Uplink signal synchronization method and communication device

Abstract

The application provides an uplink signal synchronization method and a communication device. A terminal device receives first indication information, the first indication information being used for indicating a first time length, the first time length being a valid time length of synchronization information, the synchronization information being used for uplink signal synchronization; and the terminal device performs uplink signal synchronization according to second indication information within the first time length after receiving the second indication information, the uplink signal synchronization including time domain offset compensation and / or frequency domain offset compensation, the second indication information being used for indicating the synchronization information. The reliability of communication can be improved.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application. The original application has the application number 202110897533.4 and the original application date is August 5, 2021. The entire contents of the original application are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to an uplink signal synchronization method and a communication device. Background Technology

[0003] Satellite communication has the advantage of wider coverage compared to terrestrial communication; fifth-generation (5G) satellite communication... th Satellite communication will be incorporated into 5G mobile communication systems to provide communication services to areas such as oceans and forests. Furthermore, satellites, as base stations, are less susceptible to natural disasters or external damage, offering high reliability and ensuring communication support during natural disasters.

[0004] However, unlike terrestrial base stations, satellites move at a much higher speed relative to the ground. The current synchronization method for uplink signals between terminal devices and terrestrial base stations cannot be directly applied to communication between terminal devices and satellite base stations. How to maintain uplink signal synchronization between terminal devices and satellite base stations to ensure communication reliability is a problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides an uplink signal synchronization method and a communication device that can improve the reliability of communication.

[0006] Firstly, an uplink signal synchronization method is provided, which can be executed by a terminal device or a module (such as a chip) configured in (or used in) the terminal device.

[0007] The method includes: a terminal device receiving first indication information, the first indication information indicating a first duration, the first duration being the effective duration of synchronization information, the synchronization information being uplink signal synchronization; the terminal device performing uplink signal synchronization according to the second indication information within a first duration after receiving second indication information, the uplink signal synchronization including time domain offset compensation and / or frequency domain offset compensation, the second indication information being used to indicate synchronization information.

[0008] According to the above scheme, the terminal device acquires synchronization information for a valid period. Within this valid period, the synchronization information is considered valid, and uplink signal synchronization is performed based on the synchronization information. This reduces the likelihood of the terminal device losing synchronization unknowingly due to expired synchronization information, thus minimizing the waste of communication resources in such cases. Furthermore, it reduces the power consumption caused by the terminal device frequently acquiring synchronization information.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the synchronization information includes one or more of the following:

[0010] The terminal device's service satellite and reference point have time-domain offset compensation information, change information of the time-domain offset compensation information, ephemeris information, positioning information, frequency-domain offset compensation information, location information of the reference point, and location or timing information of the network device.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: the terminal device sending third indication information, the third indication information being used to indicate one or more of the following information: the moving speed information of the terminal device, the ephemeris derivation capability information of the terminal device, or a second duration, wherein the ephemeris derivation capability information includes the maximum duration for ephemeris derivation and / or the ephemeris derivation model, the ephemeris derivation model being used to determine the maximum duration for ephemeris derivation by the terminal device, and the second duration being the effective duration of the synchronization information determined by the terminal device.

[0012] According to the above scheme, the terminal device provides the network with its speed information and / or capability information through the third indication information, so that the network device can determine the effective duration of the synchronization information based on the information provided by the terminal device, thereby improving the accuracy of determining the effective duration of the synchronization information.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the third instruction information is carried in message 3 of the random access procedure.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes:

[0015] After receiving the second instruction information for the first duration, the terminal device receives the fourth instruction information on the first resource. The fourth instruction information is used to update the synchronization information, and the first resource is used to carry the fourth instruction information.

[0016] According to the above scheme, after receiving the second instruction information for a first period of time, the terminal device receives the updated synchronization information, so that the terminal device can obtain the updated synchronization information in a timely manner to maintain uplink signal synchronization.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the terminal device is in a connected state to the network, and the method further includes: if the fourth indication information is not received on the first resource, entering an idle state; the terminal device receives a system message, the system message including synchronization information.

[0018] According to the above scheme, for terminal devices that cannot obtain system messages in the connected state, the network notifies the terminal device of updated system messages through the fourth indication information, which enables the terminal device to maintain the connected state and achieve data communication with the network. If the fourth indication information is not received, the terminal device can enter the idle state to obtain system messages containing synchronization information, so that the terminal device can obtain synchronization information in a timely manner and reduce the occurrence of uplink synchronization failure.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: if the fourth indication information is not received on the first resource, the terminal device sends feedback information, the feedback information being used to indicate that the fourth indication information has not been received; and the entering of the idle state includes: entering the idle state after sending the feedback information.

[0020] According to the above scheme, if the fourth indication information is not received, the terminal device can send feedback information to notify the network that the fourth indication information has not been received. The network can then determine, based on predefined information, that the terminal device enters an idle state and cannot send or receive communication data if the fourth indication information has not been received. The network can then either refrain from sending downlink data to the terminal device or schedule the terminal device to send uplink data, thereby reducing resource waste.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, entering the idle state includes: determining that the number of transmissions of the fourth indication information is greater than or equal to the maximum number of transmissions, and that the fourth indication information has not been received; and entering the idle state.

[0022] According to the above scheme, the network can send the fourth indication information to the terminal device multiple times to increase the probability that the terminal device receives the fourth indication information. When the maximum number of transmissions of the fourth indication information is reached, the terminal device enters an idle state.

[0023] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, entering the idle state includes: determining that an uplink signal loss of synchronization or a radio link failure has occurred; and entering the idle state.

[0024] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: if the fourth indication information is not received on the first resource, the terminal device initiates a random access procedure.

[0025] According to the above scheme, if the terminal device does not receive the fourth instruction information, it can obtain uplink synchronization information by initiating a random access procedure.

[0026] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the terminal device is in a connected state with the network, and the terminal device initiates a random access procedure, including: after the terminal device enters an idle state, it initiates a contention-based random access procedure.

[0027] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: if the fourth indication information is not received on the first resource, sending feedback information, the feedback information being used to indicate that the fourth indication information has not been received, wherein the random access procedure is initiated after sending the feedback information.

[0028] According to the above scheme, if the fourth instruction information is not received, the terminal device can send feedback information to notify the network that the fourth instruction information has not been received. The network can then determine, based on predefined information, whether the terminal device should perform a random access procedure in the absence of the fourth instruction information. This allows the network device and the terminal device to reach a consensus and avoid unnecessary resource waste.

[0029] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the terminal device initiating a random access procedure includes: the terminal device receiving fifth indication information, the fifth indication information being used to instruct the terminal device to initiate a non-contention-based random access procedure; and the terminal device initiating a non-contention-based random access procedure according to the fifth indication information.

[0030] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the terminal device initiates a random access procedure, including: the terminal device initiates the random access procedure when the number of retransmissions of the fourth indication information is greater than or equal to the maximum number of retransmissions.

[0031] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, initiating the random access procedure includes: determining that an uplink signal loss of synchronization or a radio link failure has occurred; and initiating the random access procedure.

[0032] According to the above scheme, if the terminal device does not receive the fourth instruction information, it can be assumed that the uplink signal has lost synchronization or the wireless link has failed, so the terminal device can initiate a random access procedure to obtain synchronization information.

[0033] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: if the terminal device receives the fourth indication information, performing uplink signal synchronization according to the fourth indication information within the first time period after receiving the fourth indication information.

[0034] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the synchronization information includes one or more of the following: time-domain offset compensation information between the reference point and the serving satellite, change information of the time-domain offset compensation information, or ephemeris information of the serving satellite. The method further includes: receiving sixth indication information, which indicates a third duration, the third duration being the effective duration of the location information of the terminal device; the terminal device receiving positioning information after the third duration following the update of the location information; and if no positioning information is received on the resource used to carry the positioning information after the third duration, the terminal device initiating a random access procedure.

[0035] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the synchronization information includes time-domain offset compensation information between the reference point and the serving satellite and / or change information of the time-domain offset compensation information. The method further includes: receiving seventh indication information, which indicates a fourth duration, the fourth duration being the valid duration of the serving satellite ephemeris information; after receiving the fourth duration of the ephemeris information, the terminal device receives updated ephemeris information; if, after the fourth duration, no updated ephemeris information is received on the resources used to carry the updated ephemeris information, the terminal device initiates a random access procedure.

[0036] According to the above scheme, network devices can configure a validity period for each type of synchronization information for terminal devices. Terminal devices then obtain the corresponding update information based on the validity period of each type of synchronization information. This avoids situations where different validity periods for synchronization information cause terminal devices to frequently obtain other, valid synchronization information due to the expiration of one type.

[0037] Secondly, an uplink signal synchronization method is provided, which can be executed by a network device or a module (such as a chip) configured in (or used in) the network device.

[0038] The method includes: a network device sending a first indication message to a first terminal device, the first indication message indicating a first duration, the first duration being the effective duration of synchronization information, the synchronization information being used for uplink signal synchronization; the network device sending a second indication message to the first terminal device, the second indication message indicating the synchronization information.

[0039] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the synchronization information includes one or more of the following:

[0040] The information includes time-domain offset compensation between the service satellite and the reference point, changes in the time-domain offset compensation information, ephemeris information of the service satellite of the terminal device, positioning information, frequency-domain offset compensation information, location information of the reference point, and location or timing information of the network device.

[0041] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the network device determining the effective duration of the synchronization information as the first duration based on the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the reference point and / or based on the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the network device.

[0042] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the network device determining the first duration based on the ephemeris derivation capability information of the first terminal device and / or the moving speed information of the first terminal device; or, the network device determining the first duration based on the minimum ephemeris derivation capability of the terminal device and / or the maximum moving speed information of the terminal device, wherein the ephemeris derivation capability information includes the maximum duration for ephemeris derivation and / or the ephemeris derivation model, the ephemeris derivation model being used to determine the maximum duration for ephemeris derivation of the terminal device.

