Switching method, equipment, device and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a switching method, equipment, a device and a storage medium. The method comprises the following steps: a terminal obtains configuration information of a second network from a first network; and executing a first operation according to the configuration information of the second network, the first operation comprising at least one of the following items: starting measurement of the second network, and starting switching to the second network.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technologies, and in particular, to a handover method, device, apparatus, and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In the satellite-terrestrial integration scenario, it is no longer assumed that the terrestrial network (TN) has priority (that is, when there is TN network coverage, the TN network is preferentially selected). Instead, the TN network and the non-terrestrial network (Non-TN, NTN) can be selected as needed. This not only requires considering the mobility from the NTN network to the TN network, but also the mobility from the TN network to the NTN network. However, currently, in the scenario where the NTN network coverage is discontinuous, when the NTN network coverage comes, there is no clear solution on how the terminal (or user equipment, UE) working in the TN network switches to the NTN network. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a handover method, device, apparatus, and storage medium to solve the problem of how the terminal working in the TN network switches to the NTN network.

[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides a handover method applied to a terminal, including:

[0005] Obtaining configuration information of a second network from a first network;

[0006] Performing a first operation according to the configuration information of the second network, where the first operation includes at least one of the following: starting measurement of the second network, starting handover to the second network.

[0007] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information.

[0008] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0009] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0010] Obtaining time information when the second network covers the terminal from the second network.

[0011] In some embodiments, performing the first operation according to the configuration information of the second network includes:

[0012] Starting measurement of the second network according to the measurement configuration information and the time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0013] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes a measurement reporting trigger event, and the trigger condition of the measurement reporting trigger event is: the cell signal quality of the second network is higher than a first threshold.

[0014] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information.

[0015] In some embodiments, the conditional handover configuration information includes a handover trigger condition based on first time information, where the first time information is the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

[0016] In some embodiments, performing a first operation according to the configuration information of the second network includes:

[0017] According to the conditional handover configuration information, initiate a handover to the second network when the handover trigger condition is met.

[0018] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0019] Send the first time information to the first network.

[0020] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0021] Send indication information to the first network, where the indication information is used to indicate the tendency of the terminal to handover to the second network when covered by the second network.

[0022] In some embodiments, sending the indication information to the first network includes:

[0023] Based on a query message sent by the first network, send the indication information to the first network.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first network is a terrestrial network and the second network is a non-terrestrial network.

[0025] In a second aspect, the present application further provides a handover method applied to a network device of a first network, including:

[0026] Send the configuration information of the second network to the terminal.

[0027] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information.

[0028] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

[0029] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes a measurement reporting trigger event, and the trigger condition for the measurement reporting trigger event is that the cell signal quality of the second network is higher than a first threshold.

[0030] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information.

[0031] In some embodiments, the conditional switching configuration information includes a switching trigger condition based on first time information, where the first time information is the time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0032] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0033] Determine the first time information based on the location information of the terminal; or,

[0034] Receive the first time information sent by the terminal.

[0035] In some embodiments, sending the configuration information of the second network to the terminal includes:

[0036] Determine that the terminal tends to switch to the second network when covered by the second network, and then send the configuration information of the second network to the terminal.

[0037] In some embodiments, determining that the terminal tends to switch to the second network when covered by the second network includes:

[0038] Determine that the terminal tends to switch to the second network when covered by the second network based on the indication information sent by the terminal or the service type of the terminal.

[0039] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0040] Before receiving the indication information sent by the terminal, send a query message to the terminal, where the query message is used to query the tendency of the terminal to switch to the second network when covered by the second network.

[0041] In a third aspect, the present application further provides a terminal, including a memory, a transceiver, and a processor;

[0042] The memory is used to store a computer program; the transceiver is used to send and receive data under the control of the processor; the processor is used to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0043] Obtain the configuration information of the second network from the first network;

[0044] According to the configuration information of the second network, perform a first operation, where the first operation includes at least one of the following: start measuring the second network, start switching to the second network.

[0045] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information.

[0046] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes the time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0047] In some embodiments, the operation further includes:

[0048] Obtain the time information of the second network covering the terminal from the second network.

[0049] In some embodiments, according to the configuration information of the second network, perform a first operation, including:

[0050] Start measuring the second network according to the measurement configuration information and the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

[0051] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes a measurement reporting trigger event, and the trigger condition of the measurement reporting trigger event is: the cell signal quality of the second network is higher than a first threshold.

[0052] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information.

[0053] In some embodiments, the conditional handover configuration information includes a handover trigger condition based on first time information, and the first time information is the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

[0054] In some embodiments, according to the configuration information of the second network, perform a first operation, including:

[0055] Start a handover to the second network according to the conditional handover configuration information when the handover trigger condition is met.

[0056] In some embodiments, the operation further includes:

[0057] Send the first time information to the first network.

[0058] In some embodiments, the operation further includes:

[0059] Send an indication information to the first network, and the indication information is used to indicate the tendency of the terminal to handover to the second network when covered by the second network.

[0060] In some embodiments, sending the indication information to the first network includes:

[0061] Send the indication information to the first network based on a query message sent by the first network.

[0062] In some embodiments, the first network is a terrestrial network and the second network is a non-terrestrial network.

[0063] Fourthly, the present application further provides a network device of a first network, including a memory, a transceiver, and a processor;

[0064] The memory is used to store a computer program; the transceiver is used to send and receive data under the control of the processor; the processor is used to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0065] Send the configuration information of the second network to the terminal.

[0066] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information.

[0067] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes the time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0068] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes a measurement reporting trigger event, and the trigger condition of the measurement reporting trigger event is that the cell signal quality of the second network is higher than a first threshold.

[0069] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information.

[0070] In some embodiments, the conditional handover configuration information includes a handover trigger condition based on first time information, and the first time information is the time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0071] In some embodiments, the operation further includes:

[0072] Determine the first time information based on the location information of the terminal; or,

[0073] Receive the first time information sent by the terminal.

[0074] In some embodiments, sending the configuration information of the second network to the terminal includes:

[0075] If it is determined that the terminal tends to switch to the second network when covered by the second network, send the configuration information of the second network to the terminal.

[0076] In some embodiments, determining that the terminal tends to switch to the second network when covered by the second network includes:

[0077] Determine that the terminal tends to switch to the second network when covered by the second network based on the indication information sent by the terminal or the service type of the terminal.

[0078] In some embodiments, the operation further includes:

[0079] Before receiving the indication information sent by the terminal, send a query message to the terminal, and the query message is used to query the tendency of the terminal to switch to the second network when covered by the second network.

[0080] In a fifth aspect, the present application further provides a handover device, including:

[0081] An acquisition unit, configured to acquire the configuration information of the second network from the first network;

[0082] An execution unit, configured to perform a first operation according to configuration information of a second network, where the first operation includes at least one of the following: starting measurement of the second network, starting a handover to the second network.

[0083] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information.

[0084] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes time information on when the second network covers the terminal.

[0085] In some embodiments, the acquisition unit is further configured to:

[0086] Obtain from the second network the time information on when the second network covers the terminal.

