilization rate of wireless resources and further improving the transmission performance.

[0221] The satellite communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application can implement the various processes implemented in the satellite communication method embodiment and achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be repeated here.

[0222] like Figure 7 As shown, the embodiment of the present application also provides a communication device 800, including a processor 801 and a memory 802, and the memory 802 stores a program or instruction that can be run on the processor 801. For example, when the communication device 800 is a terminal, the program or instruction is executed by the processor 801 to implement the various steps of the above-mentioned terminal side satellite communication method embodiment, and can achieve the same technical effect. When the communication device 800 is a communication satellite, the program or instruction is executed by the processor 801 to implement the various steps of the above-mentioned communication satellite side satellite communication method embodiment, and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it is not repeated here. When the communication device 800 is a network side device, the program or instruction is executed by the processor 801 to implement the various steps of the above-mentioned core network device side satellite communication method embodiment, and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it is not repeated here.

[0223] It should be noted that the electronic devices in the embodiments of the present application include the mobile electronic devices and non-mobile electronic devices mentioned above.

[0224] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an electronic device to implement an embodiment of the present application.

[0225] The electronic device 100 includes but is not limited to components such as a radio frequency unit 101, a network module 102, an audio output unit 103, an input unit 104, a sensor 105, a display unit 106, a user input unit 107, an interface unit 108, a memory 109, and a processor 110.

[0226] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the electronic device 100 may also include a power source (such as a battery) for supplying power to various components, and the power source may be logically connected to the processor 110 through a power management system, thereby implementing functions such as managing charging, discharging, and power consumption management through the power management system. Figure 8 The electronic device structure shown in the figure does not constitute a limitation on the electronic device. The electronic device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently, which will not be described in detail here.

[0227] Among them, the radio frequency unit 101 is used to send connection signaling to M communication satellites; wherein the connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of M communication links between the terminal and the M communication satellites, and the connection signaling carries a service identifier, and the service identifier is used to indicate the service type allowed to be transmitted by each communication link, and the service type is an uplink service or a downlink service, and M is a positive integer.

[0228] In some embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned M communication satellites include a first communication satellite and a second communication satellite; the radio frequency unit 101 is specifically used to: send a first connection signaling to the first communication satellite; send a second connection signaling to the second communication satellite; wherein the first connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a first communication link between the terminal and the first communication satellite, and the second connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a second communication link between the terminal and the second communication satellite; the service identifiers carried in the first connection signaling and the second connection signaling are the same or different.

[0229] In some embodiments of the present application, the above-mentioned radio frequency unit 101 is also used to send a first switching signaling to the second communication satellite after sending a connection signaling to the first communication satellite, if the switching condition is met; wherein the first switching signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a third communication link between the terminal and the second communication satellite, and the third communication link is the same as the first communication link. The type of service allowed to be transmitted is the same.

[0230] In some embodiments of the present application, satisfying the switching condition includes at least one of the following: a service abnormality occurs on the first communication link; the amount of service data on the first communication link is less than or equal to a first threshold; the transmission bandwidth required for the terminal's service data is less than or equal to a second threshold.

[0231] The terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application sends a connection signaling to M communication satellites; wherein the connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of M communication links between the terminal and the M communication satellites, and the connection signaling carries a service identifier, and the service identifier is used to indicate the type of service allowed to be transmitted by each communication link, and the service type is an uplink service or a downlink service, and M is a positive integer. Through this method, when the terminal sends a connection to the communication satellite, the service identifier carried in the connection signaling is used to clearly indicate the type of service allowed to be transmitted by each communication link, so that the communication satellite can know the service type of the communication link between the terminal and realize the separation of uplink and downlink services. In this way, all wireless resources can be used for uplink transmission or downlink transmission, avoiding the problem that uplink or downlink wireless resources cannot be effectively utilized, thereby improving the utilization rate of wireless resources and further improving transmission performance.

[0232] It should be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the input unit 104 may include a graphics processor (Graphics Processing Unit, GPU) 1041 and a microphone 1042, and the graphics processor 1041 processes the image data of a static picture or video obtained by an image capture device (such as a camera) in a video capture mode or an image capture mode. The display unit 106 may include a display panel 1061, and the display panel 1061 may be configured in the form of a liquid crystal display, an organic light emitting diode, etc. The user input unit 107 includes a touch panel 1071 and at least one of other input devices 1072. The touch panel 1071 is also called a touch screen. The touch panel 1071 may include two parts: a touch detection device and a touch controller. Other input devices 1072 may include, but are not limited to, a physical keyboard, function keys (such as volume control keys, switch keys, etc.), a trackball, a mouse, and a joystick, which will not be repeated here.

