Communication method, network element, access network device, core network device and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method, a network element, access network equipment, core network equipment, a communication system and a storage medium. The communication method comprises the steps that first information is acquired, the first information comprises first identification information and first time information, the first identification information is used for indicating a first area where a terminal is located, and the first time information is used for indicating effective time of the first identification information; according to the embodiment of the invention, the communication efficiency of the terminal in the NTN network can be improved.

Description

Communication method, network element, access network equipment, core network equipment and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of wireless communications, and in particular to a communication method, network element, access network equipment, core network equipment, communication system, and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] The evolution of telecommunication network technology has integrated non-terrestrial network (NTN) technology to support NTN access. In networks supporting NTN access, it is necessary to obtain the location of the terminal in order to control terminal mobility, paging, and other functions.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, a network element, an access network device, a core network device, a communication system, and a storage medium, thereby realizing the positioning of a terminal in an NTN network.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided. The communication method is performed by a first network element. The communication method includes: obtaining first information, wherein the first information includes first identification information and first time information, the first identification information being used to indicate a first area where a terminal is located, and the first time information being used to indicate a validity period of the first identification information.

[0006] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided. The communication method is performed by an access network device. The communication method includes: sending a first message, wherein the first message includes at least one of the following: first identification information and first time information; wherein the first identification information is used to indicate a first area where a terminal is located, and the first time information is used to indicate the validity period of the first identification information.

[0007] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided. The communication method is performed by a second network element. The communication method includes sending a second message, wherein the second message includes one of the following: first time information; and coverage information of a satellite where an access network device is located. The first time information indicates the validity period of first identification information, and the first identification information indicates a first area where a terminal is located.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided. The communication method is performed by a core network device. The communication method includes: obtaining first information, wherein the first information includes first identification information and first time information, the first identification information is used to indicate a first area where a terminal is located, and the first time information is used to indicate a valid period of the first identification information.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first network element is provided. The first network element includes an acquisition module. The acquisition module is configured to acquire first information. The first information includes first identification information and first time information, the first identification information being used to indicate a first area where a terminal is located, and the first time information being used to indicate a valid period of the first identification information.

[0010] According to a sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, an access network device is provided. The access network device includes a transceiver module. The transceiver module is configured to send a first message. The first message includes at least one of the following: first identification information and first time information. The first identification information is used to indicate a first area where a terminal is located. The first time information is used to indicate a validity period of the first identification information.

[0011] According to a seventh aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a second network element is provided. The second network element includes a transceiver module. The transceiver module is configured to send a first message. The first message includes at least one of the following: first identification information and first time information. The first identification information is used to indicate a first area where a terminal is located. The first time information is used to indicate a validity period of the first identification information.

[0012] According to an eighth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first network element is provided. The first network element includes at least one processor and a memory storing instructions. When the instructions are executed by the first network element, the first network element implements the communication method described in the first aspect.

[0013] According to a ninth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, an access network device is provided. The access network device includes at least one processor and a memory storing instructions. When the instructions are executed by the access network device, the access network device implements the communication method described in the second aspect.

[0014] According to a tenth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a second network element is provided. The second network element includes at least one processor and a memory storing instructions. When the instructions are executed by the second network element, the second network element implements the communication method described in the third aspect.

[0015] According to an eleventh aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a core network device is provided. The core network device includes at least one processor and a memory storing instructions. When the instructions are executed by the core network device, the core network device implements the communication method described in the fourth aspect.

[0016] According to a twelfth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes a first network element, an access network device, and a second network element. The first network element is configured to execute the communication method described in the first aspect. The access network device is configured to execute the communication method described in the second aspect. The second network element is configured to execute the communication method described in the third aspect.

[0017] According to a thirteenth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided. The storage medium stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the communication method as described in any one of the first, second, third, and fourth aspects.

[0018] According to a fourteenth aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a program product is provided. When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device executes the communication method as described in any one of the first, second, third, and fourth aspects.

[0019] According to a fifteenth aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer program is provided, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to execute the communication method as described in any one of the first, second, third, and fourth aspects.

[0020] According to a sixteenth aspect of the present disclosure, a chip or chip system is provided. The chip or chip system includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to execute the communication method as described in any one of the first, second, third, and fourth aspects.

[0021] The embodiments of the present disclosure can improve the communication efficiency of terminals in the NTN network.

[0022] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and explanatory and do not constitute limitations on the embodiments of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG2A shows an NTN architecture based on transparent payload.

[0026] FIG2B shows an NTN architecture based on a regenerative payload.

[0027] FIG3A is an exemplary interaction diagram of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG3B is an exemplary interaction diagram of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG4A is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG4B is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG4C is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG4D is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG4E is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG5A is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG5B is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG5C is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG6 is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG7 is an exemplary flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] FIG8A is an exemplary flowchart of a specific embodiment of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG8B is an exemplary flowchart of a specific embodiment of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG9A is an exemplary structural diagram of a first network element provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] FIG9B is an exemplary structural diagram of an access network device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] FIG9C is an exemplary structural diagram of a second network element provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] FIG10A is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG10B is a schematic structural diagram of a chip provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, a network element, an access network device, a core network device, a communication system, and a storage medium.

[0047] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method. The communication method is performed by a first network element. The communication method includes obtaining first information, wherein the first information includes first identification information and first time information, the first identification information being used to indicate a first area in which a terminal is located, and the first time information being used to indicate a validity period of the first identification information.

[0048] According to an embodiment of the present application, the first network element can obtain the first identification information and the first time information indicating the validity period of the first identification information. In this way, the first network element can determine the validity period of the first identification information based on the first time information, thereby avoiding the use of the first identification information to page the terminal when the first identification information is invalid, avoiding terminal paging failure or extended paging time, and thus improving communication efficiency.

[0049] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the operation of obtaining the first information may include: receiving a first message, where the first message carries first identification information and first time information.

[0050] According to an embodiment of the present application, the first network element may receive a first message, and the first message carries the first identification information and the first time information. In this way, the first network element may obtain the first identification information and the first time information by receiving one message.

[0051] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the operation of obtaining the first information may include: receiving a first message, wherein the first message carries first identification information; and receiving a second message, wherein the second message carries first time information.

[0052] According to an embodiment of the present application, a first network element can obtain the first identification information via a first message and can obtain the first time information via a second message. In this way, the first network element can obtain the first identification information and the first time information from different network devices. In this case, the network device that sends the first identification information to the first network element does not need to obtain the first time information. Furthermore, since the first network element can directly obtain the first time information, it does not need to perform calculations or determinations on its own, thereby reducing the amount of computation required.

[0053] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the operation of obtaining the first information may include: receiving a first message, wherein the first message carries first identification information; receiving a second message, wherein the second message carries coverage information of the satellite where the access network device is located; and determining the first time information based on the coverage information.

[0054] According to an embodiment of the present application, the first network element may obtain the first identification information through the first message, and may obtain the coverage information of the satellite through the second message. The coverage information is used to determine the first time information. In this way, the first network element may obtain the first identification information and the coverage information from different network devices respectively. In this case, the network device that sends the first identification information to the first network element may not obtain the first time information, but the first network may obtain the first time information corresponding to the first identification information from other network devices, or obtain the coverage information of the satellite where the access network device corresponding to the first identification information is located, and generate the first time information based on the coverage information. In addition, the network device that sends the first identification information to the first network element may not generate the first time information, but may directly send the coverage information obtained by itself to the first network element, and the first network element may generate the first time information based on the coverage information.

[0055] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned communication method may further include: sending a third message, wherein the third message is used to request the first identification information.

[0056] According to an embodiment of the present application, the first network element can send a third message to request the first identification information. Thus, if it is determined that the stored first identification information is invalid, the first network element can proactively request new identification information, thereby promptly updating the local first identification information. This ensures that the locally stored first identification information effectively indicates the terminal's location, avoiding paging failures caused by the invalidation of the locally stored first identification information.

[0057] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned communication method may further include: determining whether the first identification information is valid or invalid based on the first time information.

[0058] According to the embodiment of the present application, the first network element can determine the validity of the first identification information based on the first time information. Based on the first time information, the invalidation of the first identification information can be discovered in time, which can effectively avoid paging failure caused by using invalid first identification information.

[0059] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the operation of determining whether the first identification information is valid or invalid based on the first time information may include: determining that the first identification information is invalid when the valid time indicated by the first time information expires.

[0060] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the operation of obtaining the first information may include: obtaining the first information when it is determined that the second identification information is invalid, wherein the second identification information is used to indicate the second area where the terminal is located.

[0061] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned communication method may further include: determining that the second identification information is invalid when the valid time indicated by the second time information expires, wherein the second time information is used to indicate the valid time of the second identification information.

[0062] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second area indicated by the second identification information may be the same as the first area indicated by the first identification information.

[0063] According to an embodiment of the present application, the second area indicated by the second identification information may be the same as the first area indicated by the first identification information. This indicates that the terminal's location has not changed. Therefore, although the first network element obtains the first identification information after the second identification information becomes invalid, both the first identification information and the second identification information indicate the terminal's location, and the terminal's location is the same. The first identification information can be used to page the terminal.

[0064] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method. The communication method is performed by an access network device. The communication method includes sending a first message, wherein the first message includes at least one of the following: first identification information and first time information; wherein the first identification information indicates a first area in which a terminal is located, and the first time information indicates a validity period for the first identification information.

[0065] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first message may include first identification information and first time information; wherein, the above-mentioned communication method may also include: determining the first time information based on coverage information of the satellite where the access network device is located.

[0066] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the above-mentioned communication method may further include: receiving a third message, wherein the third message is used to request the first identification information.

[0067] In a third aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method. The communication method is performed by a second network element. The communication method includes sending a second message, wherein the second message includes one of the following: first time information; and coverage information of a satellite where an access network device is located. The first time information indicates the validity period of first identification information, and the first identification information indicates a first area where a terminal is located.

[0068] In combination with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the second message may include first time information; wherein, the above-mentioned communication method may also include: determining the first time information based on coverage information of the satellite where the access network device is located.

[0069] In a fourth aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method. The communication method is performed by a core network device. The communication method includes obtaining first information, wherein the first information includes first identification information and first time information, the first identification information being used to indicate a first area where a terminal is located, and the first time information being used to indicate a validity period of the first identification information.

[0070] In a fifth aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a first network element. The first network element includes an acquisition module. The acquisition module is configured to acquire first information, wherein the first information includes first identification information and first time information, the first identification information being used to indicate a first area where a terminal is located, and the first time information being used to indicate a valid period of the first identification information.

[0071] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the acquisition module may include a transceiver module. The transceiver module may be configured to: receive a first message, wherein the first message carries first identification information and first time information.