[0043] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the network device receiving third indication information from the first terminal device, the third indication information indicating one or more of the following: the terminal device's moving speed information, the terminal device's ephemeris derivation capability information, or a second duration, wherein the ephemeris derivation capability information includes the maximum duration for ephemeris derivation and / or an ephemeris derivation model, the ephemeris derivation model being used to determine the maximum duration for ephemeris derivation by the terminal device, and the second duration being the effective duration of the synchronization information determined by the terminal device.

[0044] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the fourth instruction information is carried in message 3 of the random access procedure.

[0045] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the network device sending a fourth indication message after the first duration, the fourth indication message being used to update the synchronization information.

[0046] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the network device determining, based on the first duration, the period of the discontinuous reception operation of the first terminal device and / or the activation time of the discontinuous reception operation; the network device sending configuration information to the first terminal device, the configuration information being used to configure the discontinuous reception operation, the configuration information including indication information for indicating the period and / or the activation time.

[0047] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the discontinuous reception operation is a discontinuous reception operation when the terminal device is in a connected state.

[0048] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the synchronization information includes one or more of the following: time-domain offset compensation information between the serving satellite and the reference point, change information of the time-domain offset compensation information, and ephemeris information of the serving satellite. Furthermore, the method further includes: the network device sending a sixth indication message to the first terminal device, the sixth indication message indicating a third duration, the second duration being the effective duration of the location information of the first terminal device.

[0049] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: determining the third duration based on the moving speed of the first terminal device or the maximum moving speed of the terminal device.

[0050] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the synchronization information includes time-domain offset compensation information between the reference point and the serving satellite and / or change information of the time-domain offset compensation information. Furthermore, the method further includes sending a seventh indication information to the first terminal device, the seventh indication information indicating a fourth duration, the fourth duration being the effective duration of the serving satellite ephemeris information.

[0051] Thirdly, an uplink signal synchronization method is provided, which can be executed by a terminal device or a module (such as a chip) configured in (or used in) the terminal device.

[0052] The method includes: a terminal device receiving configuration information from a network device, the configuration information being used to configure a first resource, the first resource being used to receive synchronization information, the synchronization information being used to perform uplink signal synchronization; and the terminal device receiving the synchronization information on the first resource.

[0053] According to the above scheme, the first terminal device can request synchronization information based on demand or obtain synchronization information from semi-static resources, which can avoid uplink synchronization failure caused by the terminal device's inability to obtain synchronization information and improve the reliability of communication.

[0054] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the synchronization information includes one or more of the following:

[0055] The terminal device provides information on the time-domain offset compensation between the service satellite and the reference point, information on the changes in the time-domain offset compensation, ephemeris information, positioning information, frequency-domain offset compensation information of the service satellite, and position or timing information of the reference point.

[0056] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes: the terminal device sending request information to the network device, the request information being used to request the synchronization information.

[0057] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first resource is a periodic resource or a semi-static resource.

[0058] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the configuration information configures multiple resources for carrying synchronization information, the multiple resources having different period sizes and / or different frequency domain resources, the multiple resources including the first resource, the terminal device receiving the synchronization information on the first resource includes: the terminal device receiving first indication information, the first indication information being used to activate the first resource among the multiple resources; the terminal device receiving the first indication information on the first resource.

[0059] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes: the terminal device sending second indication information, the second indication information being used to indicate the terminal device's moving speed information and / or the terminal device's ephemeris derivation capability information, wherein the ephemeris derivation capability information includes the maximum duration for ephemeris derivation and / or the ephemeris derivation model, the ephemeris derivation model being used to determine the maximum duration for ephemeris derivation by the terminal device.

[0060] Fourthly, an uplink signal synchronization method is provided, which can be executed by a network device or a module (such as a chip) configured in (or used in) the network device.

[0061] The method includes: sending configuration information to a first terminal device, the configuration information being used to configure a first resource, the first resource being used to carry synchronization information; and sending the synchronization information to the first terminal device on the first resource.

[0062] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the synchronization information includes one or more of the following:

[0063] The time-domain offset compensation information between the service satellite and the reference point, the change information of the time-domain offset compensation information, the ephemeris information, positioning information, frequency-domain offset compensation information of the service satellite of the terminal device, and the position information or timing information of the reference point.

[0064] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the method further includes: the network device receiving request information from the first terminal device, the request information being used to request the synchronization information.

[0065] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the first resource is a periodic resource or a semi-static resource.

[0066] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the configuration information configures multiple resources for carrying synchronization information, the multiple resources having different period sizes and / or different frequency domain resources, and sending the synchronization information to the first terminal device on the first resource includes: sending first indication information to the terminal device, the first indication information being used to activate the first resource among the multiple resources; and sending the synchronization information to the first terminal device on the first resource.

[0067] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the method further includes: determining the period size of the first resource based on the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the reference point and / or based on the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the network device.

[0068] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the synchronization information includes the ephemeris of the serving satellite, and the method further includes: determining the period size of the first resource based on the ephemeris derivation capability information and / or the moving speed information of the first terminal device; or, determining the period size of the first resource based on the minimum capability of the terminal device to derive the ephemeris and / or the maximum moving speed information of the terminal device.

[0069] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the method further includes: receiving second indication information from the first terminal device, the second indication information being used to indicate the moving speed information of the first terminal device and / or the ephemeris derivation capability information of the first terminal device, wherein the ephemeris derivation capability information includes the maximum duration for ephemeris derivation and / or the ephemeris derivation model, the ephemeris derivation model being used to determine the maximum duration for ephemeris derivation by the terminal device.

[0070] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, which may include modules corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect and any one of the first aspects. These modules may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software. In one design, the device includes: a transceiver unit for receiving first indication information, the first indication information indicating a first duration, the first duration being the effective duration of synchronization information, the synchronization information being an uplink signal synchronization; and a processing unit for performing uplink signal synchronization according to the second indication information within a first duration after receiving second indication information, the uplink signal synchronization including time-domain offset compensation and / or frequency-domain offset compensation, the second indication information indicating the synchronization information.

[0071] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, which may include modules corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect and any one of the second aspects. These modules may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software. In one design, the device includes: a processing unit configured to determine a first duration, the first duration being the effective duration of synchronization information used for uplink signal synchronization; a transceiver unit configured to send first indication information to a first terminal device, the first indication information indicating the first duration; the transceiver unit is further configured to send second indication information to the first terminal device, the second indication information indicating synchronization information used for uplink signal synchronization, the uplink signal synchronization including time-domain offset compensation and / or frequency-domain offset compensation.

[0072] A seventh aspect provides a communication device, which may include modules corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the third aspect and any one of the third aspects. These modules may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software. In one design, the device includes: a transceiver unit for receiving configuration information from a network device, the configuration information being used to configure a first resource, the first resource being used to receive synchronization information, the synchronization information being used to perform uplink signal synchronization; a processing unit for determining the first resource based on the configuration information; the transceiver unit is further configured to receive the synchronization information on the first resource.

[0073] Eighthly, a communication device is provided, which may include modules corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the fourth aspect and any one of the fourth aspects. These modules may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software. In one design, the device includes: a processing unit configured to determine a first resource for carrying synchronization information; a transceiver unit configured to send configuration information to a first terminal device, the configuration information being used to configure the first resource; the transceiver unit is further configured to send the synchronization information to the first terminal device on the first resource.

[0074] A ninth aspect provides a communication device including a processor. The processor can implement the methods of the first or third aspect and any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory, the processor being coupled to the memory and configured to execute instructions in the memory to implement the methods of the first or third aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0075] Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface, to which the processor is coupled. In this embodiment, the communication interface may be a transceiver, pin, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface, and is not limited thereto.

[0076] In one implementation, the communication device is a terminal device. When the communication device is a terminal device, the communication interface can be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0077] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip configured in a terminal device. When the communication device is a chip configured in a terminal device, the communication interface can be an input / output interface, and the processor can be a logic circuit.

[0078] Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0079] A tenth aspect provides a communication device including a processor. The processor can implement the methods of the second or fourth aspect and any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory, the processor being coupled to the memory and configured to execute instructions in the memory to implement the methods of the second or fourth aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0080] Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface, to which the processor is coupled. In this embodiment, the communication interface may be a transceiver, pin, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface, and is not limited thereto.

[0081] In one implementation, the communication device is a network device. When the communication device is a network device, the communication interface can be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0082] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip configured in a network device. When the communication device is a chip configured in a network device, the communication interface can be an input / output interface, and the processor can be a logic circuit.

[0083] Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0084] Eleventhly, a processor is provided, comprising: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive signals through the input circuit and transmit signals through the output circuit, causing the processor to execute the methods of the first to fourth aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0085] In specific implementation, the processor can be one or more chips, the input circuit can be input pins, the output circuit can be output pins, and the processing circuit can be transistors, gate circuits, flip-flops, and various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit can be received and input by, for example, but not limited to, a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, output to and transmitted by a transmitter. Furthermore, the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit, which is used as both the input circuit and the output circuit at different times. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the processor and various circuits.

