Satellite terminal communication method and satellite communication system

Abstract

The invention relates to a satellite terminal communication method and a satellite communication system, and relates to the technical field of satellite communication. The method comprises the following steps: a satellite performs polling scanning on a coverage area according to a preset time period through a signaling beam so as to send synchronization information to a plurality of terminals in the coverage area; the terminal executes synchronization calibration based on the synchronization information and the signaling beam, and sends a service access request carrying a terminal identifier and a service identifier to the satellite in response to the service instruction; the satellite determines a group to which the terminal belongs according to the terminal identifier, and sends a group paging message to the group in a polling scanning period of the region; the satellite sends communication information of a service beam corresponding to the service identifier to the terminal in response to a paging feedback message of the terminal for the group paging message; and the terminal is connected and synchronized with the service beam according to the communication information, and transmits service data with the satellite through the service beam. According to the invention, the access success rate and the overall communication efficiency of the satellite terminal communication system can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of satellite communication technology, and in particular to a satellite terminal communication method and a satellite communication system. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of low-Earth orbit (LEO) communication satellite technology, satellite communication systems are gradually evolving from traditional dedicated terminal communication scenarios to communication scenarios directly facing ordinary mobile terminals. Achieving direct terminal communication via LEO communication satellites helps provide basic communication capabilities for terminals in remote areas, maritime regions, and when terrestrial communication networks are damaged or unavailable.

[0003] Existing satellite terminal communication solutions typically employ multi-beam coverage, where a satellite generates multiple beams to the ground area, each beam corresponding to a coverage area. Synchronization, access control, and service data transmission are completed within each beam. This type of solution can achieve stable communication when the number of terminals is small or the terminals are widely distributed.

[0004] However, in practical applications of direct satellite terminal communication, terminals often exhibit a regionally concentrated distribution. For example, in disaster emergencies, areas with large populations, or specific operational zones, a large number of terminals may simultaneously attempt to establish communication connections with the satellite within a short period. Due to limitations in satellite antenna payload and beam generation capabilities, the number of beams that a satellite can provide simultaneously is limited. When a large number of terminals access the same coverage area concurrently, it can easily lead to insufficient beam resources, resulting in problems such as terminals being unable to synchronize or experiencing access failures.

[0005] Furthermore, existing solutions typically carry both synchronization signaling and service data transmission within the same beam. When the number of terminals grows rapidly, the overlap of synchronization requests, access requests, and service data further intensifies resource competition within the beam, reducing system access success rate and communication stability. Especially in scenarios requiring terminal paging and access control, the lack of effective terminal grouping and controlled access mechanisms can easily lead to a large number of terminals responding simultaneously, causing a sudden surge in system load.

[0006] Therefore, how to achieve orderly synchronization, access control, and service data transmission for a large number of terminals under the condition of limited satellite beam resources, and improve the access success rate and overall communication efficiency of satellite terminal communication systems, has become an urgent technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a satellite terminal communication method and a satellite communication system to address the aforementioned technical problems.

[0008] In a first aspect, this application provides a satellite terminal communication method, the method being applied to a satellite communication system, the satellite communication system including a satellite and a terminal, the method comprising: The satellite uses a signaling beam to poll the coverage area at a preset time period to send synchronization information to multiple terminals within the coverage area. The first terminal in the first area performs synchronization calibration with the signaling beam based on the synchronization information, and sends a service access request carrying the terminal identifier and service identifier to the satellite in response to the service instruction; The satellite determines the first group to which the first terminal belongs based on the terminal identifier, and sends a group paging message to the first group during the polling scan period of the first area. In response to the paging feedback message from the first terminal for the group paging message, the satellite sends communication information of the first service beam corresponding to the service identifier to the first terminal. The first terminal connects and synchronizes with the first service beam according to the communication information, and transmits service data with the satellite through the first service beam.

[0009] Optionally, the service access request may also carry the signal reception power when the terminal receives the signaling beam; The method further includes: Upon receiving the service access request, if the satellite determines that the signal reception power is less than a preset power value, it will reject the service access request and provide a link quality insufficiency warning.

[0010] Optionally, the group paging message includes a group identifier and random backoff parameters; The method further includes: After the first terminal identifies that the group identifier matches the first group, it generates a random backoff time based on the random backoff parameter. After the random backoff time ends, if the first terminal detects that there are idle upload resources in the signaling beam, it sends a paging feedback message to the satellite for the group paging message.

[0011] Optionally, the method further includes: When the first terminal generates a random backoff time, it simultaneously records the remaining duration of the current polling scan of the first area; If the satellite has finished scanning the first area when the backoff time expires, the first terminal will send a feedback message to the satellite for the group paging message when it detects the signaling beam again.

[0012] Optionally, the method further includes: Before transmitting the communication information of the first service beam, the satellite queries the signal strength and load status of neighboring satellites via inter-satellite links; If the signal strength of the adjacent satellite is greater than that of the current satellite and the difference is greater than a preset strength value, and the time slot occupancy rate of the adjacent satellite is less than a preset ratio, then a satellite switching command carrying the communication information of the adjacent satellite is sent synchronously to the first terminal.

[0013] Optionally, the satellite communication system further includes ground stations, which are distributed throughout the coverage area; The method further includes: After receiving service data uploaded by the terminal through the service beam, the satellite aggregates the service data from multiple terminals to form a data packet. The satellite selects a target ground station based on signal strength and time slot occupancy rate, and then transmits the data packet back to the target ground station. The target ground station parses the data packet to obtain multiple service response data, and transmits the service response data to the communication network to which the corresponding terminal belongs.

