A measurement method and related apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a measurement method and related equipment, and relates to the technical field of wireless communication. The method comprises the following steps: receiving SMTC configuration, to indicate a plurality of SMTCs, cell location information and / or SSB index information bound with each SMTC, and a primary and backup SMTC mechanism, the primary and backup SMTC mechanism comprising taking one of the two types of location-based SMTC and SSB index-based SMTC as the primary SMTC; when the first SMTC pointed to by the reference area based on the SMTC configuration is different from the second SMTC pointed to by the target SSB index, evaluating the first SMTC and the second SMTC respectively; reporting the evaluation result when the reporting trigger condition is met; and performing measurement according to the primary SMTC. In this way, a closed-loop optimization system capable of adapting to the complex environment of NTN is provided, which can solve the pointing conflict problem and maximize the success rate and efficiency of measurement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a measurement method and related equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) are characterized by their large coverage area and flexible networking. They can achieve global communication coverage without relying entirely on traditional terrestrial infrastructure, by utilizing non-terrestrial communication infrastructure such as satellites and high-altitude platforms (such as drones and helicopters).

[0003] To ensure that terminal devices can continuously and seamlessly access the network and enjoy uninterrupted communication services while on the move, the network needs to perform mobility management, and measurement is a crucial step in this process. In terrestrial networks, network devices can configure a static measurement timing configuration (SSB-based measurement timing configuration, SMTC) for terminal devices. Based on the static SMTC, the terminal device measures the synchronization signal block (SSB) signal within the corresponding SMTC window and reports it, enabling the network device to make handover decisions based on the measurement results.

[0004] However, in NTN scenarios, the distance between the satellite and the ground is very large, resulting in significant propagation delays. Furthermore, the high-speed movement of the satellite causes the propagation delays between the terminal device and the serving cell, as well as between the terminal device and neighboring cells, to change over time. If a static SMTC is configured, after the satellite moves, the SSB signal of the neighboring cell may deviate from the original SMTC window due to the change in delay, causing the terminal device to fail to detect the SSB signal and resulting in measurement failure. Therefore, how to achieve measurement in NTN scenarios is a hot research topic. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a measurement method and related equipment. By evaluating the primary SMTC and the backup SMTC separately, the problem of pointer conflict between location-based SMTC and SSB index-based SMTC can be solved. At the same time, the success rate and efficiency of the measurement can be maximized.

[0006] Firstly, a measurement 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 approach. The following description uses a terminal device as an example.

[0007] The method includes: receiving a measurement configuration, which includes an SMTC configuration. The SMTC configuration indicates multiple SMTCs configured by the network device, cell location information and / or synchronization signal block (SSB) index information bound to each SMTC, and a primary / backup SMTC mechanism. The primary / backup SMTC mechanism includes designating one type of SMTC (based on location) or SMTC (based on SSB index) as the primary SMTC and the other as the backup SMTC. If, based on the SMTC configuration, the first SMTC pointed to by the reference area where the terminal device is located is different from the second SMTC pointed to by the target SSB index, it indicates a pointing conflict. The terminal device evaluates the first and second SMTCs respectively and obtains the evaluation results. When the reporting trigger condition is met, auxiliary information is reported, including the evaluation results. The auxiliary information is used to adjust the primary / backup SMTC mechanism. In addition, in the case of a pointing conflict, the terminal device selects the primary SMTC from the first and second SMTCs to perform the measurement operation according to the primary / backup SMTC mechanism to avoid missing signal measurements.

[0008] Location-based SMTC refers to an SMTC bound to cell location information, or an SMTC pointed to by a reference area. SSB-based SMTC refers to an SMTC bound to SSB index information, or an SMTC pointed to by a target SSB index.

[0009] For example, the evaluation results include a first evaluation score from the first SMTC and a second evaluation score from the second SMTC.

[0010] Optionally, the reporting trigger conditions can be configured by the network device, for example, the network device can include the reporting trigger conditions in the measurement configuration.

[0011] In the case of multiple SMTCs, if a pointing conflict occurs, the terminal device attempts to perform measurements based on the primary SMTC. Simultaneously, it evaluates the first and second SMTCs and reports the evaluation results. This allows the network side to make a decision based on the accurate feedback from the terminal device, determining whether to switch between the primary and backup SMTCs, i.e., whether to update the primary and backup SMTC mechanism. If an update is needed, the terminal device can be instructed to perform measurements based on the updated primary SMTC. This constitutes a closed-loop optimization system that can adapt to the complex NTN environment. Thus, while resolving the pointing conflict problem, it can maximize the success rate and efficiency of measurements. This overcomes the problem of not being able to adaptively switch to a better SMTC selection mechanism based on the real-time changes in the link environment of the terminal device when multiple static SMTCs are configured. This allows the terminal device to lock onto the better strategy for as long as possible.

[0012] As an example of this application, the reporting trigger conditions include:

[0013] If, within a specified time period, the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC remains below the first threshold, the first primary SMTC is the SMTC that belongs to the primary SMTC category between the first SMTC and the second SMTC; or,

[0014] If the evaluation score of the first backup SMTC is higher than the second threshold of the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC, and the evaluation score of the first backup SMTC is higher than the third threshold, the third threshold is lower than the first threshold, and the second threshold is lower than the third threshold, then the first backup SMTC is the SMTC that belongs to the backup SMTC category between the first SMTC and the second SMTC; or...

[0015] The evaluation scores of the first primary SMTC and the first standby SMTC are both below the third threshold.

[0016] If the evaluation score of the primary SMTC remains below the first threshold, it indicates that the current primary mechanism no longer meets the basic performance requirements. In this case, the terminal device reports the evaluation result so that the network side can decide whether to update the primary / backup SMTC mechanism. Conversely, if the evaluation score of the first backup SMTC is higher than the second threshold of the primary SMTC's evaluation score, and also higher than the third threshold, it indicates that the backup SMTC is more suitable for measurement. In this case, the terminal device reports the evaluation result so that the network side can decide whether to switch between the primary and backup SMTC mechanisms. Furthermore, if both the evaluation scores of the primary and backup SMTCs are below the third threshold, it indicates that the current primary / backup SMTC mechanism has poor performance. In this case, the terminal device reports the evaluation result so that the network side can decide whether to reconfigure the SMTC.

[0017] As an example of this application, if the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC remains below the first threshold for a specified period of time, or if the evaluation score of the first backup SMTC is above the second threshold and the evaluation score of the first backup SMTC is above the third threshold, the auxiliary information also includes a primary / backup SMTC mechanism switching suggestion to recommend that the network device switch between the primary and backup SMTC mechanisms. If both the evaluation scores of the first primary SMTC and the first backup SMTC are below the third threshold, the auxiliary information also includes an evaluation anomaly warning message to prompt the network device to reconfigure the SMTC.

[0018] As an example, the first SMTC and the second SMTC are evaluated separately, including: evaluating the first SMTC based on a first confidence level and a first hit probability to obtain a first evaluation score, whereby the first confidence level indicates the credibility of the decision-making process for selecting the first SMTC, and the first hit probability indicates the probability of successful alignment between the first SMTC window defined by the first SMTC and the arrival time of the target SSB signal. The second SMTC is then evaluated based on a second confidence level and a second hit probability to obtain a second evaluation score, whereby the second confidence level indicates the credibility of the decision-making process for selecting the second SMTC, and the second hit probability indicates the probability of successful alignment between the second SMTC window defined by the second SMTC and the arrival time of the target SSB signal.

[0019] Thus, by determining the confidence level and the hit probability, and based on these two dimensions, different SMTCs with pointing conflicts are evaluated separately. Since the confidence level is used to indicate the credibility of the corresponding SMTC, and the hit probability indicates the probability that the corresponding SMTC window can capture the target SSB signal, after integrating the confidence level and the hit probability into a unified evaluation score, based on the evaluation scores corresponding to different SMTCs, it is possible to accurately evaluate which SMTC is more suitable for measurement, thereby improving the accuracy and success rate of measurement.

[0020] As an example of this application, the first SMTC is evaluated based on a first confidence level and a first hit probability to obtain a first evaluation score, including: obtaining a first parameter, a second parameter, a third parameter, a fourth parameter, and a fifth parameter, wherein the first parameter indicates the position accuracy of the terminal device, the second parameter indicates the uncertainty of the terminal device's propagation delay prediction, the third parameter indicates the freshness of the terminal device's terminal position information and satellite ephemeris information, the fourth parameter indicates the consistency between the relative motion velocity predicted by the terminal device based on satellite ephemeris and the relative radial velocity estimated based on Doppler frequency shift, and the fifth parameter is the deviation of the measurement timing of the target SSB signal from the center of the first SMTC window. The first confidence level is determined based on the first parameter, the second parameter, the third parameter, the fourth parameter, and the weights of each parameter. The first hit probability is determined based on the fifth parameter and the duration of the first SMTC window. The first evaluation score of the first SMTC is determined based on the first confidence level, the confidence level weight, the first hit probability, and the hit probability weight.

[0021] The first parameter is the error statistics output by the positioning system of the terminal device.

[0022] The second parameter is determined based on the equivalent error of the satellite ephemeris and the position accuracy error of the terminal device. For example, the second parameter is determined by taking the square root of the sum of the squares of the equivalent satellite ephemeris error and the position accuracy error to obtain a first value; the value of the second parameter is the quotient of the first value and the speed of light. Thus, by using the equivalent satellite ephemeris error and the position accuracy error, the uncertainty in predicting propagation delay during the relative motion between the terminal device and the satellite can be accurately determined.

[0023] The third parameter is determined based on the first time of the terminal device's most recent positioning, the second time of the most recent satellite ephemeris update, and the third time of the current decision. For example, the method for determining the third parameter includes: determining the time difference between the third time and the first time to obtain a second value; determining the time difference between the third time and the second time to obtain a third value, where the value of the third parameter is the maximum value between the second value and the third value.

[0024] The fourth parameter is determined based on the terminal position information at the first historical moment, the target satellite's position information, the Doppler shift, the carrier frequency of the target SSB signal, the speed of light, and the terminal position information and target satellite's position information at the second moment, which is earlier than the first moment. For example, the determination of the fourth parameter includes: determining the relative velocity based on the terminal position information and satellite position information at the first moment, and the terminal position information and satellite position information at time t2; determining the relative radial velocity based on the Doppler shift, carrier frequency, and speed of light at the first moment; and determining the absolute value of the difference between the relative velocity and the relative radial velocity to obtain the value of the fourth parameter.

[0025] The fifth parameter is determined based on satellite ephemeris and terminal location information.

[0026] Thus, by comprehensively considering multiple influencing factors related to the selection of the first SMTC, such as the terminal device's location accuracy, latency uncertainty, information freshness, and speed consistency, a reliable basis is provided for assessing the confidence level of the first SMTC, thereby accurately evaluating its credibility. Furthermore, by determining the first hit probability based on the deviation between the SSB measurement timing and the center of the first SMTC window, the success rate of the first SMTC window hitting the target SSB signal can be accurately assessed.

