Communication method and communication device

Abstract

The invention discloses a communication method and a communication device, and relates to the technical field of satellite communication. In the method, a network device sends first information used for indicating satellite information of at least two areas to a terminal device, the at least two areas comprise a target area of the terminal device, and the terminal device can determine the satellite information of the target area according to the first information. And the strategy for re-searching the satellite network can be determined according to the satellite information of the target area, so that the terminal equipment can selectively re-search the satellite network, the situation that the terminal equipment blindly searches the satellite network is avoided, and the overall power consumption when the terminal equipment re-searches the satellite network can be supported to be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of satellite communication technology, and more specifically, to a communication method and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] Compared with terrestrial networks, satellite networks have their own unique advantages. For example, they can provide a wider coverage area, such as providing communication services to areas that cannot be covered by terrestrial networks, such as oceans and forests; for example, they are not easily damaged by natural disasters or external forces, etc.

[0003] In satellite communication scenarios, satellites can provide communication services for terminal devices. Since satellites do not stay in one location for a long time, when a terminal device moves and moves to a new location, the terminal device may need to re-search the satellite network in order to restore the connection with the satellite network or establish a connection with a new satellite network. In the above process, the overall power consumption of the terminal device when re-searching the satellite network may be very large. Therefore, how to reduce the overall power consumption of the terminal device when re-searching the satellite network is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a communication method and a communication device, which can support reducing the overall power consumption of a terminal device when re-searching a satellite network.

[0005] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, comprising: receiving first information, the first information being used to indicate satellite information of at least two areas, the at least two areas including a target area of ​​a terminal device; and determining the satellite information of the target area according to the first information.

[0006] The execution subject of the solution described in the first aspect may be a terminal device, or a module in the terminal device (such as a chip system, etc.), or a logical node, logical module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the terminal device, without limitation. For ease of description, the following description is based on a terminal device as an example.

[0007] In the above scheme, the terminal device can obtain the first information from the network device, the first information indicates the satellite information of at least two areas, or the first information indicates the satellite information corresponding to at least two areas, the at least two areas include the target area of ​​the terminal device, or the target area of ​​the terminal device is one or more areas of the at least two areas mentioned above, and the terminal device can determine the satellite information of the target area according to the first information. When the terminal device moves to the target area, the corresponding satellite communication can be performed according to the satellite information of the target area.

[0008] Compared with the solution where the terminal device conducts extensive satellite network searches after moving to the target area, the above solution enables the terminal device to re-search the satellite network targeted based on the satellite information of the acquired target area. For example, if the satellite information of the target area indicates that the target area is always within the coverage of the satellite, the terminal device can smoothly access the satellite network; for another example, if the satellite information of the target area indicates that the corresponding satellite of the target area will appear within a certain period of time, the terminal device can re-search the satellite network during this time, which can effectively reduce the overall power consumption when the terminal device re-searches the satellite network, etc.

[0009] In summary, by indicating the satellite information of at least two areas, the terminal device can determine the satellite information of the target area based on the satellite information of the at least two above-mentioned areas, and can re-search the satellite network according to the satellite information of the target area. In this way, the overall power consumption when the terminal device re-searches the satellite network can be effectively reduced.

[0010] In the first aspect, the method further includes: performing satellite communication according to the satellite information of the target area.

[0011] After the terminal device moves to the target area, it can re-search the satellite network according to the satellite information of the target area and perform satellite communication based on the re-searched satellite network, which can support meeting the satellite communication requirements of the terminal device.

[0012] In the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving second information, where the second information is used to indicate activating a first transmission configuration indication state in a set of transmission configuration indication states, and each transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states is associated with a satellite information, and the first transmission configuration indication state is associated with the target area; activating the first transmission configuration indication state according to the second information.

[0013] By associating the transmission configuration indication state and the satellite information, when the terminal device needs to switch satellite devices, the terminal device can realize the switching between satellite devices based on the switching between the transmission configuration indication states, which can effectively reduce the signaling indication overhead. For example, if the transmission configuration indication state and the satellite information are not associated, after the terminal device switches to a new satellite device, the terminal device needs to perform signaling interaction with the new satellite device to achieve access to the new satellite device. When the transmission configuration indication state and the satellite information are associated, the network device only needs to send the second information to the terminal device and does not need to send other signaling to the terminal device. The terminal device switches to the new transmission configuration indication state according to the indication of the second information. In this way, the signaling interaction overhead during satellite device switching can be effectively reduced.

[0014] After the terminal device moves to the target area, the network device may indicate to the terminal device to activate the first transmission configuration indication status corresponding to the target area. After the terminal device activates the first transmission configuration indication status according to the indication of the network device, the terminal device may perform satellite communication according to the satellite information corresponding to the first transmission configuration indication status.

[0015] In the first aspect, the method further includes: performing uplink synchronization according to the satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication status.

[0016] In this way, it is possible to support the uplink synchronization between the terminal device and the satellite network after the movement is completed.

[0017] In the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving third information, where the third information is used to configure the set of transmission configuration indication statuses.

[0018] After the network device configures or indicates to the terminal device a set of transmission configuration indication statuses including at least two transmission configuration indication statuses, the terminal device may activate a specified first transmission configuration indication status from the set of transmission configuration indication statuses according to the indication of the network device.

[0019] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, including: determining first information, where the first information is used to indicate the satellite information of at least two areas, and the at least two areas include the target area of the terminal device; sending the first information to the terminal device.

[0020] The execution subject of the solution in the second aspect may be a network device, or a module in the network device (such as a chip system, etc.), or a logical node, logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the network device, and this is not limited. For ease of description, the network device is used as an example for description below.

[0021] In the above solution, the network device may send the first information to the terminal device, where the first information indicates the satellite information of at least two areas, or the first information indicates the satellite information corresponding to at least two areas, and the at least two areas include the target area of the terminal device, or the target area of the terminal device is one or more of the foregoing at least two areas, and the terminal device may determine the satellite information of the target area according to the first information. After the terminal device moves to the target area, it may perform corresponding satellite communication according to the satellite information of the target area.

[0022] Compared with the solution where the terminal device conducts extensive satellite network searches after moving to the target area, the above solution enables the terminal device to re-search the satellite network in a targeted manner based on the satellite information of the target area that has been obtained. For example, if the satellite information of the target area indicates that the target area is always within the coverage of the satellite, the terminal device does not need to consume a large amount of power to re-search the satellite network; for another example, if the satellite information of the target area indicates that the satellite corresponding to the target area will appear within a specified time, the terminal device can re-search the satellite network within that specified time, which can effectively reduce the overall power consumption when the terminal device re-searches the satellite network, and so on.

[0023] In summary, by indicating the satellite information of at least two areas, the terminal device can determine the satellite information of the target area based on the satellite information of the at least two areas described above, and can re-search the satellite network according to the satellite information of the target area. In this way, the overall power consumption when the terminal device re-searches the satellite network can be effectively reduced.

[0024] In the second aspect, the method further includes: sending a second message, where the second message is used to indicate activating a first transmission configuration indication state in a set of transmission configuration indication states, and each transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states is associated with a satellite information, and the first transmission configuration indication state is associated with the target area.

[0025] By associating the transmission configuration indication states and the satellite information, when the terminal device needs to switch satellite devices, the terminal device can achieve the switching between satellite devices based on the switching between the transmission configuration indication states, which can effectively reduce the signaling indication overhead. For example, if the transmission configuration indication states and the satellite information are not associated, when the terminal device switches to a new satellite device, the terminal device needs to perform signaling interaction with the new satellite device to achieve access to the new satellite device. When the transmission configuration indication states and the satellite information are associated, the network device only needs to send a second message to the terminal device, without sending other signaling to the terminal device. The terminal device switches to the new transmission configuration indication state according to the indication of the second message. In this way, the signaling interaction overhead during satellite device switching can be effectively reduced.

[0026] In the second aspect, the method further includes: sending a third message, where the third message is used to configure the set of transmission configuration indication states.

[0027] After the network device configures or indicates a set of transmission configuration indication states including at least two transmission configuration indication states to the terminal device, the terminal device can activate a specified first transmission configuration indication state from the set of transmission configuration indication states according to the indication of the network device.

