Mobility management method of non-terrestrial network and related equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a mobility management method of a non-terrestrial network and related equipment, and relates to the technical field of communication. The method comprises the following steps: responding to switching of a feed link between non-ground network side equipment and non-ground network access equipment, and sending indication information used for indicating that the feed link is switched to a core network. According to the method and the device, the core network can timely know whether the feed link is switched or not and execute corresponding mobility management after the feed link is switched, so that the continuity of terminal service is ensured.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular, to a mobility management method for non-terrestrial network and related equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] The terrestrial mobile communication network cannot provide global seamless coverage due to the constraints of network deployment cost, geographical environment, etc. Satellite communication network has wide coverage and is less affected by geographical environment, and can be used as a supplement to the terrestrial cellular network to provide global seamless coverage.

[0003] The current 3GPP standard organization defines two typical transmission architectures in the study of non-terrestrial network (NTN): one is transparent forwarding transmission, and the signal only performs frequency conversion and signal amplification on the non-terrestrial carrier (such as satellite), and the base station is located on the ground; the other is regenerative transmission (onboard access / processing), that is, the non-terrestrial carrier (such as satellite) has part or all of the base station functions. Taking a satellite as an example, it is expected that all NGSO (Non-Geostationary Orbit Satellite, non-geostationary orbit satellite) constellations deployed in the future will be designed to support inter-satellite links and carry regenerative payloads. For low-orbit satellite networks, the satellite moves at high speed along its orbit, and its coverage changes relative to the ground, which will cause frequent switching between the satellite base station and the core network on the ground. Therefore, the star-ground integrated network must solve the problem of mobility management of the satellite base station, otherwise it is difficult to guarantee the normal communication demand.

[0004] Due to the rapid movement of the satellite base station, the UE (User Equipment, also known as user terminal, simply referred to as terminal) also needs to be frequently switched. For example, when the UE moves out of the coverage range of the current satellite, it needs to be switched to a new network node. How to ensure the service continuity of the UE and improve the user experience of the UE is also a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently.

[0005] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background section is only used to strengthen the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore can include information that does not constitute prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. SUMMARY

[0006] The present disclosure provides a mobility management method for non-terrestrial network and related equipment, which at least partially solves the technical problem of low communication quality caused by frequent switching of feeder link between non-terrestrial network and terrestrial network in the related art.

[0007] Other characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or will be learned by practice of the present disclosure.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a mobility management method of a non-terrestrial network is also provided, comprising: in response to switching of a feeder link, sending first indication information to a core network, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the switching of the feeder link.

[0009] In some embodiments, the feeder link is a link between a non-terrestrial network side device and a non-terrestrial network access device; and the first indication information is sent by the non-terrestrial network side device and / or the non-terrestrial network access device to the core network.

[0010] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network access device comprises at least one of: a non-terrestrial network access gateway, a gateway station, and a ground gateway.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: in response to establishment of a feeder link, sending second indication information to a core network, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate a base station deployment type of the non-terrestrial network, and the base station deployment type is used to determine whether the base station is deployed on a non-terrestrial carrier.

[0012] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network is a satellite network, and the non-terrestrial carrier is a satellite.

[0013] In some embodiments, the core network is further configured to, in a case where the first indication information is received, suspend data transmitted via the feeder link.

[0014] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: in response to switching of a feeder link, sending third indication information to a core network, wherein the third indication information is used to instruct the core network to cache data transmitted via the feeder link.

[0015] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: in response to switching of a feeder link, updating, by the core network or the base station, user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected by the feeder link.

[0016] In some embodiments, updating, by the core network or the base station, the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected by the feeder link comprises: if the user plane tunnel address information of a terminal is included in a non-terrestrial network configuration update request message sent by the base station to the core network, updating, by the core network, the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected by the feeder link; and if the user plane tunnel address information of a terminal is included in a non-terrestrial network configuration update response message returned by the core network to the base station, updating, by the base station, the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected by the feeder link.

[0017] In some embodiments, the method further comprises configuring a switching condition of the feeder link, wherein the switching condition is a time-based and / or location-based switching condition.

[0018] In some embodiments, the method further comprises configuring a switching condition of the terminal in response to the switching of the feeder link, wherein the switching condition is a time-based and / or location-based switching condition.

[0019] In some embodiments, the time-based switching condition comprises a start time of a switching time window and / or a duration of the switching time window; the location-based switching condition comprises terminal location information; and the time- and location-based switching condition comprises terminal location information and a switching expiration time.

[0020] In some embodiments, the method further comprises sending third indication information to one or more candidate base stations in response to the switching of the feeder link, wherein the third indication information is used to indicate the switching of the feeder link, and the candidate base stations are base stations that can become target base stations, and the target base stations are base stations that serve the terminal after the switching of the feeder link.

[0021] In some embodiments, the method further comprises sending fourth indication information to one or more candidate base stations in response to the switching of the feeder link, wherein the fourth indication information is used to indicate the switching of the feeder link and to indicate a trigger condition that is satisfied when the candidate base stations are ready to transmit resources and release the transmission resources, and the trigger condition comprises a time-based and / or location-based condition.

[0022] In some embodiments, the method further comprises sending fifth indication information to one or more candidate base stations in response to the switching of the feeder link, wherein the fifth indication information is used to indicate the switching of the feeder link and to indicate that the candidate base stations are ready to prepare resources when a trigger condition is satisfied, and the trigger condition comprises a time-based and / or location-based condition.

[0023] In some embodiments, the method further comprises sending sixth indication information to the terminal in response to the switching of the feeder link, wherein the sixth indication information is used to indicate the switching of the feeder link.

[0024] In some embodiments, the method further comprises sending seventh indication information to the terminal in response to the switching of the feeder link, wherein the seventh indication information is used to indicate a trigger condition for the terminal to switch to a target base station, and the target base station is a base station that serves the terminal after the switching of the feeder link, and the trigger condition comprises a time-based and / or location-based condition.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a mobility management method of a non-terrestrial network is also provided, comprising: receiving first indication information sent by a non-terrestrial network side device and / or a non-terrestrial network access device in response to switching of a feeder link, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the switching of the feeder link.

[0026] In some embodiments, after receiving the first indication information sent by the non-terrestrial network side device and / or the non-terrestrial network access device, the method further comprises: suspending data transmitted via the feeder link.

[0027] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: receiving second indication information sent by the non-terrestrial network side device and / or the non-terrestrial network access device in response to establishment of a feeder link, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate a base station deployment type of the non-terrestrial network, and the base station deployment type is used to determine whether the base station is deployed on a non-terrestrial carrier.

