A distributed beam management method and device for NTN communication

Abstract

This application provides a distributed beam management method and device for NTN communication. The distributed beam management device includes a central control device and multiple baseband devices. The central control device issues broadcast beam bitMap configurations to the multiple baseband devices. The broadcast beam bitMap configurations indicate the correspondence between beam positions, broadcast beams, and broadcast beam groups, as well as the correspondence between broadcast beam groups and baseband devices. The multiple baseband devices scan and manage the broadcast beams according to the broadcast beam bitMap configurations. This solution can simultaneously meet the communication system's requirements for high reliability and high energy efficiency.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of NTN communication, in particular to a distributed beam management method and device for NTN communication. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the demand for global coverage and efficient spectrum utilization in the 5G / 6G era, traditional ground networks are limited by geographical environments (such as oceans, deserts, and mountainous areas), and NTN achieves global coverage through satellites / high-altitude platforms and solves the problem of wide-area signal distribution through multi-beam technology. In the NTN communication process, due to the particularity of the platform load and the particularity of the environment, when designing the entire system platform, high reliability and high energy saving and other factors need to be considered in addition to functionality. SUMMARY

[0003] Embodiments of the present application provide a distributed beam management method and device for NTN communication, which can simultaneously consider the demand for high reliability and high energy saving of the communication system.

[0004] A distributed beam management method for NTN communication is applied to a distributed beam management device, the distributed beam management device includes a central control device and a plurality of baseband devices, and the method includes:

[0005] The central control device issues a broadcast beam bitMap configuration to the plurality of baseband devices, the broadcast beam bitMap configuration indicates the correspondence between the three of a wave bit, a broadcast beam, and a broadcast beam group, and the correspondence between the broadcast beam group and the baseband device; and

[0006] The plurality of baseband devices scans and manages the broadcast beam according to the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

[0007] Further, the method further includes:

[0008] The central control device is provided with a bitmask table, and the bitmask table indicates the correspondence between the wave bit and the service wave beam of the wave bit.

[0009] Further, the method further includes:

[0010] When a first baseband device in the plurality of baseband devices completes the establishment of the RRC connection with the user, the first baseband device reports the first wave bit where the user is located to the central control device;

[0011] The central control device finds a first broadcast beam group corresponding to the first wave position according to the broadcast beam bitMap configuration, and adds a corresponding relationship between the first broadcast beam group and the first baseband device in the broadcast beam bitMap configuration to indicate that the first broadcast beam group is being scanned and used in the first baseband device.

[0012] Further, the method further comprises:

[0013] When a first baseband device in the plurality of baseband devices completes RRC connection establishment with a user, the first baseband device reports a first wave position where the user is located to the central control device;

[0014] The central control device judges whether there is a service beam of the first wave position in the first baseband device according to the bitmask table;

[0015] If there is a service beam of the first wave position, the central control device selects the service beam of the first wave position to serve the first wave position;

[0016] If there is no service beam of the first wave position, the central control device selects an existing service beam of the first baseband device to serve the first wave position by multiplexing the selected existing service beam, or adds a new service beam to serve the first wave position, and adds a corresponding relationship between the selected or added service beam and the first wave position in the bitmask table.

[0017] Further, the method further comprises:

[0018] After the first baseband device completes service related to the first wave position, the first baseband device releases all associated user contexts, bearers and scheduling resources of the service beam serving the first wave position, and feeds back to the central control device, so that the central control device deletes the corresponding relationship between the first wave position and the service beam serving the first wave position in the bitmask table.

[0019] Further, the method further comprises:

[0020] The central control device or operation and maintenance system initiates a command to delete a first service beam;

[0021] The central control device finds all wave positions served by the first service beam through the bitmask table, and finds a first baseband device corresponding to the all wave positions through the broadcast beam bitMap configuration;

[0022] The central control device sends an instruction to the first baseband device to delete the first service beam;

[0023] After receiving the instruction, the first baseband device releases all associated user contexts, bearers and scheduling resources on the first service beam locally, and feeds back success of deletion to the central control device;

[0024] After receiving the feedback, the central control device deletes the corresponding relationship between the first service beam and the wave position served by it in the bitmask table.

