A cell selection method and related apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a cell selection method and related device. In the method, a dynamic effective factor (DECF) mechanism is proposed. A first parameter is determined based on the mechanism. The first parameter is used to quantify the link resource cost of a cell. The NTN cell and the TN cell can intelligently switch under actual service demand and link state. The mobility management performance of the NTN / TN hybrid network is improved. The utilization rate of network resources is further improved. And the user experience is optimized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a cell selection method and related apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Terrestrial networks (TN) offer high bandwidth, high reliability, low latency, and ubiquitous access, meeting the high-performance communication needs of most scenarios. Compared to TN, non-terrestrial networks (NTN) offer significant advantages such as global coverage, long-distance transmission, flexible networking, convenient deployment, and freedom from geographical limitations. They have been widely applied in various fields including maritime communication, positioning and navigation, disaster relief, scientific experiments, video broadcasting, and Earth observation. Furthermore, by integrating TN (e.g., traditional terrestrial cellular networks) and NTN (e.g., satellite networks), leveraging their respective strengths, a seamless global integrated communication network encompassing sea, land, air, space, and ground can be established to meet the diverse and ubiquitous service needs of users.

[0003] In converged TN and NTN network scenarios, cell selection is mainly based on a static priority mechanism. However, cells selected based on this mechanism may be severely congested, making it impossible for the cell to provide good transmission efficiency for terminal devices, resulting in low network resource utilization and consequently a poor communication experience for users. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The cell selection method and related apparatus provided in this application can improve the mobility management performance of NTN / TN hybrid networks, further improve the utilization of network resources, and optimize user experience.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a region selection method. This method can be applied to a network device, or a module within a network device (wherein the module within the network device includes a communication module and a computing module), or a circuit or chip within a network device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip). Alternatively, the network device can also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a communication device. The method includes:

[0006] Send first information, the first information including a first parameter, the first parameter being used for candidate cell sorting, the sorted candidate cells being used by the terminal device to select a target cell to camp on; and / or, the first information including a first identifier, the target cell for the terminal device to perform handover indicated by the first identifier being determined from the candidate cells based on the first parameter;

[0007] The candidate cells include terrestrial network (TN) cells and non-terrestrial network (NTN) cells, and the first parameter is used to characterize the link resource cost of the candidate cells.

[0008] It should be understood that in the converged network environment of NTN and TN, these two types of networks have significant differences. Traditional cell selection mechanisms that rely on "static priority" and "signal strength" are often unable to adapt to such heterogeneous environments, i.e., they cannot reflect the real-time network status. In the above method, this application introduces a first parameter to quantify the "actual resource cost" of a link under the current service requirements, i.e., the resource overhead required for the link to achieve unit data transmission. This allows various variable factors existing in the network to be quantified into a first parameter for comparison, so that cell selection no longer relies solely on fixed priorities. It can be combined with the real-time transmission efficiency of the link, so that the finally determined cell can provide the cell link with the lowest resource cost for the current service, optimizing the resource utilization of the entire heterogeneous network and reducing the overall network operation cost.

[0009] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first parameter is determined by one or more of the following parameters: propagation delay, Doppler frequency offset, cell load, interference, and throughput, wherein the propagation delay, the Doppler frequency offset, the cell load, and the interference are all positively correlated with the first parameter, and the throughput is negatively correlated with the first parameter.

[0010] In the methods described above, NTN and TN cells differ significantly in propagation environment, signal characteristics, load conditions, and link stability. For example, NTN links typically have higher propagation delays and significant Doppler frequency offsets, while TN links generally have lower latency, more stable link quality, and smaller coverage. Current cell selection mechanisms struggle to reflect the dynamic changes in real-time link transmission efficiency, easily leading users to camp in high-priority cells with poor actual transmission efficiency. Therefore, the calculation of the first parameter comprehensively considers the key link characteristics of both NTN and TN cells (i.e., propagation delay, Doppler frequency offset, cell load, interference, and throughput), ensuring that the determined first parameter reflects the dynamic changes in real-time link transmission efficiency. This helps guide users to the truly "fastest" and "smoother" links, reducing negative experiences in high-latency, high-load cells and improving the user's communication experience. For instance, a high-priority TN cell may have significantly lower actual transmission efficiency than a low-priority but idle NTN cell due to severe congestion; the first parameter can intelligently select the NTN cell.

[0011] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, when the first parameter corresponding to the TN cell is less than the first parameter corresponding to the NTN cell, the link resource cost of the TN cell is less than the link resource cost of the NTN cell.

[0012] When the first parameter corresponding to the TN cell is greater than the first parameter corresponding to the NTN cell, the link resource cost of the TN cell is greater than the link resource cost of the NTN cell.

[0013] In the above method, the link resource cost is quantified through the first parameter, which makes the link transmission efficiency more concrete and improves cell selection efficiency. It can be seen that the first parameter can act as a load balancer. When the load of a cell increases, the value of its first parameter increases, the "attractiveness" decreases, and other terminal devices may choose cells with better first parameter values, thereby achieving automatic traffic distribution.

[0014] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the candidate cells include a first candidate cell and a second candidate cell, wherein the first parameter corresponding to the first candidate cell is greater than the first parameter corresponding to the second candidate cell, and the order of the first candidate cells is less than the order of the second candidate cells.

[0015] In the above method, a first parameter is introduced during the candidate cell sorting stage, which makes the sorting more in line with real-time link efficiency, thereby helping the terminal device to select a more suitable target cell to camp on, reducing the probability of reselection, and thus saving resource overhead.

[0016] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes:

[0017] Receive a measurement report, wherein the measurement report includes the measurement results of the candidate cell;

[0018] The target cell is determined from the candidate cells based on the measurement report and the first parameter.

[0019] In the above method, the network side makes a handover decision based on the measurement information and the value of the first parameter, and finally selects the target cell and issues a handover command, thereby realizing an optimized mobility management process based on link dynamic capabilities.

[0020] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first information is carried in system information. In the above method, the system information is suitable for low-frequency update scenarios, that is, long update cycles and no need for high timeliness.

[0021] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first information is carried in Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. In the above method, the RRC signaling is suitable for high-frequency update scenarios, meaning the first parameter can be updated in real time, ensuring the immediacy of the handover decision.

[0022] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a cell selection method. This method can be applied to a terminal device, or a module in the terminal device (wherein the module in the terminal device includes a communication module and a computing module), or a circuit or chip in the terminal device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or the terminal device can also be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a communication device. The method includes:

[0023] The terminal device receives first information, the first information including a first parameter, the first parameter being used for ranking candidate cells, and the terminal device being used to select a target cell to camp on from the ranked candidate cells; and / or, the first information includes a first identifier, the first identifier being used to indicate the target cell for the terminal device to perform handover, the target cell being determined from the candidate cells based on the first parameter;

[0024] The target cell is determined based on the first information;

[0025] The candidate cells include terrestrial network (TN) cells and non-terrestrial network (NTN) cells, and the first parameter is used to characterize the link resource cost of the candidate cells.

[0026] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the first parameter is determined by one or more of the following parameters: propagation delay, Doppler frequency offset, cell load, interference, and throughput, wherein the propagation delay, the Doppler frequency offset, the cell load, and the interference are all positively correlated with the first parameter, and the throughput is negatively correlated with the first parameter.

[0027] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, when the first parameter corresponding to the TN cell is less than the first parameter corresponding to the NTN cell, the link resource cost of the TN cell is less than the link resource cost of the NTN cell.