[0087] In some embodiments, performing the first operation according to the configuration information of the second network includes:

[0088] Starting measurement of the second network according to the measurement configuration information and the time information on when the second network covers the terminal.

[0089] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes a measurement reporting trigger event, and the trigger condition for the measurement reporting trigger event is that the cell signal quality of the second network is higher than a first threshold.

[0090] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information.

[0091] In some embodiments, the conditional handover configuration information includes a handover trigger condition based on first time information, and the first time information is the time information on when the second network covers the terminal.

[0092] In some embodiments, performing the first operation according to the configuration information of the second network includes:

[0093] Starting a handover to the second network according to the conditional handover configuration information when the handover trigger condition is met.

[0094] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes:

[0095] A first sending unit, configured to send the first time information to a first network.

[0096] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes:

[0097] A second sending unit, configured to send indication information to the first network, where the indication information is used to indicate the tendency of the terminal to hand over to the second network when covered by the second network.

[0098] In some embodiments, sending the indication information to the first network includes:

[0099] Send indication information to the first network based on the query message sent by the first network.

[0100] In some embodiments, the first network is a terrestrial network and the second network is a non-terrestrial network.

[0101] In a sixth aspect, the present application further provides a handover device, including:

[0102] A third sending unit, configured to send configuration information of the second network to the terminal.

[0103] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information.

[0104] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes the time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0105] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes a measurement reporting trigger event, and the trigger condition of the measurement reporting trigger event is that the cell signal quality of the second network is higher than a first threshold.

[0106] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information.

[0107] In some embodiments, the conditional handover configuration information includes a handover trigger condition based on first time information, and the first time information is the time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0108] In some embodiments, the device further includes:

[0109] A determination unit, configured to determine the first time information based on the location information of the terminal; or,

[0110] A receiving unit, configured to receive the first time information sent by the terminal.

[0111] In some embodiments, sending the configuration information of the second network to the terminal includes:

[0112] If it is determined that the terminal tends to hand over to the second network when the second network covers, send the configuration information of the second network to the terminal.

[0113] In some embodiments, determining that the terminal tends to hand over to the second network when the second network covers includes:

[0114] Based on the indication information sent by the terminal or the service type of the terminal, determine that the terminal tends to hand over to the second network when the second network covers.

[0115] In some embodiments, the device further includes:

[0116] A fourth sending unit, configured to send a query message to a terminal before the indication information sent by the receiving terminal, where the query message is used to query the tendency of the terminal to switch to a second network when the second network is covered.

[0117] In a seventh aspect, the present application further provides a non-transitory readable storage medium storing a computer program, where the computer program is used to cause a processor to execute the handover method described in the first aspect above, or execute the handover method described in the second aspect above.

[0118] In an eighth aspect, the present application further provides a communication device storing a computer program, where the computer program is used to cause the communication device to execute the handover method described in the first aspect above, or execute the handover method described in the second aspect above.

[0119] In a ninth aspect, the present application further provides a processor-readable storage medium storing a computer program, where the computer program is used to cause a processor to execute the handover method described in the first aspect above, or execute the handover method described in the second aspect above.

[0120] In a tenth aspect, the present application further provides a chip product storing a computer program, where the computer program is used to cause the chip product to execute the handover method described in the first aspect above, or execute the handover method described in the second aspect above.

[0121] For the handover method, device, apparatus, and storage medium provided by the present application, the terminal obtains the configuration information of the second network from the first network, and then performs a first operation according to the configuration information, including starting to measure the second network and / or starting to hand over to the second network, so that the terminal operating in the first network can be handed over to the second network, improving the flexibility of terminal mobility management. Description of the Drawings

[0122] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or related technologies, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or related technologies. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0123] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the transparent forwarding mode provided by the related technology;

[0124] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of two cell types provided by the related technology;

[0125] Figure 3Schematic diagram of discontinuous satellite coverage provided for the related art;

[0126] Figure 4 One of the schematic flowcharts of the handover method provided for the embodiments of the present application;

[0127] Figure 5 Another schematic flowchart of the handover method provided for the embodiments of the present application;

[0128] Figure 6 Interaction diagram of Example 1 provided for the embodiments of the present application;

[0129] Figure 7 Interaction diagram of Example 2 provided for the embodiments of the present application;

[0130] Figure 8 Interaction diagram of Example 3 provided for the embodiments of the present application;

[0131] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal provided for the embodiments of the present application;

[0132] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the structure of the network device of the first network provided for the embodiments of the present application;

[0133] Figure 11 One of the schematic diagrams of the structure of the handover device provided for the embodiments of the present application;

[0134] Figure 12 Another schematic diagram of the structure of the handover device provided for the embodiments of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0135] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after.

[0136] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "a plurality of" means two or more, and other quantifiers are similar.

[0137] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to distinguish similar objects, rather than to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances so that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first" and "second" are usually of the same type, and the number of objects is not limited. For example, the first object may be one or more.

[0138] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments in the present application without creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present application.

[0139] To facilitate a clearer understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, some technical contents related to the embodiments of the present application will be introduced first.

[0140] 1. Working modes of satellite communication

[0141] In satellite communication, there are two working modes:

[0142] One is the transparent relay mode. The satellite only transparently relays the signal without any processing. The terminal communicates with the gateway station. That is, the satellite only performs operations such as frequency conversion and radio signal amplification on the uplink signal or downlink signal. Its function is similar to that of a radio frequency relay. Figure 1 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the transparent relay mode provided by the related technology. The connection between the terminal and the satellite in the figure is called the service link, and the connection between the satellite and the gateway station is called the feeder link.

[0143] The other is the regenerative communication mode. At this time, the satellite can detect the information of the received signal, process and forward it, and complete the functions of a base station (such as a gNB), connecting the terminal and the gateway station. That is, the satellite can perform functions such as frequency conversion, radio signal amplification, encoding / modulation, and demodulation / decoding on the uplink signal or downlink signal. That is to say, the satellite can have all or part of the functions of a base station and can regenerate the signal.

[0144] 2. Cell types in the NTN network

[0145] There are two cell types in the NTN network:

[0146] One is the Earth-Fixed cell. The Earth-Fixed cell means that within a certain period of time, the ground coverage area of the satellite's serving cell does not change with the movement of the satellite. That is, the "staring" mode is adopted. In the "staring" mode, the satellite is moving, but within a certain period of time, the satellite is like "staring" at a certain area on the ground. "Staring" means that the satellite's coverage area on the ground remains unchanged. Figure 2 The figure shows a schematic diagram of two cell types provided by the related technology. Figure 2As shown in part (a), the ground-fixed cell is such that from time T1 to time T2, the satellite's coverage area on the ground is always A, that is, the satellite "gazes" at area A. A quasi-Earth Fixed cell refers to a cell that is approximately (similar to) a ground-fixed cell. For this type of cell, the duration for which the satellite "gazes" at the ground is relatively shorter, that is, the time interval between T1 and T2 is shorter. In the scenario of a ground-fixed cell or a quasi-Earth Fixed cell, as the satellite moves, the angle between the satellite antenna and the ground changes accordingly, so as to ensure that the area covered by the satellite antenna remains unchanged.

