Access method and device

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of communication, in particular to an access method and device, and aims to reduce the power consumption overhead when terminal equipment accesses an NTN (Network Temporary Network), improve the access efficiency and improve the user experience. The method comprises: a first communication device (such as a terminal device) receiving first information, the first information indicating M positions, the M positions corresponding to M beams or SSBs, the M beams or SSBs being beams or SSBs under NTN, and M being an integer greater than or equal to 1; and initiating access based on N beams in the M beams or SSBs or SSBs, where positions corresponding to the N beams or SSBs and the position of the first communication device satisfy a certain positional relationship, the N beams or SSBs belong to the M beams or SSBs, N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and N is less than or equal to M.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to an access method and device. Background Art

[0002] Non-terrestrial network (NTN) has the advantages of wide coverage, long communication distance, high reliability, great flexibility, high throughput, and no impact from geographical environment, climate conditions and natural disasters, and has been widely used in aviation communication, maritime communication, military communication and other fields. Introducing NTN into mobile communication systems, such as new radio (NR) systems, can not only provide communication services for areas that are difficult to cover by terrestrial networks (TN), such as deserts, oceans, forests, etc., but also enhance the reliability of communication, such as providing more stable and high-quality communication services for users on trains, airplanes and these means of transportation, and providing more data transmission resources, such as supporting a larger number of terminal device connections.

[0003] In the NR system, the entire cell can be covered by beam sweeping. For example, the network equipment can send only one or several beam directions at a time, and send beams in different directions at multiple times to cover the directions required by the entire cell. The terminal device can determine the signal strength of the SSB on each beam by searching for the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) carried by each beam, select the optimal beam to serve itself, and initiate access. However, for non-ground network equipment such as NTN satellites and high-altitude platforms, the coverage range is large and the number of beams sent is large. If the existing beam search to initiate access is still used, the power consumption of the terminal device for blind detection in all directions is high, and the access time is long, which will affect the user experience. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides an access method and device, in order to reduce the power consumption overhead when a terminal device accesses an NTN, improve access efficiency, and enhance user experience.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an access method, which can be executed by a first communication device, the method comprising: receiving first information, the first information indicating M positions, the M positions corresponding to M beams, the M beams being beams under NTN, and M being an integer greater than or equal to 1; initiating access based on N beams of the M beams, wherein the positions corresponding to the N beams satisfy a certain positional relationship with the position of the first communication device, the N beams belong to the M beams, N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and N is less than or equal to M.

[0006] In the above access method, the first communication device may be a terminal device, a component of a terminal device (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a device used in conjunction with the terminal device, etc.

[0007] Through the above method, when the first communication device accesses the NTN, it can select some beams whose corresponding positions in the NTN cell and the position of the first communication device satisfy a certain positional relationship with the position of the first communication device for detection according to the position corresponding to the beam of the NTN cell and the position of the first communication device, and select the optimal beam to initiate access, which can avoid the terminal device from blindly detecting all beams of the NTN cell, enable the terminal device to quickly access the NTN, reduce the terminal blind detection overhead, save access power consumption and time, and improve user experience.

[0008] In one possible design, the position relationship is that the distance between the position corresponding to the beam and the position of the first communication device is less than or equal to a first distance threshold; or, the distance between the positions corresponding to the N beams and the position of the first communication device is the N distances with the smallest distances between the positions corresponding to the M beams and the position of the first communication device.

[0009] Through the above design, the first communication device can select N beams that are closest to itself or less than a specific distance threshold from itself to initiate access, which is conducive to ensuring that the first communication device preferentially detects the N beams with the best signal quality among the M beams to initiate access, thereby ensuring the communication quality of the first communication device after accessing the NTN.

[0010] In one possible design, the first information includes information of M positions; or, the first information includes the position of a reference point, information on the angles and distances of the M positions relative to the reference point; or, the first information includes information on the aperture angles and horizontal angles corresponding to the M positions; or, the first information includes the position of the reference point, P distances and M angles, any one of the P distances is associated with at least one of the M angles, an angle among the M angles and its associated distance are the angle and distance of one of the M positions relative to the reference point, P is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and P is less than or equal to M.

[0011] Optionally, the first information may also indicate the ephemeris of the NTN network device corresponding to the M beams, which is used by the first communication device to determine the position of the NTN network device.

[0012] Through the above design, multiple position indication methods are supported, which is conducive to meeting the indication requirements of the corresponding positions of beams under different cell modes (such as ground mobile cells or ground fixed cells, etc.). In addition, angles can be clustered according to distances. For example, P distances and M angles are used to indicate the angles and distances of M positions relative to a reference point, which can further reduce signaling overhead.

[0013] In one possible design, access is initiated based on N beams out of M beams, including: detecting one or more of the N beams to determine a target beam or SSB; and initiating access based on the target beam or SSB.

[0014] Optionally, the first information also indicates a mapping relationship between the SSB and a random access occasion (RACH occasion, RO), and initiating access based on the target beam may include: determining a target RO that has a mapping relationship with the SSB carried by the target beam according to the mapping relationship between the SSB and the RO; and initiating access to the target beam according to the target RO, wherein the above-mentioned RACH represents a random access channel (RACH).

[0015] Through the above design, the first communication device can select the optimal beam to serve itself and initiate access by detecting the signal strength of SSB on some or all of the selected N beams, which is beneficial to reducing the number of beams detected when the first communication device accesses the NTN and improving access efficiency.

[0016] In one possible design, the first information also indicates the detection time of the M beams, detects one or more of the N beams, and determines the target beam, including: detecting one or more of the N beams according to the detection time of the N beams, and determining the target beam.

[0017] Through the above design, the first communication device can detect one or more of the N beams according to the detection time of the N beams, avoiding blind search of beams, which is conducive to further reducing the time and power consumption overhead of accessing the NTN.

[0018] In a possible design, the first information also indicates the ephemeris of the NTN network device corresponding to the M beams, and the method further includes: adjusting the radiation direction of the antenna of the first communication device according to the ephemeris; and / or issuing a first prompt information according to the ephemeris, the first prompt information being used to prompt the adjustment of the posture of the first communication device. It can be understood that when the execution subject of the access method is a chip or a processor, etc., adjusting the radiation direction of the antenna of the first communication device may refer to the chip or processor sending an instruction to the antenna module to instruct the antenna module to adjust the radiation direction of the antenna.

[0019] Through the above design, before detecting the beam, the first communication device can also adjust the radiation direction of the antenna according to its own position and the ephemeris of the NTN network device, or send prompt information such as text or voice to prompt the user to adjust the posture of the first communication device, so that the antenna of the first communication device can be aimed at the NTN network device, thereby maximizing the antenna receiving gain of the first communication device.

[0020] In a possible design, the first information also indicates an update interval of the first information, and N is determined according to the update interval of the first information.

[0021] Through the above design, the selected number of beams N can be determined according to the mapping relationship between the update interval and the number of beams, wherein the mapping relationship can be expressed in the form of a formula or in the form of a table.

[0022] Optionally, the update interval is positively correlated with the size of N, or N is inversely proportional to the first information update time frequency, so as to ensure that the distance range between the selected N beams and the first communication device is within the beam distance accuracy error range.

[0023] In one possible design, receiving the first information includes receiving the first information from a second communication device, and the second communication device may be a TN network device or a TN server.

[0024] Through the above design, when the first communication device resides in a TN cell, the TN network equipment or TN server can indicate information such as the position corresponding to the beam of the NTN cell to the first communication device, which is beneficial to improving the access efficiency when searching for the NTN cell for initial access when the first communication device is in or enters a geographical area without cellular network coverage.

