Network switching method and device, nonvolatile storage medium and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a network switching method and device, a nonvolatile storage medium and electronic equipment. The method comprises: a core network receives a network switching request sent by a ground base station, the network switching request carrying a communication service type of a target terminal device, and the target terminal device being a terminal device accessing the ground base station; after the network switching request is received, the core network determines a target communication satellite list according to the position information of the ground base station, satellite ephemeris information in the satellite communication network and a communication service type, and the target communication satellite list comprises satellite information of communication satellites which can be accessed by the terminal equipment; and sending the target communication satellite list to the target terminal through the ground base station. According to the method and the device, the technical problem that the ground network and the satellite network cannot be switched conveniently and efficiently due to the fact that the ground base station determines the switchable network according to the static configuration information in the related technology is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of satellite communications, and more specifically, to a network switching method, apparatus, non-volatile storage medium, and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in related technologies, when switching networks, ground base stations typically determine the available networks based on static configuration information. However, satellite networks have characteristics such as wide coverage and high mobility, making it impossible to meet the needs of satellite-ground network convergence by relying solely on static configuration information.

[0003] There is currently no effective solution to the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a network switching method, apparatus, non-volatile storage medium, and electronic device to at least solve the technical problem in the related art where the switching between terrestrial networks and satellite networks cannot be conveniently and efficiently achieved because the terrestrial base station determines the switchable network based on static configuration information.

[0005] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a network handover method is provided, comprising: a core network receiving a network handover request sent by a ground base station, wherein the network handover request carries a communication service type of a target terminal device, and the target terminal device is a terminal device accessing the ground base station; after receiving the network handover request, the core network determines a target communication satellite list based on the location information of the ground base station, satellite ephemeris information in the satellite communication network, and the communication service type, wherein the target communication satellite list includes satellite information of communication satellites accessible to the terminal device; and sending the target communication satellite list to the target terminal through the ground base station.

[0006] Optionally, determining the target communication satellite list based on the location information of the ground base station, the satellite ephemeris information in the satellite communication network, and the communication service type includes: determining the satellite information of candidate communication satellites covering the ground base station based on the location information and satellite ephemeris information; determining the access priority corresponding to each type of communication satellite based on the communication service type; and determining the arrangement order of the satellite information of the candidate communication satellites based on the access priority to obtain the target communication satellite list, wherein the arrangement order is the order of the satellite information of the candidate communication satellites in the target communication satellite list.

[0007] Optionally, determining the satellite information of candidate communication satellites covering the ground base station based on location information and satellite ephemeris information includes: determining the position reference point of the communication satellite in the satellite communication network based on the satellite ephemeris information, wherein the position reference point includes the satellite sub-satellite point or beam center point of the communication satellite; determining the great circle distance between the communication satellite and the ground base station based on the position reference point and the location information; determining the first coverage radius of the communication satellite and the second coverage radius of the ground base station; determining the candidate communication satellite based on the great circle distance, the first coverage radius and the second coverage radius, and determining the satellite information of the candidate communication satellite.

[0008] Optionally, determining candidate communication satellites based on the great circle distance, the first coverage radius, and the second coverage radius includes: determining the absolute value of the difference between the first coverage radius and the second coverage radius, and the sum of the lengths of the first coverage radius and the second coverage radius; if the great circle distance is less than the sum of the lengths, determining the communication satellite as a candidate communication satellite; if the great circle distance is not less than the sum of the lengths, determining that the communication satellite is not a candidate communication satellite.

[0009] Optionally, after determining the target communication satellite list, the method further includes: determining the coverage time period of candidate communication satellites covering the ground base station based on location information and satellite ephemeris information; determining the predicted communication time period of the terminal device, wherein the predicted communication time period is the predicted time period for the terminal device to conduct network communication; and deleting satellite information of candidate communication satellites whose corresponding coverage time period does not fully cover the predicted communication time period from the target communication satellite list.

[0010] Optionally, determining the predicted communication time period of the terminal device includes: determining the communication data transmission rate information of the terminal device; determining the predicted communication duration of the terminal device based on the communication service type and the communication data transmission rate information; and determining the predicted communication time period of the terminal device based on the predicted communication duration.

[0011] Optionally, before the core network receives the network handover request sent by the terrestrial base station, the method further includes: the terrestrial base station receiving the signal measurement results reported by the terminal equipment; if the signal measurement results indicate that the signal quality index value is lower than a preset threshold, searching for a target cell, wherein the target cell is a cell whose communication quality meets preset requirements; if no target cell is found, the terrestrial base station sending a network handover request to the core network.

[0012] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a network switching device is also provided, applicable to a core network, comprising: a first processing module, configured to receive a network switching request sent by a ground base station, wherein the network switching request carries the communication service type of a target terminal device, and the target terminal device is a terminal device accessing the ground base station; a second processing module, configured to, after receiving the network switching request, determine a target communication satellite list based on the location information of the ground base station, satellite ephemeris information in the satellite communication network, and the communication service type, wherein the target communication satellite list includes satellite information of communication satellites accessible to the terminal device; and a third processing module, configured to send the target communication satellite list to the target terminal through the ground base station.

