A communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The application relates to a communication method and device. A terminal device can receive first information from a first cell to obtain NTN assistance information of a first satellite and NTN assistance information of a second satellite. When the first information is received, the first satellite corresponds to the first cell, and a cell identifier of a cell corresponding to the second satellite is the same as a cell identifier of the first cell, which indicates that after the first satellite stops serving the first cell, the second satellite will replace the first satellite. Further, when the terminal device re-synchronizes with the first cell or before the terminal device re-synchronizes with the first cell, the terminal device restarts a timer, a start time of the timer is a start time of the NTN assistance information of the second satellite, and a time length of the timer is a valid time length of the NTN assistance information of the second satellite, which means that the timer maintains the NTN assistance information of the second satellite, so that the terminal device can successfully re-synchronize with the first cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] In communication technology, when a terminal device receives System Information Blocks 19 (SIB19), a radio resource control reconfiguration message for the target cell (including synchronization reconfiguration), or when conditional reconfiguration is executed, it can start or restart the T430 timer to maintain the corresponding ephemeris information. However, if the T430 timer is started or restarted in this manner during satellite handover but cell handover, the ephemeris information maintained by the T430 timer may be the ephemeris information of the source satellite. The terminal device will use the ephemeris information maintained by the T430 timer to synchronize with the cell (which is served by the target satellite). Because the ephemeris information maintained by the T430 timer is the ephemeris information of the source satellite, this will cause the terminal device to fail to synchronize with the cell. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that enables a terminal device to successfully resynchronize with a first cell.

[0004] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a terminal device, by a module applied to the terminal device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the terminal device's functions. In this communication method, first information from a first cell can be received. The first information includes non-terrestrial network (NTN) auxiliary information from a first satellite and NTN auxiliary information from a second satellite. The first satellite corresponds to the first cell, and the cell identifier corresponding to the second satellite is the same as the cell identifier of the first cell. Therefore, when the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell or before resynchronizing with the first cell, a timer can be restarted. The start time of the timer is the start time of the NTN auxiliary information from the second satellite, and the duration of the timer is the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information from the second satellite.

[0005] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the terminal device can receive first information from the first cell, thereby obtaining the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite and the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite. Upon receiving the first information, the first satellite corresponds to the first cell, and the cell identifier of the second satellite is the same as that of the first cell. This indicates that after the first satellite stops serving the first cell, the second satellite will take over. Furthermore, when the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell or before resynchronizing with the first cell, the terminal device restarts a timer. This indicates that in scenarios where satellite handover occurs with an unchanged cell identifier, the terminal device can restart the timer. Simultaneously, the start time of this timer is the start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite, and the duration of this timer is the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite. This means that the timer maintains the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite, enabling the terminal device to successfully resynchronize with the first cell.

[0006] In one possible implementation, the time when the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell is any one of the following: the time when the first satellite stops serving the first cell; or, the time after a preset time interval following the time when the first satellite stops serving the first cell; or, the time when the second satellite starts serving the first cell; wherein the terminal device is located within the first cell.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the method further includes receiving second information from a first cell, the second information indicating the time when the terminal device should resynchronize with the first cell.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the timer is restarted at any of the following times: the time when the first satellite stops serving the first cell; or, the time after a preset interval following the time when the first satellite stops serving the first cell; or, the time when the second satellite starts serving the first cell; wherein the terminal device is located within the first cell.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the method further includes receiving third information from a first cell, the third information being used to indicate when the terminal device should restart a timer.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the second or third information is also used to instruct the first cell to switch satellites when the cell identifier remains unchanged.

[0011] In one possible implementation, after receiving the first information, but before the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell and restarts the timer, the method further includes: starting the timer, wherein the timer start time is the start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite, and the timer duration is the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite includes the ephemeris information of the first satellite, the start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite, and the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite; the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite includes the ephemeris information of the second satellite, the start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite, and the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite.

[0013] In one possible implementation, upon receiving the first information, the first satellite serves the first cell; when the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell or after the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell, the second satellite serves the first cell.

[0014] In a second aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing the method as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0015] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, comprising at least one processor and a memory; wherein the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions; and at least one processor is used to execute the computer programs or instructions in the memory, such that the method described in any of the first aspects is executed.