[0028] Combined with the method described in any one of the first aspect and the second aspect, at least two regions include one or more of the first region, the second region, and the third region; the first region is a region where the terminal device can always receive satellite services; the second region is a region where the terminal device can receive satellite services within a first period of time; the third region is a region where the terminal device cannot receive satellite services.

[0029] By determining the characteristics of different types of regions, the terminal device can determine a suitable satellite network search strategy according to the characteristics of different types of regions. For example, if the target region is the first region, the terminal device can easily search for a satellite network; for another example, if the target region is the second region, the terminal device can search for the satellite network within the first period of time, which can prevent the terminal device from always being in the satellite network search state, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the terminal device; for yet another example, if the target region is the third region, the terminal device does not need to search for a satellite network, which can reduce the overall power consumption of the terminal device.

[0030] Combined with the method described in any one of the first aspect and the second aspect, the satellite information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the satellite, ephemeris information of the satellite, service time of the satellite, visible time of the satellite, coverage area of the satellite, or identification information of an associated area.

[0031] The terminal device can determine a suitable satellite network re-search strategy through one or more of the above parameters or content, thereby supporting the reduction of the overall power consumption when the terminal device re-searches for a satellite network.

[0032] Combined with the method described in any one of the first aspect and the second aspect, the second information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the first transmission configuration indication state, identification information of the satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication state, or identification information of the satellite corresponding to the first transmission configuration indication state.

[0033] In this way, the terminal device can determine the transmission configuration indication state that needs to be activated according to one or more of the above.

[0034] Combined with the method described in any one of the first aspect and the second aspect, the second information is further used to indicate deactivation of the second transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states.

[0035] In this way, the terminal device can deactivate the second transmission configuration indication state, preventing the terminal device from continuing to utilize or activate the second transmission configuration indication state after activating the first transmission configuration indication state, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the terminal device.

[0036] In a third aspect, a communication system is provided, including: a terminal device and a network device. The network device is configured to determine first information and further configured to send the first information to the terminal device, where the first information is used to indicate satellite information of at least two regions, and the at least two regions include a target region of the terminal device; the terminal device is configured to receive the first information and determine the satellite information of the target region according to the first information.

[0037] The above-mentioned terminal device and network device can also be respectively configured to execute the methods described in the first aspect and the second aspect.

[0038] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, which can be a terminal device, or a device or module for performing the functions of a terminal device, etc.

[0039] In a possible implementation, the communication device may include modules or units corresponding one by one to the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect, and the modules or units can be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0040] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, which can be a network device, or a device or module for performing the functions of a network device, etc.

[0041] In a possible implementation, the communication device may include modules or units corresponding one by one to the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect, and the modules or units can be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0042] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes: a transceiver unit configured to receive first information, where the first information is used to indicate satellite information of at least two regions, and the at least two regions include a target region of the terminal device; a processing unit configured to determine the satellite information of the target region according to the first information.

[0043] The above-mentioned communication device can also be configured to execute the solutions of the methods described in the foregoing first aspect and any possible manner in the first aspect, which will not be elaborated here.

[0044] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes: a processing unit configured to determine first information, where the first information is used to indicate satellite information of at least two regions, and the at least two regions include a target region of the terminal device; a transceiver unit configured to send the first information to the terminal device.

[0045] The above-mentioned communication device can also be configured to execute the solutions of the methods described in the foregoing second aspect and any possible manner in the second aspect, which will not be elaborated here.

[0046] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a processor configured to cause the communication device to execute the method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first aspect by executing a computer program or instruction, or by means of a logic circuit; or to cause the communication device to execute the method described in the second aspect and any possible implementation manner of the second aspect.

[0047] In a possible implementation manner, the communication device further includes a memory configured to store the computer program or instruction.

[0048] In a possible implementation manner, the communication device further includes a communication interface configured to input and / or output signals.

[0049] In a ninth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a logic circuit and an input / output interface. The input / output interface is configured to input and / or output signals. The logic circuit is configured to execute the method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first aspect; or the logic circuit is configured to execute the method described in the second aspect and any possible implementation manner of the second aspect.

[0050] In a tenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, having a computer program or instruction stored thereon. When the computer program or the instruction runs on a computer, it causes the method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first aspect to be executed; or it causes the method described in the second aspect and any possible implementation manner of the second aspect to be executed.

[0051] In an eleventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, including instructions. When the instructions run on a computer, it causes the method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first aspect to be executed; or it causes the method described in the second aspect and any possible implementation manner of the second aspect to be executed.

[0052] In a twelfth aspect, a chip system is provided. The chip is connected to a memory. The chip is configured to read and execute a software program stored in the memory to execute the method described in the first aspect and any possible manner of the first aspect as described above; or to execute the method described in the second aspect and any possible manner of the second aspect as described above.

[0053] In a thirteenth aspect, a chip system is provided. The chip system includes: a communication interface configured to communicate with other devices; a processor configured to cause a communication device installed with the chip system to execute the method described in the first aspect and any possible manner of the first aspect as described above; or to cause a communication device installed with the chip system to execute the method described in the second aspect and any possible manner of the second aspect as described above.

[0054] In a fourteenth aspect, a chip system is provided. The chip system includes a processor, a memory, and an input / output port. The memory is used to store a computer program. The processor is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory, so that the processor executes the method described in the first aspect and any possible manner in the first aspect; or, so that the processor executes the method described in the second aspect and any possible manner in the second aspect.

[0055] In a fifteenth aspect, a chip system is provided. The chip system is applied to an electronic device. The chip system includes one or more processors. The processor is used to call computer instructions to cause the electronic device to execute the method described in the first aspect and any possible manner in the first aspect; or, the processor is used to call computer instructions to cause the electronic device to execute the method described in the second aspect and any possible manner in the second aspect.

[0056] For the description of the beneficial effects of any aspect among the third aspect to the fifteenth aspect, reference can be made to the description of the beneficial effects of the first aspect and the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0058] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an embodiment of the present application.

[0059] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an interaction process of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0060] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the movement of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0061] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an interaction process of another communication method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0062] Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0063] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0064] Next, the technical solutions in the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0065] For the convenience of understanding the embodiments of the present application, the following points are first explained.

[0066] 1. Unless otherwise specified, "at least two or more" means two or more.

[0067] 2. Without special specification and logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions among different embodiments of this application are consistent and can be referenced to each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0068] 3. The various digital numbers involved in this application are only for the convenience of description and do not limit the protection scope of this application. The magnitudes of the serial numbers involved in this application do not imply the sequence of execution. The execution sequence of each process should be determined by its function and inherent logic. For example, the terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth" and other various term numbers in the specification, claims and drawings of this application (if any) are used to distinguish similar objects and do not necessarily describe a specific sequence or order. Among them, such data can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances so that the embodiments described here can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described here.

[0069] At the same time, any embodiment or design solution described in this application as "exemplarily" or "for example" should not be construed as being more preferred or having more advantages than other embodiments or design solutions. Exactly speaking, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present relevant concepts in a specific way for easy understanding.

[0070] 4. The terms "comprising" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that comprises a series of steps or units does not necessarily have to be limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0071] 5. In this application, "for indicating" can be understood as "enabling", and "enabling" can include direct enabling and indirect enabling. When describing that a certain piece of information is used to enable A, it can include that this information directly enables A or indirectly enables A, and it does not mean that A must be carried in this information.

[0072] The information enabled by information is called the information to be enabled. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to enable the information to be enabled. For example, but not limited to, the information to be enabled can be directly enabled, such as the information to be enabled itself or its index. It is also possible to indirectly enable the information to be enabled by enabling other information, where there is an association relationship between the other information and the information to be enabled. It is also possible to only enable a part of the information to be enabled, while the other parts of the information to be enabled are known or pre-agreed. For example, it is also possible to use the arrangement order of each piece of information pre-agreed (such as protocol regulations) to enable specific information, thereby reducing the enabling overhead to a certain extent. At the same time, it is also possible to identify the common parts of each piece of information and enable them uniformly to reduce the enabling overhead caused by enabling the same information separately.