[0028] When the first parameter corresponding to the TN cell is greater than the first parameter corresponding to the NTN cell, the link resource cost of the TN cell is greater than the link resource cost of the NTN cell.

[0029] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the candidate cells include a first candidate cell and a second candidate cell, wherein the first parameter corresponding to the first candidate cell is greater than the first parameter corresponding to the second candidate cell, and the order of the first candidate cells is less than the order of the second candidate cells.

[0030] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the method further includes:

[0031] A measurement report is sent, wherein the measurement report includes the measurement results of the candidate cells, and the target cell is determined from the candidate cells based on the measurement report and the first parameter.

[0032] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the first information includes system information.

[0033] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the first information includes Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

[0034] The beneficial effects of the second aspect and its various possible implementations can be seen in the first aspect and its various possible implementations.

[0035] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which may be a network device, a component of a network device (e.g., a processor, chip, circuit, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of a network device.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the communication device may include modules, units, or means that correspond one-to-one with the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect. These modules, units, or means may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes: a processing unit and a transceiver unit, the processing unit being configured to generate first information; the transceiver unit being configured to transmit the first information, the first information including first parameters, the first parameters being used for candidate cell sorting, the sorted candidate cells being used by a terminal device to select a target cell to camp on; and / or, the first information including a first identifier, the target cell for which the terminal device performs a handover, indicated by the first identifier, is determined from the candidate cells based on the first parameters;

[0038] The candidate cells include terrestrial network (TN) cells and non-terrestrial network (NTN) cells, and the first parameter is used to characterize the link resource cost of the candidate cells.

[0039] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which may be a terminal device, a component in the terminal device (e.g., a processor, chip, circuit, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the communication device may include modules, units, or means that correspond one-to-one with the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect. These modules, units, or means may be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes: a processing unit and a transceiver unit, the transceiver unit being configured to receive first information, the first information including first parameters, the first parameters being used for candidate cell sorting, the terminal device being configured to select a target cell to camp on from the sorted candidate cells; and / or, the first information including a first identifier, the first identifier being used to indicate the target cell for the terminal device to switch to, the target cell being determined from the candidate cells based on the first parameters;

[0042] The processing unit is used to determine the target cell based on the first information;

[0043] The candidate cells include terrestrial network (TN) cells and non-terrestrial network (NTN) cells, and the first parameter is used to characterize the link resource cost of the candidate cells.

[0044] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which includes one or more processors. Optionally, it also includes a memory for storing part or all of the computer programs or instructions necessary for implementing the functions involved in the first aspect above. The one or more processors can execute the computer programs or instructions, and when the computer programs or instructions are executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first aspect above.

[0045] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0046] In one possible design, the communication device may also include the memory.

[0047] The aforementioned communication device may be a network device, or a communication module in a network device, or a chip in a network device that is responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip containing a modem core.

[0048] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which includes one or more processors. Optionally, it also includes a memory for storing part or all of the computer programs or instructions necessary for implementing the functions involved in the second aspect above. The one or more processors can execute the computer programs or instructions, and when the computer programs or instructions are executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the second aspect above.

[0049] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0050] In one possible design, the communication device may also include the memory.

[0051] The aforementioned communication device may be a terminal device, or a communication module in a terminal device, or a chip in a terminal device that is responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip that includes a modem module.

[0052] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a chip device including at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to invoke computer programs or instructions to implement any of the above aspects or possible implementations of any of the above aspects.

[0053] In one possible implementation, the input of the chip device corresponds to the receiving operation in any of the above-mentioned aspects or possible implementations, and the output of the chip device corresponds to the transmitting operation in any of the above-mentioned aspects or possible implementations.

[0054] Optionally, the processor is coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0055] Optionally, the chip device may also include a memory in which computer programs or instructions are stored.

[0056] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a processor, implement the methods described above.

[0057] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product that includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a processor, implement the method described in any of the above aspects.

[0058] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication system comprising: the apparatus as described in the fifth aspect and the apparatus as described in the sixth aspect.

[0059] The beneficial effects of any of the foregoing aspects and various possible implementations of any of the foregoing aspects can be referred to the first aspect and various possible implementations of the first aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0060] The accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application are described below.

[0061] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the interaction process of a cell selection method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of a terminal device performing cell handover in a connected state, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0065] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of a terminal device selecting a cell when it is in an inactive or idle state, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0066] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0068] The terms "system" and "network" in this application are used interchangeably. Unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship; for example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this application merely describes the relationship between the related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, in the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be one or more. Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solution of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish between network elements and similar items with essentially the same function. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0069] References such as "in one implementation," "exemplarily," or "in one implementation" as described in this application mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, phrases such as "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including, but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0070] It is understood that in this application, "instruction" can include direct instruction, indirect instruction, explicit instruction, and implicit instruction. When describing a certain instruction information to indicate A, it can be understood that the instruction information carries A, directly indicates A, or indirectly indicates A.

[0071] In this application, the information indicated by the instruction information is called the information to be instructed. In specific implementations, there are many ways to instruct the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly instructing the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index; indirectly instructing the information to be instructed by instructing other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed; or instructing only a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent.

[0072] The information to be instructed can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information messages, and the sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific sending method. The sending period and / or timing of these sub-information messages can be predefined, for example, according to a protocol, or configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device.

[0073] It is understood that "send" and "receive" in this application refer to the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which can include direct transmission via the air interface or indirect transmission via the air interface from other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which can include direct reception from YY via the air interface or indirect reception from YY via the air interface from other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0074] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via buses, wiring, or interfaces.

[0075] It is understandable that information may undergo necessary processing, such as encoding and modulation, between the source and destination, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar statements in this application can be interpreted in a similar way and will not be elaborated further.

[0076] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application, to Figure 1The application scenario used in this application is illustrated using the communication system architecture shown. The communication system includes a non-terrestrial network device 110, a terrestrial network device 120, and at least one terminal device. The terrestrial network device 120 is a network device deployed on a ground platform, and the non-terrestrial network device 110 is a network device deployed on a non-terrestrial platform, such as a low-altitude platform (e.g., a drone), a high-altitude platform station (HAPS) (e.g., an aircraft), or a satellite. Figure 1 As shown, the non-terrestrial network device 110 may include one or more satellites, such as satellite 101, satellite 102, and satellite 103. Inter-satellite links may exist between each satellite; for example, inter-satellite link 01 exists between satellite 101 and satellite 102, and inter-satellite link 02 exists between satellite 102 and satellite 103. Each satellite can provide communication, navigation, and positioning services to terminal devices via multiple beams. In this scenario, the satellites are low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, and satellite 103 is connected to ground station equipment. The satellites use multiple beams to cover the service area, and different beams can communicate via one or more of time division, frequency division, and space division. The satellites communicate wirelessly with terminal devices through broadcast communication signals and navigation signals, and can also communicate wirelessly with ground station equipment. Exemplarily, the aforementioned satellites can be LEO satellites, medium orbit earth satellites (MEO), or geostationary orbit earth satellites (GEO), and this application embodiment does not limit the scope. Furthermore, the satellite can operate in three modes: earth-fixed mode, quasi-earth-fixed mode, or earth-moving mode. It should be noted that the non-terrestrial network equipment and terrestrial network equipment described above can be any of the following network devices, and the terminal equipment can be any of the following terminal devices. For example, the satellite mentioned in this application embodiment can be a satellite base station, or it may include an orbital receiver or repeater for relaying information, or it may be network-side equipment mounted on the satellite.