[0147] One type is the Earth-moving cell: An Earth-moving cell means that the ground coverage area of the satellite's serving cell changes as the satellite moves. As Figure 2 shown in part (b), the satellite's coverage area is A at time T1 and B at time T2. In this scenario, as the satellite moves, the angle between the satellite antenna and the ground remains almost unchanged.

[0148] Whether it is the above-mentioned ground-fixed cell or the Earth-moving cell, as the satellite moves, the cell mapped to the ground will move quickly. The difference is that the ground-fixed cell does not move within a certain period of time, but in the long run, the cell also moves quickly; the Earth-moving cell is constantly moving quickly.

[0149] 3. Non-continuous coverage scenario of the NTN network

[0150] In the research on the Internet of Things (IoT) NTN by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), non-continuous coverage scenarios are supported, that is: Considering that most IoT services are not sensitive to latency, and upgrading satellites so that all satellites support IoT devices incurs a significant cost. Therefore, at least in the early stage, perhaps only some satellites support IoT device access. As a result, the coverage of the IoT NTN network on the ground may be discontinuous, that is: there are some time periods when IoT devices can obtain the service of the NTN network, and there are some time periods when IoT devices cannot obtain the service of the NTN network.

[0151] Figure 3 The schematic diagram of satellite non-continuous coverage provided for related technologies is as Figure 3 shown in part (a). For the Earth-moving cell (referred to as the moving cell for short), at time T1, the terminal ( Figure 3The black dot (representing the terminal) is within the coverage area of the serving cell (mobile cell 1) of satellite A. At time T2, the ground coverage area of the serving cell of satellite A changes as the satellite moves, and the terminal is no longer within the coverage area of mobile cell 1. At this time, the next serving cell of satellite B (mobile cell 2) has not reached the location of the terminal, and the terminal cannot obtain the service of the NTN network. As Figure 3 As shown in part (b) of, for a ground fixed cell (referred to as a fixed cell), at time T1, the terminal is within the coverage area of fixed cell 2 and is served by satellite A. At time T2, the ground coverage area of the serving cell of satellite A changes as the satellite moves, and the terminal is no longer within the coverage area of satellite A. At this time, the next covering satellite B has not covered the location of the terminal, and the terminal cannot obtain the service of the NTN network.

[0152] To support discontinuous coverage, the related technology introduces an independent system message system information block (SIB) 32 to indicate a set of future satellite coverage information for the terminal to perform coverage prediction, that is, to predict when the satellite coverage will come again in the future.

[0153] For example, for an upcoming ground fixed cell, the system configures the arrival time t-ServiceStart, and may also configure a reference point and a radius. The terminal can determine which satellite cell will cover its own area next and when it will cover its own area based on the above parameters. If necessary, the terminal can wake up at the corresponding time and try to access the network.

[0154] In the scenario of satellite-terrestrial integration, it is necessary to consider the mobility from the NTN network to the TN network and also the mobility from the TN network to the NTN network. That is: it is necessary to consider the terminal moving (reselection or handover) from the NTN network to the TN network, and also the terminal moving (reselection or handover) from the TN network to the NTN network.

[0155] Figure 4 This is one of the flow diagrams of the handover method provided by the embodiments of this application. This method is applied to a terminal, as Figure 4 shown, this method includes the following steps:

[0156] Step 400: Obtain the configuration information of the second network from the first network.

[0157] Step 401: According to the configuration information of the second network, perform a first operation, and the first operation includes at least one of the following: start measuring the second network, start a handover to the second network.

[0158] Specifically, the first network and the second network are two different networks. The terminal is currently operating on the first network, and a network device (e.g., a base station) of the first network sends configuration information of the second network to the terminal. After the terminal obtains the configuration information of the second network from the first network, it performs a first operation according to this configuration information to switch to the second network.

[0159] In some embodiments, the first network is a TN network and the second network is an NTN network. For example, a terminal operating on the TN network receives configuration information for the NTN network from a network device of the TN network, and then starts measuring the NTN network or starts switching to the NTN network according to this configuration information, so that it can switch to the NTN network when the NTN network coverage arrives.

[0160] It should be noted that for ease of understanding, the embodiments of this application are described by taking "the first network is a TN network and the second network is an NTN network" as an example. However, it should be understood that the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application are not limited to the scenario of "the first network is a TN network and the second network is an NTN network", and scenarios where the first network and the second network are other networks are equally applicable.

[0161] For the switching method provided by the embodiments of this application, the terminal obtains the configuration information of the second network from the first network, and then performs a first operation according to this configuration information, including starting to measure the second network and / or starting to switch to the second network, so that the terminal operating on the first network can switch to the second network, improving the flexibility of terminal mobility management.

[0162] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information. For example, a network device of the TN network sends measurement configuration information of the NTN network to the terminal, and this measurement configuration information is the measurement configuration information for NTN cells. The terminal starts measuring NTN cells according to this measurement configuration information.

[0163] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes frequency information of the second network.

[0164] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes the time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0165] For example, in the scenario of discontinuous coverage of the NTN network, the NTN network does not always cover the area where the terminal is located. When the network device of the TN network sends the measurement configuration information of the NTN network to the terminal, it can carry the time information of the NTN network covering the terminal (such as the moment when the NTN network coverage reaches the location of the terminal, or the moment when the NTN network coverage reaches the area where the terminal is located) in the measurement configuration information. The terminal can determine when the NTN network will cover the location where the terminal is located based on this time information, so as to start measuring the NTN network at an appropriate time point and avoid wasting power due to continuous measurement before the NTN network coverage arrives.

[0166] In each embodiment of this application, the time information of the second network covering the terminal can also be expressed as the time information of the second network covering the location where the terminal is located, or the time information of the second network covering the area where the terminal is located, which will not be elaborated hereinafter.

[0167] In some embodiments, the time information of the second network covering the terminal is determined by the first network based on the location information of the terminal, and then the first network carries this time information in the measurement configuration information and sends it to the terminal.

[0168] For example, the network device of the TN network obtains the satellite coverage information of the NTN network through Operation Administration and Maintenance (OAM), and can determine the time information of the NTN network covering the terminal according to the location information of the terminal and the satellite coverage information of the NTN network.

[0169] For another example, the network device of the TN network queries the time information of the NTN network covering the terminal based on the location information of the terminal from the NTN network.

[0170] In some embodiments, the method further includes: obtaining the time information of the second network covering the terminal from the second network.

[0171] For example, in the scenario of discontinuous coverage of the NTN network, the NTN network does not always cover the area where the terminal is located. If the network device of the TN network does not carry the time information of the NTN network covering the terminal in the measurement configuration information when sending the measurement configuration information of the NTN network to the terminal, the terminal can obtain this time information from the NTN network so as to start measuring the NTN network at an appropriate time point and avoid wasting power due to continuous measurement before the NTN network coverage arrives.

[0172] In some embodiments, obtaining the time information of the second network covering the terminal from the second network includes: determining this time information according to the system message of the second network.