[0025] Further, the method further comprises:

[0026] The central control device or operation and maintenance system initiates an instruction to delete the first broadcast beam group;

[0027] The central control device finds the first baseband device corresponding to the first broadcast beam group and all wave positions corresponding to the first broadcast beam group through the broadcast beam bitMap configuration, and finds all first service beams serving the all wave positions through the bitmask table;

[0028] The central control device sends an instruction to the first baseband device to delete the first service beam;

[0029] After receiving the instruction, the first baseband device releases all associated user contexts, bearers and scheduling resources on the first service beam locally, and feeds back success of deletion to the central control device;

[0030] After receiving the feedback, the central control device deletes the corresponding relationship between the first service beam and the all wave positions served by it in the bitmask table, and deletes the corresponding relationship between the first broadcast beam group and the first baseband device in the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

[0031] Further, the method further comprises:

[0032] The central control device sends a broadcast beam group update request to the second baseband device, instructing the second baseband device to take over the first broadcast beam group;

[0033] After receiving the broadcast beam group update request, the second baseband device takes over the first broadcast beam group, and feeds back success of taking over to the central control device;

[0034] After receiving the feedback, the central control device adds the correspondence between all the wavelengths and the service beams serving all the wavelengths to the bitmask table, and adds the correspondence between the first broadcast beam group and the second baseband device to the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

[0035] Furthermore, the method also includes:

[0036] The central control device or operation and maintenance management system initiates an instruction to delete the first baseband device;

[0037] The central control device searches for all first broadcast beam groups corresponding to the first baseband device and all first beam positions corresponding to the first broadcast beam groups according to the broadcast beam bitMap configuration, and searches for all first service beams serving all the first beam positions through the bitmask table.

[0038] The central control device sends an instruction to delete the first baseband device;

[0039] After receiving the instruction, the first baseband device releases all associated user contexts, bearers, and scheduling resources on all first service beams locally and reports successful deletion to the central control device.

[0040] After receiving the feedback, the central control device deletes the correspondence between the first service beam and all the service bits in the bitmask table, and deletes the correspondence between the first broadcast beam group and the first baseband device in the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

[0041] Furthermore, the method also includes:

[0042] The central control device sends a baseband device update request to the second baseband device, instructing the second baseband device to take over the first baseband device;

[0043] After receiving the broadcast beam group update request, the second baseband device takes over the first baseband device and reports the takeover success to the central control device.

[0044] After receiving the feedback, the central control device adds the correspondence between all the wavelengths and the service beams serving all the wavelengths to the bitmask table, and adds the correspondence between the first broadcast beam group and the second baseband device to the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

[0045] A distributed beam management device for NTN communication includes a central control device and multiple baseband devices.

[0046] The central control device is used to: issue broadcast beam bitMap configurations to the plurality of baseband devices, wherein the broadcast beam bitMap configuration indicates the correspondence between the wave position, broadcast beam, and broadcast beam group, as well as the correspondence between the broadcast beam group and the baseband device; and

[0047] The plurality of baseband devices are used to: scan and manage the broadcast beam according to the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

[0048] According to the above embodiments of this application, by adopting distributed baseband devices and a fast and flexible dynamic beam management design, users can directly use their matched baseband devices to provide service beam services after accessing the broadcast beam of a certain band position, without the need for additional signaling overhead; the baseband devices can also be dynamically managed according to service load and service scenarios, which can significantly reduce power consumption; in addition, the distributed baseband device design enables each baseband device to act as an independent baseband service entity, which also improves the fault tolerance of the system. Attached Figure Description

[0049] The accompanying drawings, which are part of the specification of this application, illustrate embodiments of the present application and are used together with the description of the specification to illustrate the principles of the present application.

[0050] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the communication system framework of an NTN communication satellite according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0051] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the correspondence between the broadcast beam bitMap configuration according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0052] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a satellite beam according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0053] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating the addition of a service beam according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0054] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the process for deleting a service beam according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0055] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the process for deleting broadcast beam scan groups and resource reallocation according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0056] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the process for deleting baseband devices and reallocating resources according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0057] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the spirit of the content disclosed in this application will be clearly explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings and detailed description. After understanding the embodiments of this application, any person skilled in the art can make changes and modifications based on the technology taught in this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application.

[0058] The illustrative embodiments and descriptions provided in this application are for explaining the application, but are not intended to limit the application. Furthermore, elements / components using the same or similar reference numerals in the drawings and embodiments are used to represent the same or similar parts.

[0059] The terms “first,” “second,” etc., used in this document are not intended to specifically refer to order or sequence, nor are they used to limit this application; they are merely used to distinguish elements or operations described using the same technical terms.

[0060] The terms “include,” “including,” “have,” “contain,” etc., used in this article are all open-ended terms, meaning that they include but are not limited to.

