Satellite communication method, device, system and equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a satellite communication method, device and system, equipment and a storage medium, and relates to the technical field of wireless communication. The method comprises the following steps: receiving a subscription event request sent by a network function service consumer, wherein the subscription event request is used for subscribing satellite state information; and when the satellite state information changes, providing attribute information after satellite change to a network function service consumer. According to the invention, sharing of attribute information after satellite change can be realized, and consistency of information received by all subscription network elements is ensured.

Description

Background Art

[0002] Currently, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Rel-18 has proposed an architecture that uses satellites as the backhaul between the (Radio) Access Network ((R)AN) and the 5G core network (5GC), and supports the deployment of User Plane Function (UPF) network elements on geostationary satellites to provide on-satellite data exchange services. On-satellite data exchange reduces the need to transmit data to the ground network, weakens the dependence on the gateway station, shortens the latency, and improves the utilization efficiency of satellite links.

[0003] However, in the related art, there is no clear definition of the method for establishing and releasing the N19 tunnel between two UPF network elements on different satellites, which limits the scope of satellite communication applications.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background art section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and thus may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a satellite communication method, apparatus, system, device, and storage medium, which at least to some extent overcome the problem of limited scope of satellite communication applications in the related art.

[0006] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent through the following detailed description, or will be learned in part through the practice of the present disclosure.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a satellite communication method, which is applied to an application function network element and includes: receiving a subscription event request sent by a network function service consumer, where the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information; and when the satellite status information changes, providing the attribute information of the satellite after the change to the network function service consumer.

[0008] In some embodiments, the attribute information of the satellite after the change includes one or more of the following information: the identity information of the satellite; information indicating whether the satellite is available; information indicating whether a User Plane Function (UPF) network element is deployed on the satellite; and the ephemeris information of the satellite.

[0009] In some embodiments, when the satellite status information changes, providing the satellite's changed attribute information to the network function service consumer includes: notifying the network storage function NEF network element of the satellite's changed attribute information so that the NEF network element sends the satellite's changed attribute information to the network function service consumer, where the network function service consumer includes one or more of the NEF network element, the network data analysis function NWDAF network element, the data collection control function DCCF network element, the messaging framework adapter function MFAF network element, and the event consumer application function network element.

[0010] In some embodiments, information interaction between the network function service consumer and the application function network element is performed through an HTTP POST request.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is also provided a satellite communication method applied to a network function service consumer, including: sending a subscription event request to the application function network element, where the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information; receiving the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element, where the satellite attribute information is provided by the application function network element when the satellite status information changes.

[0012] In some embodiments, the satellite attribute information includes one or more of the following information: the identity information of the satellite; information indicating whether the satellite is available; information indicating whether a UPF network element is deployed on the satellite; the ephemeris information of the satellite.

[0013] In some embodiments, information interaction between the network function service consumer and the application function network element is performed through an HTTP POST request.

[0014] In some embodiments, receiving the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element includes: receiving the satellite attribute information through the NEF network element, where the network function service consumer includes one or more of the NEF network element, the network data analysis function NWDAF network element, the data collection control function DCCF network element, the messaging framework adapter function MFAF network element, and the event consumer application function network element.

[0015] In some embodiments, when the network function service consumer includes the SMF network element, after receiving the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element, the method further includes: the NEF network element notifying the session management function SMF network element of the satellite attribute information so that the SMF network element reallocates or releases N19 tunnel resources for the user plane function UPF network element on the satellite.

[0016] In some embodiments, when the UPF network element on the satellite reallocates N19 tunnel resources, the method further includes: the UPF network elements on the satellites connected to both ends of the N19 tunnel start a plurality of sub-counters, and the plurality of sub-counters are used for delay measurement for each Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP), each slice, and / or each 5G Virtual Network Group (5GVN) group; obtaining the first time when the Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session anchor point (PSA) UPF network element connected to the first end of the N19 tunnel sends a GTP response request message or a PDU, and obtaining the second time when the PSA UPF network element connected to the second end of the N19 tunnel receives a GTP response message or a PDU; or obtaining the third time when the PSA UPF network element connected to the second end of the N19 tunnel sends a GTP response request message or a PDU, and obtaining the fourth time when the PSA UPF network element connected to the first end of the N19 tunnel receives a GTP response message or a PDU; calculating the delay of the N19 interface according to the first time, the second time, the third time, and / or the fourth time; and obtaining a measurement result according to the relationship between the delay of the N19 interface and a preset Quality of Service (QoS) requirement.

[0017] In some embodiments, the delay of the N19 interface includes one-way delay and / or two-way delay. Among them, the one-way delay is obtained according to the first time and the second time, or the third time and the fourth time, and the two-way delay is obtained according to the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time.

[0018] In some embodiments, the method further includes: recording the number of times of the GTP response message or the PDU; and obtaining the final delay of the N19 interface according to the delay of the N19 interface calculated each time and the number of times of the GTP response message or the PDU.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is also provided a satellite communication device, which is applied to an application function network element and includes: a subscription request receiving module, configured to receive a subscription event request sent by a network function service consumer, where the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information; and a satellite information sending module, configured to provide the attribute information of the satellite after change to the network function service consumer when the satellite status information changes.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is also provided a satellite communication device, which is applied to a network function service consumer and includes: a subscription request sending module, configured to send a subscription event request to an application function network element, where the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information; and a satellite information receiving module, configured to receive the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element, where the satellite attribute information is provided by the application function network element when the satellite status information changes.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a satellite communication system is further provided, including an application function network element and a network function service consumer. The application function network element is configured to receive a subscription event request sent by the network function service consumer, where the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information; when the satellite status information changes, provide the network function service consumer with the attribute information of the satellite after the change; the network function service consumer is configured to send a subscription event request to the application function network element; and receive the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element, where the satellite attribute information is provided by the application function network element when the satellite status information changes.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is further provided. The electronic device includes: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to execute the satellite communication method described in any one of the above via executing the executable instructions.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is further provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the satellite communication method described in any one of the above is implemented.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is further provided, including a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the satellite communication method described in any one of the above is implemented.