[0016] Fourthly, a communication system is provided, the communication system including a terminal device; the terminal device is used to perform the method as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0017] Fifthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores computer instructions, which, when executed, cause a computer to perform the method described in any of the first aspects.

[0018] A sixth aspect provides a computer program product comprising: computer program code, which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method described in any of the first aspects.

[0019] In a seventh aspect, a chip is provided, the chip including at least one processor and an interface, the processor being configured to read and execute instructions stored in a memory, wherein when the instructions are executed, the chip causes the chip to perform the method as described in any of the first aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below.

[0021] Figure 1 This application provides an infrastructure for a communication system.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the RAN architecture of an NTN-based device to which the embodiments of this application apply;

[0023] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. Unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship; for example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, in the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" refers to two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be one or multiple. Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish between network elements and similar items with essentially the same function. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0027] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in the embodiments described in this application mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0028] The following detailed embodiments further illustrate the objectives, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this application. It should be understood that the following are merely specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made based on the technical solutions of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

[0029] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0030] It should be understood that the technical solution of this application can be applied to non-terrestrial networks (NTN), or scenarios where NTN and terrestrial networks (TN) are integrated. The technical solution of this application can employ access technologies that evolve after 5G, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5th Generation Mobile Communication (5G), and 6th Generation Mobile Communication (6G).

[0031] The basic architecture of the communication system provided in this application is described below. The communication system provided in this application may include one or more satellites and one or more terminal devices.

[0032] The following is based on Figure 1 The system architecture shown is illustrated as an example. Figure 1As shown, the communication system includes a first satellite 10, a second satellite 20, and a terminal device 30. Because the satellites are in a high-speed moving state, they can provide service to a cell for a limited time, which can be referred to as the first cell. The terminal device 30 is located within the first cell. Understandably, the first satellite 10 can serve the first cell. When the first satellite 10 can no longer provide service to the first cell due to its movement, the second satellite 20 arrives at the first cell, allowing it to continue providing service. This process can be called satellite handover with unchanged cell identifier. That is, the cell identifier corresponding to the first satellite 10 and the cell identifier corresponding to the second satellite 20 are both the cell identifier of the first cell. Here, the cell mentioned in this application (such as the first cell) refers to an NTN cell. The cell identifier mentioned in this application can be a physical cell identifier (PCI) or a tracking area (TA) identifier, etc. The tracking area identifier can be a tracking area identity (TAI) or a tracking area code (TAC). A tracking area can include multiple cells, and one cell belongs to one tracking area.

[0033] It should be noted that the time when the first satellite 10 ceases service to the first cell is earlier than or equal to the time when the second satellite 20 begins service to the first cell. Here, the first satellite 10 can be referred to as the source satellite, and the second satellite 20 as the target satellite. The source satellite refers to the satellite that provides service to the first cell before the handover; the target satellite refers to the satellite that provides service to the first cell after the handover.

[0034] The area covered by the first satellite 10 can be referred to as the first region, and the area covered by the second satellite 20 can be referred to as the second region. In one possible implementation, the first region and the second region can completely overlap, such as... Figure 1 1-1. In this case, the first region and the second region can be the physical region (also called the geographical region) corresponding to the first cell, or the first region and the second region can contain the physical region corresponding to the first cell. In yet another possible implementation, the first region can contain the second region, such as... Figure 1 1-2. In this case, the first region or the second region can be the physical region corresponding to the first cell, or the first region can include the physical region corresponding to the first cell, and the physical region corresponding to the first cell includes the second region. In another possible implementation, the first region and the second region can partially overlap, such as... Figure 1 1-3. In this case, the overlapping area of ​​the first region and the second region can be the physical area corresponding to the first cell.

[0035] Optionally, the first satellite and the second satellite can be the same satellite or different satellites.

[0036] It needs to be stated that, Figure 1 The number of satellites and terminal equipment shown is merely illustrative and should not be considered a specific limitation of this application. The terminal equipment and satellites involved in the system architecture will be described in detail below.