[0013] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a non-volatile storage medium is also provided, wherein a program is stored in the non-volatile storage medium, and the program controls the device where the non-volatile storage medium is located to perform a network switching method when it runs.

[0014] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, an electronic device is also provided, including: a memory and a processor, the processor being configured to run a program stored in the memory, wherein the program executes a network switching method during runtime.

[0015] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer program product is also provided, including a computer program, wherein the computer program implements a network switching method when executed by a processor.

[0016] In this embodiment, the core network receives a network switching request sent by a terrestrial base station. The network switching request carries the communication service type of the target terminal device, which is a terminal device accessing the terrestrial base station. Upon receiving the network switching request, the core network determines a target communication satellite list based on the location information of the terrestrial base station, satellite ephemeris information in the satellite communication network, and the communication service type. This target communication satellite list includes satellite information of communication satellites accessible to the terminal device. By sending the target communication satellite list to the target terminal through the terrestrial base station, and by having the core network determine the target communication satellite list based on the terrestrial base station's location information, satellite ephemeris information, and communication service type, the purpose of determining switchable communication satellites is achieved. This realizes the technical effect of efficiently and conveniently switching between terrestrial and satellite networks, thereby solving the technical problem in related technologies where the terrestrial base station determines the switchable network based on static configuration information, making it impossible to conveniently and efficiently switch between terrestrial and satellite networks. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a network switching method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a signaling interaction process during network handover according to an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a satellite-ground integrated networking architecture provided according to an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network switching device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computer terminal (or mobile device) provided according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0024] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0025] To better understand the embodiments of this application, the technical terms involved in the embodiments of this application are explained below:

[0026] Great circle distance: Great circle distance refers to the shortest path length between two points on a sphere. The corresponding path is an arc on the great circle passing through these two points. The great circle is the circle formed by the intersection of a plane passing through the center of the sphere and the sphere itself, and it is also the circle with the largest radius on the sphere.

[0027] In related technologies, when a terminal device needs to switch networks, the handover process is triggered and implemented based on terminal measurements and neighbor cell configuration. During the user registration process, the radio system provides measurement configurations to the terminal via the RRC Reconfiguration process, including measId, reportConfig, and measObject. The terminal initiates signal measurements based on this information and completes the target cell handover according to the static neighbor cell configuration. However, in a satellite-ground network architecture, satellite networks have characteristics such as wide coverage and high mobility, and their cell information has multiple coverage areas and is instantaneous. Simply relying on existing technologies for terminal measurements and static neighbor cell configurations (no more than 18) cannot meet the dynamic characteristics of satellite-ground converged networks and would consume significantly more terminal power.

[0028] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides relevant solutions, which are detailed below.

[0029] According to an embodiment of this application, a method embodiment for network slicing is provided. It should be noted that the steps shown in the flowchart in the accompanying drawings can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions. Furthermore, although a logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described may be executed in a different order than that shown here.

[0030] Under the above operating environment, this application provides a network switching method, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0031] Step S102: The core network receives a network handover request sent by the ground base station. The network handover request carries the communication service type of the target terminal device, and the target terminal device is a terminal device that accesses the ground base station.

[0032] In the technical solution provided in step S102, before the core network receives the network handover request sent by the ground base station, the method further includes: the ground base station receiving the signal measurement results reported by the terminal device; when the signal measurement results indicate that the signal quality index value is lower than a preset threshold, searching for a target cell, wherein the target cell is a cell whose communication quality meets preset requirements; and when no target cell is found, the ground base station sending a network handover request to the core network.

[0033] In some embodiments of this application, the terrestrial base station has enhanced signal perception and handover triggering capabilities during the handover process of the space-ground converged network, enabling it to accurately capture network status changes of terminal devices and promptly initiate handover requests. First, the terrestrial base station continuously receives signal measurement results reported by the target terminal device. These signal measurement results include signal quality detection data of the terminal on the currently accessed terrestrial cell and surrounding neighboring cells. This data is a crucial basis for determining whether a network handover is necessary.

[0034] After acquiring signal measurement results, the ground base station compares the signal quality index value in the results with a preset threshold. The signal quality index value quantifies the strength and stability of the terrestrial network signal currently received by the terminal, while the preset threshold is a critical value pre-set based on factors such as network communication quality requirements and service experience standards. When the signal measurement results indicate that the signal quality index value is lower than the preset threshold, it means that the current terrestrial network can no longer provide the terminal with the required communication service. At this time, the ground base station will initiate a target cell search process. The aforementioned signal quality index value can be an indicator that reflects communication quality, such as reference signal received power, reference signal received quality, or signal-to-noise ratio, or it can be a comprehensive judgment index obtained by combining these indicators.

[0035] The aforementioned target cell refers to a cell whose communication quality meets preset requirements. During the search process, the ground base station will check the communication quality of all possible surrounding ground cells based on its stored neighbor cell configuration information to determine whether there is a switchable target ground cell that can ensure the normal operation of terminal services.

