Communication method, communication device, communication system and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

Provided are a communication method, a communication device, a system and a computer readable storage medium, the method relating to the field of communications, a terminal device being capable of obtaining a service range of each candidate cell at a future t moment and a service range of a source cell at the future t moment, and predicting an estimated range of the terminal device at the future t moment, the method comprises the steps of selecting a plurality of candidate cells, selecting a target cell capable of better providing communication service for the terminal equipment at the future t moment from the plurality of candidate cells and the source cell according to the service range of the candidate cells, the service range of the source cell and the estimated range of the terminal equipment, and controlling switching to the target cell under the condition that the future t moment satisfies a switching condition. According to the method, the base station switching frequency of the terminal equipment can be reduced, and the communication stability is improved; in addition, the signaling interaction between the terminal equipment and the base station can be reduced in the process, and communication resources are saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a communication method, communication device, system, and computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In non-terrestrial network (NTN) scenarios, various conditional handover (CHO) schemes can trigger terminal devices to hand over between different cells. These include time-based, location-based, and measurement-based handover conditions. Time-based handover conditions determine the communication time based on the relative speed and communication range between the next-generation NodeB (gNB) and the user equipment (UE), using this communication time as the handover condition. Location-based handover conditions use the relative position of the gNB and the UE as the handover condition. Measurement-based handover conditions use parameters such as the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the current communication channel measured by the gNB and the UE, using channel quality as the handover condition.

[0003] The handover conditions described above may not meet existing mobile communication needs under certain special circumstances. For example, when a UE moves within the range of multiple gNBs, these gNBs may have different locations and altitudes at different times. Traditional handover conditions may cause the UE to frequently switch between gNBs, or even ping-pong handover between two gNBs, causing a large amount of communication bandwidth to be used for signaling interaction, thus reducing the effective communication bandwidth available to the user. In addition, frequent gNB handover may also lead to increased communication latency and reduced communication quality.

[0004] Therefore, in NTN scenarios, ensuring the stability of terminal device communication during cell handover remains a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method, communication device, system, and computer-readable storage medium. The method can predict the target cell that can better provide communication services to terminal devices at a future time t, thereby reducing the base station handover frequency of terminal devices and improving communication stability.

[0006] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a terminal device, or by a component (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system) configured in the terminal device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the terminal device. This application does not limit this. The following description uses a terminal device as an example. The method includes: Receive configuration information from the source access network device. The configuration information is used to configure candidate cells, a first measurement event, and a second measurement event. The first measurement event is related to the first service range of the candidate cell at a preset time, and the second measurement event is related to the second service range of the source cell provided by the source access network device at a preset time. Based on the configuration information, the first service range of the candidate cell at a preset time and the second service range of the source cell at a preset time are determined. Determine the estimated range of the terminal device at the preset time; The target cell is determined based on the first service area, the second service area, and the estimated area; Under preset conditions, the system will switch to the target cell at a preset time.

[0007] In this application embodiment, "configuration information" can be understood as: the source access network device notifies the terminal device of relevant information of multiple candidate cells, and instructs the terminal device to measure the first service range of each of the multiple candidate cells at time t in the future, and to measure the second service range of the source cell at time t in the future.

[0008] Optionally, the "configuration information" can be RRC configuration information sent from the source base station to the terminal device. The RRC reconfiguration information can be used to modify the established RRC connection between the terminal device and the source base station. Based on the RRC reconfiguration information, the terminal device can reconfigure candidate cells and cell handover-related measurement events, and can perform cell handover based on the reconfigured candidate cells. In other cases, the configuration information can also be other message types with the above-mentioned configuration functions; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0009] Optionally, in this embodiment, the first measurement event and the second measurement event can be two independent measurement events, or they can be integrated into one measurement event. In this case, the integrated measurement event can also be called a "service range measurement event," meaning that the terminal device can measure the service range of each of the multiple candidate cells and the source cell at a future time t based on the integrated measurement event. This application uses the first measurement event and the second measurement event as two independent measurement events as an example for illustration.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the target cell is determined based on the first service area, the second service area, and the estimated range, including: The target cell is determined based on the intersection of the first service area and the estimated area, and the intersection of the second service area and the estimated area.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the first aspect, the target cell is determined based on the intersection area of ​​the first service range and the estimated range, and the intersection area of ​​the second service range and the estimated range, including: If the intersection of the first service range and the estimated range is larger than the intersection of the second service range and the estimated range, the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range is determined as the target cell. If the intersection of the first service range and the estimated range is less than or equal to the intersection of the second service range and the estimated range, the source cell corresponding to the second service range is determined as the target cell.

[0012] Using the above method, the intersection of the service area of ​​each candidate cell and the estimated range of the terminal device can be used to determine which candidate cell can cover more of the estimated range of the terminal device, and the candidate cell that can cover more of the estimated range of the terminal device is selected as the target cell. This ensures that the target cell can better provide network services to the terminal device at time t in the future.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the first aspect, the target cell is determined based on the first service area, the second service area, and the estimated range, including: If the area of ​​the region whose estimated range exceeds the first service range is greater than the first preset threshold, and the area of ​​the region whose estimated range exceeds the second service range is greater than the second preset threshold, the source cell corresponding to the second service range is determined as the target cell. If the area of ​​the region whose estimated range exceeds the first service range is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, and the area of ​​the region whose estimated range exceeds the second service range is less than or equal to the second preset threshold, the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range is determined as the target cell.

[0014] The above method not only utilizes the intersection of the service area of ​​each candidate cell and the estimated range of the terminal device, but also combines the fact that the estimated range exceeds the service area of ​​the candidate cell to determine which candidate cell can cover the estimated range of more terminal devices. The candidate cell that can cover the estimated range of more terminal devices is selected as the target cell, which ensures that the target cell can better provide network services to the terminal device at time t in the future.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the first aspect, the preset conditions include the leaving condition for leaving the source cell and the entering condition for entering the target cell; The conditions for leaving the source cell include: the difference between the angle between the terminal device and the beam centerline of the source cell and the difference between the first correction parameter are greater than or equal to the third preset threshold. The entry conditions for entering the target cell include: the sum of the angle difference between the terminal device and the beam centerline of the target cell and the second correction parameter is less than the fourth preset threshold.

[0016] It should be understood that, according to the aforementioned process, after the terminal device selects the target cell at a future time t, it can determine at time t whether the preset conditions are met. If the preset conditions are met, it can then switch to the target cell; if the switching conditions are not met, it can choose not to switch to the target cell.

[0017] In other words, in the specific implementation process, after the terminal device selects the target cell or target base station, it also needs to determine whether the handover conditions are met and whether it has received the handover command sent by the source base station. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the terminal device has received the handover command sent by the source base station.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the first aspect, based on configuration information, determining the first service range of the candidate cell at a preset time and the second service range of the source cell at a preset time includes: Based on the configuration information, the third service range is determined according to the minimum elevation angle of the access network equipment corresponding to the candidate cell, the fourth service range is determined according to the link signal strength of the access network equipment corresponding to the candidate cell, and the fifth service range is determined according to the transmission delay from the access network equipment corresponding to the candidate cell to the terminal equipment. The first service area is determined based on the intersection of the third, fourth, and fifth service areas; The sixth service range is determined based on the lowest elevation angle of the source access network equipment; the seventh service range is determined based on the link signal strength of the source access network equipment; and the eighth service range is determined based on the transmission delay from the source access network equipment to the terminal equipment. The second service area is determined based on the intersection of the sixth, seventh, and eighth service areas.

[0019] Specifically, an independent service range can be determined based on any parameter such as minimum elevation angle, link signal strength, and transmission delay. The intersection of multiple independent service ranges is then determined as the first service range of the candidate cell. In this way, the communication service quality of the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range is higher.

[0020] Alternatively, an independent service range can be determined based on any one of the parameters of satellite motion speed, angle, and channel quality. The intersection of multiple independent service ranges can then be determined as the first service range of the candidate cell. This method yields a more reliable communication service quality for the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the first aspect, determining the estimated range of the terminal device at a preset time includes: The range of predictions can be determined using any one of the following methods: physics, big data prediction algorithms, or machine learning algorithms.

[0022] In conjunction with the first aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: Determine the number of candidate cells; When there is only one candidate cell, the target cell is determined based on the channel quality of the candidate cell and / or the service time that the candidate cell can provide to the terminal device. If the number of candidate cells is greater than one, the target cell is determined based on the first measurement event, the second measurement event, and the estimated range of the terminal device.

[0023] The communication method provided in this application allows a terminal device to obtain the service range of each candidate cell and the service range of the source cell at time t, as well as the estimated range of the terminal device at time t. Based on the service ranges of the candidate cells, the source cell, and the estimated range of the terminal device, a target cell that can better provide communication services to the terminal device at time t is selected from multiple candidate cells and the source cell. If the handover conditions are met at time t, the device controls the handover to the target cell. This method reduces the base station handover frequency of the terminal device and improves communication stability. Furthermore, this process reduces signaling interaction between the terminal device and the base station, saving communication resources.

