Communication method and device, and storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to a communication method, equipment and a storage medium. The method comprises: receiving first information sent by a network device, the first information being used for indicating beam information corresponding to a link between the relay device and a terminal; in the method disclosed by the invention, the relay device acquires the beam information in the NTN scene indicated by the network based on the first information of the network device, so that the relay device can communicate based on the first information on the link between the relay device and the terminal to enhance the coverage performance.

Description

Communication methods, devices and storage media Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to communication methods, devices and storage media. Background Technology

[0002] In non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), user equipment (UEs) can connect to terrestrial base stations via satellite. NTN payloads include transparent payloads and regenerative payloads. With transparent payloads, the satellite only amplifies and relays information; it does not have the ability to process data. Regenerative payloads are commonly seen in gNB onboard deployments, where the satellite has onboard information processing capabilities.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] System coverage can be improved by using relay equipment (or transfer equipment) to satellites or in space. Satellites have a larger coverage area, and the scheduling of satellite beams is affected by various factors such as satellite power and user service types. The beam indication of terrestrial network (TN) relay equipment may no longer be applicable.

[0005] This disclosure provides a communication method, device, and storage medium.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a relay device, the method comprising:

[0007] The system receives first information sent by a network device, the first information being used to indicate the beam information corresponding to the link between the relay device and the terminal.

[0008] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0009] Send first information to the relay device, the first information being used to indicate the beam information corresponding to the link between the relay device and the terminal.

[0010] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a relay device, including:

[0011] The transceiver module is used to receive first information sent by the network device, the first information being used to indicate the beam information corresponding to the link between the relay device and the terminal.

[0012] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device, including:

[0013] The transceiver module is used to send first information to the relay device, the first information being used to indicate the beam information corresponding to the link between the relay device and the terminal.

[0014] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, including:

[0015] One or more processors;

[0016] One or more transceivers;

[0017] The communication device is configured to implement the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0018] Sixthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions, wherein...

[0019] When the instructions are executed on the communication device, the communication device causes the communication device to perform the method as described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0020] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product, wherein,

[0021] When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device performs the method as described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0022] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the relay device obtains the beam information of the NTN scenario indicated by the network based on the first information of the network device, so that the relay device can communicate based on the first information on the link between the relay device and the terminal to enhance coverage performance. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments are introduced below. The following drawings are only some embodiments of this disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0024] Figures 1a and 1b are exemplary schematic diagrams illustrating the architecture of a communication system according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figures 2a and 2b are exemplary schematic diagrams illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figures 3a and 3b are exemplary flowcharts of a method provided according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figures 4a and 4b are exemplary flowcharts of a method provided according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 5 is an exemplary flowchart of a method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 6a is a schematic diagram of the structure of a satellite device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 6b is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 6c is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 7a is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 7b is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0034] This disclosure provides a communication method, device, and storage medium.

[0035] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a relay device, the method comprising:

[0036] The system receives first information sent by a network device, the first information being used to indicate the beam information corresponding to the link between the relay device and the terminal.

[0037] In the above embodiments, the relay device obtains the beam information of the NTN scenario indicated by the network based on the first information of the network device, so that the relay device can communicate based on the first information on the link between the relay device and the terminal to enhance coverage performance.

[0038] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0039] Maximum number of beams;

[0040] Time-domain resource information corresponding to the beam.

[0041] In the above embodiments, the on-board relay equipment can obtain the maximum number of beams that can be applied on the relevant link and / or time domain resource information based on the first information of the network equipment, thereby effectively improving coverage performance based on the first information.

[0042] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the maximum number of beams is greater than or equal to a first value, wherein the first value is greater than the maximum number of beams in the access link of the terrestrial network TN.

[0043] In the above embodiments, the maximum number of beams for the on-board relay equipment is expanded relative to TN, thereby adapting to the coverage characteristics of the satellite and improving the coverage performance of the on-board relay equipment.

[0044] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the time-domain resource information includes the duration of the transmitted beam, the duration being greater than or equal to a second value, wherein the second value is defined by the protocol or configured by the network device.

[0045] In the above embodiments, the duration of the transmitting beam of the on-board relay equipment is extended, thereby increasing the coverage duration and improving coverage performance.

[0046] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the time-domain resource information includes the period of the transmit beam, the period being greater than or equal to a third value, wherein the third value is greater than the beam period of the access link in the TN.

[0047] In the above embodiments, the period of the transmit beam of the on-board relay equipment is extended, thereby improving the time range of beam coverage.

[0048] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the time-domain resource information includes the time-domain start offset of the transmit beam, and the range of the start offset is greater than the range of the access link beam offset in the TN.

[0049] In the above embodiments, the initial offset of the transmitting beam of the on-board relay equipment is extended to extend the beam performance in the time domain.

[0050] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is sent via a first Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling or a first Media Access Control (MAC) control element, wherein the first information includes periodically forwarded resource information, non-periodically forwarded resource information, or semi-statically forwarded resource information.

[0051] In the above embodiments, the first information can be configured with different signaling to be suitable for forwarding resource information with different time domain characteristics.

[0052] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is transmitted via downlink control information (DCI), wherein the first information includes dynamic beam information.

[0053] In the above embodiments, DCI can still be used to dynamically indicate beam information in the beam indication of the on-board relay equipment.

[0054] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the beam information includes the number of beams, and the DCI includes a beam indication field for indicating the number of beams, the number of bits in the beam indication field being greater than or equal to a fourth value, the fourth value being the number of bits in the beam indication field in the TN.

[0055] In the above embodiments, the DCI beam indication domain can be expanded relative to TN, thereby indicating more beams dynamically.

[0056] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, when the number of bits in the beam indication field is equal to the fourth value, the beam indication field is used to indicate a first number of beams; wherein the first number is selected from the configured maximum number of beams by the second RRC or the second MAC CE, and the first number is the maximum number of beams that the beam indication field can indicate according to the fourth value.

[0057] In the above embodiments, when performing dynamic beam indication on the on-board relay equipment, the number of bits in the beam indication field can be used to dynamically indicate different beams at different times, thereby achieving the expansion of the indication beam.

