Data service processing method and network equipment for multi-satellite scene

Abstract

The invention provides a data service processing method and network equipment for a multi-satellite scene, and relates to the technical field of communication, and the data service processing method applied to a first mobility management entity on a satellite comprises the following steps: receiving a downlink data notification message, the downlink data notification message is used for indicating a mobility management entity to transmit downlink data to a target terminal device; determining a target mobility management entity for processing the downlink data, the target mobility management entity being the first mobility management entity, or the target mobility management entity being the second mobility management entity; the target mobility management entity is one of a plurality of on-satellite mobility management entities, except the first mobility management entity, providing services for the target terminal equipment. According to the embodiment of the invention, the communication efficiency of the store-and-forward operation in a multi-satellite service scene can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a data service processing method applied in a multi-satellite scenario and a network device for performing the method. Background Technology

[0002] Current 3GPP standards and specifications face limitations in terrestrial gateway deployment due to various factors, resulting in insufficient coverage for transparent forwarding between satellites and terrestrial networks and terminal equipment. NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) supports a satellite regeneration mode, where base stations and / or (partial) core network functions are deployed to satellites to reduce dependence on terrestrial networks, offering flexible networking and reduced communication latency. Furthermore, considering the potential intermittent / temporary unavailability of satellite-terrestrial connections, for latency-tolerant / latency-insensitive services, satellites can provide store-and-forward operations. This means the satellite receives and stores data, then forwards it when the link connection becomes available.

[0003] In multi-satellite service scenarios under satellite regeneration mode, for low- and medium-Earth orbit satellites, service links / feeder links are not always available and their availability time is uncertain. Store-and-forward operations may lead to increased communication latency and lower communication efficiency. Therefore, improving the communication efficiency of store-and-forward operations in multi-satellite service scenarios has become a challenge.

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

[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a data service processing method and a network device for executing the method in a multi-satellite service scenario, in order to solve the problem of low communication efficiency of store-and-forward operations in a multi-satellite service scenario.

[0006] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a data service processing method for a multi-satellite scenario is provided, applied to a first on-board mobility management entity, comprising: receiving a downlink data notification message, the downlink data notification message being used to instruct the mobility management entity to transmit downlink data to a target terminal device; determining a target mobility management entity for processing the downlink data, the target mobility management entity being the first mobility management entity, or the target mobility management entity being one of a plurality of on-board mobility management entities providing services to the target terminal device.

[0007] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, determining the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data includes: establishing communication with multiple on-board mobility management entities to obtain ephemeris information of the multiple on-board mobility management entities; and determining the target mobility management entity based on the ephemeris information of the multiple on-board mobility management entities.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, determining the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data includes: sending a data acquisition request to a synchronization system to acquire ephemeris information of multiple on-board mobility management entities from the synchronization system, wherein the synchronization system connects to the multiple on-board mobility management entities; and determining the target mobility management entity based on the ephemeris information of the multiple on-board mobility management entities.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, determining the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data includes: sending an entity selection request to a synchronization system, so that the synchronization system determines the target mobility management entity from among multiple on-board mobility management entities according to the entity selection request, wherein the synchronization system connects multiple on-board mobility management entities; receiving an entity designation message from the synchronization system, and determining the target mobility management entity according to the entity designation message.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, determining the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data includes: determining the waiting time required for each mobility management entity to provide services to the target terminal device; and determining the mobility management entity with the shortest waiting time as the target mobility management entity.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, determining the waiting time required for each mobility management entity to provide services to the target terminal device includes: determining the load and available resources of each mobility management entity; and determining the waiting time required for each mobility management entity to provide services to the target terminal device based on the load and available resources.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, determining the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data further includes: determining the target mobility management entity based on all or part of the following information for each mobility management entity: ephemeris information of the mobility management entity serving the target terminal device, location information of the target terminal device, and gateway location information.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the sender of the downlink data notification message is a terrestrial service gateway, and the method further includes: sending a response message to the terrestrial service gateway for the downlink data notification message.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the target mobility management entity is a first mobility management entity, and the method further includes: receiving and storing downlink data, and sending the downlink data to the target terminal device when the service link is available.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the target mobility management entity is a first mobility management entity, and the response message includes the buffering duration for downlink data and / or, indication information from the target mobility management entity.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the target mobility management entity is a second mobility management entity, and the response message includes the buffering duration for downlink data and / or, indication information from the target mobility management entity.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the target mobility management entity is a second mobility management entity, and the method further includes: sending a downlink data processing message to the second mobility management entity, the downlink data processing message including information of the target terminal device, and / or, the downlink data processing message including information of the sender of the downlink data notification message.

[0018] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a data service processing method is provided, executed by a terrestrial network device, comprising: when it is determined that downlink data needs to be sent to a target terminal device through an on-board mobility management entity, sending a downlink data notification message corresponding to the target terminal device to a first mobility management entity.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the terrestrial network device is a terrestrial service gateway, and the method further includes: receiving downlink data from a packet data network gateway and buffering it.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: determining a first mobility management entity among a plurality of on-board mobility management entities.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: receiving a response message corresponding to a downlink data notification message; determining a target mobility management entity for processing downlink data based on the response message, wherein the target mobility management entity is a first mobility management entity or a second mobility management entity; and transmitting downlink data to the target mobility management entity.