[0028] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: receiving third indication information sent by the non-terrestrial network side device and / or the non-terrestrial network access device in response to switching of a feeder link, wherein the third indication information is used to indicate that a core network caches data transmitted via the feeder link.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a non-terrestrial network device is also provided, comprising: a first feeder link switching indication module configured to send first indication information to a core network in response to switching of a feeder link, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the switching of the feeder link.

[0030] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a non-terrestrial network access device is also provided, comprising: a second feeder link switching indication module configured to send first indication information to a core network in response to switching of a feeder link, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the switching of the feeder link.

[0031] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a core network device is also provided, comprising: a feeder link switching indication information receiving module configured to receive first indication information sent by a non-terrestrial network side device and / or a non-terrestrial network access device in response to switching of a feeder link, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the switching of the feeder link.

[0032] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is also provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory configured to store executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to perform the mobility management method of a non-terrestrial network via executing the executable instructions.

[0033] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer readable storage medium is also provided, having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed by a processor, implements the mobility management method of the non-terrestrial network according to any one of the preceding aspects.

[0034] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is also provided, comprising: a computer program or instructions which, when executed by a processor, implements the mobility management method of the non-terrestrial network according to any one of the preceding aspects.

[0035] The mobility management method of the non-terrestrial network and related devices provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, in response to the switching of the feeder link between the non-terrestrial network side device and the non-terrestrial network access device, sends indication information to the core network indicating that the switching of the feeder link occurs. The present disclosure can enable the core network to learn in time whether the switching of the feeder link occurs, and perform corresponding mobility management after the switching of the feeder link occurs, ensuring the continuity of terminal service.

[0036] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and are not limiting of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0037] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. It is apparent that the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor on the basis of these drawings.

[0038] Figure 1 Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network communication system architecture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 2 Fig. 2 shows a flowchart of a mobility management method of a non-terrestrial network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 3 Fig. 3 shows another flowchart of a mobility management method of a non-terrestrial network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Figure 4 Fig. 4 shows another flowchart of a mobility management method of a non-terrestrial network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] Figure 5 Fig. 5 shows another flowchart of a mobility management method of a non-terrestrial network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] Figure 6A flow chart of a method for mobility management of a non-terrestrial network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0044] Figure 7 A flow chart of a method for mobility management of a non-terrestrial network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0045] Figure 8 A flow chart of a method for mobility management of a non-terrestrial network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0046] Figure 9 A flow chart of a feeder link handover without changing AMF network element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0047] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a soft feeder link handover according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0048] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a hard feeder link handover according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0049] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0050] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network access device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0051] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of a core network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0052] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of a core network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] Example implementations will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example implementations may, however, be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the implementations set forth herein; rather, these implementations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the example implementations to those skilled in the art. Features described in the description, examples, or claims that are unified under a single header may be implemented in any suitable manner.

[0054] In addition, the drawings are only schematic and are non-limiting. Like references signs denote like parts throughout the description and figures. Some of the blocks in the figures can be functional blocks that do not necessarily have a corresponding physical structure directly related to them. The functional blocks can be implemented in software or hardware or a combination thereof. In the context of software, the blocks represent computer readable code that is tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a memory or a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0055] For ease of understanding, before introducing the embodiments of the present disclosure, first, several terms involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure are explained as follows:

[0056] NTN: the full name is Non-Terrestrial Network, which is translated as non-ground network. The standard definition given by 3GPP is "a network or network segment using airborne or spaceborne vehicles to carry relay nodes or base stations for transmission equipment".

[0057] NGSO: the full name is Non-Geosynchronous Orbit, which is translated as non-geosynchronous orbit. NGSO includes other satellite orbits except for geosynchronous orbit.

[0058] TNLA: the full name is Transport Network Layer Address, which is translated as transport network layer address, used to identify the address of a node in a computer network.

[0059] FLSO: the full name is Feeder Link Switch Over, which is translated as feeder link switching, which is the process of changing the feeder link from the source NTN gateway to a specific target NTN gateway.

[0060] The specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] Figure 1 A non-ground network communication system architecture diagram in the embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As shown in the figure, the system architecture includes: a terminal 10, a non-ground network side device 20, a non-ground network access device 30 and a core network 40. Among them, the core network is used to provide different data networks 50. Figure 1

[0062] In some embodiments, the terminal 10 can be various electronic devices, including but not limited to smart phones, tablet computers, laptop portable computers, desktop computers, smart speakers, smart watches, wearable devices, augmented reality devices, virtual reality devices, etc. Optionally, the clients of the application programs installed in different terminals 10 are the same, or the clients of the same type of application programs based on different operating systems. Based on the difference of the terminal platform, the specific form of the client of the application program can also be different, for example, the application program client can be a mobile phone client, a PC client, etc.

[0063] The non-ground network side device 20 in the embodiments of the present disclosure refers to the network side device carried on the non-ground carrier. In some embodiments, the non-ground network side device 20 can be a base station.

[0064] ​The non-terrestrial network access device 30 in the embodiments of the present disclosure refers to a device for connecting the terrestrial network and the non-terrestrial network. In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network access device 30 includes at least one of the following: a non-terrestrial network access gateway, a gateway station, and a terrestrial gateway.

[0065] The terrestrial gateway refers to a device that provides connection and transit services between the non-terrestrial network (such as a satellite network) and the terrestrial network. The gateway station generally refers to a key component in a satellite communication system, which is an interface point between the satellite and the terrestrial network. The terrestrial gateway is a node in the terrestrial network, which is connected with the gateway station or the terrestrial gateway of the non-terrestrial network (such as a satellite network) to realize data exchange between the terrestrial network and the non-terrestrial network.

[0066] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the core network 40 is a key part of the mobile communication network, which is responsible for processing the exchange and routing of calls, data transmission, short message services, and other services, and at the same time provides main functions such as user authentication, charging, mobility management, etc. The data network 50 refers to a network capable of transmitting data, which can be the Internet or any private network, and is responsible for data transmission, storage, processing and distribution. In the mobile communication network, the data network generally refers to the part of the core network that processes data services, so that users can access various data services through mobile devices, such as web browsing, email and video streaming, etc.

[0067] Those skilled in the art can know that, Figure 1 The number of terminal devices, networks and servers in the above system architecture is only illustrative, and any number of terminal devices, networks and servers can be provided according to actual needs. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit this.

[0068] The Uu interface is a bridge for communication between the UE and the RAN in the mobile communication network, which supports various communication services of the UE, including voice, data and multimedia services.