[0061] The term "and / or" as used herein includes any or all of the things mentioned.

[0062] The term "multiple" in this article includes "two" and "more than two"; the term "multiple groups" in this article includes "two groups" and "more than two groups".

[0063] Certain terms used to describe this application will be discussed below or elsewhere in this specification to provide additional guidance to those skilled in the art in describing the application.

[0064] With the increasing demand for full coverage and efficient spectrum utilization in the 5G / 6G era, traditional terrestrial networks are limited by geographical environments (such as oceans, deserts, and mountains). NTN achieves full coverage through satellite / high-altitude platforms and solves the problem of wide-area signal distribution through multi-beam technology. During NTN communication, due to the unique platform payload and the specific environment in which it operates, the design of the entire system platform must consider not only functionality but also high reliability and energy efficiency.

[0065] This application provides a distributed beam management method and device for NTN communication, which can simultaneously meet the communication system's requirements for high reliability and high energy efficiency.

[0066] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the communication system framework of an NTN communication satellite according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 1As shown, the communication system includes a distributed beam management device and an antenna. The distributed beam management device includes a central control unit (CU) and multiple baseband devices (DUs). In one embodiment, the communication system can be integrated into an NTN communication satellite. The CU employs a primary / backup design, focusing on global scheduling, while the baseband side uses multiple baseband devices combined to form a baseband device resource pool, focusing on data processing. Each baseband device can be a microcontroller integrating a media access controller (MAC) and a physical interface transceiver (PHY). Each baseband device can communicate with the CU and also communicate with the antenna array for fronthaul data.

[0067] The communication system of this application embodiment adopts a layered processing and modular design. The system is divided into three layers: a central control device layer with a primary / backup design at the top, a baseband device layer (MAC / PHY) with a distributed and independent design in the middle, and a radio frequency antenna at the bottom. In this way, the top-level central control device is responsible for global control and does not involve specific data processing, achieving separation of the control plane and the user plane. This allows the central control device to focus on scheduling and coordinating beam control management, while the baseband devices focus on data processing. Furthermore, multiple baseband devices can work independently or in parallel, forming a baseband device resource pool. Resources are allocated through high-level scheduling to support different beam services. This distributed processing improves the overall processing capacity of the system and allows for flexible activation of baseband devices based on the system's service load. For example, when a beam is idle, corresponding baseband devices can be reclaimed to support beams with heavy service loads. Simultaneously, baseband hardware resources are pooled resources and scheduled by higher levels according to the scenario.

[0068] The distributed beam management method for NTN communication provided in this application embodiment is applied to the aforementioned distributed beam management device. The method includes the following steps S1 and S2.

[0069] Step S1: The central control device CU sends broadcast beam bitMap configuration to multiple baseband devices DU. The broadcast beam bitMap configuration indicates the correspondence between the wave position, broadcast beam, and broadcast beam group, as well as the correspondence between the broadcast beam group and the baseband device.

[0070] In step S2, multiple baseband devices (DUs) scan and manage the broadcast beam according to the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

[0071] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the correspondence between beam positions, broadcast beams, and broadcast beam groups in a broadcast beam bitMap configuration according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2As shown in this embodiment, a single satellite has 256 broadcast positions and serves 64 broadcast beams. Thus, one broadcast beam can be mapped to four broadcast positions, and these four broadcast positions are grouped at intervals of 64 (e.g., ...). Figure 2 The broadcast beam 0 shown can correspond to four wave positions: 0, 64, 128, and 192, and so on. Since the broadcast beams are transmitted and scanned sequentially in time, four consecutive broadcast beams are combined into a broadcast beam group, ultimately forming 16 broadcast beam groups.

[0072] In this embodiment, the broadcast beam bitMap configuration also indicates the correspondence between broadcast beam groups and baseband devices. Specifically, for example, when the first baseband device DU0 serves a user located at the first wavelength, the central control device finds the broadcast beam group corresponding to the first wavelength and adds the correspondence between the broadcast beam group and the first baseband device DU0 in the broadcast beam bitMap configuration to indicate that the broadcast beam group is being scanned and used in the first baseband device DU0. In one implementation, initially or when the traffic volume is low, the central control device can allow all broadcast beam groups to be served by the first baseband device DU0, that is, set all broadcast beam groups to 1 at the baseband device DU0. Specifically, BroadcastBeamGroupDu0=0xFFFF can be set in the broadcast beam bitMap configuration, and the baseband device DU0 will scan all broadcast beams according to this configuration.