[0022] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a data service processing method is provided, applied to an on-board second mobility management entity, comprising: receiving a downlink data processing message, the downlink data processing message including information of a target terminal device, and / or, the downlink data processing message including information of the sender of a downlink data notification message, the downlink data notification message corresponding to the target terminal device; and sending a response message to the sender of the downlink data notification message, the response message including a bearer modification message.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: receiving and storing downlink data, and sending the downlink data to a target terminal device when a service link is available.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the sender of the downlink data notification message includes a terrestrial service gateway, and sending a response message to the sender of the downlink data notification message includes: sending a bearer modification message to the terrestrial service gateway; and establishing a bearer with the terrestrial service gateway.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, sending downlink data to a target terminal device includes: sending downlink data to the target terminal device via a non-access stratum protocol data unit.

[0026] According to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a network device is provided, including an on-board mobility management entity, which is configured to perform a data service processing method applied to a first on-board mobility management entity as described in any of the foregoing embodiments, or to perform a data service processing method applied to a second on-board mobility management entity as described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0027] According to a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a network device is provided for performing a data service processing method performed by a terrestrial network device as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0028] According to a sixth aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a program stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, implements the data service processing method as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0029] According to a seventh aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0030] This embodiment of the present disclosure improves the communication efficiency of store-and-forward operations in multi-satellite service scenarios by having a first mobility management entity receive a downlink data notification message corresponding to a target terminal device and determine the target mobility management entity to process the downlink data from among multiple mobility management entities, rather than directly processing the downlink data.

[0031] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0032] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0033] Figure 1A and Figure 1BThis is a schematic diagram of the communication network architecture used in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a data service processing method for multi-satellite scenarios in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0035] Figure 3A and Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram of step S2 in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0036] Figure 4A and Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram of step S2 in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0037] Figure 5A and Figure 5B This is a schematic diagram of step S2 in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0038] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a data service processing method applied to terrestrial network equipment in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0039] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of a data service processing method applied to a second mobility management entity on a satellite in this embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of a downlink data service process for a multi-satellite scenario in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0041] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided to make this disclosure more comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the concept of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to give a full understanding of embodiments of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this disclosure can be practiced with one or more of the specific details omitted, or other methods, components, apparatus, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known technical solutions are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this disclosure.

[0042] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure, and the same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, thus repeated descriptions of them will be omitted. Some block diagrams shown in the drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities may be implemented in software, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0043] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] Figure 1A and Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram of the communication network architecture used in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0045] in, Figure 1A It is a network architecture that supports downlink control plane CIoT EPS optimized data transmission. Figure 1B This is a diagram of the NTN architecture in satellite regeneration mode.

[0046] The technical solutions of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used to... Figure 1B The satellite architecture shown is a regenerative mode. Specifically, it supports a network architecture that optimizes data transmission for the downlink control plane CIoT EPS (Evolved Packet System) control plane function optimization scheme for the Cellular Internet of Things, as shown below. Figure 1A As shown.

[0047] refer to Figure 1A The communication network architecture 100 mainly includes a terrestrial network element 11, a satellite network element 12, and a terminal device 13, where the terminal device 13 is also called a user equipment (UE). The terrestrial network element 11 is connected to the terminal device 13 through the satellite network element 12. The terrestrial network element 11 and the satellite network element 12 communicate wirelessly, and the satellite network element 12 and the terminal device 13 communicate wirelessly.

[0048] The terrestrial network element 11 includes a Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW) and a Serving Gateway (S-GW), while the satellite network element 12 includes an Onboard Mobility Management Entity (MME) and an E-UTRAN.

[0049] The Packet Data Network Gateway 11 (P-GW) serves as the gateway for user data entering the PDN (Packet Data Network), handling the data flow between external networks (such as the Internet) and user equipment. The Ground Service Gateway 22 (S-GW) handles the data flow between the eNB (base station) and user equipment (UE). The S-GW and P-GW together constitute the user data transmission path. The S-GW acts as an intermediate node between the eNB and P-GW, responsible for local data routing and forwarding, while the P-GW serves as the exit point to the external network, handling functions related to the external network.

[0050] The Mobility Management Entity (MME) is a core control node in the LTE network, primarily responsible for handling signaling related to user equipment mobility and connectivity management. In satellite regeneration mode, an on-board Mobility Management Entity 121 is deployed on the satellite. This on-board MME is responsible for managing the mobility and connectivity of user equipment across different satellite services, performing operations such as user equipment location tracking, handover management, authentication and authorization, signaling management, and quality of service management.

[0051] Radio Access Network 122, or E-UTRAN (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network), is the radio access portion of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, connecting the core network and User Equipment (UE).

[0052] It is understood that the number of packet data network gateway 111, ground service gateway 112, onboard mobility management entity 121, and radio access network 122 in Figure 1 is only an example. In actual applications, the number of various devices can be set according to requirements.

[0053] refer to Figure 1A and Figure 1BIn satellite regeneration mode, the packet data network gateway 111, the ground service gateway 112, and the on-board mobility management entity 121 located on the satellite jointly undertake the functions of the LTE network EPC (Evolved Packet Core), and the radio access network 122 (E-UTRAN) is located on the satellite. The radio access network 122 includes radio access network equipment (e.g., evolved NodeBs, eNodeBs / eNBs). The satellite has both radio access network equipment and the on-board mobility management entity 121, meaning that the satellite-based network element 12 can implement eNB and some EPC functions. The satellite-based network element 12 communicates with the ground network element 11 through the NTN gateway station 14, and the ground network element 11 provides IP services through the SGi interface.

[0054] Continue to refer to Figure 1A In some embodiments of this disclosure, in a multi-satellite service scenario, during downlink data transmission, the Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW) transmits downlink data from an external network to the Ground Service Gateway (GGG). After receiving and buffering the downlink data sent by the P-GW, the GGG determines the target terminal device 13 (UE / User Equipment) corresponding to the downlink data. It then selects one of the multiple on-board mobility management entities (MMEs) that can serve the target terminal device 13 and sends a downlink data notification message to the target terminal device 13 through the store-and-forward function of the MME.