[0073] VI. In this application, "pre-configuration" may include pre-definition. For example, protocol definition. Among them, "pre-definition" can be implemented by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables or other ways that can be used to indicate relevant information in devices (such as including each network element). This application does not limit its specific implementation method.

[0074] VII. The "storage" or "saving" involved in this application may refer to being stored in one or more memories. The one or more memories can be set separately or integrated in an encoder or decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The one or more memories can also be partly set separately and partly integrated in a decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The type of the memory can be any form of storage medium, and this is not limited.

[0075] VIII. The "protocol" involved in this application may refer to the standard protocol in the communication field. For example, it may include the fourth-generation (4 th generation, 4G) network, the fifth-generation (5 th generation, 5G) network protocol, the NR protocol, the 5.5G network protocol, the sixth-generation (6 th generation, 6G) network protocol, and the relevant protocols applied to future communication systems. This application does not limit this.

[0076] IX. In the schematic diagrams in the attached drawings of this application specification, the arrows or boxes shown by dashed lines represent optional steps or optional modules.

[0077] X. Unless otherwise specified, " / " indicates that the objects associated before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B may represent A or B. The "and / or" in this application is merely a description of the association relationship of the 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. Here, A and B may be singular or plural.

[0078] XI. In this application, "indicate" may include direct indication, indirect indication, display indication, and implicit indication. When it is described that a certain indication information is used to indicate A, it can be understood that the indication information carries A, directly indicates A, or indirectly indicates A.

[0079] In this application, the information indicated by the indication information is called the information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated. For example, but not limited to, the information to be indicated can be directly indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or the index of the information to be indicated, etc. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be indicated by indicating other information, where there is an association relationship between the other information and the information to be indicated. It can also only indicate a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts of the information to be indicated are known or pre-agreed. For example, the indication of specific information can also be achieved by relying on the arrangement order of each piece of information pre-agreed (such as protocol regulations), thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent. In addition, the information to be indicated can be sent as a whole, or can be divided into multiple sub-information and sent separately, and the sending period and / or sending timing of these sub-information can be the same or different.

[0080] XII. In this application, "send" and "receive" represent the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information is XX, which may include directly sending through the air interface, and also includes indirectly sending by other units or modules through the air interface. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information is YY, which may include directly receiving from YY through the air interface, and may also include indirectly receiving from YY through the air interface by other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface. In other words, sending and receiving can be carried out between devices. For example, between a network device and a terminal device, or can also be carried out within a device. For example, sending or receiving between components, modules, chips, software modules or hardware modules within a device through a bus, trace or interface.

[0081] First, a communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application is described.

[0082] The technical solutions provided by this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: the fifth generation (5th systems such as the 5th generation (5G) or New Radio (NR) system, Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system, and LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) system.

[0083] The technical solution provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems such as the sixth generation of mobile communication systems.

[0084] The technical solution provided in this application can also be applied to device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems.

[0085] The terminal devices in the embodiments of this application include various devices with wireless communication functions, which can be used to connect people, things, machines, etc. Terminal devices can be widely applied to various scenarios, such as: cellular communication, D2D, V2X, peer-to-peer (P2P), M2M, MTC, IoT, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, remote medical treatment, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart city drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery, and other scenarios. The terminal device can be a terminal in any of the above scenarios, such as an MTC terminal, an IoT terminal, etc. The terminal device can be a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3 rdUser equipment (UE), terminal, fixed device, mobile station device, or mobile device, subscriber unit, handheld device, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, cellular phone, smart phone, SIP phone, wireless data card, personal digital assistant (PDA), computer, tablet computer, laptop computer, wireless modem, handset, laptop computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, smart book, vehicle, satellite, global positioning system (GPS) device, target tracking device, aircraft (such as drone, helicopter, multi-helicopter, quadcopter, or airplane, etc.), ship, remote control device, smart home device, industrial device, or a device built into the above devices (such as a communication module, modem, or chip in the above devices), or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. For the convenience of description, the terminal device will be described below by taking the terminal or UE as an example.

[0086] In some scenarios, the terminal device can also be used as a base station. For example, the terminal device can act as a scheduling entity that provides sidelink signals between UEs in scenarios such as V2X, D2D, or P2P.

[0087] In the embodiments of this application, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device or a device capable of supporting the terminal device to implement such functions, such as a chip system or a chip, and this device can be installed in the terminal device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can also include chips and other discrete devices.

[0088] The network device in the embodiments of this application can be a device for communicating with the terminal device, and this network device can also be referred to as an access network device or a radio access network device. For example, the network device can be a base station. The network device in the embodiments of this application can refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects the terminal device to a wireless network.

[0089] The base station can be generally covered by various names as follows, or replaced with the following names, such as: Node B, evolved Node B (eNB), next generation Node B (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master station, slave station, multi-mode radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, radio node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc.

[0090] In different systems, the CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, the access network device may be a network device or a module of a network device in an open radio access network (ORAN) system. In the ORAN system, the CU may also be referred to as an open (O)-CU, the DU may also be referred to as an O-DU, the CU-CP may also be referred to as an O-CU-CP, the CU-UP may also be referred to as an O-CU-UP, and the RU may also be referred to as an O-RU. Any one of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0091] The base station can be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node or the like, or a combination thereof. The base station can also refer to a communication module, a modem or a chip used to be disposed in the foregoing device or apparatus.

[0092] The base station can also be a mobile switching center and devices that undertake the functions of the base station in D2D, V2X, M2M communications, network-side devices in 6G networks, devices that undertake the functions of the base station in future communication systems, etc. The base station can support networks with the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies and specific device forms adopted by the network device.

[0093] The base station can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or a drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move according to the position of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or a drone can be configured to be used as a device for communicating with another base station.

[0094] In the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the functions of the network device can be the network device or a device capable of supporting the network device to implement the functions, such as a chip system or a chip, and the device can be installed in the network device. In the embodiments of the present application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0095] The network device and the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on the water surface; they can also be deployed on airplanes, balloons, and satellites in the air. In the embodiments of the present application, the scenarios where the network device and the terminal device are located are not limited.

[0096] First, a network architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application will be briefly introduced.

[0097] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to the embodiments of the present application. As Figure 1 shown, the communication system includes a network device and a terminal device. The network device can include multiple communication nodes, each communication node can serve a physical cell, and is controlled by the control unit of the network device. The same terminal device communicates in one physical cell at the same time.

[0098] The network device is an entity for sending or receiving signals and is used for communicating with the terminal device.

[0099] The terminal device is an entity for sending or receiving signals and is used for communicating with the network device.

[0100] A possible application scenario Figure 1The network device and the terminal device described above can be applied to non-terrestrial networks (NTN) scenarios. The NTN system can include a satellite system. According to the satellite altitude, i.e., the satellite orbital altitude, the satellite system can be divided into highly elliptical orbiting (HEO) satellites, geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites, medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites, and low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites. In addition, the NTN system can also include aerial network devices such as high-altitude platform station (HAPS) communication systems. The aerial network devices involved in this application are not limited to the above examples.

[0101] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an embodiment of this application. As Figure 2 shown, the network device can act as a base station for wireless communication; the ground station can forward the signaling between the network device and the core network. At least one communication node is deployed on each satellite, and the multiple communication nodes deployed on multiple satellites are controlled by the control unit of the network device. When the terminal device performs a cell handover (for example, the cell handover is caused by the movement of the terminal device's location), it can directly switch from one communication node to another communication node without going through the process of radio resource control (RRC) configuration.

[0102] It should be noted that the communication system described in the embodiments of this application is for more clearly explaining the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application. Those of ordinary skill in the art know that with the evolution of the network architecture and the emergence of new service scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0103] Optionally, the related functions of the network device and the terminal device involved in this application can be implemented by one device, or by multiple devices together, or can be implemented by one or more functional modules in one device, or can be one or more chips, or can be a system on chip (SOC) or a chip system. The chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete devices. The embodiments of this application do not make specific limitations in this regard.

