Chip system, communication method and mobile terminal

Abstract

The invention discloses a chip system, a communication method and a mobile terminal, and relates to the technical field of communication. The chip system comprises an application processor AP and a baseband processor Modem, and the AP is in communication connection with the Modem. The Modem comprises a first protocol stack module used for cellular communication and a first physical layer module used for cellular communication, and the first protocol stack module communicates with the first physical layer and the user identification card to achieve cellular communication. And the AP or the Modem comprises a second protocol stack module for satellite communication. And the chip system is used for respectively communicating with the user identification card and the satellite communication processor so as to realize satellite communication. Wherein the second protocol stack module communicates with the user identification card through the first protocol stack module. And the second protocol stack module communicates with a second physical layer module for satellite communication in the satellite communication processor. According to the mobile terminal adopting the chip system, the mobile terminal can support cellular communication and satellite communication under the condition that the thickness and the weight of the machine body of the terminal are changed as little as possible.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application. The application number of the original application is 202310724427.5, and the original application date is June 16, 2023. The entire contents of the original application are incorporated into this application by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a chip system, a communication method and a mobile terminal. Background Art

[0003] Compared with cellular communication: satellite communication can use artificial satellites as relay stations to forward radio electromagnetic wave signals. In this way, even in areas where cellular base stations are not covered, such as deserts and mountains, satellite networks can still be used to maintain communication. It can be seen that adding satellite communication functions to terminals that support cellular communication (such as smartphones) is of great significance.

[0004] However, satellite communication usually requires the support of hardware such as a separate satellite communication processor, a radio frequency (RF) component that supports satellite communication, and a user identification card (such as a subscriber identity module (SIM)). These hardware components need to occupy space in the terminal and have a certain weight, which will increase the size of the terminal (such as increasing the thickness of the terminal body) and weight.

[0005] However, current smartphones have very high requirements for body thickness and weight. For example, the thickness of a smartphone is usually within 10 mm and the weight does not exceed 200 g. Because of this, the difficulty of implementing satellite communication in smartphones increases significantly while minimizing the thickness and weight of the body. This is also an important reason why current smartphones cannot support both cellular communication and satellite communication. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of this, the present application provides a chip system, a communication method and a mobile terminal, which can enable the terminal to support both cellular communication and satellite communication without increasing the thickness and weight of the terminal as much as possible.

[0007] In the first aspect, the present application provides a chip system, the chip system includes an application processor AP and a baseband processor Modem, and the AP is connected to the Modem for communication. The Modem includes a first protocol stack module for cellular communication and a first physical layer module for cellular communication, and the first protocol stack module communicates with the first physical layer and a user identification card respectively to achieve cellular communication. The AP or the Modem includes a second protocol stack module for satellite communication. The chip system is used to communicate with the user identification card and the satellite communication processor respectively to achieve satellite communication. Among them, the chip system communicates with the user identification card, including: the second protocol stack module communicates with the user identification card through the first protocol stack module. The chip system communicates with the satellite communication processor, including: the second protocol stack module communicates with the second physical layer module for satellite communication in the satellite communication processor.

[0008] It is understandable that the second protocol stack contains a lot of codes, and accordingly, a larger physical storage space is required to store them. A larger physical storage space naturally requires a larger volume. Then, if the second protocol stack is configured in the AP, the existing storage space in the AP can be used to store the codes of the second protocol stack. In this way, the storage space in the satellite communication processor can be cut to a smaller volume, and the volume of the satellite communication processor can be reduced.

[0009] In summary, by using the above chip system, on the basis of realizing cellular communication, satellite communication can be realized by adding a satellite communication processor that does not include the second protocol stack, and setting the second protocol stack in the AP. Among them, compared with the satellite communication processor including the satellite protocol stack: the volume of the satellite communication processor that does not include the satellite protocol stack will be greatly reduced. Therefore, the volume of the newly added hardware can be reduced. In addition, satellite communication and cellular communication can share the user identification card, which can also reduce the newly added hardware to a certain extent. In this way, applying the above chip system to the mobile terminal can realize satellite communication under the premise of minimizing the increase in the thickness and weight of the mobile terminal body.

[0010] In a possible design of the first aspect, the AP includes a hardware abstraction layer, and the second protocol stack is configured in the hardware abstraction layer. In this way, the second protocol stack can run in the AP in the form of an independent process.

[0011] In another possible design of the first aspect, the hardware abstraction layer further includes a first communication management module, and the first communication management module is used to support the second protocol stack module to communicate with the first protocol stack module. The second protocol stack module is used to communicate with the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, including: the second protocol stack module is used to communicate with the first protocol stack module through the first communication management module, and communicate with the user identification card through the first protocol stack module.

[0012] With this design, the second protocol stack is included in the hardware abstraction layer in the AP, and the communication between the second protocol stack in the AP and the first protocol stack in the Modem can be achieved through the first communication management module, so that the second protocol stack can interact with the user identification card.

[0013] In another possible design manner of the first aspect, the second protocol stack and the first communication management module communicate with each other using an inter-process communication manner.

[0014] In another possible design manner of the first aspect, a first logical channel is configured between the AP and the Modem, wherein the first communication management module communicates with the first protocol stack through the first logical channel.

[0015] With this design approach, the first communication management module and the first protocol stack need to rely on the logical channel between the AP and the Modem to achieve inter-core communication.

[0016] In another possible design of the first aspect, the AP further includes an application layer and an application framework layer, the application framework layer includes a second communication management module, the first communication management module is further used to support the second communication management module to communicate with the second protocol stack module, and the second communication management module is used to support the satellite application in the application layer to communicate with the first communication management module. The satellite application in the application layer communicates with the first communication management module through the second communication management module; the second communication management module communicates with the second protocol stack module through the first communication management module.

[0017] By adopting this design approach, communication between the application layer and the second protocol stack can be achieved through the second communication management module and the first communication management module.

[0018] In another possible design of the first aspect, the communication connection between the AP and the satellite communication processor is a serial port connection, the AP includes a first driver, and the first driver is a serial port driver. The second protocol stack module communicates with the second physical layer module, including: the second protocol stack module communicates with the second physical layer module by calling the first driver.

[0019] By adopting this design approach, the second protocol stack can communicate with the second physical layer by calling the system interface (such as the read interface and the write interface) of the serial port driver.

[0020] In another possible design manner of the first aspect, the AP includes a kernel layer, and the first driver is configured in the kernel layer.

[0021] In another possible design of the first aspect, the chip system is a system on chip (SoC), and the AP and the Modem are integrated in the SoC.

[0022] In another possible design of the first aspect, the chip system is also used to communicate with the first radio frequency (RF) component through the first physical layer module to send and receive cellular signals to achieve cellular communication. And communicate with the second physical layer module through the second protocol stack module to communicate with the second radio frequency (RF) component through the second physical layer module to send and receive satellite signals to achieve satellite communication. Exemplarily, in the process of making a call using a satellite network, the uplink voice is transmitted to the satellite network through the second physical layer and the second RF component; and the second RF component can receive the downlink voice from the satellite network and send it to the second physical layer.

[0023] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a chip system, wherein the chip system includes an application processor AP and a baseband processor Modem. The AP is connected to the Modem for communication. The Modem includes a first protocol stack module for cellular communication and a first physical layer module for cellular communication. The AP includes a second protocol stack module for satellite communication.

[0024] The method includes: a first protocol stack module communicates with a user identification card, and the first protocol stack module communicates with a cellular network through a first physical layer to achieve cellular communication. A second protocol stack module communicates with the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, and the second protocol stack module communicates with a satellite network through a second physical layer module for satellite communication in a satellite communication processor to achieve satellite communication.

[0025] In summary, by adopting the above communication method, on the basis of realizing cellular communication, satellite communication is realized by configuring the second protocol stack in the AP. In this way, the mobile terminal can support both cellular communication and satellite communication, and the volume of the mobile terminal will not be increased too much. In addition, the cellular communication and the satellite communication can share the communication between the first protocol stack and the user identification card, so as to realize the interaction between the first protocol stack and the user identification card in the cellular communication process, and realize the interaction between the second protocol stack and the user identification card in the satellite communication process. In this way, the user identification card can be reused by satellite communication and the cellular communication, so as to further reduce the increase of the volume.

[0026] In a possible design of the second aspect, the second protocol stack module interacts with the satellite network through the second physical layer module, including: in response to starting a call, the second protocol stack sends uplink voice data to the satellite network through the second physical layer module, and the second protocol stack module receives downlink voice data from the satellite network through the second physical layer module.

[0027] In another possible design of the second aspect, the second protocol stack module interacts with the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, including: before starting a call, in response to an operation of starting a satellite network and completing a radio resource control protocol RRC link establishment, the second protocol stack module forwards an authentication request from the satellite network to the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, the authentication request is used to verify the identity of the user identification card. The second protocol stack module receives an authentication result from the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, and the authentication result corresponds to the authentication request.

[0028] That is, before starting a call, the second protocol stack can transmit authentication related information with the user identification card through the first protocol stack.

[0029] And, the second protocol stack module communicates with the satellite network through the second physical layer module, including: the second protocol stack module sends the authentication result to the satellite network through the second physical layer module. The second protocol stack module receives a message of successful authentication from the satellite network through the second physical layer module. That is, after receiving the authentication result, the second protocol stack needs to further send the authentication result to the satellite network through the second physical layer so that the satellite network can verify the identity of the user identification card, and the call can only start after the authentication is successful.

[0030] In the third aspect, the present application also provides a mobile terminal, the mobile terminal comprises a chip system in the above-mentioned first aspect and any possible design thereof, a user identification card interface and a satellite communication processor, the chip system is communicatively connected with the user identification card interface and the satellite communication processor respectively, and the user identification card interface is used to plug in a user identification card.

[0031] In a possible design of the third aspect, the mobile terminal further includes a first radio frequency (RF) component and a second radio frequency (RF) component, wherein the first RF component is communicatively connected to a baseband processor Modem in the chip system for transmitting and receiving cellular signals, and the second RF component is communicatively connected to a satellite communication processor for transmitting and receiving satellite signals.

[0032] In a fourth aspect, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions, which, when executed on a mobile terminal, enables the mobile terminal to execute the method in the above-mentioned second aspect and any possible design thereof.

[0033] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in the second aspect and any possible design thereof.

