Task processing method of low-orbit quantum satellite and satellite task management system

Abstract

The invention provides a task processing method of a low-orbit quantum satellite and a satellite task management system. The method comprises the following steps: a task center performs task comprehensive sorting according to a task trigger type of a first key generation task corresponding to each ground station and a task trigger type of at least one second key generation task to obtain a task sorting result, and receives task arrangement information sent by an operation and control center, and performing instruction conversion on the task arrangement information to obtain control instructions corresponding to the ground stations, and sending the control instructions to the corresponding ground stations, so that the ground stations communicate with the low-orbit quantum satellites according to execution time indicated in the control instructions and generate quantum keys. According to the invention, two different triggering mechanisms based on the business key demand and based on the key pool stock are provided, the emergency business demand peak is quickly responded while the daily key supplement is satisfied, and different key demands faced by different ground stations are solved by ensuring the key to be updated and supplemented in time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of quantum communication technology, and in particular to a mission processing method and a satellite mission management system for low-orbit quantum satellites. Background Art

[0002] With the development of quantum communication technology, low-orbit quantum satellites have shown great potential in the field of satellite-to-ground quantum key distribution (QKD).

[0003] At present, although low-orbit quantum satellites can complete quantum key distribution tasks with ground stations within a limited time window, due to their high frequency of orbiting the earth and short single transit time, the service capabilities of low-orbit quantum satellites are relatively limited. Moreover, since low-orbit quantum satellites have not yet entered the large-scale deployment stage, they cannot achieve long-term and stable service coverage through constellations composed of a large number of satellites like traditional communication satellites. This has limited the application of quantum key distribution to a certain extent, making it difficult to reasonably allocate satellite resources according to actual business needs. Ground stations and low-orbit quantum satellites cannot establish communication in a timely manner according to actual business needs, thereby reducing the execution efficiency and accuracy of satellite-to-ground key distribution tasks. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to address the deficiencies in the above-mentioned prior art and provide a task processing method and satellite task management system for a low-orbit quantum satellite, so as to solve the problem that the application of quantum key distribution in the prior art is limited, which makes it difficult to reasonably allocate satellite resources according to actual business needs, and the ground station and the low-orbit quantum satellite cannot establish communication in a timely manner according to actual business needs, thereby reducing the execution efficiency and accuracy of the satellite-to-ground key distribution task.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of the present application are as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for processing a task of a low-orbit quantum satellite, which is applied to a task center in a satellite task management system, wherein the satellite task management system includes: multiple ground stations, a low-orbit quantum satellite, an operation and control center, and the task center; the method includes:

[0007] The task center receives a key distribution request sent by each ground station, where the key distribution request is generated by the ground station according to a key demand, and the key distribution request includes a first key generation task and a task trigger type of the first key generation task, where the task trigger type includes: a key pool inventory trigger type and a business demand trigger type;

[0008] The task center sorts the first key generation task and the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station according to the task trigger type of the first key generation task and the task trigger type of the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station, obtains a task sorting result, and sends the task sorting result to the operation control center;

[0009] The task center receives the task scheduling information sent by the operation control center, where the task scheduling information includes the execution time of the first key generation task corresponding to each of the ground stations;

[0010] The task center performs instruction conversion on the task scheduling information to obtain control instructions corresponding to each ground station, and sends each control instruction to the corresponding ground station, so that each ground station communicates with the low-orbit quantum satellite and generates a quantum key according to the execution time indicated in the corresponding control instruction, where the control instruction includes the execution time of the first key generation task.

[0011] As a possible implementation manner, the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station and the at least one second key generation task are sorted according to the task trigger type of the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station and the task trigger type of the at least one second key generation task, to obtain a task sorting result, including:

[0012] Determining the task priorities of the first key generation task and the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station according to the task trigger type of the first key generation task and the task trigger type of the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station;

[0013] sorting the first key generation task and the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station according to the plurality of first evaluation factors, the task priority of the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station, and the task priority of the at least one second key generation task, to obtain the task sorting result;

[0014] The multiple first evaluation factors include: energy consumption of the low-orbit quantum satellite, orbital position, satellite altitude, window time, ground station weather and ground station type.

[0015] As a possible implementation manner, the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station and the at least one second key generation task are sorted according to the multiple first evaluation factors, the task priority of the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station, and the task priority of the at least one second key generation task, to obtain the task sorting result, including:

[0016] Determining, according to the assigned weights of the first evaluation factors, task scores for the first key generation tasks and the second key generation tasks corresponding to the ground stations;

[0017] The task sorting result is obtained by sorting the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station and the task score and task priority of each second key generation task, and the task sorting result is used to indicate the order of task execution.

[0018] As a possible implementation manner, before sorting the first key generation tasks and at least one second key generation task corresponding to each of the ground stations, the method further includes:

[0019] Performing a feasibility evaluation on the first key generation task corresponding to each of the ground stations according to a plurality of second evaluation factors;

[0020] The multiple second evaluation factors include: ground station weather, the position of the low-orbit quantum satellite, the satellite altitude, and the priority of the key distribution request.

[0021] As a possible implementation manner, the process of the ground station generating the key distribution request includes:

[0022] Obtain key management information of the key pool, the key management information including key generation frequency, key consumption rate, and key destruction record;

[0023] According to the key management information, it is determined whether the current key stock of the key pool is less than a preset threshold; if so, the key distribution request is generated.