[0058] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0059] Send a second message to the network device, which indicates the beam information that the relay device can support.

[0060] In the above embodiments, the on-board relay device can report its supported beam information to the access network device by sending a second message, so that the access network device can make reasonable configuration or scheduling based on the relay device's capabilities.

[0061] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following:

[0062] The number of beams that a relay device can support on the link between itself and the terminal;

[0063] The maximum number of beams that a relay device can transmit simultaneously on the link between it and the terminal;

[0064] The beam coverage supported by the relay equipment on the link between the relay equipment and the terminal.

[0065] In the above embodiments, the on-board relay equipment can report the relevant beam information it supports, so that the access network equipment can be reasonably configured or scheduled.

[0066] In conjunction with the embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the beam coverage area includes at least one of the following:

[0067] Beam position;

[0068] Beam radius;

[0069] Is the beam moving with the satellite or fixed?

[0070] The duration for which a fixed beam maintains a fixed position.

[0071] In the above embodiments, the on-board relay equipment can report the coverage range of its supported beams in various ways, providing a reference for the configuration or scheduling of access network equipment.

[0072] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0073] Send first information to the relay device, the first information being used to indicate the beam information corresponding to the link between the relay device and the terminal.

[0074] In conjunction with embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0075] Maximum number of beams;

[0076] Time-domain resource information corresponding to the beam.

[0077] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the maximum number of beams is greater than or equal to a first value, wherein the first value is greater than the maximum number of beams in the access link of the terrestrial network TN.

[0078] In conjunction with embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the time-domain resource information includes the duration of the transmitted beam, the duration being greater than or equal to a second value, wherein the second value is defined by the protocol or configured by the network device.

[0079] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the time-domain resource information includes the period of the transmit beam, the period being greater than or equal to a third value, wherein the third value is greater than the beam period of the access link in the TN.

[0080] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the time-domain resource information includes the time-domain start offset of the transmit beam, and the range of the start offset is greater than the range of the access link beam offset in the TN.

[0081] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is sent through the first radio resource control (RRC) signaling or the first media access control (MAC) control unit CE, wherein the first information includes periodically forwarded resource information, aperiodically forwarded resource information, or semi-statically forwarded resource information.

[0082] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is transmitted via downlink control information (DCI), wherein the first information includes dynamic beam information.

[0083] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the beam information includes the number of beams, and the DCI includes a beam indication field for indicating the number of beams, the number of bits in the beam indication field being greater than or equal to a fourth value, the fourth value being the number of bits in the beam indication field in the TN.

[0084] In conjunction with embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, when the number of bits in the beam indication field is equal to the fourth value, the beam indication field is used to indicate a first number of beams; wherein the first number is selected from the configured maximum number of beams by the second RRC or the second MAC CE, and the first number is the maximum number of beams that the beam indication field can indicate according to the fourth value.

[0085] In conjunction with the embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0086] Receive second information sent by the relay equipment or Operation, Maintenance and Management (OAM), which indicates the beam information that the relay equipment can support.

[0087] In conjunction with embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following:

[0088] The number of beams that a relay device can support on the link between itself and the terminal;

[0089] The maximum number of beams that a relay device can transmit simultaneously on the link between it and the terminal;

[0090] The beam coverage supported by the relay equipment on the link between the relay equipment and the terminal.

[0091] In conjunction with embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the beam coverage area includes at least one of the following:

[0092] Beam position;

[0093] Beam radius;

[0094] Is the beam moving with the satellite or fixed?

[0095] The duration for which a fixed beam maintains a fixed position.

[0096] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a relay device, including:

[0097] The transceiver module is used to receive first information sent by the network device, the first information being used to indicate the beam information corresponding to the link between the relay device and the terminal.

[0098] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device, including:

[0099] The transceiver module is used to send first information to the relay device, the first information being used to indicate the beam information corresponding to the link between the relay device and the terminal.

[0100] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, including:

[0101] One or more processors;

[0102] One or more transceivers;

[0103] The communication device is configured to implement the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0104] Sixthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions, wherein...

[0105] When the instructions are executed on the communication device, the communication device causes the communication device to perform the method as described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0106] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product, wherein,

[0107] When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device performs the method as described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0108] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method described in any one of the first to second aspects.

[0109] Ninthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip or chip system. The chip or chip system includes processing circuitry configured to perform the method described according to an optional implementation of any of the first to second aspects described above.

[0110] It is understood that the aforementioned terminals, network devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, computer programs, chips, or chip systems are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0111] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0112] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0113] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0114] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0115] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0116] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0117] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0118] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execution of A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execution of B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0119] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0120] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0121] In some embodiments, the terms “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “if…”, “if…”, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0122] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than”, “greater than or equal to”, “not less than”, “more than”, “more than or equal to”, “not less than”, “higher than”, “higher than or equal to”, “not lower than”, and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than”, “less than or equal to”, “not greater than”, “less than”, “less than or equal to”, “not more than”, “lower than”, “lower than or equal to”, “not higher than”, and “below”.

[0123] In some embodiments, the apparatus and device may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. In some cases, they may also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", "body", etc.

[0124] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network, such as access network devices, core network devices, etc.

[0125] In some embodiments, "access network device (AN device)" may also be referred to as "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," or "fixed station." In some embodiments, it may also be understood as "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "serving cell," "carrier," "component carrier," or "bandwidth part (BWP)."

[0126] In some embodiments, "terminal" or "terminal device" may be referred to as "user equipment (UE)," "user terminal," "mobile station (MS)," "mobile terminal (MT)," "subscriber station," "mobile unit," "subscriber unit," "wireless unit," "remote unit," "mobile device," "wireless device," "wireless communication device," "remote device," "mobile subscriber station," "access terminal," "mobile terminal," "wireless terminal," "remote terminal," "handset," "user agent," "mobile client," "client," etc.

[0127] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0128] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0129] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0130] Figure 1a is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0131] As shown in Figure 1a, taking an NTN network as an example, the communication system 100 includes a satellite relay device 101, a network device 102, a terminal 103, and a core network device 104. The network-side devices may include satellites, core network devices, and access network devices, etc. Here, the network device 102 may be an access network device, or at least includes access network devices. The terminal 103 can connect to the access network device via satellite and can also connect to the core network device 104, thereby connecting to the public data network.