[0034] It can be understood that the beneficial effects that can be achieved by the communication method, mobile terminal, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product provided above can refer to the beneficial effects in the first aspect and any possible design method thereof, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the composition of an existing system-on-chip (SoC);

[0036] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the composition of an existing satellite communication chip;

[0037] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the composition of existing RF components;

[0038] Figure 4 The present invention is a structural diagram of a mobile terminal for realizing satellite communication;

[0039] Figure 5 A structural diagram of another mobile terminal for realizing satellite communication;

[0040] Fig. 6A A structural diagram of a mobile terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 6B A structural diagram of another mobile terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 7 A hardware structure diagram of a mobile terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 8 A software architecture diagram of a mobile terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Fig. 9 One of the mobile phone interface diagrams provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Fig.10 The second mobile phone interface diagram provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Fig.11 One of the interaction diagrams of the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Fig.12 The third mobile phone interface diagram provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Fig.13 The second interactive diagram of the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Fig.14 This is a structural diagram of the chip system provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Among them, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, the terms used in the following embodiments are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to be used as limitations on the present application. As used in the specification and the appended claims of the present application, the singular expressions "a", "said", "above", "the" and "this" are intended to also include expressions such as "one or more", unless there is a clear indication to the contrary in the context. It should also be understood that in the following embodiments of the present application, "at least one", "one or more" refer to one or more (including two). The term "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist; for example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in a "or" relationship.

[0051] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" etc. described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of the present application include specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment. Thus, the statements "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in some other embodiments", "in some other embodiments", etc. that appear in different places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways. The terms "including", "comprising", "having" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways. The term "connection" includes direct connection and indirect connection, unless otherwise specified. "First" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated.

[0052] In the embodiments of the present application, the words "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a specific way.

[0053] Before introducing the embodiments of the present application, a brief introduction to the relevant technical terms involved in the embodiments of the present application is first given here.

[0054] 1. System on Chip (SoC).

[0055] SoC, also known as system-on-chip, integrates the chips required to run the smartphone's operating system on a single chip. SoC can usually integrate the capabilities of key chips such as the application processor (AP) and baseband processor (also called modem).

[0056] See also Figure 1 SoC includes AP and Modem capabilities. AP is used to process the internal data of the smartphone, but does not include the part that communicates with the outside world. Modem is used to process the part that communicates with the outside world, including the part that handles services such as making calls, sending text messages, and surfing the Internet. For example, Modem includes a protocol stack for cellular communication (such as Figure 1 cellular protocol stack in ), the physical layer for cellular communications (such as Figure 1 The cellular physical layer in the cellular network) and other modules realize the functions of modulation and demodulation, channel coding and decoding, source coding and decoding, etc.

[0057] In addition, a physical channel such as a shared memory or bus is established between the AP and the Modem to realize data transmission between the AP and the Modem, such as transmission of call content, text message content and other data.

[0058] Above Figure 1 In the example, the modem is integrated into the SoC. However, in actual implementation, the modem can also exist in the form of an independent chip and be soldered on the motherboard of the smartphone together with the SoC. Figure 1 The form shown is used as an example to illustrate the integration of a Modem in a SoC.

[0059] 2. Satellite communication chip.

[0060] Satellite communication chips refer to chips dedicated to satellite communication. Figure 2 Satellite communication chips usually include a physical layer for implementing satellite communication (referred to as the satellite physical layer in this article) and a protocol stack for implementing satellite communication (referred to as the satellite protocol stack in this article).

[0061] The satellite protocol stack further includes a data link layer (layer 2, denoted as L2) and a network layer (layer 3, denoted as L3). The satellite physical layer is located at the bottom of the satellite protocol stack, so it is also called layer 1 (denoted as L1). L1 provides wireless resources and physical layer processing for L2 and L3 data, such as coding, Hybrid Automatic RepeatreQuest (HARQ) processing, modulation, etc.

[0062] L1 includes the physical layer and the physical layer control (Layer 1Control, L1C) layer. L2 includes the medium access control (Medium Access Control, MAC) layer, the radio link control (Radio Link Control, RLC) layer and the packet data convergence (Packet Data Convergence Control, PDCP) layer. L3 includes the radio resource control (Radio Resource Control, RRC) layer and the non-access (Non-Access Stratum, NAS) layer.

[0063] Normally, the satellite protocol stack is separated from the satellite physical layer through the MAC layer. The MAC layer is responsible for the multiplexing of data from different logical channels and the mapping between logical channels and transmission channels, and is responsible for the processing of signaling and data messages and resource scheduling. In other words, the satellite protocol stack implements message transmission and reception through the MAC layer. The physical layer is responsible for processes such as coding, modulation, and rate matching, and provides a transmission channel for the MAC layer. The L1C layer controls the status of the physical layer, allocates radio frequency resources, and implements message transmission and reception of the protocol stack.

[0064] And, the satellite protocol stack also includes an interface layer. The interface layer provides an interface for communication between the satellite protocol stack and other modules (such as transmission of control plane instructions and user plane data). Exemplarily, the satellite protocol stack can communicate with the AP in the SoC through the interface provided by the interface layer to implement display functions related to satellite communication, such as displaying the signal strength, switch, and star-pointing prompts of satellite communication. In a specific implementation, the interface layer provides an interface for transmitting Hayes instructions (Attention, AT) (hereinafter referred to as AT interface), and the AT interface can be in the form of a universal serial bus (USB) interface, bus, shared memory, socket, etc.

[0065] It should be understood that unless otherwise specified, the satellite protocol stack and satellite physical layer mentioned below can refer to Figure 2 The instructions in the following will not be repeated.

[0066] 3. User identification card.

[0067] In the embodiments of the present application, the subscriber identification card refers to a card module such as a subscriber identity module (SIM), a user identity module (UIM), or a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) that can be used for identity identification during the communication process.

[0068] According to different communication modes, the user identification card can be divided into user identification cards for cellular communication (such as Figure 1 The user identification card 1) and the user identification card for satellite communication (such as Figure 2 2). For example, see Figure 1 , User Identity Card 1 (such as Full Netcom TM The card) interacts with the cellular protocol stack in the Modem, and is used by the cellular protocol stack to obtain the identifier of the user identification card 1, and the card authentication during the cellular communication process (i.e., authenticating the user identification card 1). For example, see Figure 2 , User Identification Card 2 (such as Tiantong TM The satellite protocol stack in the satellite communication chip is used for the satellite protocol stack to obtain the identification of the user identification card 2 and the card authentication during the satellite communication process (ie, authenticating the user identification card 2).

[0069] 4. RF components.

[0070] RF stands for electromagnetic frequency that can be radiated into space, and the electromagnetic frequency range is between 300KHz and 30GHz. RF components are mainly used for processing received and transmitted signals during wireless communication.

[0071] Similarly, according to different communication modes, RF components can be divided into RF components for cellular communication (such as Figure 1 RF components in 1) and RF components for satellite communications (such as Figure 2 2). For example, see Figure 1 , the RF component 1 interacts with the cellular physical layer in the modem, and is used for the RF component 1 to receive the digital signal from the cellular physical layer, perform digital-to-analog conversion on it and then transmit it through the antenna, and for the RF component 1 to perform analog-to-digital conversion on the radio electromagnetic wave signal received by the antenna and then send it to the cellular physical layer. For another example, see Figure 2 , RF component 2 interacts with the satellite physical layer in the satellite communication chip, is used for RF component 2 to receive digital signals from the satellite physical layer, and perform digital-to-analog conversion on the digital signals and transmit them through the antenna, and is used for RF component 2 to perform analog-to-digital conversion on the radio electromagnetic wave signals received by the antenna and send them to the satellite physical layer.

[0072] For further information, see Figure 3 RF components include radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) and radio frequency front-end (RFFE).

[0073] Among them, RFIC is used to receive digital signals from the baseband (such as the cellular physical layer or the satellite physical layer) and complete digital-to-analog conversion, and transmit the converted radio electromagnetic wave signal (analog signal) to RFFE for processing. Exemplarily, RFIC can receive digital signals from the baseband through a radio frequency interface unit (RFIU), and use a digital to analog converter (DAC) to achieve digital-to-analog conversion to obtain a radio electromagnetic wave signal. And, RFIC is used to complete analog-to-digital conversion of the radio electromagnetic wave signal processed by RFFE, and send the converted digital signal to the baseband. Exemplarily, RFIC can use an analog to digital converter (ADC) to achieve analog-to-digital conversion, and send the converted digital signal to the baseband.

[0074] It should be noted that the main difference between RF component 1 and RF component 2 is that the electromagnetic frequencies that RFIC can receive are different. Among them, the electromagnetic frequency of cellular communication can be from 700MHZ to 3.5GHZ, and accordingly, the RFIC in RF component 1 also needs to be able to receive electromagnetic frequencies from 700MHZ to 3.5GHZ. In addition, the electromagnetic frequency of the C band of satellite communication is around 2GHZ, so if the C band is used, the RFIC in RF component 2 needs to be able to receive electromagnetic frequencies around 2GHZ.

[0075] And, RFFE is used to send and receive radio electromagnetic wave signals. RFFE mainly includes power amplifier (PA) and low noise amplifier (LNA). PA is used to amplify the radio electromagnetic wave signal obtained by digital-to-analog conversion to obtain a high-frequency radio electromagnetic wave signal, which is then radiated through the antenna. LNA is an amplifier with a very low noise coefficient, which is used to amplify small signals in the radio electromagnetic wave signal received by the antenna.

[0076] At this point, it needs to be explained that Figure 3 The structure of the RF component is shown as a simplified structure, which does not constitute a limitation on the RF component. Figure 3 For example, RFFE may also include filters, switches, duplexers, etc.

[0077] The following describes the solution of the embodiment of the present application:

[0078] The terminal provided by the embodiment of the present application can be applied to scenarios that require support for both satellite communication and cellular communication. For example, if it is necessary to use satellite network communication when the cellular network is not good, the terminal provided by the embodiment of the present application can be used to achieve this. In particular, by applying the embodiment of the present application to a smartphone, the smartphone can support both satellite communication and cellular communication while minimizing the increase in the thickness and weight of the smartphone.

[0079] Satellite communication functions are provided in some industry terminals (such as autonomous driving terminals, Internet of Things terminals, etc.) to enable the use of satellite networks to maintain communications when cellular base stations are destroyed or in deserts, mountains and other places where cellular base stations are not covered.

