Satellite network element sharing method and related equipment

By deploying satellite network elements on satellites and authenticating and registering them with a second network with shared relationships, the problems of slow communication response and high cost caused by network element deployment in satellite networks are solved, achieving faster communication response and wider network coverage.

CN121000280APending Publication Date: 2025-11-21CHINA TELECOM CORP LTD TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CENTER +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202511221994.4
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-08-28
Publication Date
2025-11-21

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In existing technologies, satellite network elements are deployed on the ground and communicate frequently with satellites, resulting in slow communication response speeds and limited service geographical coverage for different operators, which increases the cost of building satellite networks.

Method used

By deploying satellite-based internet elements, authentication and registration are performed using a second network with authentication requests and sharing relationships, enabling sharing between the satellite-based internet elements and the second network. Connections are established using security protocols, and services are provided through token verification and authorization.

Benefits of technology

It enables the sharing of satellite network elements among different operators, reduces the cost of building satellite networks, improves communication response speed, and expands coverage.

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Abstract

The invention provides a satellite network element sharing method and related equipment, and relates to the technical field of communication, the method is applied to a satellite network element deployed on a satellite, the method comprises the following steps: sending first information to a second network, the first information comprising an authentication request, the authentication request being a request for obtaining a signature certificate of the second network, the second network is a network having a sharing relationship with the first network, and the satellite network element is any network element in the first network. By means of the method, the problem that the service geographical range of different operators is limited is solved, the operators can share the satellite and the network elements deployed on the satellite, faster communication response is achieved, the cost for constructing the satellite network by the operators is reduced, and the satellite network with wider coverage is constructed.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a satellite network element sharing method and related equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Future satellite networks need to consider deploying all or most network elements on satellites to reduce communication between satellite and ground network elements, thereby supporting faster communication response and disaster recovery backup based on space-based mobile networks.

[0003] 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

[0004] This disclosure provides a method and related equipment for sharing satellite network elements, which can at least realize the sharing of satellite network elements, support faster communication response, reduce the cost for various operators to build satellite networks, and build a satellite network with wider coverage.

[0005] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part from practice of this disclosure.

[0006] In a first aspect, the embodiments of this disclosure provide a satellite internet element sharing method, applied to satellite internet elements deployed on a satellite, the method comprising:

[0007] Send first information to the second network; the first information includes an authentication request; the authentication request is a request to obtain a signature certificate for the second network; the second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with the first network; the satellite network element is any network element in the first network.

[0008] In one possible embodiment, the first network is the home public land mobile communication network of the satellite network element, and the second network is the public land mobile communication network accessed by the satellite network element.

[0009] In one possible embodiment, the authentication request is generated based on the signature certificate of the first network; the StarNet element stores or configures the signature certificate of the first network.

[0010] In one possible embodiment, sending the first information to the second network includes:

[0011] Send the first message to the registration center or authentication center of the second network.

[0012] In one possible embodiment, the method further includes:

[0013] Receive second information sent by the registration center or authentication center of the second network; the second information includes: the signature certificate of the second network; the signature certificate of the second network is signed by the core network of the second network for the StarNet element service.

[0014] In one possible embodiment, the method further includes:

[0015] Based on the signature certificate of the second network, a connection is established with the network storage function network element in the core network of the second network to complete the authentication and registration in the second network.

[0016] In one possible embodiment, the method further includes:

[0017] The operation, management and maintenance (OAM) system is connected to the core network of the second network to obtain configuration parameters of the satellite network elements as network elements in the second network.

[0018] Based on the signature certificate and configuration parameters of the second network, a connection is established with the network storage function network element in the core network of the second network to complete the authentication and registration in the second network.

[0019] In one possible embodiment, the satellite network element uses a secure hypertext transfer protocol or a transport layer security protocol to connect to a network storage function network element serving in a second network.

[0020] In one possible embodiment, the method further includes:

[0021] Send third information to the network storage function network element in the core network of the second network. The third information includes: a request for accessing the first network element of the second network; the first network element is any network element in the second network other than the satellite network element.

