Cell switching method and device and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a cell switching method and device and electronic equipment, and belongs to the technical field of communication. The method comprises the following steps: when a serving cell of a user terminal is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) cell, acquiring a first beam boundary position of the NTN cell and a first position of the user terminal; under the condition that the first position changes, determining a first distance between the first position and the first beam boundary position; under the condition that the first distance is smaller than a first distance threshold value and the first moving direction of the user terminal points to a ground network TN cell, determining the remaining service time of the NTN cell; and switching the serving cell of the user terminal to the TN cell based on the remaining service time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of communication technology, specifically relating to a cell handover method, apparatus, and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of technology, high-speed mobility has become a primary mode of transportation, and user equipment (UE) typically undergoes frequent cell handovers during high-speed movement. Currently, UEs require handover between non-terrestrial network (NTN) cells and terrestrial network (TN) cells. Taking the handover from an NTN cell to a TN cell as an example, since NTN and TN cells usually operate on two different frequency points, measurement gaps are often required to complete the measurement handover. However, current handover strategies based on signal strength and / or location triggers still suffer from inaccurate handover timing determination, leading to longer TN cell search and measurement times, premature interruption of the NTN process affecting user throughput, and increased power consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a cell handover method, apparatus, and electronic device that can improve the accuracy of the handover timing from NTN cell to TN cell, thereby shortening the TN cell search time. At the same time, it avoids the problem that the NTN process is interrupted prematurely due to the user terminal searching and measuring the TN cell in advance, which affects the user throughput and increases power consumption. It also avoids the problem that the remaining time for the user terminal to provide services in the NTN cell does not meet the TN cell search time.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a cell handover method, the method comprising:

[0005] When the serving cell of the user terminal is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) cell, obtain the first beam boundary location of the NTN cell and the first location of the user terminal.

[0006] If the first position changes, determine the first distance between the first position and the first beam boundary position;

[0007] If the first distance is less than the first distance threshold and the user terminal's first direction of movement is pointing towards the terrestrial network TN cell, determine the remaining service time of the NTN cell;

[0008] Based on the remaining service time, the serving cell of the user terminal will be switched to a TN cell.

[0009] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a cell handover apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

[0010] The first acquisition module is used to acquire the first beam boundary position of the NTN cell and the first position of the user terminal when the serving cell of the user terminal is a non-terrestrial network NTN cell.

[0011] The first determining module is used to determine a first distance between the first position and the first beam boundary position when the first position changes;

[0012] The second determining module is used to determine the remaining service time of the NTN cell when the first distance is less than the first distance threshold and the first movement direction of the user terminal is pointing towards the TN cell of the ground network.

[0013] The first handover module is used to switch the serving cell of the user terminal to a TN cell based on the remaining service time.

[0014] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device including a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores programs or instructions executable on the processor, and the programs or instructions, when executed by the processor, implement the steps of the method described in the first aspect.

[0015] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a readable storage medium on which a program or instructions are stored, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method described in the first aspect.

[0016] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip, the chip including a processor and a communication interface, the communication interface being coupled to the processor, the processor being used to run programs or instructions to implement the method as described in the first aspect.

[0017] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product stored in a storage medium, which is executed by at least one processor to implement the method described in the first aspect.

[0018] In this embodiment, when the serving cell of the user terminal is an NTN cell, the first beam boundary position of the NTN cell and the first position of the user terminal can be obtained; when the first position changes, the first distance between the first position and the first beam boundary position, and the first movement direction of the user terminal can be determined; when the first distance is less than the first distance threshold and the first movement direction points to the TN cell, the remaining service time of the NTN cell can be determined; based on the remaining service time, the serving cell of the user terminal can be switched to the TN cell.

[0019] In this way, by combining information from three aspects—the distance between the user terminal and the first beam boundary of the NTN cell, the direction of movement of the user terminal, and the remaining service time of the NTN cell for providing services to the user terminal—the handover timing can be better controlled, improving the accuracy of the handover timing from the NTN cell to the TN cell. This shortens the search and measurement time of the TN cell, while avoiding the problem of premature NTN cell interruption caused by the user terminal searching and measuring the TN cell in advance, which would affect user throughput and increase power consumption. It also avoids the problem that the remaining service time of the user terminal in the NTN cell does not meet the TN cell search and measurement time. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the cell handover method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the signal strength of the NTN cell in the cell handover method provided in this application embodiment;

[0022] Figure 3 This is one of the schematic diagrams of the connection path between the user terminal and the NTN cell and the TN cell in the cell handover method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 4 This is the second schematic diagram of the connection path between the user terminal and the NTN and TN cells in the cell handover method provided in this application embodiment;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the signal strength of a TN cell in the cell handover method provided in this application embodiment;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic flowchart of one scenario embodiment of the cell handover method provided in this application;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a second schematic flowchart of a scenario embodiment of the cell handover method provided in this application;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a scenario embodiment of the cell handover method provided in this application.

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic flowchart of a scenario embodiment of the cell handover method provided in this application.

[0029] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the cell handover device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0030] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0031] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0033] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0034] With the development of technology, high-speed travel has become the main choice for people. User equipment (UE) usually performs frequent cell handovers during high-speed travel.

[0035] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) designates non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), generally referring to satellite communication networks, as an important supplement to terrestrial networks (TNs), i.e., cellular mobile communication networks. An NTN consists of three main parts: a terrestrial gateway, satellites, and user units (UEs). Satellites include low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites, and geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites. A satellite's field of view consists of multiple beams, and the coverage area is typically elliptical. These beams can generate fixed or adjustable beams, thus creating mobile or fixed beam coverage areas on the ground. These beam coverage areas can be considered NTN cells. Fixed terrestrial beams continuously cover the same geographical area at all times, such as the beams generated by GEO satellites.

[0036] Therefore, user terminals have a need to hand over between non-terrestrial network (NTN) cells and terrestrial network (TN) cells.

[0037] For TN, a handover strategy based on signal strength triggering is adopted. 3GPP defines five TN co-system measurement events, including:

[0038] Incident A1: The service area exceeds a certain threshold.

[0039] Incident A2: The service area is below a certain threshold.

[0040] Event A3: The neighboring cell has a higher hysteresis rate than the main serving cell.

[0041] Incident A4: The neighboring community's temperature exceeds a certain threshold.

[0042] Event A5: The serving cell is below a certain threshold value 1, and the neighboring cell is above a certain threshold value 2.

[0043] For NTN, 3GPP introduced location-triggered handover and time-triggered handover, namely, defining the D1 event and T1 event respectively:

[0044] Event D1: The distance between the UE and the reference location of the serving cell is greater than threshold 1, and the distance between the UE and the reference location of the neighboring cell is less than threshold 2.