[0080] For example, the industry terminal may support satellite communication but not cellular communication. Figure 4 In this example, the industry terminal includes SoC, satellite communication chip, user identification card 2 and RF component 2. However, the SoC in the industry terminal does not include a modem, and thus does not include a cellular protocol stack and a cellular physical layer, and cannot support cellular communication. Among them, the satellite protocol stack and the AP communicate through the AT interface to realize satellite communication-related display functions, such as displaying the signal strength and switch of the satellite network. It should be understood that the SoC and the satellite communication chip are usually connected through a serial port. Therefore, the AT interface needs to communicate with the AP through the serial port to realize the communication between the satellite protocol stack in the satellite communication chip and the AP in the SoC. The satellite communication chip, the user identification card 2 and the RF component 2 are used to realize satellite communication.

[0081] As another example, the industry terminal can support both satellite communication and cellular communication. Figure 5 In this example, the industry terminal includes SoC, user identification card 1, RF component 1, satellite communication chip, user identification card 2 and RF component 2, and the industry terminal (such as SoC) includes a Modem, thereby including a cellular protocol stack and a cellular physical layer for supporting cellular communication. Figure 4 Based on the satellite communication in the example shown, the industry terminal can also achieve cellular communication through the AP and Modem in the SoC, as well as the user identification card 1 and the RF component 1.

[0082] Above Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the example of , at least SoC, satellite communication chip, user identification card 2 and RF component 2 are required to realize satellite communication. Among them, the satellite communication chip, user identification card 2 and RF component 2 are all hardware newly added for satellite communication, which all need to occupy space and have a certain weight.

[0083] At the same time, industry terminals supporting satellite communications usually only need to meet the special needs of the corresponding industry for satellite communication functions, and there are no strict restrictions on the thickness and weight of the fuselage like smartphones. For example, the thickness of an industry terminal can be tens of millimeters (mm) and the weight can be 300 grams (g) or even heavier. Therefore, in order to enable the industry terminal to support satellite communication, it is no problem to set the satellite communication chip required for satellite communication in the industry terminal, as well as the user identification card 2 and RF component 2 that support satellite communication.

[0084] However, unlike industrial terminals, smart terminals (especially smartphones) not only require more components to support more functions, but also have higher requirements for body thickness and weight. For example, the thickness of a smartphone is usually less than 10mm and the weight does not exceed 200g. Because of this, it is difficult to achieve satellite communication while minimizing the thickness and weight of the smart terminal.

[0085] In addition, Figure 5 In the example, it is necessary to provide card slots for user identification card 1 and user identification card 2 respectively, and user identification card 1 and user identification card 2 cannot be mixed. For example, the terminal provides card slot 1 for user identification card 1 and card slot 2 for user identification card 2, user identification card 1 cannot be inserted into card slot 2, and user identification card 2 cannot be inserted into card slot 1. In this way, the user is required to accurately insert the user identification card (such as user identification card 1 and user identification card 2) into the corresponding card slot. In order to achieve this purpose, further, the terminal can mark the user identification card corresponding to the card slot in each card slot to indicate the user to accurately insert the user identification card into the corresponding card slot. For example, "cellular card" is marked at the position of card slot 1, indicating that the cellular card (such as user identification card 1) is inserted into card slot 1; and "satellite card" is marked at the position of card slot 2, indicating that the satellite card (such as user identification card 2) is inserted into card slot 2. In this way, although the difficulty of accurately placing the user identification card can be reduced to a certain extent, it is still impossible to achieve arbitrary placement of the user identification card.

[0086] However, in existing smart terminals that support dual SIM cards, the most basic function is to enable the user identification card to be placed anywhere. For example, a user can place any user identification card in any card slot to achieve normal communication. Figure 5 The example obviously cannot meet the above requirements of smartphones.

[0087] Based on this, see Fig. 6A The present application embodiment provides a mobile terminal, which includes a SoC, a satellite communication chip, an RF component 1, an RF component 2, and a user identification card 3. The satellite communication chip includes a satellite physical layer, but the satellite protocol stack (such as Fig. 6AThe satellite protocol stack shown in the dashed line in the figure is transplanted into the AP of the SoC (such as Fig. 6A The satellite protocol stack is shown in the solid line.

[0088] It should be understood that the code of the satellite protocol stack is usually stored in a double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (Double Data Rate, DDR), and the code of the satellite protocol stack is large, and accordingly, the required DDR is also large. Figure 2 In the satellite communication chip shown in Figure 1, the satellite protocol stack code requires a larger DDR. Fig. 6A By transplanting the satellite protocol stack in the satellite communication chip to the AP, the DDR required in the satellite communication chip can be greatly reduced. Therefore, the DDR in the satellite communication chip can be cut to a very small size, thereby reducing the size of the satellite communication chip. At the same time, there are enough DDR in the AP to store the code of the satellite protocol stack, so transplanting the satellite protocol stack to the AP will not increase the size of the AP.

[0089] exist Fig. 6A In the terminal shown, the satellite protocol stack in the AP can interact with the RF component 2 through the satellite physical layer in the satellite communication chip, thereby realizing the transmission and reception of electromagnetic wave signals during satellite communication.

[0090] and, in Fig. 6A In the shown terminal, the Modem also includes a cellular protocol stack. And the Subscriber Identity Module 3 has both opened the service of cellular communication and opened the service of satellite communication. The satellite protocol stack in the AP can interact with the Subscriber Identity Module 3 through the cellular protocol stack in the Modem, and is used for the satellite protocol stack to read the identification (such as International Mobile Subscriber Identification Number (IMSI)) of the Subscriber Identity Module 3 and to carry out the card authentication in the cellular communication process. Like this, the communication connection between the original cellular protocol stack and the Subscriber Identity Module 3 in the Modem can be utilized to realize the interaction of the satellite protocol stack and the Subscriber Identity Module 3, and there is no need to newly add the Subscriber Identity Module 3 for realizing the satellite communication. It should be understood that the Subscriber Identity Module 3 can be shared by the cellular communication and the satellite communication, and there is no need to distinguish between the satellite card and the cellular card, thereby it is possible to realize placing the Subscriber Identity Module 3 in any card slot.

[0091] and, in Fig. 6AIn the terminal shown, the modem includes a cellular physical layer. During the cellular communication process, on the one hand, the cellular protocol stack in the modem can interact with the RF component 1 through the cellular physical layer to realize the transmission and reception of electromagnetic wave signals during the cellular communication process. On the other hand, the cellular protocol stack in the modem can interact with the user identification card 3, so that the cellular protocol stack obtains the identification of the user identification card 3 and performs card authentication during the cellular communication process.

[0092] In summary, Fig. 6A The terminal shown in the figure can realize satellite communication by adding a satellite communication chip and an RF component 2 that do not include a satellite protocol stack, and arranging the satellite protocol stack in the AP, on the basis of realizing cellular communication. Among them, compared with the satellite communication chip that includes the satellite protocol stack, the volume of the satellite communication chip that does not include the cellular protocol stack will be greatly reduced. Therefore, the volume of the newly added hardware can be reduced. In addition, the satellite communication and the cellular communication can share the user identification card 3, which can also reduce the newly added hardware to a certain extent. In this way, satellite communication can be realized under the premise of increasing the thickness and weight of the terminal as little as possible.

[0093] In addition, in the embodiment of the present application, cellular communication uses RF component 1 to send and receive signals, and satellite communication uses RF component 2 to send and receive signals, and the two are independent of each other. Therefore, the terminal can use satellite communication while using cellular communication. For example, while using the cellular network to surf the Internet, use the satellite network to make calls or send text messages.

[0094] In some embodiments, see Figure 6B ,AP also includes satellite communication management. Satellite communication management is used to manage the communication of satellite protocol stack.

[0095] On the one hand, the communication of the satellite protocol stack includes: the communication between the satellite protocol stack and the cellular protocol stack in the modem. Exemplarily, the satellite protocol stack obtains the IMSI from the user identification card 3 through the cellular protocol stack and performs card authentication. Through the management of the satellite communication management, the command of the satellite protocol stack to read the IMSI and transmit the authentication request can be parsed, encapsulated and forwarded to the cellular protocol stack for the cellular protocol stack to further interact with the user identification card 3. Thereby, data transmission between the satellite protocol stack and the cellular protocol stack is realized, and the purpose of interaction between the satellite protocol stack and the user identification card 3 is achieved.

[0096] On the other hand, the communication of the satellite protocol stack includes: communication between the satellite protocol stack and the application. For example, the satellite call request initiated by the call (application) in the application will be transmitted to the satellite protocol stack for processing. For another example, the satellite protocol stack needs to transmit the signal strength of the satellite network to the application for display. Through the management of satellite communication management, the data transmission between the above-mentioned upper layer application and the satellite protocol stack can be realized.

[0097] Exemplarily, the terminal may be a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop, a smart wearable device, an industry terminal, or the like, which needs to support both cellular communication and satellite communication. The embodiment of the present application does not impose any special restrictions on the specific form of the terminal.

[0098] It should be noted that the above-mentioned satellite protocol stack, satellite physical layer, cellular protocol stack and cellular physical layer can be pure software modules or modules combining software and hardware, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0099] See also Figure 7 , is a hardware structure diagram of a terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 7 As shown, taking the terminal as a smart phone as an example, the terminal may include: a processor 210, a satellite communication processor 211 (such as a satellite communication chip), an internal memory 221, a charging management module 230, a power management module 231, a battery 232, an antenna 1, an antenna 2, an antenna 3, a mobile communication module 251 (such as an RF component 1), a satellite communication module 252 (such as an RF component 2), a wireless communication module 253, an audio module 270, a speaker 270A, a receiver 270B, a microphone 270C, an earphone interface 270D, a sensor module 280, a display screen 294, and a user identification card 3 (such as a SIM card) interface 295, etc.

[0100] It is understood that the structure illustrated in this embodiment does not constitute a specific limitation on the smart phone. In other embodiments, the smart phone may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine some components, or split some components, or arrange the components differently. The components shown in the figure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0101] The processor 210 may include one or more processing units, for example, the processor 210 may include an AP (such as a satellite protocol stack), a GPU, an image signal processor (ISP), a controller, a memory, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a Modem (such as a cellular protocol stack, a cellular physical layer), and / or a neural-network processing unit (NPU), etc. Among them, different processing units may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors. The processor 210 may be a SoC.

[0102] In some embodiments, the processor 210 may include one or more interfaces. The interface may include an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) interface, an inter-integrated circuit sound (I2S) interface, a pulse code modulation (PCM) interface, a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) interface, a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI), a general-purpose input / output (GPIO) interface, a user identification card 3 (such as a SIM card) interface, and / or a universal serial bus (USB) interface, etc.