[0025] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the application function network element receives a subscription event request sent by the network function service consumer, and the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information; when the satellite status information changes, the application function network element provides the network function service consumer with the attribute information of the satellite after the change. The present disclosure can widely and quickly distribute information to all network elements that have subscribed to the information, meet the need for information sharing among multiple network elements, ensure the consistency of information received by all subscribed network elements, provide effective technical support, make the network more flexible, applicable to diverse service requirements, and have a wide application scope.

[0026] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the present disclosure. Description of the Drawings

[0027] The accompanying drawings here are incorporated into the specification and form a part of this specification, showing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and are used together with the specification to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and those of ordinary skill in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0028] Figure 1 Show a satellite communication system architecture diagram in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 2 Show another satellite communication system architecture diagram in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 3 Show yet another satellite communication system architecture diagram in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 4 Show a flowchart of a satellite communication method applied to an application function network element in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 5 Show a flowchart of a satellite communication method applied to a network function service consumer in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 6 Show another flowchart of a satellite communication method applied to a network function service consumer in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 7 Show a flowchart of an example of a satellite communication method in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 8 Show a schematic structural diagram of a satellite communication device in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 9 Show another schematic structural diagram of a satellite communication device in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 10 Show a schematic structural diagram of a satellite communication system in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 11 Show a structural block diagram of an electronic device in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed implementation manners

[0039] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The features, structures, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0040] In addition, the accompanying drawings are only schematic illustrations of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, and thus repeated descriptions thereof will be omitted. Some of the block diagrams shown in the drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities may be implemented in software form, or in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0041] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary system architecture that can be applied to the satellite communication method or satellite communication device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0042] The system architecture includes a user equipment, an access network, and a 5G core network (5GC). The network is used as a medium to provide a satellite communication link between the user equipment and the 5GC, and can be a wired network or a wireless network.

[0043] The user equipment (User Equipment, UE), which can also be referred to as a user terminal, a terminal device, a mobile terminal, a terminal, a mobile station, etc., mainly accesses the 5G network through a wireless air interface and obtains services. The user equipment interacts with the base station through the air interface. The UE is a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to users. The user equipment can be various electronic devices, including but not limited to smart phones, tablet computers, laptop portable computers, desktop computers, wearable devices, augmented reality devices, virtual reality devices, etc. The clients of the application programs installed in different user equipments are the same, or the clients of the same type of application programs based on different operating systems. Depending on the different terminal platforms, the specific form of the client of the application program can also be different. For example, the client of the application program can be a mobile phone client, a PC client, etc.

[0044] It should be noted that a certain air interface technology (such as NR or LTE technology, etc.) can be used for satellite communication between the user equipment and the access network. A certain air interface technology (such as NR or LTE technology, etc.) can also be used for satellite communication between user equipments.

[0045] (Radio) Access Network, (R)AN, is responsible for the scheduling of air interface resources for user equipment to access the network and the connection management of the air interface. It can provide the function of allowing authorized users in a specific area to access the satellite communication network, and can also include access points in non-3GPP (Non-3GPP) networks for wireless network devices in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network. rd Generation Partnership Project, 3GPP) network.

[0046] (R)AN can adopt different radio access technologies. Current radio access technologies can include 3GPP access technologies (such as the radio access technologies adopted in the 3rd Generation (3G), 4th Generation (4G), or 5G systems) and non-3GPP access technologies. 3GPP access technologies refer to access technologies that comply with 3GPP standard specifications. For example, the access network devices in the 5G system become Next Generation Node Base Stations (gNBs) or RAN devices. Non-3GPP access technologies can include air interface technologies represented by access points in Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), etc. (R)AN can allow non-3GPP technology interoperability between user equipment and the 3GPP core network.

[0047] (R) AN devices may include, but are not limited to: macro base stations, micro base stations, Radio Network Controllers (RNCs), Node Bs (NBs), Base Station Controllers (BSCs), Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs), home base stations, Baseband Units (BBUs), APs in WiFi systems, wireless relay nodes, wireless backhaul nodes, Transmission Points (TPs), or Transmission and Reception Points (TRPs), etc. It may also be a gNB or a transmission point in a 5G system, one or a group of antenna panels of a base station in a 5G system, or it may also be a network node constituting a gNB or a transmission point, such as a Distributed Unit (DU), or a base station in a next-generation satellite communication 6G system, etc. The present disclosure does not limit the specific technologies and specific device forms adopted for access network devices.

[0048] As Figure 1 shown, 5G core network devices include various network entities of 5GC. In the 5G architecture, the functions of the main functional entities are as follows:

[0049] The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a core network control plane network element, is used to implement user registration management, connection management, mobility management, and user accessibility management, and participate in control plane management functions such as authentication and authorization-related management;

[0050] The Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a core network control plane network element, is mainly responsible for authenticating and authorizing users to ensure that users are legitimate;

[0051] The Session Management Function (SMF network element), a core network control plane network element, is mainly responsible for session management and Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation, including session establishment, modification, release, etc.;

[0052] The Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), a core network control plane network element, is mainly responsible for selecting a set of example network slices to serve user equipment, determining the permitted and configured network slice selection assistance information, determining the set of AMFs serving the user equipment, etc.;

[0053] The Network Exposure Function (NEF network element), a core network control plane network element, is mainly responsible for the external opening of mobile network capabilities and the conversion of internal and external information, etc.;

[0054] The Unified Data Manager (UDM), a core network control plane network element, is mainly responsible for the unified processing of foreground data, including user representation, user subscription data, authentication data, etc.;

[0055] The Policy Control Function (PCF), a core network control plane network element, is mainly used to obtain the policy information subscribed by user equipment and send the policy information to the AMF device and the SMF network element device;

[0056] The Network Repository Function (NRF), a core network control plane network element, is mainly responsible for the dynamic registration of the service capabilities of network functions and the discovery of network functions;

[0057] The Operation Administration and Maintenance (OAM) system is mainly responsible for the operation, management, and maintenance of the operator's network. Operations mainly complete the analysis, prediction, planning, and configuration of daily networks and services; Maintenance mainly conducts daily operation activities such as testing and fault management of network machines and services;

[0058] The User Plane Function (UPF network element) is the connection point to the external Data Network (DN) and is mainly responsible for the routing and forwarding of data units and the execution of policies for packet data, etc.;

[0059] The Application Function (AF) interacts with the 5G core network to provide services, supports the influence of applications on traffic routing, access to the NEF network element, and interaction with policies, etc.;

[0060] The network data analytics function (NWDAF) is mainly used for the analysis of various network data. The NWDAF network element can collect network operation data from the core network control plane network function NF, terminal and network related statistical data obtained from OAM, and application data from AF. The NWDAF feeds back the analysis results to NF, OAM or AF within a certain analysis delay;

[0061] The User Plane Function (UPF network element) is mainly responsible for the routing and forwarding functions of the user plane;

[0062] The data network (DN) is a service network that provides data transmission services for users, such as operator services, Internet access, and third-party services.