[0027] As an example of this application, the second SMTC is evaluated based on a second confidence level and a second hit probability to obtain a second evaluation score. This includes obtaining a sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh parameter. The sixth parameter indicates the success rate of the second SMTC window capturing the target SSB signal in historical measurements; the seventh parameter indicates the hit stability of the second SMTC window in historical measurements; the eighth parameter indicates the information freshness of the second SMTC; the ninth parameter constrains a target SSB index to be bound to an SMTC; the tenth parameter indicates the phase reliability of the target SSB signal hit by the second SMTC window in historical measurements; and the eleventh parameter measures the deviation of the phase of the target SSB signal observed within the second SMTC window from the reference phase. The second confidence level is determined based on the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth parameters and their respective weights. The second hit probability is determined based on the eleventh parameter and a phase tolerance threshold. The second evaluation score of the second SMTC is determined based on the second confidence level, the confidence level weight, the second hit probability, and the hit probability weight.

[0028] The sixth parameter is determined based on the smoothing coefficient, the fourth value, and the fifth value. The fourth value indicates whether the second SMTC window hits the target SSB signal during the k-th measurement in the historical measurements, and the fifth value is the value of the sixth parameter determined during the (k-1)-th measurement. For example, the sixth parameter is determined through... Confirmed. Among them, The sixth parameter, For smoothing coefficients, It is the fourth value. It is the fifth value.

[0029] The seventh parameter is determined based on the historical hit sequence, where the m-th element of the historical hit sequence indicates whether the second SMTC window hit the target SSB signal during the m-th measurement. For example, the determination of the seventh parameter includes: determining the mean of the hit sequence within a specified statistical window based on the historical hit sequence; determining the variance of the hit sequence within the specified statistical window based on the mean of the hit sequence; and determining the seventh parameter based on the variance of the hit sequence.

[0030] The eighth parameter is determined based on the last update time of the second SMTC. For example, the value of the eighth parameter is the time difference between the third time of the current decision moment and the last update time of the second SMTC.

[0031] The ninth parameter is determined based on the SMTC set corresponding to the target SSB index. For example, the ninth parameter is determined by: determining the number of elements in the SMTC set corresponding to the target SSB index; and determining the ninth parameter based on the maximum number of SMTCs configured in the network device and the number of elements in the SMTC set corresponding to the target SSB index.

[0032] The tenth parameter is determined based on a historical phase reliability sequence. The m-th element in the historical phase reliability sequence represents the degree of deviation between the phase of the target SSB signal observed within the second SMTC window at the m-th measurement and the reference phase. The eleventh parameter is used to measure the degree of deviation between the phase of the target SSB signal observable within the current second SMTC window and the reference phase. For example, the determination of the tenth parameter includes: determining the phase difference concentration based on the historical phase reliability sequence; and determining the tenth parameter based on the phase difference concentration.

[0033] Thus, by comprehensively considering multiple influencing factors related to the selection of the second SMTC, such as the smooth hit rate of the terminal device, the stability of hit performance, information freshness, index ambiguity penalty, and phase reliability, a reliable basis for assessing the confidence level of the second SMTC can be provided, thereby accurately evaluating the credibility of the second SMTC. Furthermore, by determining the second hit probability based on the SSB index phase difference, the success rate of the second SMTC window hitting the target SSB signal can be accurately assessed.

[0034] Secondly, a measurement method is provided, which can be executed by a network device, or by a component (such as a circuit, chip, or chip system) configured in the network device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device. This application does not limit this. The following description uses a network device as an example.

[0035] The method includes: sending a measurement configuration, which includes a measurement timing configuration (SMTC) configuration. The SMTC configuration indicates multiple SMTCs configured by the network device, cell location information and / or synchronization signal block (SSB) index information bound to each SMTC, and a primary / backup SMTC mechanism. The primary / backup SMTC mechanism includes designating one type of SMTC (based on location) and SMTC (based on SSB index) as the primary SMTC and the other as the backup SMTC; and receiving auxiliary information, which includes evaluation results used to adjust the primary / backup SMTC mechanism.

[0036] In this way, the network device makes a decision based on the accurate feedback from the terminal device, deciding whether to switch between the primary SMTC and the backup SMTC, that is, whether to update the primary and backup SMTC mechanism. If updated, the terminal device is instructed to perform measurements based on the updated primary SMTC, thus forming a closed-loop optimization system that can adapt to the complex NTN environment. This solves the pointing conflict problem while maximizing the success rate and efficiency of measurements, overcoming the problem that when multiple static SMTCs are configured, the system cannot adaptively switch to a better SMTC selection mechanism according to the real-time changes in the link environment of the terminal device. This allows the terminal device to stay on the better strategy for as long as possible.

[0037] As an example of this application, the primary and backup SMTC mechanism is determined based on the capabilities possessed and / or currently available to the terminal device, including positioning capabilities and / or SSB index observation capabilities. Thus, the primary and backup SMTC mechanism is configured according to the capabilities possessed and / or currently available to the terminal device to enable the terminal device to perform SSB measurements.

[0038] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, comprising a processing module and a transceiver module, the communication device being configured to execute a program or instructions as described in the first aspect above, or to execute a program or instructions as described in the second aspect above.

[0039] Fourthly, 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 first aspect above, or to implement the method in any possible implementation of the second aspect above. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory.

[0040] Optionally, the processor may be one or more, and the memory may be one or more.

[0041] Fifthly, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions), which, when the computer program is run, causes a computer to perform the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect above, or to perform the method in any possible implementation of the second aspect above.

[0042] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method in any possible implementation of the first aspect above, or to perform the method in any possible implementation of the second aspect above.

[0043] In a seventh aspect, 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 any possible implementations of the above aspects to be executed. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0044] The chip system may include input circuits or interfaces for transmitting information or data, and output circuits or interfaces for receiving information or data.

[0045] Eighthly, a communication system is provided, including the aforementioned terminal device and network device. Optionally, the communication system may further include other devices that communicate with the terminal device and / or network device. Attached Figure Description

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0047] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a measurement method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0048] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a measurement method according to another exemplary embodiment;

[0049] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a measurement method according to another exemplary embodiment;

[0050] Figure 5 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating a communication device according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0051] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] It should be understood that "multiple" as mentioned in this application refers to two or more. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B; "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, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish identical or similar items with essentially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first," "second," etc., do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that "first," "second," etc., do not necessarily imply differences.

[0053] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0054] With the development of terrestrial communications, terrestrial communication systems have provided convenient data and voice services to users in urban areas, suburbs, and rural areas. However, some sparsely populated areas, areas with insufficient infrastructure, or areas without long-term human habitation lack coverage by traditional terrestrial communication networks, making it impossible to provide voice and data services to users in these areas. To achieve ubiquitous communication services, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), in its Rel-17 release, included satellite communication as an important supplement to terrestrial fifth-generation (5G) cellular mobile communication networks, termed non-terrestrial networks (NTN). NTN communication systems are characterized by large coverage areas and flexible networking, and can achieve global communication coverage without completely relying on traditional terrestrial infrastructure, utilizing non-terrestrial communication infrastructure such as satellites and high-altitude platforms (e.g., drones, helicopters). For example, NTN communication methods can include satellite communication, high-altitude platform communication, and air-to-ground (ATG) communication. If terminal devices can make reasonable use of non-terrestrial networks, then communication services can be obtained even in areas without terrestrial communication system coverage.

[0055] Typical NTN communication is satellite communication. In important fields such as space communication, aviation communication, and maritime communication, satellites play an irreplaceable role. Satellite communication features long communication distances, large coverage areas, and flexible networking capabilities, providing services to both fixed and mobile terminals. Satellites are classified according to their orbital altitude into low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), and highly elliptical orbit (HEO) satellites. Besides satellites, NTN communication systems can also include high-altitude platforms (HAPs) (such as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), airships, hot air balloons, helicopters, and stratospheric balloons).

[0056] The NTN in this application embodiment can be a 4G-based NTN, a 5G-based NTN, an Internet of Things (IoT)-based NTN, a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT)-based NTN, or an NTN based on other current technologies or other technologies that may emerge in the future.

[0057] Compared to traditional terrestrial networks, NTN utilizes NTN equipment (such as typical satellites) in its network deployment. For example, access network equipment can be deployed on NTN equipment to provide coverage for terminal devices. Alternatively, access network equipment can be deployed on NTN equipment, along with all or part of the core network equipment's functionality, to provide coverage for terminal devices. Or, NTN equipment can be used as a relay to forward signals from terrestrial access network equipment to provide coverage for terminal devices.

[0058] For example, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an application architecture for a satellite communication network provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1The architecture shown integrates satellite communication technology and 5G communication technology, referred to as 5G NTN. This system architecture can include: terminal equipment, an NTN gateway, satellites, and a core network. The NTN gateway contains 5G base stations (gNBs). Terminal equipment can access the network through the 5G New Radio interface and establish a communication connection with the satellite. The satellite, acting as an airborne relay node, forwards wireless signals from the terminal equipment to the NTN gateway. The gNB in ​​the NTN gateway communicates with the core network through a terrestrial backhaul link, thereby connecting the terminal equipment to the 5G network. Simultaneously, a wireless link exists between the satellites for signaling interaction and user data transmission between satellites.

[0059] It should be understood that Figure 1 This is just an illustration. The communication system may also include other network devices (such as the Internet). The embodiments of this application do not limit the number or type of network devices and terminal devices included in the communication system.

[0060] Figure 1 The terminal equipment in this application is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities that supports satellite communication. Terminal equipment can also be referred to as a terminal, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station (MS), remote station, remote terminal, mobile terminal (MT), mobile device, user terminal, user equipment (UE), wireless communication equipment, user agent, and user device, etc. Terminal equipment can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable device, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the form of the terminal equipment.

[0061] For example, terminal devices can be Internet of Things (IoT) devices (e.g., sensors, electricity meters, water meters, etc.), V2X devices, stations (STs) in wireless local area networks (WLANs), cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistant (PDA) devices, handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices (also known as wearable smart devices), tablets or computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminals, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical care, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, and wireless terminals in smart homes. Wireless terminals in the home, vehicle-mounted terminals, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication devices. to Vehicles with V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) communication capabilities, intelligent connected vehicles, drones with UAV-to-UAV (U2U) communication capabilities, etc.

[0062] gNB primarily provides wireless access services, such as allocating wireless resources to terminal devices and providing reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols. Figure 1 The gNB shown is deployed within an NTN gateway. Additionally, some gNB functions can be deployed on satellites, such as access functions, enabling terminal devices to connect to satellites.

[0063] Satellites can establish communication links with terminal devices through service links. Service links allow for direct communication between terminal devices and satellites, enabling direct communication without the need for ground base stations. For example, a terminal device can send voice, SMS, instant messaging, and other service data to a satellite via a service link, and the satellite can transmit the received signals back to the terminal device via the same service link. In some embodiments, a service link is also referred to as a user link, etc.