[0103] The satellite communication processor 211 is communicatively connected to the AP in the processor 210 , and is used for communication between the satellite protocol stack in the AP and the satellite physical layer in the satellite communication processor 211 .

[0104] The charging management module 230 is used to receive charging input from a charger. The charger can be a wireless charger or a wired charger. The power management module 231 is used to connect the battery 232, the charging management module 230 and the processor 210. The power management module 231 receives input from the battery 232 and / or the charging management module 230, and supplies power to the processor 210, the internal memory 221, the external memory, the display screen 294, the camera 293, and the wireless communication module 253.

[0105] The wireless communication function of the smart phone can be realized through antenna 1, antenna 2, antenna 3, mobile communication module 251, satellite communication module 252, wireless communication module 253, AP, Modem and satellite communication chip, etc. Antenna 1, antenna 2 and antenna 3 are used to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals.

[0106] The mobile communication module 251 (such as the RF component 1 mentioned above) can provide a solution for cellular communication (such as 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G) applied to smart phones. The mobile communication module 251 can include at least one filter, a switch, a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier (LNA), etc. The mobile communication module 251 can receive electromagnetic waves from the antenna 1, and filter, amplify and process the received electromagnetic waves, and transmit them to the modem for demodulation. The mobile communication module 251 can also amplify the signal modulated by the modem and convert it into electromagnetic waves for radiation through the antenna 1.

[0107] The satellite communication module 252 (such as the RF component 2 mentioned above) can provide a solution for satellite communication applied to smart phones. The mobile communication module 252 may include at least one filter, a switch, a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier (LNA), etc. The satellite communication module 252 may receive electromagnetic waves from the antenna 2, and filter, amplify, and process the received electromagnetic waves, and transmit them to the satellite communication chip and AP for processing. The satellite communication module 252 may also amplify the signal processed by the AP and the satellite communication chip, and convert it into electromagnetic waves for radiation through the antenna 2.

[0108] The satellite communication module 252 may be independent of the satellite communication processor 211. Alternatively, the satellite communication module 252 may be partially encapsulated in the satellite communication processor 211. For example, the RFIC in the satellite communication module 252 may be encapsulated in the satellite communication processor 211.

[0109] The wireless communication module 253 can provide wireless communication solutions including wireless local area networks (WLAN) (such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks), bluetooth (BT), global navigation satellite system (GNSS), frequency modulation (FM), near field communication (NFC), infrared (IR), etc., which are applied to smart phones. The wireless communication module 253 can be one or more devices integrating at least one communication processing module. The wireless communication module 253 receives electromagnetic waves via the antenna 3, modulates the frequency of the electromagnetic wave signal and performs filtering, and sends the processed signal to the processor 210. The wireless communication module 253 can also receive the signal to be sent from the processor 210, modulate the frequency of it, amplify it, and convert it into electromagnetic waves for radiation through the antenna 3.

[0110] The AP may output a sound signal through an audio device (not limited to the speaker 270A, the receiver 270B, etc.), or may display an image or video through the display screen 294 .

[0111] The smart phone implements display functions through the GPU, display screen 294, and AP, such as displaying the switch of satellite communication and cellular communication, and displaying application interfaces of various applications such as calls and text messages.

[0112] The internal memory 221 may be used to store computer executable program codes, which include instructions. The processor 210 executes various functional applications and data processing of the smartphone by running the instructions stored in the internal memory 221. The internal memory 221 may include a program storage area and a data storage area.

[0113] The smart phone can implement audio functions through the audio module 270, the speaker 270A, the receiver 270B, the microphone 270C, the headphone interface 270D, and the application processor, etc. For example, music playing, recording, etc. In some embodiments, during a call using a cellular network or a satellite network, the smart phone can collect the user's voice through the microphone 270C, and can play the voice from the other end through the speaker 270A, the receiver 270B or the earphone connected to the headphone interface 270D.

[0114] The SIM card interface 295 is used to connect a SIM card. The smartphone may include 1-N SIM card interfaces 295. The SIM card can be connected to and separated from the smartphone by inserting it into the SIM card interface 295 or pulling it out from the SIM card interface 295. The smartphone may support one or more SIM card interfaces. The SIM card interface 295 may support Nano SIM cards, Micro SIM cards, SIM cards, and the like. Multiple cards may be inserted into the same SIM card interface 295 at the same time. The types of the multiple cards may be the same or different. The SIM card interface 295 may also be compatible with different types of SIM cards. The SIM card interface 295 may also be compatible with external memory cards. The smartphone interacts with the network through the SIM card to implement functions such as calls and data communications. In some embodiments, the smartphone uses an eSIM, i.e., an embedded SIM card. The eSIM card may be embedded in the smartphone and cannot be separated from the smartphone.

[0115] The software system of the AP in the above terminal can adopt a layered architecture, an event-driven architecture, a micro-core architecture, a micro-service architecture, or a cloud architecture. TM Taking the system as an example, the software structure of the terminal is illustrated.

[0116] Reference Figure 8 , is a software architecture diagram of a terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 1 , the satellite protocol stack is set in the AP, rather than in the satellite communication chip. Specifically, the layered architecture can divide the AP software into several layers, each with a clear role and division of labor. The layers communicate with each other through software interfaces. In some embodiments, Android TM The system is divided into four layers, from top to bottom: application layer, application framework layer, hardware abstract layer (HAL) and kernel layer.

[0117] It should be understood that Figure 8 The AP layering shown is only exemplary, and in actual implementation, the AP software may include more or fewer layers. For example, between the application framework layer and the hardware abstraction layer, a system library is also included.

[0118] Among them, the application layer may include a series of application packages, such as calls, text messages, browsers, chat applications, video players, and other applications that require network (including cellular networks, satellite networks, etc.) support.

[0119] It should be noted that applications such as calls and text messages can implement communication services (i.e., making calls, sending text messages, etc.) with the support of cellular networks, and can also implement communication services with the support of satellite networks. In other words, calls can be divided into satellite calls and cellular calls, and text messages can be divided into satellite text messages and cellular text messages. Therefore, in a specific implementation method, the terminal may further include two call applications, satellite calls and cellular calls, and may further include two text message applications, satellite text messages and cellular text messages. In this way, it is easy to distinguish the type of network to be used from the application running in the foreground. For example, if the application running in the foreground is satellite text messages, then in response to the user confirming the operation of sending a text message, the terminal can determine to use the satellite network to send the text message.

[0120] Of course, the actual implementation is not limited to this implementation. In another specific implementation, calls and text messages may not be further subdivided, that is, calls and text messages are only one application each. In this implementation, the terminal can determine the type of network to be used based on the network currently enabled by the terminal or based on the network set by the user for the application. For example, in response to the user confirming the operation of sending a text message, the terminal can use the currently enabled cellular network to send the text message. For another example, in the text message settings, the network used for sending text messages can be set to a satellite network. Then, in response to the user confirming the operation of sending a text message, the terminal can determine to use a satellite network to send the text message.

[0121] In some embodiments, the application layer also includes satellite applications and cellular applications.

[0122] The cellular application is used to provide display information related to the cellular network.

[0123] For example, a cellular application may provide information about the signal strength of the cellular network in the status bar. Fig. 9 The signal strength shown in prompt 9011 in the interface 901 is shown.

[0124] In another exemplary embodiment, the cellular application can provide information on whether the cellular network is switched on or off. Fig. 9 By sliding down from the top of the interface 901, the mobile phone can display Fig. 9 Interface 902 is shown. Interface 902 includes a cellular network switch 9021. The cellular application can provide status information of whether the switch 9021 is on or off. If the cellular application provides an on state, the switch 9021 can display that the cellular network is on; if the cellular application provides an off state, the switch 9021 can display that the cellular network is off.

[0125] In another exemplary embodiment, the cellular application can provide information related to the setting items of the cellular network in the setting application. Fig. 9 By clicking the application icon 9013 of the setting application in the interface 901, the mobile phone can display Fig. 9 The interface 903 shown includes a cellular network setting item 9031. The cellular application can provide various information displayed after entering the setting item 9031.

[0126] The satellite application is used to provide display information related to the satellite network.

[0127] For example, a satellite application may provide information on the signal strength of a satellite network.

[0128] In another exemplary embodiment, the satellite application can provide information on whether the satellite network is switched on or off. Fig. 9 By sliding down from the top of the interface 901, the mobile phone can display Fig. 9 Interface 902 is shown. Interface 902 includes a switch 9022 for a satellite network. The satellite application can provide status information of whether the switch 9022 is on or off. If the satellite application provides an on status, the switch 9022 can display that the satellite network is on; if the satellite application provides an off status, the switch 9022 can display that the satellite network is off.

[0129] In another exemplary embodiment, the satellite application may provide information related to the setting items of the satellite network in the setting application. Fig. 9 By clicking the application icon 9013 of the setting application in the interface 901, the mobile phone can display Fig. 9 The interface 903 shown includes a satellite network setting item 9032. The satellite application can provide various information displayed after entering the setting item 9032.

[0130] In addition, the cellular application may also receive an operation of turning on or off the cellular network by the user, such as receiving a click operation of the user on a cellular switch (such as the cellular switch 9021 in the interface 902). In response to the operation of turning on or off the cellular network, the cellular application may request the underlying layer to turn on the cellular network. The satellite application may also receive an operation of turning on or off the satellite network by the user, such as receiving a click operation of the user on a cellular switch (such as the cellular switch 9022 in the interface 902). In response to the operation of turning on or off the satellite network, the cellular application may request the underlying layer to turn on the satellite network.

[0131] Of course, in a broad sense, applications such as calls and text messages that can realize communication services (i.e., making calls and sending text messages, etc.) with the support of cellular networks can also be called cellular applications. However, in this article, cellular applications are mainly used to illustrate applications that provide display information related to cellular networks. Also, applications such as calls and text messages that can realize communication services (i.e., making calls and sending text messages, etc.) with the support of satellite networks can also be called satellite applications. However, in this article, satellite applications are mainly used to illustrate applications that provide display information related to satellite networks.

[0132] The application framework layer provides an application programming interface (API) and a programming framework for the applications of the application layer. The application framework layer includes some predefined functions. Exemplarily, the application framework layer may include a notification manager, a window manager, a resource manager, a content provider, and a view system.