[0086] In a twelfth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when run, causes a computer to perform the methods described in the first to fourth aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0087] In a thirteenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods described in the first to fourth aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0088] In a fourteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, including at least one network device and at least one terminal device as described above. Attached Figure Description

[0089] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication network applicable to embodiments of this application;

[0090] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication network applicable to embodiments of this application;

[0091] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of an uplink synchronization method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0092] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the uplink synchronization method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0093] Figure 5 This is another schematic diagram of the uplink synchronization method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0094] Figure 6 This is another schematic diagram of the uplink synchronization method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0095] Figure 7This is a schematic flowchart of an uplink synchronization method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0096] Figure 8 This is a schematic block diagram of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0097] Figure 9 This is a schematic structural diagram of the terminal device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0098] Figure 10 This is a schematic structural diagram of the network device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0099] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0100] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0101] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0102] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication systems, 5G systems or new radio (NR) systems, non-terrestrial networks (NTN), and future communication systems, such as sixth-generation mobile communication systems. This application does not limit these applications.

[0103] In the NTN network, satellites can transmit transparent payloads or regenerative payloads.

[0104] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an NTN network architecture applicable to embodiments of this application, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the user equipment (UE) communicates with the ground base station through the user-universal terrestrial radio access network (Uu) interface. The satellite can realize transparent payload transmission between the user and the ground base station. The satellite and the NTN gateway can be regarded as the remote radio unit of the ground base station, realizing functions such as radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion and amplification of the signal, and the signal waveform remains unchanged; the satellite's relay is transparent to the terminal equipment.

[0105] Figure 2 This is another schematic diagram of the NTN network applicable to the embodiments of this application, such as... Figure 2 As shown, satellites can achieve non-transparent payload transmission (or regenerative payload transmission). Satellites possess some or all of the functions of a base station and can be called satellite base stations. They perform functions such as radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion and amplification, demodulation / decoding, switching or routing, and encoding / modulation. The satellite base station communicates with the UE via the Uu interface.

[0106] The following is about Figure 1 , Figure 2The various network elements and their corresponding interfaces are described below:

[0107] UE: It can also be a terminal device, which can access the network through the air interface and initiate services such as making calls and accessing the Internet.

[0108] Base station: can be such as Figure 1 The ground base station shown can also be as follows: Figure 2 The satellite base station shown can provide wireless access services, allocate wireless resources to access terminals, and provide reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols.

[0109] Core network (CN): Provides services such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and accounting. It consists of multiple functional network elements, which can be divided into control plane and data plane functional entities. The core network can be further divided into user plane functions and control plane functions. User plane functions include User Plane Function (UPF) network elements, primarily responsible for connecting to the data network (DN) via the N6 interface and handling packet routing, forwarding, filtering, and Quality of Service (QoS) control related functions. Control plane functions include Access and Mobility Management (AMF) network elements and Session Management (SMF) network elements. AMF network elements are primarily responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management, while SMF network elements are primarily responsible for session management, terminal device address management and allocation, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) functions, and the selection and control of user plane functions.

[0110] Next generation (NG) interface: The interface between the base station and the core network, mainly for exchanging signaling such as NAS of the core network, as well as user service data.

[0111] Satellite Radio Interface (SRI) Interface: The feeder link between the NTN gateway and the satellite. Figure 2 In this context, the SRI interface can be used as part of the NG interface to enable communication and interaction between the satellite and the core network.

[0112] Xn interface: A network may include multiple base stations, which communicate with each other through the Xn interface. The Xn interface is mainly used to realize signaling interaction between base stations and user data transmission during processes such as handover of terminal devices.

[0113] The terminal equipment in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device. The terminal equipment in the embodiments of this application may be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in autonomous driving, wireless terminal in telemedicine, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, wireless terminal in smart home, cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication function, computing device, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, terminal equipment in a 5G network, or terminal equipment in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc. It should be understood that this application does not limit the specific form of the terminal device.

[0114] Terminal devices can also be terminal devices in Internet of Things (IoT) systems. IoT is an important component of future information technology development. Its main technical characteristic is connecting objects to networks through communication technologies, thereby realizing an intelligent network that enables human-machine interconnection and machine-to-machine interconnection. IoT technology can achieve massive connectivity, deep coverage, and low power consumption at the terminal level through technologies such as narrowband (NB).

[0115] The network device in this application embodiment can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities in an access network. This device includes, but is not limited to: base stations, satellites, satellite base stations, evolved node Bs (eNBs), radio network controllers (RNCs), node Bs (NBs), base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), home base stations (e.g., home-evolved node Bs, or home node Bs (HNBs), baseband units (BBUs), access points (APs), wireless relay nodes, wireless backhaul nodes, transmission points (TPs), or transmission and reception points (TRPs) in a Wi-Fi system. This device can also be a network node constituting a gNB or transmission point, such as a baseband unit (BBU) or a distributed unit (DU). It should be understood that this application does not limit the specific form of the network device.

[0116] Unlike terrestrial communication, the round-trip delay (RTD) and RTD difference between satellite base stations and terminal devices are much greater than those in terrestrial communication. For example, when the cell diameter in a terrestrial cellular network is 350 kilometers, the maximum RTD within the cell is 1.17 milliseconds (ms). The RTD of high-orbit satellites can reach hundreds of milliseconds, and the RTD of low-orbit satellites can reach tens of milliseconds.

[0117] To achieve uplink synchronization, in terrestrial communication, the terminal device performs time advance (TA) according to instructions from the network side. The timing advance is related to the round-trip transmission delay. In satellite communication, the terminal device can determine the RTD between itself and the satellite base station based on ephemeris information from the satellite base station and GNSS signals provided by navigation satellites in the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). For example, the terminal device obtains the location of the satellite base station based on ephemeris information and infers changes in its location. It also determines its own location information based on GNSS signals, thereby calculating the communication link length between the satellite base station and the terminal device, and determining the RTD of signal transmission between them based on this link length. Furthermore, for transparent satellite base stations, the terminal device can perform uplink signal synchronization using information provided by the terrestrial base station. The terrestrial base station can provide the terminal device with common TA information, which is the RTD between the reference point and the satellite. The reference point can be a satellite, a terrestrial base station, or another point on the communication link. The terminal device can determine the TA between itself and the satellite base station based on the RTD between itself and the terrestrial base station, as well as this common TA information. Ground base stations can broadcast public TA information and ephemeris information from satellite base stations via system messages.

[0118] Untimely updates to parameters used for uplink signal synchronization by terminal devices can cause uplink synchronization failures. However, some types of terminal devices may not continuously listen to system messages depending on their state. For example, terminal devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) do not listen to system messages when in a connected state. Therefore, the terminal device may experience uplink synchronization failures due to the expiration of previously acquired ephemeris information and / or common TA information. On the other hand, terminal devices can deduce parameter changes based on the acquired uplink synchronization parameters within a certain timeframe. If the system message update cycle is shorter than the deduction time of the terminal device, it will trigger unnecessary system message listening within the deduction capability range, increasing power consumption, especially for low-power terminal devices that may not meet power consumption requirements. This application proposes a closed-loop update mechanism for synchronization information. The terminal device acquires the synchronization information for a valid duration, considers the synchronization information valid within that duration, and performs uplink signal synchronization based on the synchronization information. This reduces the possibility of terminal devices unknowingly experiencing synchronization failures due to expired synchronization information, thus reducing communication resource waste in the event of synchronization failures. Furthermore, it reduces the power consumption caused by frequent acquisition of synchronization information by the terminal device.

[0119] The uplink signal synchronization method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0120] Example 1

[0121] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of the uplink synchronization method 300 provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0122] S310, the network device sends a first indication information to the first terminal device. The first indication information is used to indicate a first duration, which is the effective duration of the synchronization information.

[0123] Accordingly, the first terminal device receives the first instruction information from the network device.

[0124] The network equipment can be a terrestrial access network device (such as a terrestrial base station connected to the first terminal device) or a satellite access network device.

[0125] For example, the first terminal device establishes a communication connection with a ground base station, and the satellite base station provides transparent communication services. The ground base station can send the first indication information to the network device, notifying the validity period of the synchronization information.

[0126] For example, the first terminal device establishes a communication connection with the satellite base station, and the satellite base station notifies the first terminal device of the effective duration of the synchronization information using the first indication information.

[0127] The synchronization information is used for uplink signal synchronization. The first terminal device performs uplink signal synchronization by performing time-domain offset compensation and / or frequency-domain offset compensation on the uplink signal. The synchronization information may include one or more of the following:

[0128] The information includes time-domain offset compensation between the service satellite and the reference point of the first terminal device, changes in time-domain offset compensation information, ephemeris information, positioning information, frequency-domain offset compensation information, location information of the reference point, and location or timing information of the network device.

[0129] The aforementioned time-domain offset compensation information can be common time-domain (TA) information. Changes in the time-domain offset compensation information can be used by the first terminal device to deduce these changes and update the time-domain offset compensation information. These changes can be the rate of change of the time-domain offset compensation information, i.e., the first derivative, or a higher-order derivative.

[0130] The aforementioned location information may include time window information for the terminal device to receive GNSS signals, and / or auxiliary location information provided by the network device to assist the terminal device in obtaining location information.

[0131] The location information of the aforementioned network device may be the location information of the network device that sends the first instruction information to the first terminal device, or the location information of the access network device that establishes a wireless communication connection with the first terminal device. The network device may be a terrestrial base station or a satellite base station.

[0132] The timing information mentioned above may include parameter information used to enhance timing accuracy. The first terminal device can improve timing accuracy based on the timing information, thereby improving the accuracy of uplink signal synchronization.

[0133] Before the network device sends the first instruction information to the first terminal device, it needs to determine the effective duration of the synchronization information, i.e., the first duration, based on relevant parameters.

[0134] Optionally, the network device may determine the first duration based on the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the reference point and / or based on the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the network device.

[0135] For example, synchronization information includes time-domain offset compensation information between the serving satellite and the reference point. Network devices can determine the rate of change of public TA information based on the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the reference point, and / or the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the network device, and determine the effective duration of synchronization information based on the rate of change of public TA information.