[0233] The memory 109 can be used to store software programs and various data. The memory 109 may mainly include a first storage area for storing programs or instructions and a second storage area for storing data, wherein the first storage area may store an operating system, an application program or instructions required for at least one function (such as a sound playback function, an image playback function, etc.), etc. In addition, the memory 109 may include a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or the memory 109 may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), a double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDRSDRAM), an enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), a synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM) and a direct memory bus random access memory (DRRAM). The memory 109 in the embodiment of the present application includes but is not limited to these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0234] The processor 110 may include one or more processing units; optionally, the processor 110 integrates an application processor and a modem processor, wherein the application processor mainly processes operations related to an operating system, a user interface, and application programs, and the modem processor mainly processes wireless communication signals, such as a baseband processor. It is understandable that the modem processor may not be integrated into the processor 110.

[0235] An embodiment of the present application also provides a readable storage medium, on which a program or instruction is stored. When the program or instruction is executed by a processor, the various processes of the above-mentioned satellite communication method embodiment are implemented and the same technical effect can be achieved. To avoid repetition, it will not be repeated here.

[0236] The processor is the processor in the electronic device described in the above embodiment. The readable storage medium includes a computer readable storage medium, such as a computer read-only memory ROM, a random access memory RAM, a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0237] The embodiment of the present application also provides a network side device, including a processor and a communication interface, the communication interface and the processor are coupled, and the processor is used to run a program or instruction to implement the steps of the above satellite communication method embodiment. The network side device embodiment corresponds to the above communication satellite side method embodiment, and each implementation process and implementation method of the above method embodiment can be applied to the network side device embodiment, and can achieve the same technical effect.

[0238] Specifically, the embodiment of the present application further provides a network side device, which may be a satellite. Fig. 9 As shown, the network side device 900 includes: an antenna 91, a radio frequency device 92, a baseband device 93, a processor 94 and a memory 95. The antenna 91 is connected to the radio frequency device 92. In the uplink direction, the radio frequency device 92 receives information through the antenna 91 and sends the received information to the baseband device 93 for processing. In the downlink direction, the baseband device 93 processes the information to be sent and sends it to the radio frequency device 92. The radio frequency device 92 processes the received information and sends it out through the antenna 91.

[0239] The method executed by the network-side device in the above embodiment may be implemented in the baseband device 93, which includes a baseband processor.

[0240] The baseband device 93 may include, for example, at least one baseband board on which a plurality of chips are arranged. Fig. 9 As shown, one of the chips is, for example, a baseband processor, which is connected to the memory 95 through a bus interface to call the program in the memory 95 to execute the network device operations shown in the above method embodiment.

[0241] The network side device may further include a network interface 96, which is, for example, a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI).

[0242] Specifically, the network side device 900 of the embodiment of the present application further includes: instructions or programs stored in the memory 95 and executable on the processor 94, and the processor 94 calls the instructions or programs in the memory 95 to execute. Figure 6 The methods executed by the modules shown achieve the same technical effects, and therefore will not be described here in detail to avoid repetition.

[0243] An embodiment of the present application further provides a chip, which includes a processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is coupled to the processor, and the processor is used to run programs or instructions to implement the various processes of the above-mentioned satellite communication method embodiment, and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be repeated here.

[0244] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can also be called a system-level chip, a system chip, a chip system or a system-on-chip chip, etc.

[0245] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which is stored in a storage medium. The program product is executed by at least one processor to implement the various processes of the above-mentioned satellite communication method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be repeated here.

[0246] It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "comprise", "include" or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that the process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise one..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element. In addition, it should be pointed out that the scope of the methods and devices in the embodiments of the present application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, and may also include performing functions in a substantially simultaneous manner or in reverse order according to the functions involved, for example, the described method may be performed in an order different from that described, and various steps may also be added, omitted, or combined. In addition, the features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0247] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, and of course by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on such an understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a computer software product, which is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, a disk, or an optical disk), and includes a number of instructions for a terminal (which can be a mobile phone, a computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment of the present application.

[0248] The embodiments of the present application are described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementation methods. The above-mentioned specific implementation methods are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Under the guidance of the present application, ordinary technicians in this field can also make many forms without departing from the purpose of the present application and the scope of protection of the claims, all of which are within the protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A satellite communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The terminal sends connection signaling to M communication satellites; Among them, the connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of M communication links between the terminal and the M communication satellites, the connection signaling carries a service identifier, and the service identifier is used to indicate the service type allowed to be transmitted by each of the communication links, the service type is an uplink service or a downlink service, and M is a positive integer.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The M communication satellites include a first communication satellite and a second communication satellite; the terminal sends a connection signaling to the M communication satellites, including: The terminal sends a first connection signaling to the first communication satellite; The terminal sends a second connection signaling to a second communication satellite; The first connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a first communication link between the terminal and the first communication satellite, and the second connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a second communication link between the terminal and the second communication satellite; the service identifiers carried in the first connection signaling and the second connection signaling are the same or different.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that After the terminal sends a connection signaling to the first communication satellite, the method further includes: The terminal sends a first switching signaling to the second communication satellite when the switching condition is met; The first switching signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a third communication link between the terminal and the second communication satellite, and the third communication link allows the same service type to be transmitted as the first communication link.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The switching condition includes at least one of the following: A service abnormality occurs on the first communication link; The amount of service data on the first communication link is less than or equal to a first threshold; The transmission bandwidth required by the service data of the terminal is less than or equal to the second threshold.