[0014] Optionally, the method further includes: If, during the polling scan, the satellite detects that the number of terminal access requests in the second region is repeatedly less than a preset value, it shortens the dwell time corresponding to the second region and allocates the remaining dwell time to the adjacent regions of the second region.

[0015] Secondly, this application also provides a satellite communication system, which includes a satellite and a terminal, wherein: The satellite is used to poll and scan the coverage area according to a preset time period using a signaling beam in order to send synchronization information to multiple terminals within the coverage area. The terminal is used to perform synchronization calibration with the signaling beam based on the synchronization information, and to send a service access request carrying the terminal identifier and the service identifier to the satellite in response to the service instruction; The satellite is also used to determine the group to which the terminal belongs based on the terminal identifier, and to send a group paging message to the group during the polling scan period of the area where the terminal is located; The satellite is also used to send communication information of the first service beam corresponding to the service identifier to the terminal in response to the paging feedback message of the terminal for the group paging message; The terminal is also configured to connect and synchronize with the first service beam according to the communication information, and transmit service data with the satellite through the first service beam.

[0016] Thirdly, this application also provides a computer device. The computer device includes a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program, and the processor executing the computer program to implement the steps of the method described in the first aspect.

[0017] Fourthly, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method described in the first aspect.

[0018] Fifthly, this application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method described in the first aspect.

[0019] The satellite terminal communication method disclosed in this application employs a design that separates the signaling beam and the service beam in the satellite communication system. Combined with a polling scanning mechanism for the coverage area, this method unifies the scheduling and control of the access process for multiple terminals within the coverage area. During the terminal access phase, the satellite periodically sends synchronization information to different areas via the signaling beam, enabling terminals to complete synchronization calibration without continuously occupying service beam resources, thus establishing a stable time and frequency foundation for subsequent communication. Furthermore, this method combines terminal identification with group division to logically aggregate a large number of terminals within the coverage area into groups. During the polling scanning period of the corresponding area, group paging is used to trigger access, allowing multiple terminals to share the same paging process and avoiding the signaling overhead and access conflicts caused by paging individual terminals one by one. By completing the control processes such as synchronization, access requests, and group paging within the signaling beam, the service beam is allocated only when a terminal actually has a service need, effectively reducing the ineffective occupation of the service beam.

[0020] Based on the above processing, the access control of satellite terminals is no longer limited to a passive response method based on the immediate requests of individual terminals. Instead, it is based on regional polling and group scheduling to carry out overall planning and coordinated management of the terminal access and service beam allocation process. This helps to reduce the probability of access failure and improve the utilization efficiency of service beam resources and the stability of system access in scenarios with a high number of terminals and sudden service requests. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a satellite communication system in one embodiment; Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a satellite terminal communication method in one embodiment; Figure 3 This is an internal structural diagram of a computer device in one embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0023] This application provides a satellite terminal communication method applicable to satellite communication systems. These systems are suitable for terminal communication applications in remote areas, marine areas, disaster emergency response areas, or areas with insufficient terrestrial cellular network coverage. In these scenarios, terminals are typically widely distributed and may be concentrated in specific areas. Their communication status is closely related to needs such as emergency communication, work scheduling, personnel safety, and basic information transmission. Therefore, under conditions of limited satellite communication resources, it is necessary to effectively manage the communication process between the terminal and the satellite to ensure stable access and completion of necessary business communications.

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, a satellite communication system may include at least one communication satellite and multiple terminals. The communication satellite can be a low-Earth orbit (LEO) communication satellite, used to provide direct communication capabilities to terminals within its coverage area. The terminals can be mobile terminals, handheld terminals, or other smart terminals with satellite communication capabilities, used to initiate communication requests to the satellite and interact with it for service data. During actual operation, the communication satellite can periodically scan its coverage area and send synchronization information to multiple terminals within the coverage area to assist the terminals in completing time and frequency synchronization. After synchronization is complete, the terminals can send service access requests to the communication satellite according to their own communication needs. Upon receiving service access requests from multiple terminals, the communication satellite can identify and manage the terminals, and control the terminal access process and service communication process based on a preset communication strategy.

[0025] The following will be about Figure 2 The satellite terminal communication method shown will be explained in detail, and may include the following steps: Step 201: The satellite uses a signaling beam to poll the coverage area according to a preset time period to send synchronization information to multiple terminals within the coverage area.

[0026] In this embodiment, the satellite beam can be divided into a signaling beam and a service beam. The signaling beam has a smaller capacity, while the service beam has a larger capacity. Furthermore, the beams can be managed according to different user needs. For example, synchronization messages, broadcast messages, and random access messages can be concentrated in the signaling beam, and the coverage area can be polled and scanned using a fixed frequency via the signaling beam. The service beam can be set to pop up on demand. In this way, the satellite can use the signaling beam to poll and scan the coverage area according to a preset time period to send synchronization information to multiple terminals within the coverage area, ensuring that the terminals maintain a consistent time reference with the satellite system, thereby supporting subsequent data transmission.

[0027] The satellite can first divide its coverage area into multiple sub-regions according to a preset method. The size of each sub-region depends on the satellite's coverage capability and the distribution density of terminals. During the polling scan period of each sub-region, the satellite transmits a synchronization signal via a signaling beam. Specifically, the satellite can scan a sub-region at fixed intervals (e.g., 100 milliseconds) to ensure that all terminals within that region receive the synchronization signal within the specified time period. Synchronization information can include a timestamp, frequency offset, and scan period information; the timestamp can be used to synchronize the terminal's clock, the frequency offset helps the terminal correct the frequency of the received signal, and the scan period information tells the terminal when to receive the synchronization signal.