[0136] Optionally, the network device may determine the first duration based on the ephemeris information of the terminal device and / or the mobile speed information of the terminal device.

[0137] By way of example and not limitation, ephemeris derivation capability information may include the maximum duration for ephemeris derivation and / or the ephemeris derivation model, which is used to determine the maximum duration for ephemeris derivation by the terminal device.

[0138] In one embodiment, the network device determines the first duration based on the ephemeris derivation capability information of the first terminal device and / or the moving speed information of the first terminal device.

[0139] Optionally, the first terminal device sends a third indication message to the network device, the third indication message being used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0140] The first terminal device's ephemeris derivation capability information, the first terminal device's movement speed information, or the second duration.

[0141] Accordingly, the network device receives the third instruction information from the first terminal device. The second duration is the recommended effective duration of the synchronization information from the terminal device.

[0142] For example, the synchronization information may include the ephemeris information of the serving satellite. After the network device obtains the ephemeris derivation capability information of the first terminal device through the third indication information, it can determine the maximum duration for the first terminal device to derive the ephemeris. Based on the maximum duration, the effective duration of the synchronization information can be determined.

[0143] Optionally, the maximum ephemeris calculation duration of the terminal device can be divided into multiple capability levels, each capability level corresponding to a maximum ephemeris calculation duration, with the third indication information specifically indicating the capability level. The network device can determine that the maximum ephemeris calculation duration of the first terminal device is the duration corresponding to the capability level indicated by the third indication information.

[0144] For example, the correspondence between the maximum ephemeris derivation time of a terminal device and its capability level can be shown in Table 1. If the maximum ephemeris derivation time of the first terminal device is 10 seconds, the terminal device can send a third indication message to the network device in message 3 (Msg3) during the random access procedure. The third indication message can indicate capability level 1 corresponding to 10 seconds. After receiving the third indication message sent by the first terminal device, the network device determines that the maximum ephemeris derivation time of the first terminal device is 10 seconds based on the capability level indicated by the third indication message being 1. Alternatively, if the maximum ephemeris derivation time of the first terminal device is 20 seconds, and the network device receives the third indication message sent by the first terminal device indicating that the ephemeris derivation capability information level is 3, then the network device determines that the maximum ephemeris derivation time of the first terminal device is 20 seconds.

[0145] Table 1

[0146] Ephemeris derivation ability information level Ephemeris Derivation of Maximum Duration 0 5s 1 10s 2 15s 3 20s 4 25s … …

[0147] For example, the validity period of the terminal device's location is related to the terminal device's moving speed. The network device can obtain the moving speed information of the first terminal device through the third indication information, and determine the validity period of the terminal device's location information based on the moving speed information. This allows the terminal device to determine to perform uplink signal synchronization based on the location information within the validity period, and update the location information in a timely manner after the validity period.

[0148] For example, the first terminal device can determine the effective duration of the synchronization information, i.e., the second duration, based on its ability to derive synchronization information, such as ephemeris derivation information. It then reports the recommended effective duration of the synchronization information to the network device via a third indication. Upon receiving the third indication, the network device can determine the first duration by referring to the recommended second duration. This first duration can be the same as the second duration, or it can be different from the second duration if the network device determines the second duration based on other parameters and finds it inappropriate. Other parameters could be the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the reference point, and / or the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the network device, but this application is not limited to these.

[0149] Optionally, the third indication information may be carried in the information sent by the first terminal device to the network device during the random access process. As an example and not a limitation, the third indication information may be carried in message 3 during the random access process.

[0150] In another implementation, the network device determines the first duration based on the minimum capability of the terminal device's derived ephemeris and / or the terminal device's maximum moving speed information.

[0151] Among them, the minimum capability of a terminal device to derive ephemeris can be the derive capability of a low-capability terminal device.

[0152] The network device may determine a first duration based on the inference capability of the low-capability terminal device and / or the maximum moving speed of the terminal device. This first duration can be considered as the effective duration of the synchronization information applicable to all terminal devices. Optionally, the first indication information may be broadcast information, which the terminal device connected to the network device can receive to determine the effective duration of the synchronization information.

[0153] S320, within a first time period after receiving the second instruction information, the first terminal device performs uplink signal synchronization according to the second instruction information, the second instruction information being used to indicate synchronization information.

[0154] The uplink signal synchronization includes time-domain offset compensation and / or frequency-domain offset compensation.

[0155] Optionally, the second instruction information can be carried in a system message.

[0156] After receiving the first instruction information, the first terminal device determines that the effective duration of the synchronization information is the first duration. Then, after receiving the second instruction information used to indicate the synchronization information, the first terminal device performs uplink signal synchronization within the first duration according to the synchronization information indicated by the second instruction information.

[0157] According to the above scheme, the synchronization information is considered valid within its effective duration, and uplink signal synchronization is performed based on the synchronization information. This reduces the power consumption of terminal devices caused by frequently acquiring synchronization information. On the other hand, it reduces the possibility of terminal devices losing synchronization without realizing it due to expired synchronization information, thus reducing the waste of communication resources in the event of loss of synchronization.

[0158] After receiving the second instruction information for a first duration, the first terminal device receives the fourth instruction information on the first resource, which is used to update the synchronization information.

[0159] If the first terminal device determines after a first period of time that the synchronization information indicated by the second indication information may be invalid, it receives the fourth indication information to obtain updated synchronization information. The fourth indication information may indicate the updated synchronization information, or it may indicate parameter information for the calculation method used to update the synchronization information, so that the terminal device updates the calculation method according to the parameter information and determines the updated synchronization information according to the updated calculation method. However, this application is not limited to this.

[0160] In one implementation, the fourth instruction information may be carried in a system message.

[0161] In other words, the first terminal device can stop receiving system messages within a first period of time after receiving the second instruction information, and then obtain the updated synchronization information by receiving system messages after the first period of time.

[0162] In another implementation, the fourth instruction information may be dedicated information sent by the network device to the first terminal device for updating synchronization information.

[0163] For example, the first terminal device is an IoT terminal device. IoT terminal devices can only receive system messages and obtain synchronization information when in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state. The first terminal device needs to enter the RRC connected state to send uplink signals. If the first terminal device obtains the synchronization information, it performs uplink signal synchronization based on that information within a first time period. However, if the first terminal device is still in the connected state after obtaining the synchronization information, it cannot receive system messages. The network device can send the fourth indication information to the first terminal device while it is in the connected state. The first terminal device receives this fourth indication information to obtain updated synchronization information. This allows the first terminal device to obtain synchronization information via system messages without switching to the idle state.

[0164] Optionally, the first resource used to carry the fourth indication information may be pre-configured by the network for the first terminal device. Alternatively, the network device may periodically send the fourth indication information, with the fourth indication information in each period used to indicate the latest synchronization information. The first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information within a first duration after receiving the second indication information, but receives the fourth indication information in the next period after the first duration to obtain the updated synchronization information.

[0165] Optionally, the period of the fourth indication information may be determined based on one or more of the following: the first duration, the ephemeris derivation capability of the first terminal device, the maximum moving speed of the first terminal device, the minimum ephemeris derivation capability of the terminal device, the maximum moving speed of the terminal device, the satellite orbital altitude of the serving satellite, or the cell elevation angle of the serving satellite.

[0166] Optionally, it can be specified that the terminal device can obtain system messages related to synchronization information when it is in a connected state, and the system messages include fourth indication information.

[0167] For example, it can be stipulated that terminal devices in the IoT can obtain system messages related to synchronization information when they are in a connected state. Then, after receiving the second indication information, the terminal device in the IoT receives the system messages related to synchronization information in the connected state after a first time period. The system messages include the fourth indication information.

[0168] If the first terminal device receives the fourth instruction information on the first resource, the first terminal device performs uplink signal synchronization according to the fourth instruction information within a first time period after receiving the fourth instruction information.

[0169] In one implementation, if the first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information on the first resource, the first terminal device can enter an idle state and receive system messages in the idle state.

[0170] The following describes an optional implementation method for the first terminal device to enter an idle state when it does not receive the fourth instruction information on the first resource.

[0171] Optionally, the first terminal device is in a connected state to the network. If the first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information on the first resource, the first terminal device enters an idle state and receives system messages in the idle state. The system messages include synchronization information.

[0172] In this embodiment of the application, if the terminal device does not receive a message, it can be considered that the terminal device did not detect the message, or it can be considered that the terminal device detected the message, but did not read the content of the message because it failed to decode it.

[0173] For example, if the first terminal device cannot receive system messages in the connected state, the network device sends a fourth indication message to the terminal device for updating synchronization information in the connected state. If the terminal device does not receive the fourth indication message on the first resource, the terminal device can enter an idle state and receive system messages in the idle state to obtain the updated synchronization information.

[0174] Optionally, if the first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information on the first resource, the first terminal device may determine that an uplink synchronization failure or a wireless link failure has occurred, enter an idle state, and receive system messages in the idle state, the system messages including synchronization information.

[0175] For example, the synchronization information indicated by the second indication information includes one or more of the following: public TA information, changes in public TA information, or ephemeris information of the serving satellite, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the first terminal device can receive the second indication information through the system information block (SIB). Before that, the first terminal device also receives GNSS information, which includes positioning information. Within a first time period after receiving the SIB, the first terminal device performs uplink signal synchronization based on the synchronization information and positioning information in the SIB, and sends uplink data on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). After the first time period after receiving the SIB, the first terminal device receives the fourth indication information. If the fourth indication information is not received, the first terminal device determines that uplink synchronization failure or wireless link failure has occurred, and enters an idle state to receive system messages to obtain synchronization information.

[0176] If the first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information on the first resource, the first terminal device may assume that an uplink synchronization failure or a wireless link failure has occurred, thereby triggering the first terminal device to enter an idle state to receive system messages in order to obtain synchronization information. However, this application is not limited to this.

