Communication method, system and related device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method, a communication system and a related device, and in the communication system provided by the invention, a plurality of devices can perform mesh networking. Networked equipment can integrate the multi-channel communication capability, and a self-organizing communication network architecture and algorithm for cooperative work in a network-free environment and a network-free environment are realized, so that the efficient and stable communication requirements among equipment in a complex environment are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of terminal and communication technology, and in particular to communication methods, systems and related devices. Background Technology

[0002] Users often need to stay in touch with their travel companions during outdoor activities. This includes sharing their location to confirm each other's positions, sharing travel plans, and highlighting scenic views encountered along the way. However, some outdoor locations have inadequate network infrastructure, which may cause communication devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and watches to be unable to connect to the network. When users need to send messages, the messages may fail to be sent because the sender's and / or receiver's devices cannot connect to the network. This negatively impacts the user's travel experience. Improving the communication experience for users of electronic devices is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a communication method, system, and related apparatus. Through the method provided by this application, electronic devices can form a network with other networked electronic devices in places without a network, thereby enabling communication between networked devices and other networked devices (e.g., servers, electronic devices), thereby improving the user's communication experience when using electronic devices.

[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides a communication method applicable to a communication system, which may include a first device, a second device, a third device, and a server; wherein the first device, the second device, and the third device are networked together, the third device and the server establish a communication connection through a first communication technology, the first device and the second device establish a communication connection through a second communication technology, and the second device and the third device establish a communication connection through a third communication technology; the second and third communication technologies are near-field communication technologies; the method may include: the first device sending a first message to the second device, the first message including first indication information, the first indication information being used to instruct the first device to send a message to the server; the second device receiving the first message and sending a first message to the third device based on the first indication information; and the third device receiving the first message and sending a first message to the server based on the first indication information.

[0005] In some embodiments, the first device may be Figure 7 The node G shown can be a second device. Figure 7 The node C shown can be a third device. Figure 7 The node D shown is shown.

[0006] In some examples, electronic devices that can communicate directly with servers via cellular networks or satellite networks can be called network-connected devices. Devices that are not registered on cellular networks or have not established satellite communication connections and cannot communicate directly with servers can be called network-free devices.

[0007] In some examples, the first communication technology is different from the second or third communication technology, or the second and third communication technologies are the same or different.

[0008] In some examples, the first indication information may include the identifier of the first device, the server address, etc.

[0009] Using the method provided in the first aspect, multiple devices can be networked. These networked devices can integrate multi-channel communication capabilities, enabling collaborative operation in both networked and offline environments to meet the needs of efficient and stable communication between devices in complex environments. This allows offline devices in the network to send messages to the server through networked devices. This improves the communication experience for users of electronic devices.

[0010] In one possible implementation, after the third device sends a first message to the server, the method may further include: the server sending a second message to the third device, the second message including second indication information, the second indication information being used to instruct the server to send a message to the first device; the third device receiving the second message and sending a second message to the second device based on the second indication information; and the second device receiving the second message and sending a second message to the first device based on the second indication information.

[0011] In some examples, the second indication information may include the identifier of the first device.

[0012] In some examples, the identifier of the first device includes, but is not limited to, a user account on the first device (e.g., a login account for a communication application on the first device, or a system login account on the first device) and a mobile phone number.

[0013] In this way, even devices without a network can receive messages sent by the server, thereby improving the communication experience for users of electronic devices.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the first message can be used to download the first content; the server sending a second message to the third device may include: the server sending a second message to the third device based on the first message, the second message may include the first content or the download address of the first content.

[0015] In this way, even if the first device is offline, it can still obtain the first content from the server through the networked devices.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the communication system may include a fourth device, which establishes a communication connection with the server. The fourth device is not networked with the first device, the second device, or the third device. The method may further include: the first device sending a third message to the second device, the third message including third indication information, the third indication being used to instruct the first device to send a message to the fourth device; the second device receiving the third message and sending a third message to the third device based on the third indication information; the third device receiving the third message and sending a third message to the server based on the third indication information; and the server receiving the third message and sending a third message to the fourth device based on the third indication information.

[0017] In some examples, the third indication information may include the identifier of the first device and the identifier of the fourth device.

[0018] In some examples, the identifier of the fourth device may include, but is not limited to, a user account on the fourth device (e.g., a login account for a communication application on the fourth device, or a system login account on the fourth device) or a mobile phone number on the fourth device.

[0019] In some examples, a fourth device can Figure 7 Node I or Node J in the network. In this way, even if the first device is in a networkless environment, it can still send messages to other networked devices that are not networked with the first device by using the networked devices in the network.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: a fourth device sending a fourth message to a server, the fourth message including fourth indication information, the fourth indication information being used to instruct the fourth device to send a message to the first device; the server receiving the fourth message and sending a fourth message to a third device based on the fourth indication information; the third device receiving the fourth message and sending a fourth message to a second device based on the fourth indication information; and the second device receiving the fourth message and sending a fourth message to the first device based on the fourth indication information.

[0021] In some examples, the fourth indication may include the identifier of the fourth device and the identifier of the first device.

[0022] In this way, even if the first device is in an environment without a network, it can still receive messages sent by other networked devices that are not in a network by using the networked devices in the network.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the communication system may further include a fifth device, which establishes a near-field communication connection with the third device through a fifth communication technology, and establishes a communication connection with the server; the method may further include: the third device sending a fifth message to the server, the fifth message including fifth indication information, the fifth indication information being used to instruct the third device to send a message to the fifth device; the third device sending the fifth message to the fifth device through the near-field communication connection.

[0024] In some examples, the fifth indication information may include the identifier of the third device and the identifier of the fifth device.

[0025] In some examples, the identifier of the third device may include, but is not limited to, a user account on the third device (e.g., a login account for a communication application on the third device, or a system login account on the third device) or a mobile phone number on the third device.

[0026] In some examples, the identifier of the fifth device may include, but is not limited to, a user account on the fifth device (e.g., a login account for a communication application on the fifth device, or a system login account on the fifth device) or a mobile phone number on the fifth device.

[0027] In some examples, the fifth device can Figure 7 Node A in the diagram.

[0028] In this way, there can be multiple networked devices (e.g., a third device and a fifth device). Each device in this communication system, upon receiving a message, can send a message to every electronic device connected to it (except for the device sending the message to that electronic device). For example, the third device can send a fifth message to both the server and the fifth device.

[0029] In one possible implementation, after the third device sends a fifth message to the fifth device via a near-field communication connection, the method may further include: the fifth device receiving the fifth message sent by the third device; the fifth device receiving the fifth message sent by the server; and based on the fifth message sent by the third device and the fifth message sent by the server, determining that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message and not processing the fifth message sent by the server.

[0030] In some examples, not processing a fifth message sent by the server may include discarding the fifth message sent by the server, or receiving the fifth message but not replying to the message based on the fifth message or not forwarding the fifth message to other devices in the network.

[0031] In this way, when the fifth device receives the same message repeatedly, it will not process the fifth message repeatedly. This saves power consumption for the fifth device.

[0032] In one possible implementation, determining that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message can specifically include: when the fifth device receives the fifth message sent by the third device, it saves the identifier of the fifth message; after receiving the fifth message sent by the server, the fifth device determines that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message based on the identifier of the fifth message.

[0033] In this way, the fifth device can determine that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message based on the identifier of the fifth message.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the communication system further includes a fifth device, which establishes a near-field communication connection with the third device via a fifth communication technology, and the fifth device also communicates with the server. The method may further include: a fourth device sending a sixth message to the server, the sixth message including sixth indication information, which instructs the fourth device to send a message to the fifth device; the server sending the sixth message to both the fifth and third devices; the third device sending the sixth message to the fifth device via the near-field communication connection; the fifth device receiving the sixth message sent by the third device; the fifth device receiving the sixth message sent by the server; and the fifth device determining, based on the sixth message sent by the third device and the sixth message sent by the server, that the sixth message sent by the third device is a duplicate message and not processing it.

[0035] In some examples, not processing a sixth message sent by a third device may include discarding the sixth message sent by the third device, or receiving the sixth message but not replying to it or forwarding it to other devices in the network.

[0036] In this way, when the fifth device receives the same message repeatedly, it will not process the sixth message repeatedly. This saves power consumption for the fifth device.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the communication system may further include a seventh device, which establishes a near-field communication connection with the third device and a near-field communication connection with the fifth device. The method may further include: the seventh device receiving a seventh message sent by the third device, wherein the seventh message is a message sent to the seventh device; the seventh device receiving a seventh message sent by the fifth device; and, based on the identifier of the seventh message, determining whether the seventh message sent by the third device or the seventh message sent by the fifth device is a duplicate message, and not processing the duplicate message.

[0038] In this way, when the seventh device receives the same message repeatedly, it can avoid processing the same message repeatedly, thereby saving power consumption of the seventh device.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the first communication technology is any one of cellular communication technology, satellite communication technology, or wireless local area network communication technology;

[0040] The second communication technology is any one of Bluetooth communication technology, Starlight communication technology, point-to-point communication technology, or communication technology based on a preset frequency band;

[0041] The third communication technology is any one of Bluetooth communication technology, Starlight communication technology, point-to-point communication technology, or communication technology based on a preset frequency band;

[0042] Near-field communication technology can be any one of cellular communication technology, satellite communication technology, or wireless local area network communication technology.

[0043] Near-field communication (NFC) connection is a communication connection established through NFC technology.

[0044] In this way, devices in the network can be networked using different communication technologies.

[0045] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a third device. The third device is networked with a first device and a second device, forming a communication system with the first device, the second device, and a server. The third device and the server establish a communication connection through a first communication technology, the first device and the second device establish a communication connection through a second communication technology, and the second device and the third device establish a communication connection through a third communication technology. The second and third communication technologies are near-field communication technologies. The method may include: the third device receiving a first message sent by the second device, the first message being sent by the first device to the second device, the first message including first indication information, the first indication information being used to instruct the first device to send a message to the server; the third device receiving the first message and sending the first message to the server based on the first indication information.

[0046] In some examples, the first communication technology is different from the second or third communication technology, or the second and third communication technologies are the same or different.

[0047] In some examples, the first indication information may include the identifier of the first device, the server address, etc.

[0048] In some embodiments, the first device may be Figure 7 The node G shown can be a second device. Figure 7 The node C shown can be a third device. Figure 7The node D is shown. In some examples, electronic devices that can communicate directly with the server via cellular networks or satellite networks can be called networked devices. Devices that are not registered in a cellular network or have not established a satellite communication connection and cannot communicate directly with the server can be called networkless devices.

[0049] In some examples, the identifier of the first device includes, but is not limited to, a user account on the first device (e.g., a login account for a communication application on the first device, or a system login account on the first device) and a mobile phone number.

[0050] Using the method provided in the second aspect, the third device can simultaneously establish communication connections with different devices through different communication technologies. This allows the third device to perform both networked and offline communication. Furthermore, multiple devices can form a network. Networked devices can integrate multi-channel communication capabilities, enabling collaborative operation in both networked and offline environments to meet the needs of efficient and stable communication between devices in complex environments. This allows offline devices within the network to send messages to the server through networked devices. This improves the user's communication experience when using electronic devices.

[0051] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: a third device receiving a second message sent by a server, the second message including second indication information, the second indication information being used to instruct the server to send a message to a first device; the third device receiving the second message, and sending the second message to the second device based on the second indication information, and sending the second message to the first device through the second device.