[0045] T1 event: UE measurements taken within a period higher than Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) but lower than UTC+duration.

[0046] The handover strategy from NTN to TN cells can include two types: one is a handover strategy triggered by signal strength, and the other is a handover strategy triggered by a combination of location and signal strength. The applicant found that if a signal strength-based handover strategy is adopted, in order to ensure sufficient time for searching and measuring TN cells, the UE begins searching and measuring TN cells as soon as it enters the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell. Once the UE approaches and enters the coverage area of ​​the TN cell, it reports an A3 event to the network. Since NTN and TN typically operate on two different frequency points, a measurement gap needs to be configured to complete the measurement. However, NTN has a large propagation delay and a high timing variation rate. When the UE leaves the NTN cell, completes the measurement in the TN cell, and then returns to the NTN cell, it needs to resynchronize and readjust the timing. This leads to inefficient scheduling and consequently a sharp drop in user throughput.

[0047] If a handover strategy jointly triggered by signal strength and location is adopted, when the UE moves to a TN cell, the network configures the UE with the frequencies used by the TN cell. The UE first detects its own location. When the UE's location exceeds a certain threshold, in order to ensure sufficient time for searching and measuring the TN cell, the UE will report a D1 event. The network then configures a measurement gap for the UE to measure the frequencies used by the TN cell. After receiving the A3 event report, the network will initiate a handover from the NTN cell to the TN cell. Although this avoids service interruption caused by the UE continuously measuring the TN cell, it also consumes NTN process resources during the TN cell search and measurement gap, reducing user throughput.

[0048] To address the aforementioned issues, embodiments of this application provide a cell handover method, apparatus, and electronic device.

[0049] The cell handover method provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, through specific embodiments and application scenarios.

[0050] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the cell handover method provided in an embodiment of this application. The cell handover method may include:

[0051] Step 101: When the serving cell of the user terminal is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) cell, obtain the first beam boundary position of the NTN cell and the first position of the user terminal.

[0052] In step 101, if the serving cell of the user terminal is an NTN cell, the user terminal can enable network service and connect to the NTN cell. GEO ephemeris information can be obtained through the satellite network. This GEO ephemeris information may include satellite movement speed, beam coverage area, and other information, thereby allowing the determination of the first beam boundary position of the currently serving NTN cell.

[0053] The user terminal's current location, i.e., its first location, can also be obtained through the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) of the user terminal.

[0054] Step 102: If the first position changes, determine the first distance between the first position and the first beam boundary position.

[0055] In step 102, if the first position changes, it can be assumed that the user terminal is in a mobile state and may need to switch cells. In this case, the first distance between the first position and the first beam boundary position can be determined to determine whether the user terminal is approaching the first beam boundary position. For example, the first position can be represented as P. currentThe position of the first beam boundary can be represented as P. NTN Then the first distance can be expressed as △P=P NTN -P current .

[0056] In some examples, the first direction of movement of the user terminal can also be determined. For example, the first direction of movement can be determined by sensors such as gyroscopes on the user terminal. Gyroscopes or accelerometers can measure the acceleration values ​​of the user terminal in the X, Y, and Z axes. When the user terminal has acceleration in the direction of the TN cell, it is maliciously indicated that the user terminal is moving towards the TN cell. In other words, at this time, the first direction of movement points towards the TN cell.

[0057] It is understandable that the actions of determining the first distance and the first direction of movement can be performed simultaneously. Alternatively, the first distance can be determined first, and the first direction of movement can be determined only when the first distance meets preset conditions. Or, the first direction of movement can be determined first, and the first distance can be determined only when the first direction of movement points to the TN cell. No specific limitations are imposed here.

[0058] Step 103: If the first distance is less than the first distance threshold and the user terminal's first movement direction is pointing towards the terrestrial network TN cell, determine the remaining service time of the NTN cell.

[0059] It is understandable that, such as Figure 2 As shown, the applicant found that the difference in received signal strength between the beam center and the beam boundary of the NTN cell is small, and the user terminal itself has errors in measuring the received signal strength. Therefore, for NTN cells, it is not suitable to adopt a strategy based on signal strength measurement to determine whether to handover, as the risk of inaccurate handover timing is too great.

[0060] Based on this, in step 103, if the first distance is less than the first distance threshold and the first movement direction is pointing to the TN cell of the ground network, it can be considered that the user terminal has a real need to switch the serving cell from the NTN cell to the TN cell. At this time, the remaining service time that the NTN cell can continue to provide services to the user terminal can be determined, that is, the time when the user terminal moves to outside the first beam boundary position.

[0061] In some embodiments, determining the remaining service time of an NTN cell may include:

[0062] Obtain the user terminal's movement speed;

[0063] The remaining service time of the NTN cell is determined based on the moving speed and the first distance.

[0064] In this embodiment, the user terminal's moving speed can be calculated based on the change in the first position, and the remaining service time can be obtained based on the first distance and the moving speed.

[0065] In this way, by using the time it takes for the user terminal to move to a position outside the first beam boundary as the basis for determining whether to switch, the risk of inaccurate switching timing caused by small differences in signal strength and measurement errors can be avoided, thereby improving the accuracy of switching time.

[0066] Step 104: Based on the remaining service time, switch the serving cell of the user terminal to a TN cell.

[0067] In step 104, the timing for cell handover can be determined based on the remaining service time. For example, based on historical experience, the time required to successfully search and measure a TN cell can be obtained. If the remaining service time reaches this time, the cell handover operation can be performed, switching the user terminal's serving cell from the NTN cell to the TN cell. This avoids searching and measuring too early, which would require multiple searches and measurements of the TN cell, leading to NTN process interruptions and increased power consumption. It also avoids searching and measuring too late, where the user terminal has not yet connected to the TN cell after the NTN cell has stopped providing service.

[0068] In this embodiment, the cell handover method can, when the serving cell of the user terminal is an NTN cell, obtain the first beam boundary position of the NTN cell and the first position of the user terminal; when the first position changes, determine the first distance between the first position and the first beam boundary position, and the first movement direction of the user terminal; when the first distance is less than the first distance threshold and the first movement direction points to the TN cell, determine the remaining service time of the NTN cell; and based on the remaining service time, switch the serving cell of the user terminal to the TN cell.

[0069] In this way, by combining information from three aspects—the distance between the user terminal and the first beam boundary of the NTN cell, the direction of movement of the user terminal, and the remaining service time of the NTN cell for providing services to the user terminal—the handover timing can be better controlled, improving the accuracy of the handover timing from the NTN cell to the TN cell. This shortens the search and measurement time of the TN cell, while avoiding the problem of premature NTN cell interruption caused by the user terminal searching and measuring the TN cell in advance, which would affect user throughput and increase power consumption. It also avoids the problem that the remaining service time of the user terminal in the NTN cell does not meet the TN cell search and measurement time.