[0177] Optionally, if the first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information on the first resource, the first terminal device sends feedback information to indicate that the fourth indication information has not been received.

[0178] The first terminal device can notify the network device through feedback information that the first terminal device has not received the fourth instruction information.

[0179] Optionally, after sending feedback information, the first terminal device enters an idle state and receives system messages in the idle state, including synchronization information.

[0180] The network device receives the feedback information from the first terminal device and can determine from the feedback information that the first terminal device has not received the fourth instruction information and has entered an idle state.

[0181] For example, after receiving the feedback information from the first terminal device, the network device determines that the first terminal device has entered an idle state. The network device may not schedule uplink signals (such as uplink information and / or uplink data) sent by the first terminal device or may not send downlink signals (such as downlink information and / or downlink data) to the first terminal device. However, this application is not limited to this.

[0182] Optionally, if the first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information, the first terminal device can determine that an uplink synchronization failure or wireless link failure has occurred and enter an idle state.

[0183] Optionally, if the number of transmissions of the fourth indication information is greater than or equal to the maximum number of transmissions, the first terminal device enters an idle state and receives system messages in the idle state, including synchronization information.

[0184] The network device sends the fourth indication information to the first terminal device multiple times. When the first terminal device determines that the number of times the fourth indication information has been transmitted is greater than or equal to the maximum number of transmissions, and the first terminal device has not received the fourth indication information, the first terminal device enters an idle state to receive system messages.

[0185] Optionally, the maximum number of transmissions of the fourth indication information can be pre-configured.

[0186] In one example, the network device pre-configures multiple resources for receiving fourth indication information. The network device sends the fourth indication information on these multiple resources, and correspondingly, the first terminal device receives the fourth indication information on these multiple resources. If the fourth indication information is not received on any of these multiple resources, the first terminal device determines that the maximum number of transmissions of the fourth indication information has been reached and enters an idle state to receive system messages. Optionally, the first terminal device sends feedback information to the network device before entering the idle state.

[0187] For example, the network device periodically sends a fourth indication message. Within each period, this fourth indication message indicates the latest synchronization information. The multiple resources are used to carry the fourth indication message for each of the multiple periods. The first terminal device receives the fourth indication message in the next period after receiving the second indication message for a first duration. If it does not receive it, it receives it in the next period after that. If the first terminal device fails to successfully receive the fourth indication message within the maximum number of periods pre-configured by the network device, it enters an idle state to receive system messages.

[0188] In another example, if the first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information on the first resource, it sends feedback information to the network device. Upon receiving the feedback information, the network device resends the fourth indication information to the first terminal device until the first terminal device determines that the maximum number of transmissions of the fourth indication information has been reached. Then, the first terminal device enters an idle state to receive system messages. In this example, the maximum number of transmissions can be called the maximum number of retransmissions. However, if the first terminal device receives a retransmitted fourth indication information, it performs uplink signal synchronization according to the fourth indication information within a first time period after receiving the retransmitted fourth feedback information.

[0189] For example Figure 5 As shown, within the first time period after receiving the SIB, the first terminal device performs uplink signal synchronization based on the synchronization information in the SIB and the positioning information contained in the GNSS information, and sends uplink data on the PUSCH. After the first time period after receiving the SIB, the first terminal device receives the fourth indication information. If the fourth indication information is not received (for example, the fourth indication information is detected but not successfully decoded), the first terminal device sends feedback information and receives retransmission information of the fourth indication information. If the retransmission of the fourth indication information is still not received, the first terminal device sends feedback information again and receives the retransmission of the fourth indication information again. If it is still not received, if the maximum number of retransmissions of the fourth indication information is 3, the first terminal device determines that the transmission count of the fourth indication information has reached the maximum number of transmissions. The first terminal device can then send feedback information again and enter the idle state to receive the SIB.

[0190] According to the above scheme, if the terminal device does not receive the fourth instruction information for updating synchronization information, the terminal device can enter an idle state to receive system messages in order to obtain uplink synchronization information. This reduces the possibility of uplink synchronization failures.

[0191] Optionally, if the number of transmissions of the fourth indication information is greater than or equal to the maximum number of transmissions, the first terminal device determines that an uplink synchronization failure or wireless link failure has occurred, and enters an idle state to receive system messages.

[0192] In another implementation, if the first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information on the first resource, the first terminal device may initiate a random access procedure.

[0193] The following describes an optional implementation method for initiating a random access procedure when the first terminal device does not receive the fourth instruction information on the first resource.

[0194] Optionally, if the first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information on the first resource, the first terminal device initiates the random access procedure.

[0195] For example, if the first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information on the first resource, the first terminal device may consider that the uplink has lost synchronization and initiate a random access procedure to obtain uplink synchronization information.

[0196] Optionally, if the first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information on the first resource, the first terminal device sends feedback information to indicate that the fourth indication information has not been received.

[0197] In one example, if the first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information on the first resource, it sends feedback information and initiates a random access procedure. This allows the network device, upon receiving the feedback information, to determine that the first terminal device has not received the fourth indication information and that the first terminal device will initiate a random access procedure.

[0198] In another example, if the first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information on the first resource, after sending feedback information, the network device receives the feedback information and determines that the first terminal device has not received the fourth indication information. Then, the network device sends a fifth indication information to the first terminal device, which instructs the first terminal device to initiate a non-contention-based random access procedure. Upon receiving the fifth indication information, the first terminal device initiates a non-contention-based random access procedure accordingly.

[0199] The first terminal device initiates a non-contention-based random access procedure, which means that the first terminal device sends a random access signal to the network device on the dedicated random access resources pre-allocated to the first terminal device by the network.

[0200] In another example, if the first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information, it sends feedback information and initiates a contention-based random access procedure. Optionally, after sending the feedback information, the first terminal device enters an idle state and initiates a contention-based random access procedure in the idle state.

[0201] The first terminal device initiates a non-contention-based random access procedure, meaning that the first terminal device selects a random access resource from the pre-configured set of public random access resources in the network and sends a random access signal to the network. If no other terminal device simultaneously selects and sends a random access signal for that resource, the first terminal device is considered to have successfully acquired the random access resource. If the resource is simultaneously selected and a random access signal is sent by another terminal device, the first terminal device is considered to have experienced a contention for the random access resource. Contention conflict resolution can then be performed.

[0202] Optionally, if the number of retransmissions of the fourth indication information is greater than or equal to the maximum number of retransmissions, the first terminal device initiates a random access procedure.

[0203] Optionally, if the first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information, or if it does not receive the fourth indication information and the number of retransmissions of the fourth indication information is greater than or equal to the maximum number of retransmissions, it can be considered that uplink synchronization failure or wireless link failure has occurred. In this case, the first terminal device can initiate a random access procedure to obtain uplink synchronization. Optionally, the first terminal device can enter an idle state and initiate a random access procedure.

[0204] For example, the first terminal device is a terminal device in IoT. After random access, the terminal device in IoT will not listen to system messages. If it does not receive the fourth indication information within the first time period after receiving the second indication information, and the number of retransmissions of the fourth indication information is greater than or equal to the maximum number of retransmissions, and the fourth indication information is still not decrypted, the first terminal device considers that uplink synchronization has occurred, enters the idle state, and initiates the random access process.

[0205] According to the above scheme, if the terminal device does not obtain the fourth instruction information for updating synchronization information, the terminal device can execute a random access procedure to obtain uplink synchronization information through the random access procedure.

[0206] Optionally, the first duration can be the maximum duration of the timer corresponding to the synchronization information. After obtaining the first duration through the first indication information, the first terminal device sets the maximum duration of the timer to the first duration, and starts the timer after receiving the second indication information. During the operation of the timer, uplink signal synchronization is performed according to the second indication information. After the timer stops, a fourth indication information is received on the first resource to obtain updated synchronization information. If the first terminal device receives the fourth indication information, it restarts the timer and performs uplink signal synchronization according to the fourth indication information during the operation of the timer.

[0207] Optionally, the network device can determine the period and / or activation time of the discontinuous reception (DRX) of the first terminal device based on the first duration. DRX operation can be used to save power consumption of the terminal device. The first terminal device periodically performs DRX operation, with a period at the beginning of each period designated as the DRX activation time. During the activation time of each period, the first terminal device listens for control information and does not listen for control information outside the activation time to reduce power consumption. The network device sends discontinuous reception configuration information to the first terminal device, including indication information for specifying the period and / or activation time of the discontinuous reception. The first terminal device performs the discontinuous reception operation according to the configuration information. Optionally, the discontinuous reception operation is a connected mode DRX (CDRX).

[0208] The network device determines the DRX period and / or activation time based on the first duration, so that the first terminal device can receive the fourth indication information within the DRX activation time when the effective duration of the synchronization information expires, thereby updating the synchronization information.

[0209] For example Figure 6 As shown, within a first duration after receiving the second indication information, the first terminal device performs uplink signal synchronization based on the second indication information. Since the first terminal device performs CDRX operation, it sends uplink data at the PUSCH during the CDRX activation time. The CDRX period configured by the network device for the first terminal device is determined based on the first duration; for example, the first duration can be an integer multiple of the CDRX period. This ensures that the first terminal device can receive the fourth indication information during the activation time of a CDRX period after the first duration ends, reducing the possibility of the first terminal device not receiving the fourth indication information because it is not in the CDRX activation time.

[0210] Example 2

[0211] Embodiment 2 of this application proposes that the effective duration corresponding to different types of synchronization information can be indicated separately. It should be noted that Embodiment 1 can be implemented in combination with each other, and the parts of Embodiment 2 that are the same as or similar to Embodiment 1 can be referred to the description in Embodiment 1.