[0025] In one possible design, the first information also indicates the cell mode of the NTN cell corresponding to the M beams.

[0026] The above design is helpful for the first communication device to obtain the cell mode of the NTN cell and select the NTN cell that meets the requirements of the first communication device to initiate access.

[0027] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an access method, which can be executed by a second communication device, and the method includes: sending first information to a first communication device, the first information indicating M positions, the M positions corresponding to M beams, the M beams being beams under NTN, and M being an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0028] In the above access method, the first communication device may be a terminal device, a component of a terminal device (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a device used in conjunction with the terminal device; the second communication device may be a TN network device or a TN server, a component of a TN network device or a TN server (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a device used in conjunction with the TN network device or a TN server, etc.

[0029] In one possible design, the first information is used by the first communication device to initiate access based on N beams out of M beams, where positions corresponding to the N beams satisfy a certain positional relationship with the position of the first communication device, the N beams belong to the M beams, N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and N is less than or equal to M.

[0030] In one possible design, the position relationship is that the distance between the position corresponding to the beam and the position of the first communication device is less than or equal to a first distance threshold; or, the distance between the positions corresponding to the N beams and the position of the first communication device is the N distances with the smallest distances between the positions corresponding to the M beams and the position of the first communication device.

[0031] In one possible design, the first information includes information of M positions; or, the first information includes the position of a reference point, information on the angles and distances of the M positions relative to the reference point; or, the first information includes information on the aperture angles and horizontal angles corresponding to the M positions; or, the first information includes the position of the reference point, P distances and M angles, any one of the P distances is associated with at least one of the M angles, an angle among the M angles and its associated distance are the angle and distance of one of the M positions relative to the reference point, P is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and P is less than or equal to M.

[0032] In one possible design, the first information also indicates one or more of the detection time of the M beams, the ephemeris of the NTN network equipment corresponding to the M beams, the update interval of the first information, the mapping relationship between the SSB and the random access opportunity RO, and the cell mode of the NTN cell corresponding to the M beams.

[0033] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an access method, which can be executed by a first communication device, the method comprising: receiving first information, the first information indicating M positions, the M positions corresponding to M SSBs, the M SSBs being SSBs under NTN, and M being an integer greater than or equal to 1; initiating access based on N SSBs out of the M SSBs, wherein the positions corresponding to the N SSBs satisfy a certain positional relationship with the position of the first communication device, the N SSBs belong to the M SSBs, N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and N is less than or equal to M.

[0034] In the above access method, the first communication device may be a terminal device, a component of a terminal device (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a device used in conjunction with the terminal device, etc.

[0035] In one possible design, the position relationship is that the distance between the position corresponding to the SSB and the position of the first communication device is less than or equal to a first distance threshold; or, the distance between the positions corresponding to N SSBs and the position of the first communication device is the N distances with the smallest distances between the positions corresponding to M SSBs and the position of the first communication device.

[0036] In one possible design, the first information includes information of M positions; or, the first information includes the position of a reference point, information on the angles and distances of the M positions relative to the reference point; or, the first information includes information on the aperture angles and horizontal angles corresponding to the M positions; or, the first information includes the position of the reference point, P distances and M angles, any one of the P distances is associated with at least one of the M angles, an angle among the M angles and its associated distance are the angle and distance of one of the M positions relative to the reference point, P is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and P is less than or equal to M.

[0037] In one possible design, access is initiated based on N SSBs out of M SSBs, including: detecting one or more of the N SSBs to determine a target SSB; and initiating access based on the target SSB.

[0038] In one possible design, the first information also indicates the detection time of M SSBs, detects one or more of the N SSBs, and determines the target SSB, including: detecting one or more of the N SSBs according to the detection time of the N SSBs, and determining the target SSB.

[0039] In one possible design, the first information also indicates the ephemeris of the NTN network device corresponding to the M SSBs, and the method also includes: adjusting the radiation direction of the antenna of the first communication device according to the ephemeris; and / or, issuing a first prompt information according to the ephemeris, and the first prompt information is used to prompt the adjustment of the posture of the first communication device.

[0040] In one possible design, the first information also indicates the mapping relationship between SSB and RO, and initiating access based on the target SSB, including: determining the target RO that has a mapping relationship with the target SSB according to the mapping relationship between SSB and RO; and initiating access to the target SSB according to the target RO.

[0041] In a possible design, the first information also indicates an update interval of the first information, and N is determined according to the update interval of the first information.

[0042] In one possible design, the update interval is positively correlated with the size of N.

[0043] In one possible design, the first information also indicates the cell mode of the NTN cell corresponding to the M SSBs.

[0044] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an access method, which can be executed by a second communication device, and the method includes: sending first information to a first communication device, the first information indicating M positions, the M positions corresponding to M SSBs, the M SSBs being SSBs under NTN, and M being an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0045] In the above access method, the first communication device may be a terminal device, a component of a terminal device (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a device used in conjunction with the terminal device; the second communication device may be a TN network device or a TN server, a component of a TN network device or a TN server (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a device used in conjunction with the TN network device or a TN server, etc.

[0046] In one possible design, the first information is used by the first communication device to initiate access based on N SSBs out of M SSBs, where positions corresponding to the N SSBs satisfy a certain positional relationship with the position of the first communication device, the N SSBs belong to the M SSBs, N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and N is less than or equal to M.

[0047] In one possible design, the position relationship is that the distance between the position corresponding to the SSB and the position of the first communication device is less than or equal to a first distance threshold; or, the distance between the positions corresponding to N SSBs and the position of the first communication device is the N distances with the smallest distances between the positions corresponding to M SSBs and the position of the first communication device.

[0048] In one possible design, the first information includes information of M positions; or, the first information includes the position of a reference point, information on the angles and distances of the M positions relative to the reference point; or, the first information includes information on the aperture angles and horizontal angles corresponding to the M positions; or, the first information includes the position of the reference point, P distances and M angles, any one of the P distances is associated with at least one of the M angles, an angle among the M angles and its associated distance are the angle and distance of one of the M positions relative to the reference point, P is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and P is less than or equal to M.

[0049] In one possible design, the first information also indicates one or more of the detection time of M SSBs, the ephemeris of the NTN network equipment corresponding to the M SSBs, the update interval of the first information, the mapping relationship between SSB and RO, and the cell mode of the NTN cell corresponding to the M SSBs.

[0050] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which has the function of implementing the method of any one of the first to fourth aspects above, and the function can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules (or units) corresponding to the above functions, such as a transceiver unit and a processing unit.

[0051] In one possible design, the device may be a chip or an integrated circuit.

[0052] In one possible design, the device includes a processor, and when the processor executes a computer program or instruction, it can implement the method of any one of the first to fourth aspects above.

[0053] Optionally, the device further comprises a memory for storing computer programs or instructions executed by the processor.

[0054] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes an interface circuit and a processor, and the processor and the interface circuit are coupled to each other. The processor is used to implement the method of any one of the first to fourth aspects above through a logic circuit or by executing a computer program or instruction. The interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device. It is understandable that the interface circuit can be a transceiver or a transceiver or a transceiver or an input-output interface.

[0055] Optionally, the communication device may further include a memory for storing a computer program or instruction executed by the processor, or storing input data required by the processor to execute the instruction, or storing data generated after the processor executes the computer program or instruction. The memory may be a physically independent unit, or may be coupled to the processor, or the processor may include the memory (i.e., the processor and the memory are integrated together).

[0056] In a possible implementation, the communication device is a chip.