[0072] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the acquisition module may include a transceiver module. The transceiver module may be configured to: receive a first message carrying first identification information; and receive a second message carrying first time information.

[0073] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the acquisition module may include a transceiver module and a processing module. The transceiver module is configured to: receive a first message carrying first identification information; receive a second message carrying coverage information of a satellite where the access network device is located; and the processing module is configured to: determine the first time information based on the coverage information.

[0074] In combination with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the transceiver module may also be configured to: send a third message, where the third message is used to request the first identification information.

[0075] In combination with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the processing module may also be configured to: determine whether the first identification information is valid or invalid based on the first time information.

[0076] In combination with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the processing module can be configured to: determine that the first identification information is invalid when the valid time indicated by the first time information times out.

[0077] In combination with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the acquisition module can be configured to: acquire the first information when it is determined that the second identification information is invalid, wherein the second identification information is used to indicate the second area where the terminal is located.

[0078] In combination with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the processing module can also be configured to: determine that the second identification information is invalid when the valid time indicated by the second time information expires, wherein the second time information is used to indicate the valid time of the second identification information.

[0079] In combination with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the second area indicated by the second identification information may be the same as the first area indicated by the first identification information.

[0080] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an access network device. The access network device includes a transceiver module. The transceiver module is configured to send a first message, wherein the first message includes at least one of the following: first identification information and first time information; wherein the first identification information indicates a first area in which a terminal is located, and the first time information indicates a validity period of the first identification information.

[0081] In combination with some embodiments of the sixth aspect, in some embodiments, the first message may include first identification information and first time information; wherein, the access network device may also include a processing module, and the processing module is configured to: determine the first time information based on the coverage information of the satellite where the access network device is located.

[0082] In combination with some embodiments of the sixth aspect, in some embodiments, the transceiver module may also be configured to: receive a third message, where the third message is used to request the first identification information.

[0083] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a second network element. The second network element includes a transceiver module. The transceiver module is configured to send a second message, wherein the second message includes one of the following: first time information; and coverage information of a satellite where an access network device is located. The first time information indicates the validity period of the first identification information, and the first identification information indicates the first area where a terminal is located.

[0084] In combination with some embodiments of the seventh aspect, in some embodiments, the second message may include first time information; wherein, the second network element may also include a processing module, and the processing module is configured to: determine the first time information based on the coverage information of the satellite where the access network device is located.

[0085] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a first network element. The first network element includes one or more processors and a memory storing instructions. When the instructions are executed by the first network element, the first network element implements the communication method as described in any one of the first aspect and possible implementations thereof.

[0086] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an access network device. The access network device includes one or more processors and a memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the access network device, enable the access network device to implement the communication method as described in any one of the second aspect and possible implementations thereof.

[0087] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a second network element. The second network element includes one or more processors and a memory storing instructions. When the instructions are executed by the second network element, the second network element implements the communication method as described in any one of the third aspect and possible implementations thereof.

[0088] According to an eleventh aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a core network device is provided. The core network device includes at least one processor and a memory storing instructions. When executed by the core network device, the instructions enable the core network device to implement the communication method as described in any one of the first, second, third, and fourth aspects and possible implementations thereof.

[0089] According to a twelfth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes a first network element, an access network device, and a second network element. The first network element is configured to perform the communication method described in any one of the first aspect and possible implementations thereof. The access network device is configured to perform the communication method described in any one of the second aspect and possible implementations thereof. The second network element is configured to perform the communication method described in any one of the third aspect and possible implementations thereof.

[0090] According to a thirteenth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided. The storage medium stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the communication method as described in any one of the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect, and possible implementations thereof.

[0091] According to a fourteenth aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a program product is provided. When executed by a communication device, the program product enables the communication device to perform the communication method as described in any one of the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect, and possible implementations thereof.

[0092] According to a fifteenth aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer program is provided. When the computer program is executed on a computer, the computer executes the communication method as described in any one of the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect, and possible implementations thereof.

[0093] According to a sixteenth aspect of the present disclosure, a chip or chip system is provided. The chip or chip system includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to execute the communication method as described in any one of the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect, and possible implementations thereof.

[0094] It is understandable that the first network element, the second network element, the access network device, the core network device, the communication system, the storage medium, the program product, the computer program, the chip, and the chip system are all used to perform the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can refer to the beneficial effects of the corresponding methods and will not be repeated here.

[0095] The present disclosure provides a communication method, network element, access network device, core network device, communication system, and storage medium. In some embodiments, the terms communication method, information processing method, and information transmission method are interchangeable; the terms network element, network device, network function, and network entity are interchangeable; and the terms communication system and information processing system are interchangeable.

[0096] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not exhaustive and are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and are not intended to be a specific limitation on the scope of protection of the present disclosure. In the absence of contradiction, each step in a certain embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a certain embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily exchanged. In addition, the optional implementation methods in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; in addition, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0097] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0098] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0099] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, elements expressed in the singular, such as "a", "an", "the", "above", "said", "the", "the", etc., may mean "one and only one", or "one or more", "at least one", etc. For example, when articles such as "a", "an", "the" in English are used in translation, the noun following the article may be understood as a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0100] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” refers to two or more than two.

[0101] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one", "one or more", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0102] In some embodiments, descriptions such as "at least one of A and B," "A and / or B," "A in one case, B in another case," or "in response to one case A, in response to another case B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); and in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0103] In some embodiments, "A or B" and other descriptions may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0104] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different description objects and do not constitute any restriction on the position, order, priority, quantity or content of the description objects. For the statement of the description object, please refer to the description in the context of the claims or embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the description object is a "field", the ordinal number before the "field" in the "first field" and the "second field" does not limit the position or order between the "fields". "First" and "second" do not limit whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they limit the order of the "first field" and the "second field". For another example, if the description object is a "level", the ordinal number before the "level" in the "first level" and the "second level" does not limit the priority between the "levels". For another example, the number of description objects is not limited by the ordinal number and can be one or more. Taking "first device" as an example, the number of "devices" can be one or more. In addition, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the description object is "device", then the "first device" and the "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different; for example, if the description object is "information", then the "second information" and the "first information" can be the same information or different information, and their contents can be the same or different.

[0105] In some embodiments, “including A,” “comprising A,” “used to indicate A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0106] In some embodiments, terms such as "in response to...", "in response to determining...", "in the case of...", "at the time of...", "when...", "if...", "if...", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0107] In some embodiments, terms such as "greater than", "greater than or equal to", "not less than", "more than", "more than or equal to", "not less than", "higher than", "higher than or equal to", "not less than", and "above" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "less than", "less than or equal to", "not greater than", "less than", "less than or equal to", "not more than", "lower than", "lower than or equal to", "not higher than", and "below" can be replaced with each other.

[0108] In some embodiments, devices, etc. can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. Terms such as "device", "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", and "subject" can be used interchangeably.

[0109] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network (eg, access network equipment, core network equipment, etc.).

[0110] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)", "radio access network device (RAN device)", "base station (BS)", "radio base station" "fixed station", "node", "access point", "transmission point (TP)", "reception point (RP)", "transmission / reception point (TRP)" "panel", "antenna panel", "antenna array", "cell", "macro cell", "small cell", "femto cell", "pico cell", "sector", "cell group", "serving cell", "carrier", "component carrier", "bandwidth part (BWP)" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0111] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0112] In some embodiments, the access network device, the core network device, or the network device can be replaced by a terminal. For example, the various embodiments of the present disclosure can also be applied to a structure in which the communication between the access network device, the core network device, or the network device and the terminal is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (for example, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, it is also possible to set the structure in which the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. In addition, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can also be replaced by terms corresponding to communication between terminals (for example, "side"). For example, uplink channels, downlink channels, etc. can be replaced by side channels, and uplinks, downlinks, etc. can be replaced by side links.

[0113] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, the core network device, or the network device may have a structure that has all or part of the functions of the terminal.

[0114] In some embodiments, obtaining data, information, etc. may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the data is obtained.

[0115] In some embodiments, data, information, etc. may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0116] In addition, each element, each row, or each column in the table of the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of any elements, any rows, and any columns can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0117] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG1 , a communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 , an access network device 102 , a core network device 103 , and a ground station 104 .

[0118] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 includes, for example, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a car with communication function, a smart car, a tablet computer (Pad), a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, and at least one of a wireless terminal device in a smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0119] In some embodiments, the access network device 102 can be, for example, a node or device that accesses the terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include an evolved NodeB (eNB), a next generation evolved NodeB (ng-eNB), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a node B (NB), a home node B (HNB), a home evolved nodeB (HeNB), a wireless backhaul device, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base band unit (BBU), a mobile switching center, a base station in a 6G communication system, an open base station (Open RAN), a cloud base station (Cloud RAN), a satellite base station, a base station in other communication systems, and at least one of an access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0120] In some embodiments, the technical solution of the present disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces within the network devices involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of the Open RAN, and the processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented through software or programs.

[0121] In some embodiments, the access network device 102 can be composed of a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU), where the CU can also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can be used to split the protocol layer of the network device, with the functions of some protocol layers centrally controlled by the CU, and the functions of the remaining part or all of the protocol layers distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU, but is not limited to this.

[0122] In some embodiments, the access network device 102 may include a first access network device 1021 and a second access network device 1022. The first access network device 1021 may be located on one satellite. The second access network device 1022 may be located on another satellite. In one example, the two satellites may successively cover the area where the terminal 101 is located. In another example, the two satellites may simultaneously cover the area where the terminal 101 is located.

[0123] In some embodiments, the core network device 103 may be a single device including a first network element 1031, a second network element 1032, a third network element 1033, etc., or may be a plurality of devices or a device group including part or all of the first network element 1031, the second network element 1032, and the third network element 1033. Network devices may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of an evolved packet core (EPC) network, a 5G core network (5GC) network, and a next generation core (NGC) network.

[0124] In some embodiments, the core network may be a 5G 5G network in a 5G system. In this case, the access network device 102 may be, for example, a gNB.

[0125] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 is, for example, an access and mobility management function (AMF).

[0126] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may be used to perform user access and mobility management, and its name is not limited thereto.

[0127] In some embodiments, the second network element 1032 is, for example, an operation and maintenance (O&M) system.

[0128] In some embodiments, the second network element 1032 may be configured to provide support for satellite operation and maintenance, and its name is not limited thereto.

[0129] In some embodiments, the second network element 1032 may be independent of the core network device 103 . That is, the second network element 1032 may be located outside the core network device 103 .

[0130] In some embodiments, the second network element 1032 may be a part of the core network device 103. That is, the core network device 103 may include the second network element 1032.

[0131] In some embodiments, the third network element 1033 is, for example, a session management function (SMF).