[0132] In some embodiments, the satellite may be a spaceborne plateform or a satellite base station.

[0133] In some embodiments, the relay device 101 on the satellite may refer to a network-controlled repeater (NCR), a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), a terminal-like device, or a relay device, etc. Referring to the schematic diagram of an NCR in Figure 1b, this embodiment of the disclosure uses an NCR as an example for illustration. An NCR may include a mobile terminal unit (NCR-MT) and a forwarding unit (NCR-Fwd).

[0134] The link between the satellite or relay device 101 and the terminal 103 is either a service link or an access link. The link between the satellite or relay device 101 and the access network equipment includes a control link and a feeder link or backhaul link. For example, the NCR-MT can receive control commands sent by the access network equipment through the control link. These control commands can be used to control the behavior of the NCR-Fwd, i.e., to control its behavior on the backhaul link and access link, such as beam direction indication, enabling and disabling forwarding, etc. Alternatively, control commands can be used to control the satellite's behavior on the service link or access link. The access link can be used for communication between the NCR-Fwd and the terminal 103.

[0135] The feedback link can be understood as the optical fiber or cable in a terrestrial network (TN).

[0136] Among them, when relay equipment 101, such as NCR, communicates with access network equipment, it can use the Uu interface. The Uu interface is open, so the satellite-based relay equipment 101, such as NCR, is beneficial to debinding satellite and ground network equipment, so that the same satellite can serve different ground operators.

[0137] In some embodiments, the access network device is a terrestrial base station, an earth base station, or a gateway station. The number of access network devices 102 in Figure 1a can be multiple, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0138] The access network equipment includes, for example, nodes or devices that connect terminals to the wireless network. The access network equipment may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), radio backhaul equipment, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system.

[0139] The access network equipment can be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU can also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network equipment. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only option.

[0140] In some embodiments, terminal 103 includes, for example, at least one of the following: a very small aperture terminal, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an Internet of Things device, a car with communication capabilities, a smart car, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, and a wireless terminal device in a smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0141] In some embodiments, core network device 104 may be a single device comprising one or more network elements, or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each comprising all or part of one or more network elements. Network elements may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), 5G Core Network (5GCN), and Next Generation Core (NGC). Alternatively, core network device refers to a network element with a specific function, such as an Access Management Function (AMF) or Service Management Function (SMF).

[0142] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0143] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0144] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1a or FIG1b, or to a part thereof, but are not limited thereto.

[0145] The entities shown in Figure 1a or Figure 1b are illustrative. The communication system may include all or part of the entities in Figure 1a or Figure 1b, or other entities other than those in Figure 1a or Figure 1b. The number and form of each entity are arbitrary. The connection relationship between the entities is illustrative. The entities may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, such as direct connection or indirect connection, wired connection or wireless connection.

[0146] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication processing methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0147] In NTN, satellites can use parabolic antennas to transmit wide beams and phased array antennas to simultaneously transmit multiple narrow beams, thereby better coordinating network resources and achieving anti-interference. In the management of satellite beams, Operation Administration Maintenance (OAM) can be used to manage the beams on the satellite, such as updating beam position information every x seconds and transmitting beam position information for y hours at a time. However, this management method may have drawbacks such as long adjustment intervals and the inability to dynamically adjust the satellite's beam pointing. For transparent loads or transparent transmissions, radio frequency filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification can be performed. Therefore, the waveform signal repeated by the load remains unchanged.

[0148] In NTN, the processing units on the satellite can be understood as part of the network, such as the Radio Remote Unit (RRU) or the Active Antenna Unit (AAU). The interface between the building baseband unit (BBU) and the RRU is the Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI), which is an internal network interface. Other interfaces may be used in satellite networks, but these are also internal network interfaces. Therefore, in related technologies of NTN, or in traditional NTN, the satellite and ground base station are interdependent and can be considered as a whole.

[0149] In TN's NCR, beam pointing capability is implemented, enabling dynamic directional amplification and forwarding.

[0150] However, due to the large coverage area (footprint) of satellites, for example, up to 1058 beam positions, while the maximum number of beams in the NCR of a related TN is 64, it is necessary to extend the number of beam positions for relay equipment in the NTN. Furthermore, unlike the TN's NCR beams which serve only one user, the satellite's NCR beams are responsible for network coverage. In this case, a beam must provide coverage for a certain period to satisfy all services of one or more users within that beam. Beam parameters in the TN's NCR, such as beam durations for specific services, are not applicable to the NTN, requiring extension or enhancement of the beam parameter indications for relay equipment in the NTN. Additionally, considering the special characteristics of satellite beams, the beam characteristics on the link between the satellite and the terminal differ from those on the TN's NCR access link. Therefore, the beam characteristics on the link between the onboard relay equipment and the terminal also differ from those in the TN.

[0151] Figure 2a is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2a, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which includes:

[0152] In step S2101, relay device 101 sends second information to network device 102.

[0153] In some embodiments, as described in the foregoing embodiments, the relay device 101 is located on a satellite, and the relay device 101 may be an NCR, RIS, a terminal-like device, or a relay device, etc. Network-side devices may include satellites, core network devices, and access network devices, etc. Here, network device 102 may be an access network device, or at least includes access network devices. This disclosure uses the example of relay device 101 being an NCR and network device 102 at least including access network devices for illustration.

[0154] Optionally, the second information can be sent from the NCR-MT of the NCR to the access network equipment.

[0155] In some embodiments, the access network device may be a terrestrial base station or a ground station. As shown in Figures 1a and 1b, the link between the access network device and the relay device 101 is a control link and a backhaul link (or feedback link).

[0156] In some embodiments, the second information is used to indicate the beam information that the relay device 101, such as the NCR, can support.

[0157] Optionally, NCR-MT can send the second information via capability reporting, such as capability information or sending the second information via capability information.

[0158] Optionally, the second information is the beam information supported on the link between relay device 101 and terminal 103. As shown in Figures 1a and 1b, if the link between relay device 101 (NCR) and terminal 103 is an access link or a service link, the NCR reports the beam information supported on that link.