[0024] Furthermore, embodiments of this application can use the intersection of the service area of ​​each candidate cell and the estimated range of the terminal device to determine which candidate cell can cover more of the estimated range of the terminal device, and select the candidate cell that can cover more of the estimated range of the terminal device as the target cell. This ensures that the target cell can better provide network services to the terminal device at time t in the future. Alternatively, in addition to using the intersection of the service area of ​​each candidate cell and the estimated range of the terminal device, it also combines the fact that the estimated range exceeds the service area of ​​the candidate cell to determine which candidate cell can cover more of the estimated range of the terminal device, and select the candidate cell that can cover more of the estimated range of the terminal device as the target cell. This ensures that the target cell can better provide network services to the terminal device at time t in the future, ensuring communication stability.

[0025] Furthermore, the embodiments of this application can also combine traditional cell handover conditions with the service range conditions added in this application. First, the number of currently available candidate gNBs is determined based on the traditional cell handover conditions. When the number of candidate gNBs is greater than 1, the service range determination conditions provided in the embodiments of this application are then used, thereby avoiding the situation where there are no gNBs that can provide services when the number of gNBs is small.

[0026] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a network device, such as a base station or satellite as described in the embodiments of this application, or by a component (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system) configured in the base station or satellite, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the base station or satellite. This application does not limit this. The following description uses a base station or satellite as an example. The method includes: Configuration information is sent to the terminal device. The configuration information is used to configure the candidate cell, the first measurement event and the second measurement event. The first measurement event is related to the first service range of the candidate cell at a preset time, and the second measurement event is related to the second service range of the source cell provided by the source access network device at a preset time. Under the condition that the preset conditions are met, a handover instruction is sent to the terminal device. The handover instruction is used to instruct the terminal device to hand over to the target cell at a preset time. The target cell is determined based on the first service range of the candidate cell at the preset time, the second service range of the source cell at the preset time, and the estimated range of the terminal device at the preset time.

[0027] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the target cell is determined based on the intersection area of ​​the first service range and the estimated range, and the intersection area of ​​the second service range and the estimated range.

[0028] Combining the second aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the second aspect, when the intersection area of ​​the first service range and the estimated range is larger than the intersection area of ​​the second service range and the estimated range, the target cell is the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range. If the intersection of the first service range and the estimated range is less than or equal to the intersection of the second service range and the estimated range, the target cell is the candidate cell corresponding to the second service range.

[0029] In conjunction with the second aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the second aspect, the target cell is determined based on the first service range of the candidate cell at a preset time, the second service range of the source cell at a preset time, and the estimated range of the terminal device at a preset time, including: If the area of ​​the region whose estimated range exceeds the first service range is greater than the first preset threshold, and the area of ​​the region whose estimated range exceeds the second service range is greater than the second preset threshold, the target cell is the candidate cell corresponding to the second service range. If the area of ​​the region whose estimated range exceeds the first service range is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, and the area of ​​the region whose estimated range exceeds the second service range is less than or equal to the second preset threshold, the target cell is the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range.

[0030] Combining the second aspect and the above implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the second aspect, the preset conditions include the leaving condition for leaving the source cell and the entering condition for entering the target cell; The conditions for leaving the source cell include: the difference between the angle between the terminal device and the beam centerline of the source cell and the difference between the first correction parameter are greater than or equal to the third preset threshold. The entry conditions for entering the target cell include: the sum of the angle difference between the terminal device and the beam centerline of the target cell and the second correction parameter is less than the fourth preset threshold.

[0031] The second aspect is the implementation on the network equipment (such as base stations or satellites) side, which corresponds to the first aspect. The explanations, supplements, and descriptions of the beneficial effects of the first aspect also apply to the second aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0032] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, comprising a communication unit and a processing unit, which cooperate to enable the communication device to perform the functions of the terminal device designed in the method of the first aspect. These functions can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the aforementioned functions.

[0033] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising a communication unit and a processing unit, the communication unit and the processing unit cooperating with each other to enable the communication device to perform the functions of a network device (such as a base station or satellite) as described in the method design of the second aspect above. These functions can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the aforementioned functions.

[0034] The third and fourth aspects are the implementation on the device side, which correspond to the first and second aspects. The explanations, supplements, and descriptions of the beneficial effects of the first and second aspects also apply to the third and fourth aspects, and will not be repeated here.

[0035] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, including a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and can be used to execute instructions or data in the memory to implement the method in any of the possible implementations of the first aspect described above. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0036] In one implementation, the communication interface can be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0037] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip configured in a terminal device. When the communication device is a chip configured in a terminal device, the communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0038] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and can be used to execute instructions or data in the memory to implement the method in any possible implementation of the second aspect described above. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface, to which the processor is coupled.

[0039] In one implementation, the communication interface can be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0040] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip configured in a network device (such as a base station, satellite, etc.). When the communication device is a chip configured in a network device (such as a base station, satellite, etc.), the communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0041] In a seventh aspect, a processor is provided, comprising: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is used to receive signals through the input circuit and to transmit signals through the output circuit, causing the processor to execute a method in any possible implementation of any aspect.

[0042] In specific implementation, the processor can be one or more chips, the input circuit can be input pins, the output circuit can be output pins, and the processing circuit can be transistors, gate circuits, flip-flops, and various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit can be received and input by, for example, but not limited to, a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, output to and transmitted by a transmitter. Furthermore, the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit, which is used as both the input circuit and the output circuit at different times. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the processor and various circuits.

[0043] Eighthly, a communication device is provided, including a processor and a memory. The processor is used to read instructions stored in the memory, receive signals via a receiver, and transmit signals via a transmitter to execute the method in any possible implementation of any of the preceding aspects.

[0044] Optionally, there may be one or more processors and one or more memories.

[0045] Ninthly, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when executed, causes a computer to perform a method in any possible implementation of any of the above aspects.

[0046] In a tenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods in any possible implementation of any of the above aspects.

[0047] Eleventhly, embodiments of this application provide a chip system including one or more processors for calling and executing instructions stored in memory, causing the methods in any of the above aspects or possible implementations to be executed. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0048] The chip system may include input circuits or interfaces for transmitting information or data, and output circuits or interfaces for receiving information or data.

[0049] In a twelfth aspect, a communication system is provided, including the aforementioned network equipment (e.g., base stations, satellites, etc.) and terminal equipment. Optionally, the communication system may also include other equipment that communicates with the terminal equipment and / or the network equipment (e.g., base stations, satellites, etc.). Attached Figure Description

[0050] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an NTN communication system used in an embodiment of this application.

[0051] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another application scenario of the NTN communication system provided in this application embodiment.

[0052] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a communication method 300 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0053] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a service scope provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0054] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the transformation of service scope and communication perspective provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0055] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of the communication device 600 provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0056] Figure 7 Another schematic block diagram of the communication device 700 provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0057] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more.

[0058] It should be noted that, in the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B; the "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" refers to two or more than two.

[0059] It should also be noted that in the embodiments of this application, "preset", "fixed value", etc. can be implemented by pre-saving the corresponding code, table or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the electronic device. This application does not limit the specific implementation method.

[0060] It should be understood that the methods, situations, categories, and classifications of embodiments in this application are for the convenience of description only and should not constitute a special limitation. Various methods, categories, situations, and features in embodiments can be combined with each other without contradiction.

[0061] It should also be understood that, in the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. In the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0062] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) systems, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, sidelink communication systems, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication systems, non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication systems, 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems, or new radio access technology (NR). Among these, 5G mobile communication systems may include non-standalone (NSA) networks. Standalone (NSA) and / or standalone (SA) networking. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, and this application does not limit them.

[0063] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an NTN communication system applied in an embodiment of this application. It should be understood that the communication method provided in this embodiment can be applied to... Figure 1 The NTN communication system 100 in the middle.

[0064] like Figure 1As shown, the NTN communication system 100 may include an access network device 110 and a terminal device 120. The access network device 110 and the terminal device 120 can communicate via a wireless link. The terminal device 120 is located within the cell covered by the transmission signal of the access network device 110.

[0065] Optionally, the NTN communication system may also include multiple access network devices or multiple terminal devices. This application does not limit the number of access network devices or terminal devices included in the NTN communication system 100.

[0066] The access network device 110 in this embodiment can be a device with signal transceiver capabilities on various satellites in outer space. Examples include Global Positioning System satellites, BeiDou satellites, and various operator communication satellites. Within the coverage area of ​​the access network device 110, it can communicate with the terminal device 120.