[0024] As a possible implementation manner, the process of the ground station generating the key distribution request includes:

[0025] Compare the business key demand with the current key inventory in the key pool;

[0026] If the demand for the business key is greater than the current key stock in the key pool, the key distribution request is generated.

[0027] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for processing a task of a low-orbit quantum satellite, which is applied to an operation and control center in a satellite mission management system. The satellite mission management system includes: multiple ground stations, a low-orbit quantum satellite, an operation and control center, and the task center; the method includes:

[0028] Receive a task sorting result sent by a task center, wherein the task sorting result includes key generation tasks corresponding to multiple ground stations;

[0029] The operation control center performs overall arrangement of the task sorting results sent by the task center to obtain task arrangement information, and sends the task arrangement information to the task center. The task arrangement information includes the execution time of the key generation task corresponding to each ground station;

[0030] The operation control center performs instruction conversion on the task scheduling information to obtain satellite instructions corresponding to each ground station, and sends the satellite instructions corresponding to each ground station to the low-orbit quantum satellite, so that the low-orbit quantum satellite communicates with the corresponding ground station and generates a quantum key according to the execution time indicated by the satellite instructions corresponding to each ground station, where the satellite instructions include the execution time of the key generation task.

[0031] As a possible implementation method, the operation control center performs overall arrangement on the task sorting results sent by the task center to obtain task arrangement information, including:

[0032] Receive task sorting results sent by other task centers;

[0033] The task sorting results sent by the task center and the task sorting results sent by the other task centers are sorted to determine the execution time of the key generation task.

[0034] As a possible implementation manner, sorting the task sorting results sent by the task center and the task sorting results sent by the other task centers to determine the execution time of the key generation task includes:

[0035] Merging the task sorting results sent by the task center and the task sorting results sent by other task centers to obtain a merged task list;

[0036] Adjusting the execution order of the tasks in the merged task list according to currently available satellite resources, the dependencies between the tasks in the merged task list, and the priority of each task to obtain a target task sorting result;

[0037] Determine the execution time of the key generation task according to the target task sorting result.

[0038] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a satellite mission management system, including multiple ground stations, low-orbit quantum satellites, an operation and control center, and a mission center;

[0039] The ground station is used to perform the method steps performed by the ground station in any one of the first and second aspects above;

[0040] The low-orbit quantum satellite is used to perform the method steps performed by the low-orbit quantum satellite in any one of the first and second aspects above;

[0041] The operation control center is used to execute the method steps in the mission processing method for the low-orbit quantum satellite described in any one of the second aspects;

[0042] The mission center is used to execute the method steps in the mission processing method for a low-orbit quantum satellite described in any one of the first aspects.

[0043] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the mission processing method for a low-orbit quantum satellite as described in any one of the first and second aspects above are executed.

[0044] According to the low-orbit quantum satellite task processing method and satellite task management system of the present invention, each ground station generates a key distribution request based on its own key demand. The key distribution request includes a first key generation task and a task trigger type for the first key generation task. The task trigger type includes a key pool inventory trigger type and a business demand trigger type. The task center receives the key distribution request from each ground station and performs a comprehensive task evaluation and ranking based on the task trigger type of the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station and the task trigger type of at least one second key generation task already in the task center. The task ranking result is generated and submitted to the operation control center. The operation control center uniformly schedules the tasks based on the global resource status and task dependencies, determines the specific execution time of each task, and feeds it back to the task center. The task center converts the task scheduling information into control instructions and sends them to the corresponding ground station, enabling the ground station to establish communication with the low-orbit quantum satellite within the specified time to complete key generation. In this process, two different trigger mechanisms based on business key demand and key pool inventory are used to quickly respond to sudden business demand peaks while meeting daily key replenishment. By ensuring timely key updates and replenishment, the different key requirements faced by different ground stations are addressed. This not only achieves dynamic scheduling of tasks and efficient use of resources, but also fully considers multi-dimensional factors such as business needs, ground station weather, orbital windows, etc., thereby improving the response speed and scheduling accuracy of satellite-to-ground communications. It effectively solves the problems of unreasonable resource allocation, untimely communication establishment, and low key distribution efficiency caused by the lack of flexible scheduling mechanism in existing technologies, and significantly improves the practical application capabilities of quantum key distribution and the overall operation efficiency of the system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0046] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a satellite mission management system provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0047] Figure 2 A schematic flow chart of a task processing method for a low-orbit quantum satellite provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0048] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating a flow chart of a method for determining the execution time of a key generation task provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0049] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a routing addressing method provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the drawings in the present application only serve the purpose of illustration and description and are not used to limit the scope of protection of the present application. In addition, it should be understood that the schematic drawings are not drawn to scale. The flowcharts used in this application illustrate the operations implemented according to some embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the operations of the flowcharts can be implemented out of sequence, and steps without logical context can be reversed or implemented simultaneously. In addition, those skilled in the art, under the guidance of the contents of this application, can add one or more other operations to the flowchart, or remove one or more operations from the flowchart.

[0051] In addition, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present application generally described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0052] It should be noted that the term "comprising" will be used in the embodiments of the present application to indicate the existence of the features declared thereafter, but does not exclude the addition of other features.