[0132] In some embodiments, the third network element 1033 can be used for session management, and its name is not limited thereto.

[0133] In some embodiments, the core network may be an EPC network in a 4G system. In this case, the access network device 102 may be, for example, an eNB. In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may be a mobility management entity (MME). In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may be used to perform user mobility management, and its name is not limited thereto.

[0134] In some embodiments, each network element in the core network device 103 may also be referred to as a network device, a network function, a network entity, etc., without limitation to the name.

[0135] In some embodiments, the ground station 104 can be used to forward data between the access network device 102 and the core network device 103, and its name is not limited to this.

[0136] In some embodiments, ground station 104 may be a gateway.

[0137] It can be understood that the communication system described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0138] The following embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to the communication system 100 shown in Figure 1, or a portion thereof, but are not limited thereto. The entities shown in Figure 1 are illustrative only. The communication system may include all or part of the entities shown in Figure 1, or may include other entities outside of Figure 1. The number and form of the entities may be arbitrary. The connection relationship between the entities is illustrative only. The entities may be connected or disconnected, and the connection may be in any manner, including direct or indirect, wired or wireless.

[0139] The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), future radio access (FRA), new radio access technology (RAT), new radio (NR), new radio access (NX), future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM (registered trademark)), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems based on and extending these methods. Furthermore, multiple systems may be combined (for example, a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0140] In the field of communications technology, satellite communications can complement cellular communications. With the development of communications technology, the integration between satellite and cellular communications will gradually deepen. For example, in 5G communications networks, UEs can access the 5G core network via a satellite access network. This type of NTN network can have two different architectures: one based on transparent transmission loads and one based on regenerative loads.

[0141] Figure 2A shows the NTN architecture based on transparent payload. As shown in Figure 2A, in the NTN architecture based on transparent payload, the satellite establishes communication connections with the UE and the ground station through a service link and a feeder link, respectively. The gNB is located on the ground and behind the ground station. The UE accesses the gNB through the satellite and the ground station in turn. In this scenario, even if the UE's location does not change, the movement of the satellite will cause the cell serving the UE to change. Therefore, the service cell used to identify the UE's location in the terrestrial network (TN) is not applicable in the NTN network. In the NTN network based on transparent payload, a mapped cell ID is used to identify the geographical area where the UE is located.

[0142] For UEs accessing via satellite, the gNB can be responsible for constructing a mapped cell identity based on location information from the UE. The mapped cell identity is independent of the UE's serving cell and is instead associated with the UE's location. Therefore, if the UE's location remains unchanged, the mapped cell identity remains unchanged, even though the serving cell may change. Both the access network and the core network are configured with a mapping between the mapped cell identity and the geographic area. Therefore, both the access network and the core network can use the mapped cell identity to paging the UE.

[0143] In addition, the last known cell ID is used to identify the UE location most recently known to the network. The last known cell ID can also be used in the paging process to improve paging efficiency.

[0144] In some embodiments, both the mapped cell identifier and the last known cell identifier may consist of a base station identifier and a cell identifier.

[0145] Figure 2B illustrates a regenerative payload-based NTN architecture. As shown in Figure 2B, in this architecture, the satellite establishes communication connections with the UE and ground station via a serving link and a feeder link, respectively. The gNB is located on the satellite, thus preceding the ground station. The UE can directly access the gNB on the satellite. In this scenario, satellite movement causes the UE's serving gNB to change, and the base station ID also changes. Consequently, even though the UE's location remains unchanged, the mapped cell ID and last known cell ID used to identify the UE's location do change. Consequently, the mapped cell ID and last known cell ID do not reflect the UE's location in this regenerative payload-based NTN architecture.

[0146] In one example, a satellite with a first gNB is followed by a satellite with a second gNB. When a UE accesses the satellite with the first gNB, the mapped cell ID and last known cell ID sent to the AMF are constructed based on the first gNB's ID. Subsequently, due to the sparse nature of the satellite constellation, the feeder link may be interrupted. During this interruption, the UE's serving gNB switches from the first gNB to the second gNB, but the interruption causes the mapped cell ID and last known cell ID to not be updated accordingly. Consequently, after the feeder link is restored, the AMF cannot page the UE based on the saved mapped cell ID and last known cell ID, potentially resulting in a paging failure.

[0147] It can be seen that in some embodiments, when the gNB is located on a satellite, the base station identifier in the mapped cell identifier and the last known cell identifier will change as the satellite moves. This makes the mapped cell identifier and the last known cell identifier currently unsuitable for identifying the UE location in an NTN network with regenerative load.

[0148] Therefore, it is necessary to identify the location of the terminal in the NTN network with regenerative load.

[0149] FIG3A is an exemplary interaction diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3A , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method. The communication method includes steps S3101 to S3112.

[0150] In step S3101 , the first access network device 1021 establishes a feeder link with the ground station 104 .

[0151] In some embodiments, the satellite where the first access network device 1021 is located may establish a feeder link with the ground station 104. In this way, the first access network device 1021 may communicate with the first network element 1031 through the established feeder link.

[0152] In some embodiments, the satellite on which the first access network device 1021 is located can move, and when the coverage area of ​​the satellite includes the terminal 101, the feeder link between the satellite and the ground station 104 can be used to transmit signaling and / or data related to the terminal 101.

[0153] In step S3102 , the terminal 101 registers with the first network element 1031 through the first access network device 1021 .

[0154] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 may be located within the coverage area of ​​the satellite of the first access network device 1021. In this case, the terminal 101 may be accessed through the first access network device 1021.

[0155] In some embodiments, a registration process may be performed between the terminal 101 , the first access network device 1021 , and the first network element 1031 to complete the registration of the terminal 101 .

[0156] In some embodiments, the registration process may be used to implement the following types of registrations for the terminal 101: initial registration, registration update, emergency registration, etc.

[0157] In some embodiments, during the registration process, the first access network device 1021 may obtain location information of the terminal 101 .

[0158] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may send location information of terminal 101 to first access network device 1021. In one example, the location information may be the positioning coordinates of terminal 101. For example, the location information may be obtained via a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). For example, the location information may include the longitude and latitude coordinates of terminal 101. In one example, the location information may include information about the cell in which terminal 101 is located. For example, the location information may include the cell identifier of the cell in the NTN network in which terminal 101 is located.

[0159] In some embodiments, after obtaining the location information of the terminal 101, the first access network device 1021 may determine first information corresponding to the terminal 101 based on the location information.

[0160] In some embodiments, the first access network device 1021 may determine the first information based on the location information of the terminal 101 and the coverage information of the satellite where the first access network device 1021 is located.

[0161] In some embodiments, satellite coverage information can be used to indicate the satellite's coverage time for terminal 101. In some embodiments, the coverage information can be used to indicate the satellite's coverage time for the first area where terminal 101 is located. In one example, the coverage information can be satellite ephemeris information. In another example, the coverage information can be obtained based on the satellite's ephemeris information. For example, the coverage information can include the time when the satellite began to cover the area and the time when it lost coverage.

[0162] In step S3103 , the first access network device 1021 sends first information to the first network element 1031 .

[0163] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first information.

[0164] In some embodiments, the first information may be used to indicate the location of the terminal 101. In some embodiments, the first information may be used to identify the location of the terminal 101. In some embodiments, the name of the first information is not limited, and may be, for example, "positioning information," "positioning parameters," "terminal paging location," "location information," etc.

[0165] In some embodiments, the first information may include first identification information and first time information.

[0166] In some embodiments, the first identification information may be used to indicate the location of the terminal 101. In some embodiments, the first identification information may be used to identify the location of the terminal 101. In one example, the first identification information may be used to indicate a first region where the terminal 101 is located. Here, the first region may be a geographical region, an administrative region, or another type of region.

[0167] In some embodiments, the first identification information may be determined based on the location information of the terminal 101 and the identification of the first access network device 1021 .

[0168] In some embodiments, the first identification information may include a mapped cell identifier. The mapped cell identifier is not related to the cell of the first access network device 1021, but is related to the location of the terminal 101. In one example, the mapped cell identifier may be used to indicate the first area where the terminal 101 is located.

[0169] It should be noted that the first identification information is not related to the serving cell of the terminal 101, but is only related to the location of the terminal 101. In this case, if the location of the terminal 101 does not change, the first identification information remains unchanged.

[0170] In some embodiments, the first identification information may include a last known cell identifier. The last known cell identifier may be the identifier of the cell most recently accessed by the terminal. In one example, the last known cell identifier may be used to indicate the first area where the terminal 101 is located. In some embodiments, the first time information may be used to indicate the validity period of the first identification information. In other words, the first identification information is valid within the time indicated by the first time information; conversely, after the time period has expired, the first identification information becomes invalid.

[0171] In some embodiments, the name of the first time information is not limited, and it can be, for example, "life information", "valid time information", "validity information", "valid time range", etc.

[0172] In some embodiments, the first time information may be determined based on the location information of the terminal 101 and the ephemeris information of the satellite where the first access network device 1021 is located. In one example, the satellite's coverage time for the first area where the terminal 101 is located may be determined based on the satellite's ephemeris information. The coverage time may include at least one of the following: a start coverage time, an end coverage time, and a coverage duration. The first time information may be determined based on the coverage time.

[0173] In some embodiments, the first time information can be used to indicate a first moment. The first moment is the expiration date of the first time information. The first moment can be the time when the satellite on which the first access network device 1021 resides ends its coverage of the first area where the terminal 101 resides. In other words, before the first moment, the satellite covers the first area where the terminal 101 resides, i.e., covers the terminal 101. After the first moment, the satellite no longer covers the first area where the terminal 101 resides, i.e., no longer covers the terminal 101.

[0174] In some embodiments, the first time information may be used to indicate a first duration. The first duration is the effective duration of the first time information. In one example, the first duration may be the duration from the moment the first information is determined to the end of the coverage period. In another example, the first duration may be the duration from the start of the coverage period to the end of the coverage period, i.e., the coverage period.

[0175] In some embodiments, the first access network device 1021 may send a first message to the first network element 1031. The first message may carry first information. In one example, the first message may be a Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) message in a Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) process. In one example, the first information may be carried in the NGAP message as user location information (ULI).

[0176] In step S3104, the first network element 1031 saves the first information.

[0177] In some embodiments, after acquiring the first information, the first network element 1031 may save the first information locally.

[0178] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may save the first identification information, the first time information, and the correspondence between the first identification information and the first time information.

[0179] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, step S3103 and step S3104 may occur simultaneously with the registration process of step S3102; in some embodiments, step S3103 and step S3104 may be part of the registration process in step S3102; in some embodiments, step S3103 and step S3104 may be independent of step S3102, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not specifically limit this.

[0180] In step S3105 , the second access network device 1022 establishes a feeder link with the ground station 104 .