[0052] In some examples, the second indication information may include the identifier of the first device.

[0053] In this way, even devices without a network can receive messages sent by the server, thereby improving the communication experience for users of electronic devices.

[0054] In one possible implementation, the first message can be used to download first content; the third device receiving the second message sent by the server may include: the third device receiving the second message sent by the server, the second message including the first content or the download address of the first content.

[0055] In this way, even if the first device is offline, it can still obtain the first content from the server through the networked devices.

[0056] In one possible implementation, the communication system may include a fourth device, which establishes a communication connection with the server. The fourth device is not networked with the first device, the second device, or the third device. The method may further include: the third device receiving a third message sent by the second device, the third message being sent by the first device to the second device, the third message including third indication information, the third indication information being used to instruct the first device to send a message to the fourth device; the third device receiving the third message, and sending the third message to the server based on the third indication information, and then having the server send the third message to the fourth device.

[0057] In some examples, the third indication information may include the identifier of the first device and the identifier of the fourth device.

[0058] In some examples, the identifier of the fourth device may include, but is not limited to, a user account on the fourth device (e.g., a login account for a communication application on the fourth device, or a system login account on the fourth device) or a mobile phone number on the fourth device.

[0059] In some examples, a fourth device can Figure 7 Node I or node J in the array.

[0060] In this way, even if the first device is in a network-free environment, it can still send messages to other network-connected devices that are not networked with the first device by using the network-connected devices in the network.

[0061] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: a third device receiving a fourth message sent by a server, the fourth message being sent by the fourth device to the server, the fourth message including fourth indication information, the fourth indication information being used to instruct the fourth device to send a message to the first device; the third device receiving the fourth message, and sending the fourth message to a second device based on the fourth indication information, and then sending the fourth message to the first device through the second device.

[0062] In some examples, the fourth indication may include the identifier of the fourth device and the identifier of the first device. This allows the first device to receive messages from other networked devices, even if it is in a network-free environment, by leveraging the networked devices within the network.

[0063] In one possible implementation, the communication system may further include a sixth device, which establishes a near-field communication connection with the third device and a communication connection with the server; the method may further include: the third device receiving a fifth message sent by the sixth device; the third device receiving a fifth message sent by the server; the third device determining that it has received a fifth message before receiving the fifth message sent by the server, and discarding the fifth message sent by the server.

[0064] In this way, there can be multiple networked devices (e.g., a third device and a sixth device). Each device in this communication system, after receiving a message, can send the message to every electronic device connected to it (except for the device that sent the message to that electronic device). Furthermore, if a third device receives the same message repeatedly, it can discard the later received message.

[0065] In one possible implementation, the third device determining that it has already received the fifth message before receiving the fifth message sent by the server, and discarding the fifth message sent by the server, may include: when the third device receives the fifth message sent by the sixth device, saving the identifier of the fifth message, which is carried in the fifth message; when the third device receives the fifth message sent by the server, obtaining the identifier of the fifth message from the fifth message; the third device determining that the identifier of the fifth message exists in the third device; the third device determining that the third device has already received the fifth message, and discarding the fifth message sent by the server.

[0066] In some examples, each message involved in this application may include a message identifier field, which can be used to indicate the identifier of the message. For example, the message identifier field may be filled with the ID of the message. For instance, the fifth message may include a message identifier field, which may include the ID of the fifth message.

[0067] Furthermore, in some examples, the message identifier field is in the message header. For example, the message identifier field may exist in the message header of the fifth message.

[0068] In this way, when the third device receives the fifth message repeatedly, it can determine from the message identifier parsed from the fifth message that it has already received the fifth message, and discard the fifth message received again to avoid duplication.

[0069] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: the third device receiving a sixth message sent by the server; the third device receiving a sixth message sent by the sixth device; the third device determining that it has already received the sixth message before receiving the sixth message sent by the sixth device, and discarding the sixth message sent by the sixth device.

[0070] In this scenario, where the server sends messages to devices in the network, each device in the network, after receiving a message, can send messages to all devices connected to it. Thus, the third device can receive both the sixth message sent by the server and the sixth message sent by the sixth device. Furthermore, if the third device receives the same message repeatedly, it can discard the second received message.

[0071] In some examples, each message involved in this application may include a message identifier field, which can be used to indicate the identifier of the message. For example, the message identifier field may be filled with the ID of the message. For instance, the sixth message may include a message identifier field, which may include the ID of the sixth message.

[0072] Furthermore, in some examples, the message identifier field is in the message header. For example, the message identifier field may exist in the message header of the sixth message.

[0073] In this way, when the third device receives the sixth message again, it can determine from the message identifier parsed from the sixth message that it has already received the sixth message, and discard the sixth message received again to avoid duplication.

[0074] In one possible implementation, the third device determining that it has already received the sixth message before receiving the sixth message sent by the sixth device, and discarding the sixth message sent by the sixth device, may include: when the third device receives the sixth message sent by the server, saving the identifier of the sixth message, which is carried in the sixth message; when the third device receives the sixth message sent by the sixth device, obtaining the identifier of the sixth message from the sixth message; the third device determining that the identifier of the sixth message exists in the third device; the third device determining that the third device has already received the sixth message, and discarding the sixth message sent by the sixth device.

[0075] In one possible implementation, the first communication technology is any one of cellular communication technology, satellite communication technology, or wireless local area network communication technology;

[0076] The second communication technology is any one of Bluetooth communication technology, Starlight communication technology, point-to-point communication technology, or communication technology based on a preset frequency band;

[0077] The third communication technology is any one of Bluetooth communication technology, Starlight communication technology, point-to-point communication technology, or communication technology based on a preset frequency band;

[0078] Near-field communication technology can be any one of cellular communication technology, satellite communication technology, or wireless local area network communication technology.

[0079] Near-field communication (NFC) connection is a communication connection established through NFC technology.

[0080] In this way, devices in the network can be networked using different communication technologies.

[0081] Thirdly, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a fifth device. The third device is networked with the first and second devices, forming a communication system with the first, second, and server. The third device and the server establish a communication connection through a first communication technology, the first and second devices establish a communication connection through a second communication technology, and the second and third devices establish a communication connection through a third communication technology. The fifth device establishes a near-field communication connection with the third device and a communication connection with the server. The method may include: the fifth device receiving a fifth message sent by the third device, the fifth message including fifth indication information, the fifth indication information being used to instruct the third device to send a message to the fifth device; the fifth device receiving a fifth message sent by the server; and the fifth device determining, based on the fifth message sent by the third device and the fifth message sent by the server, that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message and not processing the fifth message sent by the server.

[0082] In some embodiments, the first device may be Figure 7 The node G shown can be a second device. Figure 7 The node C shown can be a third device. Figure 7 Node D is shown. The fifth device can... Figure 7 Node A is shown in the image.

[0083] In some examples, not processing a fifth message sent by the server may include discarding the fifth message sent by the server, or receiving the fifth message but not replying to the message based on the fifth message or not forwarding the fifth message to other devices in the network.

[0084] Using the method provided in the third aspect, the fifth device can simultaneously establish communication connections with different devices through different communication technologies. In this way, the fifth device can perform both network-connected and network-free communication. When the fifth device repeatedly receives the same message, it will not process the message repeatedly, thus saving power consumption.

[0085] In one possible implementation, determining that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message can specifically include: when the fifth device receives the fifth message sent by the third device, it saves the identifier of the fifth message; after receiving the fifth message sent by the server, the fifth device determines that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message based on the identifier of the fifth message.

[0086] In this way, the fifth device can determine that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message based on the identifier of the fifth message.

[0087] Fourthly, a communication system is provided, which may include a first device, a second device, a third device, and a server; wherein the third device and the server establish a communication connection through a first communication technology, the first device and the second device establish a communication connection through a second communication technology, and the second device and the third device establish a communication connection through a third communication technology; the first communication technology is different from the second and third communication technologies, or the second and third communication technologies are the same or different; the first device, the second device, the third device, and the fourth device are used to perform the method described in any possible implementation of the first aspect, and the third device is also used to perform the method described in any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0088] Fifthly, an electronic device is provided, which may include one or more processors, one or more memories, and a transceiver; wherein the transceiver, the one or more memories, and the one or more processors are coupled together, and the one or more memories are used to store computer program code, the computer program code including computer instructions, which, when the one or more processors execute the computer instructions, cause the electronic device to perform the method as described in any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0089] A sixth aspect provides an electronic device that may include one or more processors, one or more memories, and a transceiver; wherein the transceiver, the one or more memories, and the one or more processors are coupled together, and the one or more memories are used to store computer program code, the computer program code including computer instructions, which, when the one or more processors execute the computer instructions, cause the electronic device to perform the method as described in any possible implementation of the third aspect.

[0090] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein instructions are stored therein, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of the possible implementations of the first, second, third, or server, fourth, fifth, or sixth device as described in the first, second, and third aspects.

[0091] Eighthly, a computer program product is provided, characterized in that it includes computer instructions that, when executed on an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the method described in any one of the possible implementations of the first, second, third, server, fourth, fifth, or sixth devices as described in the first, second, and third aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0092] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of multi-channel converged communication provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0093] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0094] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0095] Figures 4A-4E These are schematic diagrams illustrating some communication scenarios provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0096] Figures 5A to 5D These are schematic diagrams illustrating other communication scenarios provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0097] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of yet another communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0098] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0099] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a communication scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0100] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another communication scenario provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0101] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0102] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0103] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware and software framework of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0104] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a server provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0105] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0106] The terminology used in the following embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application. As used in the specification and appended claims of this application, the singular expressions “a,” “an,” “the,” “the,” “the,” and “this” are intended to include the plural expressions as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “first” and “second” are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as implying or suggesting relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as “first” or “second” may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. “First” and “second,” etc., are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a particular order of objects. For example, a first object and a second object are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a particular order of objects.

[0107] In the description of the embodiments in this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. For example, multiple processing units refer to two or more processing units; multiple systems refer to two or more systems.

[0108] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or related scheme described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of the terms "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0109] The term "and / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone.

[0110] The term "user interface (UI)" used in the following embodiments of this application refers to the medium interface through which an application or operating system interacts and exchanges information with the user. It realizes the conversion between the internal form of information and the form that the user can accept. The user interface is source code written in a specific computer language such as Java or Extensible Markup Language (XML). The interface source code is parsed and rendered on the electronic device, ultimately presenting content that the user can recognize. A common form of user interface is the graphical user interface (GUI), which refers to a user interface related to computer operation displayed graphically. It can be visible interface elements such as text, icons, buttons, menus, tabs, text boxes, dialog boxes, status bars, navigation bars, and widgets displayed on the screen of an electronic device.

[0111] With the rapid development of IoT, emergency communication, and industrial internet technologies, the demand for communication between devices is increasing daily. Traditional device-to-device communication methods are often limited by a single communication technology, resulting in limited communication range and bandwidth. Different communication technologies have their own advantages and disadvantages in terms of transmission distance, bandwidth, and power consumption. For example, Bluetooth technology is suitable for short-range, low-power communication scenarios, but its communication distance is relatively short. Dedicated frequency communication technologies such as 400MHz (MHz: megahertz, a unit of frequency) and 700MHz are suitable for long-range communication, but their bandwidth is limited. A single technology cannot meet the needs of multiple scenarios.