[0070] In some embodiments, the method may further include:

[0071] If the first distance is less than the first distance threshold, obtain the first movement direction.

[0072] In this embodiment, the first position P can be calculated in real time when the first position changes, i.e., when the user terminal moves within the NTN cell. current Position P relative to the first beam boundary NTN The first distance between them is △P=P NTN –P current .

[0073] If △P is less than the first distance threshold D1, it can be considered that the user terminal may leave the beam range of the NTN cell. At this time, the first movement direction of the user terminal can be obtained in order to further determine whether the user terminal is moving towards the TN cell and whether there is a real need to switch the serving cell from the NTN cell to the TN cell.

[0074] In this way, the first distance can be calculated first, and the first direction of movement can be obtained after the first distance meets the conditions. On the one hand, this can reduce the amount of data acquired and save computing resources. On the other hand, it can reduce the risk of misjudging cell handover requirements caused by the user terminal moving along the beam boundary adjacent to the TN cell within the NTN cell.

[0075] In some embodiments, when NTN and TN cells share the same path to connect to a user terminal, switching the user terminal's serving cell to a TN cell based on the remaining service time includes:

[0076] If the remaining service time is less than the first time threshold, search and measure TN cells;

[0077] If the search and measurement are successful, disconnect the user terminal from the NTN cell and establish a connection between the user terminal and the TN cell.

[0078] In this embodiment, as Figure 3 As shown, the user terminal includes a hardware path comprising: a power amplifier 301 for amplifying the power of the transmitted signal for long-distance transmission; a low-noise amplifier 302 for amplifying the received weak signal while minimizing noise introduction; a transceiver 303 for transmitting and receiving wireless signals; and a signal converter 304 for modulating and demodulating signals to convert digital data into analog signals for transmission. The user terminal's antenna 1 can be connected to a first duplexer 305 corresponding to TN, and antenna 2 can be connected to a second duplexer 306 corresponding to NTN. The first duplexer 305 and the second duplexer 306 can be used to separate the transmitted and received signals. Both the first duplexer 305 and the second duplexer 306 are connected to this hardware path.

[0079] In other words, the user terminal only supports a single connection of NTN or TN, that is, NTN cells and TN cells reuse the same path to connect to the user terminal at different time periods.

[0080] Based on this, a search and measurement of TN cells can be initiated if the remaining service time T is less than a first time threshold T1. The first time threshold can be determined based on historical empirical values ​​of the time required to search and measure TN cells.

[0081] If the search and measurement are successful, the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell can be disconnected, and a connection between the user terminal and the TN cell can be established. That is, at this time, the user terminal disconnects from the NTN and accesses the TN cell.

[0082] In this way, when NTN and TN cells share the same path to connect to the user terminal, it avoids premature search and measurement, which would require multiple searches and measurements of the TN cell, leading to NTN process interruptions and increased power consumption. It also avoids late search and measurement, where the user has not yet connected to the TN cell after the NTN cell has stopped providing service.

[0083] In some embodiments, when an NTN cell is connected to the user terminal via a first path and a TN cell is connected to the user terminal via a second path, switching the user terminal's serving cell to a TN cell based on the remaining service time includes:

[0084] If the remaining service time is less than the second time threshold, search and measure TN cells;

[0085] If the search measurement is successful, the connection between the user terminal and the TN cell is established through the second path, while the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell is maintained through the first path.

[0086] If the remaining service time is less than the third time threshold, the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell is disconnected; wherein the third time threshold is less than the second time threshold.

[0087] In this embodiment, as Figure 4 As shown, the user terminal includes two hardware paths. The first hardware path includes a first power amplifier 3011, a first low-noise amplifier 3021, a transceiver 303, and a signal converter 304. The second hardware path includes a second power amplifier 3012, a second low-noise amplifier 3022, a transceiver 303, and a signal converter 304. Antenna 1 of the user terminal can be connected to a first duplexer 305 corresponding to TN, and antenna 2 can be connected to a second duplexer 306 corresponding to NTN. Furthermore, the first duplexer 305 can connect to the first hardware path, and the second duplexer 305 can connect to the second hardware path.

[0088] In other words, the hardware path of the user terminal supports dual connection of NTN and TN, that is, NTN and TN signals take different hardware paths and are independent of each other.

[0089] Based on this, when the remaining service time T is less than the second time threshold T2, the TN cell can be searched and measured. If the search and measurement are successful, the user terminal can establish a connection with the TN cell through the second path, while maintaining the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell through the first path. That is, the user terminal is in a state of dual connection of NTN and TN.

[0090] Further assess the remaining service time T. If the remaining service time T is less than the third time threshold T3, disconnect the user terminal from the NTN cell. At this time, the user terminal is in TN single-connection state.

[0091] In this way, even when NTN and TN cells are connected to the user terminal through different channels, dual connections between NTN and TN cells can be maintained during the TN cell handover phase. Once the connection with the NTN cell is stable, the connection with the NTN cell can be disconnected, thus achieving uninterrupted handover from NTN cell to TN cell.

[0092] In some embodiments, the method may further include:

[0093] When the serving cell of the user terminal is a TN cell, obtain the second beam boundary position of the NTN cell adjacent to the TN cell and the second position of the user terminal;

[0094] If the second position changes, determine the second distance between the second position and the second beam boundary position;

[0095] When the second distance is less than the second distance threshold and the second movement direction of the user terminal is pointing towards the NTN cell, the signal strength of the TN cell is obtained;

[0096] Based on signal strength, the serving cell of the user terminal is switched to the NTN cell.

[0097] In related technologies, the handover from a TN cell to an NTN cell employs a handover strategy jointly triggered by signal strength and location. When a user terminal enters the coverage area of ​​an NTN cell and the coverage boundary of a TN cell, the network configures an A2 event for the user terminal. By measuring the signal strength of the serving cell, the user terminal can easily determine that it is located at the cell boundary, triggering the user terminal to report the A2 event. The network then configures an A3 event for the user terminal. Upon receiving the A3 event report, the network initiates a handover from the TN cell to the NTN cell. However, the applicant found that under this strategy, the user terminal cannot determine whether it is moving towards an NTN or TN cell, i.e., it is unclear whether the neighboring cells of the TN cell are TN or NTN cells. This causes the user terminal to search and measure both TN and NTN cells, increasing cell search and measurement time and consequently increasing the user terminal's power consumption.