[0073] In this embodiment, the central control device is further provided with a bitmask table, which indicates the correspondence between a broadcast position and the service beam serving the broadcast position. In one embodiment, since there are 256 broadcast positions under a single satellite, the bitmask table can be 256 bits to indicate each broadcast position and its corresponding service beam.

[0074] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a satellite beam according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 3 The labels indicate the service beams A, B, and C, as well as the broadcast beam, issued by the satellite.

[0075] According to the embodiments of this application, the distributed beam management design applied to the above-mentioned communication system is described in detail below from the following aspects: adding service beams, deleting service beams, deleting broadcast beam groups and resource reallocation, deleting service baseband devices and resource reallocation, etc.

[0076] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating the process of adding a new service beam according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Referring below... Figure 4 This will explain the specific process for adding new service beams.

[0077] The baseband device (DU) scans and manages the broadcast beams based on the broadcast beam bitmap configuration issued by the central control device (CU). The bitmap in the broadcast beam bitmap configuration can be non-contiguous to flexibly adapt to different beam distributions.

[0078] When a user needs to access the network and completes the RRC connection establishment with the first baseband device DU0, the first baseband device DU0 reports the user's beam position to the central control device CU. Assume that the user's beam position is the first beam position.

[0079] The central control unit (CU) updates the broadcast beam bitmap configuration based on the report. Specifically, the CU finds the broadcast beam group corresponding to the first strobe bit based on the broadcast beam bitmap configuration, referred to here as the first broadcast beam group, and adds the correspondence between the first broadcast beam group and the first baseband device (DU0) in the broadcast beam bitmap configuration to indicate that the first broadcast beam group is being scanned and used in the first baseband device (DU0).

[0080] In addition, after receiving the report of the first waveband, the central control unit (CU) also determines, based on the bitmask table, whether the first baseband device (DU0) already has a service beam serving the first waveband.

[0081] If there is already a service beam serving the first wave position, the central control equipment directly selects the service beam serving the first wave position to serve the first wave position.

[0082] If no service beam is available for the first wavelength, the central control device selects an existing service beam (sOldBeam) from the first baseband device DU0 and reuses it to serve the first wavelength, or adds a new service beam (sNewBeam) to serve the first wavelength, and adds the correspondence between the selected or added service beam and the first wavelength in the bitmask table. Specifically, if the first baseband device DU0 has been allocated all 12 service beams, or if a certain service beam has the least traffic and does not cover all wavelengths, an existing service beam can be reused to serve the first wavelength. If the first baseband device DU0 still has available service beam resources, a new service beam can be added to serve the first wavelength.

[0083] In this way, a strong association is established between the broadcast beam and the service beam of the same baseband device based on the broadcast beam bitMap configuration and the bitmask table. The beam coverage can be detected through the bitmask, which makes it easy to intelligently reuse or add beam resources.

[0084] After completing the service associated with the first wavelength position, the first baseband device DU0 releases all associated user contexts, bearers, and scheduling resources on the service beam serving the first wavelength position, and reports this information to the central control device CU. The central control device CU then deletes the mapping between the first wavelength position and the service beam serving the first wavelength position from its bitmask table. The central control device CU can also record the service provided by that service beam to the first wavelength position. In this way, the central control device CU can maintain the relationship between wavelength positions and the service beams serving those wavelength positions through the bitmask table, facilitating subsequent management and querying.

[0085] The above process enables the dynamic allocation and management of service beam resources based on user access.

[0086] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the process for deleting a service beam according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Referring below... Figure 5 This will explain the specific process for deleting a service beam.

[0087] This procedure describes the deletion process of service beams on the baseband device side in large-scale beam networks such as NTN. Service beam deletion is typically used in scenarios such as resource reclamation, load balancing, and beam reconfiguration.

[0088] The Central Control Unit (CU) can proactively initiate the deletion of service beams (sBeams) based on network policies. For example, the CU can proactively initiate sBeam deletion when a beam is idle, traffic is low, or beam reconfiguration is required. Alternatively, the Operations and Maintenance (OAM) system can also issue deletion commands. Specifically, the OAM system can send a command to the CU to delete a specific service beam. For example, a deletion command might instruct the deletion of the first service beam.