[0112] Furthermore, in scenarios where some devices have network coverage, traditional mesh networking devices achieve localized interconnection between devices but cannot interact with the cloud platform. Devices with internet access struggle to establish effective links with other devices in the mesh network that lack internet access. In other words, devices with and without internet access in traditional mesh networking cannot share resources or work collaboratively, resulting in low communication efficiency and limited data transmission.

[0113] This application provides a communication method, system, and related apparatus. In the communication system provided, multiple devices can form a mesh network to create a communication system. These multiple devices may include a first device, a second device, and a third device. The first device and the second device can establish a first communication connection using a first communication technology, and the second device and the third device can establish a second communication connection using the same first communication technology. The first communication technology can be any one of cellular communication technology, Wi-Fi communication technology, or satellite communication technology. The second communication technology can be any one of Bluetooth communication technology, satellite communication technology, or a communication technology operating in a preset frequency band (e.g., emergency communication frequency band communication technology, or low-frequency communication technology). In this way, the networked devices can integrate multi-channel communication capabilities to achieve a self-organizing communication network architecture and algorithm that enables collaborative operation in both networked and offline environments, thereby meeting the needs for efficient and stable communication between devices in complex environments.

[0114] Mesh networking (also known as mesh networking or mesh network) is a wireless network technology that uses multiple nodes (routers or access points) interconnected to form a mesh topology. In a communication system formed by multiple devices in a mesh network, each node is an electronic device. Each node can both send data to other nodes and forward data sent by other nodes.

[0115] In this embodiment, electronic devices can establish communication connections with each other using technologies such as Bluetooth, satellite communication, preset frequency band communication (e.g., emergency communication band communication, or low-frequency communication), satellite communication, cellular communication, and wireless local area network (e.g., Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)). This allows for the provision of converged communication links with varying distances and bandwidths, extending the original point-to-point wireless communication distance.

[0116] For example, such as Figure 1 As shown, electronic device 100 may include an application (e.g., a communication application) and a converged communication module. This converged communication module may include various communication modules, such as a Wi-Fi communication module, a cellular communication module, a satellite communication module, a Bluetooth communication module, and a satellite communication module. Similarly, electronic device 101 may also include an application (e.g., a communication application) and a converged communication module. This converged communication module may include various communication modules, such as a Wi-Fi communication module, a cellular communication module, a satellite communication module, a Bluetooth communication module, and a satellite communication module.

[0117] Electronic device 100 can simultaneously establish multiple physical links with the converged communication module of electronic device 101 through the converged communication module. Applications in electronic device 100 can transmit data to or receive data sent by applications in electronic device 101 through any one or more of the established physical links.

[0118] Taking electronic device 100 as an example, the converged communication module of electronic device 100 can perform network resource detection and perception, and optimize the communication capabilities of different physical links to provide them for upper-layer services. The converged communication module of electronic device 100 can also dynamically select or combine suitable communication links based on different communication distance and bandwidth requirements by intelligently integrating Wi-Fi communication, cellular communication, satellite communication, Bluetooth communication, and satellite communication. For example, if the application of electronic device 100 is transmitting emergency data, such as call data, it can adopt a multi-channel concurrent and multi-channel reception method with and without network coverage, improving the delivery efficiency of emergency data and reducing delivery latency. If the application of electronic device 100 is transmitting streaming media data, such as audio and video data, it can transmit audio data through a low-latency channel and video data through a high-bandwidth channel. If the application of electronic device 100 is used in scenarios with unstable network signals (e.g., unstable satellite communication or mobile network edge coverage) or no network signal coverage, the underlying layer can automatically call the Bluetooth communication module, satellite communication module, and 400M communication module (…). Figure 1 Communication modules (not shown in the image) are used for device discovery and data transmission.

[0119] The communication system provided in the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0120] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application is shown as an example.

[0121] like Figure 2 As shown, the communication system 10 may include electronic devices 100, 101, 102, relay device 200, and server 300. The device types of electronic devices 100, 101, and 102 may include: mobile phones, watches, tablets, handheld computers, PDAs, etc.

[0122] The relay device 200 is a device that can transmit data with the server 300 via cellular communication technology or satellite communication technology. For example, the relay device 200 can be an in-vehicle infotainment system, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, etc. An in-vehicle infotainment system refers to a device installed in a car to provide infotainment, navigation, vehicle control, and other functions. In-vehicle infotainment systems can also be called in-vehicle systems, vehicle-mounted devices, etc. This application embodiment does not specifically limit the device types of electronic devices 100, 101, 102, and the relay device 200.

[0123] The relay device 200 interacts with the server 300 via cellular communication technology. This can mean that the relay device 200 can interact with the server 300 via a network device. A network device can refer to a device used to provide network services, including but not limited to base stations and core network equipment. In some examples, the relay device 200 can access a cellular network via a network device, and then implement communication functions based on the cellular network, such as interacting with the server 300 via data.

[0124] The relay device 200 interacts with the server via satellite communication technology, meaning that the relay device 200 can interact with the server 300 via satellite. In other words, the relay device 200 has satellite communication capabilities and can connect to a satellite to achieve satellite communication.

[0125] In this embodiment, the relay device 200 can establish a communication connection with the server 300 via cellular communication technology or via satellite communication technology. Alternatively, the relay device 200 can establish a communication connection with the server 300 via both cellular and satellite communication technologies.

[0126] In some embodiments, electronic device 100 can establish a communication connection with relay device 200. Specifically, the electronic device 100 and relay device 200 can establish a communication connection through any of the following communication technologies: near field communication (NFC), Bluetooth, Starlink, wireless local area networks (WLAN) (such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks), device-to-device (D2D) communication, and preset frequency band communication technologies (e.g., emergency communication band communication technologies, or low-frequency communication technologies, etc.). Electronic device 101 can also establish a communication connection with relay device 200. Specifically, the electronic device 101 and relay device 200 can establish a communication connection through any of the following communication technologies: NFC, Bluetooth, Starlink, WLAN, D2D, and preset frequency band communication technologies (e.g., emergency communication band communication technologies, or low-frequency communication technologies, etc.).

[0127] Electronic device 101 can establish a communication connection with electronic device 102. Specifically, electronic device 101 and electronic device 102 can establish a communication connection through any of the following communication technologies: NFC, Bluetooth, Starlink, WLAN Direct, D2D, and preset frequency band communication technologies (e.g., emergency communication frequency band communication technologies, or low-frequency communication technologies).

[0128] In some examples, embodiments of this application may refer to a device capable of interacting with server 300 via a cellular network or satellite network as a network-connected device. For example, the relay device 200 may be referred to as a network-connected device.

[0129] In this application embodiment, devices in the communication system 10 that cannot interact with the server 300 via cellular networks or satellite networks can be referred to as network-free devices. For example, electronic devices 100, 101, and 102 can be referred to as network-free devices.

[0130] In this communication system 10, the relay device 200 can form a mesh network with electronic devices 100, 101, and 102, and can also interact with the server 300 via cellular and satellite networks. When devices without a network, such as electronic devices 100, 101, and 102, need to obtain data from or upload data to the server 300, they can do so through the relay device 200.

[0131] In some examples, when multiple electronic devices are networked in a mesh network, the networked devices can act as repeaters. When multiple networked devices exist in a mesh network, all of them can act as repeaters.

[0132] In other examples, users of electronic devices can select relay devices on their electronic devices and pair with the selected relay devices to establish a communication connection. For example, a user in electronic device 100 can select to pair with relay device 200. In other examples, users of relay device 200 can also see the electronic devices paired with relay device 200 on relay device 200. This application does not limit the scope of these examples.

[0133] In some examples, when multiple electronic devices form a wireless network, the wireless devices in the network can send their device identifiers to the network-connected devices. For example, using... Figure 2 Taking the communication system 10 shown as an example, electronic device 100 can send its device identifier to relay device 200, electronic device 101 can also send its device identifier to relay device 200, and electronic device 102 can also send its device identifier to relay device 200.

[0134] The device identifier of an electronic device may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: device account information, International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID), and Unique Device Identifier (UDID).

[0135] In some examples, relay device 200 can also send the latency and bandwidth of its network channel (e.g., cellular channel, satellite channel, etc.) to other devices in the mesh network (e.g., electronic device 100, electronic device 101, and electronic device 102, etc.).

[0136] In other scenarios, the communication system provided in this application embodiment may also include other networked devices that are not networked with electronic device 101, relay device 200, etc. Networkless devices in a mesh network can send messages to other networked devices not connected to the network in the communication system via relay device 200. Other networked devices not connected to the network can send messages to other networkless devices in a mesh network via relay device 200.

[0137] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another communication system provided in an embodiment of this application is shown as an example.

[0138] like Figure 3 As shown, the communication system 20 may include electronic device 100, relay device 200, electronic device 101, electronic device 102 and electronic device 103.

[0139] Among them, electronic device 100, repeater device 200, electronic device 101, and electronic device 102 can form a mesh network. For details regarding electronic device 100, repeater device 200, electronic device 101, and electronic device 102, please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 The description in the text will not be repeated here.

[0140] Electronic device 103 is a networked device, but it is not connected to electronic device 100, relay device 200, electronic device 101, and electronic device 102 in a mesh network.

[0141] In some examples, electronic device 103 can transmit data through server 300 to relay device 200 in the mesh network, and then relay device 200 can forward it to other devices in the mesh network (e.g., electronic device 100, electronic device 101, and electronic device 102).

[0142] In a mesh network, devices without a network (e.g., electronic devices 100, 101, and 102) can transmit data to electronic device 103 via relay device 200.

[0143] For example, multiple users can join a group chat of a communication application. For instance, the users joining the group chat might include users of electronic device 100, relay device 200, electronic device 101, electronic device 102, and electronic device 103. Server 300 can be the server corresponding to the communication application. Some of these users go hiking outdoors, and their electronic devices can form a mesh network. For instance, some of the hiking users might include users of electronic device 100, electronic device 101, electronic device 102, and relay device 200. That is, electronic device 100, relay device 200, electronic device 101, and electronic device 102 can form a mesh network. All the electronic devices of the users in the group chat and the server corresponding to the communication application constitute a communication system. That is, electronic device 100, relay device 200, electronic device 101, electronic device 102, electronic device 103, and server 300 can form a communication system. In this way, the electronic devices of users hiking outdoors (e.g., electronic device 100) can also transmit data (e.g., share outdoor scenery, hiking experiences, etc.) to the offline devices of users who are not hiking outdoors (e.g., electronic device 103). The electronic devices of users who are not hiking outdoors (e.g., electronic device 103) can also receive data sent by the connected and offline devices of users hiking outdoors, and send data to connected and offline devices.

[0144] In some embodiments, server 300 may be a server corresponding to a communication application in electronic device 100 that provides operation controls for pairing with relay devices. For example, server 300 may be a Connect application server corresponding to a Connect application. Alternatively, server 300 may also be a server corresponding to any communication application in electronic device 100.

[0145] In some embodiments, after the electronic device 100 and the relay device 200 are successfully paired, the electronic device 100 may send a message to the server 300 indicating the pairing of the electronic device 100 and the relay device 200. This message may include device identifiers for both the electronic device 100 and the relay device 200. Upon receiving the message from the electronic device 100, the server 300 may store the pairing relationship between the electronic device 100 and the relay device 200.