[0064] The core network provides services such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and accounting. The core network may include multiple functional units. In some embodiments, the core network can be divided into control plane functional entities and data plane functional entities (also referred to as user plane functional entities). It should be noted that functional entities can be understood as network elements, network functions, etc., and this application does not limit this definition.

[0065] An NTN gateway, also known as a ground station, is a crucial interface between satellites and terrestrial networks, primarily responsible for forwarding signaling and service data between the satellite and the core network. For example, an NTN gateway converts signals received from the satellite into a format that the terrestrial network (such as the core network) can process, and converts data from the terrestrial network into signals suitable for satellite transmission. In some embodiments, an NTN gateway may also be called an earth station, satellite communication earth station, or satellite ground station, and can be a device installed on land, water, or in the air. An NTN gateway is a microwave information transmitting and receiving station, relatively fixed to the Earth's surface, capable of transmitting information to satellites and transmitting information via communication satellites. An NTN gateway can also send signals to other ground stations and simultaneously receive signals relayed from other ground stations via satellite. After receiving signals from the satellite, the NTN gateway can amplify and process the signals before transmitting them to other ground stations or the core network. Simultaneously, the NTN gateway can also transmit and receive signals with terminal devices.

[0066] The satellite can establish a communication link with the NTN gateway via a feeder link, meaning the satellite transmits data and manages the network with the terrestrial network through the feeder link. For example, the satellite transmits received signals to the NTN gateway via the feeder link; similarly, the NTN gateway converts the data from the terrestrial network into signals suitable for satellite transmission and then transmits it to the satellite via the feeder link. In some embodiments, the feeder link is also referred to as a feeder cable link, etc.

[0067] To ensure that terminal devices can continuously and seamlessly access the network and enjoy uninterrupted communication services while on the move, mobility management is required in the communication system. 5G NTN mobility management includes mobility in idle mode and mobility in connected mode. In idle mode, mobility management is driven by the terminal device, including cell selection and cell reselection. In connected mode, mobility management is driven by the network side (such as gNB), which issues measurement configurations to the terminal device. Measurement configurations include reporting configurations and SMTC configurations. The reporting configuration instructs the terminal device under what conditions to report SSB signal measurement. The SMTC configuration controls the timing of measurements by the terminal device. For example, the SMTC configuration specifies the duration, offset, and period of the SMTC window. The duration indicates how long the SMTC window is open, the offset indicates the starting position of the SMTC window within a period (e.g., the offset defines the starting time of the SMTC window relative to the starting position of a periodic time grid based on the system frame number (SFN) and subframe number), and the period indicates how often the SMTC window occurs. Thus, the terminal device activates the measurement task according to the measurement configuration and synchronizes its internal clock with the SMTC period and offset of the network side. The terminal device performs normal data transmission and reception during non-SMTC window periods. When the SMTC window defined in the SMTC configuration arrives, the terminal device starts the measurement. Within the SMTC window, the terminal device searches for, captures and measures the SSB signals periodically sent by the network side to obtain the measurement results. If the measurement results include the reference signal received power (RSRP) and reference signal received quality (RSRQ) of the SSB signal, and the reporting conditions configured in the report configuration are met, the terminal device reports a measurement report containing the measurement results to the network side so that the network side can make access and handover decisions based on the measurement report.

[0068] SSB signals are transmitted according to a fixed period, and the time domain position (starting time slot and symbol) within each period is also fixed. For example, in the FR1 band, one SSB period may contain 8 SSB candidate positions. Since all cells in terrestrial networks (TN) follow a unified timing reference, the transmission times of the SSB signals of the serving cell and neighboring cells are either aligned or have a known fixed offset. That is, the relative positions of the SSB signals of the serving cell and neighboring cells in time are predictable and fixed. In addition, the distance from the terminal device to the base station is usually less than a few kilometers, and the propagation delay within the cell is very small. Based on this, network equipment can configure a static SMTC for the terminal device. For example, the window period matches the SSB period, and the window width is sufficient to cover the sum of propagation delay and inter-cell timing error. Such an SMTC window can simultaneously cover the SSB signals of the serving cell and neighboring cells. In this way, the terminal device can simultaneously measure the SSB signals of the serving cell and neighboring cells within the same SMTC window, thereby achieving efficient and accurate neighbor cell measurement.

[0069] However, in the NTN scenario, the distance between the satellite and the ground is very far, resulting in a very large propagation delay. In addition, the high-speed moving satellite will cause the propagation delay between the terminal device and the serving cell, as well as between the terminal device and the neighboring cell, to change over time. If a static SMTC is still configured, after the satellite moves, the SSB signal of the neighboring cell may deviate from the original SMTC window due to the change in delay, causing the terminal device to be unable to detect the SSB signal.

[0070] For example, at the initial time t0, satellite A (serving cell) has an altitude of 600km and a propagation delay of 14.2ms, while satellite B (neighboring cell) has an altitude of 610km and a propagation delay of 14.23ms. For the same terminal device, the SSB signal of satellite B arrives 0.03ms later than the SSB signal of satellite A. Due to the high speed of the satellites, after 1 second (time t1), satellite A is closer to the terminal device, and its propagation delay becomes 14.19ms, a decrease of 10µs. Satellite B is farther from the terminal device, and its propagation delay becomes 14.24ms, an increase of 10µs. At this point, the SSB signal of satellite B arrives 0.05ms later than the SSB signal of satellite A. That is, within 1 second, the arrival time difference of the SSB signals of the two satellites changes from 0.03ms to 0.05ms, a change of 0.02ms. If a static SMTC is configured, the network calculates and sends the SMTC window offset to the terminal device at time t0 based on the time difference (0.03ms) between the arrival of the two SSB signals. However, at time t1, since the time difference between the arrival of the two satellite SSB signals becomes 0.05ms, this static SMTC window will no longer be able to align with the SSB signal of satellite B. Furthermore, the SMTC window is typically very narrow. While a 20µs propagation delay may seem small, for receivers requiring precise synchronization to demodulate SSB signals, it can cause signal energy to fall to the edge of the SMTC window, resulting in degraded measurement quality. Moreover, because the propagation delay accumulates, it may eventually cause the SMTC window to completely miss the SSB signal, making measurement impossible. Therefore, a static SMTC configuration is no longer suitable for NTN scenarios and can easily affect the stability of cell handover and connections.

[0071] To address the large and rapidly changing propagation delay caused by the high-speed movement of satellites, some embodiments configure terminal devices with sufficiently long SMTC windows to mitigate the excessive propagation delay from different satellites. However, this approach increases the resources available for measurement by the terminal device while reducing the resources available for sending and receiving data, resulting in decreased scheduling flexibility and reduced data speed. In other embodiments, the terminal device automatically adjusts the SMTC window, but this can lead to unpredictable UE behavior. For example, the terminal device may act in a self-serving manner without network monitoring, resulting in decreased network global management performance and an inability to make optimal handover or scheduling decisions.

[0072] In another example, the network configures multiple SMTCs for terminal devices. For example, each carrier can be configured with up to 6 SMTC windows (SMTC1 to SMTC6). These SMTC windows appear periodically with different offsets in time, thereby covering the measurement needs of different beams or satellites. This is equivalent to increasing the density of measurement sampling points. Even if the arrival time of the SSB signal drifts due to changes in propagation delay, it is more likely to fall into one of the multiple SMTC windows. This can solve the problem of large and rapidly changing propagation delay caused by the high speed of satellite movement.

[0073] When multiple SMTCs exist, the terminal device needs to select one SMTC for measurement. To address this selection, the network requires reference information, thus introducing location-based and SSB-index-based SMTC configuration mechanisms. Location-based SMTC configuration involves the network (TN) binding each or a specific SMTC to a corresponding reference location (area). Different SMTCs are bound to different reference locations. The terminal device can determine which reference location a neighboring cell is closest to and select the corresponding SMTC window for measurement. For example, if the terminal device determines that a neighboring cell is closest to reference location L1, and SMTC1 is bound to reference location L1, then the terminal device performs the measurement operation based on SMTC1. SSB-index-based SMTC configuration involves the network binding each or a specific SMTC to a corresponding SSB index or SSB index group. The terminal device then selects the corresponding SMTC window for measurement based on the target SSB index. For example, if the target SSB index is SSB1, and SSB1 belongs to SSB index group A, and SMTC1 is bound to SSB index group A, then the terminal device performs the measurement operation based on SMTC1.

[0074] However, despite the introduction of location-based SMTC and SSB index-based SMTC configuration mechanisms, the system still faces the dual challenges of unarbitrable pointing conflicts and the inability of static configurations to adapt. On one hand, when the SMTC pointed to by the location is inconsistent with the SMTC pointed to by the target SSB index, a "pointing conflict" occurs, and the terminal device cannot decide which SMTC to use for measurement. On the other hand, the multiple SMTCs currently configured in the network are often static and cannot adaptively switch to a better SMTC selection mechanism based on the real-time changes in the link environment of the terminal device (such as fluctuations in location accuracy or changes in signal quality). This results in the terminal device being locked into a non-optimal strategy for a long time, thereby reducing the success rate and efficiency of measurements.

[0075] To address this, this application provides a measurement method. In this method, when a network (such as a gNB) simultaneously configures both location-based SMTCs and SSB-index-based SMTCs, location-based SMTCs are treated as one type of SMTC, and SSB-index-based SMTCs as another. The network performs a dominant configuration of these two types of SMTCs, designating one type as the primary SMTC and the other as a backup SMTC. Thus, after receiving multiple SMTCs configured by the network, the terminal device selects the primary SMTC for measurement in the event of a "pointing conflict." Simultaneously, the terminal device continuously evaluates the real-time effectiveness of the primary and backup SMTC mechanism locally, that is, it evaluates the primary and backup SMTCs separately, and when the reporting trigger condition (which can be configured by the network) is met, it reports the evaluation results and handover suggestions to the network by generating auxiliary information. Subsequently, the network makes a decision based on the accurate feedback from the terminal devices, deciding whether to switch between the primary SMTC and the backup SMTC, that is, whether to update the primary and backup SMTC mechanism. If updated, the network instructs the terminal devices to perform measurements based on the updated primary SMTC, thus forming a closed-loop optimization system that can adapt to the complex environment of NTN. This solves the "pointing conflict" problem while maximizing the success rate and efficiency of measurements.

[0076] Next, combine Figure 2 This paper describes the specific implementation process of the measurement method provided in the embodiments of this application. This method can be applied to... Figure 1 The 5G NTN communication system shown primarily consists of interaction between network devices and terminal devices. The network devices can be gNBs or devices deployed with gNBs. Figure 1 The NTN gateway (including gNB) in the measurement method may include some or all of the following:

[0077] S201: The network device sends the measurement configuration to the terminal device.

[0078] The measurement configuration includes SMTC configuration, which indicates the multiple SMTCs configured in the network device, the cell location information and / or SSB index information bound to each SMTC, and the primary / backup SMTC mechanism. The primary / backup SMTC mechanism involves designating one type of SMTC—location-based SMTCs or SSB index-based SMTCs—as the primary SMTC and the other as a backup SMTC.