[0077] Optionally, the communication system also includes ground station equipment. Optionally, the ground station equipment may also be referred to as core network equipment. Exemplarily, the ground station equipment can be equipment in the core network (CN) of an existing mobile communication architecture (such as the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) access architecture for 5th generation (5G) networks) or equipment in the core network of a future mobile communication architecture. The core network, as the bearer network, provides an interface to the data network, providing terminal equipment with communication connections, authentication, management, policy control, and data service delivery. Exemplarily, the CN includes at least one of the following: access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), authentication server function (AUSF), policy control function (PCF), and user plane function (UPF). The AMF element manages the access and mobility of terminal equipment, primarily responsible for terminal equipment authentication, mobility management, and paging functions.

[0078] For example, Figure 1 The communication system shown can be a TN system, an NTN system, or a converged TN and non-terrestrial network system. For example, the TN system includes... Figure 1 120 ground network devices in the middle Figure 1 Ground station equipment and Figure 1 At least one terminal device in the system. Exemplarily, the system comprised of the TN can be a conventional communication system, such as a fourth-generation (4G) communication system (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) system), a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, a 5G communication system (e.g., a new radio (NR) system), and future mobile communication systems. For example, the system comprised of the NTN includes... Figure 1 Non-terrestrial network equipment 110 Figure 1 Ground station equipment and Figure 1At least one terminal device in the system. For example, the system composed of this NTN can be a satellite communication system, a high-altitude platform communication system, or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication system. For instance, the system composed of this NTN can be an integrated communication and navigation (ICAN) system, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), or an ultra-dense low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication system. The satellite communication system includes transparent satellite architecture and non-transparent satellite architecture. Specifically, transparent transmission, also known as bend-tube relay transmission, means that the signal only undergoes frequency conversion and signal amplification on the satellite; the satellite is transparent to the signal, as if it does not exist. Non-transparent transmission, also known as regenerative (on-board access / processing) transmission, means that the satellite has some or all of the base station functions. For example, Figure 1 Satellites 101 and 102 are non-transparent satellite architectures, while satellite 103 is a transparent satellite architecture.

[0079] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication system provided in an embodiment of this application, to Figure 2 The application scenario used in this application is illustrated using the communication system architecture shown below. This communication system includes terminal equipment, terrestrial network equipment, non-terrestrial network equipment, and core network equipment. The terminal equipment can be one of the aforementioned components. Figure 1 The terminal equipment and terrestrial network equipment mentioned above can be the terminal equipment and terrestrial network equipment mentioned above. Figure 1 The terrestrial network device 120 in the middle, the non-terrestrial network device can be the above-mentioned Figure 1 The non-terrestrial network equipment 110 in the middle, the core network equipment can be the above-mentioned Figure 1 The ground station equipment. For specific functions and roles, please refer to the above. Figure 1 The relevant descriptions in the document will not be repeated here.

[0080] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown in (a), the communication system can be one of the systems composed of TN and / or NTN converged networks, wherein there is a direct link between terrestrial network equipment and non-terrestrial network equipment, for example, this direct link can be an Xn link; Figure 2 As shown in (b), the communication system can be another system within a system composed of TN and / or NTN converged networks, wherein terrestrial network equipment and non-terrestrial network equipment are connected to the same core network equipment; as Figure 2As shown in (c), the communication system can be another system in a system composed of terrestrial network equipment and / or NTN converged network, wherein the terrestrial network equipment and non-terrestrial network equipment are connected to different core network equipment, the terrestrial network equipment is connected to core network equipment 1, and the non-terrestrial network equipment is connected to core network equipment 2.

[0081] The apparatus provided in this application can be applied to network devices or to terminal devices. It is understood that... Figure 1 or Figure 2 This application only illustrates one possible communication system architecture that can be applied to an embodiment of the present application. In other possible scenarios, the communication system architecture may also include other devices.

[0082] (1) Terminal equipment, also known as user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc., is a device that provides voice or data connectivity to a user. Specifically, it includes devices that provide voice connectivity to a user, devices that provide data connectivity to a user, or devices that provide both voice and data connectivity to a user. For example, it may include handheld devices with wireless connectivity or processing devices connected to a wireless modem. The terminal equipment can communicate with the core network via the radio access network (RAN), exchange voice or data with the RAN, or interact with the RAN for both voice and data. Currently, terminal devices can include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices (such as smartwatches, smart bracelets, pedometers, etc.), in-vehicle devices (such as cars, bicycles, electric vehicles, airplanes, ships, trains, high-speed trains, etc.), virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, smart home devices (such as refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electricity meters, etc.), intelligent robots, workshop equipment, wireless terminals in autonomous driving, wireless terminals in remote surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, or wireless terminals in smart homes, and flying equipment (such as intelligent robots, hot air balloons, drones, airplanes), etc. Terminal devices can also be other devices with terminal functions; for example, a terminal device can also be a device that performs terminal functions in D2D communication.Terminal devices can also include vehicle-to-everything (V2X) terminal devices, machine-to-machine / machine-type communications (M2M / MTC) terminal devices, Internet of Things (IoT) terminal devices, light UEs, reduced capability UEs (REDCAP UEs), subscriber units, subscriber stations, mobile stations, remote stations, access points (APs), remote terminals, access terminals, user terminals, user agents, or user devices, and drone equipment. For example, this can include mobile phones (or "cellular" phones), computers with mobile terminal devices, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, and computer-embedded mobile devices, etc. Examples include personal communication service (PCS) telephones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, and personal digital assistants (PDAs). It also includes limited devices, such as those with low power consumption, limited storage capacity, or limited computing power. Examples include information sensing devices such as barcode scanners, radio frequency identification (RFID), sensors, global positioning systems (GPS), and laser scanners. In this application, terminal devices with wireless transceiver capabilities and chips that can be installed in the aforementioned terminal devices are collectively referred to as terminal devices.

[0083] It should be noted that the terminal device may be a device or apparatus with a chip, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuitry, or a chip, module or control unit in the device or apparatus shown above. This application does not limit the specific device.

[0084] (2) Network equipment is a device deployed in a radio access network to provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. It can also be called an access network (RAN) entity, access node, network node, or communication device, etc.

[0085] Specifically, the network equipment can be access network equipment for cellular systems related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). For example, fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication systems or 5G mobile communication systems. The network equipment can also be access network equipment in open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN) or cloud radio access network (CRAN). Alternatively, the network equipment can also be access network equipment in a communication system formed by the integration of two or more of the above communication systems.

[0086] Network equipment includes, but is not limited to: evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (e.g., home-evolved Node B, or home Node B, HNB), baseband unit (BBU), access point (AP) in wireless fidelity (WIFI) systems, macro base station, micro base station, wireless relay node, donor node, radio controller in CRAN scenarios, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP), or transmission and receiving point (TRP). Network equipment can also be access network equipment in 5G mobile communication systems. For example, next-generation Node B (gNB), TRP, TP in New Radio (NR) systems, or one or more antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G mobile communication system. Alternatively, network devices can also be network nodes constituting a gNB or transmission point. Examples include centralized units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs). CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a BBU. RUs can be included in radio equipment or radio units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs). Alternatively, network devices can be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, in V2X technology, a network device can be a roadside unit (RSU). Furthermore, the network device can also be a device performing network-side functions in a device-to-device (D2D) communication system, a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication system, an Internet of Things (IoT) system, a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication system, or other communication systems.