[0063] It should be noted that the names of the satellite communication devices or network elements in the above architecture and the connection relationships between the various satellite communication devices or network elements are only an example. In specific implementations, the names of the satellite communication devices and the connection relationships between the satellite communication devices can be embodied in other forms, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not make specific limitations in this regard.

[0064] Figure 2 Fig. shows another satellite communication system architecture diagram in the embodiments of the present disclosure. As Figure 2 shown, in the satellite network, 3GPP Rel-18 proposed an architecture that uses satellites as the backhaul between the access network (R)AN and the 5GC core network, and supports the deployment of UPF network elements on geostationary satellites to provide on-satellite data exchange services. The on-satellite data exchange reduces the need to transmit data to the ground network, weakens the dependence on the gateway station, shortens the delay, and improves the applicability efficiency of the satellite link.

[0065] As Figure 2 shown, for the architecture enhancement of the 5G satellite communication system to support on-satellite data exchange, a user plane architecture for implementing 5G LAN services based on the N19 interface is adopted. The architecture includes user equipment UE1 and UE2. UE1 accesses the 5G core network through (R)AN. (R)AN is connected to the Intermediate UPF network element (I-UPF network element) through the N3 interface. The I-UPF network element is connected to a PDU Session Anchor (PSA) UPF network element through the N9 interface. UE2 is connected to another PSA UPF network element through (R)AN, the I-UPF network element and the corresponding interfaces. The two PSA UPF network elements are connected through the N19 interface, thereby realizing the information interaction between UE1 and UE2.

[0066] In 5G LAN technology, the 5G VN group of management layer two or management layer three is subscribed by the UDM management layer, and the VN group members are defined. Meanwhile, network access is provided for the group members on the UPF network element. On the access side, according to service requirements, different user devices can be divided into different 5G VN groups, and data isolation between different groups can be achieved through group management capabilities. On the network side, the 5G VN group can have a unique ID within the group for identification. Group management is carried out through the UDM subscription method, designating a group of users as 5G LAN group members. When a 5G LAN group member initiates a PDU session, the SMF network element downloads the group subscription information of the user from the UDM, and manages the corresponding access to the UPF network element for local area network communication management according to the group subscription. When multiple UPF network elements serve the same 5G VN group, data forwarding can be carried out through the N19 interface session between the UPF network elements. The N19 interface is a reference point between two PSA UPF network elements, used to route traffic between different PDU sessions without using the N6 interface.

[0067] However, in the related technology, in the management and orchestration charging working group, the method for establishing and releasing the N19 tunnel between two UPF network elements on different satellites has not been clearly defined by the network management system, which restricts the wide application of satellite communication.

[0068] To at least partially solve the above problems, the present disclosure provides a satellite communication method with a wide application range. By adding a trusted AF network element to expose satellite change events to the network, the satellite information change event and the changed satellite information are provided to the NF service consumers in a timely manner, so as to meet the demand for information sharing among multiple network elements and ensure the consistency of all subscribed event receiving information.

[0069] Figure 3 A satellite communication system architecture diagram in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. As Figure 3 shown, the satellite status information change event is used as the new content of the Naf_EventExposure service and provided by the AF. The changed satellite status information can be used by various NF service consumers, and the NF service consumers can include but are not limited to event consumer AF network elements, network data analysis function NWDAF network elements, data collection control function (The Data Collection CoordinationFunction, DCCF) network elements, messaging framework adaptor function (The Messaging Framework AdaptorFunction, MFAF) network elements, NEF network elements, location management function (Location Management Function, LMF network element) network elements, etc.

[0070] In an application scenario, the satellite communication method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to data satellite communication when the UPF network element is deployed on two satellites. For example, one UPF network element is deployed on a geostationary satellite, and the other UPF network element is deployed on a low Earth orbit satellite, or both UPF network elements are deployed on a geostationary satellite or a low Earth orbit satellite.

[0071] Under the above system architecture, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a satellite communication method. The application function network element receives a subscription event request sent by the network function service consumer. The subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information. When the satellite status information changes, the attribute information after the satellite change is provided to the network function service consumer. The present disclosure can widely and quickly distribute information to all network elements that have subscribed to the information, meet the need for information sharing among multiple network elements, ensure the consistency of information received by all subscribed network elements, provide effective technical support, make the network more flexible, applicable to diverse service requirements, and have a wide application range.

[0072] In some embodiments, the satellite communication method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be executed by the application function network element of the above system architecture; in other embodiments, the satellite communication method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be executed by the network function service consumer in the above system architecture; in other embodiments, the satellite communication method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented by the application function network element and the network function service consumer in the above system architecture through interaction.

[0073] Figure 4 The flowchart of a satellite communication method in the embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As Figure 4 shown, the satellite communication method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure is applied to the application function network element and includes the following steps:

[0074] S402. Receive a subscription event request sent by the network function service consumer. The subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information.

[0075] In one embodiment, the above application function AF network element is a satellite communication protocol, which can interact with the 5GC core network to provide services, can establish an application layer connection between two network nodes, and has realized the function of data transmission. The AF protocol can provide an interface for the application layer to enable the application layer to interact with other protocols in the network layer, thereby realizing data transmission.

[0076] The main functions of the AF protocol include but are not limited to: providing application layer services; providing management of application layer services; providing security of application layer services; providing reliability of application layer services; providing scalability of application layer services; providing portability of application layer services, etc.

[0077] The above subscription event request is specifically used to subscribe to the satellite status change event.

[0078] In one embodiment, the network function service consumer can send a subscription event request to the application function network element to subscribe to the satellite status change event.

[0079] Information interaction can be carried out between the network function service consumer and the application function network element through an HTTP POST request. The HTTP request data mainly includes a request line, request headers, and a request body; the HTTP response data mainly includes a status line, message headers, and a response body. For a POST request, the parameters are configured in the HTTP request body and are invisible to the user. The POST request generates two TCP data packets. The network function service consumer first sends the request header information, and the application function network element responds to the request.