[0053] Figure 1 FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of the architecture of a satellite mission management system provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, the satellite mission management system includes multiple ground stations, low-orbit quantum satellites, an operation and control center, and a mission center. Among them, the ground station is used for data transmission and weather monitoring. For example, it is responsible for communication with low-orbit quantum satellites, including sending commands to low-orbit quantum satellites and receiving data from low-orbit quantum satellites, as well as monitoring local weather conditions to ensure suitable conditions for satellite communication. In addition, different types of ground stations may support different communication frequency bands or have different antenna sizes to adapt to different types of mission requirements. Low-orbit quantum satellites are used to perform tasks such as QKD, provide encryption keys for secure communications, and can collect environmental, meteorological or other scientific data according to mission requirements and transmit them back to the ground station, as well as optimize the communication window with the ground station or meet other mission requirements by adjusting attitude and orbit. The operation and control center is used to monitor the status of low-orbit quantum satellites in real time and send operational instructions to low-orbit quantum satellites. The mission center is used for mission planning. For example, it develops detailed satellite mission plans based on mission requirements and resource conditions, such as satellite energy consumption, orbital position, and ground station availability, and evaluates and sorts missions to determine the most efficient execution order. In addition, the mission center is also used to coordinate and communicate with other mission centers, ground stations, and operation control centers to ensure that all relevant parties are aware of the mission arrangements and any changes.

[0054] Optionally, the ground station may send a key distribution request to the mission center. The mission center responds to the key distribution request sent by the ground station, sorts the first key generation task and at least one second key generation task in the key distribution request, obtains the task sorting result, and sends the task sorting result to the operation control center for overall scheduling. After overall scheduling, the operation control center generates task scheduling information and sends the task scheduling information to the mission center. The mission center converts the task scheduling information into instructions, generates control instructions, and sends the control instructions to the ground station. Simultaneously, the operation control center converts the task scheduling information into instructions, generates satellite instructions, and sends the satellite instructions to the low-orbit quantum satellite. The ground station and the low-orbit quantum satellite communicate based on the execution time indicated in the control instructions and satellite instructions, and generate quantum keys.

[0055] Optionally, for low-orbit quantum satellites, they can complete two tasks. One is to perform quantum key distribution with the ground station. After completing the task, the low-orbit quantum satellite and the ground station can generate the same quantum key. The other is to distribute relay keys to the ground station based on the quantum keys generated between multiple ground stations.

[0056] Alternatively, for ground stations, due to the limited number of satellites in the quantum constellation, the satellite mission management system cannot provide all-day and real-time key generation or relay services, so the ground station needs to maintain a fixed key pool. The key pool can be divided into a generation key pool between the satellite and the relay key pool between other ground stations. Among them, the generation key pool can only be filled by quantum key distribution between the satellite and the satellite. The key generation task is affected by multiple factors such as the weather at the ground station, the position of the satellite, the altitude of the satellite, the priority of the key request, etc. There are many execution conditions, and not every key request can complete the task in time, so this type of task has a higher priority. The relay key pool can be implemented based on laser communication between the ground station and the satellite. The execution of the task is relatively less restricted and the frequency of execution is higher, so this type of task has a lower priority.

[0057] Furthermore, as business applications continue to evolve, satellite ground stations will eventually become more portable, compact, and lightweight, and their number will gradually increase. To address this, ground stations can be divided into several levels, with key sharing targets specified through policies between them. High-level ground stations can serve as hubs for interoperability, replacing the massive storage and key management complexity required for pairwise key sharing between ground stations with the cost of multiple key relays.

[0058] Based on this, according to the collaborative work of various components in the satellite mission management system, a series of complex processes from mission planning, execution to data processing are realized to ensure the successful implementation of satellite missions with the stable operation of the satellite mission management system.

[0059] The following combines the above Figure 1 The contents described in the satellite mission management system shown are used to provide a detailed description of the mission processing method for the low-orbit quantum satellite provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0060] Figure 2 The following is a flow chart showing a method for processing a task of a low-orbit quantum satellite according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the method specifically includes the following steps:

[0061] S201. Each ground station sends a key distribution request to the mission center.

[0062] Optionally, the ground station may send a key distribution request to the mission center in response to a request trigger condition, wherein the request trigger condition includes: the current key stock of the key pool is less than a preset threshold, or the business key demand is greater than the current key stock of the key pool.

[0063] Optionally, the key distribution request is generated by the ground station based on its own key requirements. The key distribution request includes a first key generation task and a task trigger type for the first key generation task. The task trigger type includes a key pool inventory trigger type and a business demand trigger type. The business demand trigger type has a higher priority than the key generation task of the key pool inventory trigger type. In other words, this application provides two different trigger mechanisms, one based on key pool inventory and the other based on business demand, to address the different key requirements faced by different ground stations.

[0064] For example, when the ground station detects that there are insufficient keys or there are new business needs, it will actively send a key distribution request to the task center. The key distribution request includes the first key generation task and the task trigger type of the first key generation task. The first key generation task includes task information such as the number and priority of the required keys.

[0065] S202. The task center sorts the first key generation task and the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station according to the task trigger type of the first key generation task and the task trigger type of the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station to obtain a task sorting result.

[0066] Optionally, the first key generation task is a new task triggered by this key distribution request, and the second key generation task is an existing pending key generation task in the task center. The task center collects statistics on all pending key generation tasks, including new tasks and other existing tasks, and sorts all pending key generation tasks according to a certain sorting criterion to obtain a task sorting result indicating the order or priority of task execution. The task sorting result can be a task priority sorting list.