[0181] In some embodiments, during a feeder link interruption between the first access network device 1021 and the ground station 104, a feeder link can be established between the second access network device 1022 and the ground station 104. Specifically, if the satellite on which the first access network device 1021 resides can move so that it cannot maintain a feeder link with the ground station 104, the feeder link between the first access network device 1021 and the ground station 104 will be interrupted. Subsequently, if the satellite on which the second access network device 1022 resides can move so that it can establish a feeder link with the ground station 104, a feeder link can be established between the second access network device 1022 and the ground station 104. In this manner, the second access network device 1022 can provide access services to the terminal 101.

[0182] In step S3106 , the terminal 101 registers with the first network element 1031 through the second access network device 1022 .

[0183] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 may be located within the coverage area of ​​the satellite of the second access network device 1022. In this case, the terminal 101 may access the second access network device 1022.

[0184] In some embodiments, a registration process may be performed between the terminal 101 , the second access network device 1022 , and the first network element 1031 to complete the registration update of the terminal 101 .

[0185] In some embodiments, during the registration process, the second access network device 1022 may obtain location information of the terminal 101 .

[0186] In some embodiments, terminal 101 may send location information of terminal 101 to second access network device 1022. In one example, the location information may be the positioning coordinates of terminal 101. For example, the location information may be obtained via GNSS. For example, the location information may include the longitude and latitude coordinates of terminal 101. In one example, the location information may include information about the cell in which terminal 101 is located. For example, the location information may include the cell identifier of the cell in the NTN network in which terminal 101 is located.

[0187] In some embodiments, after obtaining the location information of the terminal 101, the second access network device 1022 may determine the first information corresponding to the terminal 101 based on the location information.

[0188] In some embodiments, the second access network device 1022 may determine the first information based on the location information of the terminal 101 and the coverage information of the satellite where the second access network device 1022 is located.

[0189] In some embodiments, the satellite coverage information may be used to indicate the satellite's coverage time for terminal 101. In some embodiments, the coverage information may be used to indicate the satellite's coverage time for the first area where terminal 101 is located. In one example, the coverage information may be satellite ephemeris information. In one example, the coverage information may be obtained based on the satellite's ephemeris information.

[0190] It should be noted that the first information obtained by the second access network device 1022 can be considered an update of the first information obtained by the first access network device 1021. In some embodiments, if the first area where the terminal 101 is located remains unchanged, the first identification information in the first information obtained by the second access network device 1022 indicates the same area as the first identification information in the first information obtained by the first access network device 1021. In some embodiments, the first time information in the first information obtained by the second access network device 1022 can be the same as or different from the first time information in the first information obtained by the first access network device 1021.

[0191] In step S3107 , the third network element 1033 sends a fourth message to the first network element 1031 .

[0192] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the fourth message.

[0193] In some embodiments, the fourth message may be used to request forwarding of signaling and / or data to the terminal 101, and its name is not limited.

[0194] In some embodiments, the fourth message may be a message in a Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer service operation, for example, a Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer message.

[0195] In step S3108, the first network element 1031 determines the validity of the first identification information.

[0196] In some embodiments, after receiving the fourth message and before paging the terminal 101 according to the fourth message, the first network element 1031 may determine the validity of the first identification information. In other words, the first network element 1031 may determine whether the first identification information is valid or invalid.

[0197] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may determine whether the first identification information is valid or invalid based on the first time information. In one example, if the first time information has timed out, the first network element 1031 may determine that the first identification information is invalid. In another example, if the first time information has not timed out, the first network element 1031 may determine that the first identification information is valid.

[0198] In some embodiments, the first time information may be a first duration. In this case, when the first duration ends, the first network element 1031 may determine that the first identification information is invalid; when the first duration does not end, the first network element 1031 may determine that the first identification information is valid.

[0199] In some embodiments, the first time information may be a first moment. In this case, if the current moment is later than the first moment, the first network element 1031 may determine that the first identification information is invalid; if the current moment is earlier than the first moment, the first network element 1031 may determine that the first identification information is valid.

[0200] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may locally obtain the first information saved in step S3104, and determine the validity of the corresponding first identification information based on the first time information in the first information.

[0201] In step S3109 , the first network element 1031 sends a third message to the second access network device 1022 .

[0202] In some embodiments, when it is determined that the first identification information is invalid, the first network element 1031 may send a third message to the second access network device 1022 .

[0203] In some embodiments, the second access network device 1022 may receive the third message.

[0204] In some embodiments, the third message may be used to request the location of the terminal 101 from the second access network device 1022. In some embodiments, the third message may be used to request the first identification information from the second access network device 1022. In some embodiments, the third message may be used to request the first identification information and the first time information from the second access network device 1022.

[0205] In some embodiments, the third message may be a location report control message, which may be used to request the second access network device 1022 to report the location of the terminal 101 .

[0206] In some embodiments, the third message may carry indication information of the terminal 101. The indication information may be used to indicate the terminal requesting to report the location. In one example, the indication information may be identification information of the terminal 101.

[0207] In step S3110 , the second access network device 1022 sends first information to the first network element 1031 .

[0208] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first information.

[0209] In some embodiments, the second access network device 1022 may send the first information determined in step S3106 to the first network element 1031 according to the third message.

[0210] In some embodiments, the first information may include first identification information and first time information.

[0211] In some embodiments, the first information may be carried in a response message to the third message.

[0212] In some embodiments, the first information may be carried in a location reporting message. The location reporting message may be a response message to a location reporting control message.

[0213] In step S3111, the first network element 1031 updates the first information.

[0214] In some embodiments, after obtaining the first information from the second access network device 1022 , the first network element 1031 may update the first information.

[0215] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may update local first information (i.e., the first information from the first access network device 1021) using the first information from the second access network device 1022. In one example, the first network element 1031 may directly replace the local first information with the first information from the second access network device 1022. In one example, if the first information from the second access network device 1022 and the local first information have the same first identification information, the first network element 1031 may replace the first time information in the local first information with the first time information in the first information from the second access network device 1022.

[0216] In step S3112 , the first network element 1031 sends a paging message to the second access network device 1022 .

[0217] In some embodiments, the second access network device 1022 may receive a paging message.

[0218] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may send a paging message to the second access network device 1022 according to the updated first information.

[0219] In some embodiments, the paging message may include the first identification information, or the first identification information in the first information after the first identification information is updated.

[0220] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S3101 to S3112. For example, step S3103 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S3110 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S3103 and S3108 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S3108 and S3110 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of steps S3103, S3108, and S3110 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0221] In some embodiments, steps S3102, S3103, and S3104 may be performed sequentially or simultaneously.

[0222] In some embodiments, steps S3101 to S3102 and steps S3104 to S3112 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0223] In some embodiments, steps S3101 to S3107 and steps S3109 to S3112 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0224] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 3A .

[0225] FIG3B is an exemplary interaction diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3B , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method. The communication method includes steps S3201 to S3218.

[0226] In step S3201 , the first access network device 1021 establishes a feeder link with the ground station 104 .

[0227] The optional implementation of step S3201 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3101 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0228] In step S3202 , the terminal 101 registers with the first network element 1031 through the first access network device 1021 .

[0229] The optional implementation of step S3202 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3102 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0230] In some embodiments, after obtaining the location information of the terminal 101, the first access network device 1021 may determine the first identification information corresponding to the terminal 101 based on the location information.

[0231] In step S3203 , the first access network device 1021 sends first identification information to the first network element 1031 .

[0232] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive first identification information.

[0233] In some embodiments, the first identification information may be used to indicate the location of the terminal 101. In some embodiments, the first identification information may be used to identify the location of the terminal 101. In one example, the first identification information may be used to indicate a first region where the terminal 101 is located. Here, the first region may be a geographical region, an administrative region, or another type of region.

[0234] In some embodiments, the first identification information may be determined based on the location information of the terminal 101 and the identification of the first access network device 1021 .

[0235] In some embodiments, the first identification information may include a mapped cell identifier. The mapped cell identifier is not related to the cell of the first access network device 1021, but is related to the location of the terminal 101. In one example, the mapped cell identifier may be used to indicate the first area where the terminal 101 is located.

[0236] In some embodiments, the first identification information may include a last known cell identifier. The last known cell identifier may be the latest cell identifier recently acquired by the first access network device 1021. The last known cell identifier is not related to the cell of the first access network device 1021 but is related to the location of the terminal 101. In one example, the last known cell identifier may be used to indicate the first area where the terminal 101 is located.

[0237] It should be noted that the first identification information is not related to the serving cell of the terminal 101, but is only related to the location of the terminal 101. In this case, if the location of the terminal 101 does not change, the first identification information remains unchanged.

[0238] In some embodiments, the first access network device 1021 may send a first message to the first network element 1031. The first message may carry first identification information. In one example, the first message may be an NGAP message in an NGAP process. In one example, the first identification information may be carried in the NGAP message as a ULI.

[0239] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, step S3203 may occur simultaneously with the registration process of step S3202; in some embodiments, step S3203 may be part of the registration process in step S3202; in some embodiments, step S3203 may be independent of step S3202, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not make specific limitations on this.

[0240] In step S3204 , the first network element 1031 sends a fifth message to the second network element 1032 .

[0241] In some embodiments, the second network element 1032 may receive the fifth message.

[0242] In some embodiments, the fifth message may carry identification information of the first access network device 1021. In some embodiments, the identification information of the first access network device 1021 may be used to identify the first access network device 1021. In one example, the identification information of the first access network device 1021 may be a gNB ID.

[0243] In some embodiments, the fifth message may be used to request second information from the second network element 1032. The second information is related to the validity of the first identification information.

[0244] In some embodiments, the second information may include first time information.

[0245] In some embodiments, the second information may include coverage information of the first access network device 1021 .

[0246] In step S3205, the second network element 1032 may determine the second information.

[0247] In some embodiments, the second network element 1032 may determine the second information in response to the fifth message.

[0248] In some embodiments, the second network element 1032 may determine the second information based on the identification information of the first access network device 1021 included in the fifth message.

[0249] In some embodiments, the second information may include the first time information. In this case, the second network element 1032 may determine the ephemeris information of the satellite where the first access network device 1021 is located based on the identification information of the first access network device 1021; and then determine the first identification information based on the ephemeris information.

[0250] In some embodiments, the second information may include coverage information of the first access network device 1021 (and its satellite), and the coverage information may include ephemeris information of the satellite where the first access network device 1021 is located. In this case, the second network element 1032 may determine the ephemeris information of the satellite where the first access network device 1021 is located based on the identification information of the first access network device 1021, and then use the ephemeris information as the coverage information of the first access network device 1021.