[0028] Step 202: The first terminal in the first area performs synchronization calibration based on the synchronization information and signaling beam, and sends a service access request carrying the terminal identifier and service identifier to the satellite in response to the service instruction.

[0029] In implementation, the terminal's radio frequency module can continuously operate in the preset frequency band of the signaling beam and remain in a low-power listening state, only activating when the signaling beam scans its own area. When the signaling beam covers the first area where the first terminal is located, the first terminal can capture the synchronization information frame carried by the signaling beam, and then switch from the low-power state to the working state to establish communication with the signaling beam. Specifically, the first terminal can receive synchronization information sent by the satellite through the signaling beam and perform synchronization calibration on its own communication parameters based on the synchronization information. Specifically, the first terminal can calibrate its local clock according to the timestamp in the synchronization information to ensure that the terminal's time reference is consistent with the satellite system; simultaneously, the first terminal can also adjust the receiving frequency according to the frequency offset in the synchronization information, thereby reducing frequency deviation caused by the Doppler effect or local oscillator drift.

[0030] After synchronization calibration is completed, when the first terminal detects a service command, it can trigger the transmission of a service access request. This service command can be generated by user actions, such as initiating a voice call, sending a short message, or requesting data services; it can also be triggered by internal terminal applications or system policies, such as periodic location reporting or emergency communication requests. In response to the service command, the first terminal can send a service access request to the satellite via a signaling beam. Furthermore, the service access request can carry a terminal identifier and a service identifier. The terminal identifier can uniquely identify the first terminal and may include the terminal's International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), device identifier, or their encrypted forms. The service identifier can indicate the type of service the first terminal is currently requesting, such as voice service, short message service, data service, or location service.

[0031] Step 203: The satellite determines the first group to which the first terminal belongs based on the terminal identifier, and sends a group paging message to the first group during the polling scan period of the first area.

[0032] In implementation, satellites can group multiple terminals into different groups based on terminal identifiers and according to preset grouping rules, thus logically dividing a large number of terminals into multiple groups of controlled size. Grouping rules can include methods such as hashing, modulo operations, or range mapping of terminal identifiers. For example, a grouping rule could be: extract the last 6 digits of the terminal's IMSI number, perform a modulo operation with a preset maximum number of users per group (e.g., 4096), and the result is the IMSI hash value. Each hash value corresponds to a unique group ID. The satellite can then broadcast this grouping rule to the terminals via signaling beams, allowing the terminals to store the rules and determine their group based on the grouping rule and their own identifier.

[0033] Based on the above settings, when the satellite receives a service access request from the first terminal, it can parse the terminal identifier carried in the request to obtain identification information for group division. After completing the group division, the satellite can determine the first group to which the first terminal belongs, and in subsequent polling scans, schedule group paging messages for that first group to be sent within the polling scan period corresponding to the first area where the first terminal is located. That is, when the satellite polls the first area through the signaling beam, it can simultaneously broadcast group paging messages to multiple terminals belonging to the first group, without needing to send separate paging messages to each individual terminal.

[0034] Group paging messages may include at least group identifier information to indicate the target group being paged. After receiving a group paging message, the terminal can determine whether the group paging message matches its own group based on its stored group identifier. If a match is found, the terminal can continue to respond to subsequent control signaling; if a mismatch is found, it can maintain a listening state or re-enter a low-power state, thereby avoiding unnecessary uplink responses.

[0035] During this process, by sending group paging messages to the first group during the polling scan period in the first region, the satellite can achieve centralized paging of multiple terminals while maintaining the polling scan mechanism unchanged. In this way, multiple terminals belonging to the same group can share the same paging message, thereby reducing the number of paging signaling transmissions on the satellite side and lowering the probability of terminals simultaneously initiating uplink responses.

[0036] In one embodiment, when the first terminal sends a service access request to the satellite, in addition to carrying the terminal identifier and the service identifier, it can also report its signal reception power when receiving the signaling beam in the service access request, which is used to characterize the downlink quality status between the current terminal and the satellite. The signal reception power can be measured in real time by the first terminal's radio frequency module when receiving signaling beam synchronization information or control signaling, and can be represented, for example, in the form of received signal strength indication, reference signal reception power, or equivalent power parameters, and sent to the satellite along with the service access request.

[0037] Correspondingly, the satellite side can handle the following: after receiving a service access request, if the satellite determines that the signal reception power is less than the preset power value, it will reject the service access request and send a feedback message indicating insufficient link quality.

[0038] In practice, after receiving a service access request, the satellite can first parse the signal reception power information carried in the request and compare it with a preset power threshold. The preset power value can be configured according to the coverage characteristics of the service beam, the modulation and coding scheme, the bit error rate requirements, and the current system load. It is used to characterize the minimum link quality conditions required for the terminal to reliably access the service beam and complete data transmission.

[0039] When the satellite determines that the signal reception power reported by the first terminal is less than a preset power value, it can be concluded that the link quality at the current location of the first terminal is insufficient to support stable service communication. In this case, the satellite can reject the service access request and send a link quality insufficiency warning to the first terminal via signaling beams or predefined control signaling. This warning can indicate that the terminal does not currently meet the service access conditions, thus avoiding blindly allocating service beam resources under poor link quality conditions, which could lead to service interruption or resource waste.