[0087] It should be noted that CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names in different systems, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called an open centralized unit (O-CU) or an open CU, DU can also be called an open distributed unit (O-DU), centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) can also be called an open centralized unit control plane (O-CU-CP) or an open CU-CP, centralized unit user plane (CU-UP) can also be called an open centralized unit user plane (O-CU-UP) or an open CU-UP, and RU can also be called an open radio unit (O-RU). This application does not impose any specific limitations. Any of the units CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0088] In some deployments, the CU and DU implement some of the functions of the gNB. For example, the CU implements radio resource control (RRC) and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer functions, while the DU implements radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) layer functions. Since RRC layer information ultimately becomes PHY layer information, or is derived from PHY layer information, in this architecture, higher-layer signaling, such as RRC or PDCP layer signaling, can also be considered as being sent by the DU, or by the DU+RU. It is understood that network devices can be CU nodes, DU nodes, or devices including both CU and DU nodes. Furthermore, the CU can be classified as a network device in the access network (RAN) or a network device in the core network (CN); no restrictions are placed here.

[0089] It should be noted that the network device can be the device or apparatus shown above, or it can be a component (e.g., a chip), module, or unit in the device or apparatus shown above; this application does not limit the specific device. The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0090] To better understand the solutions provided in the embodiments of this application, some terms, concepts or processes involved in the embodiments of this application will be introduced below.

[0091] I. Terminology Explanation

[0092] (1) Cell: The smallest service area formed by network devices (terrestrial network devices and non-terrestrial network devices) through wireless signal coverage. In the embodiments of this application, cells can be divided into TN cells and NTN cells. A TN cell is the smallest service area formed by terrestrial network devices through wireless signal coverage, and an NTN cell is the smallest service area formed by non-terrestrial network devices through wireless signal coverage.

[0093] (2) Serving cell or camping cell of terminal equipment: The cell that provides communication services to terminal equipment. The terminal equipment has established a control connection and data link with the serving cell / camping cell of the terminal equipment, or the terminal equipment has established downlink synchronization with the serving cell / camping cell of the terminal equipment and obtained necessary system messages (such as system information block (SIB) 1, SIB2, etc.).

[0094] (3) Neighbor cell: can refer to a cell that is close to the serving cell of the terminal device and may become the next handover target or reselection target. It is an object that the terminal device needs to continuously measure and evaluate in the connected state, idle state or camped state. In the embodiments of this application, the neighbor cell can be divided into TN neighbor cell and NTN neighbor cell. TN neighbor cell is a cell formed by terrestrial network equipment through wireless signal coverage, which is close to the serving cell of the terminal device and may become the next handover target or reselection target. NTN neighbor cell is a cell formed by non-terrestrial network equipment through wireless signal coverage, which is close to the serving cell of the terminal device and may become the next handover target or reselection target.

[0095] (4) Source cell: The cell that is providing radio resources and services to the terminal device before the handover occurs. It is the current anchor service cell of the terminal device.

[0096] (5) Candidate cells: include a set of cells that meet the handover measurement threshold (i.e., a candidate cell list). For example, when a terminal device performs a cell handover, it can select a cell from the candidate cell list.

[0097] (6) Target cell: refers to the cell selected from the candidate cells that will provide subsequent services to the terminal device.

[0098] II. Community Re-selection

[0099] In mobile communication systems, when a terminal device camps on a cell (which becomes the serving cell), and is in RRC idle state without performing any data services, the terminal device will measure the signal quality of the serving cell and neighboring cells. If the signal quality of the serving cell is poor, while the signal quality of a neighboring cell is good, the terminal device will proactively reselect a neighboring cell with higher priority or better signal quality as the new serving cell. This process is called cell reselection. Cell reselection is the main mechanism for RRC idle state mobility management.

[0100] In a hybrid network environment where NTN and TN coexist, terminal devices need to perform cell selection, reselection, or handover between these two types of cells. Current cell selection and reselection mechanisms primarily rely on static priority and signal quality measurements. The network configures the static priorities of NTN and TN cells through system broadcasts or dedicated signaling. The UE prioritizes selecting candidate cells from the high-priority network types. Simultaneously, the UE also performs preliminary signal quality measurements to ensure that the signaling of candidate cells meets basic communication thresholds. For example, when NTN and TN cells provide coordinated coverage, NTN cells can be set as high priority when moving from land to ocean, while TN cells can be set as high priority when approaching land.

[0101] However, static priority selection mechanisms cannot reflect real-time link status. For example, a high-priority TN cell may be severely congested, but the UE may still camp on that cell according to priority rules. TN and NTN cells differ significantly; for instance, the difference between NTN latency (>250 milliseconds) and TN latency (<1 ms) is enormous, and traditional rules lack dynamic adaptability, failing to consider this difference in real time. Furthermore, there is a lack of unified optimization logic for handling UE idle and connected states. For example, the idle state relies solely on System Message Block (SIB) reselection rules, which cannot be optimized based on real-time load or link changes. The handover (HO) decision also lacks real-time efficiency metrics.

[0102] In summary, in network environments where NTN and TN coexist, these two types of networks exhibit significant differences in propagation environment, signal characteristics, load conditions, and link stability. For example, NTN links typically have higher propagation delays and significant Doppler frequency offsets, while TN links generally have lower latency, more stable link quality, and smaller coverage. Therefore, traditional cell selection mechanisms relying on "static absolute priority" and "signal strength" often fail to adapt to such heterogeneous environments because they do not consider the real-time transmission capabilities of the links. In particular, they struggle to reflect the dynamic changes in real-time link transmission efficiency, easily leading to users residing in high-priority cells with poor actual transmission efficiency. For instance, NTN cells, affected by atmospheric attenuation and Doppler frequency offset, have relatively poor latency and signal quality, but possess high throughput. Traditional mechanisms cannot flexibly adapt to this change, resulting in low network resource utilization and a poor user experience.

[0103] In view of this, this application proposes a method and related apparatus for cell selection. In this method, a dynamic effective capacity factor (DECF) mechanism is proposed to determine a first parameter. The first parameter is used to quantify the link resource cost of the cell, so that NTN cells and TN cells can intelligently hand over to each other according to actual service needs and link status, thereby improving the mobility management performance of NTN / TN hybrid networks, further improving the utilization of network resources, and optimizing user experience.

[0104] The following is combined Figure 3 The cell selection method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail. This method can be implemented by a terminal device and a network device. It should be understood that the steps performed by the terminal device in this method can also be performed by components (such as chips, modules, or circuits) in the terminal device, and / or, the steps performed by the network device in this method can also be performed by components (such as chips, modules, or circuits) in the network device.

[0105] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the interaction process of a cell selection method provided in an embodiment of this application. This method can be based on... Figure 1 or Figure 2 The architecture shown or other architecture implementations. This method includes, but is not limited to, the steps shown in steps S301 and S302. It should be understood that the embodiments of this application do not limit the execution time, execution order, execution number, etc. of one or more of the above steps. Each step is described separately below.

[0106] Step S301: The network device sends first information, which includes a first parameter, or the first information includes a first identifier. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information.

[0107] Optionally, the network device generates the first information before sending it. For example, the network device may be an access network device (such as a gNB) or a core network device (such as a network data analytics function (NWDAF)).

[0108] In some examples, where the first information includes a first parameter, the first parameter is used for ranking candidate cells, and the terminal device can select the target cell to camp on from the ranked candidate cells.