[0067] Optionally, the sorting is based on, for example, the key generation task's trigger type, which includes key pool inventory trigger type and business demand trigger type. Key generation tasks triggered by business demand have a higher priority than key generation tasks triggered by key pool inventory. This allows the task center to prioritize rule-based key generation tasks, such as those triggered by key pool inventory, over those triggered by business demand. This allows quantum satellites to trigger satellite-to-ground key distribution tasks based on actual business needs.

[0068] S203: The task center sends the task sorting result to the operation control center.

[0069] Optionally, the task ranking result includes key generation tasks corresponding to multiple ground stations. After generating the task ranking result, the task center sends the task ranking result including the key generation tasks corresponding to multiple ground stations and their priority ranking to the operation control center to provide basic data for subsequent resource allocation and task scheduling.

[0070] S204: The operation control center performs overall arrangement on the task sorting results sent by the task center to obtain task arrangement information.

[0071] Optionally, the task scheduling information includes the execution time of the key generation task corresponding to each ground station. Since low-orbit quantum satellites have the characteristics of short transit time and cannot provide full-time coverage, it is necessary to grasp the rare satellite connection time to solve different key generation tasks and key requirements. Therefore, after receiving the task sorting results sent by the task center, the operation and control center comprehensively considers the satellite status, such as power, orbit, altitude, ground station availability, communication window time, weather conditions and other factors, and performs overall scheduling while ensuring the overall system operation efficiency, and arranges specific execution time and resources for each key generation task. Specifically, each key generation task is assigned a clear execution time point or time period, and the conflicts, dependencies and resource constraints between tasks are taken into consideration to obtain the task scheduling information.

[0072] S205: The operation control center sends the task scheduling information to the task center.

[0073] Optionally, the operation control center sends the task scheduling information to the task center to inform the task center of the specific execution arrangement of the key generation task, so that the task center can further generate control instructions and send them to the ground station.

[0074] S206: The task center performs instruction conversion on the task scheduling information to obtain control instructions corresponding to each ground station.

[0075] Optionally, the task center receives the task scheduling information sent by the operation control center and converts the high-level task scheduling information into executable low-level control instructions. The control instructions include the execution time of the key generation task, and may also include satellite communication parameters such as frequency, protocol, encryption method, etc., and may also include information such as the expected length or quantity of the key to be generated.

[0076] S207: The mission center sends each control instruction to the corresponding ground station.

[0077] Optionally, the mission center converts the task scheduling information into instructions, obtains the corresponding control instructions for each ground station, and then sends each control instruction to the corresponding ground station, so that each ground station knows exactly when to communicate with which satellite and how to generate the required keys. Accordingly, each ground station can make some preparations in advance, such as calibrating the antenna, checking the weather, and confirming the status of the equipment, in preparation for establishing a communication link with the low-orbit quantum satellite at the designated time.

[0078] S208. Each ground station communicates with the low-orbit quantum satellite according to the execution time indicated in the corresponding control instruction and generates a quantum key.

[0079] Optionally, within a specified time window, each ground station establishes a quantum communication link with the low-orbit quantum satellite and uses quantum key distribution (QKD) technology to generate a secure quantum key. Furthermore, if the quantum key generation is successful, each ground station can also provide feedback to the mission center.

[0080] Furthermore, after the quantum key is generated, the generated quantum key can be stored in a local key pool for use in subsequent encrypted communications.

[0081] S209: The operation control center converts the task scheduling information into instructions to obtain satellite instructions corresponding to each ground station.

[0082] Optionally, after the operation and control center generates the task scheduling information, it performs command conversion on it to obtain satellite commands corresponding to each ground station. This converts the task scheduling information into satellite commands suitable for low-orbit quantum satellites. These satellite commands include information such as the execution time of the key generation task, communication parameters, and the ground station that generates the quantum key. It is important to note that satellite commands must comply with satellite communication protocols and must be encoded and encrypted before being sent to low-orbit quantum satellites.

[0083] S210. The operation control center sends the satellite instructions corresponding to each ground station to the low-orbit quantum satellite.

[0084] Optionally, the operation control center can send satellite instructions corresponding to each ground station to the low-orbit quantum satellite through ground station relay or direct uplink.

[0085] S211. The low-orbit quantum satellite communicates with the corresponding ground station according to the execution time indicated by the satellite instructions corresponding to each ground station and generates a quantum key.

[0086] Alternatively, the LEO quantum satellite receives and interprets satellite commands and prepares to conduct quantum communication with a designated ground station at a specified time to distribute and generate quantum keys. Specifically, the LEO quantum satellite can transmit a single photon signal to the ground station, which receives and measures the signal. The LEO quantum satellite and the ground station then negotiate to generate quantum keys via a classical channel.

[0087] Furthermore, after generating the quantum key, the low-orbit quantum satellite can feedback the success or failure status of the quantum key generation, as well as the actual number of keys generated, to the operation and control center so that the operation and control center can make subsequent task adjustments and resource optimization.