[0079] Multiple SMTCs can be configured by the network device based on the terminal location information and neighbor cell information of the terminal device. The maximum number of SMTCs can be six. Each SMTC includes duration, offset, and period. Duration refers to the duration for which the corresponding SMTC window is open. Offset indicates the starting position of the corresponding SMTC window within a period. Period indicates how often the corresponding SMTC window appears.

[0080] Based on the selection principles of location-based SMTCs and SSB index-based SMTCs, it is known that for each SMTC among multiple SMTCs, the SMTC is bound to cell location information and / or SSB index information. For example, for the i-th SMTC, the network device can add a specified tag to the i-th SMTC. The specified tag is used to indicate the type of the i-th SMTC, or to indicate whether the i-th SMTC has location and / or SSB index binding. For example, the specified tag includes a first tag and a second tag, where the first tag is... Used to indicate whether location binding exists. When the first flag is 1, it indicates that a position binding exists; when the first flag is 0, it indicates that a position binding does not exist; the second flag is... This is used to indicate whether an SSB index binding exists. When the second flag is 1, it indicates that there is an SSB index binding; when the second flag is 0, it indicates that there is no SSB index binding.

[0081] Based on this, SMTC can be divided into the following types:

[0082] (1) Positional SMTC ( , );

[0083] (2) Indexed SMTC ( , );

[0084] (3) Compatible SMTC ( , );

[0085] (4) Default SMTC ( , );

[0086] In this way, the terminal device can determine the type of each of the multiple SMTCs configured in the network device based on the first and second tags.

[0087] The area indicated by the cell location information bound to the SMTC includes the serving cell and / or neighboring cells.

[0088] The SSB index information bound to SMTC can include group information of the SSB index or SSB index group.

[0089] As an example, the SMTC configuration also includes a first indication information and / or a second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate the primary SMTC, such as indicating that the location-based SMTC will be used as the primary SMTC. The second indication information is used to indicate the backup SMTC, such as indicating that the SSB-based SMTC will be used as the backup SMTC.

[0090] Because network devices need to establish clear rules for the behavior of terminal devices in the system to ensure the correct operation and stability of the system, when the network device issues SMTC configuration and rule sets based on cell location information and / or SSB index information, it will also initially configure a primary and backup SMTC mechanism. That is, one of the two types of SMTC, location-based SMTC and SSB index-based SMTC, is selected as the primary SMTC, and the other is selected as the backup SMTC. This is indicated in the SMTC configuration through first indication information and / or second indication information. In this way, the terminal device can determine which type of SMTC is the primary SMTC mechanism and which type of SMTC is the backup SMTC based on the first indication information and / or second indication information. This way, if a pointing conflict occurs during measurement, the primary SMTC will be selected first for measurement.

[0091] As an example, the network device can determine the primary and backup SMTC mechanism based on the capabilities that the terminal device possesses and is currently available. For instance, it can determine the primary and backup SMTC mechanism based on whether the terminal device has location capabilities or SSB index observation capabilities, and / or whether the terminal device currently has location capabilities or SSB index observation capabilities. For example, if the terminal device possesses and is currently available location capabilities, the network device will select the primary SMTC based on location; if the terminal device possesses and is currently available SSB index observation capabilities, the network device will select the primary SMTC based on SSB index; if the terminal device possesses and is currently available both location capabilities and SSB index observation capabilities, the network device can also select the primary SMTC mechanism by combining other reference information. The capabilities that the terminal device possesses and is currently available can be reported to the network device upon access.

[0092] It should be noted that the measurement configuration may also include other information, such as report configuration, etc., which is not limited in this application embodiment.

[0093] S202: Terminal equipment receives measurement configuration.

[0094] As described above, the measurement configuration includes an SMTC configuration, and the SMTC configuration indicates multiple SMTCs configured by the network device. In one possible case, only location-based SMTCs or only index-based SMTCs are included in the multiple SMTCs, and there is no pointing conflict problem at this time. In another possible case, at least two of location-based SMTCs, index-based SMTCs, and compatible SMTCs are included in the multiple SMTCs, and there may be a pointing conflict problem at this time. The following mainly describes this scenario.

[0095] S203: The terminal device determines the corresponding first SMTC according to the reference area where it is located, and determines the corresponding second SMTC according to the target SSB index.

[0096] The target SSB index refers to the index of the target SSB signal to be measured by the terminal device, and the number of target SSB indexes may be one or more. As an example, the target SSB index can be configured by the network device for the terminal device. For example, the network device can configure the target SSB index for the terminal device when sending the configuration system information block (SIB) information.

[0097] The reference area includes the serving cell and several neighboring cells. As an example, the terminal device can determine the area information of the reference area according to its own terminal location information. For example, the area centered on the terminal location information with a preset distance as the radius can be used as the reference area, and the preset distance can be set according to requirements. Or the terminal device can also determine the area information of the reference area according to the terminal location information in combination with the area division strategy configured by the network device.

[0098] The terminal device can obtain its own terminal location information through a positioning system, such as the positioning system is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS).

[0099] As an example, the terminal device determines the SMTC bound to the cell location information with the shortest distance to the area information from the location-based SMTCs according to the area information of the reference area as the first SMTC. Exemplarily, the location-based SMTCs include SMTC1, SMTC2, and SMTC3, where SMTC1 is bound to the cell location information L1, SMTC2 is bound to the cell location information L2, and SMTC3 is bound to the cell location information L3. The distance between the cell location information L1 and the area information is S1, the distance between the cell location information L2 and the area information is S2, and the distance between the cell location information L3 and the area information is S3, and S3 < S2 < S1. In this way, the terminal device determines SMTC3 bound to the cell location information L3 as the first SMTC.

[0100] Additionally, based on the target SSB index, the terminal device determines the SMTC bound to the SSB index information that matches the target SSB index from the indexed SMTCs, and uses it as the second SMTC. For example, if the indexed SMTCs include SMTC4, SMTC5, and SMTC6, SMTC4 is bound to SSB index group A, SMTC5 is bound to index group B, and SMTC6 is bound to index group C, and the target SSB index belongs to index group B, then the terminal device will determine SMTC5, which is bound to index group B, as the second SMTC.

[0101] When there are multiple target SSB indices, the terminal device determines the corresponding second SMTC based on each target SSB index. In this way, multiple second SMTCs may be determined, and these multiple SMTCs constitute a second SMTC set.

[0102] S204: When the first SMTC and the second SMTC are different, the terminal device performs measurements based on the primary SMTC among the first SMTC and the second SMTC.

[0103] If the first SMTC and the second SMTC are different, it indicates a pointer conflict. In this case, the terminal device can attempt to perform measurements based on the primary SMTC. For example, if the network device indicates that the location-based SMTC is the primary SMTC, then if the first SMTC is a location-based SMTC and the second SMTC is an index-based SMTC, the terminal device will perform measurements based on the first SMTC. Furthermore, if the first SMTC is a compatibility SMTC or a location-based SMTC, and the second SMTC is a compatibility SMTC, since the first SMTC is determined by the terminal device based on location (reference area), while the second SMTC is determined based on the target SSB index, the terminal device will still determine the first SMTC determined by location as the primary SMTC and perform measurements based on the first SMTC.

[0104] Meanwhile, if the first SMTC and the second SMTC are different, in order to more accurately determine which SMTC is more reliable, the terminal device can evaluate the first SMTC and the second SMTC separately to determine their respective evaluation scores as evaluation results. Subsequently, if the reporting trigger conditions are met, the evaluation results will be reported to the network device, and the network device will decide whether to switch or update the primary and backup SMTC mechanism based on the evaluation results.

[0105] For the specific implementation of evaluating the first SMTC, see step S205; for the specific implementation of evaluating the second SMTC, see step S206.

[0106] It should be noted that the embodiments in this application are illustrated using the example where the first SMTC and the second SMTC are different. In another example, if the first SMTC and the second SMTC are the same, it means that there is no pointing conflict problem. In this case, the terminal device can directly perform measurement operations based on the first SMTC (or the second SMTC) without performing subsequent evaluation operations.

[0107] S205: When the first SMTC and the second SMTC are different, the terminal device determines the first confidence level and the first hit probability, and determines the first evaluation score of the first SMTC based on the first confidence level, the confidence level weight, the first hit probability and the hit probability weight.

[0108] The first confidence level is used to indicate the credibility of the decision-making process for selecting the first SMTC, or in other words, to indicate the credibility of the first SMTC. It focuses on the stability between the quality of input information and the selection of the SMTC. Input information includes the information upon which the selection of the first SMTC is based, such as terminal location information and the signal quality of the serving cell. A high first confidence level indicates that the input information upon which the selection of the first SMTC is based is of good quality, accurate, stable, and timely. Conversely, a low first confidence level indicates that the input information upon which the selection of the first SMTC is based is of poor quality, such as low location accuracy due to GNSS signal instability or large fluctuations in the signal of the serving cell, making the selection of the first SMTC based on this input information highly uncertain.

[0109] The first hit probability indicates the probability of successful alignment between the first SMTC window defined by the first SMTC and the arrival time of the target SSB signal. In other words, the first hit probability indicates the probability that the first SMTC window can successfully capture the target SSB signal; that is, the first hit probability directly concerns the probability of time alignment. A high first hit probability indicates that the deviation between the center time of the first SMTC window and the arrival time of the target SSB signal is small, and the duration of the first SMTC window can cover the possible propagation delay. In this case, the first SMTC window can successfully capture the target SSB signal. Conversely, a low first hit probability indicates that the deviation between the center time of the first SMTC window and the arrival time of the target SSB signal is large, and the duration of the first SMTC window may not cover the propagation delay. In this case, the probability that the first SMTC window can successfully capture the target SSB signal is low.

[0110] As an example, determining the first confidence level can be implemented by: acquiring a first parameter, a second parameter, a third parameter, and a fourth parameter. The first parameter indicates the location accuracy of the terminal device; a smaller value indicates more accurate location information. The second parameter indicates the uncertainty of the terminal device's propagation delay prediction; a larger value indicates greater difficulty in accurately predicting the propagation delay. The third parameter indicates the freshness of the terminal location information and satellite ephemeris data; a larger value indicates lower freshness. The fourth parameter indicates the consistency between the relative motion velocity predicted by the terminal device based on satellite ephemeris and the relative radial velocity estimated based on Doppler shift; a larger value indicates higher velocity consistency. Then, the first confidence level is determined based on the first, second, third, and fourth parameters and their respective weights.

[0111] The first parameter, also known as the position accuracy, can be output by the positioning system of the terminal device. For example, the first parameter can be the error statistic output by the positioning system. If the positioning system performs positioning operations multiple times consecutively within a period of time, the error statistic is the sum of the position accuracy errors of the multiple positioning operations. If the positioning system performs positioning operations only once within a period of time, the error statistic is the position accuracy error of that single positioning operation.