[0098] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the serving cell of the user terminal is a TN cell, the user terminal can activate network service and connect to the TN cell. GEO ephemeris information can be obtained through the satellite network, thereby acquiring the second beam boundary position of the NTN cell adjacent to the currently serving TN cell. The user terminal's current location, i.e., its second location, can also be obtained through GNSS.

[0099] If the second position changes, it can be assumed that the user terminal is in a moving state and may need to switch cells. At this time, the second distance between the second position and the second beam boundary position can be determined to determine whether the user terminal is close to the second beam boundary position.

[0100] In some examples, a second direction of movement for the user terminal can also be determined. For instance, the first direction of movement can be determined using sensors such as a gyroscope on the user terminal. The gyroscope or accelerometer can measure the acceleration values ​​of the user terminal in the X, Y, and Z axes. When the user terminal has acceleration in the direction of the NTN cell, it is maliciously indicated that the user terminal is moving towards the NTN cell. In other words, at this time, the second direction of movement points towards the NTN cell.

[0101] It is understandable that the actions of determining the second distance and the second direction of movement can be performed simultaneously. Alternatively, the second distance can be determined first, and the second direction of movement can be determined only when the second distance meets preset conditions. Or, the second direction of movement can be determined first, and the second distance can be determined only when the second direction of movement points to the NTN cell. No specific limitations are imposed here.

[0102] It is understandable that, such as Figure 5As shown, the applicant found that the received signal strength of TN cells differs significantly between the beam center and the beam boundary. Therefore, for TN cells, a strategy based on signal strength measurement to determine whether to switch can be directly adopted.

[0103] Based on this, if the second distance is less than the second distance threshold and the second movement direction is towards the NTN cell, it can be assumed that the user terminal has a real need to switch the serving cell from the TN cell to the NTN cell, and the signal strength of the TN cell can be obtained at this time.

[0104] Based on signal strength, the serving cell of the user terminal is switched to an NTN cell. For example, if the signal strength is below a certain threshold, the user terminal initiates a search and measurement for an NTN cell. After successfully finding an NTN cell, the connection with the TN cell is disconnected, and the user terminal accesses the NTN cell, completing the handover from the TN cell to the NTN cell.

[0105] In this way, by using information from three aspects—the distance between the user terminal and the second beam boundary of the adjacent NTN cell, the direction of movement of the user terminal, and the signal strength—the timing of the handover from the TN cell to the NTN cell can be better controlled, the search and measurement time of the user terminal for the NTN cell can be shortened, and the increased power consumption caused by the user terminal having to search and measure both TN and NTN cells at the same time can be avoided.

[0106] In some embodiments, the method may further include:

[0107] If the second distance is less than the second distance threshold, obtain the second movement direction.

[0108] In this embodiment, the second distance between the second position and the second beam boundary position can be calculated in real time when the second position changes, i.e., when the user terminal moves within the TN cell.

[0109] If the second distance is less than the second distance threshold D2, it can be considered that the user terminal may leave the coverage area of ​​the TN cell. At this time, the second movement direction of the user terminal can be obtained in order to further determine whether the user terminal is moving towards the NTN cell and whether there is a real need to switch the serving cell from the TN cell to the NTN cell.

[0110] In this way, the second distance can be calculated first, and the second direction of movement can be obtained after the second distance meets the conditions. On the one hand, this can reduce the amount of data acquired and save computing resources. On the other hand, it can reduce the risk of misjudging cell handover requirements caused by the user terminal moving along the boundary adjacent to the NTN cell within the TN cell.

[0111] In some embodiments, when NTN cells and TN cells share the same path to connect to a user terminal, switching the serving cell of the user terminal to an NTN cell based on signal strength includes:

[0112] When the signal strength is less than the first signal strength threshold, search and measure NTN cells;

[0113] If the search and measurement are successful, disconnect the user terminal from the TN cell and establish a connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell.

[0114] In this embodiment, as mentioned above, if the NTN cell and the TN cell share the same path to connect to the user terminal, the user terminal only supports a single connection of NTN or TN.

[0115] Then, if the signal strength S is less than the first signal strength threshold S1, a search measurement for the NTN cell can be initiated. The first signal strength threshold S1 can be set based on empirical values.

[0116] If the search and measurement are successful, the connection between the user terminal and the TN cell can be disconnected, and a connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell can be established. That is, at this time, the user terminal disconnects from the TN cell and accesses the NTN cell.

[0117] In this way, when NTN cells and TN cells share the same path to connect to the user terminal, the timing for searching and measuring NTN cells can be accurately determined based on signal strength, thus shortening the search and measurement time of the user terminal for NTN cells.

[0118] In some embodiments, when an NTN cell is connected to the user terminal via a first path and a TN cell is connected to the user terminal via a second path, switching the serving cell of the user terminal to the NTN cell based on signal strength includes:

[0119] When the signal strength is less than the second signal strength threshold, search and measure NTN cells;

[0120] If the search and measurement are successful, the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell is established through the first path, while the connection between the user terminal and the TN cell is maintained through the second path.

[0121] If the signal strength is less than the third signal strength threshold, disconnect the user terminal from the TN cell; wherein the third signal strength threshold is less than the second signal strength threshold.

[0122] In this embodiment, as mentioned above, if the NTN cell and the TN cell are connected to the user terminal through different paths, it can be assumed that the hardware path of the user terminal supports dual connection of NTN and TN.

[0123] When the signal strength S is less than the third signal strength threshold S2, the NTN cell can be searched and measured. If the search and measurement are successful, the user terminal can establish a connection with the NTN cell through the first path, and maintain the connection between the user terminal and the TN cell through the second path. That is, the user terminal is in a state of dual connection of NTN and TN.

[0124] Further assess the signal strength S. If the signal strength S is less than the third signal strength threshold S3, disconnect the user terminal from the TN cell. At this time, the user terminal is in NTN single-connection state.

[0125] In this way, even when NTN and TN cells are connected to the user terminal through different channels, dual connections between NTN and TN cells can be maintained during the NTN cell handover phase, and the connection with the TN cell can be disconnected after the connection is stable, thus achieving uninterrupted handover from TN cell to NTN cell.

[0126] To facilitate understanding of the cell handover method provided in the above embodiments, the following describes the cell handover method using four specific scenario embodiments.

[0127] like Figure 6 As shown, this application embodiment provides a scenario embodiment in which an NTN cell and a TN cell share the same path to connect to a user terminal, and a handover occurs from an NTN cell to a TN cell. The application scenario of this scenario embodiment may include the following steps:

[0128] Step 601: The UE starts service in the NTN cell;

[0129] Step 602: The UE moves within the NTN cell;

[0130] Step 603: Determine whether the distance between the UE and the NTN cell boundary is <D1. If yes, proceed to step 604; otherwise, return to step 602.