[0022] Receive fourth information sent by the network storage function network element in the core network of the second network. The fourth information includes: the token of the first network element.

[0023] In one possible embodiment, the method further includes:

[0024] Send the fifth message to the first network element in the core network of the second network. The fifth message includes: the token of the first network element and information requesting access to the service from the first network element.

[0025] Receive the sixth information sent by the first network element in the core network of the second network; the sixth information includes: the first service response information.

[0026] In one possible embodiment, the method further includes:

[0027] Receive the seventh message sent by the second network element in the core network of the second network; including: the token of the satellite network element and the information requesting access service from the satellite network element; the second network element is any network element in the second network other than the satellite network element; the token of the satellite network element is obtained by the second network element from the network storage function network element;

[0028] Verification and authorization are performed based on the token of the StarNet element to determine whether to provide access services to the second network element;

[0029] Send the eighth message to the second network element in the core network of the second network. The eighth message includes: the second service response information.

[0030] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a satellite network element sharing method applied to a second network, the method comprising:

[0031] The system receives first information sent by a StarNet element, the first information including an authentication request; the authentication request is a request to obtain a signature certificate for a second network; the second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with the first network; the StarNet element is any network element in the first network;

[0032] The StarNet element is authenticated based on the authentication request.

[0033] In one possible embodiment, authenticating the StarNet element based on the authentication request includes:

[0034] The StarNet element is authenticated based on the authentication request and the root certificate of the first network.

[0035] In one possible embodiment, authenticating the StarNet element based on the authentication request includes:

[0036] The StarNet element is authenticated by the registration center or authentication center in the second network based on the authentication request and the root certificate of the first network.

[0037] In one possible embodiment, authenticating the StarNet element based on the authentication request includes:

[0038] The first network is bridged through a registration center or authentication center in the second network;

[0039] The StarNet element is authenticated based on the authentication request and the root certificate of the first network stored in the first network.

[0040] In one possible embodiment, the first network is the home public land mobile communication network of the satellite network element, and the second network is the public land mobile communication network accessed by the satellite network element.

[0041] In one possible embodiment, the authentication request is generated based on the signature certificate of the first network; the StarNet element stores or configures the signature certificate of the first network.

[0042] In one possible embodiment, receiving the first information sent by the satellite network element includes:

[0043] The first information is received through the registration center or authentication center in the second network.

[0044] In one possible embodiment, the method further includes:

[0045] The second information is sent to the StarNet element through the registration center or authentication center in the second network; the second information includes: the signature certificate of the second network; the signature certificate of the second network is signed by the core network of the second network served by the StarNet element.

[0046] In one possible embodiment, the method further includes:

[0047] The network storage function network element in the core network of the second network establishes a connection with the satellite network element;

[0048] The network storage function network element in the core network of the second network authenticates and registers the connection of the satellite network element according to the root certificate of the second network.

[0049] In one possible embodiment, the connection of the satellite network element adopts a secure hypertext transfer protocol connection or a transport layer security protocol connection.

[0050] In one possible embodiment, the method further includes:

[0051] The third information sent by the satellite network element is received by the network storage function network element in the core network of the second network; the third information includes: a request information for accessing the first network element of the second network; the first network element is any network element in the second network other than the satellite network element.

[0052] The network storage function network element in the core network of the second network sends the fourth information to the satellite network element. The fourth information includes: the token of the first network element.

[0053] In one possible embodiment, the method further includes:

[0054] The first network element in the core network of the second network receives the fifth information sent by the satellite network element. The fifth information includes: the token of the first network element and information requesting access to the service from the first network element.

[0055] The first network element in the core network of the second network verifies and authorizes access services for the satellite network element based on the token of the first network element.

[0056] The sixth information is sent from the first network element in the core network of the second network to the satellite network element. The sixth information includes: the first service response information.