[0055] The onboard mobility management entity 121 transmits the received data to the terminal device 13 via the radio access network 122. Specifically, the radio access network 122 is connected to the onboard mobility management entity 121 (MME) via the S1 interface (S1-MME connection in Figure 1), and the radio access network 122 is connected to the user equipment / terminal device 13 (UE) via the Uu interface (LET-Uu in Figure 1).

[0056] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a data service processing method for multi-satellite scenarios in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0057] In this embodiment of the disclosure, method 200 is performed by Figure 1AThe on-board mobility management entity 121 executes the method 200 as a first mobility management entity, since it is applied to a multi-satellite service scenario. That is, when an on-board mobility management entity receives a downlink data notification message, it executes the method 200 as the first mobility management entity.

[0058] refer to Figure 2 The data service processing method 200 for multi-satellite scenarios may include:

[0059] Step S1: Receive downlink data notification message. The downlink data notification message is used to instruct the mobility management entity to transmit downlink data to the target terminal device.

[0060] Step S2: Determine the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data. The target mobility management entity is either the first mobility management entity or one of a plurality of on-board mobility management entities that provide services to the target terminal device, excluding the first mobility management entity.

[0061] In some embodiments, the downlink data notification message comes from the ground network element 11, such as the Serving Gateway 112 (S-GW) of the ground network element 11, to notify the on-board mobility management entity to receive downlink data, perform store-and-forward operations on the downlink data, and send the downlink data to the target terminal device.

[0062] This embodiment of the disclosure improves the communication efficiency of store-and-forward operations in multi-satellite service scenarios by having a first mobility management entity receive a downlink data notification message corresponding to a target terminal device and determine the target mobility management entity to process the downlink data from among multiple mobility management entities, rather than directly processing the downlink data.

[0063] Hereinafter, several exemplary embodiments of method 200 will be described in detail.

[0064] In step S2, the first mobility management entity MME#i is used to determine the target mobility management entity. Determining is different from deciding. In fact, the target mobility management entity can be determined by the first mobility management entity MME#i or by the synchronization system that connects multiple on-board mobility management entities. If it is determined by the synchronization system, the synchronization system sends the decision result (the information of the target mobility management entity) to the first mobility management entity MME#i so that the first mobility management entity MME#i can determine whether the target mobility management entity is itself.

[0065] Figure 3A and Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram of step S2 in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0066] refer to Figure 3A and Figure 3B In some embodiments, the first mobility management entity MME#i establishes communication with multiple on-board mobility management entities (MME#j, MME#k, where i, j, and k are sequence numbers) to obtain the ephemeris information of the multiple on-board mobility management entities (the first mobility management entity MME#i knows its own ephemeris information) (other information may also be obtained). Then, the first mobility management entity MME#i determines the target mobility management entity based on the ephemeris information of the multiple on-board mobility management entities (including the first mobility management entity MME#i itself).

[0067] In some embodiments, the first mobility management entity MME#i determines the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data by: determining the waiting time required for each mobility management entity to provide services to the target terminal device; and determining the mobility management entity with the shortest waiting time as the target mobility management entity.

[0068] In an exemplary embodiment, determining the waiting time required for each mobility management entity to provide services to the target terminal device may include: determining the load and available resources of each mobility management entity; and determining the waiting time required for each mobility management entity to provide services to the target terminal device based on the load and available resources.

[0069] In an exemplary embodiment, the first mobility management entity (MME#i) determining the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data may further include: determining the target mobility management entity based on all or part of the following information for each mobility management entity: ephemeris information of the mobility management entity capable of serving the target terminal device, location information of the target terminal device, and gateway station location information. The above information is merely an example; in practical applications, other information may also be used to determine the target mobility management entity.

[0070] exist Figure 3A and Figure 3BIn the illustrated embodiment, after receiving a downlink data notification message from ground network element 11, the first mobility management entity MME#i can establish communication with multiple on-board mobility management entities (MME#j, MME#k) to obtain ephemeris information (or other information) of the multiple on-board mobility management entities. Then, based on the downlink data notification message, it determines the information of the target terminal device (e.g., including location information, identifier, etc.), and determines one or more on-board mobility management entities that can provide services to the target terminal device. Based on the ephemeris information, load, available resources, location information of the target terminal device, gateway location information, and other required information of the on-board mobility management entities that can provide services to the target terminal device, the on-board mobility management entity that can process the downlink data with the highest efficiency (e.g., the shortest required waiting time) is determined as the target mobility management entity.

[0071] Since the first mobility management entity MME#i does not directly process downlink data, but instead determines the on-board mobility management entity that can process the downlink data most efficiently as the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data, it can avoid the problem of the first mobility management entity MME#i receiving the downlink data notification message having too long a waiting time for processing downlink data due to unavailable link connections, high load, and limited available resources. It also avoids the reduction in communication efficiency caused by the ground network element 11 not being able to fully understand the satellites transmitting information in multi-satellite service scenarios.

[0072] The target mobility management entity that can process this downlink data with the highest efficiency may be the first mobility management entity MME#i itself, or it may be other on-board mobility management entities.

[0073] refer to Figure 3A In some embodiments, the first mobility management entity MME#i determines that it is processing downlink data, i.e., the target mobility management entity is the first mobility management entity MME#i. The first mobility management entity MME#i sends a response message to the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., terrestrial network element 11 / terrestrial service gateway 112). The response message at least informs the sender of the downlink data notification message that the first mobility management entity MME#i has received the downlink data notification message.