[0104] It is understandable that the above functions can be either network elements in a hardware device, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or a combination of hardware and software, or virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0105] In Figure 2 In the scenario shown, since the satellite does not stay in one position for a long time, when the terminal device moves and after moving to a new position, the terminal device may need to re-search for the satellite network in order to resume connection with the satellite network or establish a connection with a new satellite network. During the above process, the overall power consumption when the terminal device re-searches for the satellite network may be very large.

[0106] In view of this, the present application provides a communication method and a communication device, which can support reducing the overall power consumption when the terminal device re-searches for the satellite network.

[0107] The communication method and the communication device of the embodiments of the present application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0108] Figure 3 is a schematic interaction flow diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 The method shown can be executed by a network device and a terminal device, or by modules and / or devices (e.g., chips or integrated circuits, etc.) with corresponding functions installed in the network device and the terminal device, which is not limited. The following takes the network device and the terminal device as an example for illustration. As Figure 3 shown, the method includes:

[0109] Optionally, in S301a, the terminal device sends the location information of the terminal device to the network device.

[0110] Correspondingly, the network device receives the location information of the terminal device. The network device can provide communication services for the terminal device.

[0111] S301. The network device determines the first information.

[0112] The first information can be used to indicate the satellite information of at least two regions (or the satellite information corresponding to at least two regions). The satellite information of at least two regions can be understood as: for each of the at least two regions, there may be corresponding or associated satellite information. The association between the region and the satellite information can be seen in Table 1. The content shown in Table 1 is only for example and is not the final limitation.

[0113] Table 1

[0114] Region Satellite information Region a Satellite information 1 Region b Satellite information 2 Region c Satellite information 3

[0115] As shown in Table 1:

[0116] The area is area a, which is associated with or corresponds to satellite information 1;

[0117] The area is area b, which is associated with or corresponds to satellite information 2;

[0118] The area is area c, which is associated with or corresponds to satellite information 3.

[0119] The satellite information corresponding to or associated with each area may include the same information or parameters. For example, there may be the same parameters between the satellite information 1 associated with area a and the satellite information 2 associated with area b. Exemplarily, the satellites corresponding to area 1 and area 2 are the same (exemplarily, area 1 and area 2 are two adjacent areas, and area a and area b may be within the coverage range of the same satellite) (taking the satellite information as the identifier of the satellite as an example).

[0120] The satellite information corresponding to or associated with each area may also include different information or parameters. For example, there may be different parameters between the satellite information 1 associated with area a and the satellite information 2 associated with area b. Exemplarily, the service time of the satellite corresponding to area 1 is different from the service time of the satellite corresponding to area 2. Exemplarily, the service time of the satellite corresponding to area a is 8:00 - 10:00, and the service time of the satellite corresponding to area b is 11:00 - 14:00 (taking the satellite information as the service time of the satellite as an example) (the satellites corresponding to area a and area b may be the same satellite, which is not limited).

[0121] In summary, the embodiments of the present application do not limit the division method of the area. It can be divided according to the coverage range of the satellite. For example, the coverage range of each satellite is called an area. For example, the coverage range of satellite 1 is called area a, and the coverage range of satellite 2 is called area b. Another example is that the coverage range of a satellite can be called multiple areas. For example, the coverage range of satellite 1 can include area a and area b, etc.; it can also be divided according to the service time of the satellite. For example, area a is the area where the satellite service time is 0:00 - 4:00 (the number of satellites is not limited), and area b is the area where the satellite service time is 4:00 - 8:00.

[0122] The above at least two areas can be understood as the areas where the terminal device may move. Or, at least two areas include the target area of the terminal device. Or rather, the target area of the terminal device can be one or more areas among the at least two areas. Among them, the target area of the terminal device can be understood as the area where the terminal device finally moves.

[0123] In a possible implementation, the network device can determine the first information according to the location information of the terminal device.

[0124] For example, the location information of the terminal device is used to indicate the current location of the terminal device. The network device can determine the current location of the terminal device based on the location information of the terminal device. The network device can estimate the area range that the terminal device may move to according to the current location of the terminal device. For example, the network device can regard a relatively large area at a certain distance from the current location of the terminal device as the area range that the terminal device may reach. The network device can determine the satellite information corresponding to or associated with this area range, or can determine the satellite information corresponding to each small area in this area range, which is not limited herein. For example, the network device determines the satellite information corresponding to a large area, divides the large area into multiple small areas, and determines the satellite information corresponding to each small area respectively. Exemplarily, taking the satellite service time as an example, the network device determines that the satellite service time corresponding to the large area is 8:00 - 19:00, and divides the large area into three small areas. The satellite service time corresponding to each small area is: 8:00 - 12:00, 12:00 - 16:00, 16:00 - 19:00.

[0125] For another example, the location information of the terminal device is used to indicate the area range that the terminal device may reach. The network device can determine the area range that the terminal device may reach based on the location information of the terminal device. The network device can determine the satellite information corresponding to or associated with this area range. The description of how the network device determines the satellite information corresponding to or associated with this area range can refer to the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0126] For yet another example, the location information of the terminal device is further used to indicate the movement trajectory of the terminal device. The network device can determine the area range that the terminal device may reach based on the movement trajectory of the terminal device. The network device can determine the satellite information corresponding to or associated with this area range. The description of how the network device determines the satellite information corresponding to or associated with this area range can refer to the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0127] In summary, when the network device determines the first information based on the location information of the terminal device, the satellite information of at least two areas indicated by the first information can meet the requirements of the terminal device. For example, the at least two areas may include the target area of the terminal device. The terminal device can determine the satellite information of the target area according to the first information, and determine the strategy for re-searching the satellite network according to the satellite information of the target area, so as to effectively reduce the overall power consumption when the terminal device re-searches the satellite network.

[0128] Another possible implementation is that the network device may not determine the first information based on the location information of the terminal device.

[0129] For example, the movement trajectory of the terminal device can be pre-configured for the network device. The network device can determine the area range that the terminal device may reach according to the pre-configured movement trajectory of the terminal device, and can determine the satellite information corresponding to the area range.

[0130] In summary, when the terminal device does not determine the first information according to the location information of the terminal device, this can reduce the signaling interaction overhead between the terminal device and the network device. In summary, the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific manner in which the network device determines the first information.

[0131] In a possible implementation, at least two of the above regions include at least one of the following:

[0132] The first region;

[0133] The second region; or,

[0134] The third region.

[0135] The first region can be an area where the terminal device can always receive satellite services. For example, when the target area of the terminal device is the first region, the terminal device can successfully access the satellite network.

[0136] The second region can be an area where the terminal device can receive satellite services within a first time (which can also be understood as the first configuration time or the first preset time, etc., and it can be represented by other term names, which is not limited herein). For example, when the target area of the terminal device is the second region, the first time can be 10:00-18:00, and the terminal device re-searches the satellite network within this first time. In this way, the terminal device can consume power to re-search the satellite network within the first time, and does not need to use power to re-search the satellite network all day long. In this way, this can effectively reduce the overall power consumption when the terminal device re-searches the satellite network.

[0137] The third region can be an area where the terminal device cannot receive satellite services. For example, when the target area of the terminal device is the third region, the terminal device does not need to re-search the satellite network, which can avoid the unnecessary process of the terminal device re-searching the satellite network.

[0138] In a possible implementation, the third region can be within the coverage area of a satellite that provides satellite services only for special devices and not for ordinary devices. When the terminal device moves to the third region, the terminal device cannot receive the services of the satellite corresponding to the third region. Taking the satellite information including the service time of the satellite as an example, the satellite service time corresponding to the third region is 0. The terminal device can determine accordingly that the terminal device cannot receive the services of the satellite corresponding to the third region.

[0139] In another possible implementation, the third region may not be within the coverage area of a satellite, or rather, there is no satellite coverage area that includes the third region. Taking the satellite information including the coverage area of the satellite as an example, the coverage area of the satellite corresponding to the third region is 0. Thus, the terminal device can determine accordingly that it cannot receive satellite services when it is in the third region.

[0140] In summary, the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific manifestation form of the satellite information of the third region.

[0141] It should be noted that the first region may refer to one or more regions, the second region may also refer to one or more regions, and the third region may also refer to one or more regions, and this is not limited.