[0212] In one example, the network device can configure the first terminal device to have a first synchronization information validity period of a first duration and a second synchronization information validity period of a third duration. The first synchronization information may include one or more of the following: time domain offset compensation information between the reference point and the serving satellite, change information of the time domain offset compensation information, or ephemeris information of the serving satellite. The second synchronization information may include positioning information. For example, the positioning information may be time window information for receiving GNSS signals or positioning assistance information to help the terminal device determine its own position. Alternatively, the positioning information may be a GNSS signal from a navigation satellite. If the positioning information is a GNSS signal, then the third duration may be a time window for the terminal device to receive the GNSS signal.

[0213] For example, the first synchronization information includes common TA information and ephemeris information. The common TA information is the time-domain offset compensation information and / or the change information of the domain offset compensation information between the reference point and the serving satellite. The network device sends a first indication message to the first terminal device, notifying the first terminal device that the validity duration of the first synchronization information is a first duration. The second synchronization information is a GNSS signal from a navigation satellite. The network device also sends a sixth indication message to the first terminal device, which indicates that the validity duration of the second synchronization information is a third duration.

[0214] Upon receiving the first synchronization information, the first terminal device can start a first timer, the maximum duration of which is the first duration. During the operation of the first timer, the first terminal device determines the time-domain offset compensation information between the reference point and the serving satellite based on the common TA information in the first synchronization information. The first terminal device also determines the position of the serving satellite based on the ephemeris information in the first synchronization information. After the first timer stops, the first terminal device receives an instruction from the network device to update the first synchronization information.

[0215] In one embodiment, the indication information for updating the first synchronization information can be carried in dedicated indication information for updating the first synchronization information sent by the network device to the terminal device. For example, the network can pre-configure resources for transmitting the dedicated indication information for the first terminal device, and the first terminal device receives the dedicated indication information on the resources.

[0216] If the first terminal device does not receive the instruction information for updating the first synchronization information, or if the number of transmissions of the instruction information is greater than or equal to the maximum number of transmissions, the first terminal device enters an idle state to receive system messages to obtain the updated first synchronization information.

[0217] Alternatively, if the first terminal device does not receive the instruction for updating the first synchronization information, or if the number of transmissions of the instruction is greater than or equal to the maximum number of transmissions, the first terminal device initiates a random access procedure. Optionally, if the first terminal device does not receive the instruction for updating the first synchronization information, or if the number of transmissions of the instruction is greater than or equal to the maximum number of transmissions, it determines that uplink synchronization failure or wireless link failure has occurred, and thus initiates a random access procedure to obtain the updated first synchronization information.

[0218] For example, if the first terminal device cannot receive system messages while in a connected state, the network device sends the indication information for updating the first synchronization information to the first terminal device after the first timer stops. If the first terminal device receives the indication information, it starts the first timer and determines the public TA information and the location of the serving satellite based on the updated first synchronization information during the timer's operation. If the first terminal device does not receive the indication information, or the number of times the indication information is transmitted is greater than or equal to the maximum number of transmissions, and the first terminal device is still in a connected state, then the first terminal device determines that an uplink synchronization failure or wireless link failure has occurred, enters an idle state, and initiates a random access procedure to obtain the updated first synchronization information.

[0219] In another implementation, the indication information for updating the first synchronization information can be carried in a system message. Optionally, the system message can be a system message specific to satellite communications.

[0220] For example, it can be specified that the first terminal device, in a connected state, can receive a system message specific to satellite communication, which includes the first synchronization information. After the first timer stops, the first terminal device receives the system message specific to satellite communication and obtains the updated first synchronization information.

[0221] The first terminal device can acquire GNSS signals (i.e., second synchronization information) from navigation satellites, determine its location information based on the GNSS signals, and start a second timer with a maximum duration of a third duration. The first terminal device combines the acquired public TA information, the location of the serving satellites, and its own location information determined based on the GNSS signals to perform uplink signal synchronization.

[0222] After the second timer stops, the first terminal device receives the GNSS signal again to determine its own location information. If the GNSS signal is received, the first terminal device starts the second timer. If no GNSS signal is received, the first terminal device initiates a random access procedure. Optionally, the first terminal device determines that uplink synchronization failure or wireless link failure has occurred and initiates a random access procedure to re-acquire synchronization with the network.

[0223] For example, the first terminal device can be an IoT terminal device. The first terminal device performs long-term data transmission. The network device can indicate a third duration to the first terminal device. When the third duration expires, the first terminal device determines that it needs to receive GNSS signals. Then, the first terminal device stops data transmission and receives GNSS signals from navigation satellites.

[0224] In other words, after receiving the first synchronization information and the second synchronization information respectively, the first terminal device starts the corresponding timer, and considers the synchronization information valid during the operation of the corresponding timer. When one of the timers stops, the first terminal device will obtain the updated synchronization information. If the first synchronization information is not obtained, the first terminal device can receive a system message to obtain the updated first synchronization information, or it can assume that uplink synchronization failure or wireless link failure has occurred and initiate a random access procedure. If the second synchronization information is not obtained, the first terminal device can assume that uplink synchronization failure or wireless link failure has occurred and initiate a random access procedure.

[0225] In another example, the network device can configure the validity duration of public TA information, i.e., the first duration, and the validity duration of ephemeris information of the serving satellite, i.e., the fourth duration, for the first terminal device.

[0226] For example, the network device sends a first indication message to the first terminal device, indicating that the validity period of the public TA information is a first duration, and the network device sends a seventh indication message to the first terminal device, indicating that the validity period of the ephemeris information of the serving satellite is a fourth duration. The first terminal device can start a first timer after receiving the public TA information. During the operation of the first timer, it determines the time-domain offset compensation information between the reference point and the serving satellite based on the public TA information. After the first timer stops, it receives an indication message from the network device indicating updated public TA information. If this indication message is received, the first timer is started, and during the operation of the first timer, the time-domain offset compensation information between the reference point and the serving satellite is determined based on the updated public TA information.

[0227] Optionally, if the first terminal device cannot receive system messages while connected, the indication information used to indicate the updated public TA information can be dedicated indication information. Alternatively, it can be specified that the first terminal device can receive system messages related to synchronization information while connected, in which case the indication information can be carried in the system message, which can be a system message related to synchronization information used to carry public TA information.

[0228] If the first terminal device does not receive the indication information, or the number of times the indication information has been transmitted is greater than or equal to the maximum number of transmissions, the first terminal device can enter an idle state from the connected state and receive system messages to obtain the updated public TA information. Alternatively, if the first terminal device does not receive the indication information, or the number of times the indication information has been transmitted is greater than or equal to the maximum number of transmissions, the first terminal device can assume that uplink synchronization failure or wireless link failure has occurred and initiate a random access procedure. This random access procedure can be a non-contention-based random access procedure triggered by a network device, or a contention-based random access procedure initiated by the terminal device entering an idle state.

[0229] The process by which the first terminal device acquires ephemeris information is similar to that of acquiring public TA information. Specifically, it determines whether to acquire updated ephemeris information based on a fourth time interval. For brevity, this will not be elaborated further. In other words, the first terminal device maintains a validity period for both public TA information and ephemeris information according to the network device's instructions. When the validity period of one of these pieces of information expires, it receives the corresponding update information. If no update information is received, it enters an idle state and acquires the update information via system messages, or it assumes uplink synchronization failure or wireless link failure and initiates a random access procedure. The first terminal device may fail to receive update information once or after reaching the maximum number of transmissions without successfully receiving the update information.

[0230] In another example, the network device can configure a validity period for each of the public TA information, the ephemeris information of the serving satellite, and the positioning information. For example, the validity period for the public TA information is a first duration, the validity period for the positioning information is a third duration, and the validity period for the ephemeris information is a fourth duration. The first terminal device obtains the corresponding update information when the validity period of one of the synchronization information (public TA information, ephemeris information of the serving satellite, and positioning information) expires. The implementation method provided in Example 1 can be used for each type of synchronization information; for brevity, it will not be elaborated further here.

[0231] According to the above scheme, network devices can configure a validity period for each type of synchronization information for terminal devices. Terminal devices then obtain the corresponding update information based on the validity period of each type of synchronization information. This avoids situations where different validity periods for synchronization information cause terminal devices to frequently obtain other, still-valid synchronization information due to the expiration of one type.

[0232] Example 3

[0233] The terminal device can determine the effective duration of the synchronization information as the second duration based on its own ephemeris derivation capability information and / or movement speed information. Optionally, the synchronization information may include one or more of the following:

[0234] The information includes time-domain offset compensation between the service satellite and the reference point of the first terminal device, changes in the time-domain offset compensation information, ephemeris information, positioning information, frequency-domain offset compensation information, and position or timing information of the reference point.

[0235] In one embodiment, the terminal device may receive first indication information from a network device, the first indication information indicating that the validity period of the synchronization information determined by the network device is a first duration. After receiving second indication information, the terminal device receives the updated synchronization information based on the shortest duration between the second duration and the first duration. The second indication information is used to indicate the synchronization information.

[0236] For example, after receiving the first indication information, the terminal device compares the first duration with the second duration, determines the minimum duration between the two as the actual effective duration of the synchronization information, and performs uplink signal synchronization according to the second indication information within this actual effective duration. After receiving the second indication information for this actual effective duration, the first terminal device receives the fourth indication information. Optionally, the network device can periodically send the fourth indication information. The first terminal device does not receive the fourth indication information within the actual effective duration of receiving the second indication information, but receives the fourth indication information in the next fourth indication information sending cycle after this actual effective duration.

[0237] For example, after receiving the second instruction information, the terminal device starts two timers with durations of a first duration and a second duration, respectively. After either of the two timers stops counting, the terminal device receives the fourth instruction information.