[0173] In some embodiments, the terminal determines the time information of the NTN network covering the terminal according to the system message of the NTN cell read. For example, the terminal has worked in the NTN cell before and read the SIB32 of the NTN cell when working in the NTN cell, and the terminal determines the time information of the NTN network covering the terminal according to the read SIB32 of the NTN cell; or, the terminal has received the SIB32 from the NTN cell during the communication gap of the TN cell, and the terminal determines the time information of the NTN network covering the terminal according to the received SIB32 of the NTN cell.

[0174] In some embodiments, according to the configuration information of the second network, a first operation is performed, including: starting the measurement of the second network according to the measurement configuration information and the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

[0175] For example, in the non - continuous coverage scenario of the NTN network, the terminal works in the TN network, and the network device of the TN network sends the measurement configuration information of the NTN network to the terminal. When the terminal determines that the NTN network is about to cover the location where the terminal is located according to the SIB32 obtained from the NTN network, the terminal starts the measurement of the NTN cell; or, the measurement configuration information includes the time information of the NTN network covering the terminal. When the terminal determines that the NTN network is about to cover the location where the terminal is located according to this time information, the terminal starts the measurement of the NTN cell.

[0176] In some embodiments, after the terminal measures the second network, it feeds back the measurement result to the first network, and the first network switches the terminal to the second network according to the measurement result fed back by the terminal.

[0177] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes a measurement reporting trigger event, and the triggering condition of the measurement reporting trigger event is: the signal quality of the cell of the second network is higher than a first threshold. The first threshold can be a certain threshold configured by the network side or agreed upon by the protocol, and the specific value of which is not limited in this application.

[0178] For example, a new measurement reporting trigger event is defined, and the triggering condition of this measurement reporting trigger event is: the signal quality of the NTN cell is higher than a given threshold. The network device of the TN network includes this measurement reporting trigger event in the measurement configuration information of the NTN network. When the terminal measures that the signal quality of the NTN cell is higher than the given threshold, it reports the measurement result.

[0179] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information. For example, a network device in a TN network sends the conditional handover configuration information of an NTN network to a terminal, and this conditional handover configuration information is the conditional handover configuration information for handover to the NTN network. When the handover trigger condition is met, the terminal can initiate the handover to the NTN network by itself without waiting for a handover instruction from the network side. As a result, the terminal can switch to the NTN network faster, save signaling overhead, and improve the handover success rate.

[0180] In some embodiments, the conditional handover configuration information includes a handover trigger condition based on first time information, and the first time information is the time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0181] In some embodiments, according to the configuration information of the second network, a first operation is performed, including: starting a handover to the second network according to the conditional handover configuration information when the handover trigger condition is met.

[0182] For example, in a non - continuous coverage scenario of the NTN network, where the NTN network does not always cover the area where the terminal is located, the network device of the TN network can configure the conditional handover configuration information of the NTN network for the terminal based on the time information when the NTN network covers the location of the terminal. This conditional handover configuration information includes a time - based handover trigger condition (for example, the handover trigger condition is a certain moment when the NTN network starts to cover the location or area where the terminal is located). When this handover trigger condition is met, the terminal can initiate the handover to the NTN network.

[0183] In some embodiments, the first network determines the time information when the second network covers the terminal based on the location information of the terminal, and then the first network configures the conditional handover configuration information of the second network for the terminal based on this time information.

[0184] For example, the network device of the TN network obtains the satellite coverage information of the NTN network through OAM, and can determine the time information when the NTN network covers the terminal according to the location information of the terminal and the satellite coverage information of the NTN network.

[0185] For another example, the network device of the TN network queries the time information when the NTN network covers the terminal from the NTN network based on the location information of the terminal.

[0186] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending the first time information to the first network.

[0187] For example, the terminal obtains the time information when the NTN network covers the terminal from the NTN network, and then sends this time information to the TN network. The TN network configures the conditional handover configuration information of the NTN network for the terminal based on this time information.

[0188] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending indication information to a first network, where the indication information is used to indicate the tendency of the terminal to switch to a second network when the second network coverage is available.

[0189] For example, the terminal may send indication information to a TN network, where the indication information indicates that when the NTN network coverage is available, the terminal can, or wishes, or is willing to switch to the NTN network. The TN network determines, based on the indication information, whether to send measurement configuration information of the NTN network or conditional handover configuration information of the NTN network to the terminal, so that the terminal can switch to the NTN network when the NTN network coverage is available.

[0190] In some embodiments, the first network may determine whether to send configuration information of the second network to the terminal according to the service type of the terminal.

[0191] For example, some services may be defined, and for terminals executing these services, when the NTN network coverage is available, they can, or wish, or are willing to switch to the NTN network. The TN network can determine whether to send configuration information of the NTN network to the terminal according to the service executed by the terminal.

[0192] In some embodiments, sending indication information to the first network includes: sending indication information to the first network based on a query message sent by the first network.

[0193] For example, the TN network may send a query message to the terminal, asking whether the terminal can, or wishes, or is willing to switch to the NTN network when the NTN network coverage is available. The terminal sends indication information to the TN network based on the query of the TN network.

[0194] Figure 5 This is the second flowchart of the handover method provided by the embodiments of the present application. The method is applied to a network device (such as a base station) of a first network. As Figure 5 shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0195] Step 500: Send configuration information of a second network to the terminal.

[0196] Specifically, the first network and the second network are two different networks. The terminal is currently operating in the first network. The network device of the first network sends configuration information of the second network to the terminal. After the terminal obtains the configuration information of the second network from the first network, it performs a first operation (starting measurement of the second network and / or starting handover to the second network) according to the configuration information, so as to switch to the second network.

[0197] In some embodiments, the first network is a TN network and the second network is an NTN network. For example, a terminal operating in the TN network receives configuration information for the NTN network from a network device in the TN network, and then starts measuring the NTN network or starts switching to the NTN network according to the configuration information, so that it can switch to the NTN network when the NTN network coverage arrives.

[0198] In the handover method provided by the embodiments of the present application, a network device of the first network sends configuration information of the second network to a terminal, so that the terminal can start measuring the second network and / or start switching to the second network according to the configuration information, enabling the terminal operating in the first network to switch to the second network, thereby improving the flexibility of terminal mobility management.

[0199] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information. For example, a network device in the TN network sends measurement configuration information of the NTN network to a terminal, and this measurement configuration information is the measurement configuration information for NTN cells. The terminal starts measuring NTN cells according to this measurement configuration information.

[0200] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes frequency information of the second network.

[0201] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0202] For example, in a scenario where the NTN network has discontinuous coverage, the NTN network does not always cover the area where the terminal is located. When a network device in the TN network sends measurement configuration information of the NTN network to the terminal, it can carry the time information when the NTN network covers the terminal (such as the moment when the NTN network coverage reaches the location of the terminal or the moment when the NTN network coverage reaches the area where the terminal is located) in the measurement configuration information. The terminal can determine when the NTN network will cover the location of the terminal according to this time information, so as to start measuring the NTN network at an appropriate time point and avoid wasting power due to continuous measurement before the NTN network coverage arrives.

[0203] In some embodiments, the time information when the second network covers the terminal is determined by the first network based on the location information of the terminal, and then the first network carries this time information in the measurement configuration information and sends it to the terminal.