[0088] Based on this, according to the task processing method for a low-orbit quantum satellite in an embodiment of the present application, each ground station generates a key distribution request based on its own key demand. The key distribution request includes a first key generation task and a task trigger type for the first key generation task. The task trigger type includes a key pool inventory trigger type and a business demand trigger type. The task center receives the key distribution request from each ground station and performs a comprehensive task evaluation and ranking based on the task trigger type of the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station and the task trigger type of at least one second key generation task already in the task center. The task ranking result is generated and submitted to the operation control center. The operation control center uniformly schedules the tasks based on the global resource status and task dependencies, determines the specific execution time of each task, and then feeds it back to the task center. The task center converts the task scheduling information into control instructions and sends them to the corresponding ground station, enabling the ground station to establish communication with the low-orbit quantum satellite within the specified time to complete key generation. In this process, two different trigger mechanisms based on business key demand and key pool inventory are used to quickly respond to sudden business demand peaks while meeting daily key replenishment. By ensuring timely key updates and replenishment, the different key requirements faced by different ground stations are addressed. This not only achieves dynamic scheduling of tasks and efficient use of resources, but also fully considers multi-dimensional factors such as business needs, ground station weather, orbital windows, etc., thereby improving the response speed and scheduling accuracy of satellite-to-ground communications. It effectively solves the problems of unreasonable resource allocation, untimely communication establishment, and low key distribution efficiency caused by the lack of flexible scheduling mechanism in existing technologies, and significantly improves the practical application capabilities of quantum key distribution and the overall operation efficiency of the system.

[0089] As a possible implementation, in step S202, the task center sorts the first key generation task and the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station according to the task trigger type of the first key generation task and the task trigger type of the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station, and obtains a task sorting result, including:

[0090] According to the task trigger type of the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station and the task trigger type of at least one second key generation task, the task priority of the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station and the at least one second key generation task are determined; according to multiple first evaluation factors, the task priority of the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station and the task priority of at least one second key generation task, the first key generation task and the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station are sorted to obtain a task sorting result.

[0091] Optionally, the task trigger type includes a key pool inventory trigger type and a business demand trigger type, and the priority of a key generation task triggered by the business demand type is higher than that of a key generation task triggered by the key pool inventory type. Based on this, if the task trigger type of task A is the business demand trigger type and the task trigger type of task B is the key pool inventory trigger type, then the task priority of task A is determined to be higher than the task priority of task B.

[0092] Optionally, the multiple first evaluation factors include: energy consumption of the low-orbit quantum satellite, orbital position, satellite altitude, window time, ground station weather, and ground station type. Energy consumption of a low-orbit quantum satellite refers to the amount of energy consumed by the satellite while performing a specific mission. Due to limited satellite resources, particularly energy, energy consumption must be considered during mission planning to ensure the satellite can continue to operate and complete all necessary operations. Orbital position refers to the specific location of a low-orbit quantum satellite in its orbit. This orbital position affects the efficiency and quality of communication between the low-orbit quantum satellite and the ground station. For example, certain orbital positions may be more suitable for establishing a stable communication link with a specific ground station, while other positions may result in signal attenuation or loss. Satellite altitude affects the coverage range and communication latency of the low-orbit quantum satellite. Generally, a lower orbital altitude means a shorter communication range and lower latency, but it may also limit the number of ground stations that can be served during a single pass. Window time refers to the period of time during which a low-orbit quantum satellite can communicate with a specific ground station. This period is affected by factors such as the Earth's rotation and the satellite's orbital period and is a key factor in determining whether a satellite mission can be completed on time. Ground station weather refers to the weather conditions in the area where the ground station is located. Ground station weather can significantly affect the quality of communication between the satellite and the ground station. Severe weather can cause signal weakening or even interruption, thereby affecting the success rate of the mission. Different types of ground stations may be equipped with different equipment and technologies, support different communication protocols, or have different data processing capabilities. For example, some ground stations may be designed specifically for high-frequency data transmission, while others may be more suitable for long-term stable connections.

[0093] Optionally, the above steps sort the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station and the at least one second key generation task according to multiple first evaluation factors, the task priority of the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station, and the task priority of at least one second key generation task to obtain a task sorting result, which specifically includes: determining the task scores of the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station and the second key generation task according to the allocated weights of each first evaluation factor, and sorting the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station and the task score and task priority of each second key generation task according to the task scores and task priorities to obtain a task sorting result, which is used to indicate the order of task execution.

[0094] Exemplarily, the assigned weights of each first evaluation factor reflect the importance of each first evaluation factor. For the first key generation task and each second key generation task, scores are performed based on the assigned weights of each first evaluation factor, and a comprehensive task score is obtained by weighted summation. The comprehensive task score is used as the task score of the key generation task, and then the tasks are sorted in combination with the task priority to obtain the final task sorting result.

[0095] For example, the first key generation task is recorded as Task A, and the second key generation task is recorded as Task B. The weights of the energy consumption, orbital position, satellite altitude, window time, ground station weather, and ground station type of the low-orbit quantum satellite are 0.25, 0.15, 0.10, 0.20, 0.15, and 0.15, respectively. Task A and Task B are scored for their performance on the above six first evaluation factors. For example, Task A scores 8, 7, 9, 6, 8, and 7 for the energy consumption, orbital position, satellite altitude, window time, ground station weather, and ground station type of the low-orbit quantum satellite, respectively, and Task B scores 8, 7, 9, 6, 8, and 7 for the energy consumption, orbital position, satellite altitude, window time, ground station weather, and ground station type, respectively. The corresponding scores for the energy consumption, orbital position, satellite altitude, window time, ground station weather and ground station type of the low-orbit quantum satellite are 5 points, 9 points, 7 points, 8 points, 6 points and 9 points respectively. On this basis, the weighted calculation shows that the comprehensive score of Task A is 7.40, and the comprehensive score of Task B is 7.15. Obviously, the score of Task A is higher than that of Task B. Since the task trigger type of Task A is the business demand trigger type, and the task trigger type of Task B is the key pool inventory trigger type, that is, the task priority of Task A is higher than the task priority of Task B, which means that the execution order of Task A should take precedence over Task B.