[0238] According to the above scheme, the terminal device and the network device each determine the effective duration of the synchronization information based on the information they obtain. The terminal device then determines the time to update the synchronization information based on the shortest of the two effective durations, making the effective duration of the synchronization information more accurate.

[0239] In another implementation, the terminal device may receive a first indication message from the network device, which indicates that the validity period of the synchronization information determined by the network device is a first duration. After receiving the second indication message, the terminal device determines that a wireless link failure has occurred after the shortest duration between the second and first durations expires, and initiates a random access procedure to obtain uplink synchronization information.

[0240] In another embodiment, the terminal device sends a third indication message to the network device, the third indication message being used to indicate that the effective duration of the synchronization information determined by the terminal device is the second duration.

[0241] Optionally, the terminal device may receive trigger information from the network device, which indicates the effective duration for applying the second duration as synchronization information. Within the second duration after receiving the second indication information, the terminal device performs uplink signal synchronization according to the second indication information, and after the second duration, receives the fourth indication information.

[0242] Optionally, the terminal device may apply the second duration after a preset duration following the sending of the third instruction information.

[0243] For example, the terminal device may assume that after a preset time following the transmission of the third indication information, the network device has received the third indication information, and both parties can reach a consensus on the second time duration. Therefore, the terminal device applies the second time duration after the preset time following the transmission of the third indication information, that is, the second time duration is used as the effective duration of the synchronization information. Within the second time duration after receiving the second indication information, the terminal device performs uplink signal synchronization according to the second indication information, and after the second time duration, receives the fourth indication information.

[0244] According to the above scheme, the terminal device can determine the validity period of the synchronization information and notify the network device. The network device can then determine whether the validity period is appropriate. If the validity period is appropriate, the network device can trigger the terminal device to apply the validity period of the synchronization information through a trigger message. Alternatively, the network device and the terminal device can reach a consensus on the validity period.

[0245] It should be noted that this embodiment three is implemented in combination with some or all of the implementation methods in the aforementioned embodiments one and two, and the parts of embodiment three that are the same or similar to those in the aforementioned embodiments can be referred to the descriptions in the aforementioned embodiments. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0246] Example 4

[0247] Figure 7 This is another schematic flowchart of the uplink signal synchronization method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0248] S710, the network device sends configuration information to the first terminal device. This configuration information is used to configure the first resource, which is used to carry synchronization information.

[0249] Accordingly, the first terminal device receives the configuration information from the network device and determines the first resource for receiving synchronization information based on the configuration information.

[0250] This synchronization information is used by the first terminal device to synchronize the uplink signal, and the synchronization information may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following:

[0251] The time-domain offset compensation information between the service satellite and the reference point, the change information of the time-domain offset compensation information, the ephemeris information, positioning information, frequency-domain offset compensation information of the service satellite of the terminal device, and the position information or timing information of the reference point.

[0252] Optionally, prior to S710, the first terminal device sends a request message to the network device, which requests the network device to send the synchronization information. The network device responds by sending the configuration information to the first terminal device.

[0253] In one implementation, the configuration information can be DCI (Dynamic Coordination Information), meaning that the network device dynamically schedules a first resource to send synchronization information to the first terminal device, and upon receiving the configuration information, the first terminal device determines that the network device has dynamically scheduled the first resource to send the synchronization information. Optionally, the first terminal device can send a request to the network device based on its needs, and the network device, in response to the request, sends the configuration information to the first terminal device.

[0254] In another implementation, the configuration information is an RRC message, and the first resource is a periodic or semi-static resource. The network device configures the periodic or semi-static first resource for the first terminal device using the configuration information. The first terminal device can receive synchronization information on the first resource and perform uplink signal synchronization. Optionally, the first terminal device can send a request message to the network device based on its needs. If the first terminal device requires the network to provide the periodic or semi-static first resource, the first terminal device sends a request message to the network device, and the network device responds to the request by sending the configuration information to the first terminal device.

[0255] Semi-static resources refer to resources that appear at certain intervals after being activated.

[0256] Optionally, the first resource is a periodic resource or a semi-static resource. The network device can determine the period of the first resource based on the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the reference point and / or based on the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the network device.

[0257] For example, synchronization information includes time-domain offset compensation information between the serving satellite and the reference point. The network device can determine the rate of change of the public TA information based on the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the reference point, and / or the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the network device, and determine the period size of the first resource based on the rate of change of the public TA information.

[0258] Optionally, the network device can determine the period size of the first resource based on the ephemeris information of the terminal device and / or the mobile speed information of the terminal device.

[0259] By way of example and not limitation, ephemeris derivation capability information may include the maximum duration for ephemeris derivation and / or the ephemeris derivation model, which is used to determine the maximum duration for ephemeris derivation by the terminal device.

[0260] In one embodiment, the network device determines the period size of the first resource based on the ephemeris derivation capability information of the first terminal device and / or the movement speed information of the first terminal device.

[0261] Optionally, the first terminal device sends a third indication message to the network device, the third indication message being used to indicate one or more of the following:

[0262] The first terminal device's ephemeris derivation capability information, the first terminal device's movement speed information, or the second duration.

[0263] Accordingly, the network device receives the third instruction information from the first terminal device. The second duration is the recommended effective duration of the synchronization information from the terminal device.

[0264] S720, the network device sends synchronization information to the first terminal device on the first resource.

[0265] Accordingly, the first terminal device receives the synchronization information from the network device on the first resource.

[0266] S730, the terminal device performs uplink signal synchronization based on this synchronization information.

[0267] Optionally, the first resource may be a semi-persistent resource. Before the first terminal device sends synchronization information on the first resource, the network device sends a first indication message to the first terminal device, which is used to activate the first resource. Accordingly, upon receiving the first indication message, the first terminal device determines that the first resource has been activated. The network device then sends synchronization information on the first resource, and the first terminal device receives the synchronization information on the first resource.

[0268] Optionally, the configuration information can configure multiple resources for carrying synchronization information, the multiple resources having different period sizes and / or frequency domain resources, and the first indication information can be specifically used to activate the first resource among the multiple resources.

[0269] The network device can be configured with multiple semi-static resources to carry synchronization information. It can activate one of the resources, namely the first resource, as needed and notify the first terminal device. The first terminal device receives the synchronization information from the network device on the activated first resource and performs uplink signal synchronization according to the synchronization information.

[0270] For example, the first terminal device can be a terminal device in IoT. The first terminal device cannot receive system messages when it is connected, but it can receive synchronization information on the first resource when it is connected to maintain synchronization with the uplink signal.

[0271] According to the above scheme, the first terminal device can request synchronization information based on demand or obtain synchronization information from semi-static resources, which can avoid uplink synchronization failure caused by the terminal device's inability to obtain synchronization information and improve the reliability of communication.

[0272] The above, combined with Figures 2 to 7 The methods provided in the embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Figures 8 to 10 The apparatus provided in the embodiments of this application is described in detail. To implement the functions of the methods provided in the embodiments of this application, each network element may include a hardware structure and / or a software module, implementing the above functions in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module. Whether a particular function is implemented in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0273] Figure 8 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 1200 may include a transceiver unit 1220.

[0274] In one possible design, the communication device 1200 may correspond to the terminal device in the above method embodiments, or a chip configured in (or used for) the terminal device, or other means, modules, circuits or units that can implement the methods of the terminal device.

[0275] It should be understood that the communication device 1200 may correspond to the terminal device in methods 300 and 600 according to embodiments of this application, and the communication device 1200 may include functions for performing... Figures 3 to 7 , Figure 10 The units in methods 300 and 600 of the communication device 1200 are the methods executed by the terminal device. Furthermore, each unit in the communication device 1200 and the other operations and / or functions described above are respectively for implementing... Figure 3 , Figure 7 The corresponding processes for methods 300 and 600.

[0276] Optionally, the communication device 1200 may further include a processing unit 1210, which can be used to process instructions or data to implement corresponding operations.

[0277] It should also be understood that when the communication device 1200 is a chip configured in (or used in) a terminal device, the transceiver unit 1220 in the communication device 1200 can be the input / output interface or circuit of the chip, and the processing unit 1210 in the communication device 1200 can be the processor in the chip.

[0278] Optionally, the communication device 1200 may further include a storage unit 1230, which can be used to store instructions or data. The processing unit 1210 can execute the instructions or data stored in the storage unit to enable the communication device to perform corresponding operations.

[0279] It should be understood that the transceiver unit 1220 in the communication device 1200 can be implemented through a communication interface (such as a transceiver or input / output interface), for example, it can correspond to... Figure 9 The transceiver 1310 in the terminal device 1300 shown is illustrated. The processing unit 1210 in the communication device 1200 can be implemented by at least one processor, for example, a processor corresponding to… Figure 9 The processor 1320 in the terminal device 1300 shown is illustrated. The processing unit 1210 in the communication device 1200 can also be implemented by at least one logic circuit. The storage unit 1230 in the communication device 1200 can correspond to... Figure 9 The memory in the terminal device 1300 shown in the figure.

[0280] It should also be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0281] In another possible design, the communication device 1200 may correspond to the network device in the above method embodiments, for example, a chip configured in (or used for) the network device, or other means, modules, circuits or units that can implement the methods of the network device.

[0282] It should be understood that the communication device 1200 may correspond to the network device in methods 300 and 600 according to embodiments of this application, and the communication device 1200 may include functions for performing... Figure 3 , Figure 7 The units in methods 300 and 600 of the communication device 1200 are the units executing the methods of the network device. Furthermore, each unit in the communication device 1200 and the other operations and / or functions described above are respectively for implementing... Figure 3 , Figure 7 The corresponding processes for methods 300 and 600.