[0057] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes a first communication device and a second communication device, the first communication device is used to implement the method of the first aspect above, and the second communication device is used to implement the method of the second aspect above; or, the first communication device is used to implement the method of the third aspect above, and the second communication device is used to implement the method of the fourth aspect above.

[0058] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program or instruction is stored. When the computer program or instruction is executed by a processor, the method of any one of the first to fourth aspects above can be implemented.

[0059] In the ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, including a computer program or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed by a processor, the method of any one of the first to fourth aspects above can be implemented.

[0060] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a chip system, which includes a processor, which can be used to couple with a memory, and the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed by the processor, the method of any one of the first to fourth aspects above can be implemented.

[0061] The technical effects that can be achieved in the above-mentioned second to tenth aspects can refer to the technical effects that can be achieved in the above-mentioned first aspect, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C A schematic diagram of a communication scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] Figure 3 One of the schematic diagrams of the access method provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0065] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the cell distribution provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0066] Figure 5A A schematic diagram of the positions of beams corresponding to the embodiments of the present application;

[0067] Figure 5B A schematic diagram of the positions of the first communication device and the beams provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the distribution of SSB in a half frame provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the SSB provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0070] Figure 8 The second schematic diagram of the access method provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0071] Fig. 9 One of the example schematic diagrams of the access process provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0072] Fig.10 One of the example schematic diagrams of the access process provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0073] Fig.11 One of the structural schematic diagrams of the communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0074] Fig.12 The second structural diagram of the communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0075] The technical solution of the embodiment of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: the fifth generation (5G) communication system, NTN communication system, beyond 5G (B5G) communication system, or the communication system evolved after 5G (such as the sixth generation (6G) communication system). Figure 1 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication system includes a network device and a terminal device, wherein the number of network devices is 1 and the number of terminal devices is 2 (terminal device A and terminal device B) as an example. Terminal device A and terminal device B can communicate with the network device separately or simultaneously. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application do not limit Figure 1 The number of terminal devices and network devices in the communication system shown.

[0076] The above-mentioned terminal equipment may also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal, etc., and is a device or equipment with wireless communication function. The terminal equipment can be widely used in various scenarios, for example, machine type of communication (MTC), Internet of things (IoT), vehicle to everything (V2X), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, automatic driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wear, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal equipment may be a subscriber unit, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a wireless data card, a personal digital assistant (PDA) computer, a tablet computer, a wireless modem, a handheld device (handset), a laptop computer, a customer-premises equipment (CPE), a smart point of sale (POS) machine, a wearable device, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a mechanical arm, a smart home device, an MTC device, a ground station, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal device.

[0077] The above network equipment may also be referred to as access network (AN) equipment or radio access network (RAN) equipment, which is a device or equipment that can be deployed in a radio access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. The network equipment may be a base station for wireless communication such as an artificial earth satellite and a high-altitude aircraft, such as a medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite in a non-geostationary earth orbit (NGEO), a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a high altitude platform station (HAPS), an evolved NodeB (eNB) and a 5G base station (gNB). Optionally, the network devices in the embodiments of the present application may include various forms of base stations, such as: macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small stations), relay stations, access points, devices that implement base station functions in communication systems that evolve after 5G, transmission points (transmitting and receiving points, TRP), transmitting points (transmitting points, TP), mobile switching centers, and devices to devices (device-to-device, D2D), vehicle-to-everything (vehicle-to-everything, V2X), machine-to-machine (machine-to-machine, M2M) communications that assume base station functions, etc., and may also include centralized units (centralized units, CU) and distributed units (distributed units, DU) in cloud access networks (cloud radio access network, C-RAN) systems, CUs and DUs in open access networks (open RAN, O-RAN or ORAN), etc. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0078] Taking the network device as a satellite as an example, the communication scenario of the specific application of the embodiment of the present application can be as follows: Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C shown.

[0079] exist Figure 2A In the scenario shown, the base station is deployed on the ground, the satellite is connected to the ground station through the air interface, and the ground station can be connected to the base station through a wireless or wired link. The terminal equipment on the ground accesses the mobile communication network through the air interface (the air interface can be various types of air interfaces, such as 5G air interfaces), and the satellite acts as a transmission node to forward the information of the terminal equipment.

[0080] exist Figure 2B In the scenario shown, the base station is deployed on the satellite, and the satellite is connected to the ground station through the air interface, and the ground station can be connected to the core network through a wireless or wired link. The terminal equipment on the ground communicates with the satellite base station through the air interface to access the mobile communication network. The satellite, as a base station, is connected to the ground station through the air interface NG interface, and the ground station is connected to the core network through the NG interface. The NG interface can be wireless or wired.

[0081] Figure 2C The scene shown is similar to Figure 2B Compared with the scenario shown in FIG. 1 , a communication scenario between satellite base stations is added. Specifically, satellite base stations can communicate with each other through an Xn interface.

[0082] exist Figure 2A-2C In the present invention, the terminal equipment may include various types of terminal equipment supporting the new air interface, such as the various types of terminals listed above. The terminal equipment may access the satellite network through the air interface and initiate calls, surf the Internet and other services.

[0083] Base stations are mainly used to provide wireless access services, dispatch wireless resources to access terminal devices, provide reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols, etc.

[0084] The core network is mainly used to provide functions such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing. The core network consists of multiple functional units, which can be divided into functional entities of the control plane and the data plane.

[0085] The ground station is mainly responsible for forwarding signaling and business data between the satellite and the base station, or between the satellite and the core network.

[0086] Air interface: refers to the wireless link between the terminal device and the base station.

[0087] Xn interface: represents the interface between satellite base stations, mainly used for signaling interaction such as switching.

[0088] NG interface: refers to the interface between the base station and the core network, or the interface between the ground station and the core network, or the interface between the satellite base station and the ground station (in this case, the interface is a wireless link), which mainly interacts with the core network's non-access stratum (NAS) and other signaling, as well as user service data.

[0089] In order to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art, some terms in this application are explained below.

[0090] 1) Ground fixed cells and ground mobile cells. The satellite's beam can be divided into staring beams and non-staring beams. A staring beam means that the satellite's beam always serves (or covers) a specific service area during the satellite's movement. The satellite continuously adjusts the direction of the beam according to the movement needs to ensure that the specific area is covered by the satellite's beam during the period of time when the satellite is visible. A non-staring beam means that the direction of the satellite's beam hardly changes during the satellite's movement, and the area served by the beam moves with the movement of the satellite. A ground fixed cell may refer to a cell that provides service (or coverage) through a satellite's staring beam, and a ground mobile cell may refer to a cell that provides service (or coverage) through a satellite's non-staring beam, where the coverage area of ​​a ground mobile cell changes with the movement of the satellite.

[0091] 2) Ephemeris. Ephemeris can refer to the precise position or trajectory table of a celestial body over time, which is a function of time. For satellites, satellite ephemeris can be an expression used to describe the position and speed (two-line orbital data) of a space flight object (such as a satellite). Satellite ephemeris can accurately calculate, predict, depict, and track the time, position, speed and other operating conditions of satellites and flight objects; it can express the precise parameters of celestial bodies, satellites, spacecraft, missiles, space debris and other flight objects; it can place flight objects in three-dimensional space; and it can use time to depict the past, present and future of celestial bodies.

[0092] 3) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) position. GNSS is an airborne radio navigation and positioning system that can provide users with all-weather 3D coordinates, speed and time information at any location on the Earth's surface or in near-Earth space. Exemplary: GNSS can be Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo Satellite Navigation System (GALILEO), or Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).