[0036] If, after a comprehensive search, the ground base station fails to find a target cell that meets the criteria (i.e., there is no ground cell with communication quality that meets the preset requirements for terminal handover), the ground base station will trigger the satellite-to-ground handover process and send a network handover request to the core network. Simultaneously, considering the dynamic characteristics of satellite networks in satellite-to-ground converged networks, and the inability of static configurations in related technologies to adapt to the multiple coverage and instantaneous nature of satellite networks, when the ground base station detects that the terminal's ground base station network signal measurement threshold is low, it will set the Target ID in the network handover request to a default value or a specific value pre-negotiated with the core network. Instead of the ground base station specifying the target network itself, the core network will determine the target satellite network information. This allows the core network to combine multi-dimensional information such as terminal location, service type, and satellite ephemeris to accurately select a suitable satellite network for terminal access, ensuring the effectiveness and compatibility of the handover.

[0037] Step S104: After receiving the network switching request, the core network determines the target communication satellite list based on the location information of the ground base station, the satellite ephemeris information in the satellite communication network, and the communication service type. The target communication satellite list includes satellite information of communication satellites that the terminal device can access.

[0038] In the technical solution provided in step S104, the step of determining the target communication satellite list based on the location information of the ground base station, the satellite ephemeris information in the satellite communication network, and the communication service type includes: determining the satellite information of candidate communication satellites covering the ground base station based on the location information and satellite ephemeris information; determining the access priority corresponding to each type of communication satellite based on the communication service type; determining the arrangement order of the satellite information of the candidate communication satellites based on the access priority to obtain the target communication satellite list, wherein the arrangement order is the order of the satellite information of the candidate communication satellites in the target communication satellite list.

[0039] As an optional implementation, the step of determining the satellite information of candidate communication satellites covering a ground base station based on location information and satellite ephemeris information includes: determining the position reference point of the communication satellite in the satellite communication network based on the satellite ephemeris information, wherein the position reference point includes the satellite sub-satellite point or beam center point of the communication satellite; determining the great circle distance between the communication satellite and the ground base station based on the position reference point and the location information; determining the first coverage radius of the communication satellite and the second coverage radius of the ground base station; determining the candidate communication satellite based on the great circle distance, the first coverage radius and the second coverage radius, and determining the satellite information of the candidate communication satellite.

[0040] In some embodiments of this application, the step of determining a candidate communication satellite based on the great circle distance, the first coverage radius, and the second coverage radius includes: determining the absolute value of the difference between the first coverage radius and the second coverage radius, and the sum of the lengths of the first coverage radius and the second coverage radius; determining the communication satellite as a candidate communication satellite if the great circle distance is less than the sum of the lengths; and determining the communication satellite as not a candidate communication satellite if the great circle distance is not less than the sum of the lengths.

[0041] In some embodiments of this application, the core network has the capability to map the location between ground base stations and satellite beams. The specific implementation process is as follows: First, based on satellite ephemeris information, the location reference points of each communication satellite in the satellite communication network are determined. These location reference points include the satellite's nadir point or beam center point. Simultaneously, the location information of the ground base stations is acquired, and subsequent distance calculations and coverage relationship determinations are performed based on this information.

[0042] Next, based on the determined location reference point and the location information of the ground base station, the great circle distance between the communication satellite and the ground base station is calculated. This great circle distance is represented by the parameter d and is used to quantify the spatial relationship between the two. Subsequently, the first coverage radius of the communication satellite and the second coverage radius of the ground base station are defined, where the first coverage radius of the communication satellite is represented by the parameter Rs, and the second coverage radius of the ground base station is represented by the parameter Rt. These two parameters respectively define the signal coverage range of the communication satellite and the ground base station.

[0043] Based on the parameters obtained above, the absolute value of the difference between the first and second coverage radii, i.e., |Rs - Rt|, and the sum of the lengths of the first and second coverage radii, i.e., Rs + Rt, are further determined. The great circle distance d is compared with these two calculated results to determine whether a communication satellite is a candidate communication satellite: if the great circle distance d is less than the sum of lengths Rs + Rt, the communication satellite is determined to be a candidate communication satellite; if the great circle distance d is not less than the sum of lengths Rs + Rt, the communication satellite is determined not to be a candidate communication satellite. This completes the initial screening of the mapping relationship between the base station and the satellite / beam.

[0044] Based on this, the determination of coverage relationship can be further refined: when the great circle distance d ≤ |Rs - Rt|, it indicates that the current base station is completely within the coverage range of the satellite / beam, and the coverage relationship between the two is stable; when |Rs - Rt| < d < Rs + Rt, it indicates that there is an overlap between the coverage range of the current base station and the coverage range of the satellite / beam. At this time, the mapping duration will be calculated based on the orbit and coverage duration of the satellite / beam. This duration parameter provides an important reference for the subsequent generation of the handover beam list, ensuring the effectiveness and continuity of the handover target; when d ≥ Rs + Rt, it indicates that there is no overlap between the coverage range of the base station and the satellite beam, and the handover conditions are not met, so handover cannot be performed.