[0109] In some other examples, where the first information includes a first identifier, the target cell for the handover performed by the terminal device indicated by the first identifier is determined from candidate cells based on a first parameter.

[0110] The candidate cells include terrestrial network (TN) cells and non-terrestrial network (NTN) cells. For example, if the first parameter corresponding to a TN cell is less than the first parameter corresponding to an NTN cell, the link resource cost of the TN cell is less than the link resource cost of the NTN cell; if the first parameter corresponding to a TN cell is greater than the first parameter corresponding to an NTN cell, the link resource cost of the TN cell is greater than the link resource cost of the NTN cell.

[0111] Each candidate cell corresponds to a first parameter, which characterizes the link resource cost of the candidate cell. Specifically, the first parameter quantifies the actual resource cost of a candidate cell link under current service requirements, i.e., the radio resource cost / overhead required to perform data transmission on that candidate cell link. For example, a larger first parameter indicates a higher required radio resource cost / overhead, resulting in lower transmission efficiency; conversely, a smaller first parameter indicates a lower required radio resource cost / overhead, resulting in higher transmission efficiency. In this embodiment, the ranking of transmission efficiency is determined based on the value of the first parameter; candidate cells with lower values ​​indicate that their links consume fewer resources and have higher transmission efficiency under current conditions.

[0112] In some examples, the first parameter is determined by one or more of the following parameters: propagation delay, Doppler frequency offset, cell load, interference, and throughput. Optionally, the first parameter may be called the dynamic effective capacity factor (DECF).

[0113] (1) Propagation delay (Δt): Calculated based on ephemeris data and terminal device location. The propagation delay of NTN cells may exceed 250ms, while that of TN cells is less than 1ms. It should be understood that the greater the delay, the higher the retransmission probability and the higher the protocol stack buffer cost. Therefore, as the propagation delay increases, the value of the first parameter becomes larger.

[0114] (2) Doppler frequency offset (Δf): The base stations in TN cells are basically fixed, and the movement of terminals will generate Doppler frequency offset, which is relatively small (usually <1kHz). Due to satellite motion, the Doppler frequency offset in NTN cells is extremely large (reaching tens to hundreds of kHz). It should be understood that the larger the Doppler frequency offset, the lower the demodulation performance of the receiver, requiring a higher signal-to-noise ratio margin (SNR margin), which in turn increases resource consumption. Therefore, as the Doppler frequency offset increases, the value of the first parameter also increases.

[0115] (3) Cell load: Determined based on the current physical resource block (PRB) utilization rate of the cell, that is, the cell load is measured by the PRB utilization rate. It should be understood that the higher the load, the longer the scheduling waiting delay may be, so the value of the first parameter increases with the increase of the load.

[0116] (4) Interference: This includes background noise from neighboring cells or the system, and is used to characterize the average interference level of the current cell. It should be understood that the greater the interference, the higher the transmit power required to achieve the same data rate, so the value of the first parameter increases with the increase of interference.

[0117] (5) (Real-time) throughput: Based on the current channel quality indicator (CQI) and available resources, it is used to estimate the instantaneous throughput that the link can provide.

[0118] For example, the first parameter can be expressed as: first parameter = f(Δ t Δ f , load , interference , throughput ).

[0119] Where the first parameter = f() is a functional relationship, and the propagation delay (Δ) t Doppler frequency shift (Δ) f ), cell load ( load ),interference( interferenc e) are all positively correlated (proportional) with the first parameter, that is, as Δ t Δf , load , interference As the value of the first parameter increases, the throughput also increases. throughput It is negatively correlated (inversely proportional) with the first parameter, that is, as... throughput As the value of increases, the value of the first parameter also increases. For example, to make the parameters comparable, normalization and dynamic range compression are performed. For instance, the first parameter can be expressed as:

[0120]

[0121] (1) : This represents the normalization of the delay term. It should be understood that the delay in NTN (e.g., up to 250ms for GEO satellites) is much greater than that in TN (typically <1ms). Directly using linear values ​​would cause the delay term to dominate the entire calculation of the first parameter. Taking the logarithm can compress its dynamic range, making it comparable in value to parameters of other dimensions (e.g., load 0-100%), while maintaining a positive correlation.

[0122] In some examples, , This represents the actual calculated transmission delay (in seconds). The minimum expected latency configured for the network (e.g., the minimum latency for low-Earth orbit satellites or ground latency, such as 0.001 seconds).

[0123] (2) : Represents the normalized Doppler frequency offset, used to convert the Doppler frequency offset into a dimensionless value. A value with a scale similar to other terms.

[0124] In some examples, , The Doppler frequency offset (Hertz Hz) is calculated or measured in real time. Configure the network to determine the maximum possible Doppler frequency offset of the NTN system.

[0125] (3) : Represents the normalized cell load, used to reflect the current resource occupancy of the cell.

[0126] In some examples, , This represents the current average utilization rate (percentage %) of the physical resource blocks (PRBs) in the community.

[0127] (4) : Represents the normalized interference level, used to reflect channel quality, and its value is around the [0,1] interval.

[0128] In some examples, Imeas For the measured interference amount (dBm), I max Define the maximum interference power (dBm) for the network. Normalize the interference level to the vicinity of the [0,1] interval.

[0129] (5) : Represents the reciprocal of the normalized throughput, used to reflect the negative correlation that the higher the throughput, the lower the first parameter.

[0130] In some examples, , This is the estimated achievable throughput (Mbps) for users based on the current CQI and available resources. The theoretical maximum throughput (Mbps) that the cell can support under ideal conditions, then take its reciprocal. This means that if the estimated throughput reaches its maximum value, this term is 1 (contributing the least to the first parameter); if the throughput is extremely low, this term will be very large, significantly increasing the first parameter.

[0131] In the above formula to The weight vector is the "strategy core" of the entire function. The weights determine the relative influence of each parameter on the first parameter. For example, network operators can dynamically adjust these weights based on their business strategies and network characteristics. For instance, for latency-sensitive services, the weights can be adjusted accordingly. The (delay weight) is set very high. Setting the throughput weight high will ensure that even when a high-latency NTN link is idle, its first parameter remains high, thus guiding traffic to prioritize the use of low-latency TN links. For example, for capacity-maximizing services, this can be achieved by... (Load weight) and Setting the throughput weight to a high value will cause the network to actively guide users from high-load cells to low-load or high-throughput cells, thus achieving load balancing.

[0132] It should be understood that the weights do not necessarily need to be equal to 1; their absolute values ​​determine the contribution of each item. The network can broadcast these weight values ​​via RRC signaling or SIB.

[0133] In one possible implementation, the terminal device is in an idle / inactive state, and the first information is carried in the system information. That is, the network device can provide the first parameter to the terminal device by broadcasting one or more of the system information of SIB1, SIB3, SIB5, and SIB19, so that the terminal device can sort the candidate cells based on the first parameter and select the cell to camp on from the sorted candidate cells.

[0134] In another possible implementation, the terminal device is in a connected state, and the network device determines the target cell for the terminal device after handover from candidate cells based on a first parameter. That is, the first parameter can be used to assist the network device in determining the target cell for the terminal device after handover. In this case, the first information sent by the network device to the terminal device includes a first identifier, which indicates the target cell. Exemplarily, the first information is carried in RRC reconfiguration signaling, measurement control signaling, or mobility control information; that is, the network device can indicate the target cell for handover to the terminal device through RRC reconfiguration signaling or measurement control signaling.