[0057] In one possible embodiment, the method further includes:

[0058] The second network element in the core network of the second network sends the seventh information to the satellite network element; the seventh information includes: the token of the satellite network element and information requesting access to the satellite network element; the token of the satellite network element is obtained by the second network element from the network storage function network element;

[0059] The second network element in the core network of the second network receives the eighth information sent by the satellite network element; the eighth information includes: the second service response information.

[0060] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a satellite internet element, including:

[0061] The first information transmission unit is used to send first information to the core network of the second network; the first information includes an authentication request; the authentication request is a request to obtain a signature certificate of the second network; the second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with the first network, and the satellite network element is any network element in the first network.

[0062] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a second network, including:

[0063] The second information transmission unit is used to receive first information sent by the satellite network element. The first information includes an authentication request. The authentication request is a request to obtain a signature certificate for the second network. The second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with the first network. The satellite network element is any network element in the first network.

[0064] The authentication unit is used to authenticate satellite network elements based on authentication requests.

[0065] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a satellite internet element sharing system, including: a first network, a second network, and satellite internet elements; the second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with the first network; the satellite internet element is any one of the network elements in the first network;

[0066] The StarNet element is used to send first information to the second network; the first information includes an authentication request; the authentication request is a request to obtain a signature certificate from the second network;

[0067] The second network is used to receive the first information sent by the satellite network element and to authenticate the satellite network element based on the authentication request.

[0068] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide an electronic device, including: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to perform the method of the first aspect described above by executing the executable instructions.

[0069] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method described in the first aspect above.

[0070] Eighthly, according to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product or computer program is also provided, the computer program product or computer program including computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions, causing the computer device to perform any of the methods described above.

[0071] This disclosure provides a satellite network element sharing method and related equipment, relating to the field of communication technology. The method is applied to satellite network elements deployed on satellites. The method includes: sending first information to a second network, the first information including an authentication request, which is a request to obtain a signature certificate from the second network. The second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with a first network, and the satellite network element is any network element in the first network. This method solves the problem of limited service geographical coverage for different operators, enabling operators to share satellites and network elements deployed on them, achieving faster communication response, reducing the cost for operators to build satellite networks, and constructing a wider-coverage satellite network.

[0072] 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

[0073] 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.

[0074] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates the structure of a satellite network element sharing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates one of the interaction diagrams of a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0076] Figure 3 This is a second interactive diagram illustrating a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0077] Figure 4 This is the third interactive diagram of a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0078] Figure 5 The fourth interactive diagram illustrates a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0079] Figure 6 The fifth interactive diagram illustrates a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0080] Figure 7 This is diagram six of an interaction diagram illustrating a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0081] Figure 8 This illustration shows one of the flowcharts of a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0082] Figure 9 This is a second flowchart illustrating a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0083] Figure 10 This diagram illustrates the structure of a satellite network element in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0084] Figure 11 This diagram illustrates the structure of a communication network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0085] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0086] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0087] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, and therefore 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.

[0088] The terms used in the embodiments of this disclosure will be explained.

[0089] In this embodiment of the disclosure, a network function (NF) is defined as a network element in the specific implementation form of the network function.

[0090] Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) can include satellite networks.

[0091] The Network Repository Function (NRF) is responsible for registering and monitoring the status of network function services, enabling automated management, selection, and scalability of network function services, and allowing each network function to discover services provided by other network functions.

[0092] Operation, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) divides network management work into three main categories: Operation, Administration, and Maintenance, abbreviated as OAM. Operation primarily involves the analysis, forecasting, planning, and configuration of the network and services on a daily basis; Maintenance mainly involves routine operational activities such as testing the network and its services, and troubleshooting.

[0093] Future satellite networks need to consider deploying all or most network elements on satellites to reduce communication between satellite and ground network elements, thereby supporting faster communication response and disaster recovery backup based on space-based mobile networks.