[0045] In addition to location mapping capabilities, the core network also supports configuring and issuing a suitable beam list for handover based on the aforementioned mapping relationships, the communication service type / QoS of the current target terminal device, beam information, etc. Specifically, satellite handover priorities corresponding to different communication service types are predefined. For example, the priority for voice services is set as high orbit > medium orbit > low orbit, and the priority for data services is set as low orbit > medium orbit > high orbit. This priority rule provides a clear basis for subsequent beam sorting.

[0046] Assume the mapping between the user's cell and the satellite network is as follows: High-Earth Orbit (HEO) beam A provides complete coverage for 12 hours; Mid-Earth Orbit (MEO) beam B provides 30% coverage for 20 minutes; and Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) beam C provides 90% coverage for 10 minutes. When the user's current service is voice, the core network will prioritize voice services, issuing the following handover target information: HEO target beam A > MEO target beam B > LEO target beam C. When the user's current service is data, the core network will prioritize data services, issuing the following handover target information: LEO target beam C > MEO target beam B > HEO target beam A. In this way, the order of candidate communication satellite information is determined based on access priority, ultimately resulting in a target communication satellite list. The order of the candidate satellites' information corresponds to their order within the target communication satellite list, ensuring the terminal can complete the satellite-to-ground handover using the optimal path.

[0047] Step S106: Send the list of target communication satellites to the target terminal via the ground base station.

[0048] In the technical solution provided in step S106, after determining the target communication satellite list, the method further includes: determining the coverage time period of candidate communication satellites covering the ground base station based on location information and satellite ephemeris information; determining the predicted communication time period of the terminal device, wherein the predicted communication time period is the predicted time period for the terminal device to conduct network communication; and deleting satellite information of candidate communication satellites whose corresponding coverage time period does not completely cover the predicted communication time period from the target communication satellite list.

[0049] In some embodiments of this application, the step of determining the predicted communication time period of the terminal device includes: determining the communication data transmission rate information of the terminal device; determining the predicted communication duration of the terminal device based on the communication service type and the communication data transmission rate information; and determining the predicted communication time period of the terminal device based on the predicted communication duration.

[0050] Optionally, when determining which satellite information needs to be deleted, the core network first uses the location information of the ground base station and the satellite ephemeris information to accurately determine the coverage time period of each candidate communication satellite covering the ground base station. The satellite ephemeris information includes key data such as the satellite's orbital parameters, beam pointing pattern, and orbital period. By analyzing this data and combining it with the location coordinates of the ground base station (such as latitude and longitude), the core network can calculate the specific time range within which the beam of each candidate communication satellite can cover the ground base station. For example, a low-Earth orbit satellite with an orbital period of 90 minutes, calculated from its ephemeris, shows that its beam C can cover the area where ground base station A is located between 10:00 and 10:10 on a given day. Therefore, the coverage time period corresponding to beam C is 10:00-10:10. Another high-Earth orbit satellite, whose beam A is relatively stationary, has a coverage time period from 08:00 to 20:00 on a given day, and can continuously cover ground base station A. This time period is recorded as the coverage time period of beam A.

[0051] Subsequently, the core network initiates the calculation process for the predicted communication time period of the terminal equipment. The first step involves the core network acquiring the communication data transmission rate information of the target terminal equipment through ground base stations. This information can be obtained through real-time data interaction statistics between the terminal and the ground base station. For example, if the terminal is currently transmitting a data file, the core network calculates its average communication data transmission rate as 5 Mbps by monitoring the data packet transmission volume over the past 30 seconds. This rate value serves as the basis for subsequent calculations. The second step determines the predicted communication duration of the terminal based on its communication service type and the aforementioned communication data transmission rate information. Different communication service types have different communication characteristics and duration requirements. The core network pre-stores duration estimation rules for various services: For voice services, the default average duration of a single call is 5 minutes. If the terminal's current communication data transmission rate is stable above the basic rate required for voice services (e.g., 12.2 kbps), the predicted communication duration is directly calculated as 5 minutes. For data services, the predicted communication duration = total amount of data to be transmitted ÷ communication data transmission rate. The total amount of data to be transmitted can be determined through the service request information reported by the terminal or the amount of incomplete data transmission tasks monitored by the core network. For example, if the terminal's current service type is data service, and the core network detects that the total amount of data to be transmitted is 250MB, and the acquired communication data transmission rate is 5Mbps, then according to the conversion relationship 1MB=8Mb, 250MB is equivalent to 2000Mb. Therefore, the predicted communication duration = 2000Mb ÷ 5Mbps = 400 seconds ≈ 6 minutes and 40 seconds. Based on this, the core network determines that the predicted communication duration for this terminal is approximately 7 minutes. The third step is to determine the predicted communication time period for the terminal device based on the predicted communication duration. The core network uses the current time as the starting point and combines it with the predicted communication duration to calculate the ending time; the two constitute the predicted communication time period. Assuming the current time is 10:02 and the predicted communication duration is 7 minutes, then the predicted communication time period for the terminal is 10:02-10:09.