[0089] The central control unit (CU) searches for all the bands served by the first service beam using the bitmask table, and then searches for the baseband device corresponding to each band using the broadcast beam bitMap configuration. Specifically, the CU can query the bitmask table to find all the bands and user contexts served by the first service beam to be deleted, ensuring that the deletion operation does not miss the beam-user mapping relationship. Furthermore, the CU can search for the baseband device corresponding to all the bands served by the first service beam using the broadcast beam bitMap configuration; this is referred to here as the first baseband device DU0.

[0090] Subsequently, the central control unit (CU) issues an instruction to the first baseband device (DU0) to delete the first service beam. In one embodiment, during the deletion process, the first service beam cannot be connected to new users to prevent inconsistencies in the state.

[0091] After receiving the above instruction, the first baseband device DU0 releases all associated user context, bearer, and scheduling resources on the first service beam locally and reports successful deletion to the central control device CU. In one embodiment, if a user is still active on the first service beam, the user needs to be migrated to another service beam or baseband device in advance.

[0092] After receiving feedback that the deletion was successful, the Central Control Unit (CU) removes the mapping between the first service beam and the wavelengths it serves from the bitmask table. Furthermore, the CU can also update the broadcast beam bitMap configuration, for example, by removing the mapping between the broadcast beam groups corresponding to all wavelengths served by the first service beam and the baseband devices corresponding to those broadcast beam groups.

[0093] In one embodiment, not only the central control device stores the bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration, but the baseband device also stores the bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration. The bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration stored in the baseband device can be consistent with those stored on the central control device, or it can only involve information related to the baseband device itself, without involving information related to other baseband devices. When the baseband device also stores the bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration, after the first baseband device DU0 successfully deletes the first service beam, it simultaneously updates its own stored bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration to ensure consistency of the bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration content on each device.

[0094] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating the process of deleting broadcast beam scanning groups and resource reallocation according to an embodiment of this application is shown below. Figure 6 This will explain the specific process for deleting broadcast beam scan groups and reallocating resources.

[0095] This procedure describes the deletion and resource reallocation operations of broadcast beamgroups on the baseband device side in large-scale beam networks such as NTN. Deletion of broadcast beamgroups is typically used in scenarios such as beam reconfiguration, load balancing, energy optimization, or DU (Duplex Unit) shutdown.

[0096] The central control device can proactively initiate or periodically execute broadcast beam group deletion commands based on network policies. For example, under conditions of low network load, low beam utilization, or based on energy consumption optimization strategies, the central control device can initiate the deletion of broadcast beam groups. Alternatively, deletion commands can also be issued by the Operations and Maintenance (OAM) system. Specifically, the OAM system can send a command to the central control device to delete a specific broadcast beam group. For example, a deletion command might instruct the deletion of the first broadcast beam group.

[0097] The central control unit (CU) can use the broadcast beam bitMap configuration to find the baseband device corresponding to the first broadcast beam group (hereinafter referred to as the first baseband device DU0), as well as all the corresponding wavelengths of the first broadcast beam group. It then uses the bitmask table to find all the service beams serving all the wavelengths corresponding to the first broadcast beam group (hereinafter referred to as the first service beams). The CU then issues a command to the first baseband device DU0 to delete these first service beams. This ensures that when the first broadcast beam group is deleted, the related service beams are processed synchronously, avoiding resource leaks or isolated beams.

[0098] After receiving the instruction, the first baseband device DU0 releases all associated user context, bearer, and scheduling resources on the first service beam locally and reports the successful deletion to the central control device CU.

[0099] After receiving feedback, the central control unit (CU) deletes the correspondence between the first service beam and all the beams it serves in the bitmask table, and deletes the correspondence between the first broadcast beam group and the first baseband device in the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

[0100] In one embodiment, not only the central control device stores the bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration, but the baseband device also stores the bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration. The bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration stored in the baseband device can be consistent with those stored on the central control device, or it can only involve information related to the baseband device itself, without involving information related to other baseband devices. When the baseband device also stores the bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration, after the first baseband device DU0 successfully deletes the first service beam, it simultaneously updates its own stored bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration to ensure consistency of the bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration content on each device.

[0101] In addition, to ensure network coverage and beam resource utilization, the central control equipment can reassign deleted broadcast beam groups to other baseband equipment to achieve dynamic load balancing and redundancy backup of beam resources.

[0102] Specifically, the central control unit (CU) can select the second baseband device (DU1) to receive the deleted first broadcast beam group according to network policy. The CU sends a broadcast beam group update request to the second baseband device (DU1), instructing the second baseband device (DU1) to take over the first broadcast beam group. The CU can request the second baseband device (DU1) to take over part or all of the first broadcast beam group.