[0096] Based on this, the mission center uses evaluation factors and task priorities to sort multiple key generation tasks, and reasonably arranges the execution order of the key generation tasks to be executed, effectively improving the utilization rate of satellite resources.

[0097] As a possible implementation manner, before sorting the first key generation task and at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station, the method further includes: performing a feasibility evaluation on the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station based on multiple second evaluation factors.

[0098] Optionally, the multiple second evaluation factors include: ground station weather, low-orbit quantum satellite position, satellite altitude, and key distribution request priority. Ground station weather affects communication quality; severe weather may cause quantum communication failure. The position of the low-orbit quantum satellite determines whether a communication link can be established with the ground station within a specified time. Satellite altitude affects communication distance, signal quality, and coverage. The priority of the key distribution request indicates mission urgency or business importance.

[0099] Optionally, before the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station is included in the task queue and sorted together with other existing tasks to be executed (second key generation tasks), it is necessary to first conduct a feasibility assessment on the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station to ensure that the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station is executable and reasonable under the current conditions. For example, if the request source of the first key generation task is ground station GZ01, the request time is 2025-06-03-14:00:00, the required key amount is 1024 bits, the request priority is medium, and the current status information is that the ground station weather is cloudy with light fog, the satellite position is approaching the ground station GZ01, and the satellite altitude is 580km. After the feasibility assessment, it is determined that the ground station weather is acceptable, the satellite position can establish communication, the satellite altitude meets the communication requirements, and the request priority also allows queuing processing, then it means that the first key generation task is feasible, and then the subsequent sorting process can be carried out.

[0100] Based on this, the mission center first conducts a mission feasibility assessment before sorting tasks to avoid scheduling impossible tasks into the plan and wasting satellite resources. By filtering out infeasible tasks in advance, unnecessary calculations and instruction issuance are reduced, thereby avoiding ineffective scheduling and improving the efficiency of the satellite mission management system.

[0101] As a possible implementation method, the ground station will continuously monitor the key pool status during operation, and decide whether to send a key distribution request to the mission center based on either of the two core judgment conditions: the current key stock is less than the preset threshold and the key amount required for the business is greater than the current key stock.

[0102] Optionally, for a trigger mechanism based on key pool inventory, the ground station generates a key distribution request by obtaining key management information from the key pool, determining whether the current key inventory in the key pool is less than a preset threshold based on the key management information, and if so, generating a key distribution request. The key management information includes key generation frequency, key consumption rate, and key destruction records. For a trigger mechanism based on service demand, the ground station generates a key distribution request by comparing service key demand with the current key inventory in the key pool. If the service key demand exceeds the current key inventory in the key pool, generating a key distribution request.

[0103] For example, key generation frequency refers to the number of keys that can be generated or acquired per unit time, key consumption rate refers to the rate at which keys are consumed by the currently active service, and key destruction records refer to the total number of keys destroyed historically, the reasons for destruction, and so on. Specifically, suppose a ground station is providing services for an encrypted communications service that requires a large number of quantum keys. It is known that the current key pool has an inventory of 800 bits, the preset threshold is 1000 bits, the service requires 1200 bits of keys, the key generation frequency is 600 bits per hour, the key consumption rate is 900 bits per hour, and the key destruction record includes 200 bits consumed in the previous hour. Based on this, it is determined whether the current key inventory is less than the preset threshold or whether the service's key demand exceeds the current key inventory. If the current key inventory is less than the preset threshold, it indicates that the key pool is below the key inventory warning limit. If the service's key demand exceeds the current key inventory, it indicates that the existing keys cannot meet the service's needs. In this case, the ground station is triggered to generate a key distribution request and send it to the mission center.

[0104] Based on this, this application provides two task triggering mechanisms, one is a triggering mechanism based on the key pool inventory, and the other is a triggering mechanism based on business demand. These two triggering mechanisms are also two different key distribution request conditions, which trigger the ground station to initiate a key distribution request to the task center when the key inventory in the key pool does not meet the application requirements.

[0105] As a possible implementation method, in the above step S204, the operation control center performs overall arrangement of the task sorting results sent by the task center to obtain task arrangement information, including: receiving task sorting results sent by other task centers, sorting the task sorting results sent by the task center and the task sorting results sent by other task centers, and determining the execution time of the first key generation task.

[0106] Exemplarily, the operation control center can receive task sorting results from multiple task centers, and globally coordinate and re-sort the task sorting results from multiple sources. Specifically, the task sorting results of each task center can be merged and sorted according to constraints such as satellite resources, ground station availability, and orbital windows. After considering global resource constraints, unified scheduling can be performed to generate task scheduling information, including each task's: execution time, target ground station, target satellite, communication parameters and other information, and then the execution time of the first key generation task can be determined.

[0107] For example, if there are three task centers TC1, TC2, and TC3, each task center has processed several key distribution requests and generated its own task sorting results. The operation control center receives the task sorting results sent by task centers TC1, TC2, and TC3, and re-sorts the task sorting results sent by task centers TC1, TC2, and TC3 based on the resource status, builds a complete task pool containing all tasks, and then performs global sorting and resource conflict detection, specifies a specific execution time point or time period for each key generation task, and thus obtains the execution time of the first key generation task.