[0052] Finally, the core network matches and verifies the coverage time period of each candidate communication satellite with the terminal's predicted communication time period. The verification rule is as follows: if the coverage time period of a candidate communication satellite completely covers the terminal's predicted communication time period, then the satellite's information in the target communication satellite list is retained; if the coverage time period of a candidate communication satellite does not completely cover the terminal's predicted communication time period, that is, if the terminal's predicted communication time period partially or entirely exceeds the satellite's coverage time period, then the satellite information of that candidate communication satellite is deleted from the target communication satellite list. Taking the above example, the terminal's predicted communication time period is 10:02-10:09. The coverage time period of candidate communication satellite beam C is 10:00-10:10, which completely covers the predicted communication time period. Therefore, the information of beam C is retained. The coverage time period of candidate communication satellite beam A is 08:00-20:00, which also completely covers the predicted communication time period. Its information is also retained. If there is another medium-orbit satellite beam B, whose coverage time period is 10:05-10:25, the 10:02-10:05 period in the terminal's predicted communication time period of 10:02-10:09 exceeds the coverage time period of beam B. That is, the coverage time period of beam B cannot completely cover the predicted communication time period. Then, the core network will delete the information of beam B from the target communication satellite list, and finally form a target communication satellite list that has been accurately selected and can ensure continuous communication after the terminal switches over.

[0053] In some embodiments of this application, a method such as... is also provided. Figure 2 The signaling interaction flow shown is as follows, in which Figure 2 S-RAN in 地面 For terrestrial access networks, T-RAN 卫星 For satellite networks. The process includes the following steps:

[0054] 0. Measure the terminal signal and report that the current cell and neighboring cell ground signal quality is below the measurement threshold;

[0055] 1. Based on terminal reports, the current user's terrestrial access network has found no terrestrial cells with sufficient signal strength for handover.

[0056] 2. The terrestrial access network to which the current user is connected sends a Handover Required request value to the core network. The target ID in the signaling message takes the default value or a characteristic value (which can be negotiated and configured with the core network).

[0057] 3. Upon receiving a handover request, the core network determines whether the user has satellite access subscription information and whether the current core network element can directly switch between terrestrial and satellite access (i.e., whether the current serving network element needs to select another target network element). Based on the user's subscribed access network type including satellite access, the source core network / target core network completes the mapping between the current terrestrial access network and the satellite network according to the user's current terrestrial access network information (center point, coverage radius, etc.) and satellite ephemeris information (orbit, orbital period, sub-satellite point / beam point, coverage radius, etc.). At the same time, combined with the user's current service type, a list of switchable target satellite information is issued.

[0058] 4-5. The core network source element sends a handover command to the source ground access network, carrying the target satellite network information that the terminal can switch to, and sends the information to the terminal; the terminal synchronizes with the satellite access and completes the subsequent process.

[0059] Optionally, the aforementioned terrestrial access network can also be a terrestrial base station to which the terminal equipment is connected.

[0060] In some embodiments of this application, a method such as... is also provided. Figure 3 The diagram shows the integrated space-ground network architecture. As can be seen from Figure 3, the integrated space-ground network architecture uses the integrated space-ground core network as its central hub. It integrates terrestrial networks, satellite networks, service platforms, and support systems through standardized interfaces, forming a comprehensive, highly efficient, and coordinated three-dimensional communication system. The integrated space-ground core network, as the core control and data processing unit of the architecture, encompasses the control plane, user plane, and auxiliary network elements. Control plane network elements, including HSS / AUSF / UDM, MME / AMF, SMF, and PCF, are responsible for key operations such as user authentication, session establishment, and handover policy formulation. User plane network elements, such as PGW-U / UPF, undertake user data forwarding functions and can be flexibly deployed on the ground or satellite according to space-ground transmission requirements. Auxiliary network elements, such as NSSF, CHF, and NRF, provide support for the core network's resource scheduling and management, ensuring efficient collaboration among various functions. The service module includes basic communication services and value-added services. Basic communication services, such as voice and SMS services, are handled by SMF and MGCF, while value-added services utilize SCP and AS to achieve intelligent network and capability openness. Both types of services interact with the core network through interfaces such as N21 and Rx, providing diverse communication services to terminals. The access network module encompasses terrestrial base stations and satellite networks. Terminals (UEs) access the core network through the N1 interface, while the core network interacts with the access network through the N2 / S1 and N3 / S1 interfaces, laying the foundation for access handover between satellite and ground. The support module includes BOSS, NMS, and MANO, which are responsible for network operation and maintenance management, resource orchestration, and service support, respectively, ensuring the stable operation of the entire satellite-ground converged network.

[0061] The satellite-to-ground network handover method provided in this application can be implemented based on the module collaboration capability of the satellite-to-ground converged networking architecture. During the handover triggering phase (corresponding to step S102), the ground base station in the architecture undertakes the responsibility of signal sensing and request initiation. The terminal can continuously report signal quality indicators to the ground base station. These indicators include Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), Block Error Rate (BLER), Signal-to-Interference Plus Noise Ratio (SINR), Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), etc. The ground base station compares these indicator values ​​with preset thresholds. When the indicator value is lower than the threshold and no available ground target cell is found, a network handover request can be sent to the MME / AMF of the core network through interfaces such as N2 to initiate the satellite-to-ground handover process.