[0112] The second parameter, also known as the time delay uncertainty, can be determined based on the equivalent error of the satellite ephemeris and the position accuracy error of the terminal device. The equivalent error of the satellite ephemeris can be calculated from the data in the satellite ephemeris. The position accuracy error of the terminal device is the position accuracy error of a single positioning by the positioning system, which refers to the error between the terminal position determined by the positioning system and the actual position.

[0113] The satellite ephemeris can be periodically configured to the terminal device by the network device according to the validity period. That is, each time the satellite ephemeris configured to the terminal device has a validity period, whenever the satellite ephemeris exceeds the corresponding validity period, the network device will reissue a new satellite ephemeris to the terminal device so that the terminal device can accurately determine the satellite position, speed and other information based on the latest satellite ephemeris.

[0114] Because there is an error between the information calculated by the terminal device based on the satellite ephemeris and the actual movement information of the satellite, and there is an error between the terminal position determined by the positioning system and the actual position, the terminal device determines the equivalent error of the satellite ephemeris and the position accuracy error of the terminal device. These two errors are used as factors affecting the first confidence level of the first SMTC in order to accurately assess the first confidence level.

[0115] As an example, the terminal device determines the arithmetic square root of the sum of the squares of the satellite ephemeris equivalent error and the position accuracy error to obtain the first value. The value of the second parameter is the quotient of the first value and the speed of light, as can be seen in the following formulas (1) and (2):

[0116] (1)

[0117] (2)

[0118] in, Indicates the second parameter; Indicates the first numerical value; Indicates the equivalent error of satellite ephemeris; Indicates positional accuracy error; It represents the speed of light.

[0119] The third parameter, also known as location information freshness, can be determined based on the first time of the terminal device's most recent positioning, the second time of the most recent satellite ephemeris update, and the third time of the current decision-making moment. The terminal device can record the timestamp of each time the positioning system outputs its location information. Thus, the terminal device can determine the first time based on the timestamp of the most recent positioning. As mentioned earlier, satellite ephemeris is updated periodically according to its validity period. Each time the terminal device receives satellite ephemeris, it can record the corresponding timestamp. Thus, the terminal device can determine the second time based on the timestamp corresponding to the most recently received satellite ephemeris. Therefore, during decision-making, the terminal device can determine the third parameter using the first time, the second time, and the third time of the current decision-making moment.

[0120] For example, the terminal device determines the time difference between the third time and the first time to obtain a second value, and determines the time difference between the third time and the second time to obtain a third value. The value of the third parameter is the maximum value between the second value and the third value. For details, please refer to the following formulas (3)-(5):

[0121] (3)

[0122] (4)

[0123] (5)

[0124] in, Indicates the third parameter; Indicates the second numerical value; Indicates the third value; Indicates that immediately, Indicates the second time. Indicates the third time.

[0125] The fourth parameter, also known as velocity consistency, can be determined based on the terminal position information at a historical time point 1 (e.g., t1), the target satellite's position information, Doppler shift, the carrier frequency of the target SSB signal, the speed of light, and the terminal position information and target satellite's position information at a second time point (e.g., t2), where the second time point is earlier than the first. Optionally, t1 can be any positioning time in historical measurements, and correspondingly, t2 is a positioning time prior to t1, such as t2 being the most recent positioning time before t1. The target satellite's position information at both t1 and t2 can be determined based on satellite ephemeris data.

[0126] Among them, the target satellite is the satellite that the terminal device needs to access. It can be determined by the terminal device based on its own terminal location information and satellite ephemeris, such as selecting the satellite closest to itself as the target satellite.

[0127] The Doppler frequency shift at time t1 can be estimated by the terminal equipment. Due to the relative motion between the terminal equipment and the satellite, the frequency of the signal received by the terminal will have an inherent offset relative to the satellite's transmission frequency, i.e., the Doppler frequency shift. To eliminate the impact of this frequency shift on communication or positioning accuracy, the terminal equipment needs to estimate or calculate the value of this Doppler frequency shift in real time. Then, it performs corresponding frequency compensation in the signal processing stage to correct the received signal. Therefore, at any given time, the terminal equipment can estimate the Doppler frequency, for example, based on the phase change trend of the target SSB signal.

[0128] In practice, the terminal device can determine the relative motion velocity based on the terminal position information at time t1, the satellite position information of the target satellite, and the terminal position information and the satellite position information of the target satellite at time t2; determine the relative radial velocity based on the Doppler frequency shift, carrier frequency, and speed of light at time t1; and determine the absolute value of the difference between the relative motion velocity and the relative radial velocity to obtain the value of the fourth parameter.

[0129] In one example, the terminal device determines a first intermediate value based on the terminal location information at time t1 and the satellite location information of the target satellite at time t1; it determines a second intermediate value based on the terminal location information at time t2 and the satellite location information of the target satellite at time t2; and it multiplies the first intermediate value and the second intermediate value to obtain the relative motion speed. The specific implementation is shown in the following formulas (6)-(8):

[0130] (6)

[0131] (7)

[0132] (8)

[0133] in, This represents the relative velocity at time t1; This indicates the satellite position information of the target satellite at time t1; This indicates the terminal's location information at time t2; The first median value; This indicates the satellite position information of the target satellite at time t2; This indicates the terminal's location information at time t2; This represents the time difference between time t2 and time t1. This is the second intermediate value.

[0134] Based on the Doppler frequency shift at time t1, the carrier frequency of the target SSB signal, and the speed of light, the terminal device determines the relative radial velocity using the following formula (9):

[0135] (9)

[0136] in, Represents the relative radial velocity at time t1; This represents the Doppler frequency shift at time t1; This represents the carrier frequency of the target SSB signal at time t1.

[0137] Based on the relative velocity and relative radial velocity at time t1, the fourth parameter is determined using formula (10):

[0138] (10)

[0139] in, This indicates the fourth parameter.

[0140] Then, the terminal device can perform a weighted summation based on the first parameter, the second parameter, the third parameter, the fourth parameter, and the weights of each parameter to determine the sum of the weights of each parameter. The weighted summation result is then divided by the sum of the weights to obtain the first confidence level. For example, the method for determining the first confidence level can be found in the following formula (11):

[0141] (11)

[0142] in, Indicates the first confidence level; Indicates the first parameter. Indicates the weight of the first parameter; Indicates the second parameter. This indicates the weight of the second parameter; Indicates the third parameter. Indicates the weight of the third parameter; Indicates the fourth parameter. This indicates the weight of the fourth parameter.

[0143] The weights corresponding to the first parameter, the second parameter, the third parameter, and the third parameter can be configured by the network device, or they can be predefined according to requirements. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0144] It is worth mentioning that, in determining the first confidence level, the terminal device comprehensively considers multiple influencing factors related to the selection of the first SMTC, such as the terminal device's location accuracy, latency uncertainty, information freshness, and speed consistency. This provides a reliable basis for assessing the confidence level of the first SMTC, and thus allows for an accurate assessment of the credibility of the first SMTC.

[0145] As an example, the specific implementation of the terminal device determining the first hit probability may include: acquiring a fifth parameter, which is the deviation of the measurement timing of the target SSB signal from the center of the first SMTC window; and determining the first hit probability based on the fifth parameter and the duration of the first SMTC window.

[0146] As an example, the fifth parameter can be determined based on satellite ephemeris and terminal location information. For instance, the position and velocity of the target satellite at different times can be queried based on the satellite ephemeris. Thus, during the relative movement between the target satellite and the terminal device, the terminal device can combine its own location information to predict the visible time window of the target satellite. Within the visible time window, the terminal device can further calculate the time period when the geometric relationship with the target satellite (e.g., a higher satellite elevation angle) tends to be optimal. During this time period, the reception quality of the downlink signal from the target satellite is expected to be good. The terminal device can prioritize this time period as the measurement opportunity for the target SSB signal. The terminal device determines the deviation between this time period (i.e., the measurement opportunity) and the center of the first SMTC window. For example, it can determine the deviation between a moment within this time period (e.g., the center point or the start time) and the center of the first SMTC window. The fifth parameter is this deviation.

[0147] For example, the terminal device determines the first hit probability based on the fifth parameter and the duration of the first SMTC window using the following formula (12):

[0148] (12)

[0149] in, Indicates the probability of the first hit; This indicates taking the maximum value; Indicates the fifth parameter; Indicates the duration of the first SMTC window. It is a constant.

[0150] Subsequently, the terminal device can determine the first evaluation score by performing a weighted sum based on the first confidence level, confidence weight, first hit probability, and hit probability weight. For example, the terminal device can determine the first evaluation score of the first SMTC based on the first confidence level, confidence weight, first hit probability, and hit probability weight using the following formula (13):

[0151] (13)

[0152] in, This represents the assessment score of the i-th SMTC; Indicates the confidence weight; This represents the hit probability corresponding to the i-th SMTC; This represents the hit probability weight.

[0153] As an example, confidence weights and hit probability weights can be configured by network devices to terminal devices via downlink commands, or they can be predefined as needed. Confidence weights and hit probability weights can be used to adjust the relative weight of two different optimization objectives—"reliability of the decision-making process" and "accuracy of expected results"—in the final evaluation score.

[0154] S206: The terminal device determines the second confidence level and the second hit probability, and determines the second evaluation score of the second SMTC based on the second confidence level, the confidence level weight, the second hit probability and the hit probability weight.

[0155] The second confidence level is used to indicate the credibility of the decision-making process for selecting the second SMTC, or in other words, to indicate the credibility of the second SMTC. Similarly, the second SMTC focuses on the stability between the quality of input information and the selection of the SMTC. The input information includes the information on which the selection of the second SMTC is based.

[0156] The second hit probability is used to indicate the probability of successful alignment between the second SMTC window defined by the second SMTC and the arrival time of the target SSB signal, or in other words, the second hit probability is used to indicate the probability that the second SMTC window can successfully capture the target SSB signal.

[0157] As an example, the specific implementation of the terminal device determining the second confidence level may include: obtaining the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth parameters, and determining the second confidence level based on the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth parameters and their respective weights. Specifically, the sixth parameter indicates the success rate of the second SMTC window capturing the target SSB signal in historical measurements; a larger value indicates a higher success rate. The seventh parameter indicates the hit stability of the second SMTC window in historical measurements; a larger value indicates more stable hit performance in successfully capturing the target SSB signal. The eighth parameter indicates the information freshness of the second SMTC; a smaller value indicates better information freshness. The ninth parameter is used to constrain a target SSB index to be bound to an SMTC. The tenth parameter indicates the phase reliability of the target SSB signal hit by the second SMTC window in historical measurements; a larger value indicates more reliable phase.

[0158] The sixth parameter, also known as the smoothed hit rate, can be determined based on the smoothing coefficient, the fourth value, and the fifth value. The smoothing coefficient can be configured by the network device or predefined. The fourth value indicates whether the second SMTC window hit the target SSB signal in the k-th measurement in the historical measurements, and the fifth value is the value of the sixth parameter determined in the (k-1)-th measurement, where k is a positive integer.