[0103] After receiving the broadcast beam group update request, the second baseband device DU1 takes over the first broadcast beam group and reports the successful takeover to the central control device CU.

[0104] After receiving the feedback, the central control unit (CU) adds the correspondence between all the positions corresponding to the first broadcast beam group and the service beams serving these positions to the bitmask table, and adds the correspondence between the first broadcast beam group and the second baseband device to the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

[0105] When the baseband device also stores the bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration, after the second baseband device DU1 successfully takes over the first broadcast beam group, it simultaneously updates its own stored bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration to ensure the consistency of the bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration content of each device.

[0106] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating the process of deleting baseband devices and reallocating resources according to an embodiment of this application is shown below. Figure 7 This will explain the specific process of deleting baseband devices and reallocating resources.

[0107] This procedure describes the secure offline and resource reclamation operations of baseband device nodes in large-scale beam networks such as NTN. Baseband device deletion is typically used in scenarios such as network reconstruction, load balancing, hardware maintenance, or fault recovery.

[0108] The central control equipment can automatically trigger commands to delete baseband devices based on network policies. Alternatively, the Operations and Maintenance (OAM) system can proactively initiate commands to delete baseband devices. The OAM system can simultaneously notify the central control equipment and the base station devices to be deleted, preparing for the deletion process. For example, the OAM system can issue a command to the central control equipment (CU) to delete the first baseband device, DU0.

[0109] The central control unit (CU) searches for all broadcast beam groups corresponding to the first baseband device DU0 based on the broadcast beam bitMap configuration. This is referred to here as the first broadcast beam group. It also searches for all the frequency bits corresponding to all broadcast beams in all first broadcast beam groups. This is referred to here as the first frequency bit. Finally, it searches for all service beams serving all first frequency bits using the bitmask table. This is referred to here as the first service beam. Here, the CU analyzes all broadcast beam groups currently carried by the first baseband device DU0, including signaling beams, service beams, and their covered frequency bit information, to ensure that the deletion operation does not miss any critical resources on the first baseband device.

[0110] The central control unit (CU) issues a deletion command to the first baseband device (DU0). Specifically, the CU deletes all broadcast and service beams of the first baseband device (DU0), requiring it to release relevant radio resources, user context, and scheduling information. During the deletion process, the first baseband device prevents new users from accessing the network to ensure state consistency.

[0111] Upon receiving the instruction, the first baseband device DU0 locally releases all associated user contexts, bearers, and scheduling resources on all first service beams and reports successful deletion to the central control device CU. The first baseband device DU0 can also synchronously report successful deletion to the Operations and Maintenance (OAM) system.

[0112] After receiving feedback, the central control unit (CU) deletes the correspondence between the first service beam and all the beams it serves in the bitmask table, and deletes the correspondence between the first broadcast beam group and the first baseband device (DU0) in the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

[0113] The central control unit (CU) can also synchronously send a message to the operation and maintenance management system indicating that the first baseband device has been successfully deleted, so as to facilitate unified management of the entire network status.

[0114] In addition, the central control equipment can also schedule other baseband equipment to take over the services of the first baseband equipment, so as to realize resource reallocation and network self-healing.

[0115] For example, the central control unit (CU) decides to relocate the existing services and resources of the first baseband device (DU0) to the second baseband device (DU1) based on scheduling strategies such as load balancing, minimum interference, or priority. The CU then sends a configuration request to the second baseband device (DU1) to add a new broadcast beam scanning group or service bearer, and the second baseband device (DU1) expands its coverage and service capabilities accordingly.

[0116] Specifically, the central control device CU sends a baseband device update request to the second baseband device DU1, instructing the second baseband device DU1 to take over the first baseband device DU0. After receiving the broadcast beam group update request, the second baseband device DU1 takes over the first baseband device DU0.

[0117] In one embodiment, the central control device CU sends a command to the second baseband device DU1 to take over all the broadcast beams and service beams of the first baseband device DU0, and the second baseband device DU1 takes over all its broadcast beams and service beams.

[0118] After the second baseband device DU1 completes its configuration, it sends a notification to the central control device CU that the takeover has been successful.

[0119] After receiving feedback, the central control device CU adds the correspondence between the wave position taken over by the second baseband device DU1 and the service beam serving the wave position in the bitmask table, and adds the correspondence between the first broadcast beam group and the second baseband device DU1 in the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

[0120] Specifically, during the process of deleting the first baseband device DU0 and reassigning resources to the second baseband device DU1, the broadcast beam group of the first baseband device DU0 can be dynamically migrated to the second baseband device DU1 after bit-by-bit inversion to avoid coverage interruption.