[0062] During the target communication satellite list generation phase (corresponding to step S104), the core network's control plane elements (such as SMF and PCF) become the core executors of handover decisions. The core network first obtains satellite ephemeris information from the satellite network and location information of ground base stations from the base station side. Combining the first coverage radius (Rs) of the communication satellite and the second coverage radius (Rt) of the ground base station, it calculates the great circle distance (d) between the communication satellite and the ground base station. By comparing the great circle distance with |Rs-Rt| and Rs+Rt, candidate communication satellites covering the ground base station are selected. Subsequently, the core network obtains the terminal's communication service type from the service module, determines the access priority of various communication satellites according to a preset priority strategy (e.g., voice services prioritize high-orbit satellites, data services prioritize low-orbit satellites), and then sorts the satellite information of the candidate communication satellites according to this priority to form the target communication satellite list.

[0063] During the target communication satellite list optimization phase (corresponding to step S106), core network elements such as UDM / UPF collaboratively complete the matching and filtering of coverage time periods. The core network calculates the coverage time period for each candidate communication satellite by parsing satellite ephemeris information and combining it with the location coordinates of ground base stations. Simultaneously, it obtains the terminal's communication data transmission rate information from the ground base stations and determines the terminal's predicted communication duration based on the communication service type, calculating the predicted communication time period starting from the current time. Finally, the core network matches the coverage time periods of the candidate communication satellites with the terminal's predicted communication time periods, deleting satellite information whose coverage time periods do not fully encompass the predicted communication time periods, and retaining satellite information that can ensure continuous communication after terminal handover, thus forming the final target communication satellite list.

[0064] Throughout the entire satellite-to-ground network handover process, the satellite-to-ground converged networking architecture provides a solid physical carrier and functional support for the handover method. Ground base stations, core networks, access networks, service modules, and support modules collaborate efficiently through standardized interfaces. From handover triggering and satellite selection to list optimization, each step relies on the corresponding module of the architecture to ensure the accuracy, efficiency, and stability of the handover process. Ultimately, it achieves seamless handover of terminals between satellite and ground networks, ensuring the continuity of communication services.

[0065] By employing a core network that receives network handover requests from terrestrial base stations, where the request carries the communication service type of the target terminal device (the terminal device accessing the terrestrial base station), and upon receiving the request, the core network determines a list of target communication satellites based on the location information of the terrestrial base station, satellite ephemeris information in the satellite communication network, and the communication service type. This list includes satellite information of communication satellites accessible to the terminal device. By having the terrestrial base station send the target communication satellite list to the target terminal, and by having the core network determine the target communication satellite list based on the terrestrial base station's location information, satellite ephemeris information, and communication service type, the goal of determining switchable communication satellites is achieved. This results in an efficient and convenient technical effect for switching between terrestrial and satellite networks, thus solving the technical problem of inefficient and inconvenient switching between terrestrial and satellite networks caused by terrestrial base stations determining switchable networks based on static configuration information in related technologies.

[0066] Furthermore, the network handover method provided in this application embodiment uses the location of the ground base station where the current terminal is located, the current service type, satellite network coverage, operating cycle, service affiliation, etc., to send the satellite networks (type, beam, etc.) that the terminal can access, assisting the terminal in completing the handover to the satellite network, improving the handover success rate and optimizing the use of network resources, reducing the configuration complexity on the access network side, and reducing the energy consumption of terminal measurements.

[0067] This application provides a network switching device suitable for use in a core network. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the device. As shown in Figure 4, the device includes: a first processing module 40, used to receive a network switching request sent by a ground base station, wherein the network switching request carries the communication service type of the target terminal device, and the target terminal device is a terminal device that accesses the ground base station; a second processing module 42, used to determine a target communication satellite list after receiving the network switching request, based on the location information of the ground base station, the satellite ephemeris information in the satellite communication network, and the communication service type, wherein the target communication satellite list includes satellite information of communication satellites that the terminal device can access; and a third processing module 44, used to send the target communication satellite list to the target terminal through the ground base station.

[0068] In some embodiments of this application, before the core network receives a network handover request sent by a terrestrial base station, the terrestrial base station receives signal measurement results reported by the terminal device; if the signal measurement results indicate that the signal quality index value is lower than a preset threshold, a target cell is searched, wherein the target cell is a cell whose communication quality meets preset requirements; if no target cell is found, the terrestrial base station sends a network handover request to the core network.

[0069] In some embodiments of this application, the step of the second processing module 42 determining the target communication satellite list based on the location information of the ground base station, the satellite ephemeris information in the satellite communication network, and the communication service type includes: determining the satellite information of candidate communication satellites covering the ground base station based on the location information and the satellite ephemeris information; determining the access priority corresponding to each type of communication satellite based on the communication service type; determining the arrangement order of the satellite information of the candidate communication satellites based on the access priority to obtain the target communication satellite list, wherein the arrangement order is the order of the satellite information of the candidate communication satellites in the target communication satellite list.