[0131] Step 604: Determine whether the UE is moving towards the TN cell. If yes, proceed to step 605; otherwise, return to step 602.

[0132] Step 605: Determine the remaining service time T of the NTN cell;

[0133] Step 606: Determine if T < T1. If yes, proceed to step 607; otherwise, return to step 605.

[0134] Step 607: The UE initiates TN cell search and measurement;

[0135] Step 608: The UE disconnects from the NTN connection and accesses the TN cell.

[0136] like Figure 7 As shown, this application embodiment provides a scenario embodiment in which an NTN cell and a TN cell share the same path to connect to a user terminal, and a handover occurs from a TN cell to an NTN cell. The application scenario of this scenario embodiment may include the following steps:

[0137] Step 701: The UE starts service in the NTN cell;

[0138] Step 702: The UE moves within the NTN cell;

[0139] Step 703: Determine whether the distance between the UE and the NTN cell boundary is <D1. If yes, proceed to step 704; otherwise, return to step 702.

[0140] Step 704: Determine whether the UE is moving towards the TN cell. If yes, proceed to step 705; otherwise, return to step 702.

[0141] Step 705: Determine the remaining service time T of the NTN cell;

[0142] Step 706: Determine if T < T2. If yes, proceed to step 707; otherwise, return to step 705.

[0143] Step 707: The UE initiates TN cell search and measurement;

[0144] Step 708: The UE accesses the TN cell via the TN path and maintains dual connectivity between NTN and TN;

[0145] Step 709: Determine if T < T3. If yes, proceed to step 710; otherwise, return to step 708.

[0146] Step 710: The UE disconnects from the NTN cell and maintains a single connection to the TN cell.

[0147] like Figure 8 As shown, this application embodiment provides a scenario embodiment in which an NTN cell and a TN cell are connected to a user terminal using different paths, and a handover occurs from an NTN cell to a TN cell. The application scenario of this scenario embodiment may include the following steps:

[0148] Step 801: The UE starts service in the TN cell;

[0149] Step 802, the UE moves within the TN cell;

[0150] Step 803: Determine whether the distance between the UE and the boundary of the adjacent NTN cell is <D2. If yes, proceed to step 804; otherwise, return to step 802.

[0151] Step 804: Determine whether the UE is moving towards the NTN cell. If yes, proceed to step 805; otherwise, return to step 802.

[0152] Step 805: Determine the signal strength S of the TN cell;

[0153] Step 806: Determine whether S < S1. If yes, proceed to step 807; otherwise, return to step 805.

[0154] Step 807: The UE initiates NTN cell search and measurement;

[0155] Step 808: The UE disconnects from the TN connection and accesses the NTN cell.

[0156] like Figure 9 As shown, this application embodiment provides a scenario embodiment in which NTN cells and TN cells are connected to the user terminal using different paths, and a handover occurs from a TN cell to an NTN cell. The application scenario of this scenario embodiment may include the following steps:

[0157] Step 901: The UE starts service in the TN cell;

[0158] Step 902, the UE moves within the TN cell;

[0159] Step 903: Determine whether the distance between the UE and the boundary of the adjacent NTN cell is <D2. If yes, proceed to step 904; otherwise, return to step 902.

[0160] Step 904: Determine whether the UE is moving towards the NTN cell. If yes, proceed to step 905; otherwise, return to step 902.

[0161] Step 905: Obtain the signal strength S of the TN cell;

[0162] Step 906: Determine if S < S2. If yes, proceed to step 907; otherwise, return to step 905.

[0163] Step 907: The UE initiates NTN cell search and measurement;

[0164] Step 908: The UE accesses the NTN cell via the NTN path and maintains dual connectivity between NTN and TN;

[0165] Step 909: Determine if S < S3. If yes, proceed to step 910; otherwise, return to step 908.

[0166] Step 910: The UE disconnects from the TN cell and maintains a single connection to the NTN cell.

[0167] The cell handover method provided in this application can be executed by a cell handover device. This application uses the cell handover method performed by the cell handover device as an example to illustrate the cell handover device provided in this application.

[0168] like Figure 10 As shown, the cell handover device 1000 may include:

[0169] The first acquisition module 1001 is used to acquire the first beam boundary position of the NTN cell and the first position of the user terminal when the serving cell of the user terminal is a non-terrestrial network NTN cell.

[0170] The first determining module 1002 is used to determine a first distance between the first position and the first beam boundary position when the first position changes;

[0171] The second determining module 1003 is used to determine the remaining service time of the NTN cell when the first distance is less than the first distance threshold and the first movement direction of the user terminal is pointing to the TN cell of the ground network.

[0172] The first handover module 1004 is used to switch the serving cell of the user terminal to a TN cell based on the remaining service time.

[0173] In this way, by combining information from three aspects—the distance between the user terminal and the first beam boundary of the NTN cell, the direction of movement of the user terminal, and the remaining service time of the NTN cell for providing services to the user terminal—the handover timing can be better controlled, improving the accuracy of the handover timing from the NTN cell to the TN cell. This shortens the search and measurement time of the TN cell, while avoiding the problem of premature NTN cell interruption caused by the user terminal searching and measuring the TN cell in advance, which would affect user throughput and increase power consumption. It also avoids the problem that the remaining service time of the user terminal in the NTN cell does not meet the TN cell search and measurement time.

[0174] In some embodiments, the cell handover device 1000 may further include:

[0175] The second acquisition module is used to acquire the first movement direction when the first distance is less than the first distance threshold.

[0176] In this way, the first distance can be calculated first, and the first direction of movement can be obtained after the first distance meets the conditions. On the one hand, this can reduce the amount of data acquired and save computing resources. On the other hand, it can reduce the risk of misjudging cell handover requirements caused by the user terminal moving along the beam boundary adjacent to the TN cell within the NTN cell.

[0177] In some embodiments, the second determining module 1003 can also be used for:

[0178] Obtain the user terminal's movement speed;

[0179] The remaining service time of the NTN cell is determined based on the moving speed and the first distance.

[0180] In this way, by using the time it takes for the user terminal to move to a position outside the first beam boundary as the basis for determining whether to switch, the risk of inaccurate switching timing caused by small differences in signal strength and measurement errors can be avoided, thereby improving the accuracy of switching time.

[0181] In some embodiments, when NTN cells and TN cells share the same path for connection to the user terminal, the first handover module 1004 can also be used for:

[0182] If the remaining service time is less than the first time threshold, search and measure TN cells;

[0183] If the search and measurement are successful, disconnect the user terminal from the NTN cell and establish a connection between the user terminal and the TN cell.