[0121] In this way, the baseband devices (DUs) form a distributed resource pool, which is dynamically scheduled by the central control unit (CU) to achieve on-demand allocation and load balancing of baseband resources. The failure of a single DU does not affect the overall system, and seamless migration of services to other baseband devices is supported in case of failure. The central control unit focuses on global scheduling, while the baseband devices focus on data processing, improving system scalability. During periods of low traffic, idle baseband devices can be shut down, and during peak traffic, baseband devices can be dynamically expanded. The central control unit monitors the load and coordinates with the RF layer to shut down the RF channels corresponding to idle beams.

[0122] The communication system architecture of the embodiments of this application and several processes executed on this architecture are described in detail above. The network strategies mentioned in the above embodiments include resource allocation based on current network usage, such as referring to the current network load distribution. In addition, predictive resource allocation may also be included, using historical service data (such as peak periods of user density traffic) to predict beam load changes and trigger baseband resource migration in advance.

[0123] According to the distributed beam management method of this application, during user access and handover, after accessing through a broadcast beam at a certain baseband position, the user directly uses its matched baseband unit for service beam services. This process does not require additional signaling overhead. Simultaneously, the user can achieve zero signaling beam overhead when switching service beams within the same baseband unit's beam position, reducing beam switching latency. Furthermore, broadcast beams and service beams within the same baseband device establish a strong association through a bitmask table and broadcast beam bitMap configuration. After accessing through the broadcast beam, the user can switch to the associated service beam within the same baseband device without additional signaling. When switching service beams between different beam positions covered by the same baseband device, the signaling overhead approaches zero. In other words, this application embodiment designs a distributed baseband processing architecture to manage the beams of a large-scale antenna array. Each baseband device can handle the corresponding beams at the signaling and service layers. Users within the same baseband device can achieve overhead-free handover from signaling beams to service beams, and beam switching within the baseband service's beam position area can also be achieved without additional signaling overhead. The architecture of this application effectively solves the problem of wide beam coverage and high signaling overhead for users during access and handover in NTN communication.

[0124] Furthermore, dynamically managing baseband units based on service load and scenarios can significantly reduce power consumption. When the service load is low, using a limited number of baseband units for service and shutting down unnecessary baseband units can greatly reduce baseband power consumption. In other words, this application embodiment adopts a publish-based baseband management beam, which can use a single baseband device to broadcast public signals in the coverage area. If there is no service load in certain beam areas, the corresponding service baseband devices can be reduced, thereby achieving the effect of saving power.

[0125] Furthermore, the environment in which satellite communication payloads are located is relatively harsh, and payload devices are extremely vulnerable to damage relative to the ground. The distributed baseband equipment design of this application embodiment allows each baseband device to function as an independent baseband service entity. When a baseband device malfunctions, it does not affect the service function of the entire system. Or, when most baseband devices malfunction, it can still provide limited service capabilities, thereby improving the fault tolerance of the system and effectively avoiding the disaster of overall path damage caused by the failure of a single device.