[0093] 4) Synchronization signal / PBCH block (SSB), SSB may include synchronization signal and / or physical broadcast channel (PBCH), synchronization signal may include two parts, primary synchronization signal (PSS) and secondary synchronization signal (SSS). In some implementations, SSB may also be referred to as synchronization signal block.

[0094] Since non-terrestrial network devices such as satellites usually have a large coverage area and transmit a large number of beams, when the terminal device needs to search for NTN cells to access NTN, it usually needs to blindly search a large number of beams to select the optimal beam to serve itself, which results in high power consumption and long access time, affecting user experience.

[0095] Based on this, the present application provides an access method and device, in order to reduce the power consumption of terminal equipment when accessing NTN, improve access efficiency, and enhance user experience. The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0096] In addition, it should be understood that the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish multiple objects, and are not used to limit the size, content, order, timing, priority or importance of multiple objects. For example, a first communication device and a second communication device do not mean that the priority or importance of the two communication devices is different.

[0097] In the embodiments of the present application, the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, means "singular noun or plural noun", that is, "one or more". "At least one" means one or more, and "plural" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: 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 previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c means: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c, where a, b, c can be single or multiple.

[0098] The access method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be executed by a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device here can refer to the terminal device itself, or it can refer to a processor, module, chip, or chip system in the terminal device that implements the method; the second communication device can refer to a network device or server itself, or it can refer to a processor, module, chip, or chip system in the network device or server that implements the method.

[0099] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an access method provided in an embodiment of the present application, the method comprising:

[0100] S301: The second communication device sends first information to the first communication device, and correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first information.

[0101] The first information indicates M positions, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, the M positions correspond to M beams, and the M beams are beams under NTN.

[0102] In an embodiment of the present application, the beam under NTN may refer to a beam on a non-ground network device such as a satellite or a high-altitude platform (also referred to as an NTN network device), such as a beam sent by a non-ground network device through beam scanning or the like; it may also refer to a beam of an NTN cell, such as a beam sent by a non-ground network device in an NTN cell through beam scanning or the like, and so on.

[0103] In a communication system, a network device may include one or more cells, or a network device may serve one or more cells. Figure 4 As shown in the NTN cell distribution diagram, it can be seen that satellite 1 includes NTN cell A and NTN cell B, and can provide services for terminal devices located in NTN cell A and NTN cell B.

[0104] In a possible implementation, the first information may indicate the position corresponding to the beam of one or more non-ground network devices (such as a satellite or a high-altitude platform, etc.).

[0105] As an example: Satellite 1 includes NTN cell A and NTN cell B, and Satellite 2 includes NTN cell C. The first information may indicate the position corresponding to the beam of NTN cell A included in Satellite 1, the position corresponding to the beam of NTN cell B included in Satellite 1, and the position corresponding to the beam of NTN cell C included in Satellite 2.

[0106] It can be understood that the one or more non-ground network devices at the position corresponding to the beam indicated by the first information may be all or part of the non-ground network devices that can provide services to the first communication device (such as a terminal device), or may be non-ground network devices that meet certain conditions with the first communication device. For example: the one or more non-ground network devices at the position corresponding to the beam indicated by the first information may be non-ground network devices whose distance from the included NTN cell (such as a cell edge or a cell reference point) to the first communication device is less than or equal to a certain distance threshold (such as a second distance threshold), etc. The present application does not limit the method for determining the one or more non-ground network devices at the position corresponding to the beam indicated by the first information.

[0107] In another possible implementation, the first information may indicate the position corresponding to the beam of one or more NTN cells, wherein the one or more NTN cells corresponding to the position of the beam indicated by the first information may be adjacent NTN cells of the cell where the first communication device is currently stationed (i.e., the service cell of the first communication device).

[0108] As an example: the service cell of the first communication device is the terrestrial cell A, the adjacent NTN cell of the terrestrial cell A is the NTN cell B, and the first information can indicate the position corresponding to the beam of the NTN cell B.

[0109] It can be understood that there may be one or more adjacent NTN cells of the serving cell, and the adjacent NTN cells of the serving cell may refer to an NTN cell that overlaps with the coverage of the serving cell, an NTN cell whose cell coverage is adjacent to the coverage of the serving cell, an NTN cell whose cell edge (or cell reference point) and the cell edge (or cell reference point) of the serving cell are less than or equal to a certain distance threshold (such as a third distance threshold), etc. The present application does not limit the method for determining the adjacent NTN cells.

[0110] In some implementations, the first information may indicate the cell mode of the NTN cell in addition to the position corresponding to the beam of the NTN cell, so that the first communication device receiving the first information learns the cell mode of the NTN cell. As an example: the first information may indicate whether the NTN cell B is a terrestrial fixed cell or a terrestrial mobile cell in addition to the position corresponding to the beam of the NTN cell B.

[0111] For the position corresponding to the beam of the NTN cell, the first information may be indicated by information including the position of a reference point, or the angle and distance of the position relative to the reference point, etc., which is introduced below with reference to specific examples.

[0112] Example 1: The first information may include a reference point position of the NTN cell and corresponding beam pattern information. The beam pattern information may include information on the angle and distance of the position corresponding to each beam of the NTN cell relative to the reference point.

[0113] Among them, the position corresponding to the beam can be the position of any point in the beam coverage area, such as the position corresponding to a certain edge point in the beam coverage area (also referred to as the position corresponding to the beam edge point), the position corresponding to the center point of the beam coverage area (also referred to as the position corresponding to the beam center point), etc.; the reference point position of the NTN cell can be the position corresponding to any point in the NTN cell coverage area, such as the position corresponding to a certain edge point in the NTN cell coverage area, the position corresponding to the center point of the NTN cell coverage area, etc. For ease of understanding, in the subsequent description of this application, the reference point position of the NTN cell is the position corresponding to the center point of the NTN cell coverage area, and the position corresponding to the beam is the position corresponding to the center point of the beam coverage area. For example, the reference point position of the NTN cell is the position corresponding to the center point of the NTN cell coverage area, and the position corresponding to the beam is the position corresponding to the center point of the beam coverage area.

[0114] Reference Figure 5A The schematic diagram of the position of the beam shown in FIG. Figure 5A Each non-dashed circle in the figure represents the coverage area of ​​a beam, the dot in the non-dashed circle represents the position corresponding to the beam, and the number in the non-dashed circle represents the number of the beam. The reference point takes the position corresponding to beam 1 as an example. The NTN cell includes beam 1, beam 2, ..., beam 19, a total of 19 beams. The first information may include the position of the reference point, information on the angle and distance of the position corresponding to beam 1 relative to the reference point, information on the angle and distance of the position corresponding to beam 2 relative to the reference point, ..., information on the angle and distance of the position corresponding to beam 19 relative to the reference point. The position of the reference point and the information on the angle and distance of the position corresponding to each beam of the NTN cell relative to the reference point can indicate (or determine) the position corresponding to each beam of the NTN cell.

[0115] In some implementations, the position of the reference point may be the coordinates of the reference point in a ground coordinate system, an earth-centered, earth-fixed (ECEF) coordinate system, or the longitude and latitude of the reference point. The angle of the position corresponding to the beam relative to the reference point may refer to the angle between the line connecting the position corresponding to the beam and the origin and the positive direction of the horizontal (X) axis of the plane rectangular coordinate system, or the angle between the line connecting the position corresponding to the beam and the origin and the positive direction of the vertical (Y) axis of the plane rectangular coordinate system, etc., in a plane rectangular coordinate system with the reference point as the origin and the ground as the XoY plane.

[0116] In some implementations, the position corresponding to the beam may be classified according to the distance relative to a reference point, and the angle of the position corresponding to the beam relative to the reference point may be indicated at each distance category to save signaling overhead and computational overhead.