[0184] In this way, when NTN and TN cells share the same path to connect to the user terminal, it avoids premature search and measurement, which would require multiple searches and measurements of the TN cell, leading to NTN process interruptions and increased power consumption. It also avoids late search and measurement, where the user has not yet connected to the TN cell after the NTN cell has stopped providing service.

[0185] In some embodiments, when the NTN cell is connected to the user terminal via a first path and the TN cell is connected to the user terminal via a second path, the first handover module 1004 can also be used for:

[0186] If the remaining service time is less than the second time threshold, search and measure TN cells;

[0187] If the search measurement is successful, the connection between the user terminal and the TN cell is established through the second path, while the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell is maintained through the first path.

[0188] If the remaining service time is less than the third time threshold, the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell is disconnected; wherein the third time threshold is less than the second time threshold.

[0189] In this way, even when NTN and TN cells are connected to the user terminal through different channels, dual connections between NTN and TN cells can be maintained during the TN cell handover phase. Once the connection with the NTN cell is stable, the connection with the NTN cell can be disconnected, thus achieving uninterrupted handover from NTN cell to TN cell.

[0190] In some embodiments, the cell handover device 1000 may further include:

[0191] The third acquisition module is used to acquire the second beam boundary position of the NTN cell adjacent to the TN cell and the second position of the user terminal when the serving cell of the user terminal is a TN cell.

[0192] The third determining module is used to determine the second distance between the second position and the second beam boundary position when the second position changes;

[0193] The fourth determining module is used to obtain the signal strength of the TN cell when the second distance is less than the second distance threshold and the second movement direction of the user terminal is pointing towards the NTN cell;

[0194] The second handover module is used to switch the serving cell of the user terminal to the NTN cell based on signal strength.

[0195] In this way, by using information from three aspects—the distance between the user terminal and the second beam boundary of the adjacent NTN cell, the direction of movement of the user terminal, and the signal strength—the timing of the handover from the TN cell to the NTN cell can be better controlled, the search and measurement time of the user terminal for the NTN cell can be shortened, and the increased power consumption caused by the user terminal having to search and measure both TN and NTN cells at the same time can be avoided.

[0196] In some embodiments, the cell handover device 1000 may further include:

[0197] The fourth acquisition module is used to acquire the second movement direction when the second distance is less than the second distance threshold.

[0198] In this way, the second distance can be calculated first, and the second direction of movement can be obtained after the second distance meets the conditions. On the one hand, this can reduce the amount of data acquired and save computing resources. On the other hand, it can reduce the risk of misjudging cell handover requirements caused by the user terminal moving along the boundary adjacent to the NTN cell within the TN cell.

[0199] In some embodiments, when NTN cells and TN cells share the same path for connection to the user terminal, the second handover module can also be used for:

[0200] When the signal strength is less than the first signal strength threshold, search and measure NTN cells;

[0201] If the search and measurement are successful, disconnect the user terminal from the TN cell and establish a connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell.

[0202] In this way, when NTN cells and TN cells share the same path to connect to the user terminal, the timing for searching and measuring NTN cells can be accurately determined based on signal strength, thus shortening the search and measurement time of the user terminal for NTN cells.

[0203] In some embodiments, when the NTN cell is connected to the user terminal via a first path and the TN cell is connected to the user terminal via a second path, the second handover module can also be used for:

[0204] When the signal strength is less than the second signal strength threshold, search and measure NTN cells;

[0205] If the search and measurement are successful, the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell is established through the first path, while the connection between the user terminal and the TN cell is maintained through the second path.

[0206] If the signal strength is less than the third signal strength threshold, disconnect the user terminal from the TN cell; wherein the third signal strength threshold is less than the second signal strength threshold.

[0207] In this way, even when NTN and TN cells are connected to the user terminal through different channels, dual connections between NTN and TN cells can be maintained during the NTN cell handover phase, and the connection with the TN cell can be disconnected after the connection is stable, thus achieving uninterrupted handover from TN cell to NTN cell.

[0208] The cell handover device in this application embodiment can be an electronic device or a component within an electronic device, such as an integrated circuit or a chip. The electronic device can be a terminal or other devices besides a terminal. For example, the electronic device can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, PDA, in-vehicle electronic device, mobile internet device (MID), augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) device, robot, wearable device, ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), netbook, or personal digital assistant (PDA), etc. It can also be a server, network attached storage (NAS), personal computer (PC), television (TV), ATM, or self-service machine, etc. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the device.

[0209] The cell handover device in this application embodiment can be a device with an operating system. This operating system can be Android, iOS, or other possible operating systems; this application embodiment does not specifically limit it.

[0210] The cell handover device provided in this application embodiment can achieve... Figures 1 to 9 The various processes implemented in the method implementation examples will not be described again here to avoid repetition.

[0211] Optionally, such as Figure 11 As shown, this application embodiment also provides an electronic device 1100, including a processor 1101 and a memory 1102. The memory 1102 stores a program or instructions that can run on the processor 1101. When the program or instructions are executed by the processor 1101, they implement the various steps of the above-described cell handover method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, they will not be described again here.

[0212] It should be noted that the electronic devices in the embodiments of this application include the mobile electronic devices and non-mobile electronic devices described above.

[0213] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0214] The electronic device 1200 includes, but is not limited to, components such as: radio frequency unit 1201, network module 1202, audio output unit 1203, input unit 1204, sensor 1205, display unit 1206, user input unit 1207, interface unit 1208, memory 1209, and processor 1210.

[0215] Those skilled in the art will understand that the electronic device 1200 may also include a power supply (such as a battery) for supplying power to various components. The power supply may be logically connected to the processor 1210 through a power management system, thereby enabling functions such as managing charging, discharging, and power consumption through the power management system. Figure 12 The electronic device structure shown does not constitute a limitation on the electronic device. The electronic device may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements, which will not be elaborated here.

[0216] The processor 1210 can be used for:

[0217] When the serving cell of the user terminal is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) cell, obtain the first beam boundary location of the NTN cell and the first location of the user terminal.

[0218] If the first position changes, determine the first distance between the first position and the first beam boundary position;

[0219] If the first distance is less than the first distance threshold and the user terminal's first direction of movement is pointing towards the terrestrial network TN cell, determine the remaining service time of the NTN cell;

[0220] Based on the remaining service time, the serving cell of the user terminal will be switched to a TN cell.