[0126] This application also provides a distributed beam management device for NTN communication, including a central control device and multiple baseband devices. The central control device is configured to: issue a broadcast beam bitMap configuration to the multiple baseband devices, wherein the broadcast beam bitMap configuration indicates the correspondence between wave positions, broadcast beams, and broadcast beam groups, as well as the correspondence between the broadcast beam groups and the baseband devices; and the multiple baseband devices are configured to: scan and manage the broadcast beams according to the broadcast beam bitMap configuration. Specifically, the central control device and the baseband devices can respectively execute the steps described in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0127] The above description is merely an illustrative embodiment of this application. Any equivalent changes and modifications made by those skilled in the art without departing from the concept and principles of this application shall fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A distributed beam management method for NTN communication, applied to a distributed beam management device, characterized in that, The distributed beam management device includes a central control device and multiple baseband devices, and the method includes: The central control device sends broadcast beam bitMap configurations to the multiple baseband devices. The broadcast beam bitMap configurations indicate the correspondence between the wave position, broadcast beam, and broadcast beam group, as well as the correspondence between the broadcast beam group and the baseband device; and The plurality of baseband devices scan and manage the broadcast beam according to the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The central control device is equipped with a bitmask table, which indicates the correspondence between the wavelength and the service beam serving the wavelength.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: After the first baseband device among the plurality of baseband devices completes the establishment of an RRC connection with the user, the first baseband device reports the first wave position of the user to the central control device. The central control device finds the first broadcast beam group corresponding to the first spectral position according to the broadcast beam bitMap configuration, and adds the correspondence between the first broadcast beam group and the first baseband device in the broadcast beam bitMap configuration to indicate that the first broadcast beam group is being scanned and used in the first baseband device.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: After the first baseband device among the plurality of baseband devices completes the establishment of an RRC connection with the user, the first baseband device reports the first wave position of the user to the central control device. The central control device determines whether the first baseband device already has a service beam serving the first frequency position based on the bitmask table. If there is already a service beam serving the first wave position, the central control device selects the service beam serving the first wave position to serve the first wave position. If there is no service beam serving the first wavelength position, the central control device selects an existing service beam of the first baseband device to serve the first wavelength position by reusing the selected existing service beam, or adds a new service beam to serve the first wavelength position, and adds the correspondence between the selected or added service beam and the first wavelength position in the bitmask table.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The central control device or operation and maintenance management system initiates an instruction to delete the first service beam; The central control device searches for all the band positions served by the first service beam through the bitmask table, and searches for the first baseband device corresponding to all the band positions through the broadcast beam bitMap configuration. The central control device sends an instruction to the first baseband device to delete the first service beam; After receiving the instruction, the first baseband device locally releases all associated user contexts, bearers, and scheduling resources on the first service beam and sends a message to the central control device that the deletion was successful. After receiving the feedback, the central control device deletes the correspondence between the first service beam and the service bit in the bitmask table.

6. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The central control device or operation and maintenance management system initiates an instruction to delete the first broadcast beam group; The central control device uses the broadcast beam bitMap configuration to find the first baseband device corresponding to the first broadcast beam group and all the beam positions corresponding to the first broadcast beam group, and uses the bitmask table to find all the first service beams serving all the beam positions. The central control device sends an instruction to the first baseband device to delete the first service beam; After receiving the instruction, the first baseband device releases all associated user contexts, bearers, and scheduling resources on the first service beam locally and sends a message to the central control device that the deletion was successful. After receiving the feedback, the central control device deletes the correspondence between the first service beam and all the service bits in the bitmask table, and deletes the correspondence between the first broadcast beam group and the first baseband device in the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: The central control equipment sends a broadcast beam group update request to the second baseband equipment, instructing the second baseband equipment to take over the first broadcast beam group; After receiving the broadcast beam group update request, the second baseband device takes over the first broadcast beam group and reports the successful takeover to the central control device. After receiving the feedback, the central control device adds the correspondence between all the wavelengths and the service beams serving all the wavelengths to the bitmask table, and adds the correspondence between the first broadcast beam group and the second baseband device to the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

8. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The central control device or operation and maintenance management system initiates an instruction to delete the first baseband device; The central control device searches for all first broadcast beam groups corresponding to the first baseband device and all first beam positions corresponding to the first broadcast beam groups according to the broadcast beam bitMap configuration, and searches for all first service beams serving all the first beam positions through the bitmask table. The central control device sends an instruction to delete the first baseband device; After receiving the instruction, the first baseband device releases all associated user contexts, bearers, and scheduling resources on all first service beams locally and reports successful deletion to the central control device. After receiving the feedback, the central control device deletes the correspondence between the first service beam and all the service bits in the bitmask table, and deletes the correspondence between the first broadcast beam group and the first baseband device in the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: The central control device sends a baseband device update request to the second baseband device, instructing the second baseband device to take over the first baseband device; After receiving the broadcast beam group update request, the second baseband device takes over the first baseband device and reports the takeover success to the central control device. After receiving the feedback, the central control device adds the correspondence between all the wavelengths and the service beams serving all the wavelengths to the bitmask table, and adds the correspondence between the first broadcast beam group and the second baseband device to the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

10. A distributed beam management device for NTN communication, characterized in that, The distributed beam management device includes a central control device and multiple baseband devices. The central control device is used to: issue broadcast beam bitMap configurations to the plurality of baseband devices, wherein the broadcast beam bitMap configuration indicates the correspondence between the wave position, broadcast beam, and broadcast beam group, as well as the correspondence between the broadcast beam group and the baseband device; and The plurality of baseband devices are used to: scan and manage the broadcast beam according to the broadcast beam bitMap configuration.

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