[0251] In some embodiments, the second information may include coverage information of the first access network device 1033 (and its satellite), and the coverage information may be obtained based on the ephemeris information of the satellite where the first access network device 1021 is located. The second network element 1032 may determine the ephemeris information of the satellite where the first access network device 1021 is located based on the identification information of the first access network device 1021; thereafter, the coverage information may be determined based on the ephemeris information of the satellite where the first access network device 1021 is located.

[0252] In step S3206 , the second network element 1032 sends second information to the first network element 1031 .

[0253] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the second information.

[0254] In some embodiments, the second information can be used by the first network element 1031 to obtain the first time information.

[0255] In step S3207, the first network element 1031 may save the first information.

[0256] In some embodiments, the first information may include first identification information and first time information.

[0257] In some embodiments, when the second information includes the first time information, the first network element 1031 may obtain the first information based on the first identification information and the first time information, and store the first information locally.

[0258] In some embodiments, when the second information includes coverage information of the first access network device 1021, the first network element 1031 may determine the first time information based on the coverage information. Subsequently, the first network element 1031 may obtain the first information based on the first identification information and the first time information and store the first information locally. In one example, the first time information may be determined based on the location information of the terminal 101 and the coverage information of the first access network device 1021. For example, the first time information may be determined based on the location information of the terminal 101 and the ephemeris information of the satellite on which the first access network device 1021 is located.

[0259] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may save the first identification information, the first time information, and the correspondence between the first identification information and the first time information.

[0260] In step S3208 , the second access network device 1022 establishes a feeder link with the ground station 104 .

[0261] The optional implementation of step S3208 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3105 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0262] In step S3209 , the terminal 101 registers with the first network element 1031 through the second access network device 1022 .

[0263] The optional implementation of step S3209 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3106 in FIG3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG3A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0264] In step S3210 , the third network element 1033 sends a fourth message to the first network element 1031 .

[0265] The optional implementation of step S3210 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3107 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0266] In step S3211, the first network element 1031 determines the validity of the first identification information.

[0267] The optional implementation of step S3211 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3108 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0268] In step S3212 , the first network element 1031 sends a third message to the second access network device 1022 .

[0269] The optional implementation of step S3212 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3109 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0270] In step S3213 , the second access network device 1022 sends first identification information to the first network element 1031 .

[0271] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive first identification information.

[0272] In some embodiments, the second access network device 1022 may send the first identification information determined in step S3209 to the first network element 1031 according to the third message.

[0273] In some embodiments, the first identification information may be carried in a response message to the third message.

[0274] In some embodiments, the first identification information may be carried in a location reporting message. The location reporting message may be a response message to a location reporting control message.

[0275] In step S3214 , the first network element 1031 sends a fifth message to the second network element 1032 .

[0276] The optional implementation of step S3214 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3204 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0277] In some embodiments, the fifth message may carry identification information of the second access network device 1022 .

[0278] In some embodiments, the fifth message may be used to request second information from the second network element 1032. The second information is related to the validity of the first identification information.

[0279] In step S3215, the second network element 1032 may determine the second information.

[0280] The optional implementation of step S3215 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3205 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0281] In step S3216 , the second network element 1032 sends second information to the first network element 1031 .

[0282] The optional implementation of step S3216 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3206 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0283] In some embodiments, the second network element 1032 may determine the second information based on the identification information of the second access network device 1022 included in the fifth message.

[0284] In step S3217, the first network element 1031 may update the first information.

[0285] In some embodiments, when the second information includes the first time information, the first network element 1031 may obtain the first information based on the first identification information and the first time information.

[0286] In some embodiments, when the second information includes coverage information of the second access network device 1022, the first network element 1031 may determine the first time information based on the coverage information. Subsequently, the first network element 1031 may obtain the first information based on the first identification information and the first time information. In one example, the first time information may be determined based on the location information of the terminal 101 and the coverage information of the second access network device 1022. For example, the first time information may be determined based on the location information of the terminal 101 and the ephemeris information of the satellite on which the second access network device 1022 is located.

[0287] In some embodiments, the first information may be obtained based on the first identification information from the second access network device 1022 and the first identification information determined based on the second information related to the second access network device 1022. Thereafter, the first network element 1031 may update the locally stored first information.

[0288] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may use the first information associated with the second access network device 1022 to update the local first information (ie, the first information associated with the first access network device 1021 ).

[0289] In step S3218 , the first network element 1031 sends a paging message to the second access network device 1022 .

[0290] The optional implementation of step S3218 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3112 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0291] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S3201 to S3218. For example, step S3203 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S3206 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S3213 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S3216 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S3203 and S3206 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S3213 and S3216 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S3203, S3206, and S3211 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S3211, S3213, and S3216 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of steps S3203, S3206, S3211, S3213, and S3216 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0292] In some embodiments, steps S3202 and S3203 may be performed sequentially or simultaneously.

[0293] In some embodiments, steps S3201 to S3202 and steps S3204 to S3218 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0294] In some embodiments, steps S3201 to S3206 and steps S3207 to S3218 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0295] In some embodiments, steps S3201 to S3212 and steps S3214 to S3218 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0296] In some embodiments, steps S3201 to S3215 and steps S3217 to S3218 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0297] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 3B .

[0298] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the first information may include first identification information and first time information. In some cases, the first information may include second identification information and second time information. In some embodiments, in order to distinguish the content of the first information obtained before and after the validity judgment is performed by the first network element 1031, the first information obtained before the validity judgment includes the second identification information and the second time information; the first information obtained after the invalidation judgment includes the first identification information and the first time information. In other words, "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish the content of the first information obtained at different times and / or from different access network devices. This does not mean that there is a substantial difference between the first identification information and the second identification information, nor does it mean that there is a substantial difference between the first time information and the second time information. In the embodiments shown in Figures 3A and 3B, for example, the first information associated with the first access network device 1021 may include the second identification information and the second time information, and the first information associated with the second access network device 1022 may include the first identification information and the first time information. It can be understood that when the second access network device 1022 first provides access to the terminal 101, and the first access network device 1021 provides access to the terminal 101 later, the first information associated with the first access network device 1021 may include first identification information and first time information, and the first information associated with the second access network device 1022 may include second identification information and second time information.

[0299] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc. are not limited to the names described in the embodiments, and terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codeword", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0300] In some embodiments, terms such as "uplink", "uplink", "physical uplink" can be interchangeable with each other, and terms such as "downlink", "downlink", "physical downlink" can be interchangeable with each other, and terms such as "side", "sidelink", "side communication", "sidelink communication", "direct connection", "direct link", "direct communication", "direct link communication" can be interchangeable with each other.

[0301] In some embodiments, the terms "DCI", "DL assignment", "DL DCI", "UL grant", "UL DCI" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0302] In some embodiments, terms such as "PDSCH" and "DL data" may be used interchangeably, and terms such as "PUSCH" and "UL data" may be used interchangeably.

[0303] In some embodiments, the terms "radio", "wireless", "radio access network (RAN)", "access network (AN)", "RAN-based" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0304] In some embodiments, terms such as "moment", "time point", "time", and "time position" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "duration", "period", "time window", "window", and "time" can be replaced with each other.

[0305] In some embodiments, "obtain", "get", "get", "receive", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" can be interchangeable, and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining by self-processing, autonomous implementation, etc.

[0306] In some embodiments, terms such as "send", "transmit", "report", "download", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably.

[0307] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain", "preset", "preset", "setting", "indicated", "some", "any", and "first" can be interchangeable. "Specific A", "preset A", "preset A", "setting A", "indicated A", "some A", "any A", and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-specified in a protocol, etc., or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or indication, etc., or as specific A, some A, any A, or first A, etc., but not limited to this.

[0308] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be performed by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (Boolean value) represented by true or false, or by comparison of numerical values ​​(for example, comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0309] FIG4A is an exemplary flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4A , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method. The communication method includes steps S4101 to S4110.

[0310] In step S4101, the registration process is executed.

[0311] The optional implementation of step S4101 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3102 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0312] In step S4102, first information is obtained.

[0313] The optional implementation of step S4102 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3103 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0314] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first information.

[0315] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first information sent by the first access network device 1021 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the first information sent by other entities.

[0316] In some embodiments, the first information may include first identification information and first time information.

[0317] In step S4103, the first information is saved.

[0318] The optional implementation of step S4103 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3104 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0319] In step S4104, registration update is performed.

[0320] Optional implementations of step S4104 can refer to the optional implementations of step S3106 in FIG3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG3A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0321] In step S4105, the fourth message is obtained.

[0322] The optional implementation of step S4105 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3107 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0323] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the fourth message sent by the third network element 1033 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the fourth message sent by other entities.

[0324] In some embodiments, step S4105 may be omitted, and the first network element 1031 may autonomously implement the function indicated by the fourth message, or the above function may be default or by default.

[0325] In step S4106, the validity of the first identification information is determined.

[0326] Optional implementations of step S4106 can refer to the optional implementations of step S3108 in FIG3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG3A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0327] In some embodiments, the validity of the first identification information can be determined based on the first time information.

[0328] In step S4107, the third message is sent.

[0329] The optional implementation of step S4107 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3109 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0330] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may send the third message to the second access network device 1022 , but is not limited thereto and may also send the third message to other entities.

[0331] In some embodiments, the third message may be used to request the location of the terminal 101 from the second access network device 1022 .

[0332] In step S4108, first information is obtained.

[0333] Optional implementations of step S4108 can refer to the optional implementations of step S3110 in FIG3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG3A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0334] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first information sent by the second access network device 1022 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the first information sent by other entities.

[0335] In some embodiments, the first information may be sent by the second access network device 1022 according to the third message.

[0336] In some embodiments, the first information may include first identification information and first time information.

[0337] In step S4109, the first information is updated.

[0338] Optional implementations of step S4109 can refer to the optional implementations of step S3111 in FIG. 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG. 3A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0339] In step S4110, a paging message is sent.

[0340] The optional implementation of step S4110 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3112 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0341] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may send a paging message to the second access network device 1022 .

[0342] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S4101 to S4110. For example, step S4102 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4108 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S4102 and S4106 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S4106 and S4108 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of steps S4102, S4106, and S4108 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0343] In some embodiments, steps S4101, S4102, and S4103 may be performed sequentially or simultaneously.

[0344] In some embodiments, step S4101 and step S4103 to step S4110 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0345] In some embodiments, steps S4101 to S4105 and steps S4107 to S4110 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0346] FIG4B is an exemplary flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4B , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method. The communication method includes steps S4201 to S4214.

[0347] In step S4201, the registration process is executed.

[0348] The optional implementation of step S4201 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3202 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0349] In step S4202, first identification information is obtained.

[0350] The optional implementation of step S4202 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3203 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0351] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive first identification information.