[0146] Alternatively, after electronic device 100 and relay device 200 successfully pair, electronic device 100 can send a message to server 300 indicating the pairing of electronic device 100 and relay device 200, and relay device 200 can also send a message to server 300 indicating the pairing of electronic device 100 and relay device 200. Both messages sent by electronic device 100 and relay device 200 to server 300 can include device identifiers of electronic device 100 and relay device 200. After receiving pairing messages from both parties (i.e., electronic device 100 and relay device 200), server 300 can store the pairing relationship between electronic device 100 and relay device 200.

[0147] Alternatively, after electronic device 100 and relay device 200 successfully pair, electronic device 100 can send a message to server 300 indicating the pairing of electronic device 100 and relay device 200. This message may include device identifiers for both electronic device 100 and relay device 200. Upon receiving the message from electronic device 100, server 300 can send an inquiry message to relay device 200 based on the device identifier of relay device 200 within the message. This inquiry message can be used to confirm with relay device 200 whether relay device 200 has successfully paired with electronic device 100. Upon receiving this inquiry message, relay device 200 can send an confirmation message to server 300. Server 300 can then confirm the successful pairing of relay device 200 and electronic device 100 from relay device 200 based on this confirmation message. Furthermore, server 300 can store the pairing relationship between electronic device 100 and relay device 200.

[0148] The method for establishing the pairing relationship between the server 300 storage electronic device 100 and the relay device 200 is merely an illustrative example of this application and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0149] In other examples, devices without a network in a mesh network do not need to be matched with devices with a network. After multiple devices are meshed, the devices with a network can broadcast information such as latency and bandwidth of their network channels. This allows devices without a network to identify the devices with a network within the mesh network. When a device without a network needs to send a message to another device, it can forward the message through that network device. For example, after electronic device 100 is meshed with relay device 200, electronic device 101, and electronic device 102, relay device 200 can broadcast information such as latency and bandwidth of its network channels. Electronic devices 100, 101, and 102 can receive the information broadcast by relay device 200. When electronic device 100 receives an operation from a user to send a message to electronic device 103 in a communication application, since electronic device 100 is a device without a network, it can first send the message to relay device 200. This message can carry the device identifier of the receiving device (e.g., electronic device 103). The relay device 200 can forward the message to the server 300, and then the server 300 can send the message to the electronic device 103.

[0150] Figures 4A-4E The illustrations are schematic diagrams of some communication scenarios provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0151] like Figure 4A As shown, the electronic device 101 can display a user interface 410. The user interface 410 may include a contact name 411, a communication method identifier 412, a communication method selection control 413, a voice control 414, an input box 415, an emoticon control 416, and a function control display area 417.

[0152] The contact name 411 can be used to indicate the name of the contact corresponding to the user interface 410. For example, if the contact name 411 is "Li Si", it can indicate that the user interface 410 is a chat interface between the user of the electronic device 100 and the contact named "Li Si".

[0153] The communication method identifier 412 can be used to indicate the communication method between electronic device 101 and the electronic device of the contact person corresponding to contact name 411. For example, communication method identifier 412 being "under network communication" can indicate that electronic device 101 is communicating with the electronic device of the contact person named "Li Si" via an offline communication connection. This offline communication connection includes, but is not limited to, any of the following communication connections: Bluetooth communication connection, satellite communication connection, and communication technology in a preset frequency band (e.g., communication technology in the emergency communication frequency band, or low-frequency communication technology, etc.).

[0154] The communication method selection control 413 can be used to set the communication method between electronic device 101 and the electronic device of the contact corresponding to contact name 411.

[0155] The voice control 414 can be used to send voice messages.

[0156] Input box 415 can be used to enter the content of the message to be sent.

[0157] The emoticon control 416 can be used to send emoticons.

[0158] The function control display area 417 can be used to display more chat function-related controls, including but not limited to: function controls for sending photos, function controls for taking images, function controls for sending location information, function controls for initiating calls, function controls for sending envelope messages, and function controls for sending files.

[0159] The electronic device 102 can display a user interface 420. The user interface 420 may include a contact name 421, a communication method identifier 422, and a communication method selection control 423.

[0160] The contact name 421 can be used to indicate the name of the contact corresponding to the user interface 420. For example, if the contact name 421 is "Zhang San", it can indicate that the user interface 420 is a chat interface between the user of the electronic device 102 and the contact named "Zhang San".

[0161] The communication method identifier 422 can be used to indicate the communication method between electronic device 102 and the electronic device of the contact person corresponding to contact name 421. For example, if the communication method identifier 422 is "under network communication", it can indicate that electronic device 102 communicates with the electronic device of the contact person named "Zhang San" through an offline communication connection. This offline communication connection includes, but is not limited to, communication connections established through any of the following communication technologies: Bluetooth communication technology, satellite communication technology, and communication technology in a preset frequency band (e.g., communication technology in the emergency communication frequency band, or low-frequency communication technology, etc.).

[0162] The communication method selection control 423 can be used to set the communication method between electronic device 102 and the electronic device of the contact corresponding to contact name 421.

[0163] For other details regarding user interface 420, please refer to the above description of user interface 410.

[0164] In some embodiments, electronic device 101 may be the electronic device of a user named "Zhang San," and electronic device 102 may be the electronic device of a user named "Li Si." That is, user interface 410 may be a chat interface displayed on electronic device 101 between electronic device 101 and electronic device 102. User interface 420 may be a chat interface displayed on electronic device 102 between electronic device 102 and electronic device 101. A network-free communication connection can be established between electronic device 101 and electronic device 102 to achieve the "network-free communication" shown by communication mode identifiers 412 and 422.

[0165] In some embodiments, when electronic device 101 opens a chat interface (e.g., user interface 410) with electronic device 102 without accessing a cellular network, electronic device 101 can request to establish a network-free communication connection with electronic device 102. This network-free communication connection includes, but is not limited to, a communication connection established through any of the following communication technologies: Bluetooth communication technology, satellite communication technology, or communication technology in a preset frequency band (e.g., emergency communication frequency band communication technology, or low-frequency communication technology, etc.). Thus, after receiving a message input by the user in user interface 410 and performing the sending operation, electronic device 101 can also send the message to any electronic device in the mesh network (e.g., electronic device 102) even without a network connection.

[0166] Similarly, when electronic device 102 opens a chat interface (e.g., user interface 420) with electronic device 101 without accessing a cellular network, electronic device 102 can request to establish a network-free communication connection with electronic device 101. Thus, after receiving a message input by the user in user interface 420 and sending it, electronic device 102 can promptly send the message to electronic device 101 through the pre-established network-free communication connection.

[0167] In some embodiments, if electronic device 101 closes the chat interface with electronic device 102, electronic device 101 can send a message to electronic device 102 to indicate that electronic device 101 has closed the chat interface with electronic device 102, and the short-range communication connection between electronic device 101 and electronic device 102 can be disconnected. If electronic device 102 has not closed the chat interface with electronic device 101 when it receives the message from electronic device 101, then electronic device 102 can send a message to electronic device 101 to indicate that the offline communication connection should not be disconnected temporarily. If electronic device 102 has closed the chat interface with electronic device 101 when it receives the message from electronic device 101, then electronic device 102 can disconnect the offline communication connection with electronic device 101.

[0168] Alternatively, electronic devices 101 and / or 102 can maintain a wireless communication connection even after closing their chat interfaces. This way, when electronic device 101 subsequently reopens its chat interface with electronic device 102 and / or electronic device 102 subsequently reopens its chat interface with electronic device 101, electronic devices 101 and 102 do not need to re-establish a wireless communication connection.

[0169] In response to Figure 4A The operation of the communication method selection control 413 shown can be displayed on the electronic device 101. Figure 4B The card shown is 418.

[0170] In some embodiments, card 418 may include communication options 418A, 418B, and 418C. Communication option 418A can be used to set the communication mode to offline communication. This offline communication connection includes, but is not limited to, a communication connection established through any of the following communication technologies: Bluetooth communication technology, satellite communication technology, or a communication technology in a preset frequency band (e.g., emergency communication frequency band communication technology, or low-frequency communication technology, etc.). Communication option 418B can be used to set the communication mode to cellular network communication. Cellular network communication can refer to a communication mode conducted through a cellular network-based communication connection. Communication option 418C can be used to set the communication mode to satellite communication. Satellite communication can refer to a communication mode conducted through a satellite communication connection.

[0171] In some embodiments, electronic device 101 can detect whether it is connected to a cellular network. If electronic device 101 is connected to a cellular network, it can display communication option 418B on card 418. If electronic device 101 is not connected to a cellular network, it may not display communication option 418B on card 418.

[0172] In some embodiments, electronic device 101 can detect whether it can find electronic devices (e.g., electronic device 102) corresponding to the contact on user interface 410 within the communication range. If electronic device 101 can find electronic device 102 within the communication range, then electronic device 101 can display communication option 418A in card 418. If electronic device 101 cannot find electronic device 102 within the communication range, then electronic device 101 may not display communication option 418A in card 418.

[0173] It is understood that if electronic device 102 is within the Bluetooth communication range of electronic device 101, electronic device 101 can establish a Bluetooth communication connection with electronic device 102. If electronic device 102 is within the satellite communication range of electronic device 101, electronic device 101 can establish a satellite communication connection with electronic device 102. If electronic device 102 is within the communication range of a preset frequency band communication technology of electronic device 101 (e.g., emergency communication frequency band communication technology, or low-frequency communication technology, etc.), electronic device 101 can establish a communication connection with electronic device 102 through the preset frequency band communication technology (e.g., emergency communication frequency band communication technology, or low-frequency communication technology, etc.).

[0174] In some embodiments, electronic device 101 can detect whether satellite communication service is activated. If satellite communication service is activated, electronic device 101 can display communication option 418C in card 418. If satellite communication service is not activated, electronic device 101 may not display communication option 418C in card 418.

[0175] In some examples, when electronic devices 101 and 102 are in an environment with a cellular network, they can also switch to communicating via the cellular network. Electronic devices 101 and 102 can switch to cellular network communication automatically, or they can switch to cellular network communication based on user input.

[0176] In response to Figure 4B As shown in the operation of communication option 418B, electronic device 101 can switch the communication mode for communicating with electronic device 102 to cellular network communication. Specifically, electronic device 101 can send a message to electronic device 102 via the cellular network to instruct it to switch the communication mode to cellular network communication. When electronic device 102 is connected to the cellular network, it can receive the message from electronic device 101. Based on the message from electronic device 101, electronic device 102 can switch its communication mode to cellular network communication and reply with a confirmation message to electronic device 101 via the cellular network to indicate that electronic device 102 has switched the communication mode to cellular network communication.

[0177] like Figure 4C As shown, in response to Figure 4BThe operation of communication option 418B, as shown, allows electronic devices 101 and 102 to switch their communication mode to cellular network communication when both are connected to a cellular network. A cellular network-based communication connection can then be established between electronic devices 101 and 102. After switching to cellular network communication, electronic device 101 can change the content in communication mode identifier 412 from... Figure 4B The "In offline communication" setting shown has been adjusted to... Figure 4C The "cellular network communication" indicator shown is displayed; electronic device 102 can transfer the communication mode identifier 422 from... Figure 4A The "In offline communication" setting shown has been adjusted to... Figure 4C The device is shown as "Cellular network communication in progress". Optionally, the electronic device 102 may also display... Figure 4C The prompt message 424 is shown. Prompt message 424 can be used to inform the user that the communication method between the user interface 420 and the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 100) corresponding to the contact has changed. For example, the content of prompt message 424 may include "The other party contacted you via cellular network, and has switched to cellular chat."