[0074] In an exemplary embodiment, the response message includes a Downlink Data Notification ACK, the sender of which is the terrestrial service gateway 112, and the first mobility management entity MME#i sends a response message to the terrestrial service gateway 112 regarding the Downlink Data Notification ACK.

[0075] In an exemplary embodiment, the first mobility management entity MME#i, considering factors such as limited on-board storage and processing resources, may set the response message to include a downlink data caching duration (DL Buffering Duration field, downlink data caching duration field) to instruct the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., ground service gateway 112) to cache the downlink data according to the caching duration, so that the first mobility management entity MME#i can receive downlink data again in the future.

[0076] In an exemplary embodiment, the first mobility management entity MME#i may set the response message to include indication information of the target mobility management entity to instruct the sender of the downlink data notification message to have the downlink data processed by the first mobility management entity MME#i.

[0077] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the response message includes a bearer modification request, which includes indication information from the target mobility management entity to instruct the sender of the downlink data notification message to have the downlink data processed by the first mobility management entity MME#i, and to receive downlink data based on the sender's response to the bearer modification request.

[0078] The response message may also include the buffering duration for downlink data and indications of the target mobility management entity. Additionally, the response message may include other information.

[0079] After receiving the response message, the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., terrestrial network element 11 / terrestrial service gateway 112) determines the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data as the first mobility management entity MME#i and sends downlink data to the first mobility management entity MME#i.

[0080] The first mobility management entity (MME#i) receives and stores the downlink data, and then forwards the downlink data to the target terminal device when the service link becomes available.

[0081] refer to Figure 3B In some embodiments, the first mobility management entity MME#i determines that other on-board mobility management entities are processing downlink data, i.e., the target mobility management entity is the second mobility management entity MME#j. The second mobility management entity MME#j sends a bearer modification request to the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., ground network element 11 / ground service gateway 112) to establish a bearer, receives and stores downlink data, and distributes the downlink data to the target terminal device when the service link is available.

[0082] In this embodiment, the first mobility management entity MME#i can also send a response message to the sender of the downlink data notification message. In an exemplary embodiment, the response message includes a downlink data notification (ACK), where the sender of the downlink data notification message is a ground network element 11, such as a ground serving gateway 112. The first mobility management entity MME#i sends a response message to the ground serving gateway 112 regarding the downlink data notification message. The response message at least informs the ground serving gateway 112 that the first mobility management entity MME#i has received the downlink data notification message.

[0083] In an exemplary embodiment, when the first mobility management entity MME#i determines that the target mobility management entity is the second mobility management entity MME#j, it determines the waiting time for the second mobility management entity MME#j to process downlink data. It can set the response message to include the buffer duration for downlink data, so as to instruct the ground network element 11 to buffer the downlink data according to the buffer duration, so that the second mobility management entity MME#j can receive downlink data in the future.

[0084] In an exemplary embodiment, the first mobility management entity MME#i may be configured to include indication information of the target mobility management entity in the response message, so as to instruct the ground network element 11 to have the downlink data processed by the second mobility management entity MME#j.

[0085] In other embodiments, the first mobility management entity MME#i may not set the indication information of the target mobility management entity in the response message. Instead, the target mobility management entity informs the ground network element 11 itself, that is, the indication information of the target mobility management entity is carried in the Modify bearer Request message sent by the second mobility management entity MME#j, indicating that it will handle the downlink data.

[0086] The response message may also include the buffering duration for downlink data and indications of the target mobility management entity. Additionally, the response message may include other information.

[0087] In an exemplary embodiment, when the target mobility management entity is the second mobility management entity MME#j, the first mobility management entity MME#i sends a downlink data processing message to the second mobility management entity MME#j to notify the second mobility management entity MME#j to process downlink data. The second downlink data processing message may include information about the target terminal device, and / or, the downlink data processing message may include information about the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., the terrestrial service gateway 112).

[0088] Upon receiving the downlink data processing message, the second mobility management entity MME#j sends a Modify bearer Request to the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., ground service gateway 112) to establish a bearer relationship with the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., ground service gateway 112) in order to receive and store the downlink data and then distribute the downlink data to the target terminal device when the service link is available.

[0089] In some embodiments, the first mobility management entity MME#i can also obtain ephemeris information of other on-board mobility management entities through a synchronization system, without having to establish communication with multiple on-board mobility management entities in real time.

[0090] Figure 4A and Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram of step S2 in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0091] refer to Figure 4A and Figure 4B In some embodiments, after receiving a downlink data notification message, the first mobility management entity MME#i sends a data acquisition request to the synchronization system 15 to obtain ephemeris information (or other information) of multiple on-board mobility management entities (e.g., MME#i, MME#j, MME#k) from the synchronization system 15. Then, the first mobility management entity MME#i determines the target mobility management entity based on the ephemeris information of the multiple on-board mobility management entities.

[0092] The synchronization system 15 connects to multiple on-board mobility management entities, periodically or in response to control commands to acquire ephemeris information of multiple on-board mobility management entities (and may also acquire other information), and after receiving a data acquisition request from the first mobility management entity MME#i, sends the ephemeris information of multiple on-board mobility management entities to the first mobility management entity MME#i.

[0093] The first mobility management entity, MME#i, determines the target mobility management entity based on the ephemeris information of multiple on-board mobility management entities.

[0094] In some embodiments, the first mobility management entity MME#i determines the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data by: determining the waiting time required for each mobility management entity to provide services to the target terminal device; and determining the mobility management entity with the shortest waiting time as the target mobility management entity.