[0108] Optionally, Figure 3 The following is a flow chart of a method for determining the execution time of a key generation task provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the above steps sort the task sorting results sent by the task center and the task sorting results sent by other task centers to determine the execution time of the key generation task, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0109] S301: Merge the task sorting results sent by the task center and the task sorting results sent by other task centers to obtain a merged task list.

[0110] Exemplarily, the satellite mission management system includes multiple mission centers, each of which handles local or regional key distribution requests, and each mission center outputs task ranking results based on evaluation factors to the operation control center. The operation control center aggregates, deduplicates, and standardizes the task ranking results from different mission centers to form a merged task list from a global perspective.

[0111] S302: Adjust the execution order of each task in the merged task list according to the currently available satellite resources, the dependency relationship between each task in the merged task list, and the priority of each task to obtain a target task sorting result.

[0112] For example, the currently available satellite resources include satellite power, orbital position, communication capability, whether other tasks are being performed, etc. The dependencies between the tasks in the merged task list, for example, some tasks may have to be performed after other tasks are completed, such as completing ground station calibration before generating keys. The task priority can be determined based on the score in the task sorting results of the task center, and can also be dynamically adjusted based on the business type.

[0113] For example, assume that the merged task list is as shown in Table 1 below:

[0114] Table 1 Task list after merger

[0115]

[0116] For example, based on the dependencies between the tasks in the merged task list shown in Table 1 above, the priority of each task and the currently available satellite resources, the execution order of the tasks in the merged task list before adjustment is T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, and the execution order obtained after adjustment based on the dependency and resource constraints, that is, the target task sorting result is T1, T3, T5, T2, T4.

[0117] S303: Determine the execution time of the key generation task according to the target task sorting result.

[0118] For example, based on the final target task sorting results, combined with the communication window, satellite orbit prediction, ground station availability and other information of each key generation task, a specific execution time is assigned to each key generation task, including the execution start time and / or end time. The ground station and the low-orbit quantum satellite can establish a communication link and perform the quantum distribution task according to the execution time of the key generation task.

[0119] Based on this, the operation and control center will make an overall arrangement of the task sorting results sent by multiple task centers, and after completing the task arrangement, it will feedback the task arrangement status, that is, the task execution time, to the task center, so that the task center can convert the task into the corresponding control instructions. At the same time, the operation and control center will also convert the arranged tasks into satellite instructions, and inject the satellite instructions to the low-orbit quantum satellite through the measurement and control system, so that the low-orbit quantum satellite and the ground station can perform quantum communication tasks and generate quantum keys.

[0120] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a routing addressing method provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 4As shown, this application provides a key relay processing method. Key relay refers to the process of transmitting quantum keys from one place to another through a series of intermediate nodes. In this application, through user identity authentication, key requirement analysis, path planning, ground and satellite network collaboration, etc., efficient and secure key distribution across different regions and different operators is achieved. Specifically, Figure 4 User A in metropolitan area network A can initiate a service request, connect to the backbone network through ground station X, and the backbone network realizes cross-regional key transmission through quantum satellite. The key is then transmitted to metropolitan area network B through ground station Y, and finally the key is delivered to the KM-B node where user B is located.

[0121] For example, user A sends a service request to the satellite mission management system, which includes its own identification ID for authentication, the peer identification ID (i.e., the identification ID of user B), the service identification ID (identifying the specific service type), the key requirement (the length or number of keys to be generated), and the key requirement time (the time requirement for key generation). Specifically, after receiving user A's service request, the key management system (KMS-A) in the ground station KM-A to which user A is connected will first verify user A's identity. After the verification is passed, the key management system KMS-A will query user B's location information to determine which ground station user B is currently connected to, such as KM-B. The ground station KM-A to which user A is connected initiates a key relay request through the quantum key distribution network controller (QKDNC). The ground station KM-A to which user A is connected forwards user A's key requirement to the quantum key distribution controller QKDNC, which is responsible for planning the key transmission path.

[0122] Specifically, the quantum key distribution controller QKDNC divides the entire key transmission path into three segments: from KM-A to ground station KM-X, from ground station KM-X to ground station KM-Y, and from ground station KM-Y to destination node KM-B. The two segments from KM-A to ground station KM-X and from ground station KM-Y to destination node KM-B are routed directly through the ground quantum key network, without the need for satellites. However, the segment from ground station KM-X to ground station KM-Y requires the use of quantum satellites for long-distance key transmission. Furthermore, when ground station X and ground station Y belong to the same operator, ground station KM-X directly initiates a key request to the task scheduling front-end contained in the ground station. This process is similar to the satellite task scheduling management method triggered by the key pool inventory. However, when ground station X and ground station Y do not belong to the same operator, the quantum key distribution controller QKDNC directly initiates the task request to the task acceptance system belonging to ground station X.

[0123] Based on this, the task processing method for low-orbit quantum satellites provided in this application can realize the automatic triggering and scheduling of key generation tasks. Through the dual trigger mechanism of key pool inventory and business demand, manual operations are reduced and the efficiency and accuracy of key generation task execution are improved. In this way, it can not only meet daily key replenishment, but also quickly respond to sudden business peaks. Through dynamic management of the key pool and task scheduling, it ensures timely update and replenishment of keys, reduces the risk of key leakage, and ensures the security of communication services.

[0124] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the method steps of the mission processing method for a low-orbit quantum satellite as described in any one of the above items are executed.