[0080] The URI of the HTTP POST request is:

[0081] "{apiRoot} / naf-eventexposure / <apiversion> / subscriptions"

[0082] Among them, the "AfEventExposureSubsc" data structure is used as the request body. The "AfEventExposureSubsc" data may include specific events to be subscribed, that is, Enumeration: AfEvent. AfEvent represents application events that can be subscribed / noticed. In this disclosure, the satellite status information change event Satellite Chg is added to AfEvent as one of the subscribable events. Among them, Satellite Chg indicates that the subscribed / noticed event is satellite status change information.

[0083] In one embodiment, the types of satellite information collected can be defined by the parameters in Table 1.

[0084] Table 1 Definition of Satellite Information Types

[0085]

[0086] For the satellite ID in Table 1, it is used to identify the satellite and serves as the unique identifier of the satellite. The satellite ID can be represented in ways such as text, numbers, symbols, etc.

[0087] Availability (AvailabilityInd) is used to indicate whether the satellite is available. When the availability is 0, it indicates that the satellite is unavailable. When the value of availability is 1, it indicates that the satellite is available.

[0088] UPF network element deployment (UPF network element Ind) is used to indicate whether a UPF network element is deployed on the satellite. When the value of UPF network element deployment is 0, it indicates that no UPF network element is deployed on the satellite. When the value of UPF network element deployment is 1, it indicates that a UPF network element is deployed on the satellite.

[0089] The data type of ephemeris information is Array. The ephemeris information is used to indicate a list of satellite ephemeris information, which can be represented in the format of unknown and velocity state vectors or in the format of orbital parameters in the ephemeris table.

[0090] S404. When the satellite status information changes, provide the attribute information of the satellite after the change to the network function service consumer.

[0091] The above change in satellite status information may include, but is not limited to, changes in the availability of the satellite, changes in UPF network element deployment, and changes in ephemeris information, etc.

[0092] For example, the availability of the satellite changes from unavailable to available, the value of availability changes from 0 to 1, or changes from available to unavailable, and the value of availability changes from 1 to 0.

[0093] The UPF network element deployment changes from not deploying a UPF network element to deploying a UPF network element, and the value of the UPF network element deployment changes from 0 to 1; the UPF network element deployment changes from deploying a UPF network element to not deploying a UPF network element, and the value of the UPF network element deployment changes from 1 to 0.

[0094] The change of ephemeris information can be determined according to the actual situation, and the present disclosure does not make specific limitations.

[0095] It should be noted that the attribute information of the satellite after the change includes one or more of the following information: the identity information of the satellite; the information indicating whether the satellite is available; the information indicating whether the user plane function UPF network element is deployed on the satellite; the ephemeris information of the satellite, etc.

[0096] In one embodiment, when the satellite status information changes, the application function network element can provide the attribute information of the satellite after the change to the network function service consumer through an HTTP POST request, so that the network function service consumer can perform traffic routing reconfiguration according to the attribute information of the satellite after the change.

[0097] In the implementation manner of the present disclosure, the application function network element receives a subscription event request sent by the network function service consumer, and the subscription event request is used to subscribe to the satellite status information; when the satellite status information changes, the attribute information of the satellite after the change is provided to the network function service consumer. The present disclosure can widely and quickly distribute the information to all network elements that have subscribed to the information, meet the requirement of sharing information among multiple network elements, ensure the consistency of information received by all subscribed network elements, provide effective technical support, make the network more flexible, applicable to diverse service requirements, and have a wide application range.

[0098] In one embodiment, in S404 above, when the satellite status information changes, providing the attribute information of the satellite after the change to the network function service consumer includes: notifying the network storage function NEF network element of the attribute information of the satellite after the change, so that the NEF network element sends the attribute information of the satellite after the change to the network function service consumer, where the network function service consumer includes one or more of the network storage function NEF network element, the network data analysis function NWDAF network element, the data collection control function (DataCollection Control Function, DCCF) network element, the messaging framework adaptor function (The MessagingFramework Adaptor Function, MFAF) network element, the location management function LMF network element, and the event consumer application function network element.

[0099] The DCCF network element is a core network element, mainly cooperating with the NWDAF network element to achieve the coordination function of data collection, reduce duplicate data collection, and implement the formatting process of data, etc. It is introduced to achieve the network data analysis function.

[0100] The MFAF network element is a core network element, mainly used to achieve the adaptation with the message framework. Through the MFAF network element, the interaction between the DCCF network element and the message framework is realized. The data to be processed is sent to the message framework, the data processed by the message framework is received, and the relevant data is formatted. The MFAF network element is also introduced to achieve the network data analysis function.

[0101] The LMF network element provides the function of determining the location of the user equipment. It can obtain the location estimated from the user equipment, or obtain location measurements and other data from the RAN. Based on the obtained data, it can check the subscription and privacy information, determine the location of the user equipment and provide the above location information to other NFs.

[0102] Exemplarily, if the SMF network element subscribes to the satellite status information from the NEF network element, when the NEF network element receives a new event of a satellite provided by the AF network element, the NEF network element immediately notifies the SMF network element, and the SMF network element can reallocate the N19 tunnel resources for the UPF network element on the above satellite.

[0103] Exemplarily, if the SMF network element subscribes to the satellite status information from the NEF network element, when the NEF network element receives a deactivation event of a satellite provided by the AF network element, the NEF network element immediately notifies the SMF network element, and the SMF network element can release the N19 tunnel resources for the UPF network element on the above satellite.

[0104] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, by adding a feasible AF network element to expose the satellite change event to the network such as the NEF network element, when the satellite status information changes, the key information of the satellite status is provided to the NEF network element, so that the NEF network element can widely and quickly distribute the information to all core network elements that have subscribed to the satellite status information, ensuring the consistency of the subscribed core network elements receiving satellite information, and further expanding the application scope of the satellite communication method.

[0105] Figure 5 Show another flowchart of the satellite communication method in the embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, as Figure 5 shown, the satellite communication method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is applied to a network function service consumer and includes the following steps:

[0106] S502. Send a subscription event request to the application function network element, and the subscription event request is used to subscribe to the satellite status information;

[0107] Information interaction between the network function service consumer and the application function network element is carried out through an HTTP POST request.