[0221] In this way, by combining information from three aspects—the distance between the user terminal and the first beam boundary of the NTN cell, the direction of movement of the user terminal, and the remaining service time of the NTN cell for providing services to the user terminal—the handover timing can be better controlled, improving the accuracy of the handover timing from the NTN cell to the TN cell. This shortens the search and measurement time of the TN cell, while avoiding the problem of premature NTN cell interruption caused by the user terminal searching and measuring the TN cell in advance, which would affect user throughput and increase power consumption. It also avoids the problem that the remaining service time of the user terminal in the NTN cell does not meet the TN cell search and measurement time.

[0222] In some embodiments, the processor 1210 may also be used for:

[0223] If the first distance is less than the first distance threshold, obtain the first movement direction.

[0224] In this way, the first distance can be calculated first, and the first direction of movement can be obtained after the first distance meets the conditions. On the one hand, this can reduce the amount of data acquired and save computing resources. On the other hand, it can reduce the risk of misjudging cell handover requirements caused by the user terminal moving along the beam boundary adjacent to the TN cell within the NTN cell.

[0225] In some embodiments, the processor 1210 may also be used for:

[0226] Obtain the user terminal's movement speed;

[0227] The remaining service time of the NTN cell is determined based on the moving speed and the first distance.

[0228] In this way, by using the time it takes for the user terminal to move to a position outside the first beam boundary as the basis for determining whether to switch, the risk of inaccurate switching timing caused by small differences in signal strength and measurement errors can be avoided, thereby improving the accuracy of switching time.

[0229] In some embodiments, when NTN cells and TN cells share the same path for connection to the user terminal, the processor 1210 can also be used for:

[0230] If the remaining service time is less than the first time threshold, search and measure TN cells;

[0231] If the search and measurement are successful, disconnect the user terminal from the NTN cell and establish a connection between the user terminal and the TN cell.

[0232] In this way, when NTN and TN cells share the same path to connect to the user terminal, it avoids premature search and measurement, which would require multiple searches and measurements of the TN cell, leading to NTN process interruptions and increased power consumption. It also avoids late search and measurement, where the user has not yet connected to the TN cell after the NTN cell has stopped providing service.

[0233] In some embodiments, when the NTN cell is connected to the user terminal via a first path and the TN cell is connected to the user terminal via a second path, the processor 1210 can also be used for:

[0234] If the remaining service time is less than the second time threshold, search and measure TN cells;

[0235] If the search measurement is successful, the connection between the user terminal and the TN cell is established through the second path, while the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell is maintained through the first path.

[0236] If the remaining service time is less than the third time threshold, the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell is disconnected; wherein the third time threshold is less than the second time threshold.

[0237] In this way, even when NTN and TN cells are connected to the user terminal through different channels, dual connections between NTN and TN cells can be maintained during the TN cell handover phase. Once the connection with the NTN cell is stable, the connection with the NTN cell can be disconnected, thus achieving uninterrupted handover from NTN cell to TN cell.

[0238] In some embodiments, the processor 1210 may also be used for:

[0239] When the serving cell of the user terminal is a TN cell, obtain the second beam boundary position of the NTN cell adjacent to the TN cell and the second position of the user terminal;

[0240] If the second position changes, determine the second distance between the second position and the second beam boundary position;

[0241] When the second distance is less than the second distance threshold and the second movement direction of the user terminal is pointing towards the NTN cell, the signal strength of the TN cell is obtained;

[0242] Based on signal strength, the serving cell of the user terminal is switched to the NTN cell.

[0243] In this way, by using information from three aspects—the distance between the user terminal and the second beam boundary of the adjacent NTN cell, the direction of movement of the user terminal, and the signal strength—the timing of the handover from the TN cell to the NTN cell can be better controlled, the search and measurement time of the user terminal for the NTN cell can be shortened, and the increased power consumption caused by the user terminal having to search and measure both TN and NTN cells at the same time can be avoided.

[0244] In some embodiments, the processor 1210 may also be used for:

[0245] If the second distance is less than the second distance threshold, obtain the second movement direction.

[0246] In this way, the second distance can be calculated first, and the second direction of movement can be obtained after the second distance meets the conditions. On the one hand, this can reduce the amount of data acquired and save computing resources. On the other hand, it can reduce the risk of misjudging cell handover requirements caused by the user terminal moving along the boundary adjacent to the NTN cell within the TN cell.

[0247] In some embodiments, when NTN cells and TN cells share the same path for connection to the user terminal, the processor 1210 can also be used for:

[0248] When the signal strength is less than the first signal strength threshold, search and measure NTN cells;

[0249] If the search and measurement are successful, disconnect the user terminal from the TN cell and establish a connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell.

[0250] In this way, when NTN cells and TN cells share the same path to connect to the user terminal, the timing for searching and measuring NTN cells can be accurately determined based on signal strength, thus shortening the search and measurement time of the user terminal for NTN cells.

[0251] In some embodiments, when the NTN cell is connected to the user terminal via a first path and the TN cell is connected to the user terminal via a second path, the processor 1210 can also be used for:

[0252] When the signal strength is less than the second signal strength threshold, search and measure NTN cells;

[0253] If the search and measurement are successful, the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell is established through the first path, while the connection between the user terminal and the TN cell is maintained through the second path.

[0254] If the signal strength is less than the third signal strength threshold, disconnect the user terminal from the TN cell; wherein the third signal strength threshold is less than the second signal strength threshold.

[0255] In this way, even when NTN and TN cells are connected to the user terminal through different channels, dual connections between NTN and TN cells can be maintained during the NTN cell handover phase, and the connection with the TN cell can be disconnected after the connection is stable, thus achieving uninterrupted handover from TN cell to NTN cell.

[0256] It should be understood that, in this embodiment, the input unit 1204 may include a graphics processing unit (GPU) 12041 and a microphone 12042. The GPU 12041 processes image data of still images or videos obtained by an image capture device (such as a camera) in video capture mode or image capture mode. The display unit 1206 may include a display panel 12061, which may be configured in the form of a liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, or the like. The user input unit 1207 includes a touch panel 12071 and at least one of other input devices 12072. The touch panel 12071 is also called a touch screen. The touch panel 12071 may include a touch detection device and a touch controller. Other input devices 12072 may include, but are not limited to, physical keyboards, function keys (such as volume control buttons, power buttons, etc.), trackballs, mice, and joysticks, which will not be described in detail here.

[0257] The memory 1209 can be used to store software programs and various data. The memory 1209 may primarily include a first storage area for storing programs or instructions and a second storage area for storing data. The first storage area may store the operating system, application programs or instructions required for at least one function (such as sound playback, image playback, etc.). Furthermore, the memory 1209 may include volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or both. The non-volatile memory may be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDRSDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct memory bus RAM (DRRAM). The memory 1209 in this embodiment includes, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0258] Processor 1210 may include one or more processing units; optionally, processor 1210 integrates an application processor and a modem processor, wherein the application processor mainly handles operations involving the operating system, user interface, and applications, and the modem processor mainly handles wireless communication signals, such as a baseband processor. It is understood that the aforementioned modem processor may also not be integrated into processor 1210.