[0040] By introducing a decision mechanism based on the signaling beam signal reception power during the service access phase, the satellite can perform preliminary screening of link availability before service beam allocation, granting service access only to terminals that meet the minimum link quality requirements. This improves the utilization efficiency of the service beam and reduces the probability of communication failures caused by weak coverage or severe fading. Simultaneously, after receiving a link quality insufficient warning, the first terminal can choose to delay initiating a service request, wait for subsequent polling scans, or relocate to improve link conditions and attempt access again.

[0041] In one embodiment, when the satellite sends a group paging message to the first group to which the first terminal belongs, it can simultaneously carry a group identifier and random backoff parameters in the group paging message. The group identifier indicates the target group being paging, while the random backoff parameters constrain the response timing of multiple terminals within the same group to the paging message, thereby reducing the risk of collisions caused by concentrated uplink feedback. The random backoff parameters may include information such as the backoff window size, the range of random factors, or backoff time calculation rules. Correspondingly, the terminal side can perform the following processing: after the first terminal identifies the group identifier and matches the first group, it generates a random backoff time based on the random backoff parameters; after the random backoff time expires, if the first terminal detects idle uplink resources in the signaling beam, it sends a paging feedback message for the group paging message to the satellite.

[0042] In implementation, after receiving a group paging message, the first terminal can first parse the group identifier and match it with the group identifier determined by itself based on the terminal identifier. When the group identifier matches the first group to which the first terminal belongs, the first terminal can confirm itself as the target terminal of this group paging and thus enter the paging response preparation state. Afterwards, the first terminal can further parse the random backoff parameters carried in the group paging message and generate a random backoff time based on the random backoff parameters. Specifically, within the time window limited by the random backoff parameters, the first terminal can use a pseudo-random algorithm to generate the backoff duration, allowing different terminals within the same group to distribute their uplink responses over time, thereby preventing multiple terminals from simultaneously occupying the uplink resources of the signaling beam.

[0043] During the random backoff period, the first terminal can maintain a listening state on the signaling beam without immediately sending an uplink response. After the random backoff period ends, the first terminal can check the uplink resource status of the current signaling beam to determine if there are any available uplink resources. For example, the first terminal can determine whether the current time slot or frequency band is not occupied by other terminals based on physical layer monitoring results or predefined uplink resource indication information. If, after the random backoff period ends, the first terminal detects available uplink resources in the signaling beam, it can send a paging feedback message to the satellite for the group paging message, indicating that the first terminal has successfully responded to the group paging and is ready to continue with the subsequent service access control process. If no available uplink resources are detected, the first terminal can also choose to continue waiting or regenerate the backoff period to try sending a paging feedback message again at a later time.

[0044] In this way, by introducing random backoff parameters into the group paging message and having the terminal execute random backoff and idle detection mechanisms after group matching, the uplink response behavior of terminals within the group can be effectively dispersed without changing the overall group paging process, reducing the probability of uplink signaling beam collisions, thereby improving system stability and access success rate in group paging scenarios.

[0045] Furthermore, after receiving a group paging message containing random backoff parameters and confirming a matching group identifier, the first terminal, while generating a random backoff time, can sense and record the current scanning cycle in conjunction with the polling scanning rhythm of the signaling beam. Specifically, since the satellite transmits signaling by polling the coverage area in a sub-regional manner, when receiving a group paging message, the first terminal can obtain or calculate the polling scanning period information corresponding to its current first region, such as the scan start time, scan cycle length, or remaining scan time.

[0046] Based on this, when generating the random backoff time according to the random backoff parameters, the first terminal can simultaneously record the remaining duration of the current polling scan of the first area to determine whether the random backoff process falls entirely within the current scan period. That is, the first terminal internally maintains a backoff timer and a count of the remaining scan duration; both can decrement in parallel after the backoff timer starts. When the random backoff time expires, the first terminal can first determine whether the polling scan of the first area is still in progress. If it is determined that the satellite is still scanning the first area when the backoff time ends, the first terminal can continue to detect the uplink resource status of the signaling beam and, upon detecting idle uplink resources, send a feedback message to the satellite for the group paging message.

[0047] In another scenario, if the first terminal determines that the satellite has finished polling the first area by the time the random backoff time expires (e.g., the remaining scan time has reached zero, and the signaling beam has switched to another area), the first terminal can temporarily suspend sending paging feedback messages to avoid invalid uplink responses during the scanning period in the non-target area. At this time, the first terminal can re-enter the signaling beam monitoring state and continuously detect the presence of the signaling beam.

[0048] When the first terminal detects the signaling beam again during subsequent monitoring and confirms that the satellite has re-entered the polling scan period for the first area, the first terminal can directly send a feedback message to the satellite for the previous group paging message instead of regenerating a new service access request, thus completing the group paging response process. By introducing a mechanism for synchronously recording and judging the remaining polling scan time during the random backoff process, the terminal can adapt to the satellite's area scanning rhythm, improving the effectiveness and success rate of group paging feedback in the time domain while ensuring the dispersion effect of random backoff, thereby enhancing the stability and resource utilization efficiency of the overall satellite communication system.

[0049] Step 204: In response to the paging feedback message from the first terminal for the group paging message, the satellite sends the communication information of the first service beam corresponding to the service identifier to the first terminal.

[0050] In implementation, after the satellite sends a group paging message to the first group during the polling scan period in the first area, it can continue to listen for paging feedback messages from the terminal side. The paging feedback message can be sent by a terminal belonging to the paging group when it detects that the group identifier matches its own group, indicating that the terminal has been successfully woken up and is ready to establish a further communication connection. Specifically, after receiving the group paging message, the first terminal can, based on the aforementioned synchronization calibration results, send a paging feedback message to the satellite within a preset feedback time slot. The paging feedback message can carry at least a terminal identifier to identify the terminal, or a session identifier associated with a previous service access request, so that the satellite can match the feedback message with the corresponding service access request.