[0142] By determining the characteristics of different types of regions, the terminal device can determine an appropriate satellite network search strategy according to the characteristics of different types of regions. For example, if the target region is the first region, the terminal device can successfully search for a satellite network; for another example, if the target region is the second region, the terminal device can search for the satellite network within the first time, which can prevent the terminal device from always being in the satellite network search state, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the terminal device; for yet another example, if the target region is the third region, the terminal device does not need to search for the satellite network, which can reduce the overall power consumption of the terminal device.

[0143] In one possible implementation, the network device can indicate to the terminal device the satellite information of at least two regions that do not include the third region. Thus, the terminal device can filter out the regions where the terminal device cannot receive satellite services.

[0144] In another possible implementation, the network device can also indicate to the terminal device the satellite information of at least two regions that include the third region. Thus, the terminal device can obtain the satellite information corresponding to each region. In one possible implementation, the above satellite information may include at least one of the following:

[0145] The identification information of the satellite;

[0146] The ephemeris information of the satellite;

[0147] The service time of the satellite;

[0148] The visible time of the satellite;

[0149] The coverage area of the satellite; or.

[0150] The identification information of the associated region.

[0151] For example, the satellite information includes the identification information of the satellite (which may include information such as the identification or index of the satellite).

[0152] The network device can determine the identifier of the satellite corresponding to each of at least two regions, or rather, the network device can determine the serving satellite corresponding to each of at least two regions. By indicating the identifier information of the satellite, the terminal device can determine which of the at least two regions may have a satellite or may be a region capable of receiving satellite services. The terminal device can search for the satellite network within the regions where there is a satellite and not search for the satellite network within the regions where there is no satellite, which helps to reduce the overall overhead when the terminal device searches for the satellite network.

[0153] For the third region, taking the satellite information including the identifier information of the satellite as an example, the identifier information of the third region can be represented as 0. The terminal device can thereby determine that it cannot receive satellite services when it is within the third region.

[0154] For example, the satellite information includes the ephemeris information of the satellite.

[0155] The network device can determine the ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to each of at least two regions. By indicating the ephemeris information of the satellite, the terminal device can determine the satellite service time or visibility time or coverage range, etc. of each region according to the ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to each region. The terminal device can search for the satellite network within the satellite service time or visibility time or coverage range and not search for the satellite network outside the satellite service time or visibility time or coverage range, which helps to reduce the overall overhead when the terminal device searches for the satellite network.

[0156] For the third region, taking the satellite information including the ephemeris information of the satellite as an example, the ephemeris information of the third region can be represented as 0. The terminal device can thereby determine that it cannot receive satellite services when it is within the third region.

[0157] For example, the satellite information includes the service time of the satellite.

[0158] The network device can determine the service time of the satellite corresponding to each of at least two regions. By indicating the service time of the satellite, the terminal device can search for the satellite network within the satellite service time and not search for the satellite network outside the satellite service time, which helps to reduce the overall overhead when the terminal device searches for the satellite network.

[0159] For the third region, taking the satellite information including the service time of the satellite as an example, the service time of the third region can be represented as 0. The terminal device can thereby determine that it cannot receive satellite services when it is within the third region.

[0160] For example, the satellite information includes the visibility time of the satellite.

[0161] The network device can determine the visible time of the satellite corresponding to each of at least two regions. By indicating the visible time of the satellite, the terminal device can search for the satellite network during the visible time of the satellite and not search for the satellite network outside the visible time of the satellite, which helps to reduce the overall overhead when the terminal device searches for the satellite network.

[0162] For the third region, taking the satellite information including the visible time of the satellite as an example, the visible time of the third region can be expressed as 0. The terminal device can determine accordingly that it cannot receive satellite services when it is within the third region.

[0163] For example, the satellite information includes the coverage area of the satellite.

[0164] The network device can determine the coverage area of the satellite corresponding to each of at least two regions. By indicating the coverage area of the satellite, the terminal device can search for the satellite network within the coverage area of the satellite and not search for the satellite network outside the coverage area of the satellite, which helps to reduce the overall overhead when the terminal device searches for the satellite network.

[0165] For the third region, taking the satellite information including the coverage area of the satellite as an example, the coverage area of the satellite corresponding to the third region can be expressed as 0. The terminal device can determine accordingly that it cannot receive satellite services when it is within the third region.

[0166] For example, the satellite information includes the identification information of the associated region (which can include information such as the identification or index of the region).

[0167] By indicating the identification information of the associated region, the terminal device can determine the satellite information corresponding to each region, and then can determine the appropriate timing for searching the satellite network according to the satellite information corresponding to each region, and search for the satellite network within the appropriate timing and not search for the satellite network outside the appropriate timing, which helps to reduce the overall overhead when the terminal device searches for the satellite network.

[0168] The satellite corresponding to each of the above-mentioned at least two regions can be the same or not, and this is not limited. In summary, the terminal device can determine the appropriate strategy for re-searching the satellite network through one or more parameters or contents in the above-listed satellite information, so as to support reducing the overall power consumption when the terminal device re-searches the satellite network.

[0169] For the description of the satellite information, reference can also be made to Table 2 and Table 3. The contents shown in Table 2 and Table 3 are only for example and are not the final limitation.

[0170] Table 2

[0171] Region Satellite identification Service time First region 11 0:00-24:00 Second region 22 8:00-18:00 Third region 33 0:00-0:00

[0172] As shown in Table 2:

[0173] The first region is associated with the satellite associated with satellite identifier 11, and the service time of this satellite is from 0:00 to 24:00;

[0174] The second region is associated with the satellite associated with satellite identifier 22, and the service time of this satellite is from 8:00 to 18:00;

[0175] The third region is associated with the satellite associated with satellite identifier 33, and the service time of this satellite is from 0:00 to 0:00.

[0176] In this way, the terminal device can determine its respective satellite network search strategies based on the satellite information of the first region, the satellite information of the second region, and the satellite information of the third region.

[0177] Table 3

[0178] Region Satellite identification Service time First region 11 0:00-24:00 Second region 22 8:00-18:00 Third region -- 0:00-0:00

[0179] As shown in Table 3:

[0180] The first region is associated with the satellite associated with satellite identifier 11, and the service time of this satellite is from 0:00 to 24:00;

[0181] The second region is associated with the satellite associated with satellite identifier 22, and the service time of this satellite is from 8:00 to 18:00;

[0182] The third region is not associated with a satellite, and the service time of the satellite is from 0:00 to 0:00.

[0183] In this way, the terminal device can determine its respective satellite network search strategies based on the satellite information of the first region, the satellite information of the second region, and the satellite information of the third region.

[0184] In summary, for the satellite information of the third region, the embodiments of the present application do not limit the manifestation form of the satellite information of the third region.

[0185] S302. The network device sends the first information to the terminal device.

[0186] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information.

[0187] S303. The terminal device determines the satellite information corresponding to the target region according to the first information.

[0188] As mentioned above, the first information is used to indicate satellite information of at least two regions. After the terminal device obtains the first information, it can determine the satellite information corresponding to the target region according to the satellite information corresponding to the at least two regions indicated by the first information.

[0189] In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device can determine the target region in advance and can determine the satellite information corresponding to the target region according to the first information. For example, the terminal device determines that the target region is region a, and the first information indicates the satellite information corresponding to region a and region b respectively. The terminal device can determine the satellite information of the target region (region a) according to the first information.

[0190] In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device may not determine the target region in advance and determine the target region according to the first information.

[0191] Exemplarily, the foregoing at least two regions include a first region. The terminal device can determine that the target region is the first region and can obtain the satellite information corresponding to the first region.

[0192] Exemplarily, the foregoing at least two regions include a second region. The terminal device can determine that the target region is the second region and can obtain the satellite information corresponding to the second region.

[0193] Exemplarily, the foregoing at least two regions include a third region. The terminal device can determine that the target region is the third region and can obtain the satellite information corresponding to the third region (for example, the identification information of the satellite corresponding to the third region is 11 (which indicates a certain satellite), and the service time of the satellite corresponding to the third region is 0 (which means that satellite services cannot be provided)).