[0352] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first identification information sent by the first access network device 1021, but is not limited thereto and may also receive the first identification information sent by other entities.

[0353] In step S4203, the fifth message is sent.

[0354] The optional implementation of step S4203 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3204 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0355] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may send the fifth message to the second network element 1032 , but is not limited thereto and may also send the fifth message to other entities.

[0356] In some embodiments, the fifth message may be used to request second information from the second network element 1032 .

[0357] In step S4204, the second information is obtained.

[0358] The optional implementation of step S4204 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3206 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0359] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the second information.

[0360] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the second information sent by the second network element 1032 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the second information sent by other entities.

[0361] In some embodiments, the second information may be sent by the second network element 1032 according to the fifth message.

[0362] In step S4205, the first information is saved.

[0363] The optional implementation of step S4205 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3207 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0364] In step S4206, registration update is performed.

[0365] The optional implementation of step S4206 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3209 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0366] In step S4207, the fourth message is obtained.

[0367] The optional implementation of step S4207 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3210 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0368] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the fourth message sent by the third network element 1033 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the fourth message sent by other entities.

[0369] In some embodiments, step S4105 may be omitted, and the first network element 1031 may autonomously implement the function indicated by the fourth message, or the above function may be default or by default.

[0370] In step S4208, the validity of the first identification information is determined.

[0371] The optional implementation of step S4208 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3211 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0372] In some embodiments, the validity of the first identification information can be determined based on the first time information.

[0373] In step S4209, a third message is sent.

[0374] The optional implementation of step S4209 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3212 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0375] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may send the third message to the second access network device 1022 , but is not limited thereto and may also send the third message to other entities.

[0376] In some embodiments, the third message may be used to request the location of the terminal 101 from the second access network device 1022 .

[0377] In step S4210, first identification information is obtained.

[0378] The optional implementation of step S4210 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3213 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0379] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first identification information sent by the second access network device 1022 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the first identification information sent by other entities.

[0380] In step S4211, the fifth message is sent.

[0381] The optional implementation of step S4211 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3214 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0382] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may send the fifth message to the second network element 1032 , but is not limited thereto and may also send the fifth message to other entities.

[0383] In some embodiments, the fifth message may be used to request second information from the second network element 1032 .

[0384] In step S4212, the second information is obtained.

[0385] The optional implementation of step S4212 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3216 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0386] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the second information.

[0387] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the second information sent by the second network element 1032 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the second information sent by other entities.

[0388] In some embodiments, the second information may be sent by the second network element 1032 according to the fifth message.

[0389] In step S4213, the first information is updated.

[0390] The optional implementation of step S4213 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3217 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0391] In step S4214, a paging message is sent.

[0392] The optional implementation of step S4214 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3218 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0393] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may send a paging message to the second access network device 1022 .

[0394] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S4201 to S4214. For example, step S4202 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4210 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4212 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S4201 and S4204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S4210 and S4212 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S4201, S4204, and S4208 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S4208, S4210, and S4212 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of steps S4201, S4204, S4208, S4210, and S4212 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0395] In some embodiments, steps S4201 and S4202 may be performed sequentially or simultaneously.

[0396] In some embodiments, step S4201 and step S4203 to step S4214 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0397] In some embodiments, steps S4201 to S4203 and steps S4205 to S4214 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0398] In some embodiments, steps S4201 to S4209 and steps S4211 to S4214 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0399] In some embodiments, steps S4201 to S4213 and step S4214 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0400] FIG4C is an exemplary flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4C , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method. The communication method includes steps S4301 to S4303.

[0401] In step S4301, first information is obtained.

[0402] The optional implementation of step S4301 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3103 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0403] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first information sent by the first access network device 1021 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the first information sent by other entities.

[0404] In some embodiments, the first information may include first identification information and first time information.

[0405] In step S4302, the validity of the first identification information is determined.

[0406] The optional implementation of step S4302 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3108 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0407] In some embodiments, the validity of the first identification information can be determined based on the first time information.

[0408] In step S4303, first information is obtained.

[0409] The optional implementation of step S4303 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3110 in Figure 3A and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0410] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first information sent by the second access network device 1022 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the first information sent by other entities.

[0411] In some embodiments, the first information may include first identification information and first time information.

[0412] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S4301 to S4303. For example, step S4301 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4303 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S4301 and S4302 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S4302 and S4303 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of steps S4301, S4302, and S4303 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0413] In some embodiments, step S4302 and step S4303 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0414] In some embodiments, step S4301 and step S4302 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0415] FIG4D is an exemplary flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4D , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method. The communication method includes steps S4401 to S4405.

[0416] In step S4401, first identification information is obtained.

[0417] The optional implementation of step S4401 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3203 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0418] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first identification information sent by the first access network device 1021, but is not limited thereto and may also receive the first identification information sent by other entities.

[0419] In step S4402, the second information is obtained.

[0420] The optional implementation of step S4402 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3206 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0421] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the second information sent by the second network element 1032 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the second information sent by other entities.

[0422] In step S4403, the validity of the first identification information is determined.

[0423] The optional implementation of step S4403 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3211 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0424] In some embodiments, the validity of the first identification information can be determined based on the first time information.

[0425] In step S4404, first identification information is obtained.

[0426] The optional implementation of step S4404 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3213 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0427] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first identification information sent by the second access network device 1022 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the first identification information sent by other entities.

[0428] In step S4405, the second information is obtained.

[0429] The optional implementation of step S4405 can refer to the optional implementation of step S3216 in Figure 3B and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0430] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the second information sent by the second network element 1032 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the second information sent by other entities.

[0431] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S4401 to S4405. For example, step S4401 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4402 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4404 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4405 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S4401 and S4402 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S4404 and S4405 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S4401, S4402, and S4403 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of steps S4403, S4404, and S4405 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0432] In some embodiments, steps S4402 to S4405 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0433] In some embodiments, step S4401 and step S403 to step S4405 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0434] In some embodiments, steps S4401 to S4403 and step S4405 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0435] In some embodiments, steps S4401 to S4404 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0436] FIG4E is an exemplary flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4E , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method. The communication method includes steps S4501 to S4503.

[0437] In step S4501, first information is obtained.

[0438] Optional implementations of step S4501 can refer to step S3103 in FIG. 3A , optional implementations of steps S3203 to 3206 in FIG. 3B , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B , which will not be described in detail here.

[0439] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first information sent by the first access network device 1021 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the first information sent by other entities.

[0440] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first identification information sent by the first access network device 1021, but is not limited thereto and may also receive the first information sent by other entities.

[0441] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first time information sent by the second network element 1032 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the first information sent by other entities.

[0442] In some embodiments, the first information may include first identification information and first time information.

[0443] In step S4502, the validity of the first identification information is determined.

[0444] Optional implementations of step S4502 can refer to the optional implementations of step S3108 in FIG. 3A , step S3211 in FIG. 3B , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B , which will not be described in detail here.

[0445] In some embodiments, the validity of the first identification information can be determined based on the first time information.

[0446] In step S4503, first information is obtained.

[0447] Optional implementations of step S4503 can refer to step S3110 in FIG. 3A , optional implementations of steps S3213 to S3216 in FIG. 3B , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B , which will not be described in detail here.

[0448] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first information sent by the second access network device 1022 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the first information sent by other entities.

[0449] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first identification information sent by the second access network device 1022, but is not limited thereto and may also receive the first information sent by other entities.

[0450] In some embodiments, the first network element 1031 may receive the first time information sent by the second network element 1032 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the first information sent by other entities.

[0451] In some embodiments, the first information may include first identification information and first time information.

[0452] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S4501 to S4503. For example, step S4501 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step S4503 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S4501 and S4502 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S4502 and S4503 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of steps S4501, S4502, and S4503 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0453] In some embodiments, step S4502 and step S4503 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0454] In some embodiments, step S4501 and step S4502 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0455] FIG5A is an exemplary flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5A , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method. The communication method includes steps S5101 to S5103.

[0456] In step S5101, a feeder link is established.

[0457] Optional implementations of step S5101 can refer to the optional implementations of step S3101 in Figure 3A, step S3201 in Figure 3B, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 3A and B, which will not be repeated here.

[0458] In step S5102, the registration process is executed.

[0459] Optional implementations of step S5102 can refer to the optional implementations of step S3102 in FIG. 3A , step S3202 in FIG. 3B , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B , which will not be described in detail here.

[0460] In step S5103, a first message is sent.

[0461] For other optional implementations of the associated step S5103, please refer to the optional implementations of step S3103 in Figure 3A, step S3203 in Figure 3B, and the embodiment parts involved in Figures 3A and 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0462] In some embodiments, the first access network device 1021 may send the first message to the first network element 1031 , but is not limited thereto and may also send the first message to other entities.

[0463] In some embodiments, the first message may carry first information.

[0464] In some embodiments, the first message may carry first identification information.

[0465] The communication method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S5101 to S5103. For example, step S5103 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0466] In some embodiments, step S5101 and step S5102 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0467] FIG5B is an exemplary flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5B , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method. The communication method includes steps S5201 to S5205.

[0468] In step S5201, a feeder link is established.

[0469] Optional implementations of step S5201 can refer to the optional implementations of step S3105 in FIG. 3A , step S3208 in FIG. 3B , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B , which will not be described in detail here.

[0470] In step S5202, the registration process is executed.

[0471] Optional implementations of step S5202 can refer to the optional implementations of step S3106 in FIG. 3A , step S3209 in FIG. 3B , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B , which will not be described in detail here.

[0472] In step S5203, the third message is obtained.

[0473] Optional implementations of step S5203 can refer to the optional implementations of step S3109 in FIG. 3A , step S3212 in FIG. 3B , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B , which will not be described in detail here.

[0474] In some embodiments, the third message sent by the first network element 1031 may be received, but is not limited thereto, and the third message sent by other entities may also be received.

[0475] In step S5204, a first message is sent.

[0476] Optional implementations of step S5204 can refer to the optional implementations of step S3110 in FIG. 3A , step S3213 in FIG. 3B , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B , which will not be described in detail here.

[0477] In some embodiments, the first access network device 1021 may send the first message to the first network element 1031 , but is not limited thereto and may also send the first message to other entities.

[0478] In some embodiments, the first message may carry first information.

[0479] In some embodiments, the first message may carry first identification information.

[0480] In step S5205, a paging message is obtained.

[0481] Optional implementations of step S5205 can refer to the optional implementations of step S3112 in FIG. 3A , step S3218 in FIG. 3B , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A and FIG. 4B , which will not be described in detail here.

[0482] In some embodiments, the second access network device 1022 may receive a paging message sent by the first network element 1031 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive a paging message sent by other entities.