[0095] In an exemplary embodiment, determining the waiting time required for each mobility management entity to provide services to the target terminal device may include: determining the load and available resources of each mobility management entity; and determining the waiting time required for each mobility management entity to provide services to the target terminal device based on the load and available resources.

[0096] In an exemplary embodiment, the first mobility management entity (MME#i) determining the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data may further include: determining the target mobility management entity based on all or part of the following information for each mobility management entity: ephemeris information of the mobility management entity capable of serving the target terminal device, location information of the target terminal device, and gateway station location information. The above information is merely an example; in practical applications, other information may also be used to determine the target mobility management entity.

[0097] exist Figure 4A and Figure 4B In the illustrated embodiment, the first mobility management entity MME#i can, after acquiring ephemeris information from multiple on-board mobility management entities, determine the information of the target terminal device (e.g., location information, identifier, etc.) based on the downlink data notification message, identify one or more on-board mobility management entities capable of providing services to the target terminal device, and, based on the ephemeris information, load, available resources, location information of the target terminal device, gateway location information, and other required information of the on-board mobility management entities capable of providing services to the target terminal device, determine the on-board mobility management entity capable of processing the downlink data with the highest efficiency (e.g., the shortest required waiting time) as the target mobility management entity.

[0098] The target mobility management entity that can process this downlink data with the highest efficiency may be the first mobility management entity MME#i itself, or it may be other on-board mobility management entities.

[0099] refer to Figure 4A In some embodiments, the first mobility management entity MME#i determines that it processes downlink data, that is, the target mobility management entity is the first mobility management entity MME#i, and the first mobility management entity MME#i sends a response message to the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., terrestrial network element 11 / terrestrial service gateway 112). Figure 4A The response message shown in the example and Figure 3A The response messages shown in the examples are the same and will not be described again here.

[0100] After receiving the response message, the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., terrestrial network element 11 / terrestrial service gateway 112) determines the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data as the first mobility management entity MME#i and sends downlink data to the first mobility management entity MME#i.

[0101] The first mobility management entity (MME#i) receives and stores the downlink data, and then forwards the downlink data to the target terminal device when the service link becomes available.

[0102] refer to Figure 4B In some embodiments, the first mobility management entity MME#i determines that other on-board mobility management entities are processing downlink data, i.e., the target mobility management entity is the second mobility management entity MME#j. The second mobility management entity MME#j sends a bearer modification request to the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., ground network element 11 / ground service gateway 112) to establish a bearer, receives and stores downlink data, and distributes the downlink data to the target terminal device when the service link is available.

[0103] In some embodiments, the Modifybearer Request sent by the second Mobility Management Entity MME#j carries indication information of the target Mobility Management Entity, indicating that the downlink data shall be processed by the second Mobility Management Entity MME#j.

[0104] When the target mobility management entity is the second mobility management entity MME#j, the first mobility management entity MME#i can also send a response message to the sender of the downlink data notification message. Figure 4B The response message shown in the example and Figure 3B The response messages shown in the examples are the same and will not be described again here.

[0105] In an exemplary embodiment, when the target mobility management entity is the second mobility management entity MME#j, the first mobility management entity MME#i sends a downlink data processing message to the second mobility management entity MME#j to notify the second mobility management entity MME#j to process downlink data. The downlink data processing message may include information about the target terminal device, and / or, the downlink data processing message may include information about the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., the terrestrial service gateway 112).

[0106] Upon receiving the downlink data processing message, the second mobility management entity MME#j sends a Modify bearer Request to the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., ground service gateway 112) to establish a bearer relationship with the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., ground service gateway 112) in order to receive and store the downlink data and then distribute the downlink data to the target terminal device when the service link is available.

[0107] In addition to providing ephemeris information for multiple on-board mobility management entities, the synchronization system 15 can also determine the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data. Finally, it sends the information of the target mobility management entity to the first mobility management entity MME#i so that the first mobility management entity MME#i can determine the target mobility management entity.

[0108] Figure 5A and Figure 5B This is a schematic diagram of step S2 in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0109] refer to Figure 5A and Figure 5B In some embodiments, after receiving a downlink data notification message, the first mobility management entity MME#i sends an entity selection request to the synchronization system 15 so that the synchronization system 15 determines the target mobility management entity among multiple on-board mobility management entities according to the entity selection request. Then, the first mobility management entity MME#i receives an entity designation message from the synchronization system 15 and determines the target mobility management entity according to the entity designation message.

[0110] Synchronization system 15 connects to multiple on-board mobility management entities, periodically or in response to control commands to obtain ephemeris information (or other information) of multiple on-board mobility management entities (e.g., MME#i, MME#j, MME#k), and after receiving an entity selection request from the first mobility management entity MME#i, it determines the target mobility management entity based on the ephemeris information of the multiple on-board mobility management entities.

[0111] In some embodiments, the synchronization system 15 determines the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data by: determining the waiting time required for each mobility management entity to provide services to the target terminal device; and determining the mobility management entity with the shortest waiting time as the target mobility management entity.

[0112] In an exemplary embodiment, determining the waiting time required for each mobility management entity to provide services to the target terminal device may include: determining the load and available resources of each mobility management entity; and determining the waiting time required for each mobility management entity to provide services to the target terminal device based on the load and available resources.

[0113] In an exemplary embodiment, the synchronization system 15 may further determine the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data by: determining the target mobility management entity based on all or part of the following information for each mobility management entity: ephemeris information of the mobility management entity capable of serving the target terminal device, location information of the target terminal device, and gateway station location information. The above information is merely an example; in practical applications, other information may also be used to determine the target mobility management entity.