[0159] If the fourth value is 1, it means that the second SMTC window hit the target SSB signal in the k-th measurement, or that the second SMTC window successfully captured the target SSB signal. If the fourth value is 0, it means that the second SMTC window did not hit the target SSB signal in the k-th measurement, or that the second SMTC window failed to capture the target SSB signal. The fifth value is the smoothed hit rate determined by the terminal device in the previous measurement (i.e., k-1).

[0160] During each measurement, the terminal device performs target SSB signal search and physical broadcast channel decoding (PBCH) operations within the second SMTC window. If the target SSB signal is detected within the duration of the second SMTC window, and the detection or decoding quality meets a certain threshold, it can be determined that the second SMTC window has hit the target SSB signal, and the terminal device can record this as a hit. ,otherwise and record The relevant quality indicators are written into historical data for use in the calculation of the sixth and seventh parameters.

[0161] As an example, the terminal device can determine the sixth parameter using the following formula (14):

[0162] (14)

[0163] in, The sixth parameter, For smoothing coefficients, It is the fourth value. It is the fifth value.

[0164] The seventh parameter, also known as hit stability, can be obtained by determining the hit fluctuation of the second SMTC within a specified statistical window based on the historical hit sequence. The m-th element in the historical hit sequence indicates whether the second SMTC window hits the target SSB signal during the m-th measurement, where m is an integer greater than or equal to 1. For example, the historical hit sequence can be represented as shown in formula (15). The window length of the specified statistical window can be set according to requirements; for example, the window length can be the number of windows within the last 20 measurements or the last 60 seconds.

[0165] As an example, the implementation of the terminal device in determining the seventh parameter may include: determining the mean of the hit sequence within a specified statistical window based on the historical hit sequence; determining the variance of the hit sequence within the specified statistical window based on the mean of the hit sequence; and determining the seventh parameter based on the variance of the hit sequence. For example, the value of the seventh parameter is the variance of the hit sequence, as can be seen in the following formulas (16)-(17):

[0166] (15)

[0167] (16)

[0168] (17)

[0169] Where N represents the window length, This represents the mean of the hit sequence. This represents the variance of the hit sequence.

[0170] The eighth parameter, also known as index freshness, can be determined based on the last update time of the second SMTC. When configuring SMTCs, if a certain SMTC (such as the second SMTC) remains unchanged, its corresponding timestamp remains the same. If the SMTC changes, its corresponding timestamp also changes, meaning the timestamp records the time of the last change. Thus, the terminal device can determine the last update time of the second SMTC based on its timestamp, and then determine the eighth parameter based on that time. In one example, the terminal device can determine the time difference between the third time of the current decision moment and the last update time of the second SMTC, and use this time difference as the value of the eighth parameter.

[0171] The ninth parameter, also known as the index ambiguity penalty parameter, can be determined based on the SMTC set corresponding to the target SSB index. Typically, one SSB index is bound to one SMTC; in this case, a unique second SMTC can be matched based on a single target SSB index. However, in a possible scenario, due to various reasons, one SSB index may be bound to different SMTCs. In this case, multiple second SMTCs may be matched based on a single target SSB index, requiring a constraint that one target SSB index is bound to one second SMTC. Based on this, the terminal device can query the corresponding SMTC set based on the target SSB index. The SMTC set includes multiple second SMTCs that match the target SSB index, and the ninth parameter is determined based on this SMTC set. In one example, the terminal device can determine the ninth parameter based on the SMTC set corresponding to the target SSB index using the following formula (18):

[0172] (18)

[0173] in, Indicates the ninth parameter; This indicates the SMTC set corresponding to the target SSB index. This indicates the number of elements contained in the SMTC set; This indicates the maximum number of SMTCs configured on the network device.

[0174] The tenth parameter, also known as phase reliability, can be determined based on a historical phase reliability sequence. The m-th element in the historical phase reliability sequence represents the deviation between the phase of the target SSB signal observed within the second SMTC window at the m-th measurement and the reference phase. Optionally, the reference phase can be the average phase of the target SSB signals from the previous N hits within the second SMTC window. For example, if the target SSB signal is hit in the m-th second SMTC window, a complex metric can be obtained during measurement through correlation calculations or PBCH channel estimation. For example, when detecting a target SSB signal, the local sequence is correlated with the target SSB signal using a sliding correlation. A peak can appear at the correct time offset. This peak can be called the correlation peak, which is a complex number measure. The terminal device extracts the phase value from this complex number and defines it as the phase of the observed target SSB signal, as shown in formula (19).

[0175] (19)

[0176] in, This indicates the phase of the observed target SSB signal.

[0177] Based on the phase of the target SSB signal and the reference phase, the phase difference is determined as shown in formula (20):

[0178] (20)

[0179] in, This represents the m-th phase difference, which is the m-th element in the historical phase reliability sequence, and its threshold value is... ; Indicates the reference phase.

[0180] The terminal device can record the phase difference obtained in each of multiple measurements. Thus, the concentration of phase differences in the historical phase reliability sequence can be determined using the following formula (21):

[0181] (twenty one)

[0182] in, The weight of the m-th element can be taken as... S represents the length of the historical phase reliability sequence.

[0183] If the phase difference consistently concentrates within a small range in the historical phase reliability sequence, it indicates relatively stable phase, consistent vector directions on the unit circle, and low concentration. Then it is close to 1, otherwise the concentration is close to 1. Close to 0.

[0184] As an example, the terminal device can determine the concentration as the tenth parameter.

[0185] Then, the terminal device can perform a weighted summation of the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth parameters and their respective weights to determine the sum of the weights of each parameter. The weighted summation result is then divided by the sum of the weights to obtain the second confidence level. For example, the determination of the second confidence level can be found in the following formula (22):

[0186] (twenty two)

[0187] in, Indicates the second confidence level; Indicates the seventh parameter; Indicates the eighth parameter; Indicates the ninth parameter; Indicates the tenth parameter; , , , , These represent the weights of each parameter.

[0188] As an example, the specific implementation of determining the second hit probability may include: obtaining the eleventh parameter, which measures the deviation between the phase of the target SSB signal observable within the current second SMTC window and the reference phase. The specific implementation can be found in formulas (19) to (20). The second hit probability is determined based on the eleventh parameter and the phase tolerance threshold. The phase of the target SSB signal observable within the current second SMTC window can be provided by the network device when configuring the target SSB index to the terminal device.

[0189] The phase tolerance threshold is a scale parameter that allows a phase difference of a certain magnitude to still be considered a possible hit. It can be obtained by network configuration or UE adaptive estimation based on historical phase jitter. Historical phase includes the phase of the target SSB signal captured in the second SMTC window during historical measurements.

[0190] For example, the terminal device can determine the second hit probability based on the eleventh parameter and the phase tolerance threshold using the following formula (23):

[0191] (twenty three)

[0192] in, Indicates the second hit probability; Indicates the eleventh parameter; This represents the phase tolerance threshold.

[0193] Subsequently, the terminal device determines the second evaluation score of the second SMTC based on the second confidence level, confidence level weight, second hit probability and hit probability weight. The specific implementation can be found in formula (13).

[0194] It is worth mentioning that the terminal device evaluates different SMTCs with pointing conflicts based on two dimensions: confidence level and hit probability. Since the confidence level indicates the credibility of the corresponding SMTC, and the hit probability indicates the probability that the corresponding SMTC window can capture the target SSB signal, the confidence level and hit probability are integrated into a unified evaluation score. Based on the evaluation scores corresponding to different SMTCs, it is possible to accurately evaluate which SMTC is more suitable for measurement, thereby improving the accuracy and success rate of measurement.

[0195] It should be noted that the above explanation is based on a single target SSB index. When multiple target SSB indices exist, each target SSB index corresponds to a second SMTC. Given multiple second SMTCs, for any one of these second SMTCs, the terminal device, based on this single second SSB index and each target SSB index, determines the evaluation score for each target SSB index corresponding to that arbitrary second SMTC according to the aforementioned process. This yields multiple evaluation scores for that arbitrary second SMTC. The terminal device can then sum these multiple evaluation scores to obtain the second evaluation score corresponding to that arbitrary second SMTC. For example, given three target SSB indices, SSB1, SSB2, and SSB3, and three second SMTCs, SMTC1, SMTC2, and SMTC3, the terminal device, based on SSB1 and SMTC3, determines the evaluation score for SMTC1 corresponding to SSB1, the evaluation score for SMTC1 corresponding to SSB2, and the evaluation score for SMTC1 corresponding to SSB3, resulting in three evaluation scores. The terminal device then adds these three evaluation scores to obtain the second evaluation score corresponding to SMTC1. This method can be used to determine the second evaluation score corresponding to SMTC2 and SMTC3, thus determining the second evaluation score for each second SMTC.

[0196] S207: When the reporting triggering conditions are met, the terminal device reports auxiliary information to the network device.

[0197] The supplementary information may include the first assessment score corresponding to the first SMTC and the second assessment score corresponding to the second SMTC.

[0198] As an example, the reporting trigger condition is configured by the network device, such as being included in the measurement configuration. The reporting trigger condition instructs the terminal device under what conditions to report supplementary information containing evaluation results to the network device. For example, the reporting trigger condition may include the following three conditions:

[0199] Condition 1: During the specified time period, the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC is consistently lower than the first threshold. The first primary SMTC is the SMTC that belongs to the primary SMTC among the first SMTC and the second SMTC.

[0200] The specified time period can be set according to requirements, but this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0201] As an example, the fact that the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC is continuously lower than the first threshold within a specified time period can mean that the number of times the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC is lower than the first threshold within the specified time period is greater than or equal to a number threshold. The number threshold can be set according to actual needs, and this application embodiment does not limit it.

[0202] Optionally, the first threshold can be in the range of [50, 60].

[0203] If the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC remains below the first threshold within a specified time period, it indicates that the quality of the first primary SMTC is poor and it may not be easy to successfully capture the target SSB signal. In this case, the terminal device determines that the reporting trigger condition is met and reports the evaluation result to the network device so that the network device can decide whether to switch the primary and backup SMTC mechanism.

[0204] Condition 2: The evaluation score of the first backup SMTC is higher than the second threshold of the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC, and the evaluation score of the first backup SMTC is higher than the third threshold, the third threshold is lower than the first threshold, and the second threshold is lower than the third threshold. The first backup SMTC is the SMTC that belongs to the backup SMTC among the first SMTC and the second SMTC.

[0205] Optionally, the value range of the third threshold can be [30, 40], and the value range of the second threshold can be [15, 25].

[0206] If the evaluation score of the first backup SMTC is higher than the second threshold of the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC, it means that the first backup SMTC is more likely to successfully capture the target SSB signal than the first primary SMTC. If the evaluation scores of the first backup SMTC are all higher than the third threshold, it means that the first backup SMTC is effective. In this case, the terminal device determines that the reporting trigger condition is met and reports the evaluation result to the network device so that the network device can decide whether to switch the primary and backup SMTC mechanism.

[0207] Condition 3: The evaluation scores of the first primary SMTC and the first standby SMTC are both lower than the third threshold.