[0067] The access network device 110 in this application can be a network-side device. Access network device 110 is sometimes also referred to as an access node. Access network device 110 has wireless transceiver capabilities for communicating with terminal device 120. Access network device 110 includes, but is not limited to, base stations, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), transmission reception points (TRPs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs) in 5G mobile communication systems, access network devices or modules of access network devices in open RAN (ORAN) systems, satellites in NTN communication systems, base stations in future mobile communication systems, or access nodes in WiFi systems. Access network devices can also be modules or units capable of implementing some of the functions of a base station. Access network devices can be macro base stations, micro base stations, indoor stations, relay nodes, donor nodes, or wireless controllers in cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenarios. Optionally, access network devices can also be servers, wearable devices, or vehicle-mounted devices, etc. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). Multiple access network devices in a communication system can be base stations of the same type or different types. Base stations can communicate directly with terminals or via relay stations. Terminals can communicate with multiple base stations using different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or equipment form used in the access network equipment.

[0068] In this application, access network equipment is referred to simply as "network equipment". It should be understood that any equipment capable of performing the functions of access network equipment, such as other network equipment, should be within the scope of protection of this application.

[0069] In practical applications, multiple network devices can collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, with different network devices each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, network devices can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0070] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. Any of the units among CU (or 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. CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, and RU can implement different protocol layer functions.

[0071] In the embodiments of this application, the apparatus for implementing the functions of the access network device 110 can be the network device itself, or it can be an apparatus capable of supporting the network device in implementing the functions, such as a processor, circuit, chip, or chip system. This apparatus can be installed in the network device or connected to the network device for use. In the technical solutions provided in this application, the network device is used as an example to describe the technical solutions provided in this application. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or specific device form adopted by the network device.

[0072] The terminal device 120 in this application can be a wireless terminal device capable of receiving satellite scheduling and instruction information, that is, a device capable of data communication with network devices. The wireless terminal device can be a device providing voice and / or data connectivity to users, a handheld device with wireless connectivity, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. For example, the terminal device can communicate with one or more core networks or the Internet via a radio access network (RAN). The terminal device can also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, or satellite communication, etc. The terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable device, vehicle, aircraft (such as drone, helicopter, airplane), hot air balloon, ship, robot, robotic arm, or smart home device (such as television, air conditioner, robot vacuum cleaner, speaker, set-top box), relay, customer premises equipment (CPE), device with tag functionality, sensor device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the form of the terminal device.

[0073] The various terminal devices 120 described above, if located on a vehicle (e.g., placed / installed inside the vehicle), can all be considered in-vehicle terminal devices. In-vehicle terminal devices can be built into a vehicle's in-vehicle module, in-vehicle component, in-vehicle chip, or in-vehicle unit as one or more components or units. In-vehicle terminal devices can also be whole-vehicle equipment, in-vehicle modules, vehicles, on-board units (OBU), roadside units (RSU), in-vehicle systems (or in-vehicle transmitting units) (telematics boxes, T-boxes), chips, or systems on chips (SOCs), etc. These chips or SOCs can be installed in vehicles, OBUs, RSUs, or T-boxes.

[0074] In this embodiment, the device used to implement the function of the terminal device 120 can be the terminal device itself, or a device capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing the function, such as a processor, circuit, chip, chip system, etc. This device can be installed in the terminal device or connected to the terminal device. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal device.

[0075] Access network device 110 and / or terminal device 120 can be fixed or mobile. Access network device 110 and / or terminal device 120 can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and artificial satellites. This application embodiment does not limit the application scenarios of the access network device and terminal device. Access network device 110 and terminal device 120 can be deployed in the same or different scenarios. For example, the access network device can be deployed on a satellite, and the terminal device can be deployed on land; or, the access network device and the terminal device can be deployed simultaneously on land; or, the access network device can be deployed on land, and the terminal device can be deployed on water, etc., and so on.

[0076] In this embodiment of the application, the example of the access network device 110 being deployed on a satellite will be used for illustration.

[0077] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the terminology used in this application is first briefly explained. Optionally, the explanation of some terms can also be found in the 3GPP standard protocols. It should be understood that the technical terms in this application are for illustrative purposes only and not as limiting. For example, as technology evolves, technical terms may also change; where the technical meaning remains the same, other technical terms should also apply to this application.

[0078] The following describes the cell handover process and related definitions relevant to this application: 1. Cell handover Cell handover (HO) refers to the migration of a radio link connection from a source cell to a target cell within a communication system, under the control of the access network equipment. This involves exchanging an ongoing call or data transmission between the radio channels of different cells to ensure communication continuity. The handover process typically includes three stages: handover preparation, handover execution, and handover completion. The terminal equipment cooperates with the access network equipment to implement cell handover. Before handing over from the source cell to the target cell, the terminal equipment may identify several candidate cells and select one as the target cell.

[0079] Cell handover can include intra-site cell handover and inter-site cell handover. Intra-site cell handover refers to a terminal device switching from one cell of an access network device to another cell of the same access network device. Both cells are within the coverage area of ​​the same access network device and are provided by the same device; network connectivity and communication between the two cells are handled through the same access network device. Inter-site cell handover refers to a terminal device switching from one cell of one access network device to another cell of a different access network device.

[0080] like Figure 1 As shown, the coverage area of ​​an access network device (gNB) can include multiple cells, such as cell 1 and cell 2, which are within the coverage area of ​​the same access network device 110. Terminal device 120 can hand over from cell 1 of access network device 110 to cell 2, achieving intra-site cell handover. Alternatively, terminal device 120 can also hand over from a cell within the coverage area of ​​access network device 110 to a cell within the coverage area of ​​another gNB, achieving inter-site cell handover. Under current standards, cell handover technology mainly involves layer 1 / 2 triggered mobility management (LTM) and CHO. LTM is a cell handover triggered based on layer 1 and layer 2 measurement results and indications from the access network device.

[0081] 2. Condition switching Conditional handover (CHO) refers to a cell handover performed by a terminal device when one or more execution conditions are met. After receiving CHO configuration information, the terminal device begins evaluating the execution conditions and stops evaluating them after completing a handover. Conditional handover by a terminal device refers to the process of evaluating the neighboring cells of multiple terminal devices based on network device configurations and deciding whether to perform a cell handover when certain execution conditions are met.

[0082] The process of switching execution conditions on a terminal device mainly involves two types of conditions: CHO leaving conditions and CHO execution conditions. During the switching process, the CHO's leaving conditions and then its execution conditions must be met sequentially before the CHO can begin execution. Meeting the CHO's execution conditions can include: meeting the CHO's entry conditions and not meeting the CHO's exit conditions.

[0083] The communication equipment involved in CHO includes terminal equipment and access network equipment (gNB). Access network equipment is divided into source cell gNB and neighboring cell gNB. Neighboring cell gNB can be further divided into target cell gNB and access network equipment other than the target cell, referred to as "candidate cell gNB".

[0084] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, the source cell can also be called the serving cell, which refers to the cell that the terminal device is currently accessing or the cell it accessed before the handover. The access network device corresponding to the source cell can refer to the source access network device. The target cell can be the cell that the terminal device accesses after performing a cell handover, and the access network device corresponding to the target cell can refer to the target access network device.

[0085] 3. Event The event is used to trigger the terminal device to report measurements or perform cell handover. In other words, in response to the occurrence or triggering of the event, the terminal device performs measurement reporting or cell handover.

[0086] The event may include at least one of the following: event A1, event A2, event A3, event A4, event A5, event B1, and event B2, and may also include other events, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0087] It should be understood that in this application, "serving cell" refers to the cell where the terminal device is currently stationed or the cell that is currently providing network services to the terminal device. "Neighboring cell" refers to the cell that takes over the network services for the terminal device from the serving cell. The term "neighboring cell" can be replaced by other names such as "neighboring cell" or "candidate cell," and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0088] The following are some examples of events: The A1 event occurs when the signal quality of the serving cell exceeds a threshold of 1. Optionally, the A1 event can be used to trigger operations such as measurement reporting or cell handover.

[0089] An A2 event occurs when the signal quality of the serving cell falls below a threshold of 2. Optionally, an A2 event may be followed by operations such as cell handover.

[0090] An A3 event occurs when the signal quality of a neighboring cell (either on the same or different frequency) is higher than the signal quality of the serving cell by an offset of 1. Optionally, the A3 event can be used to determine whether a terminal device should switch to a neighboring cell.

[0091] The A4 event occurs when the signal quality of a neighboring cell exceeds a threshold of 3. Optionally, the A4 event can be used to trigger operations such as measurement reporting or cell handover.

[0092] An A5 event occurs when the signal quality of the serving cell falls below a threshold of 4, while the signal quality of neighboring cells rises above a threshold of 5. When the signal quality of the serving cell of a terminal device deteriorates and the signal quality of neighboring cells improves, the A5 event is used to trigger measurement reporting or cell handover.

[0093] A B1 event occurs when the signal quality of a neighboring cell in a different system exceeds a preset threshold. The B1 event is independent of the signal quality of the serving cell and depends solely on the signal strength of the neighboring cell in the different system. A neighboring cell in a different system refers to a cell using a different radio access technology than the current serving cell. For example, the current serving cell of the terminal device uses fourth-generation mobile communication technology (4G). th The serving cell uses 3G (3rd generation) wireless access technology, while the neighboring cells use 4G. In the same system, neighboring cells refer to cells that use the same wireless access technology. For example, if both the serving cell and the neighboring cell use 4G, then the serving cell and the neighboring cell use the same wireless access technology.