[0133] The hardware abstraction layer can provide a unified interface for the calls of upper-level applications, shielding the specific implementation details of the hardware driver in the kernel layer. The upper-level applications can implement corresponding functions by calling the interface provided by the hardware abstraction layer without having to know the specific implementation method of the kernel-level hardware driver.

[0134] In some embodiments, the satellite protocol stack is configured in the hardware abstraction layer of the AP. Specifically, the satellite protocol stack runs in the hardware abstraction layer as an independent process. It should be noted that when the terminal is turned on, the process corresponding to the satellite protocol stack can be started by the initialization (init) process during initialization, and the process corresponding to the satellite protocol stack can be set as a daemon process. In this way, even if the process corresponding to the satellite protocol stack exits abnormally, it can be automatically restarted. Regarding the satellite protocol stack, please refer to the description in the previous text, which will not be repeated here.

[0135] Since the satellite protocol stack is located in the hardware abstraction layer, the communication between the satellite protocol stack and the upper layer application needs to cross three layers: the application layer, the application framework layer, and the hardware abstraction layer. Based on this, in a specific implementation, in order to facilitate the communication between the satellite protocol stack and the upper layer application, the satellite communication management can further include satellite communication management 1 set in the application framework layer and satellite communication management 2 set in the hardware abstraction layer. The following mainly explains in this way.

[0136] The satellite communication management 1 is set in the application framework layer, and provides the interface management function of the satellite communication service to the upper layer application. For example, in the process of sending text messages using the satellite network, the user only needs to enter the recipient's number and the text message content in the text message (application). After receiving the operation of sending a text message, the text message (application) can call the text message sending interface of the satellite communication management 1 to encode the text message content, for example, using the UCS2 encoding method to encode Chinese characters and using the 7bit encoding method to encode English characters.

[0137] In addition, the satellite communication management 1 can also complete some processing that does not require the perception of upper-level applications (such as satellite applications). For example, the satellite communication management 1 can calculate the angle between the satellite's beam and the terminal antenna's (such as the antenna 1 mentioned above) beam based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) signal and the signals collected by related sensors, and determine the satellite alignment strategy based on the calculated angle, such as the direction and angle of rotation. Finally, the satellite communication management 1 feeds back the satellite alignment strategy to the satellite application, and the satellite application can prompt the user to turn the terminal. In this example, the satellite application does not need to perceive the process of calculating and determining the satellite alignment strategy, and the process is completely completed by the satellite communication management 1.

[0138] And, the satellite communication management 2 is set in the hardware abstraction layer. On the one hand, the satellite communication management 2 can communicate with the satellite communication management 1. Exemplarily, the satellite communication management 2 can receive data processed by the satellite communication management 1, such as encoded text message content. Another exemplary method is that the satellite communication management 2 can also send data to the satellite communication management 1, such as sending the signal strength of the satellite network.

[0139] On the other hand, the satellite communication management 1 can communicate with the satellite protocol stack. Exemplarily, the satellite protocol stack can receive data from the satellite communication management 2, such as text message content. Also exemplary, the satellite protocol stack can also send data to the satellite communication management 2, such as the signal strength of the satellite network.

[0140] Furthermore, the satellite communication management 2 may include a card authentication agent to perform data transmission between the satellite protocol stack and the cellular protocol stack, and realize the data transmission related to the card authentication during the satellite communication process. Exemplarily, the card authentication agent may forward the request from the satellite protocol stack to obtain the identification of the user identification card 3 to the cellular protocol stack; and the card authentication agent may return the identification read by the cellular protocol stack to the satellite protocol stack. Also exemplarily, the card authentication agent may forward the authentication request from the satellite protocol stack to the cellular protocol stack; and the card authentication agent may return the authentication response received by the cellular protocol stack to the satellite protocol stack.

[0141] In some embodiments, the application framework layer may further include a cellular framework, and the hardware abstraction layer may further include a cellular HAL. It should be understood that the cellular framework and the cellular HAL are used for interaction between the upper layer application and the Modem during cellular communication, and this document will not provide further explanations on this.

[0142] The kernel layer is the layer between hardware and software. The kernel layer may include display drivers, camera drivers, audio drivers, etc.

[0143] In some embodiments, the kernel layer also includes a serial port driver. It should be understood that the SoC and the satellite communication chip are connected by a hardware circuit, and the hardware circuit is usually connected in the form of a serial port, such as a UART interface or a serial peripheral interface (Serial Peripheral Interface, SPI). Then, a serial port driver is set in the kernel layer, which can be used to drive the serial port to realize the data transmission between the satellite protocol stack in the SoC and the satellite physical layer in the satellite communication chip. For example, the serial port driver provides a total of three interfaces: read, write and control. The satellite protocol stack can read data from the satellite physical layer by calling the read interface, and can write data to the satellite physical layer by calling the write interface.

[0144] At this point, it should be noted that serial port communication is used between the satellite communication chip and the SoC, and in the SoC, the serial port driver is usually set in the kernel layer of the AP. This means that the communication between the satellite communication chip and the SoC needs to pass through the kernel layer of the AP. It can be seen that setting the satellite protocol stack in the AP instead of the Modem can facilitate the communication between the satellite protocol stack and the satellite physical layer. For example, if the satellite protocol stack is set in the Modem, then the communication between the satellite protocol stack and the satellite physical layer needs to cross the Modem, AP and the satellite communication chip, and cannot be achieved directly through the communication between the AP and the satellite communication chip.

[0145] In addition, the operating system running in the AP (such as Android TM The system is open source, and it is relatively easy for terminal manufacturers to add a software module. The operating system running in the modem (such as the real-time operating system (RTOS) TM )) Currently, there is no open source. If terminal manufacturers want to add software modules to them, they need to communicate and cooperate with the modem manufacturers. In other words, it is much more difficult to improve the modem than to improve the AP. Therefore, it is easier to set the satellite protocol stack in the AP.

[0146] Although in this article, the satellite protocol stack is configured in the AP as an example for explanation, in practice, the satellite protocol stack can also be configured in the Modem. The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0147] Continue to see Figure 8 The software architecture of the terminal also includes the software components of the Modem, which runs an RTOS TM . With Android running in the AP TM The difference between the two systems is that RTOS is a single-task operating system that can only handle a single process at a time. TM The system can handle multiple processes at the same time.

[0148] Modem generally includes cellular protocol stack and cellular physical layer.It should be noted that in some embodiments, cellular protocol stack is not only used for cellular communication, but also used for the interaction between satellite protocol stack and Subscriber Identity Module 3 in the satellite communication process.For example, cellular protocol stack can read the sign of Subscriber Identity Module 3 and return (as returned by satellite communication management 2) to satellite protocol stack.For another example, cellular protocol stack can return authentication response (as returned by satellite communication management 2) to satellite protocol stack.

[0149] In certain embodiments, the Modem also includes a card driver (not shown). The card driver can be used for the interaction between the cellular protocol stack and the Subscriber Identity Module 3. Exemplary, the cellular protocol stack can read the identification of the Subscriber Identity Module 3 by the card driver, the cellular protocol stack can send an authentication request to the Subscriber Identity Module 3 by the card driver, and the Subscriber Identity Module 3 can return an authentication response to the cellular protocol stack by the card driver.

[0150] In some embodiments, the modem also includes an RF interface module (not shown in the figure). The RF interface module is used for the interaction between the cellular physical layer and the RF component 1. In a specific implementation, the RF interface module includes a baseband interface unit (BBIU). Exemplarily, the cellular physical layer sends uplink voice data to the RF component 1 through the RF interface module, and finally transmits it through the antenna; and the RF component 1 can send downlink voice data to the cellular physical layer through the RF interface module, and finally play it through devices such as speakers, receivers or headphones.

[0151] Continue to see Figure 8 , the software architecture of the terminal also includes a satellite physical layer in the satellite communication chip. The satellite physical layer can communicate with the satellite protocol stack and the RF component 2 in the AP respectively. Exemplarily, the satellite physical layer can receive (such as receiving through a serial port driver) data from the satellite protocol stack, such as text message content. Another exemplary embodiment, the satellite physical layer can also send (such as sending through a serial port driver) data to the satellite protocol stack, such as sending downlink voice data, text message data, etc.

[0152] use Figure 8 The software architecture shown in the figure transplants the satellite protocol stack in the satellite communication chip to the AP. Then, there is no need to deploy an overly large DDR in the satellite protocol stack to store the code of the satellite protocol stack. In this way, the volume of the satellite communication chip can be reduced, thereby reducing the volume of the newly added hardware for realizing satellite communication. In addition, the communication of the satellite protocol stack is managed by setting up satellite communication management in the AP. Among them, the satellite communication management can not only manage the communication between the satellite protocol stack and the upper layer application, but also manage the communication between the satellite protocol stack and the cellular protocol stack, so that the interaction with the user identification card 3 can be realized with the help of the cellular protocol stack. In this way, cellular communication and satellite communication can share the same user identification card 3.

[0153] The following is an exemplary description of the above Figure 8 The software architecture shown in the figure shows the communication mode between various modules related to satellite communication. The modules related to satellite communication include: satellite application, call application and other applications, satellite communication management (including satellite communication management 1 and satellite communication management 2), satellite protocol stack, satellite physical layer and cellular protocol stack.

[0154] The layers in the AP communicate with each other through software interfaces. The satellite communication management 2 and the satellite protocol stack located in the hardware abstraction layer can use inter-process communication, such as sockets, message queues and other inter-process communication methods. That is to say, after the satellite protocol stack is transplanted to the AP, the AT interface is in the form of sockets, message queues and the like.

[0155] The satellite communication manager 2 and the cellular protocol stack in the Modem communicate through the first logical channel newly added between the AP and the Modem. It should be understood that in one physical channel, multiple logical channels can be virtualized to realize the transmission of data with different functions. Since it is necessary to transmit the relevant data of the satellite protocol stack and the card interaction during the satellite communication process between the AP and the Modem, such as IMSI, authentication response, etc., a first logical channel can be newly added in the physical channel between the AP and the Modem to support the data transmission between the satellite communication manager 2 of the AP and the cellular protocol stack in the Modem.

[0156] It should be understood that when adding a first logical channel, the logical channel can be implemented with a matching interface based on the type of SoC. For example, if the SoC is a chip of manufacturer A, and the AP and the Modem in the chip of manufacturer A communicate through the a interface, then a set of a interfaces can be added to implement the first logical channel. For another example, if the SoC is a chip of manufacturer B, and the AP and the Modem in the chip of manufacturer B communicate through the b interface, then a set of b interfaces can be added to implement the first logical channel.