[0037] I. Terminal Equipment

[0038] A terminal device is an entity on the user side used to receive signals, or transmit signals, or both. Terminal devices are used to provide users with one or more of the following: voice services and data connectivity services. A terminal device can be a device that includes wireless transceiver capabilities and can cooperate with network equipment to provide communication services to users. Specifically, a terminal device can refer to user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, user apparatus, or roadside unit (RSU). Terminal devices can also be drones, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, stations (STs) in wireless local area networks (WLANs), cellular phones, smartphones, cordless phones, wireless data cards, tablets, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistant (PDA) devices, laptop computers, machine type communication (MTC) terminals, handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices (also known as wearable smart devices), virtual reality (VR) terminals, augmented reality (AR) terminals, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, wireless terminals in smart grids, and transportation security devices. Wireless terminals in smart cities, smart homes, etc., can be used for various purposes. The terminal device can also be a terminal in a 5G system or a terminal in a next-generation communication system; this application does not limit this. Optionally, the terminal device can be referred to as an anchor device.

[0039] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal device. The device used to implement the function of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself; it can also be a device that supports the terminal device in implementing the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete components.

[0040] II. Satellite

[0041] Satellites can provide wireless access services to terminal devices, allocate wireless resources to accessing terminal devices, and provide reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols.

[0042] For example, in Figure 2 In a transparent satellite architecture as shown in Figure 2-1, the radio access network (RAN) may include remote radio units (RRUs) and base stations (such as...). Figure 2 The RRU can include a satellite and an NTN gateway. The satellite is used for radio frequency filtering and frequency conversion and amplification to ensure that the waveform signal repeated by the payload remains unchanged. That is, the satellite primarily acts as a Layer 1 (L1) relay device, used to regenerate physical layer signals (i.e., radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification), without involving other higher protocol layers. The NTN gateway supports all functions of forwarding NR-Uu interface signals. The NR-Uu interface is the interface between the terminal equipment and the base station in the protocol.

[0043] For example, in Figure 2 In the regenerative satellite architecture without inter-satellite links shown in Figure 2-2, the RAN includes satellites and NTN gateways. The satellites act as base stations, possessing base station processing functions. The NTN gateway is a transport network layer node and supports the corresponding transport protocols. The satellites and NTN gateways are connected via a satellite radio interface (SRI), with the NG interface running over the SRI, responsible for higher-level information transmission.

[0044] For example, in Figure 2 In the regenerative satellite architecture with inter-satellite link shown in Figure 2-3, and... Figure 2 Similar to 2-2, the difference is that SRI exists, and multiple satellites can be connected via the Xn interface. The Xn interface is carried over SRI.

[0045] For example, in Figure 2 In a regenerative satellite architecture with distributed unit (DU) processing capabilities, as shown in Figure 2-4, the satellite acts as a DU within the base station, jointly performing base station functions with the central unit (CU). An NTN gateway exists between the DU on the satellite and the CU on the ground. The NTN gateway is a transport network layer node that supports the corresponding transport protocols. The satellite and the NTN gateway are connected via an F1 interface, which is carried over the SRI (F1 over SRI).

[0046] As another example, in a satellite architecture with integrated access and backhaul (IAB) functionality, the satellite acts as a base station with IAB functionality.

[0047] Among them, when the satellite acts as a Layer 1 relay device (i.e. Figure 2In a transparent satellite architecture as shown in Figure 2-1, the communication system may further include a base station. The base station can be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a new radio (NR) system, or a future radio access system as defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). It can also be a WiFi system, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC), massive machine-type communication (mMTC), a long-range Internet of Things (LoRa) system, or a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) system. The base station may also include two or more of the above-mentioned different radio access systems. The base station may also be an open radio access network (RAN) (open RAN, O-RAN).

[0048] In this application, the satellite may be, for example, a medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite in a non-geostationary earthorbit (NGEO) orbit, a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a high altitude platform station (HAPS), an evolved NodeB (eNB), or a 5G base station (gNB).

[0049] In this embodiment, the form of the satellite is not limited. The device used to realize the function of the satellite can be the satellite itself; or it can be a device that supports the satellite in realizing the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the satellite or used in conjunction with the satellite.

[0050] To facilitate understanding of the content of this solution, some terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained below, so that those skilled in the art can understand them. This part is only for the purpose of understanding and should not be regarded as a specific limitation of this application.