[0094] Event B2 occurs when the signal quality of the serving cell is below threshold 1, and the signal quality of a neighboring cell in a different system is above threshold 2.

[0095] It should be understood that the embodiments of this application do not limit the size of the events or the various thresholds (barriers) involved in the events described above.

[0096] It should also be understood that, in this application, measurement reporting can be periodically triggered or event-triggered.

[0097] It should also be understood that the technical terms used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and not as limiting. For example, as technology evolves, technical terms may also change, and other technical terms that have the same technical meaning should also apply to this application.

[0098] 4. Communication perspective The communication angle refers to the angle between the line connecting the terminal device and the access network device and the first connecting line. The first connecting line is the line connecting the center points of the communication ranges of the two access network devices. The communication range of the access network device can be its beam coverage area.

[0099] For example, such as Figure 1 As shown, the elliptical region represents the communication range of the access network device 110. The first line is the line connecting the center point P of the ellipse to the access network device 110. The angle α formed by the line connecting the position of the terminal device 120 and the position of the access network device 110 and the first line is the communication angle.

[0100] When the terminal device is equipped with multi-antenna technology, the terminal device can utilize round-trip time (RTT). The communication angle is obtained by measuring methods such as triptime (RTT) or angle of departure (AOD). The specific implementation process is existing technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0101] If the terminal device lacks multi-antenna technology or angle measurement capabilities, it can calculate the communication angle based on its own 3D information and that of the access network device. The 3D information can include longitude coordinates, latitude coordinates, and altitude.

[0102] It should be understood that terminal device 120 can receive downlink signals transmitted by the satellite where access network device 110 is located. After receiving the downlink signal, which includes satellite ephemeris information, transmitted by access network device 110, terminal device 120 can obtain the satellite ephemeris information from the downlink signal. Then, terminal device 120 can determine the longitude and latitude coordinates of the satellite (i.e., the longitude and latitude coordinates of access network device 110) based on the satellite ephemeris information.

[0103] 5. Terrestrial network (TN) and NTN scenarios TN scenario refers to terrestrial network communication scenarios where network services are provided by terrestrial base stations, while NTN scenario refers to non-terrestrial network communication scenarios where network services are provided by satellite base stations or high-altitude platform base stations. Terminal devices can connect to terrestrial base stations, satellite base stations, or high-altitude platform base stations.

[0104] It should be understood that the switching described in this application, such as CHO switching, HO switching and LTM switching, can be applied to TN scenarios as well as NTN scenarios, and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0105] It should also be understood that the technical terms used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and not as limiting. For example, as technology evolves, technical terms may also change, and other technical terms that have the same technical meaning should also apply to this application.

[0106] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another application scenario of the NTN communication system provided in this application embodiment.

[0107] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, this NTN communication system includes multiple access network devices, such as gNB1, gNB2, gNB3, etc. In a cellular communication system, the area covered by an access network device or a part of the access network device (fan antenna) can be called a "cell". Within the coverage area of ​​this cell, the terminal device 120 can communicate with the access network device through a wireless channel.

[0108] exist Figure 2In the communication system shown, the cell or access network device connected to terminal device 120 is not fixed. For example, terminal device 120 can move in the direction shown by the black arrow. Terminal device 120 can perform cell handover (HO) to switch to different cells and communicate with access network devices. In addition, wireless network access devices such as gNB1, gNB2, and gNB3 may also move and may have different positions and heights.

[0109] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, assuming that terminal device 120 is within the coverage area of ​​gNB3 and can communicate wirelessly with gNB3 via a wireless channel, and terminal device 120 gradually moves, it can move from the coverage area of ​​gNB3 to the coverage area of ​​gNB2 and gNB1 in the direction indicated by the black arrow.

[0110] During the process of terminal device 120 wirelessly communicating with gNB3 and gradually moving to the coverage cells of gNB2 and gNB1, it is assumed that the communication quality of gNB2 is slightly better than that of gNB1, but terminal device 120 is about to move out of the coverage area of ​​gNB2 and will soon lose service; the communication quality of gNB1 is slightly worse, but terminal device 120 is moving into the interior of gNB1. In this situation, the conventional handover conditions would first hand over terminal device 120 to gNB2, and then hand over terminal device 120 to gNB1 after gNB2 loses service.

[0111] While the above-mentioned switching method may slightly improve communication quality, when there are a large number of gNBs, in addition to the terminal device 120 frequently switching between various gNBs, it may also cause the terminal device 120 to perform ping-pong switching between two gNBs, causing a large amount of communication bandwidth to be used for signaling interaction, thereby reducing the effective communication bandwidth available to users. At the same time, frequent gNB switching may also lead to a series of problems such as increased communication latency and reduced service quality.

[0112] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a communication method, communication device, system, and computer-readable storage medium. This communication method can predict the target cell that can better provide communication services to the terminal device at a future time t, thereby reducing the base station handover frequency of the terminal device, reducing ping-pong handover events, and improving communication stability.

[0113] The following detailed explanation of the solution provided in this application, in conjunction with the corresponding flowcharts, illustrates the method. It is understood that the illustrative flowcharts provided in this application primarily use different devices (e.g., gNBs and terminal devices) as examples of the execution entities for this interactive illustration, but this application does not limit the execution entities of the interactive illustrations. For example, the devices (e.g., gNBs and terminal devices) in the illustrative flowcharts can also be chips, chip systems, or processors that support the implementation of this method on the device, or logic modules or software capable of implementing all or part of the device's functions.

[0114] As a general statement, the message or signaling interactions involved in the interaction process of this application embodiment can be standard messages or signaling or newly introduced messages or signaling. This application embodiment does not make specific limitations on this.

[0115] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an example communication method 300 provided in an embodiment of this application. It can be understood that... Figure 3 The terminal device in the middle can be Figure 1 The term "UE" can refer to any type of terminal device (UE) or a device within a terminal device (such as a processor, chip, or chip system). Access network equipment can be... Figure 1 or Figure 2 The base station described in the text may include, for example, a base station that is... Figure 1 The base station corresponding to the cell currently providing network services to the terminal device can be a candidate base station corresponding to a candidate cell, a target base station corresponding to a target cell, or any device in a base station described above (such as a processor, chip, or chip system). It should be understood that... Figure 3 The diagram shown illustrates the main signaling interactions for cell handover based on CHO (Cell Handover Implementation). Figure 3 Only the main communication devices, namely UE, source base station, and target base station, are retained. The signaling interactions of other network devices (such as candidate base stations) are relatively few, and only the main interaction signaling is illustrated in text.

[0116] like Figure 3 As shown, the communication method 300 includes the following steps: S301, the source access network device sends configuration information to the terminal device, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the configuration information sent by the source access network device. This configuration information is used to configure candidate cells, first measurement events, and second measurement events.

[0117] The first measurement event is related to the first service range of the candidate cell at a preset time, and the second measurement event is related to the second service range of the source cell provided by the source access network device at a preset time.

[0118] In this application embodiment, "configuration information" can be understood as: the source access network device notifies the terminal device of relevant information of multiple candidate cells, and instructs the terminal device to measure the first service range of each of the multiple candidate cells at time t in the future, and to measure the second service range of the source cell at time t in the future.

[0119] Optionally, the "configuration information" can be RRC configuration information sent from the source base station to the terminal device. The RRC reconfiguration information can be used to modify the established RRC connection between the terminal device and the source base station. Based on the RRC reconfiguration information, the terminal device can reconfigure candidate cells and cell handover-related measurement events, and can perform cell handover based on the reconfigured candidate cells. In other cases, the configuration information can also be other message types with the above-mentioned configuration functions; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0120] It should be understood that in this application, before executing S301, the terminal device can report a measurement report to the source access network device. The source access network device can then send configuration information to the terminal device based on the candidate cells involved in the measurement report. The measurement report, also known as a cell measurement report, is a report generated by the terminal device based on the measurement results after performing a measurement task to measure the signal quality parameters of the cell (the source cell currently providing network services to the terminal device, neighboring cells of the source cell, etc.). The measurement report can include the signal quality measurement results of the source cell and the signal quality measurement results of the neighboring cells. The measurement report can be used for wireless network optimization, handover decisions, signal coverage assessment, etc. The measurement task can be automatically triggered by the terminal device when it detects relatively poor current signal quality or reaches a preset threshold, such as automatically triggering measurement after satisfying any of the aforementioned events A1, A2, etc. Alternatively, the measurement task can be a task issued by the source base station to the terminal device; this embodiment of the application does not limit this.