[0094] In view of the potential future development prospects of communication technology, this disclosure discloses a satellite network element sharing method and related equipment, relating to the field of communication technology. The method is applied to satellite network elements deployed on satellites. The method includes: sending first information to a second network, the first information including an authentication request, which is a request to obtain a signature certificate from the second network. The second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with the first network, and the satellite network element is any network element in the first network. This method solves the problem of limited service geographical coverage for different operators, enabling operators to share satellites and network elements deployed on them, achieving faster communication response, reducing investment costs for each operator, and building a wider-coverage satellite network.

[0095] The following detailed description of this exemplary implementation method is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0096] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a satellite network element sharing system according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the satellite internet element sharing system 100 may include: a first network 110, a second network 120, and a satellite internet element 130.

[0097] The first network 110 can be the home public land mobile network (hPLMN) of the satellite internet element, and the second network 120 can be the visited public land mobile network (vPLMN) served by the satellite internet element. The second network 120 is a network that shares a relationship with the first network 110.

[0098] The satellite network element 130 is any network element deployed on the satellite corresponding to the first network 110. The satellite can be a medium or low Earth orbit satellite.

[0099] The satellite internet element 130 connects to the core network of the first network 110 through a gateway station to provide services to the first network 110. When the satellite internet element 130 moves outside the first network 110, it can connect to the core network of the second network 120 through the gateway station of the second network 120. The second network 120 can provide services to the satellite internet element 130 through access, authentication and authorization.

[0100] In one possible embodiment, when a satellite of the Internet element 130 deployed in the first network 110 operates within the network range of the second network 120, the satellite can connect to the gateway station of the second network 120 at the corresponding location and / or time based on the shared relationship and ephemeris data.

[0101] Among them, the StarNet element 130 is used to send first information to the second network 120; the first information includes an authentication request; the authentication request is a request to obtain the signature certificate of the second network 120;

[0102] The second network 120 is used to receive the first information sent by the satellite network element and to authenticate the satellite network element 130 based on the authentication request.

[0103] Those skilled in the art will know that Figure 1 The number of the first network 110, the second network 120, and the satellite internet element 130 in the satellite internet element sharing system 100 is merely illustrative and can be any number according to actual needs. This disclosure does not limit this.

[0104] The following detailed description of this exemplary implementation method is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0105] This disclosure provides a method for sharing satellite network elements. Figure 2 This diagram illustrates one of the interaction diagrams of a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of this disclosure, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the satellite network element sharing method provided in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0106] S202: The StarNet element sends first information to the second network. The first information includes an authentication request, which is a request to obtain a signature certificate of the second network. The second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with the first network, and the StarNet element is any network element in the first network.

[0107] In one possible embodiment, the satellites of the first network deploy the network element payloads of the core network and have a sharing relationship with the second network. The sharing relationship is the sharing of satellite network elements or services of satellite network elements. The sharing relationship can be the sharing of information, sharing of protocols, or a contract regarding the services of shared satellite network elements. In this embodiment, the specific form of the sharing relationship is not specifically limited.

[0108] In one possible embodiment, the satellite network element stores or configures the signing certificate of the first network. Authentication requests are generated based on the signing certificate of the first network.

[0109] S204: The second network authenticates the satellite network element based on the authentication request.

[0110] In one possible embodiment, the second network can authenticate the StarNet element based on the authentication request and the root certificate of the first network.

[0111] S206: The second network sends second information to the StarNet element. The second information includes: the signature certificate of the second network, which is signed by the core network of the second network served by the StarNet element.

[0112] In one possible embodiment, the second network sends its signature certificate to the StarNet element based on its sharing relationship with the first network.

[0113] Through the above method, after being authenticated by the second network, the satellite network elements of the first network can access the second network and provide services to it. This saves on the construction cost of low-Earth orbit satellite networks. In future communication networks, satellites of different operators can be interconnected to provide network element services to the core networks of other operators, thereby reducing the cost for each operator to build a satellite network and enabling the sharing of onboard core networks in large-scale global low-Earth orbit satellite networks among operators.