[0051] 1. NTN Auxiliary Information

[0052] The NTN auxiliary information for a satellite may include its ephemeris information. The satellite may be a first satellite or a second satellite. The ephemeris information is used to indicate the satellite's position. Optionally, the ephemeris information may include at least one of the following: the satellite's orbital plane inclination, the right ascension of its ascending node, the semi-major axis of its orbital ellipse, the eccentricity of the orbital ellipse, the perigee distance, and the time of the satellite's perigee passage.

[0053] In one possible implementation, the satellite's NTN auxiliary information may also include the start time of the satellite's NTN auxiliary information. The start time of the satellite's NTN auxiliary information can be indicated, for example, by an epoch time field. For instance, the epoch time field can be represented by the system frame number and subframe number. The system frame number can be simply referred to as the system frame number (SFN). The SFN number ranges from 0 to 1023, and a system frame can include 10 subframes, with each subframe being 1 millisecond (ms). The start time of the satellite's NTN auxiliary information can be the subframe number. In yet another possible implementation, the start time of the satellite's NTN auxiliary information can be the end time of the system window (SIwindow) of SIB19, which can include the satellite's NTN auxiliary information. The end time of the SIwindow of SIB19 can be received from the first cell.

[0054] Optionally, the satellite's NTN auxiliary information may also include the validity duration of the satellite's NTN auxiliary information. The validity duration of the satellite's NTN auxiliary information can be indicated, for example, through a non-terrestrial network synchronization validity time field (ntn-UlSyncValidityDuration). This application does not limit the validity duration indicated by ntn-UlSyncValidityDuration. For example, for a non-geosynchronous orbit (NGSO), the maximum value of ntn-UlSyncValidityDuration is 240 seconds. As another example, for a geostationary satellite orbit (GSO) scenario, the maximum value of ntn-UlSyncValidityDuration can be 900 seconds.

[0055] 2. Timer

[0056] The timer mentioned in this application may refer to the T430 timer.

[0057] Generally, when a terminal device receives a radiosource control reconfiguration message from the target cell (including synchronization reconfiguration) via SIB19, or when conditional reconfiguration is executed, it can start or restart the T430 timer to maintain the corresponding ephemeris information. However, if the T430 timer is started or restarted in the same way during satellite handover but cell handover, the ephemeris information maintained by the T430 timer may be the ephemeris information of the source satellite. The terminal device will use the ephemeris information maintained by the T430 timer to synchronize with the cell (which is served by the target satellite). Because the ephemeris information maintained by the T430 timer is the ephemeris information of the source satellite, this causes the terminal device to fail to synchronize with the cell. Based on this, this application provides a communication method to solve this problem.

[0058] The embodiments of this application will be described in detail below. Specifically, the terminal device mentioned below can be... Figure 1 The terminal equipment involved, and the first and second satellites mentioned below, can be... Figure 1 The satellites involved. It should be noted that the message names between network elements or the names of parameters in the messages in the following embodiments are just examples, and other names may be used in specific implementations. This application does not specifically limit them.

[0059] like Figure 3 The diagram illustrates a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0060] 301. The terminal device receives first information from the first cell. The first information includes NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite and NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite. The first satellite corresponds to the first cell, and the cell identifier of the second satellite is the same as the cell identifier of the first cell.

[0061] The terminal device can be located within the first cell.

[0062] Optionally, the first information can be carried in SIB19. For example, the first information, including the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite and the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite, can be carried in the same cell or different cells of SIB19, without limitation.

[0063] In this system, after the first satellite ceases to serve the first cell, the second satellite can take over and continue serving the first cell. For example, when receiving the first information, the first satellite serves the first cell; in other words, the first satellite corresponds to the first cell. Of course, the first satellite can also serve the first cell before receiving the first information. That is, before the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell (the moment the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell is later than the moment the terminal device receives the first information), the first satellite serves the first cell. Conversely, when the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell or after the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell, the second satellite serves the first cell.

[0064] Optionally, the terminal device can determine the satellite that will take over service from the first satellite to the first cell as the second satellite using any of the following methods:

[0065] 1. The first information also includes the cell identifier corresponding to the second satellite. When the cell identifier corresponding to the second satellite is the same as the cell identifier of the first cell, the terminal device can determine that the satellite that will take over the service of the first satellite from the first satellite is the second satellite. Optionally, the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite and the cell identifier corresponding to the second satellite can be included in the first neighboring cell list. The first neighboring cell list can also include the frequency of the second satellite, which can refer to a fixed frequency number, and is not limited here. Optionally, the first neighboring cell list can also include the NTN auxiliary information of other satellites, the cell identifiers corresponding to other satellites, and the frequency of other satellites.