[0121] The source base station can determine candidate cells from multiple neighboring cells associated with the source cell where the terminal device is currently located, based on the measurement report reported by the terminal device. The candidate cells are at least some of the multiple neighboring cells. The source base station configures candidate cells for the terminal device through the configuration information in S301. The number of candidate cells can be one or more, and the configuration information can include information about the candidate cells, such as cell identifiers, etc. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0122] It should also be understood that the measurement report reported by the terminal device may include, in addition to the signal quality measurement results of the source cell and the signal quality measurement results of the neighboring cells, the measurement identifier (ID) used to identify the measurement task, the physical cell identifier (PCI) of the measured cell (source cell or neighboring cell), the measurement timestamp, and other information.

[0123] In this application, the signal quality measurement results may include at least one of the following: signal strength, reference signal received power (RSRP), and reference signal received quality (RSRQ). For example, the signal quality measurement results of the source cell may include the source cell's RSRP and / or RSRQ, and the signal quality measurement results of the neighboring cell may include the neighboring cell's RSRP and / or RSRQ. This application does not limit the scope of these results.

[0124] Optionally, the sending of measurement reports by the terminal device can be replaced with "terminal device reporting measurement reports." The triggering methods for terminal device reporting measurement reports include event-triggered methods and periodic-triggered methods. Event-triggered methods refer to the terminal device reporting a measurement report when the measurement result meets a preset trigger threshold corresponding to a measurement event (such as signal strength exceeding a threshold). Periodic-triggered methods refer to the terminal device periodically reporting measurement reports at preset time intervals; this embodiment does not limit this method.

[0125] Optionally, in this embodiment, the first measurement event and the second measurement event can be two independent measurement events, or they can be integrated into one measurement event. In this case, the integrated measurement event can also be called a "service range measurement event," meaning that the terminal device can measure the service range of each of the multiple candidate cells and the source cell at a future time t based on the integrated measurement event. This application uses the first measurement event and the second measurement event as two independent measurement events as an example for illustration.

[0126] S302, based on configuration information, determine the first service range of the candidate cell at a preset time, and the second service range of the source cell at a preset time.

[0127] After receiving configuration information from the source access network device, the terminal device can obtain information about one or more candidate cells. This application describes one candidate cell as an example. The terminal device can determine the first service range of each candidate cell at a future time t, and determine the second service range of the source cell at a future time t, based on the first measurement event.

[0128] Regarding the process by which a terminal device determines the first service range of each candidate cell at time t in the future, this application lists the following three possible implementation methods.

[0129] Method 1 In this approach, the terminal device can determine an independent service range based on any one of the parameters such as minimum elevation angle, link signal strength, and transmission delay, and then determine the intersection area of ​​multiple independent service ranges as the first service range of the candidate cell.

[0130] In one possible implementation, the terminal device can determine the third service range based on the configuration information, according to the minimum elevation angle of the access network device corresponding to the candidate cell, the fourth service range based on the link signal strength of the access network device corresponding to the candidate cell, and the fifth service range based on the transmission delay from the access network device corresponding to the candidate cell to the terminal device; and determine the first service range based on the intersection area of ​​the third, fourth, and fifth service ranges.

[0131] In this approach, it is typically modeled as a circular region centered on the satellite's nadir point, defined by the effective coverage radius R. The terminal device can obtain the following parameters: (1) Geometric parameters: Earth's radius For example, 6371km; satellite altitude The Earth's center distance of the satellite + .

[0132] (2) System threshold (system constraint): minimum elevation angle (Unit: radians); Speed ​​of light Maximum allowable delay Maximum propagation distance Link budget parameters: transmit power Antenna gain ; ;loss Receiver sensitivity carrier frequency .

[0133] After obtaining the above parameters, the effective service radius R of the first service area can be determined by following these steps: Step 1: Calculate the boundary determined by the "lowest elevation angle" ( It should be understood that the elevation angle determines the geometrically visible range of a satellite; only when the elevation angle of the terminal equipment relative to the satellite is greater than the minimum elevation angle can the visible range be determined. Only when the minimum elevation angle is satisfied can a connection be established. The following formula (1) is used to calculate the minimum elevation angle. Maximum geocentric angle .

[0134] Formula (1) In turn, one can obtain .

[0135] Step 2: Calculate the boundary determined by the "link signal strength" ( It should be understood that the link budget determines whether the signal strength can support communication between the terminal device and the satellite base station. The greater the distance between the terminal device and the satellite base station, the greater the free-space path loss (FSPL). The maximum allowable propagation distance is calculated based on the free-space path loss using the following formula (2). This makes the received power .

[0136] Formula (2) Then, according to the following formula (3), the law of cosines is used to transform the straight line into a line. Transformation to obtain angle .

[0137] Formula (3) It is important to note that if the calculated cos value is less than -1, it means that the satellite fully covers the entire service area; if it is greater than 1, it means that even at the nadir point, the link budget cannot be met, and the service area is empty.

[0138] Step 3: Calculate the boundary determined by the "transmission delay" from the satellite to the terminal device. It should be understood that for certain time-sensitive services, transmission latency is a critical limiting factor, and due to one-way transmission latency... Cannot exceed Therefore, the service range of the satellite can also be determined based on the "transmission delay" from the satellite to the terminal device, according to formulas (4) and (5).

[0139] Formula (4) Formula (5) Step 4: Combine all the constraints calculated in Steps 1, 2, and 3 above, and take the calculated constraints according to the following formula (6). , , The minimum value of all angles is used to determine the effective central angle. That is, the intersection of the three conditions is the strictest boundary, which is the first service range.

[0140] , , Formula (6) Step 5: Based on the above The geocentric angle is converted into the arc length of the Earth's surface, and then the radius R of the first service area is obtained.

[0141] Formula (7) Through the above process, an independent service range can be determined based on any parameter such as minimum elevation angle, link signal strength, and transmission delay. The intersection of multiple independent service ranges is then determined as the first service range of the candidate cell. In this way, the communication service quality of the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range is higher.

[0142] Method 2 In this method, an independent service range for each candidate cell can be calculated based on any one of the parameters of satellite motion speed, angle, and channel quality at a future time t. The intersection of multiple independent service ranges is then determined as the first service range of the candidate cell.

[0143] For example, taking the satellite's speed as an example, the moment when the terminal device enters the satellite's signal coverage area is recorded as... Based on the satellite's ephemeris information, the geographical range within which the satellite can provide effective service at the current time and at a future time t can be determined. Since the satellite can be considered to be in uniform linear motion for a short period of time (during the service period), the current position of the satellite can be used according to formula (8). and velocity vector Establish a model to calculate the satellite's coordinates at a future time t: = Formula (8) Once the satellite's coordinates at a future time t are determined, the satellite's service area can be determined based on those coordinates.

[0144] For example, based on the lowest elevation angle To define an independent service area, the elevation angle of the ground to the satellite must be greater than or equal to... Equivalent to the central angle of the ball Must be less than or equal to ,in This can be obtained from the aforementioned formula (1), thus determining that the elevation angle of the satellite from the ground must be greater than or equal to the required value. This constitutes a service area.

[0145] Alternatively, a communication service range that can support the terminal device and the satellite base station can be determined based on the boundary determined by the link signal strength. This can be referred to step 2 in method 1 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0146] Through the above process, an independent service range can be determined based on any one of the parameters of satellite motion speed, angle, and channel quality. The intersection of multiple independent service ranges is then determined as the first service range of the candidate cell. In this way, the reliability of the communication service quality of the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range is higher.

[0147] Method 3 In this approach, the first service range of each candidate cell can be determined based on the set of multiple ground location points that the satellite can serve at a future time t.

[0148] For example, the terminal device can obtain the following parameters: (1) Geometric parameters: Earth's radius For example, 6371km; satellite altitude The Earth's center distance of the satellite + The satellite's position coordinates in the Earth-centered, Earth-fixed coordinate system (ECEF) at time t in the future. Satellite velocity in ECEF ;G is the location point on the ground.

[0149] (2) System threshold (system constraint): minimum elevation angle (Unit: radians); Speed ​​of light Maximum allowable delay Maximum propagation distance Link budget parameters: transmit power Antenna gain , ;loss Receiver sensitivity carrier frequency Minimum stay time threshold Maximum tolerable Doppler shift .

[0150] After obtaining the above parameters, the set of points within the first service area can be determined by following these steps: Step 1: Obtain the satellite's position vector at future time t. and velocity vector Convert the latitude, longitude, and altitude coordinates (lat, lon, alt) of ground point P to ECEF coordinates. .

[0151] Calculate the vector from the satellite to the ground point: .

[0152] Step 2: Determine if the ground point is within the satellite's instantaneous coverage area. It should be understood that the satellite's coverage area is determined by the minimum elevation angle constraint and the maximum communication distance.

[0153] Calculate the elevation angle E according to formula (9): - Formula (9) If the elevation angle E of a certain point is greater than or equal to the lowest elevation angle If a point is found to be within the satellite's service area, then it can be determined whether that point is within the satellite's service area. By analogy, it is possible to determine whether multiple ground locations are within the satellite's service area, and thus the range corresponding to the set of these multiple points is the first service area.

[0154] Alternatively, it can be determined whether the point is less than or equal to the maximum propagation distance based on communication link budget conditions or distance. It determines whether multiple ground locations are within the service range of the satellite.