[0069] Under the above system architecture, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a non-terrestrial network mobility management method. In principle, the method can be executed by any electronic device with computing processing capability. In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network mobility management method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be executed by the non-terrestrial network side device of the above system architecture; in other embodiments, the non-terrestrial network mobility management method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be executed by the non-terrestrial network access device in the above system architecture; in other embodiments, the non-terrestrial network mobility management method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be realized by the non-terrestrial network side device and / or the non-terrestrial network access device in the above system architecture and the core network through interaction.

[0070] Figure 2A flowchart of a method for mobility management of a non-terrestrial network is shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 2 The method for mobility management of a non-terrestrial network provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure can include the following steps:

[0071] At S202, in response to switching of the feeder link, first indication information is sent to the core network, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the switching of the feeder link.

[0072] It should be noted that in a terrestrial cellular network, the interface between the radio access network device (such as a base station) and the core network is usually maintained for a long time after being established, and can be regarded as a permanent connection. However, in a satellite network based on regenerative transmission architecture, the base station is carried on a satellite that is constantly moving, which can cause the link between the base station and the core network to be frequently switched. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, based on the mobility characteristics of the satellite-borne base station, a base station type indication, a UE data buffering indication, a UE conditional handover indication signaling, and a UE uplink and downlink data transmission address updating process are introduced in the interface protocol between the base station and the core network, which can effectively solve the mobility management problem of the satellite-borne base station and the terminal served thereby, and is a potential standard-related patent.

[0073] In some embodiments, the feeder link in an embodiment of the present disclosure is a link between a non-terrestrial network side device and a non-terrestrial network access device; and the first indication information is sent by the non-terrestrial network side device and / or the non-terrestrial network access device to the core network. The non-terrestrial network side device herein is a network side device carried on a non-terrestrial carrier such as a satellite, and the non-terrestrial network access device is a device for accessing a terrestrial network to a non-terrestrial network.

[0074] Taking a satellite as an example, before the satellite is about to disconnect from a ground gateway, the base station sends indication information to the core network to inform the feeder link switching that is about to occur. In a specific implementation, the feeder link switching indication information can be implemented by enhancing an existing RAN configuration update process or introducing an interface removal / suspension process. In some embodiments, when the core network receives the feeder link switching indication information, the data transmission can be suspended. Further, in some embodiments, the core network can buffer the downlink data (data sent by the core network to the terminal) that is suspended for transmission.

[0075] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network access device in an embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least one of a non-terrestrial network access gateway, a gateway station, and a ground gateway.

[0076] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network mobility management method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can comprise the following steps: configuring a handover condition of the feeder link, wherein the handover condition is a time-based and / or location-based handover condition. After configuring the handover condition of the feeder link, the indication information of the feeder link handover can be sent to the core network when the handover condition of the feeder link is about to be met or before the handover condition of the feeder link is met.

[0077] In specific implementation, the base station can configure the conditional handover (such as the service satellite or AMF to be handed over) for the UE served by the base station, introduce the handover (HO) indication information based on the location trigger condition in the handover request message, and take the location-based HO as a subcategory of the time-based HO, wherein the time window can be used to additionally indicate the handover expiration time for releasing the base station resource.

[0078] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3 The non-terrestrial network mobility management method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can comprise the following steps:

[0079] S302, in response to the establishment of the feeder link, sending second indication information to the core network, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate the base station deployment type of the non-terrestrial network, and the base station deployment type is used to determine whether the base station is deployed on the non-terrestrial carrier.

[0080] Taking a satellite as an example, in specific implementation, when the satellite establishes a connection through the ground gateway and the core network, the base station initiates an interface establishment request message to the core network, and in addition to the existing signaling, the base station type information is introduced to indicate the deployment type of the base station, for example, whether it is a satellite-borne base station.

[0081] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be but is not limited to a satellite network, and the non-terrestrial carrier in the embodiments of the present disclosure is a satellite.

[0082] In some embodiments, the core network in the embodiments of the present disclosure is further used to suspend the data transmitted through the feeder link in the case of receiving the first indication information.

[0083] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4 The non-terrestrial network mobility management method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can comprise the following steps:

[0084] S402, in response to the handover of the feeder link, sending third indication information to the core network, wherein the third indication information is used to indicate that the core network caches the data transmitted through the feeder link.

[0085] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5 The non-terrestrial network mobility management method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can comprise the following steps:

[0086] S502, in response to the switching of the feeder link, updates the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected to the feeder link through the core network or base station.

[0087] In some embodiments, updating the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected to the feeder link through the core network or base station includes: if the user plane tunnel address information of the terminal is included in the non-terrestrial network configuration update request message sent by the base station to the core network, then updating the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected to the feeder link through the core network; if the user plane tunnel address information of the terminal is included in the non-terrestrial network configuration update response message returned by the core network to the base station, then updating the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected to the feeder link through the base station.

[0088] In some embodiments, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this disclosure may include the following steps: in response to the switching of a power supply link, configuring handover conditions for a terminal, wherein the handover conditions are time- and / or location-triggered handover conditions.

[0089] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the handover conditions triggered by the terminal based on time may include, but are not limited to: the start time and / or duration of the handover time window; the handover conditions triggered by the terminal based on location may include, but are not limited to: terminal location information; the handover conditions triggered by the terminal based on time and location include: terminal location information and handover expiration time. The terminal location information can be the actual location information of the terminal or estimated location information (rough terminal location information); the handover expiration time is used to indicate the time for releasing transmission resources before handover. In current communication protocols, the handover conditions based on location and the handover conditions based on time are independent of each other. Since the handover conditions based on location generally do not "expire," there is a risk that transmission resources (such as resources already allocated by the base station) before handover cannot be released.

[0090] In some embodiments, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this disclosure may include the following steps: in response to a power supply link handover, sending third indication information to one or more candidate base stations, wherein the third indication information is used to indicate the handover of the power supply link, the candidate base station is a base station that may become the target base station, and the target base station is a base station that serves the terminal after the power supply link handover.

[0091] Through the above embodiments, the base station before the handover indicates to the candidate base station that the feeder link is being switched, which can enable the candidate base station to prepare relevant resources or perform necessary pre-handover operations (such as monitoring the location information of the terminal) for the upcoming handover.

[0092] In some embodiments, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this disclosure may include the following steps: in response to a switch of a feeder link, sending fourth indication information to one or more candidate base stations, the fourth indication information being used to indicate that a switch of the feeder link has occurred and to indicate the candidate base stations to prepare and release transmission resources, and the triggering conditions being met, including: conditions triggered based on time and / or location.