[0194] When the target region is the third region, the terminal device can also obtain and store the satellite information corresponding to the first region and / or the second region. When the terminal device needs to perform emergency communication, the terminal device can move to the first region and / or the second region and can receive satellite services according to the satellite information corresponding to the first region and / or the second region.

[0195] The following combines Figure 4 to make an exemplary description of the scenario where the terminal device moves.

[0196] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the movement of the terminal device in the embodiments of the present application. As Figure 4As shown, the current location of the terminal device is Area 1, and the aforementioned at least two areas include Area 2 to Area 9. The first information can be used to indicate the satellite information corresponding to or associated with each of Area 2 to Area 9. When the terminal device needs to move from Area 1 and the target area is any one of Area 2 to Area 9, the terminal device can determine a certain area among Area 2 to Area 9 as the target area according to the satellite information corresponding to or associated with each of Area 2 to Area 9.

[0197] For example, Area 2 is the first area. The terminal device can determine Area 2 as the target area, and after moving to Area 2, the terminal device can perform satellite communication according to the satellite information corresponding to or associated with Area 2.

[0198] For example, Area 3 is the second area. The terminal device can determine Area 3 as the target area, and after moving to Area 3, the terminal device can perform satellite communication according to the satellite information corresponding to or associated with Area 3.

[0199] For example, Area 4 is the third area. The terminal device can determine Area 4 as the target area, and after moving to Area 4, the terminal device can refrain from re-searching the satellite network.

[0200] When the terminal device in Area 4 needs to perform emergency communication, the terminal device can move from Area 4 to Area 2 or Area 3, and can perform satellite communication according to the satellite information corresponding to or associated with Area 2 or Area 3.

[0201] Combined with Figure 4 As can be seen from the content shown, after the terminal device obtains the first information, the terminal device can determine a suitable target area according to the first information, and can determine a suitable timing for re-searching the satellite network according to the satellite information corresponding to or associated with the target area, and perform re-searching of the satellite network within this timing, and refrain from re-searching the satellite network outside this timing, which is beneficial to reducing the overall power consumption when the terminal device re-searches the satellite network.

[0202] It should be noted that Figure 4 The content shown is that the terminal device determines the target area according to the first information and obtains the satellite information of the target area. The embodiments of the present application can support the terminal device to determine the target area in advance. For example, the terminal device determines the target area as Area 2 in advance, and obtains the satellite information of Area 2 according to the first information. When the terminal device moves from Area 1 to Area 2, it can determine the strategy for re-searching the satellite network according to the satellite information of Area 2.

[0203] In the above solution, the terminal device can obtain first information from the network device. The first information indicates satellite information of at least two regions, or the first information indicates satellite information corresponding to at least two regions. The at least two regions include the target region of the terminal device, or the target region of the terminal device is one or more of the aforementioned at least two regions. The terminal device can determine the satellite information of the target region according to the first information. After the terminal device moves to the target region, it can perform corresponding satellite communication according to the satellite information of the target region.

[0204] Compared with the solution where the terminal device conducts extensive satellite network searches after moving to the target region, the above solution enables the terminal device to re-search the satellite network in a targeted manner based on the obtained satellite information of the target region. For example, if the satellite information of the target region indicates that the target region is always within the satellite coverage, the terminal device does not need to consume a large amount of power to re-search the satellite network; or, for another example, if the satellite information of the target region indicates that the satellite corresponding to the target region will appear within a specified time, the terminal device can re-search the satellite network within that specified time, which can effectively reduce the overall power consumption when the terminal device re-searches the satellite network, and so on.

[0205] In summary, by indicating the satellite information of at least two regions, the terminal device can determine the satellite information of the target region according to the satellite information of the at least two regions above, and can re-search the satellite network according to the satellite information of the target region. In this way, the overall power consumption when the terminal device re-searches the satellite network can be effectively reduced.

[0206] Optionally, the method may further include:

[0207] S304. The terminal device performs satellite communication according to the satellite information of the target region.

[0208] For example, when the target region is the first region, after the terminal device obtains the satellite information corresponding to the target region, it can re-search the satellite network and can access the re-searched satellite network to achieve satellite communication.

[0209] For example, when the target region is the second region, after the terminal device obtains the satellite information corresponding to the target region, it can re-search the satellite network within a specified time and can access the re-searched satellite network to achieve satellite communication.

[0210] In this way, the terminal device after moving its position can access the satellite network to achieve satellite communication.

[0211] In summary, when the terminal device moves to the target region, it can re-search the satellite network according to the satellite information of the target region and perform satellite communication based on the re-searched satellite network, which can support meeting the satellite communication requirements of the terminal device.

[0212] Figure 3 The method described below takes the scenario where a terminal device performs satellite communication based on satellite information in a target area as an example, and will describe the scenario of satellite handover for the terminal device in combination with Figure 5 the scenario of satellite handover for the terminal device.

[0213] It should be noted that Figure 3 the method described above and Figure 5 the method described above can be coupled or independent. For example, after moving to the target area, the terminal device can perform satellite handover; or, for example, after the terminal device performs satellite handover first and then moves to the target area, and so on.

[0214] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the interaction process of another communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 The method shown can be executed by a network device and a terminal device, or by modules and / or devices (such as chips or integrated circuits, etc.) with corresponding functions installed in the network device and the terminal device, which is not limited. The following takes the network device and the terminal device as an example for description. As Figure 5 shown, the method includes:

[0215] Optionally, in S501a, the network device sends third information to the terminal device.

[0216] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the third information.

[0217] The third information can be used to configure a set of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states. The TCI-state set includes at least two TCI-states. For example, the TCI-state set includes a first TCI-state and a second TCI-state. Among them, the first TCI-state is the TCI-state that the terminal device needs to activate, and the second TCI-state is the TCI-state that the terminal device is currently using.

[0218] After the network device configures or indicates a set of transmission configuration indicator states including at least two transmission configuration indicator states to the terminal device, the terminal device can activate a specified transmission configuration indicator state from the set of transmission configuration indicator states according to the indication of the network device.

[0219] Optionally, the above TCI-state set can be configured. In this way, the signaling overhead for indicating the TCI-state set can be reduced.

[0220] In the embodiments of the present application, each TCI-state is associated with a satellite information, which can be seen in Table 4. The content shown in Table 4 is only for example and not for final limitation.

[0221] Table 4

[0222] TCI-state Satellite information TCI-state1 Satellite information 1 TCI-state2 Satellite information 2 TCI-state3 Satellite information 3

[0223] As shown in Table 4:

[0224] The TCI-state is TCI-state1, which is associated with or corresponds to satellite information 1;

[0225] The TCI-state is TCI-state2, which is associated with or corresponds to satellite information 2;

[0226] The TCI-state is TCI-state3, which is associated with or corresponds to satellite information 3.

[0227] For the description of satellite information, reference can be made to the foregoing, and details are not repeated here.

[0228] Optionally, the first TCI-state is associated with the aforementioned target area.

[0229] For example, when the terminal device moves to the target area, the terminal device needs to perform satellite handover. For example, before the position movement, satellite 1 provides services for the terminal device. When the terminal device moves to the target area, satellite 2 provides services for the terminal device. The terminal device needs to hand over from satellite 1 to satellite 2. By associating the TCI-state and the satellite, this can reduce the signaling overhead when the terminal device performs satellite handover.

[0230] S501. The network device sends the second information to the terminal device.

[0231] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second information.

[0232] The second information is used to indicate to activate the first TCI-state in the TCI-state set.

[0233] In the embodiments of the present application, when the terminal device moves to the target area, the network device may send the second information to the terminal device. The second information is used to indicate to the terminal device to activate the first TCI-state, and the first TCI-state is associated with the target area.

[0234] In a possible implementation, after the terminal device moves to the target area, the network device may indicate to the terminal device to activate the first TCI-state corresponding to the target area. After the terminal device activates the first TCI-state according to the indication of the network device, the terminal device may perform satellite communication according to the satellite information corresponding to the first TCI-state.