[0155] For example, calculate the received power at a certain point. ,like Greater than or equal to If so, then it is determined that the point is within the satellite's service range. Less than If so, it is determined that the point is not within the satellite's service range. Because... It depends on the free space path loss (FSPL), and the FSPL depends on the distance. Alternatively, it can be based on the distance between that point and the satellite. Is it less than or equal to the maximum propagation distance? To determine if the point Less than or equal to the maximum propagation distance If the point is within the satellite's service range, then it is determined that the point is within the satellite's service range. Greater than the maximum propagation distance If so, it is determined that the point is not within the service range of the satellite.

[0156] Optionally, the point may be within the service range of the satellite based on the Doppler frequency shift and handover constraints. High-speed satellite movement may cause the Doppler frequency shift to exceed the receiver range, or the handover delay may be too large, and some points may be excluded from the service set.

[0157] For example, calculating the Doppler frequency shift at a certain point. Then determine the point. Is it less than or equal to? If that point Less than or equal to If the point is within the satellite's service range, then it is determined that the point is within the satellite's service range. Greater than If so, it is determined that the point is not within the service range of the satellite.

[0158] Finally, based on the different conditions above, the code can output a set of multiple points that satisfy the different constraints mentioned above: Then the set The area formed is the satellite's first service area.

[0159] It should be understood that, due to the movement of both the satellite and the Earth, It changes in real time. If a service set for a continuous period of time is required, the above calculation can be repeated for each time point, or the serviceable time window for each ground point can be derived using the orbital model and geometric constraints.

[0160] Through the above process, the service range of the satellite can be determined by determining whether each point is within the service range of the satellite, that is, the first service range of the candidate cell can be determined. In this way, each location point included in the first service range can provide network services to the terminal device.

[0161] In one possible implementation, the sixth service range can be determined based on the lowest elevation angle of the source access network device, the seventh service range can be determined based on the link signal strength of the source access network device, the eighth service range can be determined based on the transmission delay from the source access network device to the terminal device, and the second service range can be determined based on the intersection area of ​​the sixth, seventh and eighth service ranges.

[0162] It should be understood that the process of determining the second service area of ​​the source cell at time t in the future for the terminal device can refer to the process of determining the first service area of ​​the candidate cell described above. The calculation process described above can also be used to confirm the second service area of ​​the source access network device or the source cell. For the sake of simplicity, it will not be described again here.

[0163] S303, determine the estimated range of the terminal device at a preset time.

[0164] In the embodiments of this application, "estimated range" can be understood as the possible location of the terminal device at a future time t. This location may correspond to a coordinate point, and this coordinate point may correspond to an estimated area range. Optionally, the estimated range of the terminal device at a future time t can be obtained in various possible ways, that is, the movement trajectory of the terminal device in the future period of time can be predicted to cope with the randomness of the terminal device's movement.

[0165] In one possible implementation, the estimated range of the terminal device at a preset time can be determined using any one of the following methods: physics, big data prediction algorithms, or machine learning algorithms.

[0166] For example, historical trajectory data of the terminal device can be acquired first, and the device's motion trajectory can be modeled. Based on the modeled prediction model, the terminal device's future motion trajectory can be predicted. The historical trajectory data can be obtained from trajectory data provided by the terminal device after user authorization. This historical trajectory data includes the terminal device's location data at multiple discrete moments over a past period. The terminal device can select different prediction models based on the characteristics of the historical trajectory data to model its future motion trajectory and predict its future motion trajectory.

[0167] Optionally, the location of the terminal device at a future time t can be predicted based on physics. For example, the possible location at a future time t can be determined based on parameters such as the moving speed and time of the terminal device, and then the prediction range can be determined based on multiple possible location points.

[0168] Alternatively, the estimated range of the terminal device at time t can be determined based on artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms such as machine learning, but this application does not limit this.

[0169] For example, the terminal device can model the motion trajectory of the terminal device based on any prediction model such as recurrent neural network (RNN), long short-term memory network (LSTM), gated recurrent unit (GRU); or, it can process historical trajectory data with noise following a Gaussian distribution based on Kalman filter; process historical trajectory data with long sequences based on Transformer; or perform regression processing based on Gaussian process regression (GPR). The embodiments of this application do not limit the model that can process the terminal's historical trajectory data.

[0170] For example, historical trajectory data of terminal devices By using historical trajectory data as input to the prediction model, the predicted future trajectory can be obtained from the model's output. Specifically, the physical layer of the model uses a Kalman filter or a constant velocity (CV) model to calculate the baseline trajectory. It captures geometric conservation properties; through the model's learning layer, it uses LSTM or GRU neural networks as input to predict nonlinear residuals based on historical trajectories. This captures complex motion patterns. The final trajectory can be represented as: That is, output .

[0171] It should be understood that the above formulas and trajectory prediction models are merely examples and are not intended to limit other possible implementation methods.

[0172] After determining the first service range of each candidate cell and the second service range of the source cell at time t based on process S302, and determining the estimated range of the terminal device at time t based on process S303, the target cell that can provide communication services to the terminal device at time t can be determined based on the first service range, the second service range, and the estimated range of the terminal device.

[0173] S304. Determine the target cell based on the first service area, the second service area, and the estimated range.

[0174] In one possible implementation, the target cell can be determined based on the intersection of the first service range and the estimated range, and the intersection of the second service range and the estimated range.

[0175] Optionally, if the intersection of the first service range and the estimated range is larger than the intersection of the second service range and the estimated range, the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range is determined as the target cell; if the intersection of the first service range and the estimated range is less than or equal to the intersection of the second service range and the estimated range, the source cell corresponding to the second service range is determined as the target cell.

[0176] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the service scope provided in an embodiment of this application. For example, as shown... Figure 4 As shown, the first service range of the candidate cell is the dashed area shown in S1+S2, and the second service range of the source cell is the solid area shown in S1+S2. The thick solid line in the middle shows the estimated range of the terminal device at time t.

[0177] The intersection area of ​​the first service range and the estimated range is S1, and the intersection area of ​​the second service range and the estimated range is S3. When the area of ​​the intersection area S1 of the first service range and the estimated range is greater than the area of ​​the intersection area S3 of the second service range and the estimated range, the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range is determined as the target cell; when the area of ​​the intersection area S1 of the first service range and the estimated range is less than or equal to the area of ​​the intersection area S3 of the second service range and the estimated range, the source cell corresponding to the second service range is determined as the target cell.

[0178] Using the above method, the intersection of the service area of ​​each candidate cell and the estimated range of the terminal device can be used to determine which candidate cell can cover more of the estimated range of the terminal device, and the candidate cell that can cover more of the estimated range of the terminal device is selected as the target cell. This ensures that the target cell can better provide network services to the terminal device at time t in the future.

[0179] In another possible implementation, if the area of ​​the region whose estimated range exceeds the first service range is greater than the first preset threshold, and the area of ​​the region whose estimated range exceeds the second service range is greater than the second preset threshold, the source cell corresponding to the second service range is determined as the target cell; if the area of ​​the region whose estimated range exceeds the first service range is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, and the area of ​​the region whose estimated range exceeds the second service range is less than or equal to the second preset threshold, the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range is determined as the target cell.

[0180] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the area whose estimated range exceeds the first service range is "the estimated range minus S1 area", where S1 is the area of ​​the estimated range within the first service range; the area whose estimated range exceeds the second service range is "the estimated range minus S3 area", where S3 is the area of ​​the estimated range within the second service range. In this determination method, when the area of ​​the estimated range exceeding the first service range (the estimated range minus S1 area) is greater than a first preset threshold, and the area of ​​the estimated range within the second service range S3 is greater than a second preset threshold, the source cell corresponding to the second service range is determined as the target cell; when the area of ​​the estimated range exceeding the first service range (the estimated range minus S1 area) is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, and the area of ​​the estimated range within the second service range S3 is less than or equal to the second preset threshold, the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range is determined as the target cell.

[0181] The above method not only utilizes the intersection of the service area of ​​each candidate cell and the estimated range of the terminal device, but also combines the fact that the estimated range exceeds the service area of ​​the candidate cell to determine which candidate cell can cover the estimated range of more terminal devices. The candidate cell that can cover the estimated range of more terminal devices is selected as the target cell, which ensures that the target cell can better provide network services to the terminal device at time t in the future.

[0182] In another possible implementation, the service scope can be quantified from a communication perspective. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the transformation between service range and communication angle provided in an embodiment of this application. For a base station, in the process of calculating the first service range of the base station according to the aforementioned S302, an equivalent service range can be calculated separately according to different constraints. Then, the intersection of multiple equivalent service ranges can be obtained to obtain the smallest service range, i.e., the first service range.

[0183] It should be understood that this application can determine the target cell not only according to the service range, but also according to the communication angle corresponding to the service range, and both are within the protection scope of this application.