[0108] S504. Receive the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element, where the satellite attribute information is provided by the application function network element when the satellite status information changes.

[0109] It should be noted that the satellite attribute information includes one or more of the following information: the identity information of the satellite; the information indicating whether the satellite is available; the information indicating whether a UPF network element is deployed on the satellite; the ephemeris information of the satellite.

[0110] In one embodiment, S504 receives the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element, including: receiving the satellite attribute information through the NEF network element, and the network function service consumer includes one or more of the NEF network element, NWDAF network element, DCCF network element, MFAF network element, and event consumer application function network element.

[0111] In the implementation manner of the present disclosure, the network function service consumer sends a subscription event request to the application function network element, and the subscription event request is used to subscribe to the satellite status information; receive the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element, where the satellite attribute information is provided by the application function network element when the satellite status information changes. The present disclosure can widely and quickly distribute information to all network elements that have subscribed to this information, meet the requirement of information sharing among multiple network elements, ensure the consistency of information reception by all subscribed network elements, provide effective technical support, make the network more flexible, applicable to diverse service requirements, and have a wide application range.

[0112] Figure 6 Show another flowchart of the satellite communication method applied to the network function service consumer in the embodiment of the present disclosure. On the basis of Figure 5 the embodiment, S506 is added after S504 to define the application scenario of the satellite attribute information. As Figure 5 shown, in one embodiment, the satellite communication method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes S502 to S506, and the method includes:

[0113] S506. When the network function service consumer includes the SMF network element, the NEF network element notifies the SMF network element of the satellite attribute information, so that the SMF network element reallocates or releases the N19 tunnel resources for the user plane function UPF network element on the satellite.

[0114] It should be noted that the implementation manners of S502 to S504 are the same as those of S502 to S504 in the foregoing embodiment, and will not be elaborated herein.

[0115] In one embodiment, when the AF senses that the satellite status information has changed, the AF sends the satellite attribute information after the change to the NEF network element. When the SMF network element subscribes to the satellite status information from the NEF network element, the NEF network element immediately notifies the SMF network element of the satellite attribute information after the change. When the satellite attribute information after the change includes a new event, the SMF network element allocates N19 tunnel resources for the above-mentioned satellite; when the satellite attribute information after the change includes a deactivation event, the SMF network element releases the N19 tunnel resources for the above-mentioned satellite, thereby sharing the satellite status information of the AF network element exposed to the network with all core network elements subscribing to the satellite status information event, improving the consistency of information interaction and enhancing satellite communication efficiency.

[0116] In one embodiment, when the UPF network element on the satellite reallocates N19 tunnel resources, the satellite communication method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure further includes: starting multiple sub-counters of the UPF network elements connected to both ends of the N19 tunnel for delay measurement to obtain a measurement result. The multiple sub-counters are used for delay measurement for each Differentiated Service Code Point (DSCP), each slice, and / or each 5G Virtual Network Group (5G VN Group) of the fifth-generation mobile satellite communication technology.

[0117] Quality of Service (QoS) is a set of technologies that allows users to obtain an expected service level in terms of throughput, delay jitter, delay, packet loss rate, etc. The key metrics of QoS include availability, throughput, delay, delay variation, and loss, etc. Among them, delay is the average time interval that a service takes from the network entrance to the network exit.

[0118] Delay includes but is not limited to transmission delay, propagation delay, processing delay, queuing time, etc. In the present disclosure, propagation delay is mainly considered.

[0119] A UPF network element starts a sub-counter, and the sub-counter can record the sending time or receiving time of GTP packets. According to the sending and receiving times recorded by the sub-counters of the UPF network elements at both ends of the N19 tunnel, the delay of the N19 interface is determined, and then according to the delay of the N19 interface, the measurement result is obtained.

[0120] For each slice, the sub-counters of the two UPF network elements corresponding to the slice are started, and the delay of the N19 interface is determined by recording the sending and receiving times of the GTP packets of the two UPF network elements corresponding to the slice.

[0121] Exemplarily, for each user equipment in the 5G VN group, a sub-counter is started to determine the delay of the N19 interface.

[0122] The GTP protocol (GPRS Tunneling Protocol, abbreviated as GTP protocol) is used to implement the connection and control of packet - switched networks in the network. An N19 tunnel is established between the user equipment and the core network to transmit data packets. The header of the GTP message contains the source and destination GTP addresses and information for transmitting data. The data packet is encapsulated in the GTP message and transmitted via UDP.

[0123] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, by adding the network management system to measure the delay of GTP data packets on the N19 interface, while being compatible with the current standard for measurement according to DSCP, the measurement of 5G VN groups and slices is added. This enables the operator to timely detect changes in the link state according to the measurement results, adjust the QoS policy, so as to better support 5G LAN services, improve the flexibility of the network, and adapt to diverse service requirements.

[0124] In one embodiment, the above - mentioned method of starting the delay measurement of multiple sub - counters of the UPF network element connected to both ends of the N19 tunnel to obtain the measurement result includes: obtaining the first time T1 when the PDU session anchor point (PSA) UPF network element connected to the first end of the N19 tunnel sends a GTP response request message or a protocol data unit (PDU); obtaining the second time T2 when the PSA UPF network element connected to the second end of the N19 tunnel receives a GTP response message or a PDU; or obtaining the third time T3 when the PSA UPF network element connected to the second end of the N19 tunnel sends a GTP response request message or a PDU; obtaining the fourth time T4 when the PSA UPF network element connected to the first end of the N19 tunnel receives a GTP response message or a PDU; calculating the delay of the N19 interface according to the first time T1, the second time T2, the third time T3, and / or the fourth time T4; and obtaining the measurement result according to the relationship between the delay of the N19 interface and the preset QoS requirements.

[0125] It should be noted that the delay of the N19 interface includes one - way delay and / or two - way delay. Among them, the one - way delay is obtained according to the first time and the second time, or the third time and the fourth time, and the two - way delay is obtained according to the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time.

[0126] Exemplarily, the delay T of the N19 interface can be determined by the time difference between the first time and the second time, or by the time difference between the fourth time and the third time, where T = T2 - T1 or T = T4 - T3.