[0235] In a possible implementation, the second information may include at least one of the following:

[0236] The identification information of the first TCI-state (which may include information such as the identification or index of the first TCI-state);

[0237] The identification information of the satellite information associated with the first TCI-state (which may include information such as the identification or index of the satellite information); or,

[0238] The identification information of the satellite corresponding to the first TCI-state (which may include information such as the identification or index of the satellite).

[0239] For example, if the second information includes the identification information of the first TCI-state, the terminal device may determine the first TCI-state from the set of TCI-states according to the identification information of the first TCI-state, and may activate the first TCI-state.

[0240] For example, if the second information includes the identification information of the satellite information associated with the first TCI-state, the terminal device may determine the corresponding satellite information according to the identification information of the associated satellite information, and may determine the first TCI-state corresponding to the satellite information according to the correspondence between the satellite information and the TCI-state, and may activate the first TCI-state.

[0241] For example, if the second information includes the identification information of the satellite corresponding to the first TCI-state, the terminal device may determine the corresponding satellite according to the identification information of the corresponding satellite, and may determine the first TCI-state corresponding to the satellite according to the correspondence between the satellite and the TCI-state, and may activate the first TCI-state.

[0242] In this way, the terminal device may activate the first TCI-state according to one or more of the above.

[0243] In summary, the terminal device may determine the TCI-state to be activated according to one or more of the above.

[0244] S502. The terminal device activates the first TCI-state according to the second information.

[0245] Specifically, the terminal device can activate the first TCI-state according to the foregoing description of the second information.

[0246] In summary, by associating the TCI-state with satellite information, when the terminal device needs to switch satellite devices, the terminal device can implement the switch between satellite devices based on the switch between TCI-states, which can effectively reduce the signaling indication overhead. For example, if the TCI-state and satellite information are not associated, after the terminal device switches to a new satellite device, the terminal device needs to perform signaling interaction with the new satellite device to achieve access to the new satellite device. When the TCI-state and satellite information are associated, the network device only needs to send the second information to the terminal device and does not need to send other signaling to the terminal device. The terminal device switches to the new TCI-state according to the indication of the second information. In this way, the signaling interaction overhead during satellite device switching can be effectively reduced.

[0247] Optionally, the method may further include:

[0248] S503. The terminal device performs uplink synchronization according to the satellite information associated with the first TCI-state.

[0249] After the terminal device activates the first TCI-state, the terminal device can perform uplink synchronization according to the satellite information associated with the first TCI-state.

[0250] Among them, the first TCI-state is associated with the target area. In this way, it is possible to support the uplink synchronization between the terminal device and the satellite network after the terminal device completes the movement.

[0251] In a possible implementation, the second information can also be used to indicate deactivation of the second TCI-state in the set of TCI-states. In this way, the terminal device can deactivate the second TCI-state, avoiding the terminal device from continuing to utilize or activate the second TCI-state after activating the first TCI-state, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the terminal device.

[0252] In Figure 5 In the method shown, the network device can update the satellite ephemeris list corresponding to the cell where the terminal device is currently located according to the actual satellite motion trajectory and coverage, that is, support the serving cell to broadcast the ephemeris of multiple satellites according to the occlusion situation. At the same time, this list can be updated at different time periods, that is, the same satellite identifier may correspond to different satellites and satellite ephemerides.

[0253] That is to say, the set of TCI-states corresponding to the terminal device at different times can be different. The network device can indicate the set of TCI-states corresponding to different times to the terminal device. When it is necessary to activate a certain TCI-state in the set of TCI-states, the network device can send information for indicating the activation of a certain TCI-state in the set of TCI-states to the terminal device according to the foregoing method. For specific descriptions, reference can be made to the foregoing description of the second information, which will not be elaborated here.

[0254] When the satellite list corresponding to the cell where the terminal device is currently located remains unchanged, the terminal device can deduce the different positions of the same satellite at different times according to the validity period of the satellite ephemeris corresponding to the satellite identifier obtained most recently. When a satellite change occurs, the terminal device needs to re-obtain a new ephemeris list in the way of system message update. In this way, the network device can more accurately indicate to the terminal device to activate a certain TCI-state in the set of TCI-states, so as to support the terminal device to access the new satellite network.

[0255] The apparatus embodiments corresponding to the method embodiments of the present application are introduced below. Among them, only a brief introduction to the apparatus is given below, and the specific implementation steps and details of the solution can refer to the foregoing method embodiments.

[0256] To implement the various functions in the method provided in the present application, both the terminal device and the network device can include a hardware structure and / or a software module, and implement the above various functions in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a combination of a hardware structure and a software module. Whether a certain function among the above various functions is executed in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a combination of a hardware structure and a software module depends on the specific application and design constraint conditions of the technical solution.

[0257] Figure 6 It is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device includes a processor 610 and a communication interface 620, and the processor 610 and the communication interface 620 can be connected to each other through a bus 630. The communication device can be a terminal device or a network device.

[0258] Optionally, the communication device may further include a memory 640. The memory 640 includes, but is not limited to, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), and the memory 640 is used for relevant instructions and data.

[0259] The processor 610 may be one or more central processing units (CPUs). When the processor 610 is a single CPU, the CPU may be a single-core CPU or a multi-core CPU.

[0260] Among them, the processor 610 may be a signal processor, a chip, or other integrated circuits that can implement the method of this application, or a partial circuit for processing functions in the foregoing processor, chip, or integrated circuit. In addition, the communication interface 620 may also be an input / output interface, and the input / output interface is used for input or output of signals or data, and may also be an input / output circuit.

[0261] When the communication device is a terminal device, exemplarily, the processor 610 is used to perform the following operations: receive first information; determine satellite information corresponding to a target area according to the first information, etc.

[0262] When the communication device is a network device, exemplarily, the processor 610 is used to perform the following operations: determine first information; send first information, etc.

[0263] The above content is only an exemplary description. When the communication device is a terminal device or a network device, it will be responsible for executing the methods or steps related to the terminal device or the network device in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0264] When the communication device is a terminal device or a network device, the communication interface 620 may also be referred to as a transceiver. The above description is only an exemplary description. For specific content, reference may be made to the content shown in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0265] Figure 6 The implementation of each operation in may also be correspondingly referred to Figures 3 to 5 the corresponding description of the method embodiment shown.

[0266] Figure 7It is a schematic block diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip or module in a terminal device or a network device, and is used to implement the methods involved in the above embodiments. The communication device includes an interface unit 710 and a processing unit 720. The interface unit 710 and the processing unit 720 will be introduced exemplarily below.

[0267] The interface unit 710 may include a sending unit and a receiving unit. The sending unit is used to perform the sending action of the communication device, and the receiving unit is used to perform the receiving action of the communication device. For the convenience of description, in the embodiments of the present application, the sending unit and the receiving unit are combined into one interface unit. This is explained uniformly here and will not be repeated later.

[0268] When the communication device is a terminal device, exemplarily, the interface unit 710 is used to receive the first information, etc. The processing unit 720 is used to perform the content related to processing, coordination, etc. of the terminal device. For example, determine the satellite information corresponding to the target area according to the first information, etc.

[0269] When the communication device is a network device, exemplarily, the interface unit 710 is used to send the first information, etc. The processing unit 720 is used to perform the content related to processing, coordination, etc. of the network device. For example, determine the first information, etc.

[0270] The above content is only for exemplary description. When the communication device is a terminal device or a network device, it will be responsible for executing the methods or steps related to the terminal device or the network device in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0271] Optionally, the communication device further includes a storage unit 730, which is used to store the programs or codes for executing the foregoing methods.

[0272] Figure 6 and Figure 7 The device embodiments shown are used to implement Figures 3 to 5 the content described above. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The specific execution steps and methods of the device shown can be referred to the content described in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0273] The present application also provides a chip, including a processor, which is used to call and run the instructions stored in the memory from the memory, so that the communication device installed with the chip executes the methods in the above examples.

[0274] The present application also provides another chip, including: an input interface, an output interface, and a processor. The input interface, the output interface, and the processor are connected through an internal connection path. The processor is configured to execute the code in a memory. When the code is executed, the processor is configured to execute the methods in the above examples. Optionally, the chip further includes a memory for storing a computer program or code.