[0159] In some embodiments, the second information includes at least one of the following:

[0160] The number of beams that a relay device can support on the link between itself and the terminal, such as the total number of beams that an NCR can support on the access link;

[0161] The maximum number of beams that a relay device can transmit simultaneously on the link between itself and the terminal, such as N, which is the maximum number of beams that an NCR can transmit simultaneously on the access link;

[0162] The beam coverage supported by the relay equipment on the link between the relay equipment and the terminal.

[0163] Optionally, the beam coverage area includes at least one of the following:

[0164] Beam point, wherein the beam point can be the location of the center point of the beam emitted by the satellite or the satellite relay equipment 101 hitting the ground;

[0165] Beam radius, which can refer to the radius of the beam on the ground, or be determined or represented by the diameter of the beam on the ground; or, the beam radius can be determined by the half-power beam width (HPBW);

[0166] Is the beam earth-moving or earth-fixed?

[0167] The duration for which a fixed beam remains at a fixed point, i.e., the length of time an earth-fixed beam remains at its own point.

[0168] Optionally, in the scenario where relay device 101 is satellite-mounted in NTN, the N supported by relay device 101, such as NCR, can be greater than the maximum beam on the access link in TN, such as N>64.

[0169] Optionally, the relay device 101, such as the NCR, can report the duration of maintaining the fixed position when the beam is earth-fixed.

[0170] Optionally, relay device 101, such as NCR, can report multiple beam radii.

[0171] Optionally, when relay device 101, such as NCR, sends the second information, it may report one, several, or all of the above.

[0172] In some embodiments, the access network device 102 receives the second information described above.

[0173] In step S2102, network device 102 sends a first RRC signaling or a first MAC CE to relay device 101.

[0174] In some embodiments, the access network device may send first information to the relay device 101 via a first RRC or a first MAC CE.

[0175] Optionally, the first information includes periodically forwarded resource information, non-periodic forwarded resource information, or semi-static forwarded resource information.

[0176] Optionally, the forwarding resource information may include beam information and / or time-domain resource information. See the description of the following embodiments.

[0177] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate the beam information corresponding to the link between the relay device 101 and the terminal 103. The link between the relay device 101 (e.g., NCR) and the terminal 103 is an access link or a service link.

[0178] Optionally, the access network device can configure or indicate the first information based on the second information reported by the NCR.

[0179] In some embodiments, the beam information includes at least one of the following:

[0180] Maximum number of beams;

[0181] Time-domain resource information corresponding to the beam.

[0182] In one scenario, network device 102 sends first information via a first RRC signaling or a first MAC CE. This first information is periodic forwarding resource information or semi-static forwarding resource information. The periodic forwarding resource information or semi-static forwarding resource information includes beam information and time-domain resource information, such as the maximum number of beams and the time-domain resource information corresponding to each beam.

[0183] In another scenario, network device 102 sends first information via a first RRC signaling or a first MAC CE. This first information is aperiodic forwarding resource information. The aperiodic forwarding resource information includes one or more time-domain resource information entries, each of which may have a corresponding index. It is worth noting that in this case, after step S2102, the method may further include step S2103.

[0184] In one implementation, the access network device can configure the maximum number of beams on the access link or serving link by sending a first RRC signaling, and expand the configurable number of beams on the access link or serving link by extending the parameters in the RRC configuration.

[0185] Optionally, the access network device 102 configures or indicates a maximum number of beams that is greater than or equal to a first value based on the first information, wherein the first value is greater than the maximum number of beams in the access link of the terrestrial network TN. The first value can be denoted as N or N'. If the N supported by the NCR is reported based on its capabilities, N' can be less than or equal to N. For example, if the maximum number of beams in the access link of the TN is 64, then N is greater than 64, for example, N = 1024, 1058, or other values.

[0186] In one example, the value of the parameter `maximum beamindex number` in the RRC configuration can be less than or equal to N, where N can be the number of beams that the NCR needs to support in the NCR uplink scenario, such as N = 1024, 1058, or other values, and N > the maximum number of beams supported by the NCR in the TN network (64). In this example, under the NTN scenario, the maximum configurable number of beams for the NCR can be expanded, allowing the onboard relay equipment to transmit more beams. This example is applicable to either periodic forwarding resource information configuration or semi-static forwarding resource information configuration.

[0187] In one example, when configuring the maximum number of beams, the information elements configured by RRC include:

[0188] NCR-PeriodicFwdResource::=SEQUENCE{

[0189] periodicFwdRsrcId NCR-PeriodicFwdResourceId,

[0190] beamIndex INTEGER(0..N)

[0191] In another implementation, the access network device can configure the time-domain resource information on the access link or service link by sending a first RRC signaling or a first MAC CE, and expand the time-domain resource information configured on the access link or service link based on the expansion of the configuration parameters.

[0192] Optionally, the time-domain resource information includes the duration of the transmitted beam, which is greater than or equal to a second value, wherein the second value is defined by the protocol or configured by the access network device.

[0193] The second value can be determined based on the duration of the NCR's transmitted beam on the access link in the TN. To distinguish it from the duration in this embodiment, the duration of the NCR's transmitted beam in the TN can be described by dwell time. For example, the second value is greater than the dwell time of the NCR's transmitted beam on the access link in the TN. By extending the duration as described above, the indication of the NCR beam's dwell time in the NTN can be enhanced or extended.

[0194] It is worth noting that in a TN, the NCR transmits a beam on the access link to serve only one user, thus its dwell time is short or its duration is set for a specific service. However, in the NTN scenario of NCR uplinking in this disclosure embodiment, each beam transmitted by the NCR on the access link needs to achieve coverage for a period of time to meet all services of one or more users within that beam. This is a duration or a longer dwell time. The service-specific dwell time of the TN NCR is not applicable to the NTN.

[0195] In one example, the durationinsymbols-r18 parameter in the RRC configuration is enhanced.

[0196] For example, in this example, the duration is in slots, or absolute time units such as milliseconds (ms), seconds (s), or minutes (min), which is greater than the duration of stay in NCR in TN, which is in symbols.