[0135] See some examples. Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of a terminal device performing cell handover in a connected state, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 As shown, the process includes, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0136] S41: Terminal devices continuously report measurement data.

[0137] Specifically, network devices send measurement configurations via RRC reconfiguration messages. Terminal devices measure the signal quality of the serving cell and candidate cells based on these configurations to obtain measurement results. The measurement results for the serving cell include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, load report (including resource load status), interference report (including radio signal interference level), etc. The measurement results for candidate cells include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: candidate cell PCI (Physical Cell Identifier), frequency information, RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, load report, interference report, and timestamps indicating that triggering conditions are met, etc. Furthermore, if the serving cell and / or candidate cell includes an NTN cell, the measurement results also include NTN delay estimation and Doppler frequency offset. The load report includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: resource block (RB) occupancy rate, active user count estimation, scheduling cycle characteristics, etc. The interference report includes, but is not limited to: interference signal and noise power spectral density, absolute interference power, time-frequency domain interference distribution, and interference level distribution, etc.

[0138] Furthermore, the terminal device reports the measurement report to the network device. The measurement report includes the measurement results of the serving cell and the measurement results of the candidate cells.

[0139] S42: The network device calculates the first parameter of the candidate cell in real time.

[0140] Specifically, the network device calculates the first parameter for each candidate cell based on at least one of the following parameters: propagation delay, Doppler frequency offset, cell load, interference, and throughput. A description of this parameter can be found in the relevant descriptions above, and will not be repeated here.

[0141] S43: The network device makes a handover decision.

[0142] Specifically, the network device determines the target cell from the candidate cells based on the first parameter corresponding to each candidate cell and the measurement report of the candidate cell.

[0143] For example, a network device selects candidate cells from the candidate cells based on a measurement report. These candidate cells meet a preset threshold for signal quality and the triggering conditions of a measurement event. Assume the selected candidate cells include: candidate NTN cell 1, candidate TN cell 2, candidate TN cell 3, candidate NTN cell 4, and candidate TN cell 5. Then, the network device sorts these candidate cells according to priority weights and a first parameter. Assuming the priority decision logic prioritizes the candidate cell (including NTN and TN cells) with the best signal quality (e.g., the cell with the highest combined score in one or more of RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, latency, and bandwidth usage), then the priority weight for candidate NTN cell 1 is A1, for candidate TN cell 2 it is A2, for candidate TN cell 3 it is A3, for candidate NTN cell 4 it is A4, and for candidate TN cell 5 it is A5, with A1>A4>A2>A3>A5. The calculation... The first parameter of candidate NTN cell 1 is B1, the first parameter of candidate TN cell 2 is B2, the first parameter of candidate TN cell 3 is B3, the first parameter of candidate NTN cell 4 is B4, and the first parameter of candidate TN cell 5 is B5. The order is B5 > B2 > B1 > B3 > B4. A lower value for the first parameter indicates lower current resource costs for the cell link, resulting in higher transmission efficiency. Therefore, the transmission efficiency ranking of the candidate cells is: transmission efficiency of candidate NTN cell 4 > transmission efficiency of candidate TN cell 3 > transmission efficiency of candidate NTN cell 1 > transmission efficiency of candidate TN cell 2 > transmission efficiency of candidate TN cell 5. Finally, considering both priority weights and the value of the first parameter, candidate NTN cell 4 is selected as the target cell for handover.

[0144] For example, the network device can determine the first ranking by comprehensively considering the priority weight and the first parameter, and select the cell with the higher ranking from the first ranking as the target cell (e.g., NTN cell 4). The larger the value of the first ranking, the better the corresponding cell is. Here, the first ranking is expressed as: Rank = (Absolute_Priority ×α) - (DECF ×β), where Absolute_Priority is the priority weight, DECF is the value of the first parameter, and α and β are weight coefficients used to control the proportion of "policy priority (i.e., priority weight)" and "dynamic efficiency (i.e., the first parameter)" in the decision.

[0145] S44: The network device issues a switching command.

[0146] Specifically, network devices send handover commands to terminal devices to switch to the target cell via RRC reconfiguration signaling.

[0147] Step S302: The terminal device determines the target cell based on the first information.

[0148] In one possible implementation, the terminal device is in an inactive or idle state. The terminal device can obtain a first parameter by listening to system information, and then sort the candidate cells based on the first parameter.

[0149] See some examples. Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of a terminal device selecting a cell when it is in an inactive or idle state, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, the process includes, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0150] S51: Terminal devices read system information.

[0151] Specifically, the terminal device listens to and reads system information (including but not limited to: SIB1, SIB3, SIB5 and SIB19, etc.) to obtain parameters such as cell PCI, static priority, beam coverage map of NTN cell, visibility time and first information.

[0152] S52: The terminal device executes the S criterion to determine candidate cells.

[0153] Specifically, the RSRP / RSRQ / SINR of the PCI-corresponding cell is measured. Based on static priority, S-criterion, and parameters such as the beam coverage map and visibility time of the NTN cell, cells that cannot be camped (such as cells whose signal quality does not meet the camping requirements) are filtered out, thereby obtaining candidate cells whose signal quality meets the camping requirements.

[0154] In some examples, the priority decision logic configured by the network device for the terminal device includes at least the following: default "TN priority", "NTN priority" for a specific area, TN network congestion requiring offloading, the user having purchased a global satellite package, etc. For example, under the default "TN priority" condition, the instruction issued by the network device to the terminal device includes: TN frequency priority = 6, NTN frequency priority = 3. The terminal device will prioritize camping on the TN cell as long as it is available (even if the signal is weaker than the NTN cell). Under the specific area "NTN priority" condition, the instruction issued by the network device to the terminal device includes: TN frequency priority = 3, NTN frequency priority = 6. The terminal device will prioritize camping on the NTN cell as long as it is available. Under the condition of TN network congestion requiring offloading, the instruction issued by the network device to the terminal device includes: dynamically adjusting the priority, temporarily lowering the priority of the current TN cell (for example, from priority 6 to priority 4). If the terminal device detects that NTN priority 6 > TN priority 4, it will reselect to the NTN cell. When a user has purchased a global satellite package, the instructions sent by the network device to the terminal device include the following: subscribing the user to the "NTN priority" attribute in the home subscriber server (HSS) / unified data management (UDM) network element; and issuing a higher NTN frequency priority to the user through dedicated signaling when the user attaches.

[0155] S53: The terminal device sorts the candidate cells based on the first parameter.

[0156] Specifically, the terminal device sorts the selected candidate cells according to the value of the first parameter. It should be understood that the larger the value of the first parameter, the higher the resource cost of the corresponding cell link and the lower the transmission efficiency. That is, the terminal device sorts the candidate cells that meet the signal quality requirements from low to high according to the value of the first parameter.

[0157] In one example, the network device can determine a first ranking by comprehensively considering priority weights and a first parameter. From the first ranking, cells with higher priority are selected / re-ranked as target cells for camping. The larger the value of the first ranking, the better the corresponding cell. Assume that the priority decision logic is to prioritize the cell with the best signal quality (i.e., the cell with the highest combined RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR score) among the candidate cells (including NTN and TN cells). For example, the first ranking is expressed as: Rank = (Absolute_Priority × α) - (DECF × β), where Absolute_Priority is the priority weight, DECF is the value of the first parameter, and α and β are weight coefficients used to control the proportion of "policy priority (i.e., priority weight)" and "dynamic efficiency (i.e., the first parameter)" in the decision.