[0051] After receiving a paging feedback message from the first terminal, the satellite can confirm that the first terminal is a valid responding terminal in the current group paging process. Furthermore, by combining the service identifier associated with the feedback message, the satellite determines the target service connection type that needs to be established for the first terminal. Based on this service identifier, the satellite can select the first service beam corresponding to the service identifier from its available beam resources. This first service beam can be a service bearer beam with higher bandwidth, higher power, or narrower coverage compared to the signaling beam, used to carry subsequent service data communication. Specifically, different service identifiers can correspond to different service beam configuration parameters, such as beam pointing angle, modulation and coding scheme, resource block allocation ratio, or power control parameters, to meet different service requirements such as voice, data, or low-latency services. After determining the first service beam, the satellite can send communication information to the first terminal to establish communication with the first service beam. The communication information can include at least the identifier information of the first service beam, the corresponding frequency resource or time slot resource indication, and control parameters for completing beam switching or beam access.

[0052] Step 205: The first terminal connects and synchronizes with the first service beam according to the communication information, and transmits service data with the satellite through the first service beam.

[0053] In implementation, after receiving communication information from the first service beam transmitted by the satellite, the first terminal can complete the connection and synchronization process with the first service beam based on the communication information, and transmit service data with the satellite through the first service beam. Specifically, the first terminal can first parse the service beam identifier and corresponding frequency resources, time slot resources or codeword resources carried in the communication information, and adjust the working configuration of its own radio frequency module and baseband processing module accordingly, so that it switches from the signaling beam it was previously monitoring to the working state corresponding to the first service beam.

[0054] During beam switching, the first terminal can perform further fine synchronization with the first service beam based on the synchronization reference parameters indicated in the communication information. This synchronization process may include detecting and tracking the downlink reference signal of the service beam to complete time alignment, frequency fine-tuning, and phase correction, thereby ensuring that the first terminal can stably receive and transmit signals under the service beam. Since the first service beam has a more concentrated coverage area and higher resource configuration accuracy than the signaling beam, the above synchronization process can be completed in a shorter time, thereby reducing service access latency.

[0055] After completing the connection and synchronization with the first service beam, the first terminal can then conduct bidirectional transmission of service data with the satellite through the first service beam. Uplink service data may include voice data, SMS content, or packet data generated by the first terminal, while downlink service data may include service response data or control feedback information from the network side. Within the service beam, the satellite can allocate resources and manage the transmission of the first terminal's service data according to the scheduling strategy corresponding to the service identifier, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of the service beam resources while ensuring service quality. Through these steps, the first terminal can smoothly enter a stable service communication state after completing group paging and service beam allocation, achieving effective service data interaction with the satellite.

[0056] In one embodiment, the above method further includes the following processing: before sending the communication information of the first service beam, the satellite queries the signal strength and load status of neighboring satellites through the inter-satellite link; if the signal strength of the neighboring satellite is greater than the signal strength of the satellite and the difference is greater than a preset strength value, and the time slot occupancy rate of the neighboring satellite is less than a preset ratio, then a satellite switching command carrying the communication information of the neighboring satellite is synchronously sent to the first terminal.

[0057] In practice, before sending the communication information of the first service beam to the first terminal, the satellite can obtain the status information of neighboring satellites through inter-satellite links to achieve dynamic optimization of service access. Specifically, the satellite can periodically or in real-time query key parameters such as downlink signal strength, coverage power, and current time slot occupancy rate of neighboring satellites through inter-satellite communication links established with neighboring satellites, thereby obtaining the link quality and load status of neighboring satellites within the coverage target area.

[0058] First, the satellite can compare its signal strength with that of its own satellite in the same area and calculate the difference. If it determines that the signal strength of a neighboring satellite is greater than that of its own satellite, and the difference exceeds a preset strength threshold, and simultaneously the time slot occupancy rate of the neighboring satellite is below a preset ratio, the satellite can consider the neighboring satellite to be more suitable in terms of coverage quality and resource load for providing service beam services to the first terminal. The preset strength value and time slot occupancy rate ratio can be configured according to different service types, terminal distribution density, and system capacity planning to balance link quality and resource utilization efficiency.

[0059] Under the aforementioned conditions, the satellite can simultaneously transmit communication information for the first service beam and issue a satellite handover command to the first terminal. This command carries communication information of neighboring satellites, such as their identifiers, service beam parameters, and frequency or time slot resource allocation information. Upon receiving the satellite handover command, the first terminal can prepare in advance to establish a service beam connection with neighboring satellites based on the communication information, and complete the service beam handover process with the current satellite.

[0060] Through the above mechanism, the first terminal can dynamically select satellites during the access phase of the service beam. When the coverage of the adjacent satellite is better and the load is lower, it can actively switch to the service beam of the adjacent satellite to ensure link quality and service reliability. At the same time, it can optimize the distribution of satellite resources at the system level, reduce the load pressure of individual satellites, and improve the service access efficiency and continuity of the entire low-Earth orbit satellite communication network.