[0483] The communication method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S5201 to S5205. For example, step S5204 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of steps S5203 and S5204 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0484] In some embodiments, steps S5201 to S5203 and step S5205 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0485] FIG5C is an exemplary flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5C , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method. The communication method includes steps S5301 to S5303.

[0486] In step S5301, the first time information is determined.

[0487] Optional implementations of step S5301 can refer to the optional implementations of steps S3102 and S3106 in FIG3A , and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG3A , which will not be described in detail here.

[0488] In step S5302, the third message is obtained.

[0489] Optional implementations of step S5302 can refer to the optional implementations of step S3109 in FIG. 3A , step S3212 in FIG. 3B , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B , which will not be described in detail here.

[0490] In some embodiments, the third message sent by the first network element 1031 may be received, but is not limited thereto, and the third message sent by other entities may also be received.

[0491] In step S5303, a first message is sent.

[0492] Optional implementations of step S5303 can refer to the optional implementations of steps S3103 and S3110 in Figure 3A, steps S3203 and S3213 in Figure 3B, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figures 3A and 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0493] In some embodiments, the access network device 102 may send the first message to the first network element 1031 , but is not limited thereto and may also send the first message to other entities.

[0494] In some embodiments, the first message may carry first information.

[0495] In some embodiments, the first message may carry first identification information.

[0496] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, the access network device 102 may be the first access network device 1021 or the second access network device 1022, and the embodiment of the present application does not make any specific limitation on this.

[0497] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S5301 to S5303. For example, step S5303 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps S5301 and S5303 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of steps S5302 and S5303 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0498] In some embodiments, steps S5301 and S5302 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0499] FIG6 is an exemplary flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG6 , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method. The communication method includes steps S601 to S603.

[0500] In step S601, the fifth message is obtained.

[0501] Optional implementations of step S601 can refer to the optional implementations of steps S3204 and S3214 in FIG3B , and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG3B , which will not be described in detail here.

[0502] In some embodiments, the second network element 1032 may receive the fifth message sent by the first network element 1031 , but is not limited thereto and may also receive the fifth message sent by other entities.

[0503] In step S602, second information is determined.

[0504] Optional implementations of step S602 can refer to the optional implementations of steps S3205 and S3215 in FIG3B , and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG3B , which will not be described in detail here.

[0505] In step S603, a second message is sent.

[0506] Optional implementations of step S603 can be found in optional implementations of steps S3206 and S3216 in FIG3B , and other related parts in the embodiment involved in FIG3B , which will not be described in detail here.

[0507] The communication method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S601 to S603. For example, step S603 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of steps S601, S602, and S603 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0508] In some embodiments, steps S601 and S602 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0509] FIG7 is an exemplary interaction diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG7 , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method. The communication method includes step S710.

[0510] In step S710 , the first network element 1031 obtains first information.

[0511] Optional implementations of step S710 can be found in steps S3103 and S3110 of FIG. 3A , optional implementations of steps S3203 to 3206 and S3213 to S3216 of FIG. 3B , and other related parts in the embodiments involved in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B , which will not be repeated here.

[0512] In some embodiments, the above method may include the method described in the above embodiments related to the core network device side, the first network element side, the access network device side, the second network element side, etc., which will not be repeated here.

[0513] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure are exemplarily described through specific implementation methods.

[0514] In some embodiments, a core network function (e.g., AMF, MME (mobility management entity)) obtains a mapped cell identifier and / or a last known cell identifier (i.e., first identifier information), as well as an effective time (age) of the mapped cell identifier and / or the last known cell identifier.

[0515] In some embodiments, the validity time information (ie, the second identification information) indicates that the mapped cell identity and / or the last known cell identity is valid within its validity time; otherwise, the mapped cell identity and / or the last known cell identity is invalid.

[0516] In some embodiments, the valid time information is set in combination with the movement information of the satellite with the gNB and / or the ephemeris (e.g., the time when the satellite with the gNB moves to a specific area, the time when the satellite with the gNB leaves a specific area).

[0517] In some embodiments, the validity time information may be set by a RAN node (e.g., gNB, eNB) together with a mapped cell identity or a last known cell identity.

[0518] In some embodiments, the valid time information may be set by other entities (e.g., a satellite O&M system) based on the gNB identity and a specific area (e.g., geographic coordinates).

[0519] Before using the mapped cell identifier or the last known cell identifier, the core network function may check whether the mapped cell identifier or the last known cell identifier is valid based on the validity time information. If the mapped cell identifier or the last known cell identifier is invalid, the core network function may request the RAN to report the current UE location.

[0520] FIG8A is an exemplary flow chart of a specific embodiment of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG8A , the communication method may include steps S8101 to S8109.

[0521] Step S8101: A UE (i.e., terminal) accesses the 5GC via a satellite carrying a gNB. When the UE initially accesses, the satellite carrying gNB1 (i.e., the first access network device) provides service for the UE. A feeder link exists between the satellite (gNB1) and the ground station.

[0522] Step S8102: The UE completes the registration process with the 5GC. As part of the registration process, if gNB1 is able to generate a mapped cell identity (i.e., first identity information) based on the UE location received from the UE, gNB1 sends the mapped cell identity to the AMF (i.e., first network element) via a NAGP message. The mapped cell identity corresponds to the UE's geographic location. Therefore, if the UE is not moving, the mapped cell identity is fixed and independent of the serving cell. Considering the gNB's movement relative to the Earth and the composition of the mapped cell identity, the mapped cell identity sent to the AMF includes validity time information (i.e., first time information). The validity time information indicates the validity period of the mapped cell identity. The validity time information is generated by the serving satellite (or satellite O&M system) based on ephemeris information.

[0523] The AMF stores the mapped cell identity and the validity period information of the mapped cell identity.

[0524] Step S8103: As the satellite moves relative to the Earth, and given the sparse constellation, serving Satellite-gNB1 loses the feeder link with the ground station. Over time, the serving satellite changes from Satellite-gNB1 to Satellite-gNB2, which means the feeder link is restored between Satellite-gNB2 and the ground station.

[0525] Step S8104: After the feeder link is restored, satellite-gNB2 can perform registration updates between the UE and 5GC through satellite-gNB2.

[0526] Step S8105: AMF receives Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer from SMF (i.e., the third network element).

[0527] Step S8106: Before sending the paging to the RAN, the AMF checks whether the mapped cell identity is valid based on the validity time information.

[0528] Step S8107: If the saved mapped cell identifier is invalid, the AMF sends a location reporting control to the satellite-gNB2 to request the latest UE location.

[0529] Step S8108: Satellite-gNB2 reports the mapped cell identity and its validity period information to the AMF.

[0530] Step S8109: The AMF updates the mapped cell ID and sends a paging message containing the mapped cell ID to the RAN.

[0531] FIG8B is an exemplary flow chart of a specific embodiment of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG8B , the communication method may include steps S8201 to S8214.

[0532] Step S8201: A UE accesses a 5GC via a satellite carrying a gNB. When the UE initially accesses, the satellite carrying gNB1 provides service for the UE. A feeder link exists between the satellite, gNB1, and a ground station.

[0533] Step S8202: The UE completes the registration process with the 5GC. As part of the registration process, if gNB1 is able to generate a mapped cell identity based on the UE location received from the UE, gNB1 sends the mapped cell identity to the AMF via a NAGP message. The mapped cell identity corresponds to the UE's geographic location. Therefore, if the UE is not mobile, the mapped cell identity is fixed and independent of the serving cell.

[0534] Steps S8203 and S8204: After receiving the mapped cell identity, the AMF becomes aware of the satellite access (regeneration mode) carrying the gNB. The AMF obtains validity time information from the other party (e.g., the O&M system) (i.e., the second network element) of the satellite based on the gNB identity (gNB ID). Alternatively, the AMF obtains satellite coverage information from another party (e.g., the O&M system) based on the gNB identity. The AMF determines the validity time of the mapped cell identity based on the satellite coverage information.

[0535] Step S8205: AMF saves the mapped cell identifier and its validity period information.

[0536] Step S8206: As the satellite moves relative to the Earth, and given the sparse constellation, serving Satellite-gNB1 loses the feeder link with the ground station. Over time, the serving satellite changes from Satellite-gNB1 to Satellite-gNB2, which means the feeder link is restored between Satellite-gNB2 and the ground station.

[0537] Step S8207: After the feeder link is restored, satellite-gNB2 can perform registration updates between the UE and 5GC through satellite-gNB2.

[0538] Step S8208: AMF receives Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer from SMF.

[0539] Step S8209: Before sending paging to RAN, the AMF checks whether the mapped cell identity is valid based on the validity time information.

[0540] Step S8210: If the saved mapped cell identifier is invalid, the AMF sends a location reporting control to the satellite-gNB2 to request the latest UE location.

[0541] Step S8211: Satellite-gNB2 reports the mapped cell identifier to the AMF.

[0542] Step S8212: AMF obtains the valid time information of the mapped cell identifier according to steps S8203 and S8204.

[0543] Steps S8213 and S8214: The AMF updates the mapped cell identifier and sends a paging message containing the mapped cell identifier to the RAN.

[0544] In some embodiments, the core network function may obtain the mapped cell identity and its validity time information.

[0545] In some embodiments, before using the mapped cell identifier, the core network function may check whether the mapped cell identifier is valid according to the validity time information.

[0546] In some embodiments, when the mapped cell identifier fails, the core network function may request the RAN to report the current mapped cell identifier.

[0547] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations of other embodiments.

[0548] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a communication device for implementing any of the above methods. For example, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide another communication device, including units or modules for implementing each step performed by the first network element in any of the above methods. For example, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide another communication device, including units or modules for implementing each step performed by the access network device in any of the above methods. For example, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide another communication device, including units or modules for implementing each step performed by the second network element in any of the above methods.

[0549] It should be understood that the division of the various units or modules in the above devices is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they may be fully or partially integrated into a physical entity, or they may be physically separated. In addition, the units or modules in the device may be implemented in the form of a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor, the processor is connected to a memory, and the memory stores instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or implement the functions of the various units or modules of the above devices, wherein the processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory is a memory within the device or a memory outside the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits, and the functions of some or all of the units or modules can be realized by designing the hardware circuits. The above-mentioned hardware circuits can be understood as one or more processors; for example, in one implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which realizes the functions of some or all of the above units or modules by designing the logical relationship of the components in the circuit; for example, in another implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit can be realized by a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gate circuits, and the connection relationship between the logic gate circuits is configured by configuring the configuration file, thereby realizing the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. All units or modules of the above devices can be realized in the form of software called by the processor, or in the form of hardware circuits, or in part by the form of software called by the processor, and the rest by hardware circuits.