[0114] exist Figure 5A and Figure 5B In the illustrated embodiment, after receiving the entity selection request from the first mobility management entity MME#i, the synchronization system 15 can determine the information of the target terminal device (including location information, identifier, etc.) based on the downlink data notification message, determine one or more on-board mobility management entities that can provide services to the target terminal device, and determine the on-board mobility management entity that can process the downlink data with the highest efficiency (e.g., the shortest required waiting time) as the target mobility management entity based on the ephemeris information, load, available resources, location information of the target terminal device, gateway station location information, and other required information of the on-board mobility management entity that can provide services to the target terminal device.

[0115] The target mobility management entity that can process this downlink data with the highest efficiency may be the first mobility management entity MME#i, or it may be another on-board mobility management entity.

[0116] refer to Figure 5A In some embodiments, the synchronization system 15 determines the target mobility management entity as a first mobility management entity MME#i and informs the first mobility management entity MME#i in an entity designation message sent to the first mobility management entity MME#i.

[0117] The first mobility management entity MME#i determines itself to process downlink data based on the entity-specified message and sends a response message to the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., terrestrial network element 11 / terrestrial service gateway 112). Figure 5A The response message shown in the example and Figure 3A The response messages shown in the examples are the same and will not be described again here.

[0118] After receiving the response message, the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., terrestrial network element 11 / terrestrial service gateway 112) determines the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data as the first mobility management entity MME#i and sends downlink data to the first mobility management entity MME#i.

[0119] The first mobility management entity (MME#i) receives and stores the downlink data, and then forwards the downlink data to the target terminal device when the service link becomes available.

[0120] refer to Figure 5BIn some embodiments, the synchronization system 15 determines that the target mobility management entity is a second mobility management entity MME#j, informs the target mobility management entity of its identity as the second mobility management entity MME#j in an entity designation message sent to the first mobility management entity MME#i, and sends a downlink data processing message to the second mobility management entity MME#j, instructing the second mobility management entity MME#j to process downlink data. The downlink data processing message may include information about the target terminal device, and / or, the downlink data processing message may include information about the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., the terrestrial service gateway 112).

[0121] Upon receiving the downlink data processing message, the second mobility management entity MME#j sends a Modify bearer Request to the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., ground service gateway 112) to establish a bearer relationship with the sender of the downlink data notification message (e.g., ground service gateway 112) in order to receive and store the downlink data and then distribute the downlink data to the target terminal device when the service link is available.

[0122] In an exemplary embodiment, the Modifybearer Request sent by the second mobility management entity MME#j carries indication information of the target mobility management entity, indicating that the downlink data shall be processed by the second mobility management entity MME#j.

[0123] When the target mobility management entity is the second mobility management entity MME#j, the first mobility management entity MME#i can also send a response message to the sender of the downlink data notification message. Figure 5B The response message shown in the example and Figure 3B The response messages shown in the examples are the same and will not be described again here.

[0124] In an exemplary embodiment, when the first mobility management entity MME#i receives a downlink data notification message sent by the S-GW, it determines whether to process the downlink data. If so, it receives and stores the downlink data, and sends the data to the target terminal device (UE) when the service link becomes available.

[0125] If another mobility management entity (the second mobility management entity MME#j) processes downlink data, the first mobility management entity MME#i determines the required buffering time for the downlink data to be cached by the S-GW, replies to the S-GW with the buffering time, and informs the S-GW that the second mobility management entity MME#j will process the downlink data. The second mobility management entity MME#j, knowing it needs to send downlink data to the target terminal device (UE), establishes a data channel with the S-GW, receives and stores the downlink data sent by the S-GW, and then sends the data to the target terminal device (UE) when the service link becomes available.

[0126] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a data service processing method applied to terrestrial network equipment in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0127] refer to Figure 6 The data service processing method 600 is executed by the terrestrial network equipment, including:

[0128] Step S61: When it is determined that downlink data needs to be sent to the target terminal device through the on-board mobility management entity, a downlink data notification message corresponding to the target terminal device is sent to the first mobility management entity.

[0129] Terrestrial network equipment can be various devices capable of wireless communication with satellite network elements, such as... Figure 1A The equipment in the terrestrial network element 11.

[0130] In an exemplary embodiment, the terrestrial network device is Figure 1A In the terrestrial service gateway 112 (S-GW), method 600 further includes: step S60, receiving downlink data from packet data network gateway 111 (P-GW) and buffering it.

[0131] In an exemplary embodiment, step S61 further includes: determining a first mobility management entity among a plurality of on-board mobility management entities.

[0132] The terrestrial network equipment may use various methods to determine the first mobility management entity. For example, the mobility management entity that most recently established a bearer relationship may be determined as the first mobility management entity, or one of a number of on-board mobility management entities that can serve the target terminal equipment and establish a bearer relationship may be randomly determined as the first mobility management entity.

[0133] In an exemplary embodiment, method 600 further includes:

[0134] Step S62: Receive the response message corresponding to the downlink data notification message;

[0135] Step S63: Determine the target mobility management entity for processing downlink data based on the response message. The target mobility management entity is either the first mobility management entity or the second mobility management entity.

[0136] Step S64: Transmit downlink data to the target mobility management entity.

[0137] During the execution of method 600 by the terrestrial network equipment, the interaction with the first mobility management entity or the second mobility management entity and the data processing can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 3A to Figure 5B The embodiments shown are not described in detail here.

[0138] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of a data service processing method applied to a second mobility management entity on a satellite in this embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0139] refer to Figure 7 The data service processing method 700 is applied to the second mobility management entity on the satellite, which is the target mobility management entity in method 100.

[0140] Method 700 may include:

[0141] Step S71: Receive a downlink data processing message. The downlink data processing message includes information about the target terminal device, and / or the downlink data processing message includes information about the sender of the downlink data notification message, and the downlink data notification message corresponds to the target terminal device.