[0283] Optionally, the communication device 1200 may further include a processing unit 1210, which can be used to process instructions or data to implement corresponding operations.

[0284] It should also be understood that when the communication device 1200 is a chip configured in (or used in) a network device, the transceiver unit 1220 in the communication device 1200 can be the input / output interface or circuit of the chip, and the processing unit 1210 in the communication device 1200 can be the processor in the chip.

[0285] Optionally, the communication device 1200 may further include a storage unit 1230, which can be used to store instructions or data. The processing unit 1210 can execute the instructions or data stored in the storage unit to enable the communication device to perform corresponding operations.

[0286] It should be understood that when the communication device 1200 is a network device, the transceiver unit 1220 in the communication device 1200 can be implemented through a communication interface (such as a transceiver or input / output interface), for example, it can correspond to Figure 10 The transceiver 1410 in the network device 1400 shown in the diagram. The processing unit 1210 in the communication device 1200 can be implemented by at least one processor, for example, it can correspond to... Figure 10 The processor 1420 in the network device 1400 shown in the figure, and the processing unit 1210 in the communication device 1200 can be implemented by at least one logic circuit.

[0287] It should also be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0288] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal device 1300 provided in an embodiment of this application. The terminal device 1300 can be applied to, for example... Figure 1 In the system shown, the functions of the terminal device in the above method embodiments are executed. As shown, the terminal device 1300 includes a processor 1320 and a transceiver 1310. Optionally, the terminal device 1300 also includes a memory. The processor 1320, transceiver 1310, and memory can communicate with each other through internal connection paths to transmit control and / or data signals. The memory is used to store computer programs, and the processor 1320 is used to execute the computer programs in the memory to control the transceiver 1310 to transmit and receive signals.

[0289] The processor 1320 and the memory can be combined into a single processing device. The processor 1320 executes the program code stored in the memory to achieve the aforementioned functions. In specific implementations, the memory can be integrated into the processor 1320 or independent of it. The processor 1320 can be combined with... Figure 8 The corresponding processing unit in the process.

[0290] The transceiver 1310 described above can be used with Figure 8 The transceiver unit corresponds to this. The transceiver 1310 may include a receiver (or receiver circuit) and a transmitter (or transmitter circuit). The receiver is used to receive signals, and the transmitter is used to transmit signals.

[0291] It should be understood that Figure 9 The terminal device 1300 shown can achieve Figure 3 , Figure 7 The methods illustrated in the embodiments involve processes related to a terminal device. The operations and / or functions of each module in the terminal device 1300 are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments; to avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are appropriately omitted here.

[0292] The processor 1320 described above can be used to execute the actions implemented internally by the terminal device as described in the preceding method embodiments, while the transceiver 1310 can be used to execute the actions described in the preceding method embodiments of sending data to or receiving data from the network device by the terminal device. Please refer to the descriptions in the preceding method embodiments for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0293] Optionally, the terminal device 1300 may also include a power supply for providing power to various devices or circuits in the terminal device.

[0294] In addition, to further enhance the functionality of the terminal device, the terminal device 1300 may also include input / output devices, such as one or more of an input unit, a display unit, an audio circuit, a camera, and a sensor. The audio circuit may also include a speaker, a microphone, etc.

[0295] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided in an embodiment of this application. The network device 1400 can be applied to, for example... Figure 1 In the system shown, the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments are performed. For example... Figure 10 As shown, the network device 1400 includes a processor 1420 and a transceiver 1410. Optionally, the network device 1400 also includes a memory. The processor 1420, transceiver 1410, and memory can communicate with each other via internal interconnection paths to transmit control and / or data signals. The memory stores computer programs, and the processor 1420 executes the computer programs stored in the memory to control the transceiver 1410 to transmit and receive signals.

[0296] The processor 1420 and the memory can be combined into a single processing device. The processor 1420 executes the program code stored in the memory to achieve the aforementioned functions. In specific implementations, the memory can be integrated into the processor 1320 or independent of the processor 1420. The processor 1420 can be combined with... Figure 8 The corresponding processing unit in the process.

[0297] The transceiver 1410 described above can be used with Figure 8 The transceiver unit corresponds to this. The transceiver 1410 may include a receiver (or receiver circuit) and a transmitter (or transmitter circuit). The receiver is used to receive signals, and the transmitter is used to transmit signals.

[0298] It should be understood that Figure 10 The network device 1400 shown can achieve Figure 3 , Figure 7 The methods illustrated in the embodiments involve various processes of the network device. The operations and / or functions of each module in the network device 1400 are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments; to avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are appropriately omitted here.

[0299] The processor 1420 described above can be used to perform the actions implemented internally by the network device as described in the preceding method embodiments, while the transceiver 1410 can be used to perform the actions described in the preceding method embodiments of sending data from the network device to the terminal device or receiving data from the terminal device. For details, please refer to the descriptions in the preceding method embodiments; they will not be repeated here.

[0300] This application also provides a processing apparatus, including a processor and a (communication) interface; the processor is used to execute the methods in any of the above method embodiments. It should be understood that the processing apparatus may be one or more chips.

[0301] According to the method provided in the embodiments of this application, this application also provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code, which, when executed by one or more processors, causes a device including the processor to perform... Figure 3 , Figure 7 The method in the illustrated embodiment.

[0302] The technical solutions provided in this application can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, they can be implemented in whole or in part as a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When these computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this invention are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a terminal device, a core network device, a machine learning device, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another.

[0303] According to the method provided in the embodiments of this application, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing program code that, when executed by one or more processors, causes a device including the processor to perform... Figure 3 , Figure 7 The method in the illustrated embodiment.

[0304] According to the method provided in the embodiments of this application, this application also provides a system that includes one or more of the aforementioned network devices. The system may further include one or more of the aforementioned terminal devices.

[0305] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0306] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0307] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An uplink signal synchronization method applied to a terminal side, characterized by, include: Receive first indication information and second indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the validity period of the first information and the second indication information is used to indicate the first information, wherein the first information includes common timing advance (TA) information and ephemeris information of the service satellite; Within the effective duration, uplink signal synchronization is performed based on the first information, and the uplink signal synchronization includes time domain offset compensation; The method further includes: Send a third indication message, which indicates one or more of the following: The terminal device's moving speed information and its ephemeris derivation capability information. The ephemeris derivation capability information includes the maximum ephemeris derivation duration and / or the ephemeris derivation model, wherein the ephemeris derivation model is used to determine the maximum ephemeris derivation duration of the terminal device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first information also includes the rate of change of public TA information.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second indication information is carried in the System Information Block (SIB).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, The third indication information is carried in message 3 of the random access procedure.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Upon receiving the effective duration, a fourth indication information is received on the first resource. The fourth indication information is used to update the first information, and the first resource is used to carry the fourth indication information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, Being in a connected state to the network, and the method further includes: If the fourth indication information is not received by the first resource, it enters an idle state; Receive a system message, the system message including the first information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein, The method further includes: If the fourth indication information is not received on the first resource, the terminal device initiates a random access procedure.

8. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the fourth instruction is received, uplink signal synchronization shall be performed within the effective time period following the receipt of the fourth instruction.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, 4, and 6-7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a sixth indication information, the sixth indication information being used to indicate a third duration, the third duration being the effective duration of the location information of the terminal device; The location information will be received three hours after the location information is updated. If no location information is received on the resource used to carry the location information after the third time period, a random access procedure is initiated.

10. A time synchronization method applied to the network side, characterized in that, include: Send a first indication message to the terminal device. The first indication message is used to indicate the validity period of the first information. The first information includes common timing advance TA information and ephemeris information of the service satellite. Send a second indication message to the terminal device. The second indication message is used to indicate the first message. The first message is used for uplink signal synchronization. The uplink signal synchronization includes time domain offset compensation. The method further includes: Receive third indication information from the terminal device, the third indication information being used to indicate one or more of the following: The terminal device's moving speed information and the terminal device's ephemeris derivation capability information. The ephemeris derivation capability information includes the maximum ephemeris derivation duration and / or the ephemeris derivation model, wherein the ephemeris derivation model is used to determine the maximum ephemeris derivation duration of the terminal device.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first information also includes the rate of change of public TA information.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The second indication information is carried in the System Information Block (SIB).

13. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: The effective duration is determined based on the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the reference point and / or based on the positional relationship between the serving satellite and the network equipment.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: The effective duration is determined based on the ephemeris derivation capability information of the terminal device and / or the moving speed information of the terminal device; or... The effective duration is determined based on the minimum capability for ephemeris derivation by the terminal device and / or the maximum mobile speed information of the terminal device. The ephemeris derivation capability information includes the maximum ephemeris derivation duration and / or the ephemeris derivation model, wherein the ephemeris derivation model is used to determine the maximum ephemeris derivation duration of the terminal device.

15. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The third indication information is carried in message 3 of the random access procedure.

16. The method according to any one of claims 10-11 and 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: After sending the second indication information, a fourth indication information is sent, which is used to update the first information.

17. The method according to any one of claims 10-11 and 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a sixth indication message to the terminal device, the sixth indication message being used to indicate a third duration, the third duration being the effective duration of the location information of the terminal device.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: The third duration is determined based on the moving speed of the terminal device or the maximum moving speed of the terminal device.

19. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes processing units and transceiver units; The transceiver unit is used to send and receive information under the control of the processing unit; the processing unit is used to read code instructions and execute the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes processing units and transceiver units; The transceiver unit is used to send and receive information under the control of the processing unit; the processing unit is used to read code instructions and execute the method as described in any one of claims 10 to 18.

21. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes at least one processor coupled to memory; The memory is used to store programs or instructions; The at least one processor is used to execute the program or instructions to cause the apparatus to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 18.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 18.

23. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 18.

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