[0259] This application also provides a readable storage medium storing a program or instructions. When the program or instructions are executed by a processor, they implement the various processes of the above-described cell handover method embodiments and achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, they will not be described again here.

[0260] The processor is the processor in the electronic device described in the above embodiments. The readable storage medium includes computer-readable storage media, such as computer read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0261] This application embodiment also provides a chip, which includes a processor and a communication interface. The communication interface and the processor are coupled. The processor is used to run programs or instructions to implement the various processes of the above-described cell handover method embodiments and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0262] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as a system-on-a-chip, system chip, chip system, or system-on-a-chip, etc.

[0263] This application provides a computer program product, which is stored in a storage medium and executed by at least one processor to implement the various processes of the cell handover method embodiments described above, and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0264] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0265] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a computer software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) and includes several instructions to cause a terminal (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0266] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A cell handover method, characterized in that, The method includes: When the serving cell of the user terminal is a non-terrestrial network NTN cell, the first beam boundary position of the NTN cell and the first position of the user terminal are obtained. If the first position changes, determine the first distance between the first position and the first beam boundary position; If the first distance is less than the first distance threshold and the first movement direction of the user terminal is pointing towards the terrestrial network TN cell, the remaining service time of the NTN cell is determined. Based on the remaining service time, the serving cell of the user terminal is switched to the TN cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the first distance is less than the first distance threshold, the first movement direction is obtained.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the remaining service time of the NTN cell includes: Obtain the moving speed of the user terminal; The remaining service time of the NTN cell is determined based on the moving speed and the first distance.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, When the NTN cell and the TN cell share the same path to connect to the user terminal, the step of switching the serving cell of the user terminal to the TN cell based on the remaining service time includes: If the remaining service time is less than a first time threshold, the TN cell is searched and measured. If the search measurement is successful, disconnect the user terminal from the NTN cell and establish a connection between the user terminal and the TN cell.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, When the NTN cell is connected to the user terminal via a first path, and the TN cell is connected to the user terminal via a second path, the step of switching the serving cell of the user terminal to the TN cell based on the remaining service time includes: If the remaining service time is less than a second time threshold, the TN cell is searched and measured. If the search measurement is successful, the connection between the user terminal and the TN cell is established through the second path, and the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell is maintained through the first path. If the remaining service time is less than a third time threshold, the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell is disconnected; wherein the third time threshold is less than the second time threshold.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the serving cell of the user terminal is a TN cell, obtain the second beam boundary position of the NTN cell adjacent to the TN cell and the second position of the user terminal; If the second position changes, determine the second distance between the second position and the second beam boundary position; When the second distance is less than the second distance threshold and the second movement direction of the user terminal is pointing towards the NTN cell, the signal strength of the TN cell is obtained; Based on the signal strength, the serving cell of the user terminal is switched to the NTN cell.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the second distance is less than the second distance threshold, the second movement direction is obtained.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, When the NTN cell and the TN cell share the same path to connect to the user terminal, the step of switching the serving cell of the user terminal to the NTN cell based on the signal strength includes: When the signal strength is less than a first signal strength threshold, the NTN cell is searched and measured; If the search measurement is successful, disconnect the user terminal from the TN cell and establish a connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell.

9. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, When the NTN cell is connected to the user terminal via a first path, and the TN cell is connected to the user terminal via a second path, the step of switching the serving cell of the user terminal to the NTN cell based on the signal strength includes: When the signal strength is less than the second signal strength threshold, the NTN cell is searched and measured; If the search measurement is successful, the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell is established through the first path, and the connection between the user terminal and the TN cell is maintained through the second path; If the signal strength is less than a third signal strength threshold, the connection between the user terminal and the TN cell shall be disconnected; wherein the third signal strength threshold is less than the second signal strength threshold.

10. A cell handover device, characterized in that, The device includes: The first acquisition module is used to acquire the first beam boundary position of the NTN cell and the first position of the user terminal when the serving cell of the user terminal is a non-terrestrial network NTN cell. The first determining module is used to determine a first distance between the first position and the first beam boundary position when the first position changes; The second determining module is used to determine the remaining service time of the NTN cell when the first distance is less than the first distance threshold and the first movement direction of the user terminal is pointing to the terrestrial network TN cell. The first handover module is used to switch the serving cell of the user terminal to the TN cell based on the remaining service time.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that, When the NTN cell and the TN cell share the same path to connect to the user terminal, the first handover module is further configured to: If the remaining service time is less than a first time threshold, the TN cell is searched and measured. If the search measurement is successful, disconnect the user terminal from the NTN cell and establish a connection between the user terminal and the TN cell; and / or When the NTN cell is connected to the user terminal via a first path, and the TN cell is connected to the user terminal via a second path, the first handover module is further configured to: If the remaining service time is less than a second time threshold, the TN cell is searched and measured. If the search measurement is successful, the connection between the user terminal and the TN cell is established through the second path, and the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell is maintained through the first path. If the remaining service time is less than a third time threshold, the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell is disconnected; wherein the third time threshold is less than the second time threshold.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that, The device further includes: The third acquisition module is used to acquire the second beam boundary position of the NTN cell adjacent to the TN cell and the second position of the user terminal when the serving cell of the user terminal is a TN cell. The third determining module is used to determine a second distance between the second position and the second beam boundary position when the second position changes; The fourth determining module is used to obtain the signal strength of the TN cell when the second distance is less than the second distance threshold and the second movement direction of the user terminal is pointing towards the NTN cell; The second handover module is used to switch the serving cell of the user terminal to the NTN cell based on the signal strength.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that, When the NTN cell and the TN cell share the same path to connect to the user terminal, the second handover module is further configured to: When the signal strength is less than a first signal strength threshold, the NTN cell is searched and measured; If the search measurement is successful, disconnect the user terminal from the TN cell and establish a connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell; and / or When the NTN cell is connected to the user terminal via a first path, and the TN cell is connected to the user terminal via a second path, the second handover module is further configured to: When the signal strength is less than the second signal strength threshold, the NTN cell is searched and measured; If the search measurement is successful, the connection between the user terminal and the NTN cell is established through the first path, and the connection between the user terminal and the TN cell is maintained through the second path; If the signal strength is less than a third signal strength threshold, the connection between the user terminal and the TN cell shall be disconnected; wherein the third signal strength threshold is less than the second signal strength threshold.

14. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program or instructions that can run on the processor, the program or instructions being executed by the processor to implement the steps of the method as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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