[0142] Step S72: Send a response message to the sender of the downlink data notification message. The response message includes a bearer modification message.

[0143] In an exemplary embodiment, the sender of the downlink data notification message includes the terrestrial service gateway 112 (S-GW), and step S72 includes: step S721, sending a bearer modification message to the terrestrial service gateway; step S722, establishing a bearer with the terrestrial service gateway.

[0144] In an exemplary embodiment, method 700 may further include: step S73, receiving and storing downlink data, and sending the downlink data to a target terminal device when a service link is available.

[0145] In an exemplary embodiment, step S73 may include: sending downlink data to the target terminal device via a Non-Access Stratum Protocol Data Unit (NAS PDU).

[0146] The steps performed by the second mobility management entity MME#j have already been... Figure 3A to Figure 5B The corresponding embodiments are described in detail and will not be repeated here.

[0147] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of a downlink data service process for a multi-satellite scenario in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0148] Combination Figure 3A to Figure 5B In an exemplary embodiment, the downlink data service process for a multi-satellite scenario, including methods 100, 600, and 700, may include the following steps:

[0149] Step S01: The S-GW receives and buffers the downlink data sent by the P-GW. The S-GW selects one MME (MME#i) from among multiple MMEs that can serve the target UE.

[0150] Step S02: The S-GW sends a downlink data notification message to the MME#i set on satellite #i. If the MME#i selected by the S-GW processes the downlink data, proceed to step S03; otherwise, proceed to step S06.

[0151] Step S03: MME#i determines how to process downlink data (specifically, by obtaining ephemeris information of multiple MMEs that can serve the UE through the synchronization system, and then determining the ephemeris information, the location of the target UE, the location of the gateway station, etc.).

[0152] Step S04: MME#i returns a response message (Downlink data Notification ACK) to S-GW.

[0153] In step S05, the S-GW sends downlink data to the MME#i according to the response message. The MME#i receives and stores the downlink data sent by the S-GW. When the service link is available, the MME#i pages the target UE and establishes a connection, and sends the downlink data to the target UE.

[0154] Step S06: MME#i learns that MME#j set on satellite#j processes downlink data (specifically, for example, by obtaining ephemeris information of multiple MMEs that can serve the target UE through the synchronization system, and then determining the target UE based on the ephemeris information, the location of the target UE, the location of the gateway station, etc.).

[0155] Step S07: MME#i determines the time that the S-GW needs to cache downlink data, and then returns a response message / Downlink Data Notification ACK to the S-GW. The response message / Downlink Data Notification ACK includes the caching duration that the S-GW needs to cache downlink data, as well as the indication information of the target MME (i.e., MME#j), informing the S-GW that the downlink data will be processed by MME#j.

[0156] Step S08: When MME#j learns that it needs to send downlink data to the target UE (learning by means of, for example, through a synchronization system), MME#j sends a Modify Bearer Request to the S-GW.

[0157] In step S09, after receiving the bearer modification request, the S-GW sends a bearer modification response to MME#j, and MME#j establishes an S11-U connection with the S-GW.

[0158] During this process, the S-GW and P-GW exchange Modify Bearer Requests and Modify Bearer Responses.

[0159] In step S10, the S-GW sends the downlink data to the MME#j.

[0160] Step S11: MME#j receives and stores the downlink data sent by S-GW. When the service link is available, MME#j pages the target UE and establishes a connection, and sends the downlink data to the target UE.

[0161] In summary, the embodiments of this disclosure improve the communication efficiency of store-and-forward operations in multi-satellite service scenarios by setting the downlink data to be processed by the target mobility management entity rather than directly by the first mobility management entity that receives the downlink data notification message.

[0162] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a network device is provided, including an on-board mobility management entity (OMA). The OMA is configured to execute the data service processing method applied to a first on-board mobility management entity as described in any of the foregoing embodiments, or to execute the data service processing method applied to a second on-board mobility management entity as described in any of the foregoing embodiments. In an exemplary embodiment, the network device is, for example, a communication satellite.

[0163] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a network device is provided for executing the data service processing method performed by a terrestrial network device as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0164] Those skilled in the art will understand that various aspects of the present invention can be implemented as systems, methods, or program products. Therefore, various aspects of the present invention can be specifically implemented in the following forms: entirely hardware implementations, entirely software implementations (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or implementations combining hardware and software aspects, collectively referred to herein as “circuits,” “modules,” or “systems.”

[0165] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, terminal device, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0166] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which a program product capable of implementing the methods described above is stored. In some possible embodiments, various aspects of the invention may also be implemented as a program product comprising program code that, when the program product is run on a terminal device, causes the terminal device to perform the steps of the various exemplary embodiments of the invention described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification.

[0167] The program product for implementing the above-described method according to embodiments of the present invention may employ a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) and include program code, and may run on a terminal device, such as a personal computer. However, the program product of the present invention is not limited thereto. In this document, the readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that may be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0168] The program product may employ any combination of one or more readable media. A readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0169] Computer-readable signal media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A readable signal medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, capable of sending, propagating, or transmitting programs for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0170] The program code contained on the readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0171] Program code for performing the operations of this invention can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can execute entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In cases involving remote computing devices, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's computing device via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or it can be connected to an external computing device (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0172] Furthermore, the above figures are merely illustrative of the processes included in the method according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to be limiting. It is readily understood that the processes shown in the above figures do not indicate or limit the temporal order of these processes. Additionally, it is readily understood that these processes may be executed synchronously or asynchronously, for example, in multiple modules.