[0157] Of course, other logical channels may be virtualized in the physical channel between the AP and the Modem, for example, a logical channel for transmitting data of cellular communication may be virtualized.

[0158] The form of request (request)-response (response) is adopted to interact between satellite protocol stack, cellular protocol stack and card driver.So, via satellite protocol stack, cellular protocol stack and card driver, after finally transmitting request (as request, authentication request of the mark of reading subscriber identity card 3) to subscriber identity card 3, the response (as mark, authentication result) of request can be returned to satellite protocol stack according to the transmission path original route of request.Like this, in the process of satellite communication, cellular protocol stack can accurately return the response from subscriber identity card 3 to satellite communication management, finally return to satellite protocol stack, and can not be mistakenly transmitted to cellular physical layer.

[0159] The satellite protocol stack can call the serial port driver to drive the serial port between the SoC and the satellite communication chip, thereby realizing communication between the satellite protocol stack and the satellite physical layer.

[0160] By adopting the above communication method, the following multiple communication paths can be constructed: communication path ①, communication path ②, communication path ③ and communication path ④.

[0161] Below Figure 8 On the basis of the multiple communication paths shown, the communication process of the terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application is further described in combination with the following process 1 and process 2:

[0162] Process 1: Enable the satellite network, that is, access the satellite network.

[0163] After receiving the operation of opening the satellite network, the terminal will start to execute process 1 to connect the terminal to the satellite network. Fig.10 The interface 1001 shown in FIG. 1 includes a switch 10011 for a satellite network. At this time, the switch 10011 for the satellite network is in an off state (indicated by icons and text that are not bold in the figure). The operation of turning on the satellite network may be a click operation on the switch for the satellite network that is in an off state. Then, in response to the user clicking the switch 10011 that is in an off state, the mobile phone may start the process of turning on the satellite network. And, after the satellite network is turned on, the mobile phone may display Fig.10 The interface 1002 shown includes a satellite network switch 10021. However, at this time, the satellite network switch 10021 is in an on state (indicated by bold icons and text in the figure), and the signal strength of the satellite network is shown by an icon 10022 in the interface 1002.

[0164] See also Fig.11 ,In process 1, using communication path ①, the satellite application can interact with the satellite ,protocol stack, such as Fig.11 The interaction between satellite application, satellite communication management (such as satellite communication management 1) and satellite protocol stack in S1101-S1108 and S1137-S1139. After the satellite protocol stack is started, on the one hand, the communication path ② is adopted to realize the interaction between the satellite protocol stack and the satellite network in the process of network search, RRC link establishment and registration, such as Fig.11 The interaction between the satellite protocol stack, the satellite physical layer and the RF component 2 in S1109-S1136 in FIG. 2 . On the other hand, by adopting the communication path ③, the interaction between the satellite protocol stack and the user identification card 3 can be realized during the registration process, such as Fig.11 The interaction between the satellite protocol stack, satellite communication management (such as satellite communication management 2), cellular protocol stack and user identification card 3 in S1109-S1136.

[0165] Specifically, the process of a terminal accessing a satellite network includes the following steps:

[0166] S1101. The satellite application receives an event for starting a satellite network.

[0167] For example, the event of starting the satellite network can be a user's Fig.10 The switch 10011 of the satellite network in the interface 1001 is clicked.

[0168] Of course, the event of opening the satellite network is not Fig.10 As shown, the terminal is limited. As another example, the terminal is provided with a physical button for turning on the satellite network, and the event of turning on the satellite network may be a turning-on operation performed by the user on the physical button; or, the event of turning on the satellite network may be an event in which the user inputs a preset voice 1 (such as "turn on the satellite network"). Alternatively, the event of turning on the satellite network may be an event in which a condition for turning on the satellite network (such as a cellular network signal) is detected.

[0169] S1102. The satellite application notifies the satellite communication management to start the satellite network.

[0170] S1103. The satellite communication management receives a notification for starting the satellite network.

[0171] S1104. The satellite communication management obtains the terminal's position and attitude, and calculates the angle between the terminal's antenna and the satellite based on the position and attitude.

[0172] Exemplarily, the satellite communication management can obtain GPS signals to obtain the terminal's location, and the satellite communication management can obtain gyroscope signals to obtain the terminal's attitude.

[0173] S1105: If the angle is greater than or equal to the preset angle, the satellite communication management generates a satellite alignment strategy that matches the angle.

[0174] It should be understood that satellite pointing refers to the process of adjusting the terminal's posture to change the antenna's orientation so that the antenna's beam center is aligned with the satellite. Correspondingly, the satellite pointing strategy is information that guides the user to change the terminal's posture. For example, the satellite pointing strategy includes a rotation azimuth and a rotation angle.

[0175] If the angle is greater than or equal to the preset angle, it indicates that the deviation between the beam center of the terminal antenna and the line connecting the satellite and the terminal is large. Then, the terminal posture needs to be adjusted to reduce the deviation between the beam center of the antenna and the line connecting the satellite and the terminal.

[0176] S1106. Satellite communication management sends a satellite alignment strategy to the satellite application.

[0177] S1107. Satellite application displays the star pointing strategy.

[0178] After the satellite application displays the star-pointing strategy, the user can adjust the terminal's attitude according to the star-pointing strategy, for example, according to the rotation direction and rotation angle in the star-pointing strategy.

[0179] It should be noted that for the specific implementation of calculating the angle and generating the matching alignment strategy, and adjusting the posture of the terminal based on the alignment strategy, please refer to the relevant information on alignment, which will not be described in detail in this article.

[0180] It should be noted that after the user adjusts the posture of the terminal, the satellite communication management can recalculate the angle between the terminal antenna and the satellite based on the positioning and the new posture. If the angle is greater than the preset angle, a new satellite alignment strategy will be generated and the user will be guided to align the satellite. In other words, after S1103, the above S1104-S1107 can be continuously executed.

[0181] However, if the angle is less than the preset angle, it indicates that the antenna of the terminal has been aligned with the satellite, and S1108 and subsequent steps may be executed to continue to complete the step of accessing the satellite network.

[0182] S1108: If the angle is less than the preset angle, the satellite communication management sends a command to the satellite protocol stack to start the satellite protocol stack.

[0183] Exemplarily, the satellite communication management may send a command to start the satellite protocol stack to the satellite communication management by calling an interface for starting the satellite protocol stack in the satellite communication management.

[0184] S1109, satellite protocol stack starts.

[0185] After the satellite protocol stack is started, the satellite network search (referred to as network search) and RRC link establishment can be realized through the communication between the satellite protocol stack and the satellite network. It should be understood that the satellite protocol stack needs to pass through the satellite physical layer, RF component 2, and antenna to finally realize communication with the satellite network. Among them, the satellite protocol stack can realize communication with the satellite physical layer by calling the serial port driver interface, and the satellite physical layer and RF component 2 can realize communication between the satellite physical layer and RF component 2 by calling the RF interface module.

[0186] Exemplarily, the network search process includes: the satellite protocol stack sends a network search request to the satellite physical layer. After receiving the network search request, the satellite physical layer can turn on the RF component 2, such as turning on the receiving path of the RF component 2 (referred to as the RF receiving path) through the RF driver control. It should be understood that the sending path of the RF component 2 (referred to as the RF transmitting path) is usually turned on when information needs to be sent, and it can be temporarily not turned on at this time. After turning on the RF component 2, the RF component 2 can receive system messages from the satellite network through the antenna. Then, the RF component 2 sends the system message to the satellite physical layer. The satellite physical layer demodulates the system message, and after the demodulation is successful, it feeds back a message of successful demodulation to the satellite protocol stack. In this example, only part of the network search process is shown, and the actual network search process is not limited to this.

[0187] Exemplarily, the process of establishing an RRC link includes: after receiving a message of successful demodulation, the satellite protocol stack initiates a random access (Random Access Channel, RACH) to the satellite physical layer. It passes through the satellite physical layer, RF component 2, and antenna in sequence, and finally sends the RACH to the satellite network. After receiving the RACH, the satellite network can reply with an access response in the window of the random access response (Random Access Response). Then, the RF component 2 can receive the access response through the antenna. It passes through the RF component 2 and the satellite physical layer in sequence, and finally returns the access response to the satellite protocol stack. In this example, only part of the process of establishing an RRC link is shown, and the actual process of establishing an RRC link is not limited to this.

[0188] After completing the network search and RRC link establishment, the registration process will begin. During the registration process, the satellite network needs to identify the identity of the user identification card 3 and authenticate the user identification card 3 (referred to as card authentication). The following will mainly explain the two steps of identity identification and card authentication in the registration process, thereby explaining the interaction between the satellite protocol stack and the user identification card 3.

[0189] Specifically, identity identification includes the following S1110-S1118:

[0190] S1110 . The satellite protocol stack sends a read request to the satellite communication management to read the identifier of the user identification card 3 .

[0191] The identifier is used to uniquely indicate the user identification card 3, such as an IMSI, a public land mobile network (Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN) number, etc.

[0192] In addition, the satellite protocol stack and the satellite communication management (such as satellite communication management 2) can realize card interactive data transmission through inter-process communication, such as the read request in S1110, and the identification, authentication request, authentication result, etc. described below.

[0193] S1111. Satellite communication management sends a read request to the cellular protocol stack.

[0194] Satellite communications can parse and encapsulate the read request and forward it to the cellular protocol stack.

[0195] Among them, the satellite communication management and the cellular protocol stack can transmit the card interaction data through the first logical channel in the physical channel between the AP and the Modem, such as the read request in S1111, and the identification, authentication request, authentication result, etc. mentioned below.

[0196] S1112 : The cellular protocol stack sends a read request to the subscriber identity card 3 .

[0197] The cellular protocol stack can transmit card interaction data with the user identification card 3 through the card driver, such as the read request and identification in S1112, and the authentication request and authentication result below.

[0198] S1113. The subscriber identity card 3 returns an identifier to the cellular protocol stack.

[0199] S1114. The cellular protocol stack returns an identifier to the satellite communication management.

[0200] S1115. The satellite communication management returns an identifier to the satellite protocol stack.

[0201] S1116. The satellite protocol stack sends an identifier to the satellite physical layer.

[0202] The satellite protocol stack and the satellite physical layer can interact with each other by driving the serial port (such as UART, SPI) through the serial port driver.