[0158] S54: Terminal device selects / re-camps to a cell.

[0159] In some examples, the terminal device can select the candidate cell that is ranked first (say, the first in the ranking) as the target cell to be camped on after sorting the candidate cells.

[0160] In some scenarios, the terminal device can select the cell to camp on based on the first parameter under the following conditions, including but not limited to: the terminal device is powered on, the terminal device searches again after losing coverage, the terminal device resumes from airplane mode, cell reselection is triggered in inactive / idle mode, etc.

[0161] In another possible implementation, the terminal device is in a connected state and can switch from the current cell to the target cell indicated by the first identifier in the first information.

[0162] In another possible implementation, in a converged NTN and TN network environment, the terminal device is in an inactive or idle state. The terminal device can obtain a first parameter by listening to system information, and then sort candidate cells based on this first parameter. Assume that the candidate cells include TN cells determined based on a default "TN priority" policy. Then, the terminal device selects / reselects a first cell to camp on from the sorted candidate cells; this first cell is a TN cell. The terminal device initiates a service request to access the first cell, and then establishes an RRC connection with the first cell. The terminal device is in a connected state, and the network device configures measurement event types and threshold parameters for the terminal device. When the terminal device measures that the serving cell / neighboring cell signal meets the event conditions, it reports a measurement report to the network device. The network device calculates the first parameter for each candidate cell in each candidate list (including NTN and TN cells). Based on the first parameter corresponding to each candidate cell and the measurement report of the candidate cell, it makes a comprehensive judgment and determines a second cell from the candidate cells to perform the handover; this second cell can be an NTN cell. The network device sends a handover command to the terminal device to instruct the terminal device to hand over to the NTN cell. After receiving the handover command, the terminal device disconnects from the TN cell and connects to the NTN cell.

[0163] It should be understood that the advantage of NTN cells lies in their ability to cover remote areas or areas difficult for terrestrial base stations to cover (such as oceans and airspace). Therefore, in these environments, handover to an NTN cell can guarantee the user's communication quality. After handover to an NTN cell, the network will continue to monitor the signal quality, latency, and other parameters of the NTN cell. If the network conditions of the NTN cell are poor (such as excessively high latency), a handover event may be triggered again to return to a TN cell or other candidate cells.

[0164] It should be understood that the steps in the above-described method embodiments provided in this application can be implemented by integrated logic circuits in the processor hardware or by instructions in software form. The method steps disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor.

[0165] This application divides the communication device into functional modules according to the above-described method embodiments. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated modules can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules. It should be noted that the module division in this application is illustrative and represents only one logical functional division; other division methods may be used in actual implementation. The following will combine... Figure 6 and Figure 7The communication device of the embodiments of this application is described in detail.

[0166] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the communication device 60 includes a processing module 601 and a transceiver module 602. The transceiver module 602 can implement corresponding communication functions; for example, the transceiver module 602 can also be called an interface, communication interface, or communication module. The processing module 601 is used for data processing, such as generating information. The transceiver module 602 can have its own control logic or can perform corresponding operations under the control of the processing module 601. In some embodiments of this application, the communication device can be used to perform the actions performed by the sending end in the above method embodiments. For example, the sending end can be the device itself or a chip or functional module configurable in the device. The transceiver module 602 is used to perform operations related to information transmission and reception in the above method embodiments, and the processing module 601 is used to perform operations related to data processing in the above method embodiments. The processing module 601 can perform corresponding operations by calling a computer program or by performing corresponding operations through corresponding hardware circuits. The transceiver module 602 can perform transmission and reception operations independently or perform corresponding transmission and reception operations under the control of the processing module 601.

[0167] For example, Figure 6 The communication device shown can be a network device or a component within a network device. The processing module 601 and the transceiver module 602 in this communication device can respectively perform the following operations:

[0168] The processing module 601 is used to generate first information; the transceiver module 602 is used to send the first information, the first information including first parameters, the first parameters being used for candidate cell sorting, the sorted candidate cells being used for the terminal device to select the target cell to camp on; and / or, the first information including a first identifier, the target cell indicated by the first identifier being determined from the candidate cells based on the first parameters;

[0169] The candidate cells include terrestrial network (TN) cells and non-terrestrial network (NTN) cells. The first parameter is used to characterize the link resource cost of the candidate cells.

[0170] In some examples, the first parameter is determined by one or more of the following parameters: propagation delay, Doppler frequency offset, cell load, interference, and throughput. Propagation delay, Doppler frequency offset, cell load, and interference are all positively correlated with the first parameter, while throughput is negatively correlated with the first parameter.

[0171] In some other examples, when the first parameter corresponding to the TN cell is less than the first parameter corresponding to the NTN cell, the link resource cost of the TN cell is less than the link resource cost of the NTN cell.

[0172] When the first parameter corresponding to a TN cell is greater than the first parameter corresponding to an NTN cell, the link resource cost of the TN cell is greater than the link resource cost of the NTN cell.

[0173] In one possible implementation, the candidate cells include a first candidate cell and a second candidate cell, wherein the first parameter corresponding to the first candidate cell is greater than the first parameter corresponding to the second candidate cell, and the order of the first candidate cells is less than the order of the second candidate cells.

[0174] In another possible implementation, the transceiver module 602 is configured to receive a measurement report, wherein the measurement report includes measurement results of candidate cells;

[0175] Processing module 601 is used to determine the target cell from the candidate cells based on the measurement report and the first parameter.

[0176] Reuse Figure 6 In other embodiments of this application, exemplarily, Figure 6 The communication device shown can be a terminal device or a component of a terminal device. The processing module 601 and the transceiver module 602 in the communication device can respectively perform the following operations:

[0177] The transceiver module 602 is used to receive first information, the first information including first parameters, the first parameters being used for candidate cell sorting, and the terminal device being used to select a target cell to camp on from the sorted candidate cells; and / or, the first information includes a first identifier, the target cell to which the terminal device is switched is determined from the candidate cells based on the first parameters;

[0178] Processing module 601 is used to determine the target cell based on the first information;

[0179] The candidate cells include terrestrial network (TN) cells and non-terrestrial network (NTN) cells. The first parameter is used to characterize the link resource cost of the candidate cells.

[0180] In some examples, the first parameter is determined by one or more of the following parameters: propagation delay, Doppler frequency offset, cell load, interference, and throughput. Among these, propagation delay, Doppler frequency offset, cell load, and interference are all positively correlated with the first parameter, while throughput is negatively correlated with the first parameter.

[0181] In some other examples, when the first parameter corresponding to the TN cell is less than the first parameter corresponding to the NTN cell, the link resource cost of the TN cell is less than the link resource cost of the NTN cell.

[0182] When the first parameter corresponding to a TN cell is greater than the first parameter corresponding to an NTN cell, the link resource cost of the TN cell is greater than the link resource cost of the NTN cell.

[0183] In one possible implementation, the candidate cells include a first candidate cell and a second candidate cell, wherein the first parameter corresponding to the first candidate cell is greater than the first parameter corresponding to the second candidate cell, and the order of the first candidate cells is less than the order of the second candidate cells.

[0184] In another possible implementation, processing module 601 is used to generate a measurement report; transceiver module 602 is used to send the measurement report.