[0066] 2. The first information also includes first indication information corresponding to the second satellite. This first indication information indicates that the cell identifier corresponding to the second satellite is the same as the cell identifier of the first cell. Optionally, the NTN auxiliary information and the first indication information of the second satellite can be included in the second neighboring cell list. Optionally, the second neighboring cell list can also include NTN auxiliary information of other satellites, or, the second neighboring cell list can also include NTN auxiliary information of other satellites and first indication information corresponding to other satellites, where the first indication information corresponding to other satellites indicates that the cell identifier corresponding to the other satellite is different from the cell identifier of the first cell. It can be seen that because the second neighboring cell list does not contain frequency points, signaling overhead can be saved.

[0067] It should be noted that the neighbor cell list mentioned in this application (such as the first neighbor cell list or the second neighbor cell list) can also be called the neighbor cell ephemeris configuration, which is not limited here.

[0068] Optionally, the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell, which can also be understood as: the terminal device re-starts synchronization with the first cell. It should be noted that the synchronization mentioned in this application can refer to uplink synchronization and / or downlink synchronization. The meaning of synchronization can be found in the provisions of communication technology protocols or standards, and is not limited here. The timing of the terminal device resynchronizing with the first cell can be any of the following:

[0069] 1. The time when the first satellite ceases service to the first cell. This can also be understood as: the time when the first satellite stops covering the first cell or the time when the first satellite stops covering the first area. The first area can be referenced here. Figure 1 The relevant descriptions are omitted here. Optionally, the time when the first satellite stops serving the first cell can be indicated by the first field. Optionally, the first field can be the t-service field or other fields, which are not limited here.

[0070] 2. The time interval after the first satellite stops serving the first cell, after a preset time. The preset time can be a value greater than 0 ms, and this application does not limit the size of the preset time. Optionally, the time interval after the first satellite stops serving the first cell, after the preset time, can be indicated by a second field. Optionally, the second field can be a t-gap field or other fields, and is not limited here.

[0071] 3. The time when the second satellite begins serving the first cell. This can also be understood as: the time when the second satellite begins covering the first cell or the time when the second satellite stops covering the second area. The second area can be referenced here. Figure 1 The relevant descriptions are omitted here. Optionally, the time when the second satellite begins serving the first cell can be indicated by a third field. Optionally, the third field can be the t-start field or a new field; no limitation is made here.

[0072] Optionally, the method may further include: the terminal device receiving second information from the first cell, the second information indicating the time when the terminal device should resynchronize with the first cell. For example, a first field, a second field, or a third field in the second information may be used to indicate the time when the terminal device should resynchronize with the first cell.

[0073] In one possible implementation, the second information can also be used to instruct the first cell to switch satellites when the cell identifier remains unchanged, specifically:

[0074] 1. In the scenario where the time when the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell is the time indicated by the first field in the second information (i.e., the time indicated by the first field is the time when the first satellite stops serving the first cell), the second information may also include second indication information. The second indication information may also be used to indicate that the first cell supports switching satellites when the cell identifier remains unchanged.

[0075] 2. In the scenario where the time when the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell is the time indicated by the second field in the second information (i.e., the time indicated by the second field is the time after the first satellite stops serving the first cell after a preset time interval), the second field can also be used to indicate that the first cell supports satellite switching when the cell identifier remains unchanged.

[0076] 3. In the scenario where the time when the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell is the time indicated by the third field in the second information (i.e., the time indicated by the third field is the time when the second satellite starts serving the first cell), the third field can also be used to indicate that the first cell supports satellite switching when the cell identifier remains unchanged.

[0077] Optionally, the second information can be carried in SIB19.

[0078] 302. The terminal device restarts the timer. The start time of the timer is the start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite, and the duration of the timer is the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite.