[0204] For example, a network device in the TN network obtains satellite coverage information of the NTN network through OAM, and can determine the time information when the NTN network covers the terminal according to the location information of the terminal and the satellite coverage information of the NTN network.

[0205] For another example, the network device of the TN network queries the NTN network for the time information when the NTN network covers the terminal based on the location information of the terminal.

[0206] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes a measurement reporting trigger event, and the trigger condition of the measurement reporting trigger event is that the signal quality of the cell in the second network is higher than a first threshold.

[0207] Wherein, the first threshold may be a certain threshold configured by the network side or agreed upon by the protocol, and the specific value thereof is not limited in this application.

[0208] For example, a new measurement reporting trigger event is defined, and the trigger condition of the measurement reporting trigger event is that the signal quality of the NTN cell is higher than a given threshold. The network device of the TN network includes this measurement reporting trigger event in the measurement configuration information of the NTN network, and when the terminal measures that the signal quality of the NTN cell is higher than the given threshold, it reports the measurement result.

[0209] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information. For example, the network device of the TN network sends the conditional handover configuration information of the NTN network to the terminal, and this conditional handover configuration information is the conditional handover configuration information for handover to the NTN network. When the handover trigger condition is met, the terminal can initiate the handover to the NTN network by itself without waiting for the handover instruction from the network side, so that the terminal can switch to the NTN network faster, save signaling overhead, and improve the handover success rate.

[0210] In some embodiments, the conditional handover configuration information includes a handover trigger condition based on first time information, and the first time information is the time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0211] For example, in the scenario of non - continuous coverage of the NTN network, the NTN network does not always cover the area where the terminal is located. The network device of the TN network can configure the conditional handover configuration information of the NTN network for the terminal based on the time information when the NTN network covers the terminal. This conditional handover configuration information includes a time - based handover trigger condition (for example, the handover trigger condition is a certain moment when the NTN network starts to cover the location or area where the terminal is located), and when this handover trigger condition is met, the terminal can initiate the handover to the NTN network.

[0212] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining the first time information based on the location information of the terminal; or receiving the first time information sent by the terminal.

[0213] For example, the network device of the TN network obtains the satellite coverage information of the NTN network through OAM, and the time information when the NTN network covers the terminal can be determined according to the location information of the terminal and the satellite coverage information of the NTN network. Alternatively, the network device of the TN network queries the NTN network for the time information when the NTN network covers the terminal based on the location information of the terminal.

[0214] For another example, the terminal obtains the time information when the NTN network covers the terminal from the NTN network, and then sends the time information to the TN network.

[0215] In some embodiments, sending the configuration information of the second network to the terminal includes: determining that the terminal tends to switch to the second network when the second network covers, and then sending the configuration information of the second network to the terminal.

[0216] For example, the network device of the TN network determines that the terminal tends to (such as hopes or is willing to) switch to the NTN network when the NTN network covers, and then sends the measurement configuration information of the NTN network or the conditional handover configuration information of the NTN network to the terminal, so that the terminal can switch to the NTN network when the NTN network covers.

[0217] In some embodiments, determining that the terminal tends to switch to the second network when the second network covers includes: determining that the terminal tends to switch to the second network when the second network covers based on the indication information sent by the terminal or the service type of the terminal.

[0218] For example, the terminal can send indication information to the TN network, and the indication information indicates that the terminal can or hopes or is willing to switch to the NTN network when the NTN network covers. The TN network determines that the terminal tends to switch to the second network when the second network covers according to the indication information, and then sends the measurement configuration information of the NTN network or the conditional handover configuration information of the NTN network to the terminal, so that the terminal can switch to the NTN network when the NTN network covers.

[0219] For example, some services can be defined, and for the terminals executing these services, they can all or all hope or all are willing to switch to the NTN network when the NTN network covers. The TN network can determine whether the terminal tends to switch to the second network when the second network covers according to the services executed by the terminal, and then decide whether to send the configuration information of the NTN network to the terminal.

[0220] In some embodiments, the method further includes: before receiving the indication information sent by the terminal, sending a query message to the terminal, and the query message is used to query the tendency of the terminal to switch to the second network when the second network covers.

[0221] For example, the TN network can send a query message to the terminal to ask whether the terminal can, wishes, or is willing to switch to the NTN network when the NTN network coverage arrives. Based on the query from the TN network, the terminal sends indication information to the TN network.

[0222] The methods provided in the embodiments of this application are based on the same inventive concept. Therefore, the implementation of each method can be referred to each other, and the repeated parts will not be elaborated.

[0223] The following uses examples of specific application scenarios to illustrate the methods provided in the above embodiments of this application.

[0224] Example 1: The TN network sends measurement configuration, and the TN network does not know the time information when the future NTN network coverage reaches the terminal.

[0225] Figure 6 For the interaction diagram of Example 1 provided in the embodiment of this application, as Figure 6 shown, its interaction process mainly includes:

[0226] 1. The TN network sends measurement configuration information of the NTN network, and the measurement configuration information includes the frequency information of the NTN network.

[0227] 2. The terminal receives the measurement configuration information of the NTN network and obtains the time information when the NTN network coverage reaches the terminal. When it is judged that the NTN cell coverage is about to arrive, the terminal starts to measure the NTN cell.

[0228] The method for the terminal to obtain the time information when the NTN network coverage reaches the terminal can be obtained by the terminal reading the SIB32 of the NTN cell. For example, the terminal has worked in the NTN cell before, or the terminal has received the SIB32 from the NTN cell during the communication gap of the TN cell.

[0229] 3. The terminal feeds back the measurement result to the TN network.

[0230] 4. The TN network switches the terminal to the NTN cell according to the measurement result fed back by the terminal.

[0231] Optionally, a new measurement reporting trigger event is defined: the signal quality of the NTN cell is higher than a given threshold.

[0232] Optionally, the TN network only sends the measurement configuration information of the NTN network when the terminal wishes or is willing (or the network wishes the terminal) to switch to the NTN cell.

[0233] Example 2: The TN network sends measurement configuration, and the TN network knows the time information when the future NTN network coverage reaches the terminal.

[0234] Figure 7This is the interaction diagram of Example 2 provided by the embodiments of the present application. As Figure 7 shown, its interaction process mainly includes:

[0235] 1. The TN network obtains the time information when the NTN network coverage reaches the terminal.

[0236] i. The TN network obtains the location information of the terminal.

[0237] ii. The TN network determines the time information when the NTN network coverage reaches the terminal according to the location information of the terminal. For example, the TN network obtains the satellite coverage information through OAM, or the TN network queries the NTN network for the time information when the NTN network coverage reaches the terminal.

[0238] 2. The TN network sends the measurement configuration information of the NTN network, and the measurement configuration information includes the frequency information of the NTN network. The time information when the NTN network coverage reaches the terminal can be carried in the measurement configuration information.

[0239] 3. The terminal receives the measurement configuration information of the NTN network and starts measuring the NTN cell before the NTN network coverage reaches the terminal.

[0240] 4. The terminal feeds back the measurement result to the TN network.

[0241] 5. The TN network switches the terminal to the NTN cell according to the measurement result fed back by the terminal.