[0093] Through the above embodiments, while the base station before the handover indicates the feeder link handover to the candidate base station that it may be handed over to, it can also instruct the candidate base station to prepare transmission resources so that the terminal can quickly access the network. Considering that only the target base station will access the terminal, the candidate base station that does not access the terminal should release the prepared transmission resources as soon as possible after determining that the terminal will not access the network. Therefore, while instructing the candidate base station to prepare transmission resources, it is also necessary to instruct the candidate base station to release the transmission resources under certain triggering conditions. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the triggering conditions for releasing transmission resources can be, but are not limited to, conditions triggered based on time or terminal location.

[0094] In some embodiments, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this disclosure may include the following steps: in response to a power supply link handover, sending a fifth indication message to one or more candidate base stations, wherein the fifth indication message is used to indicate that a power supply link handover has occurred and to instruct the candidate base stations to prepare resources when triggering conditions are met, the triggering conditions including: time- and / or location-triggered conditions.

[0095] Through the above embodiments, while the base station before the handover indicates the feeder link handover to the candidate base station that it may be handed over to, it can also indicate the triggering conditions for the candidate base station to prepare transmission resources. This allows the target base station preparing to access the terminal to prepare transmission resources, while the candidate base station that does not need to access the terminal does not prepare transmission resources. For example, while indicating the feeder link handover, the condition for preparing transmission resources is indicated to the candidate base station to prepare transmission resources only when the terminal's location is detected to be within the base station's coverage area. If the terminal is not detected to be within the base station's coverage area, no preparation of transmission resources is performed. In this way, there is no need to configure the triggering conditions for releasing transmission resources. In the embodiments of this disclosure, the triggering conditions for preparing transmission resources can be, but are not limited to, conditions triggered based on time or terminal location.

[0096] Through the above embodiments, the base station before the handover indicates to the candidate base station that the feeder link is being switched, which can enable the candidate base station to prepare relevant resources or perform necessary pre-handover operations (such as monitoring the location information of the terminal) for the upcoming handover.

[0097] In some embodiments, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this disclosure may include the following steps: in response to a switch of the power supply link, sending a sixth indication information to the terminal, wherein the sixth indication information is used to indicate the switch of the power supply link.

[0098] Through the above embodiments, the base station before the handover can indicate to the terminal that the power supply link has been switched, which can enable the terminal to prepare to access other base stations or suspend data transmission.

[0099] In some embodiments, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this disclosure may include the following steps: in response to the switching of the feeder link, sending a seventh indication information to the terminal, wherein the seventh indication information is used to indicate the triggering conditions for the terminal to switch to the target base station, the target base station being the base station serving the terminal after the feeder link switching, and the triggering conditions including: conditions triggered based on time and / or location.

[0100] Through the above embodiments, while the base station before the handover indicates to the terminal that the feeder link has been switched, it can simultaneously indicate to the terminal the triggering conditions for switching to the target base station. For example, if the terminal is detected to have entered the coverage area of ​​a certain base station, then the terminal will switch to the corresponding base station. When the base station is mounted on a non-terrestrial carrier such as a satellite, since the satellite's motion has a certain periodicity, the time for the terminal to access the target base station can be estimated, thereby triggering the corresponding operation.

[0101] It should be noted that the candidate base station and target base station in the embodiments of this disclosure can be base stations mounted on non-ground carriers or base stations deployed on the ground. The embodiments of this disclosure do not specifically limit them in this regard.

[0102] Taking satellite as an example, in specific implementation, when the satellite establishes a connection with the core network through the new ground gateway, a new non-UE-related signaling process is introduced, that is, the DL TNLA of all connected UEs is updated through the core network or base station.

[0103] In some embodiments, if the UL UP TNL address is included in the NTN configuration update request message, the core network replaces the old TNL address with the new UL TNL address. In other embodiments, if the DL UP TNL address is included in the NTN configuration update response message, the base station replaces the old TNL address with the new DL TNL address.

[0104] Taking 5G networks as an example, the possible signaling changes are as follows:

[0105] 1) The interface establishment request message (NG SETUP REQUEST message) initiated by the base station to the core network, in addition to existing signaling, introduces base station type information to indicate the deployment type of the base station, such as whether it is a satellite-based base station. Its message content is shown in Table 1. In the 5G network, the "NG SETUP REQUEST" message is a signaling message used for the NG interface (Next Generation interface). The NG interface is the interface between Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN) nodes (such as gNodeB) and control plane nodes (such as AMF network elements) in the 5G core network (5GC).

[0106] The direction is: NG-RAN node → AMF network element.

[0107] Table 1

[0108]

[0109] 2) Before the satellite is about to disconnect from the ground gateway, the base station sends an indication message to the core network to notify of the upcoming feeder link handover. This can be achieved by enhancing the existing RAN configuration update process or introducing an interface removal / pause process. Upon receiving the feeder link handover indication message, the core network suspends data transmission. The message content of the RAN configuration update message is shown in Table 2.

[0110] The direction is: NG-RAN node → AMF network element.

[0111] Table 2

[0112]

[0113] 3) The base station can configure conditional handover for its serving UE (such as switching serving satellite or AMF). The handover request message introduces location-triggered handover (HO) indication information. The handover indication information configured for the terminal includes: terminal location information or terminal coarse location information.

[0114] In other instances, location-based HOs are a subcategory of time-based HOs, where the time window can be used to additionally indicate the handover expiration time to release base station resources. The handover indication information configured for the terminal is shown in Table 3.

[0115] The direction is: NG-RAN node 1 → AMF network element → NG-RAN node 2 or NG-RAN node 1 → NG-RAN node 2.

[0116] Table 3

[0117] Information element / group name Mandatory Range Information element data type and value Time-based switching indication 0…1 Start time of switching time window Mandatory Integer (0..549755813887) Duration of switching time window Mandatory Integer (1..6000) Location-based switching indication Optional Enumerated (Yes...)

[0118] For setting the time window, the start time ranges from an integer (0..549755813887). This field represents UTC-related information, calculated in 10 milliseconds from 00:00:00 on January 1, 1900. The duration ranges from an integer (1..6000), with each step representing 100ms, indicating the switching duration calculated from the start time.

[0119] 4) When the satellite establishes a connection with the core network through the new ground gateway, a new non-UE-related signaling procedure is introduced to update the DL TNLA of all connected UEs; if the UL UP TNL address is included in the NTN configuration update request message, the core network will replace the old TNL address with the new UL TNL address; if the DL UP TNL address is included in the NTN configuration update response message, the base station will replace the old TNL address with the new DL TNL address.

[0120] The contents of the NTN configuration update request message are shown in Table 4; the contents of the NTN configuration update response message are shown in Table 5.