[0178] In some embodiments, after switching to cellular network communication, electronic devices 101 and 102 can disconnect from the offline communication connection. Electronic devices 101 and 102 can exit the mesh network. Alternatively, electronic devices 101 and 102 can still maintain a mesh network with electronic device 100 and relay device 200.

[0179] In some embodiments, when using cellular network communication, electronic device 101 can send messages destined for electronic device 102 to a corresponding communication application server (e.g., the server corresponding to the Connect application) via the cellular network. The communication application server can then send messages from electronic device 101 to electronic device 102 via the cellular network.

[0180] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4D As shown, the electronic device 102 disables the display of the signal indicator used to indicate network signal strength in the status bar 425, indicating that the electronic device 102 is currently in a no-network state, that is, it is not connected to the cellular network or satellite. If the electronic device 102 is not connected to the cellular network, the communication mode between the electronic device 101 and the electronic device 102 cannot be switched to cellular network communication.

[0181] For example, in response to Figure 4BAs shown in the operation of communication option 418B, electronic device 101 can send a message to electronic device 102 via the cellular network to instruct it to switch the communication mode to cellular network communication. Since electronic device 102 is not connected to the cellular network, it cannot receive the message from electronic device 101 and cannot reply with a confirmation message. If no reply message is received from electronic device 102 within a preset time period, electronic device 101 can determine that the communication mode switching has failed. Electronic device 101 can display... Figure 4D The prompt message 419 is shown. Prompt message 419 can be used to inform the user that the communication method switching has failed. For example, the content of prompt message 419 may include "The other party is in an environment without network access and cannot switch to cellular network communication. Continue chatting without network access." In the event of a communication method switching failure, electronic device 101 can keep the communication method identifier 412 as "Communication without network access," and electronic device 102 can also keep the communication method identifier 422 as "Communication without network access."

[0182] In some embodiments, when electronic devices 101 and 102 communicate via a cellular network, if electronic devices 101 and / or 102 suddenly lose network access and cannot access the network, electronic devices 101 and 102 can switch their communication mode to offline communication.

[0183] like Figure 4E As shown, when electronic device 101 disables the display of the signal indicator used to indicate network signal strength in the status bar 431, it indicates that electronic device 101 is currently in a network-free state, meaning it is neither connected to a cellular network nor a satellite. When electronic device 101 is network-free, both electronic devices 101 and 102 can switch their communication mode to network-free communication. A network-free communication connection can be established between electronic devices 101 and 102. Electronic device 101 can send a message to electronic device 102 through this connection to indicate that it is currently in a network-free state and has switched its communication mode to network-free communication. Upon receiving a message from electronic device 101, electronic device 102 can reply with a confirmation message to indicate that it has switched its communication mode to network-free communication.

[0184] After the communication method is switched to offline communication connection, electronic device 101 can display... Figure 4E The displayed prompt message 432. Prompt message 432 can be used to notify the user that the electronic device 101 is communicating with other contacts via offline communication when offline. For example, the content of prompt message 432 may include "You are currently in an offline environment and have switched to offline chat." The electronic device 101 can also display the content of communication mode identifier 412... Figure 4C The "Cellular Network Communication in Progress" option shown has been adjusted to... Figure 4E The device 102 can display "In offline communication". Figure 4E The displayed prompt message 426. Prompt message 426 can be used to prompt the user to switch the communication mode to offline communication, i.e., short-range communication. For example, the content of prompt message 426 may include "The other party is contacting you in an offline environment; we have switched to offline chat." The electronic device 102 can also display the content of the communication mode identifier 422... Figure 4C The "Cellular Network Communication in Progress" option shown has been adjusted to... Figure 4E The message indicates "In offline communication".

[0185] Communication method identifiers displayed on electronic devices 101 and 102 (e.g.) Figure 4A The communication method identifiers 412 and 422 shown are optional. In some embodiments, electronic device 100 and electronic device 101 may not be limited to the communication method identifiers.

[0186] In some embodiments, the communication method between electronic device 101 and other electronic devices, such as relay device 200, may be the same as or different from the communication method between electronic device 101 and electronic device 102. For example, a user of electronic device 101 may choose to use communication method 1 to contact contact X1 and communication method 2 to contact contact X2 in the Connect application. Communication method 1 and communication method 2 may be the same or different. The method for determining the communication method between electronic device 101 and other electronic devices can refer to the aforementioned method for determining the communication method between electronic device 101 and electronic device 102.

[0187] In some embodiments, in response to Figure 4B According to the operation of communication option 418C, electronic device 101 can request to establish a satellite communication connection with electronic device 102. If both electronic devices 101 and 102 have activated satellite communication services, they can establish a satellite communication connection. Electronic devices 101 and 102 can switch their communication mode to satellite communication. However, if electronic device 102 has not activated satellite communication services, electronic devices 101 and 102 cannot establish a satellite communication connection. Electronic device 101 can display a corresponding prompt message to inform the user that it cannot switch the communication mode with electronic device 102 to satellite communication.

[0188] In some embodiments, when electronic device 101 and / or electronic device 102 are not connected to a cellular network and the communication mode between electronic device 101 and electronic device 102 is offline communication, after electronic device 101 and electronic device 102 restore network connection, the communication mode can be automatically switched to cellular network communication.

[0189] In some examples, electronic device 101 can send messages not only to electronic device 102, but also to every electronic device in communication system 20. Each electronic device in communication system 20 can receive messages sent by electronic device 101. Similarly, electronic device 101 can also receive messages from other devices in the mesh network (e.g., electronic device 100, relay device 200, etc.) and other devices in communication system 20 (e.g., electronic device 100, relay device 200, server 300, and electronic device 103, etc.).

[0190] Figure 5A An example is shown where electronic device 101 can send messages to relay device 200. For example... Figure 5A As shown, the electronic device 101 can display a user interface 510. The user interface 510 may include a communication method identifier 511, an input box 512, a send control 513, and a status bar 514. The electronic device 101 can also display a user interface 520. The user interface 520 may include a communication method identifier 521 and a status bar 522. The user interface 510 can be referenced from the foregoing. Figure 4A The user interface 410 is shown. User interface 520 can be referenced from the aforementioned... Figure 4A The user interface shown is 420.

[0191] For example, user interface 510 can be a chat interface between the user of electronic device 101 and the user of electronic device 100. The user of electronic device 101 can be a user named "Zhang San". User interface 520 can be a chat interface between the user of electronic device 101 and the user of electronic device 100. The user of electronic device 100 can be a user named "Wang Wu".

[0192] In the user interface 510, the communication mode identifier 511 can refer to the description of the aforementioned communication mode identifier 412. For example, the content of the communication mode identifier 511, "Communication without network," indicates that the communication mode between electronic device 100 and electronic device 101 is communication without network. The input box 512 can be used to input the content to be sent. The send control 513 can be used to send the content entered in the input box 512 to a contact named "Wang Wu." The status bar 514 may include components such as a battery indicator and a time indicator. The status bar 514 does not include a cellular signal indicator, nor does it include the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal or the satellite signal. This indicates that electronic device 101 is currently in a network-free state, not connected to a cellular network, not connected to a satellite, and has no Wi-Fi network to access the server. That is, electronic device 101 cannot directly communicate with the server.

[0193] In the user interface 520, the communication mode identifier 521 can refer to the description of the aforementioned communication mode identifier 422. For example, the content of the communication mode identifier 521, "Communication without network," indicates that the communication mode between electronic device 100 and electronic device 101 is communication without network. The status bar 522 may include a battery indicator and a time indicator. The status bar 522 does not include a cellular signal indicator, nor does it include the signal strength of Wi-Fi or satellite signals. This indicates that electronic device 100 is currently in a network-free state, not connected to a cellular network, not connected to a satellite, and has no Wi-Fi network to access the server. In other words, electronic device 101 cannot directly communicate with the server.

[0194] When both electronic devices 101 and 100 are in a non-networked state and are not within the range of non-network communication, since electronic devices 101, 100, and relay device 200 are all in a mesh network, electronic device 101 can send a message to relay device 200, and then relay device 200 can forward the message to electronic device 100.

[0195] The electronic device 101 can establish any one of the following communication connections with the relay device 200: Bluetooth communication connection, Starlight communication connection, or a communication connection established through a preset frequency band communication technology (e.g., emergency communication frequency band communication technology, or low-frequency communication technology, etc.). The electronic device 101 can also establish any one of the following communication connections with the relay device 200: Bluetooth communication connection, Starlight communication connection, or a 700MHz communication connection established through a preset frequency band communication technology (e.g., emergency communication frequency band communication technology, or low-frequency communication technology, etc.).

[0196] Figure 5B An example is shown where electronic device 101 can send messages to electronic device 103 via relay device 200 and server 300.

[0197] like Figure 5B As shown, electronic device 101 can display user interface 530. User interface 530 may include communication method identifier 531, input box 532, send control 533, and status bar 534. Electronic device 103 can display user interface 540. User interface 540 may include communication method identifier 541 and status bar 542.

[0198] For example, user interface 530 can be a chat interface between the user of electronic device 101 and the user of electronic device 103. The user of electronic device 101 can be a user named "Zhang San". User interface 540 can be a chat interface between the user of electronic device 103 and the user of electronic device 101. The user of electronic device 103 can be a user named "Zhao Liu".

[0199] In the user interface 530, the communication mode identifier 531 can refer to the description of the aforementioned communication mode identifier 412. For example, the content of the communication mode identifier 531, "No network communication," indicates that the electronic device 100 is currently in a no-network communication state. The input box 532 can be used to input the content to be sent. The send control 533 can be used to send the content entered in the input box 532 to a contact named "Zhao Liu." The status bar 534 may include components such as a battery indicator and a time indicator. The status bar 534 does not include a cellular signal indicator, nor does it include the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal or the satellite signal. This indicates that the electronic device 101 is currently in a no-network state, not connected to a cellular network, not connected to a satellite, and has no Wi-Fi network to access the server. In other words, the electronic device 101 cannot directly communicate with the server.

[0200] In the user interface 540, the communication mode identifier 541 can refer to the description of the aforementioned communication mode identifier 422. For example, the content of the communication mode identifier 541, "Cellular Network Communication in Progress," indicates that the current communication mode of the electronic device 103 is cellular communication. The status bar 542 may include a signal indicator 542A, a signal indicator 542B, a battery indicator, and a time indicator. The signal indicator 542A can be used to indicate the signal strength of the mobile communication signal. The signal indicator 542B can be used to indicate the signal strength of the Wi-Fi signal. When the electronic device 103 displays the signal indicator 542A and / or the signal indicator 542B in the status bar 542, it indicates that the electronic device 103 is currently connected to a cellular network.

[0201] When electronic device 101 is currently offline, while electronic device 103 is connected to a cellular network, and neither electronic device 101 nor electronic device 103 is within the offline communication range, since both electronic device 101 and relay device 200 are in a mesh network, electronic device 101 can send a message to relay device 200. Then, relay device 200 can forward the message to server 300. Finally, server 300 can forward the message to electronic device 103.