[0117] Still Figure 5A For example, the distance of the position corresponding to beam 1 relative to the reference point is distance 0, the distance of the position corresponding to beams 2 to 7 relative to the reference point is distance 1, and the distance of the position corresponding to beams 8 to 19 relative to the reference point is distance 2. The first information may include 3 (or 3 types) of distances and 19 angles, such as distance 0 and the angle of the position corresponding to beam 1 associated with distance 0 relative to the reference point, distance 1 and the angle of the position corresponding to beams 2 to 7 associated with distance 1 respectively relative to the reference point, distance 2 and the angle of the position corresponding to beams 8 to 19 associated with distance 2 respectively relative to the reference point, and the distance associated with any angle is the angle and distance of a position relative to the reference point.

[0118] Example 2: For an NTN cell whose cell mode is a ground fixed cell, since its beam coverage is relatively fixed and usually does not change with the movement of non-ground network equipment such as satellites during the service time of the NTN cell, the first information may include information on the position corresponding to each beam of the NTN cell.

[0119] The position information corresponding to the beam may be the coordinates of the position corresponding to the beam in a ground coordinate system, ECEF or other coordinate systems, or the longitude and latitude of the position corresponding to the beam.

[0120] Example 3: For an NTN cell whose cell mode is a terrestrial mobile cell, since its beam coverage range will change with the movement of non-terrestrial network devices such as satellites, the first information may include information on the pitch value and horizontal value corresponding to each beam of the NTN cell.

[0121] The first communication device that receives the first information can determine the current position and vertical height of the non-ground network device from the ground based on the ephemeris of the non-ground network device (such as a satellite) corresponding to the NTN cell, and determine the position corresponding to each beam in combination with the pitch angle (PitchValue) and horizontal angle (HorizontalValue) corresponding to each beam.

[0122] The ephemeris of the non-terrestrial network device corresponding to the NTN cell can be indicated or configured by the first information. For example, the first information can carry information for indicating the ephemeris of the NTN cell corresponding to the beam position. The ephemeris of the non-terrestrial network device corresponding to the NTN cell can also be obtained by the first communication in other ways. For example, the first communication device pre-stores the ephemeris of each non-terrestrial network device, or the first communication can obtain the ephemeris by receiving the ephemeris broadcast by the non-terrestrial network device, etc. This application does not limit this.

[0123] It is understandable that the above examples 1 to 3 are only examples of the first information indicating the position corresponding to the NTN cell beam, and the first information may also indicate the position corresponding to the NTN cell beam in other ways. For example, a certain NTN cell includes M beams, and the first information may also indicate the M positions corresponding to the M beams in a manner different from the above examples 1 to 3. The present application does not limit the specific manner in which the first information indicates the position.

[0124] In some implementations, the first information may further include an identifier of a beam corresponding to each indicated position. Exemplary: the first information indicates M positions corresponding to M beams of NTN cell B, and the first information may further include identifiers of M beams corresponding one-to-one to the M positions (such as beam IDs, etc.), so that the first communication device receiving the first information knows the beam corresponding to each position.

[0125] Exemplarily: the second communication device may send the first information by broadcasting or multicasting, for example, the first information may be sent to the first communication device located in one or more TN cells by broadcasting or multicasting, etc.

[0126] S302: The first communication device initiates access based on N beams out of M beams.

[0127] Among them, the positions corresponding to the N beams satisfy a certain positional relationship with the position of the first communication device, the N beams belong to M beams, N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and N is less than or equal to M.

[0128] Exemplary: When the first communication device needs to search for an NTN cell for initial access, for example, when the first communication device is in or enters a geographical area without cellular network coverage and needs to search for an NTN cell for initial access, if a certain NTN cell meets the access (or residence) requirements, the first communication device can obtain the positions corresponding to the beams of the NTN cell (such as the M positions corresponding to the M beams of the NTN cell) based on the first information, select (or determine) N beams according to the positions corresponding to the M beams of the NTN cell, and initiate access based on some or all of the selected N beams.

[0129] In one possible implementation, the above-mentioned position relationship may be that the distance between the position corresponding to the beam and the position of the first communication device is less than or equal to a first distance threshold; or, the distance between the positions corresponding to the N beams and the position of the first communication device is the N distances with the smallest distances between the positions corresponding to the M beams and the position of the first communication device.

[0130] Taking M as 19 and N as 4 as an example, the positions corresponding to the M beams of the first communication device and the NTN are as follows: Figure 5B As shown in the example, the first communication device can select four beams (such as beam 14, beam 5, beam 13 and beam 15) whose distances between the positions corresponding to the beams and the position of the first communication device are less than or equal to the distance threshold according to its own position; or select four beams (such as beam 14, beam 5, beam 13 and beam 15) whose distances between the positions corresponding to the beams and the position of the first communication device are the smallest.

[0131] The selected number of beams N may be pre-configured in the first communication device, or may be indicated to the first communication device by other devices (such as a second communication device, etc.), or may be determined by the first communication device in other ways, and this application does not limit this.

[0132] In some implementations, the first information may also indicate an update interval (or update period, or update time frequency) of the first information. Non-terrestrial network devices such as satellites usually move along a certain trajectory. The larger the update interval, the greater the distance between the positions corresponding to the NTN cell beams indicated by the first information sent twice adjacently. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the number of selected beams N may also be determined according to the update interval.

[0133] Exemplary: The first communication device may be determined according to the update interval of the first information and the mapping relationship between the update interval and the number of beams. The mapping relationship may be embodied in a formula or in a table, and the mapping relationship may be pre-configured in the first communication device or indicated to the first communication device by other devices (such as a second communication device, etc.).

[0134] Optionally, the update interval is positively correlated with the size of N, or N is inversely proportional to the first information update time frequency, so as to ensure that the distance range between the selected N beams and the first communication device is within the beam distance accuracy error range.

[0135] Taking a LEO satellite with an orbital altitude of 600 km, a LEO satellite radius of 50 km, and a beam distance error of 2.857 s / h*xh*7.5 km / s as an example, where 2.857 s / h represents the satellite ephemeris error per hour, 7.5 km / s represents the satellite movement speed, and the second communication device sends the first information once every x hours (h), then N corresponding to different update intervals can be as follows:

[0136] If the second communication device sends (or updates) the first information once every 2 hours, N is 1;

[0137] If the second communication device sends (or updates) the first information once every 4 hours, N is 4;

[0138] If the second communication device sends (or updates) the first information once every 8 hours, N is 8.

[0139] After the first communication device selects N beams from the M beams, it can detect one or more of the N beams, determine the target beam, and initiate access based on the target beam.

[0140] Assuming N is 4, the positions corresponding to the M beams of the first communication device and the NTN are as follows: Figure 5B As shown, taking the selected N beams as beam 5, beam 14, beam 13 and beam 15 as an example, the first communication device can respectively detect the SSB carried by beam 5, beam 14, beam 13 and beam 15, obtain the signal strength or signal quality of the SSB on each detected beam, and select the beam corresponding to the SSB with high signal strength or signal quality as the target beam for initiating access to initiate access.

[0141] Take the beam frequency below 3 GHz (in sub3GHz), the subcarrier spacing (SCS) is 15KHz (SCS = 15kHz), and the beam-borne SSB adopts the case A transmission mode as an example. Figure 6 As shown in the schematic diagram of the distribution of SSB in the half frame, the index of the first symbol of the 8 candidate SSBs in the half frame can be {2,8}+14×n, n=0,1,2,3.