[0127] Exemplarily, the two - way delay of the N19 interface can be calculated by calculating the time difference between the first time and the second time, and the time difference between the fourth time and the third time, and taking the sum of the two time differences as the two - way delay, T=(T2 - T1)+(T4 - T3).

[0128] In one embodiment, when the latency of the N19 interface meets the QoS requirements, it indicates that the quality of service of the satellite communication network is good, and there is no need to adjust the QoS and routing policies. When the latency of the N19 interface does not meet the QoS requirements, it indicates that the quality of service of the satellite communication network is poor, and the operator needs to adjust the QoS and routing policies in a timely manner.

[0129] The QoS requirements can be a preset latency threshold, a preset latency threshold range, etc., and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0130] It should be noted that the present disclosure does not specifically limit the adjustment methods of QoS and routing policies.

[0131] In another embodiment, the satellite communication method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure further includes: recording the number of GTP response messages or PDUs; obtaining the final latency of the N19 interface according to the latency of the N19 interface calculated each time and the number of GTP response messages or PDUs.

[0132] Exemplarily, the latency of the N19 interface can be determined by the method of cumulative summation and averaging. For example, the latencies of the N19 interface calculated each time can be summed, and the ratio between the sum and the number of GTP response messages or PDUs can be calculated as the final latency of the N19 interface.

[0133] In the implementation manner of the present disclosure, by recording the sending time and receiving time of GTP data packets of the UPF network element connected to both ends of the N19 tunnel, and determining the latency of the N19 interface by the method of summing and averaging, the accuracy of the latency can be improved, enabling the operator to timely discover changes in the link state and adjust the QoS and routing policies to better support 5G LAN services.

[0134] To deepen the understanding of the satellite communication method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following is combined with the attached Figure 7 for illustration.

[0135] The satellite communication method provided by the present disclosure includes:

[0136] 1. The network function service consumer sends a subscription event request to the application function network element to subscribe to satellite status information. This subscription event request is implemented through an HTTP POST request.

[0137] 2. The application function network element sends "201 Created" to the network function service consumer to indicate the creation of a subscription event.

[0138] 3. When the satellite status information changes, the network function service consumer sends the attribute information of the satellite after the change to the application function network element.

[0139] 4. The Application Function NE sends "204 No Content" to the Network Function Service Consumer.

[0140] The on-satellite data direct exchange of the present disclosure allows satellites to directly route data in space without passing through ground stations or other relays. This can significantly reduce the latency of data transmission, thereby improving satellite communication efficiency. Through the direct data exchange between satellites, the bandwidth resources of satellites can be utilized more effectively without having to transmit all data traffic to the ground station for retransmission. This can reduce congestion and improve network performance. The on-satellite data direct exchange can improve the availability of the satellite communication network because it reduces the risk of single points of failure. Even if a ground station or relay station fails, other satellites can still directly exchange data to ensure the continuous operation of the network. The on-satellite data direct exchange can increase the coverage area of the satellite communication network, which is beneficial for satellite communication in remote areas or oceans.

[0141] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a satellite communication device and a satellite communication system as described in the following embodiments. Since the principles of solving problems by the device and system embodiments are similar to those of the above method embodiments, the implementation of the device embodiments can refer to the implementation of the above method embodiments, and the repeated parts will not be elaborated.

[0142] Figure 8 The schematic diagram of a satellite communication device in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, as Figure 8 shown, this device is applied to the Application Function NE and includes a Subscription Request Receiving Module 810 and a Satellite Information Sending Module 820.

[0143] Among them, the Subscription Request Receiving Module 810 is used to receive the subscription event request sent by the Network Function Service Consumer, and the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information;

[0144] The Satellite Information Sending Module 820 is used to provide the attribute information of the satellite after the change to the Network Function Service Consumer when the satellite status information changes.

[0145] It should be noted here that the above Subscription Request Receiving Module 810 and Satellite Information Sending Module 820 correspond to S402 - S404 in the method embodiment. The examples and application scenarios implemented by the above modules and the corresponding steps are the same, but are not limited to the content disclosed in the above method embodiment. It should be noted that the above modules, as part of the device, can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions.

[0146] It should be noted that the attribute information of the satellite after the change includes one or more of the following information: the identity information of the satellite; the information indicating whether the satellite is available; the information indicating whether a User Plane Function (UPF) NE is deployed on the satellite; the ephemeris information of the satellite.

[0147] In one embodiment, the satellite information sending module 820 is configured to notify the Network Exposure Function (NEF) network element of the changed attribute information of the satellite, so that the NEF network element sends the changed attribute information of the satellite to the network function service consumers, where the network function service consumers include one or more of the Network Exposure Function (NEF) network element, the Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) network element, the Data Collection and Control Function (DCCF) network element, the Message Transfer Framework Adapter Function (MFAF) network element, the Location Management Function (LMF) network element, and the Event Consumer Application Function network element.

[0148] In one embodiment, information interaction between the network function service consumers and the application function network element is performed through an HTTP POST request.

[0149] Figure 9 Another schematic diagram of a satellite communication device in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, as Figure 9 shown. The device is applied to a network function service consumer and includes a subscription request sending module 910 and a satellite information receiving module 920.

[0150] Among them, the subscription request sending module 910 is configured to send a subscription event request to the application function network element, and the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information;

[0151] The satellite information receiving module 920 is configured to receive the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element, where the satellite attribute information is provided by the application function network element when the satellite status information changes.

[0152] It should be noted here that the above-mentioned subscription request sending module 910 and satellite information receiving module 920 correspond to S502 - S504 in the method embodiment. The examples and application scenarios implemented by the above-mentioned modules and the corresponding steps are the same, but are not limited to the content disclosed in the above-mentioned method embodiment. It should be noted that the above-mentioned modules, as part of the device, can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions.

[0153] It should be noted that the satellite attribute information includes one or more of the following information: the identity information of the satellite; the information indicating whether the satellite is available; the information indicating whether a User Plane Function (UPF) network element is deployed on the satellite; the ephemeris information of the satellite.

[0154] In one embodiment, information interaction between the network function service consumers and the application function network element is performed through an HTTP POST request.

[0155] In one embodiment, the satellite information receiving module 920 is configured to receive satellite attribute information through the NEF network element. The network function service consumers include one or more of the NEF network element, the network data analysis function NWDAF network element, the data collection control function DCCF network element, the message passing framework adapter function MFAF network element, and the event consumer application function network element.