[0202] Specifically, electronic device 101 can establish a Bluetooth communication connection, a satellite communication connection, or a communication connection established through a preset frequency band (e.g., emergency communication frequency band communication technology, or low-frequency communication technology) with relay device 200. Relay device 200 can establish a cellular communication connection or a satellite communication connection with server 300. Electronic device 103 can establish a cellular communication connection with server 300.

[0203] Figure 5C An exemplary scenario is shown in which electronic devices 101 and 102 conduct intercom in a network-free environment.

[0204] like Figure 5C As shown, both electronic devices 101 and 102 are in a network-free communication state. Electronic devices 101 and 102 can establish a D2D connection. For example, electronic device 101 can establish any of the following communication connections with relay device 200: Bluetooth communication connection, Starlink communication connection, or communication connection established through a preset frequency band communication technology (e.g., emergency communication frequency band communication technology, or low-frequency communication technology, etc.).

[0205] like Figure 5C As shown, the electronic device 101 can be used to display a user interface 550, which may include a communication method identifier 551, text information 552, a control 553, and a control 554. Figure 5C The user interface 550 shown is merely an example. The user interface 550 may contain more or less interface content and have different interface layouts. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0206] like Figure 5C As shown, the electronic device 102 can be used to display a user interface 560, which may include a signal method identifier 561, text information 562, a control 563, and a control 564. Figure 5C The user interface 560 shown is merely an example. The user interface 560 may contain more or less interface content and have different interface layouts. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0207] The user interface 550 can be the user interface displayed on the electronic device 101 when implementing the intercom function. At this time, the electronic device 101 is the receiver of intercom voice. In the user interface 550, the communication mode identifier 551 can refer to the description of the aforementioned communication mode identifier 412, which will not be repeated here. For example, the content of the communication mode identifier 551, "Communication without network", can indicate that the electronic device 101 is currently communicating without network. The text information 552 can be used to indicate that Li Si is currently speaking. The control 553 can be used to pause or start playing the received intercom voice. In some examples, the control 553 may also contain prompt text, such as "Playing", to indicate that the electronic device 101 is playing the received intercom voice. When the user operates on the control 554, the electronic device 101 can receive the intercom voice input by the user.

[0208] The user interface 560 can be the user interface displayed on the electronic device 102 when implementing the intercom function. At this time, the electronic device 102 is the one sending intercom voice messages. In the user interface 560, the communication mode identifier 561 can refer to the description of the aforementioned communication mode identifier 412, which will not be repeated here. For example, the content of the communication mode identifier 561, "Communication without network", can indicate that the electronic device 102 is currently communicating without network. The text information 552 can be used to indicate that an intercom is currently being conducted with Zhang San. The control 563 can be used to pause or start playing the received intercom voice messages, and to play the intercom voice messages input by the user on the electronic device 102 in real time. When the user operates on the control 564, the electronic device 102 can receive the intercom voice messages input by the user.

[0209] Figure 5D An exemplary scenario is shown where electronic devices 101 and 102 make a phone call in a network-free environment.

[0210] like Figure 5D As shown, both electronic devices 101 and 102 are in a network-free communication state. Electronic devices 101 and 102 can establish a D2D connection. For example, electronic device 101 can establish any of the following communication connections with relay device 200: Bluetooth communication connection, Starlink communication connection, or communication connection established through a preset frequency band communication technology (e.g., emergency communication frequency band communication technology, or low-frequency communication technology, etc.).

[0211] like Figure 5D As shown, the electronic device 101 can be used to display a user interface 570, which may include a communication method identifier 571, a caller name 572, a control 573, and a control 574. Figure 5DThe user interface 570 shown is merely an example. The user interface 570 may contain more or less interface content and have different interface layouts. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0212] like Figure 5D As shown, the electronic device 102 can be used to display a user interface 580, which may include a signal method identifier 581, a caller name 582, a control 583, and a control 584. Figure 5D The user interface 580 shown is merely an example. The user interface 580 may contain more or less interface content and have different interface layouts. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0213] The user interface 570 can be the caller ID interface in the electronic device 101. In the user interface 570, the communication mode identifier 571 can be referenced from the description of the aforementioned communication mode identifier 412, and will not be repeated here. For example, the content of the communication mode identifier 571, "Communication without network," can indicate that the electronic device 101 is currently in a state of communication without network. The caller name 572 can be used to indicate that Li Si is calling. The control 573 can be used to hang up the call. The control 574 can be used to answer the call.

[0214] The user interface 580 can be the dialing interface for the electronic device 102. In the user interface 580, the communication mode identifier 581 can be referenced to the description of the aforementioned communication mode identifier 412, and will not be repeated here. For example, the content of the communication mode identifier 581, "Communication without network," indicates that the electronic device 102 is currently in a state of offline communication. The caller name 582 can be used to indicate that a call is being made to Zhang San. The control 583 can be used to end the call. The control 584 can be used to activate hands-free calling.

[0215] In some scenarios, the number of electronic devices included in the mesh networking of the communication system provided in this application embodiment is not limited, and the mesh networking methods of multiple electronic devices in the communication system can also be different. For example, this application embodiment provides another communication system 30.

[0216] Figure 6 This is a communication system 30 provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 6As shown, the communication system 30 may include node A, node B, node H, and a server. Nodes A, B, and H can form a mesh network. Node A is a network-connected device, meaning it can establish a communication connection with the server via cellular network, wireless LAN, or satellite. Nodes B and H are network-independent devices, meaning they cannot establish a communication connection with the server via cellular network, wireless LAN, or satellite. Node A can establish a communication connection with the server using communication technology 1 (connection 1), and with node B using communication technology 2 (connection 2). Node B and H can establish a communication connection using communication technology 3 (connection 3).

[0217] For example, communication technology 1 can be any of cellular communication technology, wireless local area network communication technology, and satellite communication technology. Communication technology 2 can be any of Bluetooth communication technology, satellite communication technology, and communication technology in a preset frequency band. Communication technology 3 can also be any of Bluetooth communication technology, satellite communication technology, and communication technology in a preset frequency band. Communication technology 2 can be the same as or different from communication technology 3. For example, communication technology 2 and communication technology 3 can both be Bluetooth communication technology. Alternatively, communication technology 2 can be Bluetooth communication technology and communication technology 3 can be satellite communication technology. This application does not limit this aspect.

[0218] In this communication system 30, nodes B and H can relay data to the server via node A, and receive data from the server via node A. That is, even if nodes B and H are not network-connected devices, they can still send data to the server or retrieve data from the server through network-connected devices in the mesh network.

[0219] For example, node A may be the relay device 200 mentioned above.

[0220] It is understood that in this application embodiment, there can be more devices in the mesh network, and devices without network access in the mesh network can also interact with other networked devices through networked devices in the network. For example, this application embodiment provides a communication system 40. Figure 7As shown, the communication system 40 may include nodes A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, and a server. Nodes A, B, D, E, F, G, and H can form a mesh network. Nodes A and D are network-enabled devices, meaning they can establish communication connections with the server via cellular networks, wireless LANs, or satellite. Nodes B, C, E, F, G, and H are network-independent devices, meaning they cannot establish communication connections with the server via cellular networks, wireless LANs, or satellite.

[0221] Nodes I and J are both networked devices, but they are not connected to devices A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H in a wireless network.

[0222] Nodes A, D, I, and J can establish a communication connection with the server using communication technology 1. Node A and Node B can establish a communication connection using communication technology 2. Node B and Node H can establish a communication connection using communication technology 3. Node A and Node D can establish a communication connection using communication technology 4. Node D and Node C can establish a communication connection using communication technology 5. Node D and Node E can establish a communication connection using communication technology 6. Node B and Node F can establish a communication connection using communication technology 7. Node E and Node F can establish a communication connection using communication technology 8. Node C and Node G can establish a communication connection using communication technology 9.

[0223] For example, communication technology 1 can be any of cellular communication technology, wireless local area network communication technology, and satellite communication technology. Communication technology 2 can be any of Bluetooth communication technology, satellite communication technology, and communication technology in a preset frequency band. Communication technology 3 can also be any of Bluetooth communication technology, satellite communication technology, and communication technology in a preset frequency band. Communication technology 2 can be the same as or different from communication technology 3. For example, communication technology 2 and communication technology 3 can both be Bluetooth communication technology. Alternatively, communication technology 2 can be Bluetooth communication technology and communication technology 3 can be satellite communication technology. This application does not limit this aspect.

[0224] Communication technology 4, communication technology 5, communication technology 6, communication technology 7, communication technology 8 and communication technology 9 can be any of the following communication technologies: Bluetooth communication technology, Star Flash communication technology, communication technology in a preset frequency band (e.g., low frequency communication band).

[0225] In this communication system 40, any device without a network in a network-free network can forward messages to the server through a network-connected device (e.g., node A or node D). The server then distributes the messages to network-connected devices I and J. For details, please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 8 Scene 1 is shown in the image.

[0226] like Figure 8 As shown, nodes A, B, D, E, F, G, and H can form a mesh network. Nodes A and D can establish communication connections via cellular, wireless LAN, or satellite communication technologies and servers (or cloud servers). Nodes A and D can announce the latency and bandwidth of their networked channels through mesh broadcasting. In this meshless network, a global roaming and relay algorithm for meshless messages can be used to handle communication data on the meshless side. This algorithm can quickly transmit data to all meshless nodes and, by calculating the communication distance from each node to the networked nodes, select the networked node with the shortest communication distance as the forwarding node to forward the data to the cloud for synchronization.

[0227] For example, node G can be the initial message node, meaning node G can generate messages and send them to other nodes in the network. Node G can send messages to node C, and then node C sends the messages to node D. Node D can send messages to the server, node A, and node E. Node A can send messages to node B, and node B sends the messages to node H. Node E can send messages to node F. The server can send messages to node I and node J.

[0228] Understandably, each node in the communication system 40 can be an initial message node. That is, nodes A, B, D, E, F, and H can all send initial messages.

[0229] When the initial message node is connected to multiple nodes, it can send initial messages to multiple nodes. For example, if the initial message node is node E, node E can send initial messages to nodes D, B, and F.

[0230] In some examples, a node in a network can forward received messages to multiple nodes with which it has established communication connections. For example, such as Figure 8 As shown, after receiving a message from node C, node D can forward the message to nodes A, E, and the server. Similarly, after receiving a message from node D, node E can forward the message to node B and message F.

[0231] In some examples, nodes in a network can receive the same message from multiple nodes. For instance, node A can receive the same message from both the server and node D. Node B can receive messages from both node A and node E.

[0232] In some examples, if nodes in a network receive two identical messages sequentially, they can discard the later-sent message. This means a node can discard duplicate messages. For instance, if node A first receives a message from node D, and then subsequently receives another message from the server, node A can determine that the server-sent message is a duplicate and discard it. Similarly, if node B first receives a message from node A, and then receives the same message from node E, node B can determine that node E's message is a duplicate and discard it.

[0233] In this embodiment, messages sent between nodes (i.e., between electronic devices) may include a message identifier. In some examples, the message may include a message identifier field, which may carry the message ID. Thus, each node can save the message ID after receiving the message. When a node receives the message again, it can determine that the message is a duplicate based on the message ID and discard the duplicate message.