[0208] If the evaluation scores of the first primary SMTC and the first backup SMTC are both lower than the third threshold, it indicates that the quality of the first primary SMTC and the first backup SMTC is poor. This may be due to the SMTC configuration not being updated for a long time. In this case, the terminal device determines that the reporting trigger condition is met and reports the evaluation results to the network device so that the network device can decide whether to update the SMTC configuration.

[0209] Optionally, if either condition one or condition two is met, the auxiliary information may also include a primary / backup SMTC mechanism switching suggestion. The primary / backup SMTC mechanism switching suggestion is used to suggest switching the primary SMTC and the backup SMTC. For example, if the location-based SMTC was originally configured as the primary SMTC and the SSB index-based SMTC was configured as the backup SMTC, then the primary / backup SMTC mechanism switching suggestion is used to suggest switching the SSB index-based SMTC to the primary STMC and the location-based SMTC to the backup STMC.

[0210] Optionally, if condition three above is met, the auxiliary information may also include assessment anomaly warning information, which is used to indicate that the primary SMTC and the backup SMTC are abnormal. In this case, the network device may re-determine the SMTC configuration based on the assessment anomaly warning information.

[0211] For example, taking the first SMTC and the second SMTC as examples, as mentioned above, the first SMTC is a location-based SMTC, and the second SMTC is an index-based SMTC. Assuming the location-based SMTC is the primary SMTC and the SSB-index-based SMTC is the backup SMTC, then, when the first evaluation score of the first SMTC is continuously lower than the first threshold within a specified time period, the terminal device sends auxiliary information to the network device. The auxiliary information may include the first evaluation score and the second evaluation score, and may also include a primary / backup SMTC mechanism switching suggestion. When the second evaluation score is higher than the second threshold of the first evaluation score, and the second evaluation score of the second SMTC is higher than the third threshold, the terminal device sends auxiliary information to the network device. The auxiliary information may include the first evaluation score and the second evaluation score, and may also include a primary / backup SMTC mechanism switching suggestion. When both the first evaluation score and the second evaluation score are lower than the third threshold, the terminal device sends auxiliary information to the network device. The auxiliary information may include the first evaluation score and the second evaluation score, and may also include evaluation anomaly warning information.

[0212] It is worth mentioning that including suggestions for switching between primary and backup SMTC mechanisms or warnings of assessment anomalies in the auxiliary information can provide some reference for network equipment decision-making, thereby helping network equipment to make effective decisions.

[0213] In one example, if there are multiple target SSB indices and multiple second SMTCs, then when the evaluation scores of the primary SMTCs are consistently below the first threshold within a specified time period, the reporting trigger condition is determined to be met; when there are one or more backup SMTCs whose evaluation scores are higher than the second threshold of the evaluation score of the primary SMTC, and the evaluation scores of these one or more backup SMTCs are all higher than the third threshold, the reporting trigger condition is determined to be met; when the evaluation scores of each primary SMTC and each backup SMTC are both lower than the third threshold, the reporting trigger condition is determined to be met.

[0214] S208: Network devices decide whether to update the primary / backup SMTC mechanism based on auxiliary information.

[0215] As an example, when the evaluation score of the first standby SMTC is determined to be higher than the second threshold of the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC based on auxiliary information, or when the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC is continuously lower than the first threshold within a specified time period, and the auxiliary information includes a SMTC mechanism switching suggestion, the network device can select the originally determined primary SMTC as the standby SMTC, and select the standby SMTC as the primary SMTC. For example, it can select the SMTC based on the SSB index as the primary SMTC and the SMTC based on location as the standby SMTC. The device can also indicate the update of the primary and standby SMTC mechanism by sending the first indication information and / or the second indication information to the terminal device.

[0216] As another example, when the evaluation scores of both the first primary SMTC and the first backup SMTC are determined to be below the third threshold based on auxiliary information, and the auxiliary information includes evaluation anomaly warning information, the network device can reconfigure the SMTC, that is, re-determine an SMTC configuration. It is understood that the re-determined SMTC configuration is different from the SMTC configuration issued to the terminal device in step S201. Optionally, after reconfiguring the SMTC, the network device issues the reconfigured SMTC to the terminal device so that the terminal device can perform measurement operations based on the reconfigured SMTC. Simultaneously, in the event of a pointer conflict, the reconfigured SMTC is evaluated according to the above procedure.

[0217] It should be noted that the above implementation of the network device deciding whether to update the primary and backup SMTC mechanism based on auxiliary information is merely exemplary. In another example, the network device may also decide whether to update the primary and backup SMTC mechanism based on auxiliary information and other parameters. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0218] In this embodiment, when the network device is configured with both location-based SMTCs and SSB-index-based SMTCs, the location-based SMTCs are treated as one type of SMTC, and the SSB-index-based SMTCs as another. The network device performs dominant configuration for these two types of SMTCs, configuring one type as the primary SMTC and the other as a backup SMTC. Thus, after receiving multiple SMTCs configured from the network, the terminal device selects the primary SMTC for measurement in the event of a pointer conflict. Simultaneously, the terminal device continuously evaluates the real-time effectiveness of the primary / backup SMTC mechanism locally, and when the reporting trigger condition is met, it generates auxiliary information and reports the evaluation results and handover suggestions to the network. Subsequently, the network makes a decision based on the accurate feedback from the terminal devices, determining whether to switch between the primary and backup SMTCs, i.e., whether to update the primary and backup SMTC mechanism. If updated, the network instructs the terminal devices to perform measurements based on the updated primary SMTC, thus forming a closed-loop optimization system that can adapt to the complex NTN environment. This solves the pointing conflict problem while maximizing the success rate and efficiency of measurements, overcoming the problem that when multiple static SMTCs are configured, the network cannot adaptively switch to a better SMTC selection mechanism according to the real-time changes in the link environment of the terminal devices. This allows the terminal devices to stay locked on the better strategy for as long as possible.

[0219] The location-based and SSB-index-based SMTC selection mechanisms provided in this application are applicable to radio resource control (RRC) connected, idle, and inactive states. Therefore, this solution can adapt to all three RRC states. For ease of understanding, the measurement process in the idle or inactive state and the RRC connected state will be described below.

[0220] See Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a measurement method in an idle or inactive state according to an exemplary embodiment, implemented through interaction between a first network device (e.g., eNB), a terminal device, and a second network device (e.g., gNB). The method may include some or all of the following:

[0221] S301: In RRC connection state, the first network device sends a location information request to the terminal device.

[0222] The location information request is used to request the location information of the terminal.

[0223] S302: The terminal device sends terminal location information to the first network device.

[0224] After receiving a request for location information from the first network device, the terminal device obtains its terminal settings information through the positioning system and sends its terminal location information to the first network device.

[0225] S303: The first network device configures multiple SMTCs based on terminal location information and neighboring cell location information, sets up a primary and backup SMTC mechanism, and binds SSB index information and / or cell location information to each SMTC.

[0226] For details on its implementation, please refer to the previous text.

[0227] S304: The first network device sends the measurement configuration to the terminal device via broadcast. The measurement configuration includes the SMTC configuration.

[0228] After entering the RRC idle / inactive state, the first network device broadcasts the measurement configuration to the terminal device. As an example, the first network device also broadcasts NTN auxiliary information to the terminal device, such as satellite ephemeris data.

[0229] S305: The terminal device determines the first SMTC pointed to by the reference area and the second SMTC pointed to by the target SSB index.

[0230] The terminal device receives the SMTC configuration via SIB information. Then, based on its own reference area and the target SSB index, the terminal device determines the first SMTC and the second SMTC, respectively.

[0231] S306: In the event that the first SMTC and the second SMTC are inconsistent, the terminal device evaluates the two types of SMTC and stores the evaluation results.

[0232] S307: The terminal device selects the primary SMTC for measurement.

[0233] That is, while evaluating, the terminal device also determines the primary SMTC from the first SMTC and the second SMTC according to the primary and backup SMTC mechanism configured in the first network device, and performs measurements based on the primary SMTC.

[0234] For specific implementation details of S305 to S307, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 2 The example shown.

[0235] S308: When entering the RRC connection state, the terminal device establishes an RRC connection with the second network device.

[0236] For example, the second network device is the target satellite. As an example, the terminal device selects to access the target satellite based on the measurement results and establishes an RRC connection with the target satellite.

[0237] S309: When the reporting triggering conditions are met, the terminal device reports auxiliary information to the second network device, including the evaluation results.

[0238] See Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a measurement method in an RRC connection state according to an exemplary embodiment, implemented through interaction between a network device (such as a gNB) and a terminal device. The method may include some or all of the following:

[0239] S401: In RRC connected state, the network device sends a location information request to the terminal device.

[0240] The location information request is used to request the location information of the terminal.

[0241] S402: The terminal device sends its location information to the network device.

[0242] Upon receiving a request from a network device for location information, the terminal device obtains its settings information through the positioning system and sends its location information to the network device.

[0243] S403: The network device configures multiple SMTCs based on terminal location information and neighboring cell location information, sets up a primary and backup SMTC mechanism, and binds SSB index information and / or cell location information to each SMTC.

[0244] S404: The network device sends the measurement configuration to the terminal device through the RRC connection. The measurement configuration includes the SMTC configuration.

[0245] S405: The terminal device determines the first SMTC pointed to by the reference area and the second SMTC pointed to by the target SSB index.

[0246] S406: The terminal device selects the primary SMTC for measurement.

[0247] S407: In the event that the first SMTC and the second SMTC are inconsistent, the terminal device evaluates the two types of SMTC and stores the evaluation results.

[0248] S408: When the reporting trigger condition is met, the terminal device reports auxiliary information to the network device, including the evaluation result.

[0249] S409: Network devices make decisions based on the evaluation results.

[0250] S410: In the event of a decision to update the SMTC configuration, the new SMTC configuration is sent to the terminal device via the RRC connection.

[0251] For specific implementation details of S404 to S410, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 2 The example shown.

[0252] Figure 5 A schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. This communication device can be a terminal device / network device, or a chip, chip system, or processor within the terminal device / network device that implements the above-described methods. This device can be used to implement the methods described in the above-described method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above-described method embodiments.

[0253] The communication device 1800 may include one or more processors 1810, which may also be referred to as processing units, and can implement certain control functions. The processor 1810 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, execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0254] In an alternative design, the processor 1810 may also store instructions and / or data that can be executed by the processor 1810 to cause the communication device 1800 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0255] In another alternative design, the communication device 1800 may include a communication interface 1820 for implementing receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the communication interface 1820 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.

[0256] Optionally, the communication device 1800 may include one or more memories 1830, which may store instructions that can be executed on the processor 1810, causing the communication device 1800 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, the memories 1830 may also store data. Optionally, the processor 1810 may also store instructions and / or data. The processor 1810 and the memories 1830 may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0257] 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 method 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.

[0258] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by the integrated logic circuitry in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied as execution by a hardware decoding processor, or as a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located 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 the information in the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above methods.

[0259] 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.