[0203] In S1110-S1116, the satellite protocol stack reads the identifier of the user identification card 3 from the user identification card 3 in real time. In practice, the identifier of the user identification card 3 may have been stored in the terminal. Exemplarily, when the terminal detects that the user identification card 3 is inserted, the identifier of the user identification card 3 can be obtained and stored. In this case, the above S1110 and S1116 can be replaced by: the satellite protocol stack obtains the identifier of the user identification card 3 from a preset storage location.

[0204] S1117 . The satellite physical layer sends an identifier to the RF component 2 .

[0205] S1118. RF component 2 sends an identification to the satellite network.

[0206] The RF component 2 sends the identification to the satellite network via the antenna.

[0207] After receiving the identifier, the satellite network can identify the user identification card 3 based on the identifier. Exemplarily, the satellite network searches for the currently received identifier among the identifiers that have been allowed to access the network. If the currently received identifier belongs to the identifiers that have been allowed to access the network, the identity verification is passed. If the currently received identifier does not belong to the identifiers that have been allowed to access the network, the identity verification fails.

[0208] If the identity authentication fails, the satellite network can send a message of identity authentication failure, which is then fed back to the satellite application through the antenna, RF component 2, satellite physical layer, satellite protocol stack, satellite communication management, and finally displayed as a reminder of identity authentication failure.

[0209] And, the card authentication includes the following S1119-S1132:

[0210] S1119. RF component 2 receives an authentication request from the satellite network, and the authentication request carries a verification value.

[0211] After the identity authentication is passed, the satellite network can send an authentication request, which carries a verification value, such as a preset value or a random number.

[0212] S1120. RF component 2 sends an authentication request to the satellite physical layer.

[0213] S1121. The satellite physical layer sends an authentication request to the satellite protocol stack.

[0214] S1122. The satellite protocol stack sends an authentication request to the satellite communication management.

[0215] S1123. Satellite communication management sends an authentication request to the cellular protocol stack.

[0216] S1124: The cellular protocol stack sends an authentication request to the user identification card 3.

[0217] S1125. The user identification card 3 calculates the check value in the authentication request to obtain an authentication result.

[0218] After receiving the authentication request, the user identification card 3 can calculate the verification value. For example, the user identification card 3 can use a built-in verification algorithm to calculate the verification value to obtain an authentication result.

[0219] S1126. The subscriber identity card 3 sends the authentication result to the cellular protocol stack.

[0220] S1127. The cellular protocol stack sends the authentication result to the satellite communication management.

[0221] S1128. Satellite communication management sends the authentication result to the satellite protocol stack.

[0222] S1129. The satellite protocol stack constructs an authentication response message (Authentication responseMessage) based on the authentication result.

[0223] The authentication response message is a message that can be fed back to the satellite network, and the authentication response message carries the authentication result.

[0224] S1130. The satellite protocol stack sends an authentication response message to the satellite physical layer.

[0225] S1131. The satellite physical layer sends an authentication response message to RF component 2.

[0226] S1132. RF component 2 sends an authentication response message to the satellite network.

[0227] After receiving the authentication response message, the satellite network can parse the authentication result and calculate the check value using a preset check algorithm to obtain a standard authentication result.

[0228] If the built-in verification algorithm in the user identification card 3 is the same as the preset verification algorithm, such as hash algorithms, the authentication result calculated by the user identification card 3 (i.e. the authentication result parsed by the user identification card 3) should be the same as the standard authentication result. If the built-in verification algorithm in the user identification card 3 is different from the preset verification algorithm, the authentication result calculated by the user identification card 3 (i.e. the authentication result parsed by the user identification card 3) is different from the standard authentication result. Based on this, the satellite network can compare the parsed authentication result with the standard authentication result. If the two are the same, the authentication is successful; if the two are not the same, the authentication is recognized.

[0229] If authentication fails, the satellite network can send a message of authentication failure, which will be fed back to the satellite application through the antenna, RF component 2, satellite physical layer, satellite protocol stack, satellite communication management, and finally displayed as a prompt of authentication failure.

[0230] If the authentication is successful, the satellite network can send a message of successful authentication to the satellite protocol stack, as shown in S1133-S1135 below:

[0231] S1133. RF component 2 receives a message indicating successful authentication from the satellite network.

[0232] S1134. RF component 2 sends a message of successful authentication to the satellite physical layer.

[0233] S1135. The satellite physical layer sends a message indicating successful authentication to the satellite protocol stack.

[0234] After the authentication is successful, the satellite protocol stack and the satellite network can continue to complete the subsequent registration process, and after the registration is completed, the satellite network can send a registration acceptance message to the satellite protocol stack to indicate successful access to the satellite network. Correspondingly, the satellite protocol stack can receive the registration acceptance message, as shown in S1136:

[0235] S1136: The satellite protocol stack receives a registration acceptance message.

[0236] S1137. The satellite protocol stack sends a registration acceptance message to the satellite communication management.

[0237] S1138. Satellite communication management sends a registration acceptance message to the satellite application.

[0238] S1139: The satellite application updates the state of the satellite network to the on state.

[0239] In some embodiments, in order to facilitate users to clearly understand the signal strength of the satellite network, after receiving the registration acceptance message, the satellite protocol stack can also report the signal strength measured by the satellite physical layer to the upper application (such as desktop application, satellite application, etc.) through satellite communication management and satellite communication management in sequence. Then, the upper application can display the signal strength. It should be understood that as the network environment changes, the signal strength measured by the satellite physical layer may change. Therefore, the satellite protocol stack can continuously report the signal strength measured by the satellite physical layer to the upper application. In this way, the upper application can display the real-time signal strength.

[0240] For example, after turning on the satellite network, the phone can display Fig.10 Interface 1002 is shown. In interface 1002, the switch 10021 of the satellite network is in the on state, indicating that the satellite network is turned on, and a prompt 10022 in the status bar indicates that the signal strength of the satellite network is 3 bars.

[0241] After accessing the satellite network using the above process 1, the terminal can use the satellite network to make calls, send text messages, transmit IoT short messages, etc. In this article, the use of the satellite network is mainly described by taking the use of satellite network calls (i.e. the following process 2) as an example.

[0242] Process 2, call process, that is, making a call using the satellite network.

[0243] After receiving the user's call initiation operation, the terminal can start to execute process 2. For example, after the satellite network is turned on, the mobile phone can display Fig.12Interface 1201 is shown. Interface 1201 is a dialing interface. Interface 1201 includes historical call records 12011 and a dialing keyboard 12012. The operation of initiating a call may be a click operation of a user inputting a number in the dialing keyboard and then clicking a dial button 12013 in the dialing keyboard 12012. Alternatively, the operation of initiating a call may be a selection operation (such as a click operation) of the historical call record 12011 by the user.

[0244] Of course, the operation of initiating a call does not start with Fig.12 For example, the operation of initiating a call may also be an operation of the user inputting voice 3 (such as "Call Tom"); or, the operation of initiating a call may also be an operation of the user clicking a shortcut key on a dial pad (such as the shortcut key for alarm is the number "0").

[0245] In response to the call initiation operation, the terminal may display a calling interface. The calling interface includes: the called user's information (such as number, number's location, name, etc.) and a calling prompt. For example, the calling interface is Fig.12 In the interface 1202 shown, the text "Tom" in the interface 1202 is the name of the called user, and the text "Calling..." is a reminder of the calling user.

[0246] After the call control plane and call user plane are established, the voice call can begin. At this point, the phone can display Fig.12 Interface 1203 is shown. Interface 1203 includes a call timer "00:00", indicating that the call has started.

[0247] See also Fig.13 ,In process 2, using communication path ④, the call application can interact with the ,satellite protocol stack, such as Fig.13 The interaction between the call application, satellite communication management (such as satellite communication management 2) and the satellite protocol stack in S1301-S1303 in FIG. 2 can realize the interaction between the satellite protocol stack and the satellite network during RRC link establishment, user identification card 3 identity authentication and authorization, call control plane and call user plane establishment, and call process. Fig.13 The interaction between the satellite protocol stack, the satellite physical layer and the RF component 2 in S1304-S1312. And, by using the communication path ③, the interaction between the satellite protocol stack and the user identification card 3 can be realized during the identity authentication and authorization process of the user identification card 3.

[0248] Specifically, the call process includes:

[0249] S1301: When the satellite network is turned on, the call application receives an operation of a user initiating a call.

[0250] S1302: The satellite application sends a call command to the satellite communication management.

[0251] Exemplarily, the satellite application may call a call interface provided by a satellite communication management (such as satellite communication management 1) to send a call command to the satellite communication management.

[0252] S1303. The satellite communication management sends a call command to the satellite protocol stack.

[0253] Before the call, the satellite protocol stack and the satellite network also need to establish an RRC link. And, after the RRC link is established, the user identification card 3 also needs to be authenticated and authorized. For the specific implementation of RRC link establishment, identity authentication and card authentication, please refer to the description in the previous process 1, which will not be repeated here.

[0254] After identity authentication and card authentication are completed, a call control plane and a call user plane need to be established between the satellite protocol stack and the satellite network. Exemplarily, the process of establishing the call control plane includes: the satellite protocol stack initiates a call command, and passes through the satellite physical layer, RF component 2, antenna in sequence, and finally sends the call command to the satellite network. After sending the call command to the satellite network, the satellite network can pass through the antenna, RF component 2, satellite physical layer in sequence, and finally return a call response to the satellite protocol stack.

[0255] After the call control plane and the call user plane are established, the voice call can be started. For example, after the call control plane and the call user plane are established, the satellite protocol stack can feed back a message of starting the call to the call application, such as feeding back a message of starting the call to the call application through the satellite communication management. After receiving the message of starting the call, the call application can display the start time of the call. For example, the call application can display Fig.12 The interface 1203 shown includes a call timer "00:00", indicating that the call has started.

[0256] Exemplarily, after establishing the call control plane and the call user plane, the satellite protocol stack can call the interface of the audio driver in the kernel layer to enable the audio driver audio device (such as audio acquisition device, audio playback device) to work.

[0257] S1304. The satellite protocol stack receives the uplink voice collected by the audio collection device.

[0258] Exemplarily, the audio acquisition device may first send the collected uplink voice to the DSP for processing, and then the DSP sends the processed uplink voice to the satellite protocol stack through inter-core communication.

[0259] The audio acquisition device may be a microphone of the terminal, or a microphone of a headset connected to the terminal, etc.