[0061] In one embodiment, the satellite communication system may further include ground stations, which are distributed throughout the satellite's coverage area to receive service data from the satellite and forward it to the communication network to which the terminal belongs. During service data transmission, a first terminal uploads service data to the satellite through an established first service beam. After receiving service data from multiple terminals, the satellite can aggregate the service data, encapsulating the uplink data from different terminals into data packets for efficient backhaul to the ground station. During the aggregation process, the satellite can perform time synchronization, data compression, or simple encryption on the service data to reduce backhaul link overhead and ensure data transmission security.

[0062] After data packets are generated, the satellite can select target ground stations from the distributed ground stations as backhaul objects based on signal strength, time slot occupancy, and other link status information. For example, the satellite can prioritize ground stations with high signal strength, low time slot occupancy, and suitable load within its current coverage area to ensure the reliability and throughput of the backhaul link. The selection process can be dynamically decided based on inter-satellite links or real-time status data reported by ground stations, enabling the satellite to flexibly allocate backhaul paths according to network load and link quality.

[0063] Once the target ground station receives the data packets transmitted back from the satellite, it can parse the packets, extract the service data and control information corresponding to each terminal, and generate corresponding service response data. Service response data may include voice, short messages, data service content, location response information, or system control commands. After parsing, the ground station transmits the corresponding service response data to the respective terminal through its communication network, achieving a closed-loop transmission of service data from the terminal uplink to the satellite, then back from the satellite to the ground station, and finally back to the terminal network. In this way, the satellite can not only complete the access and aggregation of service data from multiple terminals, but also achieve efficient scheduling of uplink service data and distribution of downlink responses through the selection and backlink of distributed ground stations, thereby improving the service processing capacity and network response speed of the entire satellite communication system.

[0064] In one embodiment, the satellite also performs the following processing: if the number of terminal access requests in the second region is repeatedly less than a preset value during the polling scan, the satellite shortens the dwell time corresponding to the second region and allocates the dwell time margin to the adjacent regions of the second region.

[0065] In practice, during the polling scan of the coverage area using signaling beams, the satellite can dynamically assess the access activity of terminals in each sub-region and adaptively adjust the scanning dwell time for different regions accordingly. Specifically, when polling each region, the satellite can count the number of terminal access requests received during the corresponding region's scanning period, such as service access requests or random access requests, and use this number as a reference indicator reflecting the intensity of communication demand in the region. For example, the satellite can maintain an access request statistics counter for each divided sub-region and analyze the counter's statistical results over multiple consecutive polling cycles. If, within multiple preset consecutive polling cycles, the number of terminal access requests for a second region is consistently less than a preset value, the satellite can determine that the communication demand in that second region is low during the current time period, and the signaling beam's dwell time in that region is redundant.

[0066] Based on the above assessment, the satellite can proactively shorten the dwell time of the signaling beam corresponding to the second region during subsequent polling and scanning scheduling. For example, the scanning duration originally allocated to the second region can be compressed by a preset ratio or a fixed duration, thereby freeing up some dwell time resources. Furthermore, the satellite can dynamically allocate the freed-up dwell time to other regions spatially adjacent to the second region, especially adjacent regions with a large number of terminal access requests or high loads, to extend the scanning dwell time in these regions.

[0067] In this way, the satellite can dynamically reallocate signaling beam scanning resources based on changes in terminal access activity in different areas without altering the overall polling and scanning cycle. On one hand, this reduces invalid scanning time in inactive areas, avoiding waste of signaling resources; on the other hand, it provides more sufficient scanning dwell time for high-demand areas, thereby reducing terminal access waiting latency and improving the success rate of group paging and service access. Furthermore, since the dwell time margin is allocated to adjacent areas, it does not cause significant changes to the overall scanning and polling mechanism, and it facilitates the scheduling of dwell time from adjacent areas when service access requests increase in the second area, minimizing the impact on other areas.

[0068] In one embodiment, considering scenarios such as disaster relief, sudden accidents, or large-scale crowd gatherings, terminals within the coverage area may initiate service access requests in a short period of time, leading to a significant increase in the probability of group paging response conflicts. The satellite can introduce a dynamic adjustment mechanism for group granularity to improve the access success rate during the group paging phase.

[0069] Specifically, during polling scans and group paging, the satellite can statistically analyze the feedback status of each group within the corresponding scan cycle. For example, the satellite can record, within a preset statistical window, the number of uplink collisions, the number of random backoff failures, or the effective feedback ratio of terminals belonging to the same group when responding to group paging. When it is detected that the effective feedback ratio of a group is consistently lower than a preset threshold or the number of collisions exceeds a preset upper limit for multiple consecutive polling cycles, the satellite can determine that the current group granularity is no longer suitable for the access density of the area. In this way, the satellite can temporarily adjust the group division strategy corresponding to the area. For example, the maximum number of terminals in a single group can be dynamically reduced from 4096 to 2048, 1024, or a smaller scale, and the group mapping relationship can be regenerated based on the adjusted grouping rules. Simultaneously, the satellite can broadcast the updated grouping rules to the terminals in the corresponding area through signaling beams, so that the terminals can perform group affiliation calculations according to the new group granularity during subsequent access processes.

[0070] Based on this processing, a large number of terminals originally concentrated in the same group can be split into multiple smaller groups, thereby distributing the uplink feedback pressure during the subsequent group paging phase and reducing the number of competing terminals in the same time slot. After detecting that the number of terminal access requests in the area has dropped back to normal levels, the satellite can restore the group granularity to the initial configuration to avoid the problem of high signaling resource consumption caused by long-term use of small groups.