[0142] Assuming the beam transmission period is 20ms, it is necessary to broadcast the SSB carried by 16 beams in 20ms. Figure 6 In the case A transmission mode SSB pattern shown, the pattern of broadcasting 16 SSBs within 20ms can be as follows Figure 7 For optional configuration 1, the transmission period is 20 ms corresponding to 2 subframes (10 ms), 16 SSBs can be distributed in 1 subframe, and each half frame in the subframe includes 8 SSBs.

[0143] For optional configuration 2, the transmission period is 20 ms corresponding to 2 subframes, 16 SSBs can be distributed in 2 subframes, and one half frame in each subframe includes 8 SSBs.

[0144] In some implementations, the first information may also indicate the detection time of the M beams (or SSBs carried by the beams) of the NTN cell to avoid blind detection of the beams (or SSBs carried by the beams) by the first communication device. For example, the first information may include the period of the satellite transmitting the beam, the system startup time of each beam (or SSB carried by the beam) (such as the offset relative to the start time of the period or the index of the starting symbol within the period, etc.). After the first communication device selects N beams, it can determine the time domain position of the SSB carried by each beam according to the detection time of the N beams, detect one or more of the N beams, determine the target beam, and avoid blind detection of the beam to save power consumption, time and other overheads.

[0145] Since non-ground network devices such as satellites are far away from the ground and have limited link budget, the first communication device (such as a terminal device) can also adjust the radiation direction of the antenna of the first communication device according to the ephemeris of the non-ground network device, and / or send a first prompt message according to the ephemeris, wherein the first prompt message is used to prompt the user to adjust the posture of the first communication device so that the antenna of the first communication device is aimed at the non-ground network device as much as possible, thereby improving the antenna gain of the first communication device.

[0146] Exemplary: The first communication device can determine the current position of the non-ground network device (such as the GNSS position) based on the ephemeris, and in combination with the first communication device's own position (such as the GNSS position), can determine the orientation of the non-ground network device relative to the first communication device (such as the horizontal angle and the pitch angle), and can adjust the radiation direction of the antenna according to the orientation of the non-ground network device relative to the first communication device, or issue prompts such as text or voice to prompt the user to adjust the posture of the first communication device, so that the antenna of the first communication device is aimed at the non-ground network device as much as possible, thereby improving the antenna gain of the first communication device.

[0147] In one possible implementation, when the first communication device initiates access to the target beam, it can initiate random access to the target RO corresponding to the target beam, such as sending a random access preamble to the non-terrestrial network device that sends the target beam, attempting to establish a connection with the non-terrestrial network device, and so on.

[0148] Optionally, the first information may also indicate a mapping relationship between the SSB and the random access opportunity RO, and the first communication device may also determine a target RO that has a mapping relationship with the SSB carried by the target beam based on the mapping relationship between the SSB and the RO.

[0149] For example, the network can divide the preambles available for random access into several groups, define a RO in each group, and map the RO to the SSB beam. It can be defined how many SSBs each RO is mapped to, and how many cell-broadcast (CB) preambles each SSB is mapped to (ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-preamblesPerSSB). For example, the number of SSBs mapped to each RO can be 1 / 8, 1 / 4, 1 / 2, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16.

[0150] Exemplary: The mapping relationship between SSB and RO may include: (1) the CB preamble in each PRACH Occasion increases according to the order of preamble index; (2) when RACH frequency division multiplexing (FDM) is configured (msg1-FDM, there are multiple ROs in the frequency domain), it increases according to the frequency domain index; (3) when multiple ROs are configured in the PRACH time slot, it increases according to the index in the PRACH time slot; (4) when multiple PRACH time slots are configured, it increases according to the PRACH time slot index.

[0151] It is understandable that the above-mentioned mapping relationship between SSB and RO is only an example, and the present application does not limit the mapping relationship between SSB and RO indicated by the first information. In addition, it is understandable that the mapping relationship between SSB and RO can also be pre-configured in the first communication device, or configured (or indicated) to the first communication device through other messages sent by other devices.

[0152] The above is introduced by taking the example that the first information can indicate M positions corresponding to M beams, and can also indicate one or more of the detection time of the M beams, the ephemeris of the NTN network equipment corresponding to the M beams, the update interval of the first information, the mapping relationship between SSB and RO, and the cell mode of the NTN cell corresponding to the M beams. It can be understood that the first information can be sent through one or more signaling (or messages), for example, the first information is used to indicate fields or indication fields of different contents, etc., which can be located in one or more signaling (or messages).

[0153] In some implementations, the second communication device may be a TN network device, a ground station, a TN server, a network element in a TN CN, etc., and may send the first information to the second communication device when the first communication device resides in a TN cell, so that the first communication device can search for the NTN cell for quick access when it is in or enters a geographical area without cellular network coverage.

[0154] In addition, it should be understood that the above-mentioned sending of the first information by the second communication device to the first communication device is only an example. For example, the first information may be sent to the first communication device by a satellite, etc. The first information may indicate the position corresponding to the beam of the adjacent NTN cell of the NTN cell where the first communication device resides, so that when the first communication device moves to the adjacent NTN cell, it can quickly access the NTN cell, etc.

[0155] Each beam in a cell carries one SSB, or in other words, each SSB in a cell can represent a beam in one direction, so in the present application, the beam in the above method embodiment can also be replaced by SSB. Figure 8 A schematic diagram of another access method provided in an embodiment of the present application, the method comprising:

[0156] S801: The second communication device sends first information to the first communication device, and correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first information.

[0157] Among them, the first information indicates M positions, M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, the M positions correspond to M SSBs, and the M SSBs are SSBs under NTN.

[0158] S802: The first communication device initiates access based on N SSBs out of M SSBs.

[0159] Among them, the positions corresponding to the N beams satisfy a certain positional relationship with the position of the first communication device, the N beams belong to M beams, N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and N is less than or equal to M.

[0160] Different from Figure 3 In the access method shown, the first information indicates information such as the position related to the beam, and the first communication device can initiate access based on N beams out of M beams. Figure 8 In the access method shown, the first information indicates the location and other information related to the SSB, and the first communication device can initiate access based on N SSBs out of M SSBs, wherein Figure 8 For the specific implementation of the access method, please refer to Figure 3 The implementation of the access method shown will not be described in detail.

[0161] Combine the following Fig. 9 and Fig.10 The specific example shown above Figure 3 The positioning method shown is introduced in detail. In the following example, the first communication device is UE, the second communication device is a TN base station (such as TN gNB) or a network element of TN CN (TN CN), and the non-terrestrial network device is an NTN base station (such as NTN gNB).

[0162] Fig. 9 An example of an access process is shown. Fig. 9 As shown, the process includes:

[0163] S901: The TN gNB / TN CN may send first information to the UE according to a set update interval, and accordingly, the UE receives the first information. The first information may indicate a position corresponding to a beam of the NTN gNB.

[0164] Exemplary: NTN gNB includes NTN cell A and NTN cell B, and the first information may include beam pattern information corresponding to NTN cell A and beam pattern information corresponding to NTN cell B, wherein the beam pattern information corresponding to each NTN cell may be used to indicate the position of each beam corresponding to the NTN cell. Exemplary: The beam pattern information corresponding to each NTN cell may include a reference point of the NTN cell, and information on the angle and distance of the position corresponding to each beam of the NTN cell relative to the reference point, which is used to indicate the position of each beam in the NTN cell.

[0165] In addition, the beam pattern information corresponding to each NTN cell can also be used to indicate the detection time of each beam corresponding to the NTN cell. For example, the beam pattern information can also include the system startup time and cycle information corresponding to each beam of the NTN cell, which is used to indicate the detection time of each beam in the NTN cell, etc.