[0260] S1305. The satellite protocol stack encodes the uplink voice to obtain an encoded uplink signal.

[0261] S1306. The satellite protocol stack sends an uplink signal to the satellite physical layer.

[0262] S1307 . The satellite physical layer sends an uplink signal to RF component 2 .

[0263] S1308. RF component 2 sends an uplink signal to the satellite network.

[0264] The RF component 2 can send an uplink signal to a satellite network via an antenna, thereby transmitting the uplink signal to the called user via the satellite network.

[0265] S1309. RF component 2 receives a downlink signal from a satellite network.

[0266] Exemplarily, the RF component 2 may receive a downlink signal from a called user forwarded by a satellite network via an antenna.

[0267] S1310. RF component 2 sends a downlink signal to the satellite physical layer.

[0268] S1311. The satellite physical layer sends a downlink signal to the satellite protocol stack.

[0269] S1312. The satellite protocol stack decodes the downlink signal to obtain decoded downlink voice for playback by the audio playback device.

[0270] Exemplarily, the satellite protocol stack may send downlink voice to the audio playback device.

[0271] The present application also provides a chip system, such as Fig.14 As shown, the chip system 1400 (such as SoC) includes at least one processor (such as an application processor AP, a baseband processor Modem) 1401 and at least one interface circuit 1402. The processor 1401 and the interface circuit 1402 can be interconnected through a line. For example, the interface circuit 1402 can be used to receive signals from other devices (such as a memory of a terminal). For another example, the interface circuit 1402 can be used to send signals to other devices (such as the processor 1401). Exemplarily, the interface circuit 1402 can read instructions stored in the memory and send the instructions to the processor 1401. When the instructions are executed by the processor 1401, the terminal can execute the various steps in the above embodiments.

[0272] Of course, the chip system may also include other discrete devices, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0273] This embodiment further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which computer instructions are stored. When the computer instructions are executed on a terminal, the terminal executes each function or step in the above method embodiment.

[0274] This embodiment also provides a computer program product. When the computer program product is run on a computer, it enables the computer to execute each function or step in the above method embodiment.

[0275] In addition, an embodiment of the present application also provides a device, which can specifically be a chip, component or module, and the device may include a connected processor and memory; wherein the memory is used to store computer-executable instructions, and when the device is running, the processor can execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory so that the chip performs the various functions or steps in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0276] Among them, the chip system, computer-readable storage medium, computer program product or device provided in this embodiment are all used to execute the corresponding methods provided above. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can refer to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0277] Through the description of the above implementation methods, technical personnel in the relevant field can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0278] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the modules or units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another device, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0279] The unit described as a separate component may or may not be physically separated, and the component shown as a unit may be one physical unit or multiple physical units, that is, it may be located in one place or distributed in multiple different places. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiment.

[0280] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present 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 above-mentioned integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0281] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium, including several instructions to enable a device (which can be a single-chip microcomputer, chip, etc.) or a processor (processor) to perform all or part of the steps of each embodiment method of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (Read-Only Memory, ROM), random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), disk or optical disk and other media that can store program code.

[0282] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present application and are not intended to limit it. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, a person of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solution of the present application may be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The invention is applied to a terminal, wherein the terminal comprises a chip system, a user identification card interface and a satellite communication processor, wherein the chip system is communicatively connected with the user identification card interface and the satellite communication processor respectively, the user identification card interface is used to plug a user identification card, the chip system comprises an application processor AP and a baseband processor Modem, the AP is communicatively connected with the Modem, the Modem comprises a first protocol stack module for cellular communication and a first physical layer module for cellular communication, the AP or the Modem comprises a second protocol stack module for satellite communication, the satellite communication processor comprises a second physical layer module for satellite communication but does not comprise the second protocol stack module; the method comprises: The first protocol stack module communicates with the first physical layer and the subscriber identity card respectively to implement communication services using a cellular network; The second protocol stack module communicates with the user identification card and the satellite communication processor respectively to implement communication services using a satellite network; wherein the communication between the second protocol stack module and the user identification card includes: the second protocol stack module communicates with the user identification card through the first protocol stack module; and the communication between the second protocol stack module and the satellite communication processor includes: the second protocol stack module communicates with the second physical layer module.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second protocol stack module communicates with the user identification card and the satellite communication processor respectively to implement communication services using a satellite network, including: In response to starting a call, the second protocol stack module sends uplink voice data to the satellite network through the second physical layer module, and the second protocol stack module receives downlink voice data from the satellite network through the second physical layer module.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The second protocol stack module communicates with the user identification card and the satellite communication processor respectively to implement communication services using a satellite network, and further includes: Before starting a call, after completing the radio resource control RRC link establishment in response to a first event, the second protocol stack module forwards an authentication request from the satellite network to the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, the authentication request is used to verify the identity of the user identification card, and the first event is used to trigger the opening of the satellite network; The second protocol stack module receives an authentication result from the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, wherein the authentication result corresponds to the authentication request; The second protocol stack module communicates with the satellite network through the second physical layer module, including: The second protocol stack module sends the authentication result to the satellite network through the second physical layer module; The second protocol stack module receives a message indicating successful authentication from the satellite network through the second physical layer module.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The mobile terminal further comprises a first radio frequency (RF) component and a second radio frequency (RF) component, wherein the first RF component is connected to the modem for transmitting and receiving cellular signals; the second RF component is connected to the satellite communication processor for transmitting and receiving satellite signals; The first protocol stack module communicates with the first physical layer and the user identification card respectively to implement communication services using a cellular network, including: the first protocol stack module communicates with the first RF component through the first physical layer to implement the reception and transmission of electromagnetic wave signals during cellular communication, and the first protocol stack module also communicates with the user identification card to obtain an identifier of the user identification card and perform card authentication on the user identification card.

5. A mobile terminal, characterized in that: The mobile terminal comprises a chip system, a user identification card interface and a satellite communication processor, wherein the chip system is connected to the user identification card interface and the satellite communication processor respectively, the user identification card interface is used to plug in a user identification card, the chip system comprises an application processor AP and a baseband processor Modem, and the AP is communicatively connected to the Modem; The Modem includes a first protocol stack module for cellular communication and a first physical layer module for cellular communication, wherein the first protocol stack module is used to communicate with the first physical layer and a user identification card respectively to implement communication services using a cellular network; The AP or the Modem includes a second protocol stack module for satellite communication; The satellite communication processor includes a second physical layer module for satellite communication, but does not include the second protocol stack module; The second protocol stack module is used to communicate with the user identification card and the satellite communication processor respectively to implement communication services using a satellite network; wherein the second protocol stack module is used to communicate with the user identification card, including: the second protocol stack module is used to communicate with the user identification card through the first protocol stack module; the second protocol stack module is used to communicate with the satellite communication processor, including: the second protocol stack module is used to communicate with the second physical layer module.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 5, characterized in that: The mobile terminal also includes a first radio frequency (RF) component and a second radio frequency (RF) component. The first RF component is connected to the baseband processor Modem in the chip system for sending and receiving cellular signals; the second RF component is connected to the satellite communication processor for sending and receiving satellite signals.

7. The mobile terminal according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The second protocol stack module is used to communicate with the user identification card and the satellite communication processor respectively to implement communication services using a satellite network, including: In response to starting a call, the second protocol stack module sends uplink voice data to the satellite network through the second physical layer module, and the second protocol stack module receives downlink voice data from the satellite network through the second physical layer module.

8. The mobile terminal according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second protocol stack module is used to communicate with the user identification card and the satellite communication processor respectively to implement communication services using a satellite network, and also includes: Before starting a call, after completing the radio resource control RRC link establishment in response to a first event, the second protocol stack module forwards an authentication request from the satellite network to the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, the authentication request is used to verify the identity of the user identification card, and the first event is used to trigger the opening of the satellite network; The second protocol stack module receives an authentication result from the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, wherein the authentication result corresponds to the authentication request; The second protocol stack module is used to communicate with the second physical layer module, and further includes: The second protocol stack module sends the authentication result to the satellite network through the second physical layer module; The second protocol stack module receives a message indicating successful authentication from the satellite network through the second physical layer module.

9. The mobile terminal according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that: The first protocol stack module is used to communicate with the first physical layer and the user identification card respectively to implement communication services using a cellular network, including: the first protocol stack module is used to communicate with the first RF component through the first physical layer to implement the transmission and reception of electromagnetic wave signals during cellular communication.

10. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first protocol stack module is used to communicate with the first physical layer and the user identification card respectively to implement communication services using a cellular network, and also includes: the first protocol stack module is also used to communicate with the user identification card to obtain the identifier of the user identification card and perform card authentication on the user identification card.

11. The mobile terminal according to any one of claims 5 to 10, characterized in that: The AP includes a hardware abstraction layer, and the second protocol stack is configured in the hardware abstraction layer.

12. The mobile terminal according to claim 11, characterized in that: The hardware abstraction layer also includes a first communication management module, and the first communication management module is used to support the communication between the second protocol stack module and the first protocol stack module; The second protocol stack module communicates with the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, including: The second protocol stack module communicates with the first protocol stack module through the first communication management module, so as to communicate with the subscriber identification card through the first protocol stack module.

13. The mobile terminal according to claim 12, characterized in that: The second protocol stack module and the first communication management module communicate with each other using an inter-process communication method.

14. The mobile terminal according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that: A first logical channel is configured between the AP and the Modem, wherein the first communication management module communicates with the first protocol stack through the first logical channel.

15. The mobile terminal according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that: The AP also includes an application layer and an application framework layer, the application framework layer includes a second communication management module, the first communication management module is further used to support the second communication management module to communicate with the second protocol stack module, and the second communication management module is used to support the satellite application in the application layer to communicate with the first communication management module; The satellite application in the application layer communicates with the first communication management module via the second communication management module; The second communication management module communicates with the second protocol stack module through the first communication management module.

16. The mobile terminal according to any one of claims 5 to 15, characterized in that: The communication connection between the AP and the satellite communication processor is a serial port connection, and the AP includes a first driver, which is a serial port driver; The second protocol stack module communicates with the second physical layer module, including: The second protocol stack module communicates with the second physical layer module by calling the first driver.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 16, characterized in that: The AP includes a kernel layer, and the first driver is configured in the kernel layer.

18. The mobile terminal according to any one of claims 5 to 17, characterized in that: The chip system is a system on chip (SoC), and the AP and the Modem are integrated into the SoC.

Images