[0156] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a satellite information forwarding module not shown in the drawings. When the network function service consumer includes the SMF network element, the satellite information forwarding module is configured to, after receiving the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element, notify the session management function SMF network element of the satellite attribute information by the NEF network element, so that the SMF network element reallocates or releases the N19 tunnel resources for the user plane function UPF network element on the satellite.

[0157] In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a delay determination module not shown in the drawings. When the UPF network element on the satellite reallocates the N19 tunnel resources, the delay determination module is configured to activate a plurality of sub-counters of the UPF network element on the satellite connected to both ends of the N19 tunnel. The plurality of sub-counters are used to measure the delay for each differentiated service code point DSCP, each slice, and / or each 5G virtual network group 5G VN group, and obtain a measurement result.

[0158] In one embodiment, the delay determination module is configured to obtain a first time when the PDU session anchor PSA UPF network element connected to the first end of the N19 tunnel sends a GTP response request message or a protocol data unit PDU, and obtain a second time when the PSA UPF network element connected to the second end of the N19 tunnel receives a GTP response message or a PDU; or obtain a third time when the PSA UPF network element connected to the second end of the N19 tunnel sends a GTP response request message or a PDU, and obtain a fourth time when the PSA UPF network element connected to the first end of the N19 tunnel receives a GTP response message or a PDU; calculate the delay of the N19 interface according to the first time, the second time, the third time, and / or the fourth time; and obtain a measurement result according to the relationship between the delay of the N19 interface and the preset QoS requirement.

[0159] It should be noted that the delay of the N19 interface includes one-way delay and / or two-way delay. The one-way delay is obtained according to the first time and the second time, or the third time and the fourth time, and the two-way delay is obtained according to the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time.

[0160] In one embodiment, the delay determination module is further configured to record the number of GTP response messages or PDUs; and obtain the final delay of the N19 interface according to the calculated delay of the N19 interface and the number of GTP response messages or PDUs.

[0161] Figure 10 A schematic diagram showing a satellite communication system in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 10 shown, the present disclosure also provides a satellite communication system, including an application function network element 1010 and a network function service consumer 1020.

[0162] Among them, the application function network element 1010 is configured to receive a subscription event request sent by the network function service consumer 1020, and the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information; when the satellite status information changes, provide the attribute information of the satellite after the change to the network function service consumer 1020;

[0163] The network function service consumer 1020 is configured to send a subscription event request to the application function network element 1010; receive the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element 1010, and the satellite attribute information is provided by the application function network element 1010 when the satellite status information changes.

[0164] Those skilled in the art of the present technology can understand that various aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented as a system, a method, or a program product. Therefore, various aspects of the present disclosure can be specifically implemented in the following forms, that is: a complete hardware implementation manner, a complete software implementation manner (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or an implementation manner combining hardware and software aspects, which can be collectively referred to as "circuit", "module", or "system" here.

[0165] Next, refer to Figure 11 to describe the electronic device 1100 according to this embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 11 The shown electronic device 1100 is only an example and should not bring any limitation to the functions and usage scopes of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0166] As Figure 11 shown, the electronic device 1100 is presented in the form of a general computing device. The components of the electronic device 1100 may include but are not limited to: the at least one processing unit 1110 described above, the at least one storage unit 1120 described above, and a bus 1130 connecting different system components (including the storage unit 1120 and the processing unit 1110).

[0167] Among them, the storage unit stores program code, and the program code can be executed by the processing unit 1110, so that the processing unit 1110 executes the steps according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described in the "Exemplary Method" section of this specification. For example, the processing unit 1110 may execute the following steps of the above method embodiment: receiving a subscription event request sent by a network function service consumer, where the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information; when the satellite status information changes, providing the network function service consumer with the attribute information of the satellite after the change.

[0168] For example, the processing unit 1110 may execute the following steps of the above method embodiment: sending a subscription event request to an application function network element, where the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information; receiving the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element, and the satellite attribute information is provided by the application function network element when the satellite status information changes.

[0169] The storage unit 1120 may include a readable medium in the form of a volatile storage unit, such as a random access storage unit (RAM) 11201 and / or a cache storage unit 11202, and may further include a read-only storage unit (ROM) 11203.

[0170] The storage unit 1120 may further include a program / utility 11204 having a set (at least one) of program modules 11205. Such program modules 11205 include, but are not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data. Each or some combination of these examples may include the implementation of a network environment.

[0171] The bus 1130 may represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a storage unit bus or a storage unit controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any bus structure in a variety of bus structures.

[0172] The electronic device 1100 can also communicate with one or more external devices 1140 (such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a Bluetooth device, etc.) via satellite communication, and can also communicate with one or more devices that enable a user to interact with the electronic device 1100 via satellite communication, and / or communicate with any device (such as a router, a modem, etc.) that enables the electronic device 1100 to communicate with one or more other computing devices via satellite communication. Such satellite communication can be carried out through the input / output (I / O) interface 1150. Moreover, the electronic device 1100 can also communicate with one or more networks (such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and / or a public network, such as the Internet) via satellite communication through the network adapter 1160. As shown in the figure, the network adapter 1160 communicates with other modules of the electronic device 1100 through the bus 1130. It should be understood that although not shown in the figure, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in combination with the electronic device 1100, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems, etc.

[0173] Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can easily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by a combination of software and necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the software product can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a terminal device, or a network device, etc.) to execute the method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0174] In particular, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the process described above with reference to the flowchart can be implemented as a computer program product, and the computer program product includes: a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the above satellite communication method is implemented.

[0175] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, and the computer-readable storage medium can be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. In some possible implementation manners, various aspects of the present disclosure can also be implemented in the form of a program product, which includes program code, and when the program product runs on an electronic device, the program code is used to cause the electronic device to execute the steps according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described in the "Exemplary Method" section of this specification.

[0176] More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium in the present disclosure may include, but are not limited to: electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the above.

[0177] In the present disclosure, the computer-readable storage medium may include a data signal propagated in a baseband or as part of a carrier wave, in which a readable program code is carried. Such a propagated data signal may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. The readable signal medium may also be any readable medium other than the readable storage medium, which can send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in combination with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0178] Optionally, the program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the above.