[0197] For example, in this example, the unit of duration is still symbol, but the range of values ​​is larger than the dwell time range corresponding to NCR in TN. For instance, the range of duration becomes larger, say D. Specifically, for periodic forwarding resource information configurations or semi-static forwarding resource information configurations, the duration can be >112 symbols. For non-periodic forwarding resource information configurations, the duration can be >28 symbols.

[0198] Optionally, the time-domain resource information includes the period of the transmit beam, which is greater than or equal to a third value, wherein the third value is greater than the beam period of the access link in the TN. The third value can be greater than the maximum period length supported by the TN's NCR in the relevant protocol, such as a third value greater than 10240 ms or 10240 slots. In this embodiment of the disclosure, the period of the transmit beam can be T ms or T slots, where T > 10240.

[0199] Optionally, the time-domain resource information includes the time-domain start offset (or simply start offset) of the transmit beam, and the range of values ​​for the time-domain start offset is greater than the range of values ​​for the access link beam offset in the TN. For example, the unit of the start offset of the transmit beam is ms or slot, while the range of values ​​for the access link beam offset in the TN is symbol. As another example, the unit of the start offset of the transmit beam may be the same as that of the offset in the TN, but the range of values ​​may be larger.

[0200] In one example, the time-domain resource information includes the period and initial offset of the transmitted beam.

[0201] In one example, the time-domain resource information includes: a transmit beam period of 512 slots, a slot offset of 500 slots in the initial offset, and a symbol offset of 1 symbol in the initial offset. In this example, based on the period, the slot offset ranges from {0 to 511 slots}.

[0202] In one example, the time-domain resource information includes: the period of the transmitted beam is 3000ms, and the starting offset is a time offset of 2ms.

[0203] In some embodiments, the time-domain resource information includes one or more of the following: duration of the transmitted beam, period of the transmitted beam, and initial offset of the transmitted beam.

[0204] In one example, access network device 102 configures the maximum number of beams and time-domain resource information through first information. The time-domain resource information may include at least the time-domain start offset of the transmit beams. The information elements configured by RRC include:

[0205] Alternatively, the information elements in the RRC configuration may include:

[0206] In some embodiments, relay device 101 receives first information configured by the access network device 102.

[0207] In step S2103, network device 102 sends DCI to relay device 101.

[0208] In some embodiments, the access network device may transmit first information via DCI, the first information including dynamic beam information. For example, the first information is used to dynamically indicate the number of beams, i.e., the beam information includes the number of beams, which is less than or equal to the maximum number of beams.

[0209] In some embodiments, step S2103 is performed when the network is configured with aperiodic forwarding resource information. For example, in conjunction with the description of the foregoing embodiments, network device 102 sends first information via a first RRC signaling or a first MAC CE, the first information including aperiodic forwarding resource information. The aperiodic forwarding resource information includes one or more time-domain resource information, each of which may have a corresponding index.

[0210] In this embodiment, the network device 102 can dynamically indicate the number of beams, such as the beam index, and the index of non-periodic forwarding resource information (that is, the index of time-domain resource information in non-periodic forwarding resource information) by sending DCI.

[0211] In some embodiments, the DCI includes a beam indication field for indicating the number of beams, the number of bits in the beam indication field being greater than or equal to a fourth value, the fourth value being the number of bits in the beam indication field of the TN.

[0212] The fourth value can be 6, and the beam indication field in the TN can indicate 64 beams (2^6 = 64). The corresponding configuration in the TN is aperiodicBeamFieldWidth-r18 INTEGER(1..6).

[0213] In one example of this embodiment, the number of bits M in the beam indication domain of the DCI can be greater than the fourth value, that is, the number of bits in the DCI beam indication domain is extended, such as M being greater than 6. For example, if M = 10, the maximum number of beams that the beam indication domain can indicate is 1024; or if M = 11, the maximum number of beams that the beam indication domain can indicate is 2048.

[0214] In this example, the number of bits in the DCI beam indication field is expanded so that the number of beams that the DCI can dynamically indicate can be equal to the maximum number of beams mentioned above.

[0215] In another example of this embodiment, when the number of bits in the beam indication field is equal to the fourth value, the beam indication field is used to indicate a first number of beams; wherein the first number is selected from the configured maximum number of beams by the second RRC or the second MAC CE, and the first number is the maximum number of beams that the beam indication field can indicate, as determined according to the fourth value.

[0216] For example, the first quantity is 64, and the fourth quantity is 6.

[0217] In this example, the DCI can dynamically indicate 64 beams at a time, but this maximum number of beams can be covered by multiple indications. For example, the beam indexes can be matched one-to-one with the bit indication numbers in the DCI. Assuming the maximum number of beams is 1058, the access network device 102 can dynamically indicate 64 beams to be applied in a single DCI, where 64 can be selected from 1058 based on the second RRC signaling or the second MAC CE. If one DCI dynamically indicates the application of beams 0-63, the next DCI dynamically indicates beams 64-127, and so on, with multiple indications covering the maximum supported beam number of 1058.

[0218] In this example, the number of bits in the DCI beam indication field remains unchanged, such as 6 bits, but it can be configured based on the second RRC signaling or the second MAC CE to select 64 beams to be applied each time from the maximum number of supported beams.

[0219] In this example, the step between step S2102 and step S2103 may further include the following step: network device 102 sends a second RRC signaling or a second MAC CE to relay device 101, wherein the second RRC signaling or the second MAC CE is used to indicate a first number of beams selected from the maximum number of beams. The second RRC signaling may be different from the first RRC signaling, and the second MAC CE may be different from the first MAC CE.

[0220] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", and "field" can be used interchangeably.

[0221] In some embodiments, “get,” “obtain,” “receive,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” and “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, or autonomous implementation, among other meanings.

[0222] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transfer,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0223] In some embodiments, the terms “radio”, “wireless”, “radio access network (RAN)”, “access network (AN)”, and “RAN-based” can be used interchangeably.

[0224] In some embodiments, terms such as “moment,” “point in time,” “time,” and “time location” can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as “duration,” “segment,” “time window,” “window,” and “time.”