[0184] The equivalent service range obtained for each constraint can be quantified into an effective communication angle, such as... Figure 5 As shown, assuming the effective communication angle of the third service range obtained according to the lowest elevation angle is β, and the effective communication angle of the fourth service range determined according to the link signal strength is ω, and so on, the first communication angle of the candidate access network device can be determined by comparing the magnitudes of the effective communication angles and taking the minimum value of multiple effective communication angles. Similarly, the minimum value of multiple effective communication angles of the source access network device can also be determined as the second communication angle of the source access network device. The angle corresponding to the estimated range of the terminal device is recorded as the estimated communication angle, and the target access network device is selected from multiple candidate access network devices and the source access network device based on the first communication angle, the second communication angle, and the estimated communication angle. This embodiment of the application will not elaborate on this.

[0185] S305, under preset conditions, switches to the target cell at a preset time.

[0186] It should be understood that after the terminal device selects the target cell at time t according to the aforementioned S301-S304 process, it can determine at time t whether the preset conditions are met. If the preset conditions are met, it can then switch to the target cell; if the switching conditions are not met, it can choose not to switch to the target cell.

[0187] In other words, in the specific implementation process, after the terminal device selects the target cell or target base station, it also needs to determine whether the handover conditions are met and whether it has received the handover command sent by the source base station. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the terminal device has received the handover command sent by the source base station.

[0188] Optionally, the preset conditions include leaving the source cell and entering the target cell; wherein, leaving the source cell includes: the difference between the angle between the terminal device and the beam centerline of the source cell and the difference between the first correction parameter are greater than or equal to the third preset threshold. The entry conditions for entering the target cell include: the sum of the angle difference between the terminal device and the beam centerline of the target cell and the second correction parameter is less than the fourth preset threshold.

[0189] Specifically, when the terminal device meets the conditions for leaving the source cell and entering the target cell, it determines to switch to the target cell at time t in the future. When the terminal device does not meet the conditions for leaving the source cell and / or entering the target cell, it does not switch to the target cell. For example, the terminal device can re-perform cell measurement and re-find a cell or base station that can provide network services based on any possible conditions such as channel quality and service time. This application embodiment will not elaborate on this.

[0190] It should be understood that when the terminal device switches to the target cell at time t in the future, the angle difference between the connection between the terminal device and the target base station and the beam center line of the target cell is less than the fifth preset threshold. That is, the terminal device can be within the service range of the target cell or the effective communication angle coverage service range of the target cell. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0191] It should also be understood that the cell handover scheme provided in this application embodiment can also be considered as a fusion scheme of CHO handover process and HO handover process. After obtaining the RRC reconfiguration information sent by the source base station, the terminal device can calculate the estimated service range of each candidate cell based on the RRC reconfiguration information, and determine the target cell based on the estimated service range of each candidate cell. At the same time, the source base station can also calculate the estimated service time of each candidate cell, and determine the target cell based on the estimated service time of each candidate cell. For ease of description, the base station corresponding to the target cell determined by the terminal device is denoted as the first target base station, and the base station corresponding to the target cell determined by the source base station is denoted as the second target base station. The first target base station and the second target base station can be the same or different, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0192] In one possible scenario, if the terminal device first receives a handover command from the source base station, the terminal device responds to the handover command by identifying the base station indicated by the source base station as the target base station to be handed over. When preset conditions are met, the terminal device hands over from the source base station to the target base station.

[0193] In another possible scenario, before receiving a handover command, the terminal device can determine the target base station itself based on the first and second measurement events, for example, identifying the first target base station as the target base station to be handed over. If the terminal device detects the first and second measurement events before receiving a handover command, and determines that it will hand over from the source base station to the first target base station when preset conditions are met.

[0194] Another possible scenario is that the number of candidate cells may vary, and the terminal device can predetermine the number of candidate cells before determining how to select the target cell. Therefore, in one possible implementation of this application, traditional cell handover conditions can be combined with the conditions added in this application. For example, the number of currently available candidate gNBs can be determined first based on traditional cell handover conditions. When the number of candidate gNBs is greater than one, the service range determination condition provided in the embodiments of this application is then used, thereby avoiding the situation where there are no gNBs providing service when the number of gNBs is small.

[0195] Optionally, the terminal device may determine the number of candidate cells; if there is only one candidate cell, the target cell may be determined based on the channel quality and / or service time of the candidate cell; if there is more than one candidate cell, the target cell may be determined based on a first measurement event and a second measurement event.

[0196] For example, in the specific implementation process, the first condition is the traditional condition, which is used to determine whether the number of currently available gNBs is greater than one. Optionally, the traditional condition can be based on conditions such as the channel quality and / or service time of the candidate cell. When there is only one available gNB, the traditional condition is used for handover.

[0197] When there are more than one available gNB, the second condition is the service range condition described in the embodiments of this application. N gNBs corresponding to multiple available candidate cells around the terminal device can be determined according to traditional conditions. Then, the target gNB and target cell are found from the N gNBs by combining the service range. In this way, when there is more than one candidate gNB, it no longer relies solely on signal quality, but selects the target gNB whose service location can cover the estimated range of the terminal device, thereby improving communication reliability.

[0198] In summary, the communication method provided in this application allows a terminal device to obtain the service range of each candidate cell and the service range of the source cell at time t, as well as the estimated range of the terminal device at time t. Based on the service ranges of the candidate cells, the source cell, and the estimated range of the terminal device, a target cell that can better provide communication services to the terminal device at time t is selected from multiple candidate cells and the source cell. If the handover conditions are met at time t, the device controls the handover to the target cell. This method can reduce the base station handover frequency of the terminal device and improve communication stability. Furthermore, this process can reduce signaling interaction between the terminal device and the base station, saving communication resources.

[0199] Furthermore, embodiments of this application can use the intersection of the service area of ​​each candidate cell and the estimated range of the terminal device to determine which candidate cell can cover more of the estimated range of the terminal device, and select the candidate cell that can cover more of the estimated range of the terminal device as the target cell. This ensures that the target cell can better provide network services to the terminal device at time t in the future. Alternatively, in addition to using the intersection of the service area of ​​each candidate cell and the estimated range of the terminal device, it also combines the fact that the estimated range exceeds the service area of ​​the candidate cell to determine which candidate cell can cover more of the estimated range of the terminal device, and select the candidate cell that can cover more of the estimated range of the terminal device as the target cell. This ensures that the target cell can better provide network services to the terminal device at time t in the future, ensuring communication stability.

[0200] Furthermore, the embodiments of this application can also combine traditional cell handover conditions with the service range conditions added in this application. First, the number of currently available candidate gNBs is determined based on the traditional cell handover conditions. When the number of candidate gNBs is greater than 1, the service range determination conditions provided in the embodiments of this application are then used, thereby avoiding the situation where there are no gNBs that can provide services when the number of gNBs is small.

[0201] It should be understood that Figures 1 to 4 The flowcharts or scene diagrams shown are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this application to the examples illustrated. In fact, those skilled in the art can interpret the embodiments based on... Figures 1 to 4 The examples in the document can be transformed into equivalent ways to obtain more implementations.

[0202] The above text combined Figures 1 to 4 This document describes in detail the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application. The following will combine... Figures 5 to 6 The device embodiments of this application are described in detail below. It should be understood that the communication device of this application embodiment can execute the various communication methods of the foregoing embodiments of this application, that is, the specific working processes of the various products below can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0203] In the embodiments described above, the terminal device may execute some or all of the steps in each embodiment; the network device (base station) may execute some or all of the steps in each embodiment. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application may also perform other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the steps may be executed in different orders as presented in the embodiments, and it is not necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application. Moreover, the sequence number of each step does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0204] Figure 6 This is a schematic block diagram of the communication device 600 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 As shown, the communication device 600 may include a communication unit 620. The communication unit 620 can implement corresponding communication functions, which can be internal communication functions of the communication device 600 or communication functions between the communication device 600 and other devices. Optionally, the communication unit 620 may also be referred to as a communication interface or transceiver unit.

[0205] Optionally, the communication device 600 may further include a processing unit 610, which can perform corresponding processing functions.

[0206] Optionally, the communication device 600 may further include a storage unit 630, which can be used to store instructions and / or data; the processing unit 610 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit 630 so that the communication device 600 can implement the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0207] In one possible design, the communication device 600 may correspond to the terminal device in the above method embodiments, or to a component (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system) configured in the terminal device. The communication device 600 can be used to perform the steps or processes performed by the terminal device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0208] Alternatively, the communication device 600 may correspond to a network device (e.g., a base station, satellite, etc.) in the above method embodiments, or a component (e.g., a circuit, chip, or chip system, etc.) configured in a network device. The communication device 600 can be used to execute the steps or processes performed by the network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0209] For example, the communication unit 620 is used to implement Figure 3 The processes S301 and S305 described herein are implemented by the processing unit 610. Figure 3The processes S302, S303, and S304 described in the previous section will not be repeated here for the sake of simplicity.

[0210] The above are merely examples; for detailed steps or procedures, please refer to the descriptions in the foregoing embodiments.