[0173] It should be noted that although several modules or units for the device used to perform actions have been mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0174] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and concept of this disclosure are indicated by the claims.

Claims

1. A data service processing method for multi-satellite scenarios, characterized in that, Applied to the first mobility management entity on the satellite, including: Receive a downlink data notification message, which instructs the mobility management entity to transmit downlink data to the target terminal device; The target mobility management entity for processing the downlink data is determined. The target mobility management entity is the first mobility management entity, or the target mobility management entity is one of a plurality of on-board mobility management entities that provide services to the target terminal device, other than the first mobility management entity.

2. The data service processing method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The target mobility management entity for processing the downlink data includes: Establish communication with the plurality of on-board mobility management entities to obtain the ephemeris information of the plurality of on-board mobility management entities; The target mobility management entity is determined based on the ephemeris information of the plurality of on-board mobility management entities.

3. The data service processing method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The target mobility management entity for processing the downlink data includes: Send a data acquisition request to the synchronization system to obtain the ephemeris information of the plurality of on-board mobility management entities from the synchronization system, wherein the synchronization system is connected to the plurality of on-board mobility management entities; The target mobility management entity is determined based on the ephemeris information of the plurality of on-board mobility management entities.

4. The data service processing method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The target mobility management entity for processing the downlink data includes: An entity selection request is sent to a synchronization system so that the synchronization system determines the target mobility management entity from among the plurality of on-board mobility management entities according to the entity selection request, and the synchronization system connects to the plurality of on-board mobility management entities; Receive an entity designation message from the synchronization system, and determine the target mobility management entity based on the entity designation message.

5. The data service processing method as described in any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The target mobility management entity for processing the downlink data includes: Determine the waiting time required for each of the mobility management entities to provide services to the target terminal device; The mobility management entity with the shortest waiting time is identified as the target mobility management entity.

6. The data service processing method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The determination of the waiting time required for each mobility management entity to provide services to the target terminal device includes: Determine the load and available resources for each of the mobility management entities; The waiting time required for each mobility management entity to provide services to the target terminal device is determined based on the load and available resources.

7. The data service processing method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The target mobility management entity for processing the downlink data further includes: The target mobility management entity is determined based on all or part of the following information for each of the mobility management entities: The ephemeris information of the mobility management entity serving the target terminal device, the location information of the target terminal device, and the location information of the gateway station.

8. The data service processing method as described in claims 1-4, characterized in that, The sender of the downlink data notification message is the terrestrial service gateway, and the method further includes: A response message to the ground service gateway for sending the downlink data notification message.

9. The data service processing method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The target mobility management entity is the first mobility management entity, and the method further includes: Receive and store downlink data, and send the downlink data to the target terminal device when the service link is available.

10. The data service processing method as described in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The target mobility management entity is the first mobility management entity, and the response message includes the buffering duration for downlink data and / or the indication information of the target mobility management entity.

11. The data service processing method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The target mobility management entity is a second mobility management entity, and the response message includes the buffer duration for downlink data and / or the indication information of the target mobility management entity.

12. The data service processing method as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The target mobility management entity is a second mobility management entity, and the method further includes: Send a downlink data processing message to the second mobility management entity, the downlink data processing message including information about the target terminal device, and / or, the downlink data processing message including information about the sender of the downlink data notification message.

13. A data service processing method for multi-satellite scenarios, characterized in that, Performed by terrestrial network equipment, including: When it is determined that downlink data needs to be sent to the target terminal device through the on-board mobility management entity, a downlink data notification message corresponding to the target terminal device is sent to the first mobility management entity.

14. The data service processing method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The terrestrial network device is a terrestrial service gateway, and the method further includes: receiving downlink data from a packet data network gateway and caching it.

15. The data service processing method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, Also includes: The first mobility management entity is determined among multiple on-board mobility management entities.

16. The data service processing method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, Also includes: Receive a response message corresponding to the downlink data notification message; The target mobility management entity for processing the downlink data is determined based on the response message, wherein the target mobility management entity is either the first mobility management entity or the second mobility management entity. The downlink data is transmitted to the target mobility management entity.

17. A data service processing method for multi-satellite scenarios, characterized in that, Applied to the second mobility management entity on the satellite, including: Receive a downlink data processing message, the downlink data processing message including information about the target terminal device, and / or, the downlink data processing message including information about the sender of the downlink data notification message, the downlink data notification message corresponding to the target terminal device; A response message is sent to the sender of the downlink data notification message, the response message including a bearer modification message.

18. The data service processing method as described in claim 17, characterized in that, Also includes: Receive and store downlink data, and send the downlink data to the target terminal device when the service link is available.

19. The data service processing method as described in claim 17, characterized in that, The sender of the downlink data notification message includes a terrestrial service gateway, and sending a response message to the sender of the downlink data notification message includes: The bearer modification message is sent to the ground service gateway; Establish a bearer between the ground service gateway and the ground service gateway.

20. The data service processing method as described in claim 18, characterized in that, Sending the downlink data to the target terminal device includes: sending the downlink data to the target terminal device via a non-access stratum protocol data unit.

21. A network device, characterized in that, It includes an onboard mobility management entity, which is used to perform the data service processing method according to any one of claims 1-12 or the data service processing method according to any one of claims 17-20.

22. A network device, characterized in that, Used to perform the data service processing method as described in any one of claims 13-16.

23. A computer-readable storage medium having a program stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, implements the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-12, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 13-16, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 17-20.

24. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When executed by a processor, the computer program implements the steps of the method as described in any one of claims 1-12, or the steps of the method as described in any one of claims 13-16, or the steps of the method as described in any one of claims 17-20.

Images