[0121] Table 4

[0122]

[0123] Table 5

[0124]

[0125] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks. In principle, this method can be executed by any electronic device with computing capabilities. In some embodiments, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this disclosure can be executed by the core network of the aforementioned system architecture; in other embodiments, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this disclosure can be implemented through interaction between the core network in the aforementioned system architecture and non-terrestrial network side devices and / or non-terrestrial network access devices.

[0126] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates a flowchart of a mobility management method for a non-terrestrial network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this embodiment may include the following steps:

[0127] S602, receiving first indication information sent by non-terrestrial network side equipment and / or non-terrestrial network access equipment in response to the switching of the power supply link, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the switching of the power supply link.

[0128] In some embodiments, after receiving first indication information sent by non-terrestrial network side devices and / or non-terrestrial network access devices, the method further includes: suspending data transmission via the power supply link.

[0129] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this embodiment may include the following steps:

[0130] S702, receiving second indication information sent by non-terrestrial network side equipment and / or non-terrestrial network access equipment in response to the establishment of a power supply link, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate the base station deployment type of the non-terrestrial network, and the base station deployment type is used to determine whether the base station is deployed on a non-terrestrial carrier.

[0131] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this embodiment may include the following steps:

[0132] S802, receiving third indication information sent by non-terrestrial network side equipment and / or non-terrestrial network access equipment in response to the switching of the feeder link, wherein the third indication information is used to instruct the core network to buffer data transmitted via the feeder link.

[0133] In some embodiments, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this disclosure may include the following steps: in response to the switching of a power supply link, configuring handover conditions for a terminal, wherein the handover conditions are time- and / or location-triggered handover conditions.

[0134] In some embodiments, time-triggered switching conditions include: the start time of the switching time window and / or the duration of the switching time window; location-triggered switching conditions include: terminal location information; and time- and location-triggered switching conditions include: terminal location information and the switching expiration time.

[0135] In some embodiments, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this disclosure may include the following steps: in response to a power supply link handover, sending third indication information to one or more candidate base stations, wherein the third indication information is used to indicate the handover of the power supply link, the candidate base station is a base station that may become the target base station, and the target base station is a base station that serves the terminal after the power supply link handover.

[0136] In some embodiments, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this disclosure may include the following steps: in response to a switch of a feeder link, sending fourth indication information to one or more candidate base stations, the fourth indication information being used to indicate that a switch of the feeder link has occurred and to indicate the candidate base stations to prepare and release transmission resources, and the triggering conditions being met, including: conditions triggered based on time and / or location.

[0137] In some embodiments, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this disclosure may include the following steps: in response to a power supply link handover, sending a fifth indication message to one or more candidate base stations, wherein the fifth indication message is used to indicate that a power supply link handover has occurred and to instruct the candidate base stations to prepare resources when triggering conditions are met, the triggering conditions including: time- and / or location-triggered conditions.

[0138] In some embodiments, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this disclosure may include the following steps: in response to a switch of the power supply link, sending a sixth indication information to the terminal, wherein the sixth indication information is used to indicate the switch of the power supply link.

[0139] In some embodiments, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this disclosure may include the following steps: in response to the switching of the feeder link, sending a seventh indication information to the terminal, wherein the seventh indication information is used to indicate the triggering conditions for the terminal to switch to the target base station, the target base station being the base station serving the terminal after the feeder link switching, and the triggering conditions including: conditions triggered based on time and / or location.

[0140] Figure 9 This illustration shows a feeder link switching flowchart without changing the AMF network element in an embodiment of this disclosure, as follows: Figure 9 As shown, it specifically includes:

[0141] The S900 transmits downlink / uplink data through the first NTN gateway before the power supply link is switched.

[0142] S902 notifies the 5G core network of the upcoming hard feeder link switch.

[0143] S904a, AMF notifies SMF of an impending feeder link switch.

[0144] S904b notifies each SMF of the upcoming feeder link switch.

[0145] S910, the power supply link is switched to the second NTN gateway.

[0146] S912, update the TNLA (Transport Network Layer Address) between NG-RAN and AMF. This update pertains to the control plane TNLA address.

[0147] S914, Path Switching / User Plane TNLA Configuration Update / PDU Session Resource Modification Instruction.

[0148] It should be noted that both path handover and PDU session resource modification are performed at the UE level. The scheme provided in this disclosure allows for updating the user plane TNLA address at the base station level. Since many UEs may be connected to the base station before the power supply link handover, updating the user plane TNLA address uniformly at the base station level not only reduces handover time and improves handover efficiency but also avoids signaling storms.

[0149] S916, Path switching confirmation / User plane TNLA configuration update confirmation / PDU session resource modification confirmation.

[0150] S918 transmits downlink / uplink data through the second NTN gateway after the power supply link is switched.

[0151] In NGSO, the high-speed movement of satellites along their predetermined orbits can lead to frequent feeder link handovers. Assuming the satellite's movement speed is much faster than the UEs, as long as the UE does not leave its current AMF service area, the UE will still be served by the same AMF before and after the feeder link handover. In the absence of AMF changes, feeder link handover can be considered the primary scenario in most cases. Figure 10 This diagram illustrates a soft feeder link switching embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 11 This diagram illustrates a hard feeder link handover in an embodiment of this disclosure. Due to the soft feeder link handover, the IP address of the base station (eNB / gNB) changes, and the base station establishes a connection with the AMF on the new NTN-GW using the new TNL address. In the case of a hard feeder link handover, a satellite / gNB can only connect to one NTN-GW at a time. If the 5GC is unaware of the hard feeder link handover, it may continue to send DL NG-C / U data packets to the old NTN-GW. The old NTN-GW cannot deliver these packets to the gNB or forward them to the new NTN-GW, resulting in packet loss.

[0152] The mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this embodiment responds to the handover of the feeder link between the non-terrestrial network side device and the non-terrestrial network access device by sending indication information to the core network to indicate that the feeder link handover has occurred. This method can notify the core network that the feeder link handover is about to occur so that the core network can suspend downlink data transmitted via the feeder link before the handover, cache it, and then transmit the corresponding downlink data after the feeder link handover.

[0153] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a non-terrestrial network device, as described in the following embodiments. Since the principle by which this non-terrestrial network device solves the problem is similar to that of the above-described method embodiments, the implementation of this non-terrestrial network device embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above-described method embodiments, and repeated details will not be elaborated further.

[0154] Figure 12 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as... Figure 12 As shown, the non-terrestrial network device includes:

[0155] The first power supply link switching indication module 121 is used to send first indication information to the core network in response to the switching of the power supply link, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the switching of the power supply link.