[0242] Optionally, a new measurement reporting trigger event is defined: the signal quality of the NTN cell is higher than a given threshold.

[0243] Optionally, the TN network only sends the measurement configuration information of the NTN network when the terminal hopes or is willing (or the network hopes the terminal) to switch to the NTN cell.

[0244] Example 3: The TN network sends conditional handover configuration, and the TN network knows the time information when the future NTN network coverage reaches the terminal.

[0245] Figure 8 This is the interaction diagram of Example 3 provided by the embodiments of the present application. As Figure 8 shown, its interaction process mainly includes:

[0246] 1. The TN network obtains the time information when the NTN network coverage reaches the terminal.

[0247] a) Optionally, the TN network itself obtains the time information when the NTN network coverage reaches the terminal.

[0248] i. The TN network obtains the location information of the terminal.

[0249] ii. The TN network determines the time information when the NTN network coverage reaches the terminal according to the location information of the terminal. For example, the TN network obtains satellite coverage information through OAM, or the TN network queries the NTN network for the time information when the NTN network coverage reaches the terminal.

[0250] b) Optionally, the terminal obtains and reports the time information when the NTN network coverage reaches the terminal.

[0251] i. The terminal obtains the time information when the NTN network coverage reaches the terminal. The method for the terminal to obtain the time information when the NTN network coverage reaches the terminal can be obtained by the terminal reading the SIB32 of the NTN cell. For example, the terminal has worked in the NTN cell before, or the terminal has received SIB32 from the NTN cell during the communication gap of the TN cell.

[0252] ii. The terminal feeds back the obtained time information when the NTN network coverage reaches the terminal to the TN network.

[0253] 2. The TN network configures time-based conditional handover for the terminal, so that the terminal can switch to the NTN cell when the NTN network coverage reaches the location where the terminal is located.

[0254] 3. When the NTN network coverage reaches the location where the terminal is located, the terminal performs a handover and switches to the NTN cell.

[0255] The methods and devices provided in the embodiments of the present application are based on the same inventive concept. Since the principles for the methods and devices to solve problems are similar, the implementation of the device and the method can be referred to each other, and the repeated parts will not be described again.

[0256] Figure 9 The structural schematic diagram of the terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application is as Figure 9 shown. The terminal includes a memory 920, a transceiver 910, and a processor 900; among them, the processor 900 and the memory 920 can also be physically separated.

[0257] The memory 920 is used to store computer programs; the transceiver 910 is used to send and receive data under the control of the processor 900.

[0258] Specifically, the transceiver 910 is used to receive and send data under the control of the processor 900.

[0259] Among them, in Figure 9Among them, the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically, various circuits of one or more processors represented by the processor 900 and the memory represented by the memory 920 are linked together. The bus architecture may also link together various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art, and thus, the present application will not further describe them. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 910 may be multiple components, that is, including a transmitter and a receiver, and provides a unit for communicating with various other devices on a transmission medium, and these transmission media include transmission media such as wireless channels, wired channels, and optical cables. For different user devices, the user interface 930 may also be an interface capable of externally connecting and internally connecting required devices, and the connected devices include but are not limited to a keypad, a display, a speaker, a microphone, a joystick, etc.

[0260] The processor 900 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 920 may store data used by the processor 900 when performing operations.

[0261] The processor 900 may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), and the processor may also adopt a multi-core architecture.

[0262] The processor 900 is used to execute any of the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application by calling the computer program stored in the memory 920 according to the obtained executable instructions, for example: obtaining configuration information of a second network from a first network; according to the configuration information of the second network, performing a first operation, and the first operation includes at least one of the following: starting to measure the second network, starting to switch to the second network.

[0263] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information.

[0264] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0265] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0266] Obtaining time information when the second network covers the terminal from the second network.

[0267] In some embodiments, according to the configuration information of the second network, performing the first operation includes:

[0268] Start measuring the second network according to the measurement configuration information and the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

[0269] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes a measurement reporting trigger event, and the trigger condition of the measurement reporting trigger event is that the cell signal quality of the second network is higher than a first threshold.

[0270] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information.

[0271] In some embodiments, the conditional handover configuration information includes a handover trigger condition based on first time information, and the first time information is the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

[0272] In some embodiments, according to the configuration information of the second network, perform a first operation, including:

[0273] According to the conditional handover configuration information, start a handover to the second network when the handover trigger condition is met.

[0274] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0275] Send the first time information to the first network.

[0276] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0277] Send indication information to the first network, and the indication information is used to indicate the tendency of the terminal to handover to the second network when covered by the second network.

[0278] In some embodiments, sending the indication information to the first network includes:

[0279] Based on the query message sent by the first network, send the indication information to the first network.

[0280] In some embodiments, the first network is a terrestrial network and the second network is a non-terrestrial network.

[0281] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the structure of the network device of the first network provided by the embodiments of the present application, as Figure 10 shown, the network device includes a memory 1020, a transceiver 1010, and a processor 1000; wherein, the processor 1000 and the memory 1020 may also be physically separated.

[0282] The memory 1020 is used to store computer programs; the transceiver 1010 is used to transmit and receive data under the control of the processor 1000.

[0283] Specifically, the transceiver 1010 is used to receive and send data under the control of the processor 1000.

[0284] Among them, in Figure 10 , the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically, various circuits represented by one or more processors represented by the processor 1000 and the memory represented by the memory 1020 are linked together. The bus architecture can also link together various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art. Therefore, the present application will not further describe them. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 1010 can be multiple components, that is, including a transmitter and a receiver, and provides a unit for communicating with various other devices on a transmission medium, and these transmission mediums include wireless channels, wired channels, optical fiber cables, and other transmission mediums.

[0285] The processor 1000 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 1020 can store the data used by the processor 1000 when executing operations.

[0286] The processor 1000 can be a CPU, ASIC, FPGA, or CPLD, and the processor can also adopt a multi-core architecture.

[0287] The processor 1000 is used to execute any of the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application by calling the computer program stored in the memory 1020 according to the obtained executable instructions, for example: sending the configuration information of the second network to the terminal.

[0288] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information.

[0289] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes the time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0290] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes a measurement reporting trigger event, and the trigger condition of the measurement reporting trigger event is: the cell signal quality of the second network is higher than the first threshold.

[0291] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information.

[0292] In some embodiments, the conditional handover configuration information includes a handover trigger condition based on the first time information, and the first time information is the time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0293] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0294] Determining the first time information based on the location information of the terminal; or,

[0295] Receiving the first time information sent by the terminal.

[0296] In some embodiments, sending configuration information of a second network to a terminal includes:

[0297] Determining that the terminal tends to switch to the second network when the second network is covered, and then sending the configuration information of the second network to the terminal.

[0298] In some embodiments, determining that the terminal tends to switch to the second network when the second network is covered includes:

[0299] Based on indication information sent by the terminal or the service type of the terminal, determining that the terminal tends to switch to the second network when the second network is covered.

[0300] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0301] Before receiving the indication information sent by the terminal, sending a query message to the terminal, where the query message is used to query the tendency of the terminal to switch to the second network when the second network is covered.