[0550] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capabilities, such as a central processing unit, a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP); in another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationship of the hardware circuit. The logical relationship of the above-mentioned hardware circuit is fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented by a dedicated integrated circuit or a programmable logic device, such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and implementing the hardware circuit configuration can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. In addition, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc.

[0551] Figure 9A is an exemplary structural diagram of a first network element provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 9A, the first network element 1031 may include: at least one of a transceiver module 9101 and a processing module 9102. The acquisition module may be implemented by at least one of the transceiver module 9101 and the processing module 9102. In some embodiments, the acquisition module is configured to acquire first information. The first information includes first identification information and first time information. The first identification information is used to indicate the first area where the terminal is located. The first time information is used to indicate the validity period of the first identification information. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 9101 may be configured to execute at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving executed by the first network element 1031 in any of the above methods (e.g., steps S3102, S3103, S3106, S3107, S3109, S3110, S3112, S3202, S3203, S3204, S3206, S3209, S3210, S3212, S3213, S3214, S3216, and S3218), which are not described in detail here. In some embodiments, the processing module 9102 may be configured to execute at least one of the other steps (e.g., steps S3104, S3108, S3111, S3207, S3211, and S3217) executed by the first network element 1031 in any of the above methods except the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving, which are not described in detail here.

[0552] Figure 9B is an exemplary structural diagram of an access network device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 9B , the access network device 102 may include at least one of a transceiver module 9201 and a processing module 9202. The transceiver module 9201 is configured to send a second message. The second message includes one of the following: first time information and coverage information of the satellite where the access network device is located. The first time information indicates the validity period of the first identification information. The first identification information indicates the first area where the terminal is located. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 9201 may be configured to execute at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving (e.g., steps S3101, S3102, S3103, S3105, S3106, S3109, S3110, S3112, S3201, S3202, S3203, S3208, S3209, S3212, S3213, and S3218) executed by the access network device 102 (including the first access network device 1021 and the second access network device 1022) in any of the above methods, which are not described in detail here. In some embodiments, the processing module 9202 may be configured to execute at least one of the other steps (e.g., steps S3102, S3106, S3202, and S3209) executed by the access network device 102 in any of the above methods except the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving, which are not described in detail here.

[0553] Figure 9C is an exemplary structural diagram of a second network element provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 9C, the second network element 1032 may include: at least one of a transceiver module 9301 and a processing module 9302. The transceiver module 9301 is configured to send a first message. The first message includes at least one of the following: first identification information and first time information. The first identification information is used to indicate the first area where the terminal is located. The first time information is used to indicate the validity period of the first identification information. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 9301 may be configured to perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving performed by the second network element 1032 in any of the above methods (for example, steps S3204, S3206, S3214, S3216), which are not further described here. In some embodiments, the processing module 9302 may be configured to perform at least one of the other steps (for example, steps S3205, S3215) performed by the second network element 1032 in any of the above methods other than the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving, which are not further described here.

[0554] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module. The transmitting module and the receiving module may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with the transceiver.

[0555] In some embodiments, the processing module can be a single module or can include multiple submodules. Optionally, the multiple submodules respectively execute all or part of the steps required to be executed by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module can be interchangeable with the processor.

[0556] Figure 10A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Communication device 10100 can be a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network device, etc.), or a terminal (e.g., a user device, etc.), or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports a network device to implement any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports a terminal to implement any of the above methods. Communication device 10100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiments.

[0557] As shown in Figure 10A, the communication device 10100 includes one or more processors 10101. The processor 10101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process the communication protocol and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (such as a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal device, a terminal device chip, a DU or a CU, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 10100 is used to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 10101 are used to call instructions to enable the communication device 10100 to perform any of the above methods.

[0558] In some embodiments, the communication device 10100 further includes one or more transceivers 10102. When the communication device 10100 includes one or more transceivers 10102, the transceiver 10102 performs the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (for example, steps S3101, S3102, S3103, S3105, S3106, S3107, S3109, S3110, S3112, S3201, S3202, S3203, S3204, S3206, S3208, S3209, S3210, S3211, S3212, S3213, S3214, S3215, S3216, S3217, S3218, S3219, S3220, S32219, S3222 9, S3210, S3212, S3213, S3214, S3216, S3218, but not limited thereto), the processor 10101 executes at least one of the other steps (for example, steps S3102, S3104, S3106, S3108, S3111, S3202, S3205, S3207, S3209, S3211, S3215, S3217, but not limited thereto). In an optional embodiment, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, and the receiver and transmitter may be separate or integrated together. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc. may be interchangeable, the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc. may be interchangeable, and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc. may be interchangeable.

[0559] In some embodiments, the communication device 10100 further includes one or more memories 10103 for storing data. Alternatively, all or part of the memories 10103 may be located outside the communication device 10100. In alternative embodiments, the communication device 10100 may include one or more interface circuits 10104. Optionally, the interface circuits 10104 are connected to the memories 10103 and may be configured to receive data from the memories 10103 or other devices, or to send data to the memories 10103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 10104 may read data stored in the memories 10103 and send the data to the processor 10101.

[0560] The communication device 10100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 10100 described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 10100 may not be limited by FIG. 10A . The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: 1) an independent integrated circuit IC, or a chip, or a chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the above IC collection may also include a storage component for storing data or programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, a terminal device, an intelligent terminal device, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handheld device, a mobile unit, an in-vehicle device, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0561] FIG10B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. If the communication device 10100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 10200 shown in FIG10B , but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0562] The chip 10200 includes one or more processors 10201. The chip 10200 is configured to execute any of the above methods.

[0563] In some embodiments, chip 10200 further includes one or more interface circuits 10202. Terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pins may be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 10200 further includes one or more memories 10203 for storing data. Alternatively, all or part of memory 10203 may be located external to chip 10200. Optionally, interface circuit 10202 is connected to memory 10203 and may be configured to receive data from memory 10203 or other devices, or to send data to memory 10203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 10202 may read data stored in memory 10203 and send the data to processor 10201.

[0564] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 10202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (for example, steps S3101, S3102, S3103, S3105, S3106, S3107, S3109, S3110, S3112, S3201, S3202, S3203, S3204, S3206, S3208, S3209, S3210, S3212, S3213, S3214, S3216, and S3218, but not limited thereto). The interface circuit 10202 performing the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method, for example, means that the interface circuit 10202 performs data exchange between the processor 10201, the chip 10200, the memory 10203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, processor 10201 performs at least one of the other steps (for example, steps S3102, S3104, S3106, S3108, S3111, S3202, S3205, S3207, S3209, S3211, S3215, S3217, but not limited thereto).

[0565] The modules and / or devices described in various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be arbitrarily combined or separated according to circumstances. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0566] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are executed on the communication device 10100, the communication device 10100 is caused to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0567] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a program product, which, when executed by the communication device 10100, enables the communication device 10100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0568] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute any of the above methods.

[0569] Other embodiments of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow from the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

[0570] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exact construction described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, performed by a first network element, and comprising: Obtain first information, where the first information includes first identification information and first time information, the first identification information is used to indicate a first area where the terminal is located, and the first time information is used to indicate the valid time of the first identification information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The obtaining of the first information includes: Receive a first message, where the first message carries the first identification information and the first time information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The obtaining of the first information includes: Receive a first message, where the first message carries the first identification information; Receive a second message, where the second message carries the first time information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The obtaining of the first information includes: Receive a first message, where the first message carries the first identification information; Receive a second message, where the second message carries coverage information of a satellite where an access network device is located; Determine the first time information according to the coverage information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The method further includes: Send a third message, where the third message is used to request the first identification information.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The method further includes: Determine whether the first identification information is valid or invalid according to the first time information.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The determining whether the first identification information is valid or invalid according to the first time information includes: Determine that the first identification information becomes invalid when the valid time indicated by the first time information expires.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The obtaining of the first information includes: When it is determined that second identification information becomes invalid, obtain the first information, where the second identification information is used to indicate a second area where the terminal is located.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The method further includes: Determine that the second identification information becomes invalid when the valid time indicated by second time information expires, where the second time information is used to indicate the valid time of the second identification information.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, The second area indicated by the second identification information is the same as the first area indicated by the first identification information.

11. A communication method, performed by an access network device, and comprising: Send a first message, where the first message includes at least one of the following: first identification information, first time information; Wherein, the first identification information is used to indicate a first area where the terminal is located, and the first time information is used to indicate the valid time of the first identification information.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The first message includes the first identification information and the first time information; Wherein, the method further includes: Determine the first time information according to the coverage information of the satellite where the access network device is located.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein, The method further includes: Receive a third message, where the third message is used to request the first identification information.

14. A communication method, performed by a second network element, and comprising: Send a second message, where the second message includes one of the following: first time information, coverage information of a satellite where an access network device is located; Wherein, the first time information is used to indicate the valid time of first identification information, and the first identification information is used to indicate a first area where the terminal is located.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, The second message includes the first time information; Wherein, the method further includes: Determine the first time information according to the coverage information of the satellite where the access network device is located.

16. A communication method, performed by a core network device, and comprising: Obtain first information, where the first information includes first identification information and first time information, the first identification information is used to indicate a first area where the terminal is located, and the first time information is used to indicate a valid time of the first identification information.

17. A first network element, comprising: An obtaining module, configured to obtain first information, where the first information includes first identification information and first time information, the first identification information is used to indicate a first area where the terminal is located, and the first time information is used to indicate a valid time of the first identification information.

18. An access network device, comprising: A transceiver module, configured to send a first message, where the first message includes at least one of the following: first identification information, first time information; where the first identification information is used to indicate a first area where the terminal is located, and the first time information is used to indicate a valid time of the first identification information.

19. A second network element, comprising: A transceiver module, configured to send a second message, where the second message includes one of the following: first time information, coverage information of a satellite where an access network device is located; where the first time information is used to indicate a valid time of first identification information, and the first identification information is used to indicate a first area where the terminal is located.

20. A first network element, comprising: At least one processor; A memory storing instructions; where, when the instructions are executed by the first network element, the first network element implements the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

21. An access network device, comprising: At least one processor; A memory storing instructions; where, when the instructions are executed by the access network device, the access network device implements the communication method according to any one of claims 11 to 13.

22. A second network element, comprising: At least one processor; A memory storing instructions; where, when the instructions are executed by the second network element, the second network element implements the communication method according to claim 14 or 15.

23. A core network device, comprising: At least one processor; A memory storing instructions; where, when the instructions are executed by the core network device, the core network device implements the communication method according to claim 16.

24. A communication system, comprising: A first network element, configured to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 10; An access network device, configured to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 11 to 13; A second network element, configured to implement the communication method according to claim 14 or 15.

25. A storage medium, the storage medium stores instructions, wherein, When the instructions run on a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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