[0079] For example, the terminal device restarts its timer when it resynchronizes with the first cell, before it resynchronizes with the first cell, or after it resynchronizes with the first cell. The timing of the terminal device resynchronizing with the first cell can be found in the description of step 301. This can also be understood as the time to restart the timer being any of the following: the moment when the first satellite stops serving the first cell; or, a preset time interval after the moment when the first satellite stops serving the first cell; or, the moment when the second satellite begins serving the first cell. In this case, the method may further include: the terminal device receiving third information from the first cell, the third information indicating when the terminal device should restart the timer. For example, the first field, second field, or third field in the third information may indicate when the terminal device should restart the timer.

[0080] In one possible implementation, the third information can also be used to instruct the first cell to switch satellites when the cell identifier remains unchanged, specifically:

[0081] 1. In the scenario where the timer is restarted at the time indicated by the first field in the third information (i.e., the time indicated by the first field is the time when the first satellite stops serving the first cell), the third information may also include third indication information. The third indication information may also be used to indicate that the first cell supports satellite switching when the cell identifier remains unchanged.

[0082] 2. In the scenario where the timer is restarted at the time indicated by the second field in the third information (i.e., the time indicated by the second field is the time after the first satellite stops serving the first cell at a preset interval), the second field can also be used to indicate that the first cell supports satellite switching when the cell identifier remains unchanged.

[0083] 3. In the scenario where the timer is restarted at the time indicated by the third field in the third information (i.e., the time indicated by the third field is the time when the second satellite starts serving the first cell), the third field can also be used to indicate that the first cell supports satellite switching when the cell identifier remains unchanged.

[0084] Optionally, after receiving the first information, before the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell and restarts the timer, the method further includes: the terminal device starting a timer, the timer start time being the start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite, and the timer duration being the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite.

[0085] It should be noted that the start time of the timer is the start time of the NTN auxiliary information of a certain satellite (such as the first satellite or the second satellite) mentioned in this application. This can be understood as the timer starting to count from the start time of the satellite's NTN auxiliary information, and the duration of the timer is the effective duration of the satellite's NTN auxiliary information. Alternatively, it can be described as: the timer value is set to the effective duration of the satellite's NTN auxiliary information. That is, the timer stops counting when the effective duration of the satellite's NTN auxiliary information is reached. Furthermore, "starting the timer" in this application can mean starting the timer, and "restarting the timer" can mean restarting the timer. For example, the timer starts counting after the timer value is reset to the effective duration of the satellite's NTN auxiliary information.

[0086] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the terminal device can receive first information from the first cell, thereby obtaining the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite and the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite. Upon receiving the first information, the first satellite corresponds to the first cell, and the cell identifier of the second satellite is the same as that of the first cell. This indicates that after the first satellite stops serving the first cell, the second satellite will take over. Furthermore, when the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell or before resynchronizing with the first cell, the terminal device restarts a timer. This indicates that in scenarios where satellite handover occurs with an unchanged cell identifier, the terminal device can restart the timer. Simultaneously, the start time of this timer is the start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite, and the duration of this timer is the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite. This means that the timer maintains the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite, enabling the terminal device to successfully resynchronize with the first cell.

[0087] The above primarily describes the solution provided in this application from the perspective of interaction between various devices. It is understood that each device, in order to achieve the aforementioned functions, includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0088] This application embodiment can divide the terminal device or satellite (such as a first satellite or a second satellite) into functional modules according to the above method examples. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0089] See Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 400 can be applied to the above-described... Figure 3 In the method shown in the embodiments, such as Figure 4As shown, the communication device 400 includes a processing module 401 and a transceiver module 402. The processing module 401 may be one or more processors, and the transceiver module 402 may be a transceiver or a communication interface. This communication device can be used to implement the terminal equipment or satellite (such as a first satellite or a second satellite) involved in any of the above method embodiments, or to implement the functions of network elements involved in any of the above method embodiments. The network element or network function can be a network component in a hardware device, a software function running on dedicated hardware, or a virtualized function instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). Optionally, the communication device 400 may further include a storage module 403 for storing the program code and data of the communication device 400.

[0090] In one example, the communication device functions as a terminal device or is a chip used in a terminal device, and performs the steps executed by the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The transceiver module 402 is used for specific execution. Figure 3 The embodiments include sending and / or receiving actions performed by the terminal device, such as other processes that support the terminal device in performing the techniques described herein. The processing module 401 can be used to support the communication device 400 in performing the processing actions in the above method embodiments, for example, supporting the terminal device in performing other processes that support the techniques described herein.