[0070] In some embodiments of this application, the step of the second processing module 42 determining the satellite information of candidate communication satellites covering the ground base station based on location information and satellite ephemeris information includes: determining the position reference point of the communication satellite in the satellite communication network based on the satellite ephemeris information, wherein the position reference point includes the satellite sub-satellite point or beam center point of the communication satellite; determining the great circle distance between the communication satellite and the ground base station based on the position reference point and the location information; determining the first coverage radius of the communication satellite and the second coverage radius of the ground base station; determining the candidate communication satellite based on the great circle distance, the first coverage radius and the second coverage radius, and determining the satellite information of the candidate communication satellite.

[0071] In some embodiments of this application, the second processing module 42 determines candidate communication satellites based on the great circle distance, the first coverage radius, and the second coverage radius, including: determining the absolute value of the difference between the first coverage radius and the second coverage radius, and the sum of the lengths of the first coverage radius and the second coverage radius; determining the communication satellite as a candidate communication satellite if the great circle distance is less than the sum of the lengths; and determining the communication satellite as not a candidate communication satellite if the great circle distance is not less than the sum of the lengths.

[0072] In some embodiments of this application, after determining the target communication satellite list, the second processing module 42 is further configured to: determine the coverage time period of the candidate communication satellites covering the ground base station based on the location information and satellite ephemeris information; determine the predicted communication time period of the terminal device, wherein the predicted communication time period is the predicted time period for the terminal device to conduct network communication; and delete the satellite information of the candidate communication satellites whose corresponding coverage time period does not completely cover the predicted communication time period from the target communication satellite list.

[0073] In some embodiments of this application, the step of the second processing module 42 in determining the predicted communication time period of the terminal device includes: determining the communication data transmission rate information of the terminal device; determining the predicted communication duration of the terminal device based on the communication service type and the communication data transmission rate information; and determining the predicted communication time period of the terminal device based on the predicted communication duration.

[0074] It should be noted that each module in the above-mentioned network switching device can be a program module (for example, a set of program instructions to implement a certain function) or a hardware module. For the latter, it can be manifested in the following forms, but is not limited to them: each of the above modules is manifested as a processor, or the functions of each of the above modules are implemented by a processor.

[0075] The method embodiments provided in this application can be executed in a mobile terminal, computer terminal, or similar computing device connected to or located in the core network. Figure 5 A hardware block diagram of a computer terminal (or mobile device) for implementing a network switching method is shown. Figure 5 As shown, a computer terminal 50 (or mobile device 50) may include one or more processors 502 (shown as 502a, 502b, ..., 502n in the figure) 502 (processor 502 may include, but is not limited to, a microprocessor MCU or a programmable logic device FPGA, etc.), a memory 504 for storing data, and a transmission device 506 for communication functions. In addition, it may also include: a display, an input / output interface (I / O interface), a universal serial bus (USB) port (which may be included as one of the ports of a BUS bus), a network interface, a power supply, and / or a camera. Those skilled in the art will understand that... Figure 5 The structure shown is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the structure of the aforementioned electronic device. For example, computer terminal 50 may also include... Figure 5 The more or fewer components shown, or having the same Figure 5 The different configurations shown.

[0076] It should be noted that the aforementioned one or more processors 502 and / or other data processing circuits are generally referred to herein as "data processing circuits". These data processing circuits may be embodied, in whole or in part, in software, hardware, firmware, or any other combination thereof. Furthermore, the data processing circuits may be a single, independent processing module, or may be integrated, in whole or in part, into any other element within the computer terminal 50 (or mobile device). As involved in the embodiments of this application, the data processing circuits serve as a processor control mechanism (e.g., selection of a variable resistor termination path connected to an interface).

[0077] The memory 504 can be used to store software programs and modules of application software, such as the program instructions / data storage device corresponding to the network switching method in this embodiment. The processor 502 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the software programs and modules stored in the memory 504, thereby realizing the network switching method described above. The memory 504 may include high-speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. In some instances, the memory 504 may further include memory remotely located relative to the processor 502, and these remote memories can be connected to the computer terminal 50 via a network. Examples of the aforementioned networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0078] The transmission device 506 is used to receive or send data via a network. Specific examples of the network described above may include a wireless network provided by the communication provider of the computer terminal 50. In one example, the transmission device 506 includes a Network Interface Controller (NIC), which can connect to other network devices via a base station to communicate with the Internet. In another example, the transmission device 506 may be a Radio Frequency (RF) module, used for wireless communication with the Internet.

[0079] The display can be, for example, a touchscreen liquid crystal display (LCD) that allows the user to interact with the user interface of the computer terminal 50 (or mobile device).

[0080] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a non-volatile storage medium is also provided, which stores a program. When the program runs, it controls the device where the non-volatile storage medium is located to execute the following network handover method: The core network receives a network handover request sent by a ground base station, wherein the network handover request carries the communication service type of the target terminal device, and the target terminal device is a terminal device accessing the ground base station; after receiving the network handover request, the core network determines a target communication satellite list based on the location information of the ground base station, satellite ephemeris information in the satellite communication network, and the communication service type, wherein the target communication satellite list includes satellite information of communication satellites accessible to the terminal device; and the target communication satellite list is sent to the target terminal through the ground base station.