[0302] It should be noted here that the above terminal and network device provided by the embodiments of the present application can implement all the method steps implemented by the above method embodiments and can achieve the same technical effects. Therefore, the same parts and beneficial effects as those in the method embodiments will not be specifically described in this embodiment.

[0303] Figure 11 FIG. is one of the schematic structural diagrams of the handover device provided by the embodiments of the present application. As Figure 11 shown, the device includes:

[0304] An obtaining unit 1100, configured to obtain configuration information of a second network from a first network;

[0305] An execution unit 1110, configured to perform a first operation according to the configuration information of the second network, where the first operation includes at least one of the following: starting measurement of the second network, starting handover to the second network.

[0306] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information.

[0307] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0308] In some embodiments, the obtaining unit 1100 is further configured to:

[0309] Obtain time information when the second network covers the terminal from the second network.

[0310] In some embodiments, performing the first operation according to the configuration information of the second network includes:

[0311] Start the measurement of the second network according to the measurement configuration information and the time information of the second network coverage terminal.

[0312] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes a measurement reporting trigger event, and the trigger condition of the measurement reporting trigger event is that the cell signal quality of the second network is higher than the first threshold.

[0313] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information.

[0314] In some embodiments, the conditional handover configuration information includes a handover trigger condition based on the first time information, and the first time information is the time information of the second network coverage terminal.

[0315] In some embodiments, perform a first operation according to the configuration information of the second network, including:

[0316] According to the conditional handover configuration information, start the handover to the second network when the handover trigger condition is met.

[0317] In some embodiments, the device further includes:

[0318] A first sending unit, configured to send the first time information to the first network.

[0319] In some embodiments, the device further includes:

[0320] A second sending unit, configured to send indication information to the first network, where the indication information is used to indicate the tendency of the terminal to hand over to the second network when covered by the second network.

[0321] In some embodiments, sending the indication information to the first network includes:

[0322] Based on the query message sent by the first network, send the indication information to the first network.

[0323] In some embodiments, the first network is a terrestrial network and the second network is a non-terrestrial network.

[0324] Figure 12 This is the second structural schematic diagram of the handover device provided by the embodiments of the present application. As Figure 12 shown, the device includes:

[0325] A third sending unit 1200, configured to send the configuration information of the second network to the terminal.

[0326] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information.

[0327] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes the time information of the second network coverage terminal.

[0328] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information includes a measurement reporting trigger event, and the trigger condition of the measurement reporting trigger event is that the cell signal quality of the second network is higher than a first threshold.

[0329] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information.

[0330] In some embodiments, the conditional handover configuration information includes a handover trigger condition based on first time information, and the first time information is the time information when the second network covers the terminal.

[0331] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes:

[0332] a determination unit, configured to determine the first time information based on the location information of the terminal; or,

[0333] a receiving unit, configured to receive the first time information sent by the terminal.

[0334] In some embodiments, sending the configuration information of the second network to the terminal includes:

[0335] If it is determined that the terminal tends to hand over to the second network when covered by the second network, send the configuration information of the second network to the terminal.

[0336] In some embodiments, determining that the terminal tends to hand over to the second network when covered by the second network includes:

[0337] Based on the indication information sent by the terminal or the service type of the terminal, determine that the terminal tends to hand over to the second network when covered by the second network.

[0338] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes:

[0339] a fourth sending unit, configured to send a query message to the terminal before receiving the indication information sent by the terminal, where the query message is used to query the tendency of the terminal to hand over to the second network when covered by the second network.

[0340] It should be noted that the division of units in the embodiments of the present application is illustrative, and is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. In addition, in each embodiment of the present application, each functional unit may be integrated in a processing unit, or each unit may exist physically alone, or two or more units may be integrated in one unit. The above integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0341] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a processor-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of this technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for causing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) or a processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media such as USB flash drives, mobile hard disks, read-only memories (ROM), random access memories (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical discs that can store program codes.

[0342] It should be noted here that the above-mentioned device provided in the embodiments of this application can implement all the method steps implemented in the above-mentioned method embodiments and can achieve the same technical effects. The same parts and beneficial effects as those in the method embodiments will not be specifically described in this embodiment.

[0343] On the other hand, the embodiments of this application also provide a non-transitory readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a processor to execute the switching method provided in the above-mentioned various embodiments.

[0344] It should be noted here that the non-transitory readable storage medium provided in the embodiments of this application can implement all the method steps implemented in the above-mentioned method embodiments and can achieve the same technical effects. The same parts and beneficial effects as those in the method embodiments will not be specifically described in this embodiment.

[0345] The non-transitory readable storage medium can be any available medium or data storage device accessible by a computer, including but not limited to magnetic memories (such as floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, magneto-optical discs (MO), etc.), optical memories (such as CDs, DVDs, BDs, HVDs, etc.), and semiconductor memories (such as ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, non-volatile memories (NANDFLASH), solid-state drives (SSD)).

[0346] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application can be applied to a variety of systems, especially 5G systems. For example, the applicable systems can be Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM) systems, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) systems, Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) systems, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) systems, 5G New Radio (NR) systems, etc. Both terminal devices and network devices are included in these various systems. The system may also include a core network part, such as an Evolved Packet System (EPS), a 5G System (5GS), etc.

[0347] The terminal involved in the embodiments of the present application may be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to users, such as a handheld device with wireless connection capabilities, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, etc. In different systems, the name of the terminal may also be different. For example, in a 5G system, the terminal may be referred to as a user equipment (UE). The wireless terminal device can communicate with one or more core networks (CNs) via a radio access network (RAN). The wireless terminal device can be a mobile terminal device, such as a mobile phone (or a "cellular" phone) and a computer with a mobile terminal device. For example, it can be a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-integrated, or vehicle-mounted mobile device that exchanges voice and / or data with the radio access network. For example, devices such as personal communication service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session initiated protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, and personal digital assistants (PDAs). The wireless terminal device can also be referred to as a system, a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile, a remote station, an access point, a remote terminal device, an access terminal device, a user terminal device, a user agent, or a user device, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0348] The network device involved in the embodiments of this application can be a base station, which can include multiple cells that provide services to terminals. Depending on the specific application scenarios, the base station can also be referred to as an access point, or it can be a device in the access network that communicates with wireless terminal devices through one or more sectors over the air interface, or other names. The network device can be used to mutually replace the received air frames and Internet Protocol (IP) packets, acting as a router between the wireless terminal device and the rest of the access network, where the rest of the access network can include an Internet Protocol (IP) communication network. The network device can also coordinate the management of the attributes of the air interface. For example, the network device involved in the embodiments of this application can be a network device (Base Transceiver Station, BTS) in a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), or it can be a network device (NodeB) in Wide-band Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), or it can also be an evolved network device (evolutional Node B, eNB or e-NodeB) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, a 5G base station (gNB) in a 5G network architecture (next generation system), or it can be a Home evolved Node B (HeNB), a relay node, a femto, a pico, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit this. In some network architectures, the network device can include a centralized unit (centralized unit, CU) node and a distributed unit (distributed unit, DU) node, and the centralized unit and the distributed unit can also be arranged separately geographically.