[0091] For example, the transceiver module 402 is used to receive first information from the first cell. The first information includes non-terrestrial network NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite and NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite. The first satellite corresponds to the first cell, and the cell identifier of the second satellite is the same as the cell identifier of the first cell. The processing module 401 is used to restart a timer when the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell or before the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell. The start time of the timer is the start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite, and the duration of the timer is the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite.

[0092] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 402 is further configured to receive second information from the first cell, the second information being used to indicate the time when the terminal device should resynchronize with the first cell.

[0093] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 402 is further configured to receive third information from the first cell, the third information being used to indicate the time when the terminal device restarts its timer.

[0094] In one possible implementation, after receiving the first information, before the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell and restarts the timer, the transceiver module 402 is further configured to start the timer, the timer start time being the start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite, and the timer duration being the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite.

[0095] In one possible implementation, when the terminal device or satellite (such as a first satellite or a second satellite) is a chip, the transceiver module 402 can be a communication interface, pins, or circuits. The communication interface can be used to input data to be processed to the processor and can output the processor's processing results. Specifically, the communication interface can be a general purpose input / output (GPIO) interface, which can connect to multiple peripheral devices (such as displays (LCDs), cameras, radio frequency (RF) modules, antennas, etc.). The communication interface is connected to the processor via a bus.

[0096] Processing module 401 may be a processor, which can execute computer execution instructions stored in the storage module to cause the chip to perform... Figure 4 The method involved in the illustrated embodiment. Further, the processor may include a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and registers. For example, the controller is primarily responsible for instruction decoding and issuing control signals for the operations corresponding to the instructions. The ALU is primarily responsible for performing fixed-point or floating-point arithmetic operations, shift operations, and logical operations, and can also perform address operations and translations. Registers are primarily responsible for storing register operands and intermediate operation results temporarily stored during instruction execution. In specific implementations, the processor's hardware architecture can be an ASIC architecture, a microprocessor without interlocked piped stages architecture (MIPS), an advanced reduced instruction set machine (RISC) machine (ARM) architecture, or a network processor (NP) architecture, etc. The processor can be single-core or multi-core. The storage module can be an in-chip storage module, such as a register or cache. The storage module can also be an external storage module, such as ROM or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, RAM, etc.

[0097] It should be noted that the functions of the processor and interface can be implemented through hardware design, software design, or a combination of both; no restrictions are imposed here.

[0098] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. It is understood that the communication device 510 includes necessary means such as modules, units, elements, circuits, or interfaces, appropriately configured together to execute this solution. The communication device 510 can be the aforementioned terminal device or satellite (such as a first satellite or a second satellite), or a component (such as a chip) within these devices, used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. The communication device 510 includes one or more processors 511. The processor 511 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (e.g., a terminal device, a satellite (such as a first satellite or a second satellite), or a chip), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0099] Optionally, in one design, the processor 511 may include a program 513 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions), which can be executed on the processor 511 to cause the communication device 510 to perform the methods described in the above embodiments. In yet another possible design, the communication device 510 includes circuitry (…). Figure 5 (Not shown), the circuit is used to implement the functions of the terminal device or satellite (such as the first satellite or the second satellite) in the above embodiments. Optionally, the communication device 510 may include one or more memories 512, on which a program 514 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions) is stored. The program 514 can be run on the processor 511, causing the communication device 510 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0100] Optionally, the processor 511 and / or memory 512 may include AI modules 517 and 518, which are used to implement AI-related functions. The AI ​​modules can be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example, the AI ​​modules may include RIC modules. For instance, the AI ​​modules can be near real-time RICs or non-real-time RICs. Optionally, the processor 511 and / or memory 512 may also store data. The processor and memory can be configured separately or integrated together.

[0101] Optionally, the communication device 510 may also include a transceiver 515 and / or an antenna 516. The processor 511, sometimes referred to as a processing unit, controls the communication device (e.g., a terminal device or a satellite, such as a first satellite or a second satellite). The transceiver 515, sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, or simply a transceiver, is used to implement the transmission and reception functions of the communication device via the antenna 516.

[0102] This application also provides a communication device, which includes at least one processor and a memory; wherein the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions; and the at least one processor is used to execute the computer programs or instructions in the memory, such that... Figure 3 The method described in any of the embodiments is performed.