[0114] In one possible embodiment, the satellite network element requests authentication from the second network. This disclosure does not impose specific limitations on this embodiment. For example, it can be accomplished through the registration authority (RA) or certification authority (CA) of the second network. Figure 3 This illustrates a second interaction diagram of a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of this disclosure, as shown below. Figure 3 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0115] S302: The StarNet element sends the first information to the registration center or authentication center of the second network.

[0116] S304: The registration center or authentication center in the second network authenticates the StarNet element based on the authentication request and the root certificate of the first network.

[0117] S306: The registration center or authentication center in the second network sends the second information to the satellite network element.

[0118] In one possible embodiment, for S304, authentication of the satellite network element can be completed in a variety of ways.

[0119] For example, the registration center or authentication center in the second network can pre-store the root certificate of the first network, and authenticate the StarNet element based on the authentication request and the stored root certificate of the first network through the registration center or authentication center in the second network.

[0120] For example, the first network is bridged through a registration center or authentication center in the second network; the satellite network element is authenticated based on the authentication request and the root certificate of the first network stored in the first network.

[0121] In this network, the registration center or authentication center in the second network can be bridged to the authentication center of the first network to obtain the root certificate of the first network in order to complete the authentication of the satellite network element.

[0122] For S206 and S306, the authentication of the satellite network element is completed in the second network. After receiving the second information, the satellite network element can register with the second network to provide services to the second network.

[0123] Example 1:

[0124] Figure 4 The third interactive diagram of a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown, as follows: Figure 4 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0125] S402: The StarNet element establishes a connection with the network storage function network element in the core network of the second network based on the signature certificate of the second network.

[0126] S404: The network storage function network element in the core network of the second network authenticates and registers the connection of the satellite network element according to the root certificate of the second network.

[0127] Example 2:

[0128] Figure 5 The fourth interactive diagram of a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown, as follows: Figure 5 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0129] S502: The StarNetwork element connects to the Operation, Management and Maintenance (OAM) system in the core network of the second network to obtain the configuration parameters of the StarNetwork element as a network element in the second network.

[0130] In one possible embodiment, the obtained configuration parameters include: configuration data required as a core network element on the satellite.

[0131] S504: The StarNet element establishes a connection with the network storage function network element in the core network of the second network based on the signature certificate and configuration parameters of the second network.

[0132] S506: The network storage function network element in the core network of the second network authenticates and registers the connection of the satellite network element according to the root certificate of the second network.

[0133] Through the two examples above, the StarNet element can complete its registration in the core network of the second network after being certified by the NRF network element. This registration includes registering the services supported by the StarNet element. In this way, the StarNet element can become a network element within the core network of the second network, providing specific services to the second network through the specific services it supports.

[0134] In one possible embodiment, the connection between the satellite network element and the NRF can adopt multiple connection methods. This disclosure does not make specific limitations. The following example is given: the connection can adopt either Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) or Transport Layer Security (TLS).

[0135] For S504 and S606, after the satellite network element connects to the NRF and completes authentication and registration in the second network, it can provide services to other network elements in the second network and interact with other network elements in the second network.

[0136] Example 1: A satellite network element accesses other network elements.

[0137] Figure 6 The fifth interactive diagram of a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown, as follows: Figure 6 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0138] S602: The StarNet element sends third information to the network storage function network element in the core network of the second network. The third information includes: a request for access to the first network element of the second network. The first network element is any network element in the second network other than the StarNet element.

[0139] The first network element can be a terrestrial network element in the second network, etc., and is not limited in this embodiment.

[0140] S604: The network storage function network element sends the fourth information to the satellite network element. The fourth information includes: the token of the first network element.

[0141] S606: The satellite network element sends the fifth information to the first network element in the core network of the second network. The fifth information includes: the token of the first network element and information requesting access to services from the first network element.

[0142] S608: The first network element verifies and authorizes based on the token of the first network element, and determines to provide access services to the StarNet network element.

[0143] S610: The sixth message sent by the first network element to the satellite network element, the sixth message includes: the first service response information.