[0234] In the embodiments of this application, the messages involved (e.g., initial message, first message, second message, third message, fourth message, fifth message, and sixth message, etc.) can be Figure 4A The images shown are for illustrative purposes only. It is understood that the messages involved in the embodiments of this application may be one or more of the following: text, images, videos, video identifiers (e.g., video links, video names, video storage addresses, etc.), audio, and audio identifiers (e.g., audio links, audio names, audio storage addresses, etc.). The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the content contained in the messages involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0235] In this communication system 40, either network-connected device I or network-connected device J can send messages to network-connected devices in a network-free network via a server, and then the network-connected devices relay the messages to each network-free device. See details in [link to documentation]. Figure 9 Scene 2 is shown in the image.

[0236] like Figure 9As shown, nodes A, B, D, E, F, G, and H can form a mesh network. Nodes A and D can establish communication connections using cellular, wireless LAN, or satellite communication technologies, as well as a server (or cloud server). Nodes A and D can announce the latency and bandwidth of their networked channels via mesh broadcast. In communication system 40, a multi-source shortest routing algorithm is used for messages or audio / video data on the networked side. This algorithm can calculate the optimal path to forward data to all network-free nodes within the network-connected converged nodes, ensuring that data roams to all network-free nodes in the shortest possible time.

[0237] For example, node I generates an initial message and sends it to the server, which can then forward it to nodes A and D. Nodes A and D can use a multi-source shortest routing algorithm to forward the message to all nodes without a network connection. Specifically, node A can forward the message to node B, and node B can send the message to node H. Node D can forward the message to nodes C and E. Node C can send the message to node G. Node E can send the message to node F.

[0238] like Figure 9 As shown, in some examples, when nodes in a network receive two identical messages sequentially, the later-sent message can be discarded. This means that nodes can discard duplicate messages. For example, if node A receives a message from the server first, and then subsequently receives a message from node D, node A can determine that the message sent by node D is a duplicate and discard it. As another example, if node B receives a message from node A first, and then receives the same message from node E, node B can determine that the message sent by node E is a duplicate and discard it.

[0239] Figure 10 An exemplary embodiment of a communication method provided in this application is illustrated. For example... Figure 10 As shown in the embodiments of this application, a communication method can be applied to a communication system, which may include a first device, a second device, a third device, and a server. The communication method provided in this application may include the following steps:

[0240] S1001a. The first device establishes a communication connection with the second device.

[0241] S1001b. The second device establishes a communication connection with the third device.

[0242] S1001c. The third device establishes a communication connection with the server.

[0243] The first device, the second device, and the third device can form a mesh network. Specifically, the first device and the second device can establish a communication connection (3), and the second device can establish a communication connection (2) with the third device.

[0244] The communication connection 3 may include, but is not limited to, any of the following communication connections: Bluetooth communication connection, Starlink communication connection, communication connection established through a preset frequency band communication technology, point-to-point connection, etc. The communication connection 2 may include, but is not limited to, any of the following communication connections: Bluetooth communication connection, Starlink communication connection, communication connection established through a preset frequency band communication technology, point-to-point connection, etc.

[0245] In some examples, communication connection 3 can be the same as communication connection 2. For example, communication connection 3 is a Bluetooth communication connection, and communication connection 2 is also a Bluetooth communication connection.

[0246] Alternatively, in some other examples, communication connection 3 may be different from communication connection 2. For example, communication connection 3 is a Bluetooth communication connection, and communication connection 2 is a StarScan communication connection.

[0247] It is understood that the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the communication connection 3 and the communication connection 2.

[0248] Communication connection 1 can be any of the following: cellular communication connection, satellite communication connection, and Wi-Fi communication connection.

[0249] The first and second devices are currently in a network-free state, meaning they are not connected to a cellular network, have not established a communication connection with a satellite, and are not connected to a Wi-Fi network. In other words, the first and second devices cannot access the internet and cannot communicate directly with the server.

[0250] The third device can establish both a network-connected communication connection with the server (e.g., communication connection 1) and a network-free communication connection with the second device (e.g., communication connection 2). That is, the third device can simultaneously have both network-connected and network-free communication links. For example, the third device can simultaneously have both Bluetooth and cellular communication links. This application embodiment does not limit communication connection 1 or the simultaneous existence of network-free and network-connected communication links in the third device.

[0251] In some examples, the first device can Figure 2 or Figure 3 Electronic device 102 in the middle, the second device can Figure 2 or Figure 3 Electronic device 101 in the middle, the third device can be Figure 2 or Figure 3 The relay device 200 in the middle. The server can be the one mentioned above. Figure 2 or Figure 3 Server 300 in the middle, can also Figures 6-9 The servers involved.

[0252] In other examples, the first device could be Figure 6 The node H shown in the diagram, and the second device, can be... Figure 6 The node B and the third device shown in the diagram can be... Figure 6 The node A shown in the image is the server. Figure 6 The server shown in the image.

[0253] In yet another example, the third device could be Figure 7 The first device can be either node A or node D shown in the diagram. Figure 7 The second device can be any one of nodes H, F, and G shown in the diagram. Figure 7 Any one of nodes B, E, and C shown in the diagram.

[0254] In some examples, after the first, second, and third devices form a mesh network, the third device can broadcast information such as the bandwidth and latency of its network communication link (also known as a network channel). Each device in the mesh network can receive the broadcast from the third device. That is, the first and second devices can receive the broadcast from the third device, thus confirming that the third device is a network-connected device in the mesh network.

[0255] S1002. The first device sends a first message to the second device.

[0256] The user of the first device can choose to send a message to another device or download content (including but not limited to one or more of images, videos, audio, e-books, and documents) from the server. Taking the user's choice to download content from the server as an example, in response to the user's action, the first device can send a first message to the second device. The first message instructs the first device to download first content from the server.

[0257] In some examples, since the user selects to download the first content from the server on the first device, the first message may carry the identifier of the first content (e.g., the URL, title, etc. of the first content), the device identifier of the first device, and the device identifier of the server providing the first content.

[0258] Since the first device is a device without a network connection, it cannot directly send the first message to the server. The first device needs to rely on a network-connected device in the mesh network (i.e., the third device) to send the first message to the second device in the mesh network that has established a direct communication connection with it.

[0259] S1003. The second device sends the first message to the third device.

[0260] After receiving the first message sent by the first device, the second device can forward the first message to the networked devices in the mesh network based on the server identifier carried in the first message, that is, send the first message to the third device.

[0261] S1004. The third device sends the first message to the server.

[0262] The third device can receive the first message and send the first message to the server based on the server identifier carried in the first message.

[0263] S1005. Based on the first message, the server sends a second message to the third device.

[0264] The server can receive the first message and, based on the identifier of the first content carried in the first message, send a second message to the third device. The second message may contain the first content and the device identifier of the first device.

[0265] For example, if the first message is about downloading the first video, then the second message may carry the first video and the device identifier of the first device.

[0266] S1006. The third device sends a second message to the second device.

[0267] The third device can receive the second message sent by the server and, based on the device identifier of the first device carried in the second message, forward the second message to the first device through other devices in the mesh network. For example, the third device can send a message to the second device.

[0268] S1007. The second device sends a second message to the first device.

[0269] The second device can receive the second message and send the second message to the first device based on the device identifier of the first device carried in the second message.

[0270] In this way, even when the first device is offline, it can still download the first content from the server.

[0271] In one possible implementation, the communication system provided in this application embodiment may further include other networked devices that can directly establish a connection with the server, but these networked devices are not part of a mesh network with the first, second, and third devices. The first and second devices may also send messages to or receive messages from the networked device through the networked device in the mesh network (i.e., the third device).

[0272] In other examples, taking the first device in a mesh network as an example, the first device can send a mass message. This mass message can be sent not only to each device in the mesh network, but also to other devices in the communication system (e.g., servers, and other networked devices not part of the mesh network) through networked devices in the mesh network (i.e., third devices). For specific examples, please refer to the above description. Figure 8 The description in the text will not be repeated here.

[0273] Similarly, network-connected devices in the communication system that are not part of a mesh network can also send group messages to other devices in the system. These devices first send the group message to network-connected devices within the mesh network, which then forward the message to other devices in the mesh network. For example, please refer to the above description... Figure 9 The description in the text will not be repeated here.

[0274] In one possible implementation, after the third device sends a first message to the server, the method may further include: the server sending a second message to the third device, the second message including the identifier of the first device; the third device sending the second message to the second device; and the second device sending the second message to the first device.

[0275] In some examples, the identifier of the first device includes, but is not limited to, a user account on the first device (e.g., a login account for a communication application on the first device, or a system login account on the first device) and a mobile phone number.

[0276] In this way, even devices without a network can receive messages sent by the server, thereby improving the communication experience for users of electronic devices.

[0277] In one possible implementation, the first message can be used to download first content; after the server receives the first message, the method further includes: the server sending the first content to a third device, the first content may include the identifier of the first device; the third device sending the first content to a second device; and the second device sending the first content to the first device.

[0278] In this way, even if the first device is offline, it can still obtain the first content from the server through the networked devices.

[0279] In one possible implementation, the communication system may include a fourth device, which establishes a fourth communication connection with the server via a fourth communication technology. The fourth device is not networked with the first device, the second device, or the third device. The method may further include: the first device sending a third message to the second device, the third message including the identifier of the fourth device; the second device sending the third message to the third device; the third device sending the third message to the server; and the server sending the third message to the fourth device.

[0280] In some examples, the identifier of the fourth device may include, but is not limited to, a user account on the fourth device (e.g., a login account for a communication application on the fourth device, or a system login account on the fourth device) or a mobile phone number on the fourth device.

[0281] In some examples, the third message may also include the device identifier of the first device.

[0282] In this way, even if the first device is in a network-free environment, it can still send messages to other network-connected devices that are not networked with the first device by using the network-connected devices in the network.

[0283] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: a fourth device sending a fourth message to a server, the fourth message including the identifier of the first device; the server sending the fourth message to a third device; the third device sending the fourth message to a second device; and the second device sending the fourth message to the first device.

[0284] In this way, even if the first device is in an environment without a network, it can still receive messages sent by other networked devices that are not in a network by using the networked devices in the network.

[0285] In one possible implementation, the communication system may further include a fifth device, which establishes a communication connection with the third device through a fifth communication technology, and establishes a communication connection with the server through a sixth communication technology; the third device sends a third message to the server, including: the third device sending a third message to both the server and the fifth device;

[0286] The server sends a third message to the fourth device, including: the server sends a third message to both the fourth and fifth devices.

[0287] In this way, there can be multiple networked devices (e.g., a third device and a fifth device). Each device in this communication system, upon receiving a message, can send a message to every electronic device connected to it (except for the device sending the message to that electronic device). For example, the third device can send a third message to the server and the fifth device, and the server can also send a third message to the fourth and fifth devices.

[0288] In one possible implementation, after the third device sends a third message to the server and the fifth device, the method may further include: the fifth device receiving the third message sent by the third device; the fifth device receiving the third message sent by the server, determining that it has received the third message, and discarding the third message sent by the server.

[0289] In this way, when the fifth device receives the same message repeatedly, the second received message can be discarded.

[0290] In one possible implementation, the fifth device determining that it has received the third message and discarding the third message sent by the server may include: when the fifth device receives the third message sent by the third device, saving the identifier of the third message, which is carried in the third message; when the fifth device receives the third message sent by the server, obtaining the identifier of the third message from the third message; the fifth device determining that the identifier of the third message exists in the fifth device; the fifth device determining that it has received the third message and discarding the third message sent by the server.