[0125] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working process of the system and device described above can refer to the corresponding process in the method embodiment, and will not be repeated in this application. In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, device and method can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the modules is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. For example, multiple modules or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some communication interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0126] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated into a processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. If the function is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or the part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0127] The above is only a specific implementation method of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with this technical field can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in this application, which should be covered by the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A mission processing method for a low-orbit quantum satellite, characterized in that: A mission center is applied to a satellite mission management system, wherein the satellite mission management system includes: multiple ground stations, a low-orbit quantum satellite, an operation and control center, and the mission center; the method includes: The task center receives a key distribution request sent by each ground station, where the key distribution request is generated by the ground station according to a key demand, and the key distribution request includes a first key generation task and a task trigger type of the first key generation task, where the task trigger type includes: a key pool inventory trigger type and a business demand trigger type; The task center sorts the first key generation task and the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station according to the task trigger type of the first key generation task and the task trigger type of the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station, obtains a task sorting result, and sends the task sorting result to the operation control center; The task center receives the task scheduling information sent by the operation control center, where the task scheduling information includes the execution time of the first key generation task corresponding to each of the ground stations; The task center performs instruction conversion on the task scheduling information to obtain control instructions corresponding to each ground station, and sends each control instruction to the corresponding ground station, so that each ground station communicates with the low-orbit quantum satellite and generates a quantum key according to the execution time indicated in the corresponding control instruction, where the control instruction includes the execution time of the first key generation task.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of sorting the first key generation task and the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station according to the task trigger type of the first key generation task and the task trigger type of the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station to obtain a task sorting result includes: Determining the task priorities of the first key generation task and the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station according to the task trigger type of the first key generation task and the task trigger type of the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station; sorting the first key generation task and the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station according to the plurality of first evaluation factors, the task priority of the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station, and the task priority of the at least one second key generation task, to obtain the task sorting result; The multiple first evaluation factors include: energy consumption of the low-orbit quantum satellite, orbital position, satellite altitude, window time, ground station weather and ground station type.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The step of sorting the first key generation task and the at least one second key generation task corresponding to each ground station according to the plurality of first evaluation factors, the task priority of the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station, and the task priority of the at least one second key generation task, to obtain the task sorting result includes: Determining, according to the assigned weights of the first evaluation factors, task scores for the first key generation tasks and the second key generation tasks corresponding to the ground stations; The task sorting result is obtained by sorting the first key generation task corresponding to each ground station and the task score and task priority of each second key generation task, and the task sorting result is used to indicate the order of task execution.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein Before sorting the first key generation tasks and at least one second key generation task corresponding to each of the ground stations, the method further includes: Performing a feasibility evaluation on the first key generation task corresponding to each of the ground stations according to a plurality of second evaluation factors; The multiple second evaluation factors include: ground station weather, the position of the low-orbit quantum satellite, the satellite altitude, and the priority of the key distribution request.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The process of the ground station generating the key distribution request includes: Obtain key management information of the key pool, the key management information including key generation frequency, key consumption rate, and key destruction record; According to the key management information, it is determined whether the current key stock of the key pool is less than a preset threshold; if so, the key distribution request is generated.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The process of the ground station generating the key distribution request includes: Compare the business key demand with the current key inventory in the key pool; If the demand for the business key is greater than the current key stock in the key pool, the key distribution request is generated.

7. A mission processing method for a low-orbit quantum satellite, characterized in that: The method is applied to an operation and control center in a satellite mission management system, wherein the satellite mission management system includes: multiple ground stations, a low-orbit quantum satellite, a mission center, and the operation and control center; the method includes: Receive a task sorting result sent by a task center, wherein the task sorting result includes key generation tasks corresponding to multiple ground stations; The operation control center performs overall arrangement of the task sorting results sent by the task center to obtain task arrangement information, and sends the task arrangement information to the task center. The task arrangement information includes the execution time of the key generation task corresponding to each ground station; The operation control center performs instruction conversion on the task scheduling information to obtain satellite instructions corresponding to each ground station, and sends the satellite instructions corresponding to each ground station to the low-orbit quantum satellite, so that the low-orbit quantum satellite communicates with the corresponding ground station and generates a quantum key according to the execution time indicated by the satellite instructions corresponding to each ground station, where the satellite instructions include the execution time of the key generation task.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The operation control center performs overall arrangement on the task sorting results sent by the task center to obtain task arrangement information, including: Receive task sorting results sent by other task centers; The task sorting results sent by the task center and the task sorting results sent by the other task centers are sorted to determine the execution time of each key generation task.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The step of sorting the task sorting results sent by the task center and the task sorting results sent by other task centers, and determining the execution time of each key generation task, includes: Merging the task sorting results sent by the task center and the task sorting results sent by other task centers to obtain a merged task list; Adjusting the execution order of the tasks in the merged task list according to currently available satellite resources, the dependencies between the tasks in the merged task list, and the priority of each task to obtain a target task sorting result; The execution time of each of the key generation tasks is determined according to the target task sorting result.

10. A satellite mission management system, characterized in that: include: Multiple ground stations, low-orbit quantum satellites, operation and control centers, and mission centers; The ground station is used to perform the method steps performed by the ground station in any one of claims 1 to 9; The low-orbit quantum satellite is used to perform the method steps performed by the low-orbit quantum satellite in any one of claims 1-9; The operation control center is used to perform the method steps performed by the operation control center in any one of claims 7 to 9; The task center is used to execute the method steps performed by the task center in any one of claims 1-6.

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