[0211] Figure 7 This is another schematic block diagram of the communication device 700 provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0212] The communication device 700 may be a chip, chip system, or processor, etc., used in terminal equipment or network equipment (such as base stations, satellites, etc.) to implement the above methods. The communication device 700 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0213] For example, such as Figure 7 As shown, the communication device 700 may include one or more processors 710, which may also be referred to as processing units or processing modules, and can implement certain control functions. The processor 710 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device 700 (e.g., a base station, baseband chip, user, user chip), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0214] In an alternative design, the processor 710 may also store instructions and / or data, which can be executed by the processor 710 to cause the communication device 700 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0215] In another alternative design, the communication device 700 may include a communication interface 720 for implementing receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the communication interface 720 may be a transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver. The transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver for implementing receiving and transmitting functions may be separate or integrated. The aforementioned transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver may be used for reading and writing code / data, or it may be used for transmitting or relaying signals.

[0216] Optionally, the communication device 700 may include one or more memories 730, which may store instructions that can be executed on the processor 710, causing the communication device 700 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, the memories 730 may also store data. Optionally, the processor 710 may also store instructions and / or data. The processor 710 and the memories 730 may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0217] It should be understood that, in one possible design, the steps in the method embodiments provided in this application can be implemented by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The steps of the methods 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. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are not provided here.

[0218] In one possible implementation, the communication device 700 may correspond to the terminal device in the above method embodiments and may be used to execute the various steps and / or processes executed by the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The processor 710 may be used to execute instructions stored in the memory 730, and when the processor 710 executes the instructions stored in the memory, the processor 710 is used to execute the various steps and / or processes of the above method embodiments corresponding to the terminal device.

[0219] In another implementation, the communication device 700 may correspond to a network device (e.g., a base station, satellite, etc.) in the above method embodiments, and may be used to execute the various steps and / or processes performed by the network device (e.g., a base station, satellite, etc.) in the above method embodiments. The processor 710 may be used to execute instructions stored in the memory 730, and when the processor 710 executes the instructions stored in the memory, the processor 710 is used to execute the various steps and / or processes of the above method embodiments corresponding to the network device (e.g., a base station, satellite, etc.).

[0220] It should be understood that the aforementioned communication device can be one or more chips. For example, the communication device can 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 microcontroller unit (MCU), a programmable logic device (PLD), or other integrated chips.

[0221] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0222] According to the method provided in the embodiments of this application, this application also provides a chip system, which includes one or more processors for calling and executing instructions stored in memory, thereby causing the method described in the embodiments of this application to be executed. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0223] The chip system may include input circuits or interfaces for transmitting information or data, and output circuits or interfaces for receiving information or data.

[0224] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the aforementioned network equipment (such as base stations, satellites, etc.) and terminal equipment.

[0225] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute the various steps or processes executed by the network device (e.g., base station, satellite, etc.) or terminal device in any of the foregoing method embodiments.

[0226] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing program code that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute the various steps or processes performed by the network device (e.g., base station, satellite, etc.) or terminal device in any of the foregoing method embodiments.

[0227] The computer-readable storage medium may be the aforementioned volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or it may include both volatile memory and non-volatile memory.

[0228] In the embodiments of this application, the terms and English abbreviations are exemplary examples given for ease of description and should not be construed as limiting the application in any way. This application does not preclude the possibility of defining other terms that can achieve the same or similar functions in existing or future agreements.

[0229] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this application is generated.

[0230] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are illustrative; for instance, the division of units is a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0231] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0232] In summary, the above are merely preferred embodiments of the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive configuration information from the source access network device. The configuration information is used to configure candidate cells, a first measurement event, and a second measurement event. The first measurement event is related to a first service range of the candidate cell at a preset time, and the second measurement event is related to a second service range of the source cell provided by the source access network device at the preset time. Based on the configuration information, the first service range of the candidate cell at the preset time and the second service range of the source cell at the preset time are determined. Determine the estimated range of the terminal device at the preset time; The target cell is determined based on the first service area, the second service area, and the estimated range; Under preset conditions, the system switches to the target cell at the preset time.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the target cell based on the first service range, the second service range, and the estimated range includes: The target cell is determined based on the intersection area of ​​the first service range and the estimated range, and the intersection area of ​​the second service range and the estimated range.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Determining the target cell based on the intersection area of ​​the first service range and the estimated range, and the intersection area of ​​the second service range and the estimated range, includes: If the intersection of the first service range and the estimated range is larger than the intersection of the second service range and the estimated range, the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range is determined as the target cell. If the intersection of the first service range and the estimated range is less than or equal to the intersection of the second service range and the estimated range, the source cell corresponding to the second service range is determined as the target cell.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the target cell based on the first service range, the second service range, and the estimated range includes: If the area of ​​the region outside the first service range is greater than a first preset threshold, and the area of ​​the region within the second service range is greater than a second preset threshold, then the source cell corresponding to the second service range is determined as the target cell. If the area of ​​the region whose estimated range exceeds the first service range is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, and the area of ​​the region whose estimated range is within the second service range is less than or equal to the second preset threshold, the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range is determined as the target cell.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The preset conditions include leaving the source cell and entering the target cell; The departure conditions for leaving the source cell include: the difference between the angle between the terminal device and the beam centerline of the source cell and the difference between the first correction parameter are greater than or equal to a third preset threshold. The entry conditions for entering the target cell include: the sum of the angle difference between the terminal device and the beam centerline of the target cell and the second correction parameter is less than a fourth preset threshold.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The step of determining the first service range of the candidate cell at the preset time and the second service range of the source cell at the preset time based on the configuration information includes: Based on the configuration information, a third service range is determined according to the minimum elevation angle of the access network device corresponding to the candidate cell, a fourth service range is determined according to the link signal strength of the access network device corresponding to the candidate cell, and a fifth service range is determined according to the transmission delay from the access network device corresponding to the candidate cell to the terminal device. The first service range is determined based on the intersection area of ​​the third service range, the fourth service range, and the fifth service range; The sixth service range is determined based on the lowest elevation angle of the source access network device, the seventh service range is determined based on the link signal strength of the source access network device, and the eighth service range is determined based on the transmission delay from the source access network device to the terminal device. The second service range is determined based on the intersection area of ​​the sixth service range, the seventh service range, and the eighth service range.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Determining the estimated range of the terminal device at the preset time includes: The estimated range is determined using any one of the following methods: physics, big data prediction algorithms, or machine learning algorithms.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Determine the number of candidate cells; When there is only one candidate cell, the target cell is determined based on the channel quality of the candidate cell and / or the service time that the candidate cell can provide to the terminal device. If the number of candidate cells is greater than one, the target cell is determined based on the first measurement event, the second measurement event, and the estimated range of the terminal device.

9. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send configuration information to the terminal device. The configuration information is used to configure candidate cells, a first measurement event and a second measurement event. The first measurement event is related to the first service range of the candidate cell at a preset time. The second measurement event is related to the second service range of the source cell provided by the source access network device at the preset time. Under the condition that the preset conditions are met, a handover instruction is sent to the terminal device. The handover instruction is used to instruct the terminal device to hand over to the target cell at the preset time. The target cell is determined based on the first service range of the candidate cell at the preset time, the second service range of the source cell at the preset time, and the estimated range of the terminal device at the preset time.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The target cell is determined based on the intersection of the first service range and the estimated range, and the intersection of the second service range and the estimated range.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, If the intersection of the first service range and the estimated range is larger than the intersection of the second service range and the estimated range, the target cell is the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range. If the intersection of the first service range and the estimated range is less than or equal to the intersection of the second service range and the estimated range, the target cell is the candidate cell corresponding to the second service range.

12. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The target cell is determined based on the first service range of the candidate cell at the preset time, the second service range of the source cell at the preset time, and the estimated range of the terminal device at the preset time, including: If the area of ​​the region outside the first service range is greater than a first preset threshold, and the area of ​​the region within the second service range is greater than a second preset threshold, then the target cell is the candidate cell corresponding to the second service range. If the area of ​​the region whose estimated range exceeds the first service range is less than or equal to the first preset threshold, and the area of ​​the region whose estimated range is within the second service range is less than or equal to the second preset threshold, then the target cell is the candidate cell corresponding to the first service range.

13. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The preset conditions include leaving the source cell and entering the target cell; The departure conditions for leaving the source cell include: the difference between the angle between the terminal device and the beam centerline of the source cell and the difference between the first correction parameter are greater than or equal to a third preset threshold. The entry conditions for entering the target cell include: the sum of the angle difference between the terminal device and the beam centerline of the target cell and the second correction parameter is less than a fourth preset threshold.

14. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes: a module or unit for performing the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit being used to receive signals from other devices and transmit them to the processor or to send signals from the processor to other devices, the processor being used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13 via logic circuits or executing code instructions.

16. A system, characterized in that, The system includes: a terminal device for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 8 and a network device for performing the method of any one of claims 9 to 13.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer program code that, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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