[0144] In one possible embodiment, after the satellite network element obtains the token of the first network element from the NRF, it can use the token to request access to the service from the first network element in the second network. After the first network element verifies the token and authorizes the service, the first network element returns a service response to the satellite network element.

[0145] Example 2: Other network elements accessing StarNetwork elements.

[0146] Figure 7 The sixth interactive diagram of a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown, as follows: Figure 7 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0147] S702: The second network element in the core network of the second network sends the ninth information to the network storage function network element in the core network of the second network. The ninth information includes: a request for accessing the satellite network element. The second network element is any network element in the second network other than the satellite network element.

[0148] S704: The network storage function network element in the core network of the second network sends the tenth information to the second network element. The tenth information includes: the token of the satellite network element.

[0149] S706: The second network element sends the seventh information to the satellite network element. The seventh information includes: the satellite network element's token and information requesting access to services from the satellite network element.

[0150] S708: The StarNet element verifies and authorizes based on the StarNet element's token to determine whether to provide access services to the second network element.

[0151] S710: The eighth message sent by the satellite network element to the second network element, the eighth message includes: second service response information.

[0152] In one possible embodiment, after the second network element obtains the token of the satellite network element from the NRF, it can use the token to request access to the satellite network element. After the satellite network element verifies the token and authorizes the service, it returns a service response to the second network element.

[0153] Figure 8 One of the flowcharts of a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown, which is applied to a satellite network element, such as... Figure 8 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0154] S802: Send first information to the second network. The first information includes an authentication request, which is a request to obtain a signature certificate of the second network. The second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with the first network. The satellite network element is any network element in the first network.

[0155] Figure 9 A second flowchart of a satellite network element sharing method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown, applied to a second network, such as... Figure 9 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0156] S902: Receive the first information sent by the StarNet element. The first information includes an authentication request, which is a request to obtain a signature certificate for the second network. The second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with the first network. The StarNet element is any network element in the first network.

[0157] S904: Authenticate StarNet elements based on authentication requests.

[0158] The satellite network element sharing method shown in this embodiment can realize the sharing of satellite network elements deployed on satellites between different networks corresponding to different operators. The satellite network elements of the first network can be used to provide services to the second network, and communication service interaction with other network elements in the second network can be realized. This can not only reduce the cost of building a satellite network, but also build a satellite network with a larger coverage area at a limited cost.

[0159] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a satellite network element and a second network, as shown in the following embodiments. Implementation of these embodiments can be found in the implementation of the above method embodiments; repeated details will not be repeated.

[0160] Figure 10 This diagram illustrates the structure of a satellite network element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown below. Figure 10 As shown, the satellite network element 100 includes: a first information transmission unit 1001, used to send first information to the core network of the second network; the first information includes an authentication request; the authentication request is a request to obtain a signature certificate of the second network; the second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with the first network, and the satellite network element is any network element in the first network.

[0161] Figure 11 This diagram illustrates the structure of a communication network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as... Figure 11 As shown, the communication network 110 includes: a second information transmission unit 1101, used to receive first information sent by a satellite network element, the first information including an authentication request; the authentication request is a request to obtain a signature certificate of the second network; the second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with the first network; the satellite network element is any network element in the first network; and an authentication unit 1102, used to authenticate the satellite network element based on the authentication request.

[0162] Those skilled in the art will understand that various aspects of this disclosure can be implemented as a system, method, or program product. Therefore, various aspects of this disclosure can be specifically implemented in the following forms: a completely hardware implementation, a completely software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software aspects, collectively referred to herein as a "circuit," "module," or "system."

[0163] The following reference Figure 12 To describe an electronic device 1200 according to such an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 12 The electronic device 1200 shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0164] like Figure 12As shown, the electronic device 1200 is manifested in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of the electronic device 1200 may include, but are not limited to: at least one processing unit 1210, at least one storage unit 1220, and a bus 1230 connecting different system components (including storage unit 1220 and processing unit 1210).