[0260] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code. When the computer program code is run on a computer, it causes the computer to execute the various steps or processes executed by the terminal device / network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0261] 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 terminal device / network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0262] This application also provides a communication device, including a processor and an interface, the interface being used to send and / or receive signals, causing the processor to execute the various steps or processes executed by the terminal device / network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0263] The above-described device and method embodiments are completely corresponding, with corresponding modules or units performing corresponding steps. For example, a communication unit or communication interface performs the receiving or sending steps in the method embodiment, while other steps besides sending and receiving can be performed by a processing unit or processor.

[0264] 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. The embodiments of this application do not preclude the possibility of defining other terms that can achieve the same or similar functions in existing or future agreements.

[0265] The terms “component,” “module,” “system,” etc., used in this specification are used to refer to computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, combinations of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, an execution thread, a program, and / or a computer. As illustrated, applications running on computing devices and computing devices can both be components. One or more components may reside in a process and / or an execution thread, and components may be located on a single computer and / or distributed among two or more computers. Furthermore, these components can be executed from various computer-readable storage media on which various data structures are stored. Components can communicate, for example, via local and / or remote processes based on signals having one or more data packets (e.g., data from two components interacting with another component between a local system, a distributed system, and / or a network, such as the Internet interacting with other systems via signals).

[0266] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0267] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be based on the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0268] 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 merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only 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.

[0269] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0270] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0271] In the above embodiments, the functions of each functional unit can be implemented entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions (programs). When the computer program instructions (programs) are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0272] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, essentially or in other words, the parts that contribute to the prior art, or parts of the technical solutions, can be embodied in the form of software products. These computer software products are stored in a storage medium and include several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0273] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A measurement method, characterized in that, Applied to a terminal device, the method includes: Receive measurement configuration, which includes measurement timing configuration (SMTC) configuration. The SMTC configuration is used to indicate multiple SMTCs configured by the network device, cell location information and / or synchronization signal block (SSB) index information bound to each SMTC, and a primary / backup SMTC mechanism. The primary / backup SMTC mechanism includes using one of two types of SMTCs, namely location-based SMTCs and SSB index-based SMTCs, as the primary SMTC and the other as the backup SMTC. If, based on the SMTC configuration, it is determined that the first SMTC pointed to by the reference area where the terminal device is located is different from the second SMTC pointed to by the target SSB index, the first SMTC and the second SMTC are evaluated respectively to obtain the evaluation result; When the reporting trigger condition is met, auxiliary information is reported, including the evaluation result, and the auxiliary information is used to adjust the primary and backup SMTC mechanism; According to the primary / standby SMTC mechanism, the primary SMTC of the first SMTC and the second SMTC is selected to perform the measurement operation.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The reporting trigger conditions include: If, within a specified time period, the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC remains below a first threshold, the first primary SMTC is the SMTC that belongs to the primary SMTC category between the first SMTC and the second SMTC; or... If the evaluation score of the first backup SMTC is higher than the second threshold of the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC, and the evaluation score of the first backup SMTC is higher than the third threshold, where the third threshold is lower than the first threshold, and the second threshold is lower than the third threshold, then the first backup SMTC is the SMTC that belongs to the backup SMTC category between the first SMTC and the second SMTC; or... The evaluation scores of the first primary SMTC and the first backup SMTC are both lower than the third threshold.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, If the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC remains below the first threshold within the specified time, or if the evaluation score of the first backup SMTC is higher than the second threshold of the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC and the evaluation score of the first backup SMTC is higher than the third threshold, then the auxiliary information also includes a primary / backup SMTC mechanism switching suggestion. If the evaluation score of the first primary SMTC and the evaluation score of the first backup SMTC are both lower than the third threshold, the auxiliary information also includes evaluation anomaly warning information.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The evaluation of the first SMTC and the second SMTC includes: The first SMTC is evaluated based on a first confidence level and a first hit probability to obtain a first evaluation score. The first confidence level is used to indicate the credibility of the decision-making process for selecting the first SMTC, and the first hit probability is used to indicate the probability of successful alignment between the first SMTC window defined by the first SMTC and the arrival time of the target SSB signal. The second SMTC is evaluated based on the second confidence level and the second hit probability to obtain a second evaluation score. The second confidence level is used to indicate the credibility of the decision-making process for selecting the second SMTC, and the second hit probability is used to indicate the probability of successful alignment between the second SMTC window defined by the second SMTC and the arrival time of the target SSB signal.

5. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The evaluation of the first SMTC based on the first confidence level and the first hit probability to obtain a first evaluation score includes: The system acquires a first parameter, a second parameter, a third parameter, a fourth parameter, and a fifth parameter. The first parameter indicates the position accuracy of the terminal device, the second parameter indicates the uncertainty of the terminal device in predicting the propagation delay, the third parameter indicates the freshness of the terminal device's position information and satellite ephemeris information, the fourth parameter indicates the consistency between the relative motion velocity predicted by the terminal device based on satellite ephemeris and the relative radial velocity estimated based on Doppler frequency shift, and the fifth parameter is the deviation of the measurement timing of the target SSB signal from the center of the first SMTC window. The first confidence level is determined based on the first parameter, the second parameter, the third parameter, the fourth parameter, and the weight of each parameter. The first hit probability is determined based on the fifth parameter and the duration of the first SMTC window; The first evaluation score of the first SMTC is determined based on the first confidence level, the confidence level weight, the first hit probability, and the hit probability weight.

6. The method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The first parameter is the positioning system output error statistics of the terminal device; the second parameter is determined based on the equivalent error of satellite ephemeris and the position accuracy error of the terminal device; the third parameter is determined based on the first time of the terminal device's most recent positioning, the second time of the most recent update of the satellite ephemeris, and the third time of the current decision moment; the fourth parameter is determined based on the terminal position information at the first historical moment, the satellite position information of the target satellite, the Doppler shift and the carrier frequency of the target SSB signal, the speed of light, and the terminal position information and the satellite position information of the target satellite at the second moment, where the second moment is earlier than the first moment; the fifth parameter is determined based on the satellite ephemeris and the terminal position information.

7. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The second parameter is determined in the following ways: The arithmetic square root of the sum of the squares of the satellite ephemeris equivalent error and the position accuracy error is used to obtain a first value, and the value of the second parameter is the quotient of the first value and the speed of light.

8. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The methods for determining the third parameter include: Determine the time difference between the third time and the first time to obtain the second value; The time difference between the third time and the second time is determined to obtain a third value, and the value of the third parameter is the maximum value between the second value and the third value.

9. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The fourth parameter is determined in the following ways: The relative motion speed is determined based on the terminal position information and satellite position information at the first moment, and the terminal position information and satellite position information at the second moment. The relative radial velocity is determined based on the Doppler frequency shift, carrier frequency, and speed of light at the first moment; The absolute value of the difference between the relative motion velocity and the relative radial velocity is determined to obtain the value of the fourth parameter.

10. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The second SMTC is evaluated based on the second confidence level and the second hit probability to obtain a second evaluation score, including: The sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh parameters are obtained, wherein the sixth parameter is used to indicate the success rate of the second SMTC window in capturing the target SSB signal in historical measurements, the seventh parameter is used to indicate the hit stability of the second SMTC window in historical measurements, the eighth parameter is used to indicate the information freshness of the second SMTC, the ninth parameter is used to constrain a target SSB index to bind to an SMTC, the tenth parameter is used to indicate the phase reliability of the target SSB signal hit by the second SMTC window in historical measurements, and the eleventh parameter is used to measure the deviation of the phase of the target SSB signal observed within the second SMTC window from the reference phase; The second confidence level is determined based on the sixth parameter, the seventh parameter, the eighth parameter, the ninth parameter, the tenth parameter, and the weights of each parameter; The second hit probability is determined based on the eleventh parameter and the phase tolerance threshold. The second evaluation score of the second SMTC is determined based on the second confidence level, the confidence level weight, the second hit probability, and the hit probability weight.

11. The method as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The sixth parameter is determined based on the smoothing coefficient, the fourth value, and the fifth value. The fourth value indicates whether the second SMTC window hits the target SSB signal during the k-th measurement in historical measurements, and the fifth value is the value of the sixth parameter determined during the (k-1)-th measurement. The seventh parameter is determined based on the historical hit sequence, where the m-th element indicates whether the second SMTC window hits the target SSB signal during the m-th measurement. The eighth parameter is determined based on the last update time of the second SMTC. The ninth parameter is determined based on the SMTC set corresponding to the target SSB index. The tenth parameter is determined based on the historical phase reliability sequence, where the m-th element represents the deviation of the phase of the target SSB signal observed in the second SMTC window from the reference phase during the m-th measurement. The eleventh parameter measures the deviation of the phase of the target SSB signal observable in the current second SMTC window from the reference phase.

12. The method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The sixth parameter is determined by the following formula: in, For the sixth parameter, The smoothing coefficient is... The fourth value, This is the fifth numerical value.

13. The method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The method for determining the seventh parameter includes: The mean of the hit sequence within a specified statistical window is determined based on the historical hit sequence. Based on the mean of the hit sequence, determine the variance of the hit sequence within the specified statistical window; The seventh parameter is determined based on the variance of the hit sequence.

14. The method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The value of the eighth parameter is the time difference between the third time of the current decision moment and the last update time of the second SMTC.

15. The method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The method for determining the ninth parameter includes: Determine the number of elements contained in the SMTC set corresponding to the target SSB index; determine the ninth parameter based on the maximum number of SMTCs configured in the network device and the number of elements contained in the SMTC set corresponding to the target SSB index.

16. The method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The method for determining the tenth parameter includes: Based on the historical phase reliability sequence, the phase difference concentration is determined; The tenth parameter is determined based on the phase difference concentration.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The measurement configuration also includes the reporting triggering conditions.

18. A measurement method, characterized in that, Applied to network devices, the method includes: Send measurement configuration, which includes measurement timing configuration (SMTC) configuration. The SMTC configuration is used to indicate multiple SMTCs configured by the network device, cell location information and / or synchronization signal block (SSB) index information bound to each SMTC, and a primary / backup SMTC mechanism. The primary / backup SMTC mechanism includes using one of two types of SMTCs, namely location-based SMTCs and SSB index-based SMTCs, as the primary SMTC and the other as the backup SMTC. Receive auxiliary information, including evaluation results, which are used to adjust the primary / backup SMTC mechanism.

19. The method as described in claim 18, characterized in that, The primary / backup SMTC mechanism is determined based on the capabilities that the terminal device possesses and / or is currently available, including positioning capabilities and / or SSB index observation capabilities.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processing unit and a transceiver unit, and is used to execute a program or instructions of the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 17, or a program or instructions of the method as described in claim 18 or 19.

21. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor coupled to a memory storing a program or instructions for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 17, or the memory storing instructions for performing the method as described in claim 18 or 19.

22. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program or instructions stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program or instructions are executed, they cause the computer to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, or any one of claims 18 to 19.

23. A communication system, characterized in that, Includes the communication device as described in claim 20.

24. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program that, when run, causes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 17 or 18 to 19 to be performed.

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