[0179] In specific implementations, the program code for performing the operations of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages such as Java, C++, etc., and also including conventional procedural programming languages such as the "C" language or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user computing device, partially on the user device, executed as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on the remote computing device or server. In the case of a remote computing device, the remote computing device may be connected to the user computing device through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computing device (e.g., by connecting through the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0180] It should be noted that although several modules or units of a device for action execution are mentioned in the above detailed description, such a division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the features and functions of two or more of the above-mentioned modules or units may be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above may be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0181] In addition, although the various steps of the methods in the present disclosure are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that these steps must be performed in that specific order, or that all of the shown steps must be performed to achieve the desired result. Additionally or alternatively, some steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step for execution, and / or one step may be decomposed into multiple steps for execution, etc.

[0182] From the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can easily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software, or by a combination of software and necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, etc.) or on a network, and includes several instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a mobile terminal, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0183] After considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein, those skilled in the art will readily conceive of other embodiments of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include known common knowledge or conventional technical means in the technical field not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are only to be considered as exemplary, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are pointed out by the appended claims.< / apiversion>

Claims

1. A satellite communication method, applied to an application function network element, characterized in that It includes: Receiving a subscription event request sent by a network function service consumer, where the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information; When the satellite status information changes, providing the changed attribute information of the satellite to the network function service consumer.

2. The satellite communication method according to claim 1, wherein The changed attribute information of the satellite includes one or more of the following information: The identity information of the satellite; Information indicating whether the satellite is available; Information indicating whether a user plane function (UPF) network element is deployed on the satellite; The ephemeris information of the satellite.

3. The satellite communication method according to claim 1, wherein The step of, when the satellite status information changes, providing the changed attribute information of the satellite to the network function service consumer includes: Notifying the network storage function (NEF) network element of the changed attribute information of the satellite, so that the NEF network element sends the changed attribute information of the satellite to the network function service consumer, where the network function service consumer includes one or more of the NEF network element, network data analysis function (NWDAF) network element, data collection control function (DCCF) network element, message passing framework adapter function (MFAF) network element, location management function (LMF) network element, and event consumer application function network element.

4. The satellite communication method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, Information interaction between the network function service consumer and the application function network element is performed through an HTTP POST request.

5. A satellite communication method, applied to a network function service consumer, characterized in that, It includes: Sending a subscription event request to the application function network element, where the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information; Receiving the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element, where the satellite attribute information is provided by the application function network element when the satellite status information changes.

6. The satellite communication method according to claim 5, wherein The satellite attribute information includes one or more of the following information: The identity information of the satellite; Information indicating whether the satellite is available; Information indicating whether a UPF network element is deployed on the satellite; The ephemeris information of the satellite.

7. The satellite communication method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Information interaction between the network function service consumer and the application function network element is performed through an HTTP POST request.

8. The satellite communication method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of receiving the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element includes: Receiving the satellite attribute information through the NEF network element, where the network function service consumer includes one or more of the NEF network element, NWDAF network element, DCCF network element, MFAF network element, and event consumer application function network element.

9. The satellite communication method according to claim 8, wherein When the network function service consumer includes a session management function (SMF) network element, after receiving the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element, the method further includes: The NEF network element notifies the SMF network element of the satellite attribute information, so that the SMF network element reallocates or releases N19 tunnel resources for the UPF network element on the satellite.

10. The satellite communication method according to claim 9, characterized in that, When the N19 tunnel resources are reallocated for the UPF network element on the satellite, the method further includes: Enable multiple sub-counters of the UPF network element connected to both ends of the N19 tunnel to perform latency measurements, and obtain measurement results. The multiple sub-counters are used to perform latency measurements for each Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP), each slice, and / or each 5G Virtual Network Group (5G VN Group).

11. The satellite communication method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The enabling multiple sub-counters of the UPF network element connected to both ends of the N19 tunnel to perform latency measurements and obtain measurement results includes: Obtain the first time when the PDU session anchor point (PSA) UPF network element connected to the first end of the N19 tunnel sends a GTP response request message or a protocol data unit (PDU), and obtain the second time when the PSA UPF network element connected to the second end of the N19 tunnel receives a GTP response message or a PDU; or Obtain the third time when the PSA UPF network element connected to the second end of the N19 tunnel sends a GTP response request message or a PDU, and obtain the fourth time when the PSA UPF network element connected to the first end of the N19 tunnel receives a GTP response message or a PDU; Calculate the latency of the N19 interface based on the first time, the second time, the third time, and / or the fourth time; Obtain the measurement results based on the relationship between the latency of the N19 interface and the preset QoS requirements.

12. The satellite communication method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The latency of the N19 interface includes one-way latency and / or two-way latency. Among them, the one-way latency is obtained based on the first time and the second time, or the third time and the fourth time, and the two-way latency is obtained based on the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time.

13. The satellite communication method according to claim 11, wherein The method further includes: Record the number of GTP response messages or PDUs; Obtain the final latency of the N19 interface based on the latency of the N19 interface calculated each time and the number of GTP response messages or PDUs.

14. A satellite communication device, characterized in that, Applied to an application function network element, it includes: A subscription request receiving module, configured to receive a subscription event request sent by a network function service consumer, where the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information; A satellite information sending module, configured to provide the attribute information of the satellite after the change to the network function service consumer when the satellite status information changes.

15. A satellite communication device, applied to network function service consumers, characterized in that, It includes: A subscription request sending module, configured to send a subscription event request to the application function network element, where the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information; A satellite information receiving module, configured to receive the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element, where the satellite attribute information is provided by the application function network element when the satellite status information changes.

16. A satellite communication system, including an application function network element and a network function service consumer, characterized in that The application function network element is configured to receive a subscription event request sent by a network function service consumer, where the subscription event request is used to subscribe to satellite status information; when the satellite status information changes, provide the attribute information of the satellite after the change to the network function service consumer; The network function service consumer is configured to send a subscription event request to the application function network element; Receive the satellite attribute information provided by the application function network element, where the satellite attribute information is provided by the application function network element when the satellite status information changes.

17. An electronic device, characterized in that, Comprising: A processor; And a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; Wherein, the processor is configured to execute the satellite communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, or execute the satellite communication method according to any one of claims 5 to 13 by executing the executable instructions.

18. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the satellite communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, or implements the satellite communication method according to any one of claims 5 to 13.

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