[0165] The storage unit stores program code that can be executed by the processing unit 1210, causing the processing unit 1210 to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. For example, the processing unit 1210 can perform the steps of any of the above-described method embodiments.

[0166] Storage unit 1220 may include a readable medium in the form of a volatile storage unit, such as random access memory (RAM) 12201 and / or cache memory 12202, and may further include a read-only memory (ROM) 12203.

[0167] Storage unit 1220 may also include a program / utility 12204 having a set (at least one) of program modules 12205, such program modules 12205 including but not limited to: operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules and program data, each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0168] Bus 1230 can represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory cell bus or memory cell controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any of the various bus structures.

[0169] Electronic device 1200 can also communicate with one or more external devices 1240 (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, Bluetooth device, etc.), one or more devices that enable a user to interact with electronic device 1200, and / or any device that enables electronic device 1200 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., router, modem, etc.). This communication can be performed via input / output (I / O) interface 1250. Furthermore, electronic device 1200 can also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via network adapter 1260. As shown, network adapter 1260 communicates with other modules of electronic device 1200 via bus 1230. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figures, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with electronic device 1200, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0170] 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.

[0171] Specifically, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the processes described above with reference to the flowcharts can be implemented as a computer program product or a computer program, which includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, causing the computer device to perform the methods described above.

[0172] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A program product capable of implementing the methods described above is stored thereon. In some possible implementations, various aspects of this disclosure may also be implemented as a program product including program code, which, when run on a terminal device, causes the terminal device to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0173] More specific examples of computer-readable storage media in this disclosure may include, but are not limited to: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0174] In this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium may include a data signal 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 transmitting, propagating, or transmitting a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0175] Optionally, the program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0176] In practical implementation, program code for performing the operations of this disclosure 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 computing 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).

[0177] 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.

[0178] Furthermore, although the steps of the method in this disclosure are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in that specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. Additional or alternative steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or a step may be broken down into multiple steps.

[0179] 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, mobile terminal, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0180] 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 disclosure 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 spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for sharing satellite network elements, characterized in that, The method, applied to satellite-based internet elements, includes: Send first information to the second network; the first information includes an authentication request; the authentication request is a request to obtain a signature certificate of the second network; the second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with the first network; the satellite network element is any network element in the first network.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first network is the home public land mobile communication network of the satellite internet element, and the second network is the public land mobile network accessed by the satellite internet element.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The authentication request is generated based on the signature certificate of the first network; the satellite network element stores or configures the signature certificate of the first network.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Sending the first information to the second network includes: Send the first message to the registration center or authentication center of the second network.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second information sent by the registration center or authentication center of the second network; the second information includes: the signature certificate of the second network; the signature certificate of the second network is signed by the core network of the second network of the StarNet element service.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the signature certificate of the second network, a connection is established with the network storage function network element in the core network of the second network to complete the authentication and registration in the second network.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: The operation, management, and maintenance (OAM) system connected to the core network of the second network obtains the satellite network element as the configuration parameters of the network element in the second network; Based on the signature certificate of the second network and the configuration parameters, a connection is established with the network storage function network element in the core network of the second network to complete authentication and registration in the second network.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The satellite network element connects to the network storage function network element serving the second network using a secure hypertext transfer protocol or a transport layer security protocol.

9. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send third information to the network storage function network element in the core network of the second network. The third information includes: a request for accessing a first network element of the second network; the first network element is any network element in the second network other than the satellite network element. The system receives a fourth message sent by the network storage function network element in the core network of the second network, the fourth message including: the token of the first network element.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a fifth message to the first network element in the core network of the second network. The fifth message includes: the token of the first network element and information requesting access to the service from the first network element. The system receives the sixth information sent by the first network element in the core network of the second network; the sixth information includes: first service response information.

11. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: The system receives a seventh message sent by a second network element in the core network of the second network; the message includes: a token of the satellite network element and information requesting access to the satellite network element; the second network element is any network element in the second network other than the satellite network element; the token of the satellite network element is obtained by the second network element from the network storage function network element. Based on the token of the StarNet element, verification and authorization are performed to determine that access services are provided to the second network element; Send the eighth message to the second network element in the core network of the second network, the eighth message including: second service response information.