[0185] The specific descriptions of the transceiver module and processing module shown in the above embodiments are merely examples. For the specific functions or execution steps of the transceiver module and processing module, please refer to the above method embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0186] The communication device according to the embodiments of this application has been described above. The following describes possible product forms of the communication device. Any device possessing the above-described... Figure 6 Any product in any form that incorporates the functionality of a communication device falls within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0187] The following description is merely an example and does not limit the product form of the communication device in the embodiments of this application to this.

[0188] In one possible implementation, Figure 6 In the communication device shown, the processing module 601 can be one or more processors, and the transceiver module 602 can be a transceiver, or the transceiver module 602 can also be a transmitting module and a receiving module. The transmitting module can be a transmitter, and the receiving module can be a receiver. The transmitting module and the receiving module are integrated into one device, such as a transceiver. In the embodiments of this application, the processor and the transceiver can be coupled, etc., and the connection method between the processor and the transceiver is not limited in the embodiments of this application. In the process of executing the above method, the process of sending information in the above method can be the process of the processor outputting the above information. When outputting the above information, the processor outputs the above information to the transceiver so that the transceiver can transmit it. After the above information is output by the processor, it may need to undergo other processing before reaching the transceiver. Similarly, the process of receiving information in the above method can be the process of the processor receiving the input above information. When the processor receives the input information, the transceiver receives the above information and inputs it into the processor. In addition, after the transceiver receives the above information, the above information may need to undergo other processing before being input into the processor.

[0189] like Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 70 includes one or more processors 720 and a transceiver 710. Exemplarily, the transceiver 710 is used to perform actions such as... Figure 6 The transceiver module 602 shown implements the functions or steps, and the processor 720 is used to execute such functions or steps. Figure 6 The processing module 601 shown implements the functions or steps. The transceiver 710 may have its own processing logic, or it may execute related operations under the control of the processor 720. Optionally, the communication device 70 may also include a memory 730, which can store computer programs. The processor 720 performs operations by calling the computer programs in the memory 730, such as generating first parameters, generating first information, etc. For detailed descriptions of the processor 720 and transceiver 710, please refer to... Figure 6 Alternatively, the method embodiments shown above will not be described in detail here. For explanations of relevant steps and information in the above embodiments, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments; they will not be detailed here. Figure 7 In various implementations of the communication apparatus shown, the transceiver may include a receiver for performing a receiving function (or operation) and a transmitter for performing a transmitting function (or operation). The transceiver is also used to communicate with other devices / appliances via a transmission medium.

[0190] Optionally, the communication device 60 may be a chip or an integrated circuit in its specific implementation.

[0191] This application also provides a chip system, which includes at least one processor for implementing the functions involved in the methods executed by the terminal device or network device in any of the above embodiments.

[0192] In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing program instructions and data, which may be located within or outside the processor.

[0193] The chip system can consist of chips or include chips and other discrete components.

[0194] Optionally, the chip system may contain one or more processors. These processors can be implemented in hardware or software. When implemented in hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, etc. When implemented in software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor, implemented by reading software code stored in memory.

[0195] Optionally, the chip system may contain one or more memories. The memory may be integrated with the processor or disposed separately from it; this application embodiment does not limit this. For example, the memory may be a non-transient processor, such as a read-only memory (ROM), which may be integrated with the processor on the same chip or disposed separately on different chips. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the type of memory or the arrangement of the memory and processor.

[0196] For example, the chip system may be a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system on chip (SoC), a central processor unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a micro controller unit (MCU), a programmable logic device (PLD), or other integrated chips.

[0197] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when run, causes a computer to perform the method executed by the terminal device or network device in any of the above embodiments.

[0198] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions). When the computer program is run, it causes a computer to perform the method executed by the communication node, access network device, or core network device in any of the above embodiments.

[0199] The various embodiments of this application can be combined arbitrarily to achieve different technical effects.

[0200] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both types of storage media.

[0201] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0202] In the description of this application, terms such as “first,” “second,” “S301,” or “S302” are used only for the purpose of distinguishing descriptions and for the convenience of context. The different sequence numbers themselves do not have specific technical meanings and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, nor should they be construed as indicating or implying the order of execution of operations. The order of execution of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a cell, characterized in that, The method is applied to a network device, and the method includes: Send first information, the first information including a first parameter, the first parameter being used for candidate cell sorting, the sorted candidate cells being used by the terminal device to select a target cell to camp on; and / or, the first information including a first identifier, the target cell for the terminal device to perform handover indicated by the first identifier being determined from the candidate cells based on the first parameter; The candidate cells include terrestrial network (TN) cells and non-terrestrial network (NTN) cells, and the first parameter is used to characterize the link resource cost of the candidate cells; The first parameter is determined by one or more of the following parameters: propagation delay, Doppler frequency offset, cell load, interference, and throughput, wherein the propagation delay, the Doppler frequency offset, the cell load, and the interference are all positively correlated with the first parameter, and the throughput is negatively correlated with the first parameter.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the first parameter corresponding to the TN cell is less than the first parameter corresponding to the NTN cell, the link resource cost of the TN cell is less than the link resource cost of the NTN cell. When the first parameter corresponding to the TN cell is greater than the first parameter corresponding to the NTN cell, the link resource cost of the TN cell is greater than the link resource cost of the NTN cell.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that, The candidate cells include a first candidate cell and a second candidate cell. The first parameter corresponding to the first candidate cell is greater than the first parameter corresponding to the second candidate cell, and the order of the first candidate cells is less than the order of the second candidate cells.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a measurement report, wherein the measurement report includes the measurement results of the candidate cell; The target cell is determined from the candidate cells based on the measurement report and the first parameter.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that, The first piece of information is contained in the system information.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that, The first information is carried in Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

7. A method for selecting a cell, characterized in that, The method is applied to a terminal device, and the method includes: The terminal device receives first information, the first information including a first parameter, the first parameter being used for ranking candidate cells, and the terminal device being used to select a target cell to camp on from the ranked candidate cells; and / or, the first information includes a first identifier, the first identifier being used to indicate the target cell for the terminal device to perform handover, the target cell being determined from the candidate cells based on the first parameter; The target cell is determined based on the first information; The candidate cells include terrestrial network (TN) cells and non-terrestrial network (NTN) cells, and the first parameter is used to characterize the link resource cost of the candidate cells; The first parameter is determined by one or more of the following parameters: propagation delay, Doppler frequency offset, cell load, interference, and throughput, wherein the propagation delay, the Doppler frequency offset, the cell load, and the interference are all positively correlated with the first parameter, and the throughput is negatively correlated with the first parameter.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the first parameter corresponding to the TN cell is less than the first parameter corresponding to the NTN cell, the link resource cost of the TN cell is less than the link resource cost of the NTN cell. When the first parameter corresponding to the TN cell is greater than the first parameter corresponding to the NTN cell, the link resource cost of the TN cell is greater than the link resource cost of the NTN cell.

9. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that, The candidate cells include a first candidate cell and a second candidate cell. The first parameter corresponding to the first candidate cell is greater than the first parameter corresponding to the second candidate cell, and the order of the first candidate cells is less than the order of the second candidate cells.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: A measurement report is sent, wherein the measurement report includes the measurement results of the candidate cells, and the target cell is determined from the candidate cells based on the measurement report and the first parameter.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that, The first information includes system information.

12. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that, The first information includes Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

13. A communication device, characterized in that, in: The communication device includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6; or, the communication device includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 7 to 12.

14. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor for executing a computer program or computer instructions stored in a memory to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

16. A chip system, characterized in that, Including the processor; The processor is configured to execute computer execution instructions to cause a device on which the chip system is mounted to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

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