[0071] In one embodiment, since terminals located in high-speed mobile carriers such as ships, trains, or aircraft rapidly traverse multiple sub-regions and are prone to missing group paging periods during polling and scanning switching, the satellite can introduce a group paging prediction mechanism based on movement trends. During actual operation, the satellite can simultaneously record the terminal's access area identifier, timestamp, and corresponding signaling beam parameters upon receiving a terminal's service access request or paging feedback message, and analyze the terminal's regional movement trend based on multiple access records. For example, the satellite can infer the terminal's spatial movement direction and speed characteristics by observing changes in the terminal's region within a continuous polling cycle, or predict the terminal's short-term movement trajectory by combining the Doppler frequency shift trend detected in the signaling beam.

[0072] After completing the above analysis, when the satellite determines that a terminal has a high probability of entering an adjacent area in the next polling cycle, it can pre-add the group to which the terminal belongs to the group paging scheduling list during the polling scan period of that adjacent area. That is, the satellite can not only send group paging messages during the scan period of the terminal's current area, but also synchronously send group paging messages containing the group identifier during the scan period corresponding to the predicted area. In this way, after entering a new area, even if the terminal has not yet completed area-level synchronization or sent a new service access request, it can still receive a paging message matching its own group identifier in a timely manner during the group paging process in that area, thus smoothly completing the subsequent random backoff and paging feedback process.

[0073] In one embodiment, for scenarios where multiple low-orbit satellites overlap in a partial coverage area and a large number of terminals in the same group have similar spatial locations and service needs, the satellite communication system can also introduce a group-level cross-satellite collaborative takeover mechanism to improve the efficiency of inter-satellite resource scheduling.

[0074] Specifically, when exchanging status information with neighboring satellites via inter-satellite links, satellites can not only obtain the signal strength and time slot occupancy of neighboring satellites, but also synchronously exchange information on the group load they are currently serving. For example, a satellite can count the number of terminals, service request density, and corresponding service beam occupancy within a group, and share this group-level status information via inter-satellite links. When a satellite determines that most terminals within a group are spatially closer to neighboring satellites, and the signal strength of neighboring satellites in the corresponding area is significantly better than that of the satellite, and there are sufficient time slot resources available, the satellite can trigger a group-level handover decision. In this case, instead of issuing individual satellite handover commands to each terminal, the satellite can generate unified handover control information for the group and broadcast it to the terminals within the group via signaling beams.

[0075] After receiving the handover control information, terminals within a group can synchronously complete the process of releasing the service beam with the current satellite and establishing the service beam with neighboring satellites, according to the communication parameters of neighboring satellites carried in the instruction. After the neighboring satellites complete the takeover, they can uniformly undertake the subsequent group paging, service beam allocation, and service data transmission tasks for the group. In this way, the scheduling granularity of satellite handover can be improved from the terminal level to the group level, reducing repetitive handover control signaling interactions and reducing the pressure on inter-satellite links and signaling beams during simultaneous handover by multiple terminals, thereby improving the overall system stability in multi-satellite collaborative coverage scenarios.

[0076] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowcharts of the above embodiments are shown sequentially according to the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless explicitly stated herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some steps in the flowcharts of the above embodiments may include multiple steps or multiple stages. These steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times. The execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the steps or stages of other steps.

[0077] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of this application also provide that the satellite communication system includes a satellite and a terminal, wherein: The satellite is used to poll and scan the coverage area according to a preset time period using a signaling beam in order to send synchronization information to multiple terminals within the coverage area. The terminal is used to perform synchronization calibration with the signaling beam based on the synchronization information, and to send a service access request carrying the terminal identifier and the service identifier to the satellite in response to the service instruction; The satellite is also used to determine the group to which the terminal belongs based on the terminal identifier, and to send a group paging message to the group during the polling scan period of the area where the terminal is located; The satellite is also used to send communication information of the first service beam corresponding to the service identifier to the terminal in response to the paging feedback message of the terminal for the group paging message; The terminal is also configured to connect and synchronize with the first service beam according to the communication information, and transmit service data with the satellite through the first service beam.

[0078] Optionally, the service access request may also carry the signal reception power when the terminal receives the signaling beam; The satellite is also configured to, upon receiving the service access request, reject the service access request and provide a link quality insufficiency warning if it determines that the signal reception power is less than a preset power value.

[0079] Optionally, the group paging message includes a group identifier and random backoff parameters; The terminal is also used for: After identifying the group identifier and matching the group, a random backoff time is generated based on the random backoff parameter; After the random backoff time ends, if idle upload resources are detected in the signaling beam, a paging feedback message for the group paging message is sent to the satellite.

[0080] Optionally, the terminal is further used for: When generating a random backoff time, the remaining duration of the current polling scan in the current area is recorded simultaneously; If the satellite has finished scanning the area when the backoff time expires, and the signaling beam is detected again, a feedback message for the group paging message is sent to the satellite.

[0081] Optionally, the satellite is also used for: Before sending the communication information of the first service beam, the signal strength and load status of neighboring satellites are queried through the inter-satellite link; If the signal strength of the adjacent satellite is greater than that of the current satellite and the difference is greater than a preset strength value, and the time slot occupancy rate of the adjacent satellite is less than a preset ratio, then a satellite switching command carrying the communication information of the adjacent satellite is sent synchronously to the terminal.

[0082] Optionally, the satellite communication system further includes ground stations, which are distributed throughout the coverage area; The satellite is also used for: After receiving the service data uploaded by the terminal through the service beam, the service data from multiple terminals are aggregated to form a data packet; A ground station is selected based on signal strength and time slot occupancy rate, and the data packet is transmitted back to the ground station; The ground station is used to parse the data packet to obtain multiple service response data, and transmit the service response data to the communication network to which the corresponding terminal belongs.