[0275] The present application also provides a processor for coupling with a memory and configured to execute the methods and functions related to a network device or a terminal device in any one of the above embodiments.

[0276] In another embodiment of the present application, there is provided a computer program product containing instructions. When the computer program product runs on a computer, the methods of the foregoing embodiments are implemented.

[0277] The present application also provides a computer program. When the computer program runs on a computer, the methods of the foregoing embodiments are implemented.

[0278] In another embodiment of the present application, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a computer, the methods described in the foregoing embodiments are implemented.

[0279] Those of ordinary skill in the art can realize that the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in combination with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are executed in a hardware or software manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional technicians can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the present application.

[0280] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the convenience and conciseness of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments and will not be elaborated herein.

[0281] In several embodiments provided by the present application, the disclosed systems, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the displayed or discussed couplings or direct couplings or communication connections to each other can be through some interfaces. The indirect couplings or communication connections of devices or units can be in an electrical, mechanical, or other form.

[0282] The unit described as a separated component may or may not be physically separated, and the component displayed as a unit may or may not be a physical unit, that is, it may be located in one place or may be distributed to multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the technical solution of this embodiment.

[0283] In addition, each functional unit in various embodiments of the present application may be integrated in a processing unit, may also exist physically alone for each unit, or two or more units may be integrated in one unit.

[0284] If the function is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on such an understanding, the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art or a 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 to enable a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods in various embodiments of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media such as USB flash drives, mobile hard disks, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical discs that can store program codes.

[0285] The above is only the specific implementation manner of the embodiments of the present application, but the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can easily think of changes or substitutions, which should all be covered within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a terminal device, and the method includes: Receiving first information, where the first information is used to indicate satellite information of at least two regions, and the at least two regions include a target region of the terminal device; Determining the satellite information of the target region according to the first information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Performing satellite communication according to the satellite information of the target region.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The at least two regions include one or more of a first region, a second region, and a third region; The first region is a region where the terminal device can always receive satellite services; The second region is a region where the terminal device can receive satellite services within a first period of time; The third region is a region where the terminal device cannot receive satellite services.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The satellite information includes at least one of the following: Identification information of a satellite, ephemeris information of the satellite, service time of the satellite, visible time of the satellite, coverage area of the satellite, or identification information of an associated region.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving second information, where the second information is used to indicate activating a first transmission configuration indication state in a set of transmission configuration indication states, and each transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states is associated with a satellite information, and the first transmission configuration indication state is associated with the target region; Activating the first transmission configuration indication state according to the second information.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Performing uplink synchronization according to the satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication state.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, Before receiving the second information, the method further includes: Receiving third information, where the third information is used to configure the set of transmission configuration indication states.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that The second information includes at least one of the following: Identification information of the first transmission configuration indication state, identification information of the satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication state, or identification information of the satellite corresponding to the first transmission configuration indication state.

9. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that, The second information is further used to indicate deactivating a second transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a network device, and the method includes: Determining first information, where the first information is used to indicate satellite information of at least two regions, and the at least two regions include a target region of a terminal device; Sending the first information to the terminal device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein The at least two regions include one or more of a first region, a second region, and a third region; The first region is a region where the terminal device can always receive satellite services; The second region is a region where the terminal device can receive satellite services within a first period of time; The third region is a region where the terminal device cannot receive satellite services.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The satellite information includes at least one of the following: Identification information of a satellite, ephemeris information of the satellite, service time of the satellite, visible time of the satellite, coverage area of the satellite, or identification information of an associated region.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second piece of information, where the second piece of information is used to indicate the activation of a first transmission configuration indication state in a set of transmission configuration indication states, and each transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states is associated with a satellite information, and the first transmission configuration indication state is associated with the target area.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein Before sending the second piece of information, the method further includes: Send a third piece of information, where the third piece of information is used to configure the set of transmission configuration indication states.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The second piece of information includes at least one of the following: The identification information of the first transmission configuration indication state, the identification information of the satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication state, or the identification information of the satellite corresponding to the first transmission configuration indication state.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that, The second piece of information is further used to indicate the deactivation of a second transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes: A transceiver unit, configured to receive a first piece of information, where the first piece of information is used to indicate the satellite information of at least two areas, and the at least two areas include the target area of the communication device; A processing unit, configured to determine the satellite information of the target area according to the first piece of information.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein The processing unit is further configured to: Perform satellite communication according to the satellite information of the target area.

19. The device according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that, The at least two areas include one or more of a first area, a second area, and a third area; The first area is an area where the communication device can always receive satellite services; The second area is an area where the communication device can receive satellite services within a first period of time; The third area is an area where the communication device cannot receive satellite services.

20. The device according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that, The satellite information includes at least one of the following: The identification information of the satellite, the ephemeris information of the satellite, the service time of the satellite, the visible time of the satellite, the coverage area of the satellite, or the identification information of the associated area.

21. The device according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a second piece of information, where the second piece of information is used to indicate the activation of a first transmission configuration indication state in a set of transmission configuration indication states, and each transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states is associated with a satellite information, and the first transmission configuration indication state is associated with the target area; The processing unit is further configured to activate the first transmission configuration indication state according to the second piece of information.

22. The device according to claim 21, characterized in that, The processing unit is further configured to: Perform uplink synchronization according to the satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication state.

23. The device according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is further configured to: Receive a third piece of information, where the third piece of information is used to configure the set of transmission configuration indication states.

24. The device according to any one of claims 21 to 23, characterized in that The second piece of information includes at least one of the following: The identification information of the first transmission configuration indication state, the identification information of the satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication state, or the identification information of the satellite corresponding to the first transmission configuration indication state.

25. The device according to any one of claims 21 to 24, characterized in that, The second piece of information is further used to indicate the deactivation of a second transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states.

26. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes: A processing unit determines first information for indicating satellite information of at least two regions, where the at least two regions include a target region of a terminal device; A transceiver unit is configured to send the first information to the terminal device.

27. The device according to claim 26, wherein The at least two regions include one or more of a first region, a second region, and a third region; The first region is a region where the terminal device can always receive satellite services; The second region is a region where the terminal device can receive satellite services within a first period of time; The third region is a region where the terminal device cannot receive satellite services.

28. The device according to claim 26 or 27, characterized in that, The satellite information includes at least one of the following: Identification information of a satellite, ephemeris information of the satellite, service time of the satellite, visible time of the satellite, coverage area of the satellite, or identification information of an associated region.

29. The device according to any one of claims 26 to 28, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further configured to: Send second information for indicating activation of a first transmission configuration indication state in a set of transmission configuration indication states, where each transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states is associated with a satellite information, and the first transmission configuration indication state is associated with the target region.

30. The device according to claim 29, wherein, The transceiver unit is further configured to: Send third information for configuring the set of transmission configuration indication states.

31. The device according to claim 29 or 30, characterized in that, The second information includes at least one of the following: Identification information of the first transmission configuration indication state, identification information of the satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication state, or identification information of the satellite corresponding to the first transmission configuration indication state.

32. The device according to any one of claims 29 to 31, characterized in that, The second information is further used to indicate deactivation of a second transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states.

33. A communication device, characterized in that, Comprising a processor, the processor is configured to, by executing a computer program or instruction, or by a logic circuit, Cause the communication device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9; or, Cause the communication device to execute the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16.

34. A communication device, characterized in that, Comprising a logic circuit and an input / output interface, the input / output interface is used for inputting and / or outputting signals, The logic circuit is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9; or, The logic circuit is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16.

35. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instruction, when the computer program or the instruction runs on a computer, Cause the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 to be executed; or, Cause the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16 to be executed.

36. A computer program product, characterized in that, Containing an instruction, when the instruction runs on a computer, Cause the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 to be executed; or, Cause the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16 to be executed.

37. A chip system, characterized in that, Comprising a processor, a memory, and an input / output port, The memory is used for storing a computer program; The processor is configured to execute the computer program stored in the memory, So that the processor executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9; or, such that the processor executes the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16.

38. A communication system, characterized in that, comprising a terminal device and a network device, the terminal device is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the network device is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16.

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