[0166] In some implementations, the first information may also indicate one or more of the cell mode of each NTN cell of the NTN gNB, the ephemeris of the NTN gNB, the update interval of the first information, the mapping relationship between SSB and RO, etc.

[0167] S902: UE initiates access based on N beams.

[0168] Exemplary: The UE can select N beams from the M beams of the NTN cell that meets the access (or residency) requirements based on its own GNSS location information and the first information, such as selecting the N beams that are closest to itself. After selecting the N beams closest to itself, the UE can also determine the position of the NTN gNB relative to itself based on the ephemeris of the NTN gNB corresponding to the NTN cell that meets the access (or residency) requirements, adjust the radiation direction of its own antenna and / or issue a first prompt information indication for adjusting its own posture so that its own antenna is aligned with the NTN gNB. After aligning with the NTN gNB, the UE can detect one or more of the N beams and determine the target beam to initiate access.

[0169] Fig.10 An example of an access process is shown. Fig.10 As shown, the process includes:

[0170] S1001: The TN gNB / TN CN may send first information to the UE according to a set update interval, and accordingly, the UE receives the first information. The first information may indicate a position corresponding to a beam of an adjacent NTN cell.

[0171] Exemplary: For the adjacent NTN cell of the ground mobile cell mode, the first information may include the reference location (referenceLocation-r17) of the center point of the NTN cell, the beam number (beamID) and the beam angle (PitchValue) and the horizontal angle (HorizontalValue) of each beam for indicating (or determining) the position of each beam of the NTN cell. The first information may also include a mapping (or association) relationship between the SSB number (SSB ID) and the RO, and one or more of the cell radius (distanceThresh-r17) and beam radius (BeamThresh) of the NTN cell, wherein r17 represents the standard content of Releases 17 (R17) of 3GPP.

[0172] For the adjacent NTN cell of the ground fixed cell mode, the first information may include the reference location (referenceLocation-r17) of the center point of the NTN cell, the beam number (beamID) of each beam and the ground beam point reference location (BeamreferenceLocation) for indicating (or determining) the location of each beam of the NTN cell. The first information may also include a mapping (or association) relationship between the SSB number (SSB ID) and the RO, and one or more of the cell radius (distanceThresh-r17) and beam radius (BeamThresh) of the NTN cell.

[0173] S1002: UE initiates access based on N beams.

[0174] Exemplary: When the UE is in or enters a geographical area without cellular network coverage, and the neighboring NTN cell meets the access (or residency) requirements, the UE can select N beams from the M beams of the NTN cell based on its own GNSS location information and the first information, such as selecting the N beams closest to itself. After selecting the N beams closest to itself, the UE can also determine the position of the NTN gNB relative to itself based on the ephemeris of the NTN gNB corresponding to the NTN cell, adjust the radiation direction of its own antenna and / or issue a first prompt information indication for adjusting its own posture so that its own antenna is aligned with the NTN gNB. After aligning with the NTN gNB, the UE can detect one or more of the N beams and determine the target beam to initiate access.

[0175] The communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application is described below. Fig.11 , Fig.11 The communication device may include units or modules corresponding to all or part of the steps in the above method embodiment, and may be used to execute the steps executed by the first communication device or the second communication device in the above method embodiment. For details, please refer to the relevant introduction in the above method embodiment.

[0176] like Fig.11 As shown, the communication device 1100 includes a processing unit 1110 and a transceiver unit 1120, wherein the processing unit 1110 may be a processor or a processing circuit, and the transceiver unit 1120 may also be an interface unit or an input / output interface. The communication device 1100 may be used to implement the steps performed by the first communication device or the second communication device in the above-mentioned embodiment. The transceiver unit 1120 may be used to implement the sending-related operations and / or the receiving-related operations on the first communication device or the second communication device side in the above-mentioned method embodiment.

[0177] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1120 may include a sending unit and / or a receiving unit. The sending unit is used to perform the sending-related operations on the first communication device or the second communication device side in the above method embodiment; the receiving unit is used to perform the receiving-related operations on the first communication device or the second communication device side in the above method embodiment.

[0178] It should be noted that the communication device 1100 may include a sending unit but not a receiving unit. Alternatively, the communication device 1100 may include a receiving unit but not a sending unit. This may be determined by whether the above solution executed by the communication device 1100 includes a sending action and a receiving action.

[0179] When the communication device 1100 is a chip, the chip includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface or an interface unit; the processing unit may be a processor or a microprocessor or an integrated circuit or a logic circuit integrated on the chip.

[0180] When the communication device 1100 is used to implement the steps performed by the first communication device (such as UE) in the above embodiment, the transceiver unit 1120 can be used to implement the sending-related operations and / or receiving-related operations on the first communication device side, such as for implementing the above Figure 3 , Figure 8 , Fig. 9 ,or Fig.10 The processing unit 1110 may be used to implement the processing-related operations on the first communication device side, such as for implementing the above-mentioned Figure 3 , Figure 8 , Fig. 9 ,or Fig.10 Processing related operations on the first communication device side.

[0181] The communication device 1100 is used to implement the above Figure 3 Take the steps executed by the first communication device as an example: the transceiver unit 1120 can be used to receive the first information, the first information indicates M positions, the M positions correspond to M beams, the M beams are beams under NTN, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; the processing unit 1110 can be used to initiate access based on N beams out of the M beams, wherein the positions corresponding to the N beams satisfy a certain positional relationship with the position of the first communication device, the N beams belong to the M beams, N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and N is less than or equal to M.

[0182] When the communication device 1100 is used to implement the steps performed by the second communication device (such as TN gNB) in the above embodiment, the transceiver unit 1120 can be used to implement the sending-related operations and / or receiving-related operations on the second communication device (such as TN gNB), such as for implementing the above Figure 3 , Figure 8 , Fig. 9 ,or Fig.10 The processing unit 1110 can be used to implement the processing-related operations on the second communication device side, such as for implementing the above-mentioned Figure 3 , Figure 8 , Fig. 9 ,or Fig.10 Processing related operations on the second communication device side.

[0183] The communication device 1100 is used to implement the above Figure 3Take the steps executed by the second communication device as an example: the processing unit 1110 can be used to determine the first information, the first information indicates M positions, the M positions correspond to M beams, the M beams are beams under NTN, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; the transceiver unit 1120 can be used to send the first information to the first communication device.

[0184] For other steps that can be implemented by the communication device 1100, please refer to the relevant introduction of the first communication device or the second communication device in the aforementioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0185] like Fig.12 As shown, the present application also provides a communication device 1200, including a processor 1210, and may also include a communication interface 1220. The processor 1210 and the communication interface 1220 are coupled to each other, and the communication interface 1220 may be a transceiver, an input-output interface, an input-output circuit, etc. When the communication device 1200 is used to implement the steps performed by the first communication device or the second communication device in the above embodiment, the processor 1210 may be used to implement the functions of the above processing unit 1110, and the communication interface 1220 may be used to implement the functions of the above transceiver unit 1120.

[0186] It can be understood that, similar to the above-mentioned transceiver unit 1120, the communication interface 1220 may include an input interface (or input circuit) and / or an output interface (or output circuit). The input interface can implement the reception-related operations in the above-mentioned method embodiment; the output interface can implement the sending-related operations in the above-mentioned method embodiment. In addition, the communication device 1200 may include an output interface but not an input interface. Alternatively, the communication device 1200 may include an input interface but not an output interface. The specific decision may depend on whether the above-mentioned scheme executed by the communication device 1200 includes a sending action and a receiving action.