[0349] The network device and the terminal can each use one or more antennas for Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) transmission, and the MIMO transmission can be Single User MIMO (SU-MIMO) or Multiple User MIMO (MU-MIMO). Depending on the form and quantity of the combined root antennas, the MIMO transmission can be 2D-MIMO, 3D-MIMO, FD-MIMO or massive-MIMO, or it can also be diversity transmission, precoding transmission, beamforming transmission, etc.

[0350] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Moreover, the present application can take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk memories and optical memories, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0351] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatuses (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that each flow and / or block in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of flows and / or blocks in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer-executable instructions. These computer-executable instructions can be provided to the processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing devices to generate a machine, such that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing devices generate means for implementing the functions specified in Figure 1 one flow or multiple flows and / or blocks Figure 1 one block or multiple blocks.

[0352] These processor-executable instructions can also be stored in a processor-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to work in a specific manner, such that the instructions stored in the processor-readable memory generate a manufactured article including instruction means that implement the functions specified in Figure 1 one flow or multiple flows and / or blocks Figure 1 one block or multiple blocks.

[0353] These processor-executable instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device, such that a series of operation steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to generate a computer-implemented process, thereby the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in Figure 1 one flow or multiple flows and / or blocks Figure 1 one block or multiple blocks.

[0354] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalent technologies, the present application is also intended to include these changes and modifications.

Claims

1. A handover method, characterized in that, applied to a terminal, comprising: obtaining configuration information of a second network from a first network; performing a first operation according to the configuration information of the second network, the first operation including at least one of the following: starting measurement of the second network, starting handover to the second network.

2. The handover method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information.

3. The handover method according to claim 2, characterized in that, the measurement configuration information includes time information of the second network covering the terminal.

4. The handover method according to claim 2, characterized in that, the method further comprises: obtaining the time information of the second network covering the terminal from the second network.

5. The handover method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, performing the first operation according to the configuration information of the second network includes: starting measurement of the second network according to the measurement configuration information and the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

6. The handover method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, the measurement configuration information includes a measurement reporting trigger event, and the trigger condition of the measurement reporting trigger event is: the cell signal quality of the second network is higher than a first threshold.

7. The handover method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information.

8. The handover method according to claim 7, characterized in that, the conditional handover configuration information includes a handover trigger condition based on first time information, and the first time information is the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

9. The handover method according to claim 8, characterized in that, performing the first operation according to the configuration information of the second network includes: starting handover to the second network according to the conditional handover configuration information when the handover trigger condition is satisfied.

10. The handover method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, the method further comprises: sending the first time information to the first network.

11. The handover method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the method further comprises: sending indication information to the first network, the indication information being used to indicate the tendency of the terminal to handover to the second network when the second network covers.

12. The handover method according to claim 11, characterized in that, sending the indication information to the first network includes: sending the indication information to the first network based on a query message sent by the first network.

13. The handover method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the first network is a terrestrial network and the second network is a non-terrestrial network.

14. A handover method, characterized in that, applied to a network device of a first network, comprising: sending configuration information of a second network to a terminal.

15. The handover method according to claim 14, characterized in that, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information.

16. The handover method according to claim 15, wherein, the measurement configuration information includes the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

17. The handover method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein, the measurement configuration information includes a measurement reporting trigger event, and the trigger condition of the measurement reporting trigger event is that the cell signal quality of the second network is higher than a first threshold.

18. The handover method according to claim 14, wherein, the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information.

19. The handover method according to claim 18, wherein, the conditional handover configuration information includes a handover trigger condition based on first time information, and the first time information is the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

20. The handover method according to claim 19, wherein, the method further includes: determining the first time information based on the location information of the terminal; or, receiving the first time information sent by the terminal.

21. The handover method according to any one of claims 14 to 16 or any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein, sending the configuration information of the second network to the terminal includes: determining that the terminal is inclined to hand over to the second network when covered by the second network, and then sending the configuration information of the second network to the terminal.

22. The handover method according to claim 21, wherein, determining that the terminal is inclined to hand over to the second network when covered by the second network includes: determining that the terminal is inclined to hand over to the second network when covered by the second network based on the indication information sent by the terminal or the service type of the terminal.

23. The handover method according to claim 22, wherein, the method further includes: before receiving the indication information sent by the terminal, sending a query message to the terminal, and the query message is used to query the tendency of the terminal to hand over to the second network when covered by the second network.

24. A terminal, wherein, it includes a memory, a transceiver, and a processor; the memory is used to store a computer program; the transceiver is used to transmit and receive data under the control of the processor; the processor is used to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: obtaining the configuration information of the second network from the first network; performing a first operation according to the configuration information of the second network, and the first operation includes at least one of the following: starting to measure the second network, starting to hand over to the second network.

25. The terminal according to claim 24, wherein, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information.

26. The terminal according to claim 25, wherein, the measurement configuration information includes the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

27. The terminal according to claim 25, wherein, the operation further includes: obtaining the time information of the second network covering the terminal from the second network.

28. The terminal according to claim 26 or 27, It is characterized in that performing a first operation according to the configuration information of the second network, including: starting to measure the second network according to the measurement configuration information and the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

29. The terminal according to claim 24, it is characterized in that the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information.

30. The terminal according to claim 29, it is characterized in that the conditional handover configuration information includes a handover trigger condition based on first time information, and the first time information is the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

31. The terminal according to claim 30, it is characterized in that performing a first operation according to the configuration information of the second network, including: starting to hand over to the second network according to the conditional handover configuration information when the handover trigger condition is satisfied.

32. The terminal according to claim 30 or 31, it is characterized in that the operation further includes: sending the first time information to the first network.

33. A network device of a first network, it is characterized in that it includes a memory, a transceiver, and a processor; the memory is used for storing a computer program; the transceiver is used for transceiving data under the control of the processor; the processor is used for reading the computer program in the memory and performing the following operations: sending the configuration information of the second network to the terminal.

34. The network device according to claim 33, it is characterized in that the configuration information includes measurement configuration information.

35. The network device according to claim 34, it is characterized in that the measurement configuration information includes the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

36. The network device according to claim 33, it is characterized in that the configuration information includes conditional handover configuration information.

37. The network device according to claim 36, it is characterized in that the conditional handover configuration information includes a handover trigger condition based on first time information, and the first time information is the time information of the second network covering the terminal.

38. The network device according to claim 37, it is characterized in that the operation further includes: determining the first time information based on the location information of the terminal; or receiving the first time information sent by the terminal.

39. A handover device, it is characterized in that it includes: an obtaining unit, configured to obtain the configuration information of the second network from the first network; an execution unit, configured to perform a first operation according to the configuration information of the second network, and the first operation includes at least one of the following: starting to measure the second network, starting to hand over to the second network.

40. A handover device, it is characterized in that it includes: a third sending unit, configured to send the configuration information of the second network to the terminal.

41. A non-transitory readable storage medium, it is characterized in that the non-transitory readable storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to cause a processor to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

42. A non-transitory readable storage medium, it is characterized in that The non-transitory readable storage medium stores a computer program for causing a processor to execute the method according to any one of claims 14 to 23.

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