[0156] In some embodiments, the power supply link is a link between a non-terrestrial network side device and a non-terrestrial network access device; the first indication information is sent by the non-terrestrial network side device and / or the non-terrestrial network access device to the core network.

[0157] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network access device includes at least one of the following: a non-terrestrial network access gateway, a gateway station, and a terrestrial gateway.

[0158] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network device provided in this disclosure may further include: a first base station type deployment indication module 122, used to send second indication information to the core network in response to the establishment of a power supply link, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate the base station deployment type of the non-terrestrial network, and the base station deployment type is used to determine whether the base station is deployed on a non-terrestrial carrier.

[0159] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network is a satellite network, and the non-terrestrial carrier is a satellite.

[0160] In some embodiments, the core network is also configured to suspend data transmission via the power supply link upon receiving a first indication message.

[0161] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network device provided in this disclosure may further include: a first data cache indication module 123, configured to send third indication information to the core network in response to a power supply link switch, wherein the third indication information is used to instruct the core network to cache data transmitted via the power supply link.

[0162] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network device provided in this disclosure may further include: a first user plane address information update module 124, used to update the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected to the feeder link through the core network or base station in response to the switching of the feeder link.

[0163] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the first user plane address information update module 124 is further configured to: if the user plane tunnel address information of the terminal is included in the non-terrestrial network configuration update request message sent by the base station to the core network, then update the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected by the feeder link through the core network; if the user plane tunnel address information of the terminal is included in the non-terrestrial network configuration update response message returned by the core network to the base station, then update the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected by the feeder link through the base station.

[0164] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network device provided in this disclosure may further include: a first handover condition configuration module 125, used to configure handover conditions for the power supply link, wherein the handover conditions are time- and / or location-based handover conditions.

[0165] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network device provided in this disclosure may further include: a first terminal handover configuration module 126, configured to configure handover conditions for the terminal in response to the handover of the power supply link, wherein the handover conditions are time- and / or location-triggered handover conditions.

[0166] Furthermore, in some embodiments, time-triggered switching conditions include: the start time and / or duration of the switching time window; location-triggered switching conditions include: terminal location information; and time- and location-triggered switching conditions include: terminal location information and switching expiration time.

[0167] In some embodiments, the first power supply link switching indication module 121 is further configured to: in response to the switching of the power supply link, send third indication information to one or more candidate base stations, wherein the third indication information is used to indicate the switching of the power supply link, the candidate base station is a base station that may become the target base station, and the target base station is a base station that serves the terminal after the power supply link switching.

[0168] In some embodiments, the first power supply link switching indication module 121 is further configured to: in response to the switching of the power supply link, send fourth indication information to one or more candidate base stations, the fourth indication information being used to indicate the switching of the power supply link and to indicate the triggering conditions satisfied by the candidate base stations to prepare and release transmission resources, the triggering conditions including: conditions triggered based on time and / or location.

[0169] In some embodiments, the first power supply link switching indication module 121 is further configured to: in response to the switching of the power supply link, send fifth indication information to one or more candidate base stations, wherein the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the power supply link has been switched and to indicate that the candidate base station prepares resources when the triggering conditions are met, the triggering conditions including: conditions triggered based on time and / or location.

[0170] In some embodiments, the first power supply link switching indication module 121 is further configured to: in response to the switching of the power supply link, send a sixth indication information to the terminal, wherein the sixth indication information is used to indicate the switching of the power supply link.

[0171] In some embodiments, the first power supply link switching indication module 121 is further configured to: in response to the switching of the power supply link, send a seventh indication information to the terminal, wherein the seventh indication information is used to indicate the triggering conditions for the terminal to switch to the target base station, the target base station being the base station serving the terminal after the power supply link switching, and the triggering conditions including: conditions triggered based on time and / or location.

[0172] It should be noted that the examples and application scenarios implemented by the modules in the above-described non-terrestrial network device embodiments and the corresponding steps in the method embodiments are the same, but are not limited to the content disclosed in the above-described method embodiments. It should also be noted that the above modules, as part of the non-terrestrial network device, can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions.

[0173] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a non-terrestrial network access device, as described in the following embodiments. Since the principle by which this non-terrestrial network access device solves the problem is similar to that of the above-described method embodiments, the implementation of this non-terrestrial network access device embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above-described method embodiments, and repeated details will not be elaborated further.

[0174] Figure 13 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network access device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as... Figure 13 As shown, the non-terrestrial network access device includes:

[0175] The second power supply link switching indication module 131 is used to send first indication information to the core network in response to the switching of the power supply link, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the switching of the power supply link.

[0176] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network device provided in this disclosure may further include: a second base station type deployment indication module 132, used to send second indication information to the core network in response to the establishment of a power supply link, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate the base station deployment type of the non-terrestrial network, and the base station deployment type is used to determine whether the base station is deployed on a non-terrestrial carrier.

[0177] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network is a satellite network, and the non-terrestrial carrier is a satellite.

[0178] In some embodiments, the core network is also configured to suspend data transmission via the power supply link upon receiving a first indication message.

[0179] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network device provided in this disclosure may further include: a second data cache indication module 133, configured to send third indication information to the core network in response to a power supply link switch, wherein the third indication information is used to instruct the core network to cache data transmitted via the power supply link.

[0180] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network device provided in this disclosure may further include: a second user plane address information update module 134, used to update the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected to the feeder link through the core network or base station in response to the switching of the feeder link.

[0181] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the second user plane address information update module 134 is further configured to: if the user plane tunnel address information of the terminal is included in the non-terrestrial network configuration update request message sent by the base station to the core network, then update the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected by the feeder link through the core network; if the user plane tunnel address information of the terminal is included in the non-terrestrial network configuration update response message returned by the core network to the base station, then update the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected by the feeder link through the base station.

[0182] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network device provided in this disclosure may further include: a second handover condition configuration module 135, used to configure handover conditions for the power supply link, wherein the handover conditions are time- and / or location-based handover conditions.

[0183] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial network device provided in this disclosure may further include: a second terminal handover configuration module 136, configured to configure handover conditions for the terminal in response to the handover of the power supply link, wherein the handover conditions are time- and / or location-triggered handover conditions.

[0184] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the handover conditions triggered by the terminal based on time include: the start time and / or the duration of the handover time window; the handover conditions triggered based on location include: terminal location information; and the handover conditions triggered based on both time and location include: terminal location information and the handover expiration time.

[0185] In some embodiments, the second power supply link switching indication module 131 is further configured to: in response to the switching of the power supply link, send third indication information to one or more candidate base stations, wherein the third indication information is used to indicate the switching of the power supply link, the candidate base station is a base station that may become the target base station, and the target base station is a base station that serves the terminal after the power supply link switching.