[0081] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer program product is also provided, including a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the following network handover method: a core network receives a network handover request sent by a ground base station, wherein the network handover request carries the communication service type of a target terminal device, and the target terminal device is a terminal device accessing the ground base station; after receiving the network handover request, the core network determines a target communication satellite list based on the location information of the ground base station, satellite ephemeris information in the satellite communication network, and the communication service type, wherein the target communication satellite list includes satellite information of communication satellites that the terminal device can access; and the target communication satellite list is sent to the target terminal through the ground base station.

[0082] In the above embodiments of this application, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0083] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed technical content can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, the division of units can be a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For instance, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the displayed or discussed mutual coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between units or modules may be electrical or other forms.

[0084] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0085] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0086] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to related technologies, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard drives, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0087] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this application. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of this application, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A network handover method, characterized in that, include: The core network receives a network handover request sent by a ground base station, wherein the network handover request carries the communication service type of the target terminal device, and the target terminal device is a terminal device that accesses the ground base station; Upon receiving the network switching request, the core network determines a target communication satellite list based on the location information of the ground base station, the satellite ephemeris information in the satellite communication network, and the communication service type. The target communication satellite list includes satellite information of communication satellites that the terminal device can access. The target communication satellite list is sent to the target terminal via the ground base station.

2. The network handover method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the location information of the ground base stations, the satellite ephemeris information in the satellite communication network, and the communication service type, the target communication satellite list is determined as follows: Based on the location information and the satellite ephemeris information, determine the satellite information of candidate communication satellites covering the ground base station; Based on the aforementioned communication service types, determine the access priority corresponding to each type of communication satellite; The satellite information of the candidate communication satellites is arranged in order according to the access priority to obtain the target communication satellite list, wherein the arrangement order is the order of the satellite information of the candidate communication satellites in the target communication satellite list.

3. The network switching method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The satellite information for determining candidate communication satellites covering the ground base station, based on the location information and the satellite ephemeris information, includes: Based on the satellite ephemeris information, the position reference points of the communication satellites in the satellite communication network are determined, wherein the position reference points include the satellite nadir point or beam center point of the communication satellite; Based on the location reference point and the location information, the great circle distance between the communication satellite and the ground base station is determined; Determine the first coverage radius of the communication satellite and the second coverage radius of the ground base station; Based on the great circle distance, the first coverage radius, and the second coverage radius, the candidate communication satellites are determined, and the satellite information of the candidate communication satellites is determined.

4. The network switching method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Based on the great circle distance, the first coverage radius, and the second coverage radius, the candidate communication satellites are determined to include: Determine the absolute value of the difference between the first coverage radius and the second coverage radius, and the sum of the lengths of the first coverage radius and the second coverage radius; If the great circle distance is less than the sum of the lengths, then the communication satellite is determined to be the candidate communication satellite; If the great circle distance is not less than the sum of the lengths, then the communication satellite is determined not to be the candidate communication satellite.

5. The network handover method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After determining the list of target communication satellites, the method further includes: Based on the location information and the satellite ephemeris information, the coverage time period of the candidate communication satellites covering the ground base station is determined; Determine the predicted communication time period of the terminal device, wherein the predicted communication time period is the predicted time period for the terminal device to conduct network communication; Remove satellite information from the target communication satellite list for candidate communication satellites whose corresponding coverage time period does not fully cover the predicted communication time period.

6. The network handover method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Determining the predicted communication time period for the terminal device includes: Determine the communication data transmission rate information of the terminal device; Based on the communication service type and the communication data transmission rate information, the predicted communication duration of the terminal device is determined; The predicted communication time period of the terminal device is determined based on the predicted communication duration.

7. The network handover method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the core network receives a network handover request sent by a terrestrial base station, the method further includes: The ground base station receives the signal measurement results reported by the terminal device; If the signal measurement result indicates that the signal quality index value is lower than a preset threshold, a target cell is retrieved, wherein the target cell is a cell whose communication quality meets the preset requirements; If the target cell is not found, the ground base station sends the network handover request to the core network.

8. A network switching device, suitable for core networks, characterized in that, include: The first processing module is used to receive a network switching request sent by a ground base station, wherein the network switching request carries the communication service type of the target terminal device, and the target terminal device is a terminal device that accesses the ground base station; The second processing module is used to determine a target communication satellite list based on the location information of the ground base station, the satellite ephemeris information in the satellite communication network and the communication service type after receiving the network switching request. The target communication satellite list includes satellite information of communication satellites that the terminal device can access. The third processing module is used to send the target communication satellite list to the target terminal through the ground base station.

9. A non-volatile storage medium, characterized in that, The non-volatile storage medium stores a program, wherein when the program is executed, it controls the device where the non-volatile storage medium is located to perform the network switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: A memory and a processor, the processor being configured to run a program stored in the memory, wherein the program, when running, performs the network switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

11. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the network switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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