[0225] In some embodiments, the terms "component carrier (CC)," "cell," "frequency carrier," and "carrier frequency" can be used interchangeably.

[0226] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain," "preset," "default," "set," "indicated," "a certain," "any," and "first" can be used interchangeably. "Certain A," "preset A," "default A," "set A," "indicated A," "a certain A," "any A," and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-defined in a protocol or the like, or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or instruction, or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, but are not limited thereto.

[0227] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (boolean), or by a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., a comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0228] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data after receiving it; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the receiver to respond to the sent content.

[0229] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2103.

[0230] In some embodiments, step S2101 is optional and can be replaced by one or more steps in other embodiments. For example, refer to the embodiment of FIG2b.

[0231] In some embodiments, step S2103 is optional and can be replaced by one or more steps in other embodiments. For example, step S2103 is only performed when network device 102 is configured with non-periodic forwarding resource information, in which case the method may include steps S2101 to S2103. However, when network device 102 is configured with periodic forwarding resource information or semi-static forwarding resource information, the method may include steps S2101 to S2102.

[0232] In some embodiments, other alternative implementations may be described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG2a.

[0233] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the on-board relay device 101 obtains the beam information under the NTN scenario indicated by the network based on the first information from the access network device 102. Therefore, on the link between the on-board relay device and the terminal, the relay device 101 can communicate based on the first information to enhance coverage performance. Specifically, for the access network device 102, during the transmission of the first information via different signaling methods, the signaling also needs to be extended to adapt to the NTN scenario.

[0234] Furthermore, based on the above description, in traditional NTN systems, satellites and ground base stations are mutually bound, which is not conducive to the service range of satellites. Therefore, in conjunction with the embodiments described in Figures 1a to 1b, the relay device 101 proposed in this disclosure, such as NCR going to satellite or space, communicates with ground base stations based on the open Uu interface, which is beneficial to debinding satellites from ground networks.

[0235] Figure 2b is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2b, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which includes:

[0236] In step S2201, OAM105 sends the second information to network device 102.

[0237] In some embodiments, the entity corresponding to the OAM105 function can be located in a network-side device, such as in an access network device or in a core network device 104.

[0238] In some embodiments, the second information can be found in the implementation of step S2101 in the embodiment of FIG2a, which will not be repeated here.

[0239] In step S2202, network device 102 sends a first RRC signaling or a first MAC CE to relay device 101.

[0240] In some embodiments, step S2202 can be described with reference to the implementation of step S2102 in the embodiment of FIG2a, and will not be repeated here.

[0241] In step S2203, network device 102 sends DCI to relay device 101.

[0242] In some embodiments, step S2203 can be referred to the implementation of step S2103 in the embodiment of FIG2a, and will not be repeated here.

[0243] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2201 to S2203.

[0244] In some embodiments, step S2201 is optional and can be replaced by one or more steps in other embodiments. For example, refer to the embodiment of FIG2a.

[0245] In some embodiments, step S2203 is optional and can be replaced by one or more steps in other embodiments.

[0246] In some embodiments, other alternative implementations may be described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG2b.

[0247] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the beam information supported by the on-board relay device can be informed to the access network device via OAM, thereby simplifying the process. On the link between the on-board relay device and the terminal, the relay device 101 can communicate based on the first information to enhance coverage performance. For the access network device 102, the signaling also needs to be extended to adapt to the NTN scenario during the transmission of the first information via different signaling methods. Furthermore, based on the above description, in traditional NTN systems, satellites and ground base stations are mutually bound, which is detrimental to the service range of the satellite. Therefore, in conjunction with the embodiments described in Figures 1a and 1b, the relay device 101 proposed in this disclosure, such as when it is launched into space via NCR, communicates with the ground base station based on the open Uu interface, which is beneficial for decoupling the satellite and the ground network.

[0248] Figure 3a is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3a, this embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method executed by a relay device 101, such as an NCR. The method includes:

[0249] Step S3101: Send the second message.

[0250] In some embodiments, step S3101 can be referred to the implementation of step S2101 in the embodiment of FIG2a, and will not be repeated here.

[0251] Step S3102: Receive the first RRC signaling or the first MAC CE.

[0252] In some embodiments, step S3102 can be referred to the implementation of step S2102 in the embodiment of FIG2a, and will not be repeated here.

[0253] Step S3103: Receive DCI.

[0254] In some embodiments, step S3103 can be referred to the implementation of step S2103 in the embodiment of FIG2a, and will not be repeated here.

[0255] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S3101 to S3103.

[0256] In some embodiments, other alternative implementations may be described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG3a.

[0257] Figure 3b is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3b, this embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method executed by a relay device 101, such as an NCR. The method includes:

[0258] Step S3201: Receive the first information sent by network device 102.

[0259] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S3201 can be found in the implementation of steps S2102 and S2103 in FIG2a, and will not be repeated here.

[0260] In some embodiments, other alternative implementations may be described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG3b.

[0261] Figure 4a is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4a, this embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method executed by a network device 102, the method comprising:

[0262] Step S4101: Receive the second information.

[0263] In some embodiments, step S4101 can be referred to the implementation of step S2101 in the embodiment of FIG2a, and will not be repeated here.

[0264] In some embodiments, step S4101 can be referred to the implementation of step S2201 in the embodiment of FIG2b, and will not be repeated here.

[0265] Step S4102: Send the first RRC signaling or the first MAC CE.

[0266] In some embodiments, step S4102 can be referred to the implementation of step S2102 in the embodiment of FIG2a, and will not be repeated here.

[0267] Step S4103: Send DCI.

[0268] In some embodiments, step S4103 can be referred to the implementation of step S2103 in the embodiment of FIG2a, and will not be repeated here.

[0269] The method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S3101 to S3103.

[0270] In some embodiments, other alternative implementations may be described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG3a.

[0271] Figure 4b is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4b, this embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method executed by an access network device 102, the method comprising:

[0272] Step S4201: Send the first information to the relay device 101.

[0273] In some embodiments, the implementation of step S4201 can be found in the implementation of steps S2102 and S2103 in FIG2a, and will not be repeated here.