[0186] In some embodiments, the second power supply link switching indication module 131 is further configured to: in response to the switching of the power supply link, send fourth indication information to one or more candidate base stations, the fourth indication information being used to indicate the triggering conditions that the power supply link switching occurs and the candidate base stations prepare and release transmission resources, the triggering conditions including: conditions triggered based on time and / or location.

[0187] In some embodiments, the second power supply link switching indication module 131 is further configured to: in response to the switching of the power supply link, send fifth indication information to one or more candidate base stations, wherein the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the power supply link has been switched and to indicate that the candidate base station prepares resources when the triggering conditions are met, the triggering conditions including: conditions triggered based on time and / or location.

[0188] In some embodiments, the second power supply link switching indication module 131 is further configured to: in response to the switching of the power supply link, send a sixth indication information to the terminal, wherein the sixth indication information is used to indicate the switching of the power supply link.

[0189] In some embodiments, the second power supply link switching indication module 131 is further configured to: in response to the switching of the power supply link, send a seventh indication information to the terminal, wherein the seventh indication information is used to indicate the triggering conditions for the terminal to switch to the target base station, the target base station being the base station serving the terminal after the power supply link switching, and the triggering conditions including: conditions triggered based on time and / or location.

[0190] It should be noted that the examples and application scenarios implemented by the modules in the above-described non-terrestrial network device embodiments and the corresponding steps in the method embodiments are the same, but are not limited to the content disclosed in the above-described method embodiments. It should also be noted that the above modules, as part of the non-terrestrial network device, can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions.

[0191] It should be noted that the examples and application scenarios implemented by the modules in the above-described non-terrestrial network access device embodiments and the corresponding steps in the method embodiments are the same, but are not limited to the content disclosed in the above-described method embodiments. It should also be noted that the above modules, as part of the non-terrestrial network access device, can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions.

[0192] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a core network device, as described in the following embodiments. Since the principle by which this core network device embodiment solves the problem is similar to that of the above method embodiments, the implementation of this core network device embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above method embodiments, and repeated details will not be elaborated further.

[0193] Figure 14This diagram illustrates a core network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as... Figure 14 As shown, the core network equipment includes:

[0194] The power supply link switching indication information receiving module 141 is used to receive first indication information sent by non-terrestrial network side equipment and / or non-terrestrial network access equipment in response to the switching of the power supply link, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the switching of the power supply link.

[0195] In some embodiments, the core network device provided in this disclosure may further include: a data transmission module 142, used to pause data transmission via the power supply link.

[0196] In some embodiments, the core network equipment provided in this disclosure may further include: a base station deployment type indication information receiving module 143, configured to receive second indication information sent by non-terrestrial network side equipment and / or non-terrestrial network access equipment in response to the establishment of a power supply link, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate the base station deployment type of the non-terrestrial network, and the base station deployment type is used to determine whether the base station is deployed on a non-terrestrial carrier.

[0197] In some embodiments, the core network device provided in this disclosure may further include: a data caching indication information receiving module 144, configured to receive third indication information sent by a non-terrestrial network side device and / or a non-terrestrial network access device in response to a switch of the power supply link, wherein the third indication information is used to indicate that the core network caches data transmitted via the power supply link.

[0198] It should be noted that the examples and application scenarios implemented by the modules in the above-described non-terrestrial network device embodiments and the corresponding steps in the method embodiments are the same, but are not limited to the content disclosed in the above-described method embodiments. It should also be noted that the above modules, as part of the non-terrestrial network device, can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions.

[0199] Those skilled in the art will understand that various aspects of this disclosure can be implemented in the following forms: a completely hardware implementation, a completely software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software implementations, which can be collectively referred to herein as a "circuit", "module" or "system".

[0200] In summary, the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks provided in this embodiment introduces feeder link handover indication, base station deployment type indication, UE data cache indication, UE condition handover indication signaling, and UE uplink and downlink data transmission address update process into the interface protocol between the base station and the core network. This can effectively solve mobility management problems that may occur in future base station satellite scenarios and ensure user service continuity and service experience.

[0201] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides an electronic device, which includes: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to execute the mobility management method for a non-terrestrial network described above by executing the executable instructions. Since the principle by which this electronic device solves the problem is similar to that of the above method embodiments, the implementation of this electronic device embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above method embodiments, and repeated details will not be described again.

[0202] The following reference Figure 15 To describe an electronic device 1500 according to such an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 15 The electronic device 1500 shown is merely an example and should not be construed as limiting the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0203] like Figure 15 As shown, the electronic device 1500 is manifested in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of the electronic device 1500 may include, but are not limited to: at least one processing unit 1510, at least one storage unit 1520, and a bus 1530 connecting different system components (including storage unit 1520 and processing unit 1510).

[0204] The storage unit stores program code that can be executed by the processing unit 1510, causing the processing unit 1510 to perform the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section above according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0205] In some embodiments, when the electronic device is a non-terrestrial network side device and / or a non-terrestrial network access device, the processing unit 1510 may perform the following steps of the above method embodiment: in response to the switching of the power supply link, sending first indication information to the core network, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the switching of the power supply link.

[0206] In some embodiments, when the electronic device is a core network device, the processing unit 1510 may perform the following steps of the above method embodiment: receiving first indication information sent by a non-terrestrial network side device and / or a non-terrestrial network access device in response to the switching of the power supply link, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the switching of the power supply link.

[0207] Storage unit 1520 may include readable media in the form of volatile storage units, such as random access memory (RAM) 15201 and / or cache memory 15202, and may further include read-only memory (ROM) 15203.

[0208] Storage unit 1520 may also include a program / utility 15204 having a set (at least one) program module 15205, such program module 15205 including but not limited to: operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules and program data, each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0209] Bus 1530 can represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory cell bus or memory cell controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any of the various bus structures.

[0210] Electronic device 1500 can also communicate with one or more external devices 1540 (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, Bluetooth device, etc.), one or more devices that enable a user to interact with electronic device 1500, and / or any device that enables electronic device 1500 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., router, modem, etc.). This communication can be performed via input / output (I / O) interface 1550. Furthermore, electronic device 1500 can also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via network adapter 1560. As shown, network adapter 1560 communicates with other modules of electronic device 1500 via bus 1530. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figures, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with electronic device 1500, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0211] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, terminal device, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0212] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks described above. Since the principle by which this computer-readable storage medium embodiment solves the problem is similar to that of the above-described method embodiments, the implementation of this computer-readable storage medium embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above-described method embodiments, and repeated details will not be elaborated further.