[0083] Optionally, the satellite is also used for: During the polling scan, if the number of terminal access requests in the second region is found to be less than a preset value multiple times, the dwell time in the second region is shortened and the remaining dwell time is allocated to the adjacent regions of the second region.

[0084] In one embodiment, a computer device is provided, the internal structure of which can be shown as follows: Figure 3As shown, this computer device includes a processor, memory, input / output interfaces (I / O), and a communication interface. The processor, memory, and I / O interfaces are connected via a system bus, and the communication interface is also connected to the system bus via the I / O interfaces. The processor provides computing and control capabilities. The memory includes non-volatile storage media and internal memory. The non-volatile storage media stores the operating system, computer programs, and a database. The internal memory provides the environment for the operating system and computer programs stored in the non-volatile storage media. The database stores data. The I / O interfaces are used for data exchange between the processor and external devices. The communication interface is used for communication with external terminals via a network connection. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements a satellite terminal communication method.

[0085] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 3 The structure shown is merely a block diagram of a portion of the structure related to the present application and does not constitute a limitation on the computer device to which the present application is applied. Specific computer devices may include more or fewer components than those shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0086] In one embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0087] In one embodiment, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0088] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, data stored, data displayed, etc.) involved in this application are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties, and the collection, use and processing of the relevant data must comply with relevant regulations.

[0089] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments described above. Any references to memory, databases, or other media used in the embodiments provided in this application can include at least one of non-volatile and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory, optical memory, high-density embedded non-volatile memory, resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetic random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase change memory (PCM), graphene memory, etc. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory, etc. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM can take many forms, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) or Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM). The processors involved in the embodiments provided in this application can be general-purpose processors, central processing units, graphics processing units, digital signal processors, programmable logic devices, quantum computing-based data processing logic devices, etc., and are not limited thereto.

[0090] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0091] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A satellite terminal communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a satellite communication system, the satellite communication system including a satellite and a terminal, and the method includes: The satellite uses a signaling beam to poll the coverage area at a preset time period to send synchronization information to multiple terminals within the coverage area. The first terminal in the first area performs synchronization calibration with the signaling beam based on the synchronization information, and sends a service access request carrying the terminal identifier and service identifier to the satellite in response to the service instruction; The satellite determines the first group to which the first terminal belongs based on the terminal identifier, and sends a group paging message to the first group during the polling scan period of the first area. In response to the paging feedback message from the first terminal for the group paging message, the satellite sends communication information of the first service beam corresponding to the service identifier to the first terminal. The first terminal connects and synchronizes with the first service beam according to the communication information, and transmits service data with the satellite through the first service beam.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The service access request also carries the signal reception power when the terminal receives the signaling beam; The method further includes: Upon receiving the service access request, if the satellite determines that the signal reception power is less than a preset power value, it will reject the service access request and provide a link quality insufficiency warning.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The group paging message includes a group identifier and random backoff parameters; The method further includes: After the first terminal identifies that the group identifier matches the first group, it generates a random backoff time based on the random backoff parameter. After the random backoff time ends, if the first terminal detects that there are idle upload resources in the signaling beam, it sends a paging feedback message to the satellite for the group paging message.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the first terminal generates a random backoff time, it simultaneously records the remaining duration of the current polling scan of the first area; If the satellite has finished scanning the first area when the backoff time expires, the first terminal will send a feedback message to the satellite for the group paging message when it detects the signaling beam again.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Before transmitting the communication information of the first service beam, the satellite queries the signal strength and load status of neighboring satellites via inter-satellite links; If the signal strength of the adjacent satellite is greater than that of the current satellite and the difference is greater than a preset strength value, and the time slot occupancy rate of the adjacent satellite is less than a preset ratio, then a satellite switching command carrying the communication information of the adjacent satellite is sent synchronously to the first terminal.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The satellite communication system also includes ground stations, which are distributed throughout the coverage area; The method further includes: After receiving service data uploaded by the terminal through the service beam, the satellite aggregates the service data from multiple terminals to form a data packet. The satellite selects a target ground station based on signal strength and time slot occupancy rate, and then transmits the data packet back to the target ground station. The target ground station parses the data packet to obtain multiple service response data, and transmits the service response data to the communication network to which the corresponding terminal belongs.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: If, during the polling scan, the satellite detects that the number of terminal access requests in the second region is repeatedly less than a preset value, it shortens the dwell time corresponding to the second region and allocates the remaining dwell time to the adjacent regions of the second region.

8. A satellite communication system, characterized in that, The satellite communication system includes a satellite and a terminal, wherein: The satellite is used to poll and scan the coverage area according to a preset time period using a signaling beam in order to send synchronization information to multiple terminals within the coverage area. The terminal is used to perform synchronization calibration with the signaling beam based on the synchronization information, and to send a service access request carrying the terminal identifier and the service identifier to the satellite in response to the service instruction; The satellite is also used to determine the group to which the terminal belongs based on the terminal identifier, and to send a group paging message to the group during the polling scan period of the area where the terminal is located; The satellite is also used to send communication information of the first service beam corresponding to the service identifier to the terminal in response to the paging feedback message of the terminal for the group paging message; The terminal is also configured to connect and synchronize with the first service beam according to the communication information, and transmit service data with the satellite through the first service beam.

9. A computer device comprising a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program, the processor executing the computer program to implement the satellite terminal communication method according to any one of claims 1-7.

10. A computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the satellite terminal communication method according to any one of claims 1-7.

Images