[0274] In some embodiments, other alternative implementations may be described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG4b.

[0275] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, this embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a communication method executed by an OAM105, the method comprising:

[0276] Step S5101: Send the second message.

[0277] In some embodiments, step S5101 can be referred to the implementation of step S2201 in the embodiment of FIG2b, and will not be repeated here.

[0278] In some embodiments, other optional implementations described before or after the specification corresponding to Figure 5 may be referred to.

[0279] This disclosure provides a method for indicating access link beam information of an on-board NCR. To facilitate understanding of this disclosure, some specific examples are provided below:

[0280] Example 1:

[0281] This example extends the beam characteristics on the access link.

[0282] Inform the base station of at least one of the following information through OAM or NCR-MT reporting capabilities:

[0283] The maximum number of beams N that the NCR can transmit simultaneously on the access link;

[0284] The number of beams that the NCR can support on the access link;

[0285] The beam point of the NCR on the access link. The beam point can be the location of the center point of the beam hitting the ground;

[0286] The beam radius of the NCR on the access link. There can be multiple beam radii, which can be determined by the radius / diameter of the ground beam or the HPBW.

[0287] Is the beam emitted by the NCR on the access link earth-fixed or earth-moving?

[0288] If the beam of an NCR on an access link is earth-fixed, then the length of time it holds that point.

[0289] Example 2:

[0290] This example extends the number of configurable beams on the access link.

[0291] Extended parameters in RRC configuration: applicable to periodic forwarding resource configuration and semi-static forwarding resource configuration.

[0292] For example, the maximum beamindex number is extended from 64 to N, where N = 1024, 1058, or other values.

[0293] The number of bits in the beam indication field in the extended DCI is currently only supported up to 64, therefore the number of bits in the beam indication field is 6 (2^6 = 64), aperiodicBeamFieldWidth-r18 INTEGER(1..6). The DCI extension in this example can be done in any of the following ways:

[0294] Method 1: The number of beam indicator bits in the extended DCI is M, M=10 (corresponding to 1024 bits), M=11 (corresponding to 2048 bits);

[0295] Method 2: Keep the number of bits in the beam indication field unchanged, select 64 beams from 1058 beams through RRC, and match them one by one with the serial numbers in DCI according to their order.

[0296] Example 3:

[0297] This example extends the time-domain resources configured on the access link.

[0298] Extended RRC parameters: applicable to periodic forwarding resource configuration, semi-static forwarding resource configuration, and non-periodic forwarding configuration.

[0299] The duration (durationinsymbols-r18) unit is changed from symbol to slot or other absolute time units, such as milliseconds (ms), seconds (s), minutes (min); or its duration unit remains the same, but the range is increased to D.

[0300] For periodic forwarding resource configuration and semi-static forwarding resource configuration, the time length is >112 symbols;

[0301] For non-periodic forwarding configurations, the time length is >28 symbols.

[0302] Period extension: The maximum period length supported in the relevant protocol is 10240ms or 10240 slots. This example can be extended to Tms / slot, where T>10240. The time offset (slot offset) can have its time unit changed or be extended.

[0303] In one embodiment, the period is 512 slots, the slot offset is 500 slots, and the symbol offset is 1 symbol. In this embodiment, because the period is 512 slots, the range of the slot offset is {0, 511 slots}.

[0304] In one embodiment, the period is 3000ms and the time offset is 2ms.

[0305] This disclosure also provides an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Alternatively, another apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0306] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0307] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0308] Figure 6a is a schematic diagram of the structure of a satellite device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6a, the satellite device 6100 may include at least one of a transceiver module 6101, a processing module 6102, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 6101 is used to receive first information sent by a network device, the first information being used to indicate beam information corresponding to the link between a relay device on the satellite and a terminal.

[0309] Optionally, the transceiver module 6101 is used to perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving performed by the relay device in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here. Optionally, the processing module 6102 is used to perform at least one of the other steps performed by the relay device in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0310] Figure 6b is a schematic diagram of the network device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6b, the network device 6200 may include at least one of a transceiver module 6201, a processing module 6202, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 6201 is used to send first information to a relay device on a satellite, the first information being used to indicate beam information corresponding to the link between the relay device and the terminal.

[0311] Optionally, the transceiver module 6201 is used to perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving performed by the network device in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here. Optionally, the processing module 6202 is used to perform at least one of the other steps performed by the network device 102 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0312] Figure 6c is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6c, the network device 6300 may include at least one of a transceiver module 6301, a processing module 6302, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 6301 is used to send second information to the network device, wherein the second information is used to indicate beam information that the relay device can support.

[0313] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0314] In some embodiments, the processing module may be a single module or may include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules may each perform all or part of the steps required by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module may be interchangeable with a processor.

[0315] Figure 7a is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 7100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 7100 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment, etc.), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 7100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0316] As shown in Figure 7a, the communication device 7100 includes one or more processors 7101. The processor 7101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 7100 can be used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 7101 can be used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 7100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0317] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more transceivers 7102. When the communication device 7100 includes one or more transceivers 7102, the transceiver 7102 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method, and the processor 7101 performs at least one of the other steps. In optional embodiments, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, sending unit, transmitter, sending circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0318] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more memories 7103 for storing data. Optionally, all or part of the memories 7103 may be located outside the communication device 7100. In optional embodiments, the communication device 7100 may include one or more interface circuits 7104. Optionally, the interface circuits 7104 are connected to the memories 7103 and can be used to receive data from the memories 7103 or other devices, and to send data to the memories 7103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 7104 can read data stored in the memories 7103 and send the data to the processor 7101.

[0319] The communication device 7100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 7100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 7100 may not be limited by FIG. 7a. The communication device may be a standalone device or a part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (7) others, etc.

[0320] Figure 7b is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 7200 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 7100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the chip 7200 shown in Figure 7b, but it is not limited thereto.

[0321] Chip 7200 includes one or more processors 7201. Chip 7200 is used to perform any of the above methods.