[0213] More specific examples of computer-readable storage media in this disclosure may include, but are not limited to: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0214] In this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A readable signal medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, capable of transmitting, propagating, or transmitting a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0215] Optionally, the program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0216] In practical implementation, program code for performing the operations of this disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can execute entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In cases involving remote computing devices, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's computing device via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or it can be connected to an external computing device (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0217] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a computer program product, including a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the mobility management method for non-terrestrial networks described in any of the above method embodiments. Since the principle by which this computer program product embodiment solves the problem is similar to that of the above method embodiments, the implementation of this computer program product embodiment can refer to the implementation of the above method embodiments, and repeated details will not be elaborated further.

[0218] It should be noted that although several modules or units for the device used to perform actions have been mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0219] Furthermore, although the steps of the method in this disclosure are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that the steps must be performed in that specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. Additional or alternative steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or a step may be broken down into multiple steps.

[0220] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, mobile terminal, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0221] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A mobility management method of a non-terrestrial network, characterized by, The method comprises: sending first indication information to a core network in response to switching of a feeder link, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the switching of the feeder link.

2. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 1, wherein, The feeder link is a link between a non-terrestrial network side device and a non-terrestrial network access device; and the indication information is sent by the non-terrestrial network side device and / or the non-terrestrial network access device to the core network.

3. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 2, wherein, The non-terrestrial network access device comprises at least one of a non-terrestrial network access gateway, a gateway station, and a ground gateway.

4. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: sending second indication information to the core network in response to establishment of the feeder link, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate a base station deployment type of the non-terrestrial network, and the base station deployment type is used to determine whether the base station is deployed on a non-terrestrial carrier.

5. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 4, wherein, The non-terrestrial network is a satellite network, and the non-terrestrial carrier is a satellite.

6. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 1, wherein, The core network is further configured to suspend data transmitted via the feeder link upon receiving the first indication information.

7. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: sending third indication information to the core network in response to switching of the feeder link, wherein the third indication information is used to instruct the core network to cache data transmitted via the feeder link.

8. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: updating, by the core network or the base station, user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected by the feeder link in response to switching of the feeder link.

9. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 8, wherein, The updating of the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected by the feeder link by the core network or the base station comprises: updating the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected by the feeder link by the core network if the user plane tunnel address information of the terminal is included in a non-terrestrial network configuration update request message sent by the base station to the core network; and updating the user plane tunnel address information of all terminals connected by the feeder link by the base station if the user plane tunnel address information of the terminal is included in a non-terrestrial network configuration update response message returned by the core network to the base station.

10. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: configuring a switching condition of the feeder link, wherein the switching condition is a time-based and / or location-based switching condition.

11. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: configuring a switching condition of a terminal in response to switching of the feeder link, wherein the switching condition is a time-based and / or location-based switching condition.

12. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 11, wherein, The time-based switching condition comprises a start time of a switching time window and / or a duration of the switching time window; the location-based switching condition comprises terminal location information; and the time- and location-based switching condition comprises terminal location information and a switching expiration time.

13. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: sending third indication information to one or more candidate base stations in response to switching of the feeder link, wherein the third indication information is used to indicate the switching of the feeder link, and the candidate base stations are base stations that can become target base stations, and the target base stations are base stations that serve the terminal after the switching of the feeder link.

14. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: In response to the switching of the feeder link, fourth indication information is sent to one or more candidate base stations, the fourth indication information being used to indicate that the feeder link is switched and to indicate a trigger condition that is satisfied by the candidate base station preparing a transmission resource and releasing the transmission resource, the trigger condition including a condition triggered based on time and / or location.

15. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: In response to the switching of the feeder link, fifth indication information is sent to one or more candidate base stations, the fifth indication information being used to indicate that the feeder link is switched and to indicate that the candidate base station prepares a resource when a trigger condition is satisfied, the trigger condition including a condition triggered based on time and / or location.

16. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: In response to the switching of the feeder link, sixth indication information is sent to a terminal, the sixth indication information being used to indicate the switching of the feeder link.

17. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: In response to the switching of the feeder link, seventh indication information is sent to a terminal, the seventh indication information being used to indicate a trigger condition for the terminal to switch to a target base station, the target base station being a base station that serves the terminal after the switching of the feeder link, the trigger condition including a condition triggered based on time and / or location.

18. A mobility management method of a non-terrestrial network, characterized by, Comprising: Receiving first indication information sent by a non-terrestrial network side device and / or a non-terrestrial network access device in response to the switching of the feeder link, the first indication information being used to indicate the switching of the feeder link.

19. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 18, wherein, After receiving the first indication information sent by the non-terrestrial network side device and / or the non-terrestrial network access device, the method further includes: Pausing data transmitted via the feeder link.

20. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 18, wherein, The method further includes: In response to the establishment of the feeder link, receiving second indication information sent by a non-terrestrial network side device and / or a non-terrestrial network access device in response to the establishment of the feeder link, the second indication information being used to indicate a base station deployment type of the non-terrestrial network, the base station deployment type being used to determine whether the base station is deployed on a non-terrestrial carrier.

21. The non-terrestrial network mobility management method of claim 18, wherein, The method further includes: In response to the switching of the feeder link, receiving third indication information sent by a non-terrestrial network side device and / or a non-terrestrial network access device in response to the switching of the feeder link, the third indication information being used to indicate that a core network caches data transmitted via the feeder link.

22. A non-terrestrial network device, comprising: Comprising: A first feeder link switching indication module, configured to send first indication information to a core network in response to the switching of the feeder link, the first indication information being used to indicate the switching of the feeder link.

23. A non-terrestrial network access device, comprising: Comprising: A second feeder link switching indication module, configured to send first indication information to a core network in response to the switching of the feeder link, the first indication information being used to indicate the switching of the feeder link.

24. A core network device, comprising: Comprising: A feeder link switching indication information receiving module, configured to receive first indication information sent by a non-terrestrial network side device and / or a non-terrestrial network access device in response to the switching of the feeder link, the first indication information being used to indicate the switching of the feeder link.

25. An electronic device, comprising: Comprising: A processor; And A memory configured to store executable instructions of the processor. The processor is configured to execute the executable instructions to perform the mobility management method of the non-terrestrial network according to any one of claims 1-21.

26. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, characterized in that, The computer program is executed by the processor to implement the mobility management method of the non-terrestrial network according to any one of claims 1-21.

27. A computer program product, comprising: The computer program or instructions are executed by the processor to implement the mobility management method of the non-terrestrial network according to any one of claims 1-21.

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