12. A method for sharing satellite network elements, characterized in that, Applied to a second network, the method includes: The system receives first information sent by a satellite network element, the first information including an authentication request; the authentication request is a request to obtain a signature certificate for the second network; the second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with the first network; the satellite network element is any network element in the first network. The StarNet element is authenticated based on the authentication request.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The authentication of the satellite network element based on the authentication request includes: The StarNet element is authenticated based on the authentication request and the root certificate of the first network.

14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The authentication of the satellite network element based on the authentication request includes: The StarNet element is authenticated by the registration center or authentication center in the second network based on the authentication request and the root certificate of the first network stored therein.

15. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The authentication of the satellite network element based on the authentication request includes: The first network is bridged through the registration center or authentication center in the second network; The StarNet element is authenticated based on the authentication request and the root certificate of the first network stored in the first network.

16. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first network is the home public land mobile communication network of the satellite internet element, and the second network is the public land mobile network accessed by the satellite internet element.

17. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The authentication request is generated based on the signature certificate of the first network; the satellite network element stores or configures the signature certificate of the first network.

18. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first information received from the satellite network element includes: The first information is received through the registration center or authentication center in the second network.

19. The method according to claim 12 or 18, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second information is sent to the StarNet element through the registration center or authentication center in the second network; the second information includes: the signature certificate of the second network; the signature certificate of the second network is signed by the core network of the second network served by the StarNet element.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The method further includes: A connection is established between the network storage function network element in the core network of the second network and the satellite network element; The network storage function network element in the core network of the second network authenticates and registers the connection of the satellite network element according to the root certificate of the second network.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The connection of the satellite network element adopts either a secure hypertext transfer protocol connection or a transport layer security protocol connection.

22. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The method further includes: The third information sent by the satellite network element is received by the network storage function network element in the core network of the second network; the third information includes: a request for accessing a first network element of the second network; the first network element is any network element in the second network other than the satellite network element. The network storage function network element in the core network of the second network sends a fourth message to the satellite network element, the fourth message including: the token of the first network element.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The method further includes: The fifth information sent by the satellite network element is received by the first network element in the core network of the second network. The fifth information includes: the token of the first network element and information requesting access to the service from the first network element. The first network element in the core network of the second network verifies and authorizes access services for the satellite network element based on the token of the first network element. The sixth information is sent from the first network element in the core network of the second network to the satellite network element. The sixth information includes: first service response information.

24. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second network element in the core network of the second network sends the seventh information to the satellite network element; the seventh information includes: the token of the satellite network element and information requesting access to the satellite network element; the token of the satellite network element is obtained by the second network element from the network storage function network element; The eighth information sent by the satellite network element is received by the second network element in the core network of the second network; the eighth information includes: second service response information.

25. A satellite internet element, characterized in that, include: The first information transmission unit is used to send first information to the core network of the second network; The first information includes an authentication request; The authentication request is a request to obtain a signature certificate for the second network; the second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with the first network, and the satellite network element is any network element in the first network.

26. A communication network, characterized in that, include: The second information transmission unit is used to receive first information sent by the satellite network element, the first information including an authentication request; The authentication request is a request to obtain a signature certificate for the second network; the second network is a network that has a sharing relationship with the first network. The satellite network element can be any one of the network elements in the first network; An authentication unit is used to authenticate the satellite network element based on the authentication request.

27. A satellite internet element sharing system, characterized in that, include: The network consists of a first network, a second network, and satellite network elements; the second network is a network that shares a relationship with the first network. The satellite network element can be any one of the network elements in the first network; The satellite network element is used to send first information to the second network; the first information includes an authentication request; The authentication request is a request to obtain a signature certificate for the second network; The second network is used to receive the first information sent by the satellite network element and to authenticate the satellite network element based on the authentication request.