[0322] In some embodiments, chip 7200 further includes one or more interface circuits 7202. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 7200 further includes one or more memories 7203 for storing data. Optionally, all or part of the memories 7203 may be located outside chip 7200. Optionally, interface circuit 7202 is connected to memory 7203, and interface circuit 7202 can be used to receive data from memory 7203 or other devices, and interface circuit 7202 can be used to send data to memory 7203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 7202 can read data stored in memory 7203 and send the data to processor 7201.

[0323] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 7202 performs at least one of the communication steps, such as sending and / or receiving, in the above-described method. For example, the interface circuit 7202 performing the communication steps, such as sending and / or receiving, in the above-described method means that the interface circuit 7202 performs data interaction between the processor 7201, the chip 7200, the memory 7203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 7201 performs at least one of the other steps.

[0324] The modules and / or devices described in the various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be combined or separated arbitrarily as needed. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0325] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on the communication device 7100, cause the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0326] This disclosure also provides a program product that, when executed by the communication device 7100, causes the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0327] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods. Industrial applicability

[0328] Based on the first information from the network device, the relay device obtains the beam information in the NTN scenario indicated by the network, so that the relay device can communicate on the link between the relay device and the terminal based on the first information to enhance coverage performance.

Claims

1. A communication method performed by a relay device, the method comprising: The system receives first information sent by a network device, the first information being used to indicate the beam information corresponding to the link between the relay device and the terminal.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, The first information includes at least one of the following: Maximum number of beams; Time-domain resource information corresponding to the beam.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein, The maximum number of beams is greater than or equal to a first value, wherein the first value is greater than the maximum number of beams in the access link of the terrestrial network TN.

4. The method as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein, The time-domain resource information includes the duration of the transmitted beam, which is greater than or equal to a second value, wherein the second value is defined by the protocol or configured by the network device.

5. The method as described in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, The time-domain resource information includes the period of the transmitted beam, which is greater than or equal to a third value, wherein the third value is greater than the beam period of the access link in the TN.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein, The time-domain resource information includes the time-domain start offset of the transmit beam, and the range of the time-domain start offset is greater than the range of the access link beam offset in the TN.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The first information is sent via the first Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling or the first Media Access Control (MAC) control unit CE, wherein the first information includes periodically forwarded resource information, non-periodically forwarded resource information, or semi-statically forwarded resource information.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The first information is transmitted via downlink control information (DCI), wherein the first information includes dynamic beam information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The beam information includes the number of beams, and the DCI includes a beam indication field for indicating the number of beams. The number of bits in the beam indication field is greater than or equal to a fourth value, which is the number of bits in the beam indication field of the TN.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, When the number of bits in the beam indication field is equal to the fourth value, the beam indication field is used to indicate a first number of beams; wherein the first number is selected from the configured maximum number of beams by a second RRC or a second MAC CE, and the first number is the maximum number of beams that the beam indication field can indicate, as determined by the fourth value.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, The method further includes: Send a second message to the network device, the second message being used to indicate the beam information that the relay device can support.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The second information includes at least one of the following: The number of beams that the relay device can support on the link between the relay device and the terminal; The maximum number of beams that the relay device can simultaneously transmit on the link between it and the terminal; The relay device supports beam coverage on the link between itself and the terminal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The beam coverage area includes at least one of the following: Beam position; Beam radius; Is the beam moving with the satellite or fixed? The duration for which a fixed beam maintains a fixed position.

14. A communication method performed by a network device, the method comprising: Send first information to the relay device, the first information being used to indicate the beam information corresponding to the link between the relay device and the terminal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The first information includes at least one of the following: Maximum number of beams; Time-domain resource information corresponding to the beam.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The maximum number of beams is greater than or equal to a first value, wherein the first value is greater than the maximum number of beams in the access link of the terrestrial network TN.

17. The method of claim 15 or 16, wherein, The time-domain resource information includes the duration of the transmitted beam, which is greater than or equal to a second value, wherein the second value is defined by the protocol or configured by the network device.

18. The method as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein, The time-domain resource information includes the period of the transmitted beam, which is greater than or equal to a third value, wherein the third value is greater than the beam period of the access link in the TN.

19. The method as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein, The time-domain resource information includes the time-domain start offset of the transmit beam, and the range of the time-domain start offset is greater than the range of the access link beam offset in the TN.

20. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein, The first information is sent via the first Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling or the first Media Access Control (MAC) control unit CE, wherein the first information includes periodically forwarded resource information, non-periodically forwarded resource information, or semi-statically forwarded resource information.

21. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 20, wherein, The first information is transmitted via downlink control information (DCI), wherein the first information includes dynamic beam information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, The beam information includes the number of beams, and the DCI includes a beam indication field for indicating the number of beams. The number of bits in the beam indication field is greater than or equal to a fourth value, which is the number of bits in the beam indication field of the TN.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein, When the number of bits in the beam indication field is equal to the fourth value, the beam indication field is used to indicate a first number of beams; wherein the first number is selected from the configured maximum number of beams by a second RRC or a second MAC CE, and the first number is the maximum number of beams that the beam indication field can indicate, as determined by the fourth value.

24. The method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 23, wherein, The method further includes: The system receives second information sent by the relay device or the Operation, Maintenance and Management (OAM) system, the second information indicating the beam information that the relay device can support.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein, The second information includes at least one of the following: The number of beams that the relay device can support on the link between the relay device and the terminal; The maximum number of beams that the relay device can simultaneously transmit on the link between it and the terminal; The relay device supports beam coverage on the link between itself and the terminal.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein, The beam coverage area includes at least one of the following: Beam position; Beam radius; Is the beam moving with the satellite or fixed? The duration for which a fixed beam maintains a fixed position.

27. A relay device, comprising: The transceiver module is used to receive first information sent by the network device, the first information being used to indicate the beam information corresponding to the link between the relay device and the terminal.

28. A network device, comprising: The transceiver module is used to send first information to the relay device, the first information being used to indicate the beam information corresponding to the link between the relay device and the terminal.

29. A communication device, comprising: One or more processors; One or more transceivers; The communication device is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 or any one of claims 14 to 26.

30. A storage medium storing instructions, wherein, When the instructions are executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, or any one of claims 14 to 26.

31. A program product, wherein, When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device performs the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, or any one of claims 14 to 26.

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