5. A satellite communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The first communication satellite receives a first connection signaling from a terminal; the first connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a first communication link between the terminal and the first communication satellite, the first connection signaling carries a service identifier, and the service identifier is used to indicate a service type allowed to be transmitted by the first communication link; The first communication satellite establishes the first communication link with the terminal according to the first connection signaling.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that After the first communication satellite establishes the first communication link with the terminal according to the first connection signaling, the method further includes: The first communication satellite sends a second switching signaling to the second communication satellite when the switching condition is met; The second switching signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a third communication link between the terminal and the second communication satellite, and the third communication link allows the same service type to be transmitted as the first communication link.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that Before the first communication satellite sends a switching signaling to the second communication satellite when the switching condition is met, the method further includes: The first communication satellite uses a satellite having a second communication link established with the terminal as a second communication satellite; The second communication link and the third communication link allow different types of services to be transmitted.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The switching condition includes at least one of the following: A service abnormality occurs on the first communication link; The amount of service data on the first communication link is less than or equal to a first threshold; The transmission bandwidth required by the service data of the terminal is less than or equal to the second threshold.

9. A satellite communication device, characterized in that: The device comprises: a sending module; The sending module is used to send connection signaling to M communication satellites; Among them, the connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of M communication links between the terminal and the M communication satellites, the connection signaling carries a service identifier, and the service identifier is used to indicate the service type allowed to be transmitted by each of the communication links, the service type is an uplink service or a downlink service, and M is a positive integer.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that The M communication satellites include a first communication satellite and a second communication satellite; the sending module is specifically used for: Sending a first connection signaling to a first communication satellite; sending a second connection signaling to a second communication satellite; The first connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a first communication link between the terminal and the first communication satellite, and the second connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a second communication link between the terminal and the second communication satellite; the service identifiers carried in the first connection signaling and the second connection signaling are the same or different.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that The sending module is further configured to send a first switching signaling to the second communication satellite after sending a connection signaling to the first communication satellite, if a switching condition is met; The first switching signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a third communication link between the terminal and the second communication satellite, and the third communication link allows the same service type to be transmitted as the first communication link.

12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that The switching condition includes at least one of the following: A service abnormality occurs on the first communication link; The amount of service data on the first communication link is less than or equal to a first threshold; The transmission bandwidth required by the service data of the terminal is less than or equal to the second threshold.

13. A satellite communication device, characterized in that: The device comprises: a receiving module and a processing module, wherein: The receiving module is used to receive a first connection signaling from a terminal; the first connection signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a first communication link between the terminal and a first communication satellite, the first connection signaling carries a service identifier, and the service identifier is used to indicate a service type allowed to be transmitted by the first communication link; The processing module is used to establish the first communication link with the terminal according to the first connection signaling received by the receiving module.

14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that The sending module is further configured to, after establishing the first communication link with the terminal according to the first connection signaling, send a second switching signaling to a second communication satellite if a switching condition is met; The second switching signaling is used to trigger the establishment of a third communication link between the terminal and the second communication satellite, and the third communication link allows the same service type to be transmitted as the first communication link.

15. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that The processing module is further configured to, when the switching condition is met, use the satellite with which the second communication link is established with the terminal as the second communication satellite before sending the switching signaling to the second communication satellite; The second communication link and the third communication link allow different types of services to be transmitted.

16. The device according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The switching condition includes at least one of the following: A service abnormality occurs on the first communication link; The amount of service data on the first communication link is less than or equal to a first threshold; The transmission bandwidth required by the service data of the terminal is less than or equal to the second threshold.

17. A terminal, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a program or instruction that can be run on the processor, and when the program or instruction is executed by the processor, the steps of the satellite communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 are implemented.

18. A network side device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a program or instruction that can be run on the processor, and when the program or instruction is executed by the processor, the steps of the satellite communication method according to any one of claims 5 to 8 are implemented.

19. A readable storage medium, characterized in that: The readable storage medium stores a program or instruction, and when the program or instruction is executed by the processor, the satellite communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 4 or the steps of the satellite communication method as described in any one of claims 5 to 8 are implemented.

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