[0103] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, which, when executed, cause the computer to perform actions such as... Figure 3 The method described in any of the embodiments.

[0104] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code, which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform actions such as... Figure 3 The method described in any of the embodiments.

[0105] This application embodiment also provides a chip, which includes at least one processor and an interface. The processor is used to read and execute instructions stored in a memory. When the instructions are executed, the chip causes the chip to perform actions such as... Figure 3 The method described in any of the embodiments.

[0106] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the objectives of the embodiments of this application, depending on actual needs. Furthermore, the network element units in the various embodiments of this application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The integrated units described above can be implemented in hardware or as software network element units.

[0107] If the integrated units described above are implemented as software network elements and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the essential contribution of the technical solution of this application, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, terminal device, cloud server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, mobile hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks. The above descriptions are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive first information from the first cell, the first information including non-terrestrial network NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite and NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite, the first satellite corresponds to the first cell, and the cell identifier corresponding to the second satellite is the same as the cell identifier of the first cell; Resynchronize with the first cell; Restart the timer, the start time of which is the start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite, and the duration of the timer is the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite; The timer is restarted at any of the following times: The time when the first satellite stops serving the first cell; or, The time interval after a preset time following the moment when the first satellite stops serving the first cell; or, The moment when the second satellite begins serving the first cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The time for resynchronization with the first cell is any one of the following: The time when the first satellite stops serving the first cell; or, The time interval after a preset time following the moment when the first satellite stops serving the first cell; or, The time when the second satellite begins serving the first cell; The terminal device is located within the first cell.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite is indicated by the epoch time field or the end time of the system window of the system information block. The epoch time field is represented by the frame number and subframe number of the system frame.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite is the start time of the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The validity duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite is indicated by the non-terrestrial network synchronization validity time field.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second information from the first cell, the second information being used to indicate the time when the terminal device should resynchronize with the first cell.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal device receives third information from the first cell, the third information being used to instruct the terminal device when to restart the timer.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second information is also used to indicate that the first cell supports satellite switching when the cell identifier remains unchanged.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The third piece of information is also used to indicate that the first cell supports satellite switching when the cell identifier remains unchanged.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After receiving the first information and before resynchronizing with the first cell, the method further includes: The timer is started, the start time of which is the start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite, and the duration of the timer is the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite includes at least one of the following: the ephemeris information of the first satellite, the start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite, and the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite; The NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite includes at least one of the following: the ephemeris information of the second satellite, the start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite, and the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Upon receiving the first information, the first satellite serves the first cell; upon resynchronization with the first cell or after resynchronization with the first cell, the second satellite serves the first cell.

13. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Send first information, the first information including non-terrestrial network NTN auxiliary information of the first satellite and NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite, the first satellite corresponds to the first cell, and the cell identifier corresponding to the second satellite is the same as the cell identifier of the first cell; Wherein, the first information is used for the terminal device to resynchronize with the first cell, and the first information is used for the terminal device to restart the timer, the start time of the timer is the start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite, and the duration of the timer is the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite; The timer is restarted at any of the following times: The time when the first satellite stops serving the first cell; or, The time interval after a preset time following the moment when the first satellite stops serving the first cell; or, The moment when the second satellite begins serving the first cell.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The time at which the terminal device resynchronizes with the first cell is any one of the following: The time when the first satellite stops serving the first cell; or, The time interval after a preset time following the moment when the first satellite stops serving the first cell; or, The time when the second satellite begins serving the first cell; The terminal device is located within the first cell.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite is indicated by the epoch time field or the end time of the system window of the system information block. The epoch time field is represented by the frame number and subframe number of the system frame.

16. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The start time of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite is the start time of the effective duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite.

17. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The validity duration of the NTN auxiliary information of the second satellite is indicated by the non-terrestrial network synchronization validity time field.

18. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes units or modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes at least one processor and a memory; wherein the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions; the at least one processor is used to execute the computer programs or instructions in the memory, such that the method of any one of claims 1 to 17 is performed.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

21. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes: computer program code, which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

22. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes at least one processor and an interface, the processor being configured to read and execute instructions stored in a memory, which, when executed, cause the chip to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

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