[0187] In addition, it should be noted that when the communication device 1200 is a device, the communication interface 1220 may be a transceiver.

[0188] It can be understood that when the communication interface 1220 is a transceiver, the transceiver may include a transmitter and / or a receiver, the transmitter may be used to implement the operations related to sending in the above method embodiment, the receiver may be used to perform the operations related to receiving in the above method embodiment, and the processor 1210 may be used to implement other operations in the above method embodiment. In addition, the communication device 1200 may include a transmitter but not a receiver. Alternatively, the communication device 1200 may include a receiver but not a transmitter. It may be specifically determined whether the above scheme executed by the communication device 1200 includes a sending action and a receiving action.

[0189] Optionally, the communication device 1200 may further include a memory 1230 for storing instructions executed by the processor 1210 or storing input data required by the processor 1210 to execute instructions or storing data generated after the processor 1210 executes instructions. The memory 1230 may be a physically independent unit, or may be coupled to the processor 1210, or the processor 1210 may include the memory 1230.

[0190] When the communication device 1200 is a chip, the chip includes a processor, a communication interface, and may also include a memory. The communication interface may also be an input-output circuit. The processor may be a processing module or a microprocessor or an integrated circuit integrated on the chip. The sending operation of the first communication device or the second communication device in the above method embodiment may be understood as the output of the chip, and the receiving operation of the first communication device or the second communication device in the above method embodiment may be understood as the input of the chip.

[0191] Understandably, Fig.12 The structure shown does not constitute a specific limitation on the communication device 1200. For example, in other embodiments of the present application, the communication device 1200 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.

[0192] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable medium having a computer program or instruction stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the access method of any of the above method embodiments.

[0193] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, including a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implements the access method of any of the above method embodiments.

[0194] An embodiment of the present application also provides a chip system, including a processor, which can be used to execute computer programs or instructions to implement the access method of any of the above method embodiments.

[0195] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), logic circuits, field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0196] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by hardware, or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, register, hard disk, mobile hard disk, compact disc read-only memory (compact disc read-only memory, CD-ROM) or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a network device or a terminal device. Of course, the processor and the storage medium can also be present in a network device or a terminal device as discrete components.

[0197] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instruction is loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is executed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device or other programmable device. The computer program or instruction may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer program or instruction may be transmitted from one network device, terminal, computer, server or data center to another network device, terminal, computer, server or data center by wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape; it may also be an optical medium, for example, a digital video disc; it may also be a semiconductor medium, for example, a solid-state hard disk. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0198] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or provided for in any logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between the different embodiments are consistent and may be referenced to each other, and the technical features in the different embodiments may be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0199] In addition, it should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the word "exemplary" is used to indicate an example, illustration or description. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" in the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the word "exemplary" is intended to present concepts in a specific way.

[0200] It is understood that the various numbers involved in the embodiments of the present application are only for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. The size of the sequence number of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

Claims

1. An access method, It is characterized in that Applied to a first communication device, comprising: Receive first information, where the first information indicates M positions, where the M positions correspond to M beams or synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks SSB, where the M beams or SSBs are beams or SSBs under a non-terrestrial network NTN, and where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; Access is initiated based on N beams or SSBs among the M beams or SSBs, wherein positions corresponding to the N beams or SSBs satisfy a certain positional relationship with the position of the first communication device, the N beams or SSBs belong to the M beams or SSBs, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and N is less than or equal to M.

2. The method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The position relationship is that the distance between the position corresponding to the beam or SSB and the position of the first communication device is less than or equal to a first distance threshold; or, The distances between the positions corresponding to the N beams or SSBs and the position of the first communication device are the N distances with the shortest distances between the positions corresponding to the M beams or SSBs and the position of the first communication device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The first information includes information of the M positions; or, The first information includes the position of a reference point, and information about the angles and distances of the M positions relative to the reference point; or, The first information includes information of the opening angle and the horizontal angle corresponding to the M positions; or, The first information includes the position of a reference point, P distances and M angles, any distance of the P distances is associated with at least one of the M angles, an angle of the M angles and its associated distance are the angle and distance of one of the M positions relative to the reference point, and P is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and P is less than or equal to M.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The initiating access based on N beams or SSBs among the M beams or SSBs includes: Detecting one or more of the N beams or SSBs and determining a target beam or SSB; Access is initiated based on the target beam or SSB.

5. The method according to claim 4, It is characterized in that The first information further indicates a detection time of the M beams or SSBs, and the detecting one or more of the N beams or SSBs and determining a target beam or SSB includes: According to the detection time of the N beams or SSBs, one or more of the N beams or SSBs are detected to determine the target beam or SSB.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, It is characterized in that The first information further indicates the ephemeris of the NTN network device corresponding to the M beams or SSBs, and the method further includes: adjusting the radiation direction of the antenna of the first communication device according to the ephemeris; and / or, A first prompt message is sent according to the ephemeris, where the first prompt message is used to prompt the user to adjust the posture of the first communication device.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, It is characterized in that The first information further indicates a mapping relationship between an SSB and a random access opportunity RO, and the initiating access based on the target beam includes: According to the mapping relationship between the SSB and the RO, determine a target RO that has a mapping relationship with the SSB carried by the target beam; Initiate access to the target beam according to the target RO; The initiating access based on the target SSB includes: According to the mapping relationship between the SSB and the RO, determining a target RO having a mapping relationship with the target SSB; According to the target RO, a connection is initiated to the target SSB.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, It is characterized in that The first information further indicates an update interval of the first information, and N is determined according to the update interval of the first information.

9. The method according to claim 8, It is characterized in that The update interval is positively correlated with the size of N.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, It is characterized in that The first information also indicates the cell mode of the NTN cell corresponding to the M beams or SSBs.

11. An access method, It is characterized in that Applied to a second communication device, comprising: First information is sent to a first communication device, wherein the first information indicates M positions, wherein the M positions correspond to M beams or synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks SSB, wherein the M beams or SSBs are beams or SSBs under a non-terrestrial network NTN, and M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

12. The method according to claim 11, It is characterized in that The first information includes information of the M positions; or, The first information includes the position of a reference point, and information about the angles and distances of the M positions relative to the reference point; or, The first information includes information of the opening angle and the horizontal angle corresponding to the M positions; or, The first information includes the position of a reference point, P distances and M angles, any distance of the P distances is associated with at least one of the M angles, an angle of the M angles and its associated distance are the angle and distance of one of the M positions relative to the reference point, and P is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and P is less than or equal to M.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, It is characterized in that The first information also indicates one or more of the detection time of the M beams or SSBs, the ephemeris of the NTN network equipment corresponding to the M beams or SSBs, the update interval of the first information, the mapping relationship between SSB and random access opportunity RO, and the cell mode of the NTN cell corresponding to the M beams or SSBs.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, It is characterized in that The second communication device is a terrestrial network TN network device or a TN server.

15. A communication device, It is characterized in that The method comprises a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, or a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 11 to 14.

16. A communication device, It is characterized in that The device comprises a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute a computer program or an instruction so that the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, or executes the method according to any one of claims 11 to 14.

17. A communication system, It is characterized in that The method comprises a first communication device and a second communication device, wherein the first communication device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and the second communication device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 11 to 14.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, It is characterized in that A computer program or instruction is stored, and when the computer program or instruction is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is implemented, or the method according to any one of claims 11 to 14 is implemented.

19. A computer program product, It is characterized in that The computer program product comprises a computer program or instructions, and when the computer program or instructions are executed on a processor, the processor is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, or execute the method according to any one of claims 11 to 14.

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