[0291] In some examples, each message involved in this application may include a message identifier field, which can be used to indicate the identifier of the message. For example, the message identifier field may be filled with the message ID. For instance, a third message may include a message identifier field, which may include the ID of the third message.

[0292] Furthermore, in some examples, the message identifier field is in the message header. For example, the message identifier field may exist in the message header of a third message.

[0293] In this way, when the fifth device receives the third message again, it can determine from the message identifier parsed from the third message that the third message has been received before, and discard the third message received again to avoid duplication.

[0294] In one possible implementation, the communication system may further include a fifth device, which establishes a communication connection with the third device through a fifth communication technology, and establishes a communication connection with the server through a sixth communication technology; the server sending a fourth message to the third device may include: the server sending the fourth message to both the third device and the fifth device;

[0295] Sending a fourth message from a third device to a second device may include sending a fourth message from the third device to both the second and fifth devices.

[0296] In this way, there can be multiple networked devices (e.g., a third device and a fifth device). Each device in this communication system, upon receiving a message, can send a message to every electronic device connected to it (except for the device sending the message to that electronic device). For example, the server can send a fourth message to the third and fifth devices, and the third device can also send a fourth message to the second and fifth devices.

[0297] In one possible implementation, after the server sends the fourth message to the third device and the fifth device, the method may further include: the fifth device receiving the fourth message sent by the server; the fifth device receiving the fourth message sent by the third device, determining that it has received the fourth message, and discarding the fourth message sent by the third device.

[0298] In this way, when the fifth device receives the same message repeatedly, the second received message can be discarded.

[0299] In one possible implementation, the fifth device determining that it has already received the fourth message and discarding the fourth message sent by the third device may include: when the fifth device receives the fourth message sent by the server, it saves the identifier of the fourth message, which is carried in the fourth message; when the fifth device receives the fourth message sent by the third device, it obtains the identifier of the fourth message from the fourth message; the fifth device determines that the identifier of the fourth message exists in the fifth device; the fifth device determines that it has already received the fourth message and discards the fourth message sent by the third device.

[0300] In some examples, each message involved in this application may include a message identifier field, which can be used to indicate the identifier of the message. For example, the message identifier field may be filled with the ID of the message. For instance, a fourth message may include a message identifier field, which may include the ID of the fourth message.

[0301] Furthermore, in some examples, the message identifier field is in the message header. For example, the message identifier field may exist in the message header of a fourth message.

[0302] In this way, when the fifth device receives the fourth message again, it can determine from the message identifier parsed from the fourth message that it has already received the fourth message, and discard the fourth message received again to avoid duplication.

[0303] In some examples, the first device can be Figure 7 The node H shown in the diagram, and the second device, can be... Figure 7 The node B and the third device shown in the diagram can be the aforementioned Figure 7 The node A and the fourth device shown in the figure can be described above. Figure 7 In the context of node I or node J, the fifth device can be one of the above. Figure 7 The first device is shown as node D. In other examples, the first device could be... Figure 7 The node G shown in the diagram, and the second device, can be... Figure 7 The node C and the third device shown can be the above. Figure 7 The node D and the fourth device shown in the figure can be described above. Figure 7 In the context of node I or node J, the fifth device can be one of the above. Figure 7 Node A is shown in the image.

[0304] In one possible implementation, the communication system may further include a sixth device, which establishes a communication connection with the third device via a seventh communication technology, and the sixth device establishes an eighth communication technology with the server; the method may further include: the third device receiving a fifth message sent by the sixth device; the third device receiving a fifth message sent by the server; the third device determining that it has received a fifth message before receiving the fifth message sent by the server, and discarding the fifth message sent by the server.

[0305] In this way, there can be multiple networked devices (e.g., a third device and a sixth device). Each device in this communication system, after receiving a message, can send the message to every electronic device connected to it (except for the device that sent the message to that electronic device). Furthermore, if a third device receives the same message repeatedly, it can discard the later received message.

[0306] In some examples, the sixth device can be the fifth device mentioned above.

[0307] In one possible implementation, the third device determining that it has already received the fifth message before receiving the fifth message sent by the server, and discarding the fifth message sent by the server, may include: when the third device receives the fifth message sent by the sixth device, saving the identifier of the fifth message, which is carried in the fifth message; when the third device receives the fifth message sent by the server, obtaining the identifier of the fifth message from the fifth message; the third device determining that the identifier of the fifth message exists in the third device; the third device determining that the third device has already received the fifth message, and discarding the fifth message sent by the server.

[0308] In some examples, each message involved in this application may include a message identifier field, which can be used to indicate the identifier of the message. For example, the message identifier field may be filled with the ID of the message. For instance, the fifth message may include a message identifier field, which may include the ID of the fifth message.

[0309] Furthermore, in some examples, the message identifier field is in the message header. For example, the message identifier field may exist in the message header of the fifth message.

[0310] In this way, when the third device receives the fifth message repeatedly, it can determine from the message identifier parsed from the fifth message that it has already received the fifth message, and discard the fifth message received again to avoid duplication.

[0311] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: the third device receiving a sixth message sent by the server; the third device receiving a sixth message sent by the sixth device; the third device determining that it has already received the sixth message before receiving the sixth message sent by the sixth device, and discarding the sixth message sent by the sixth device.

[0312] In this scenario, where the server sends messages to devices in the network, each device in the network, after receiving a message, can send messages to all devices connected to it. Thus, the third device can receive both the sixth message sent by the server and the sixth message sent by the sixth device. Furthermore, if the third device receives the same message repeatedly, it can discard the second received message.

[0313] In some examples, each message involved in this application may include a message identifier field, which can be used to indicate the identifier of the message. For example, the message identifier field may be filled with the ID of the message. For instance, the sixth message may include a message identifier field, which may include the ID of the sixth message.

[0314] Furthermore, in some examples, the message identifier field is in the message header. For example, the message identifier field may exist in the message header of the sixth message.

[0315] In this way, when the third device receives the sixth message again, it can determine from the message identifier parsed from the sixth message that it has already received the sixth message, and discard the sixth message received again to avoid duplication.

[0316] In one possible implementation, the third device determining that it has already received the sixth message before receiving the sixth message sent by the sixth device, and discarding the sixth message sent by the sixth device, may include: when the third device receives the sixth message sent by the server, saving the identifier of the sixth message, which is carried in the sixth message; when the third device receives the sixth message sent by the sixth device, obtaining the identifier of the sixth message from the sixth message; the third device determining that the identifier of the sixth message exists in the third device; the third device determining that the third device has already received the sixth message, and discarding the sixth message sent by the sixth device.

[0317] In some examples, the first device can be Figure 7 The node H shown in the diagram, and the second device, can be... Figure 7 The node B and the third device shown in the diagram can be the aforementioned Figure 7 The node A and the sixth device shown in the diagram can be the aforementioned Figure 7 The first device is shown as node D. In other examples, the first device could be... Figure 7 The node G shown in the diagram, and the second device, can be... Figure 7 The node C and the third device shown can be the above. Figure 7 The node D and the sixth device shown in the diagram can be the aforementioned Figure 7 Node A is shown in the image.

[0318] In one possible implementation, the first communication technology is any one of cellular communication technology, satellite communication technology, or wireless local area network communication technology;

[0319] The second communication technology is any one of Bluetooth communication technology, Starlight communication technology, point-to-point communication technology, or communication technology based on a preset frequency band;

[0320] The third communication technology is any one of Bluetooth communication technology, Starlight communication technology, point-to-point communication technology, or communication technology based on a preset frequency band;

[0321] The fourth communication technology is any one of cellular communication technology, satellite communication technology, and wireless local area network communication technology, and the fourth communication technology may be the same as or different from the first communication technology;

[0322] The fifth communication technology is any one of Bluetooth communication technology, Star Flash communication technology, point-to-point communication technology, or communication technology based on a preset frequency band. The fifth communication technology may be the same as or different from the second and third communication technologies.

[0323] The sixth communication technology is any one of cellular communication technology, satellite communication technology, or wireless local area network communication technology, and the sixth communication technology is the same as or different from the first communication technology.

[0324] The seventh communication technology is any one of Bluetooth communication technology, Star Flash communication technology, point-to-point communication technology, or communication technology based on a preset frequency band. The seventh communication technology may be the same as or different from the second and third communication technologies.

[0325] The eighth communication technology is any one of cellular communication technology, satellite communication technology, or wireless local area network communication technology, and the eighth communication technology may be the same as or different from the first communication technology.

[0326] In this way, devices in the network can be networked using different communication technologies.

[0327] In the embodiments of this application, the first communication technology, the fourth communication technology, the sixth communication technology, the eighth communication technology, etc., may all include one or more of the above-mentioned communication technology 1, the second communication technology, the third communication technology, the fifth communication technology, the seventh communication technology, etc., and may all include one or more of the above-mentioned communication technology 2, communication technology 3, communication technology 4, communication technology 5, communication technology 6, communication technology 7, communication technology 8, and communication technology 9.

[0328] In this application embodiment, a communication method is provided, which can be applied to a communication system. The communication system may include a first device, a second device, a third device, and a server. The first device, the second device, and the third device are networked together. The third device and the server establish a communication connection through a first communication technology. The first device and the second device establish a communication connection through a second communication technology. The second device and the third device establish a communication connection through a third communication technology. The second and third communication technologies are near-field communication (NFC) technologies. The method may include: the first device sending a first message to the second device, the first message including first indication information, the first indication information being used to instruct the first device to send a message to the server; the second device receiving the first message and sending a first message to the third device based on the first indication information; and the third device receiving the first message and sending a first message to the server based on the first indication information.

[0329] In some embodiments, the first device may be Figure 7 The node G shown can be a second device. Figure 7 The node C shown can be a third device. Figure 7 The node D shown is shown.

[0330] In some examples, electronic devices that can communicate directly with servers via cellular networks or satellite networks can be called network-connected devices. Devices that are not registered on cellular networks or have not established satellite communication connections and cannot communicate directly with servers can be called network-free devices.

[0331] In some examples, the first communication technology is different from the second or third communication technology, or the second and third communication technologies are the same or different.

[0332] In some examples, the first indication information may include the identifier of the first device, the server address, etc.

[0333] Using the method provided in the first aspect, multiple devices can be networked. These networked devices can integrate multi-channel communication capabilities, enabling collaborative operation in both networked and offline environments to meet the needs of efficient and stable communication between devices in complex environments. This allows offline devices in the network to send messages to the server through networked devices. This improves the communication experience for users of electronic devices.

[0334] In one possible implementation, after the third device sends a first message to the server, the method may further include: the server sending a second message to the third device, the second message including second indication information, the second indication information being used to instruct the server to send a message to the first device; the third device receiving the second message and sending a second message to the second device based on the second indication information; and the second device receiving the second message and sending a second message to the first device based on the second indication information.

[0335] In some examples, the second indication information may include the identifier of the first device.

[0336] In some examples, the identifier of the first device includes, but is not limited to, a user account on the first device (e.g., a login account for a communication application on the first device, or a system login account on the first device) and a mobile phone number.

[0337] In this way, even devices without a network can receive messages sent by the server, thereby improving the communication experience for users of electronic devices.

[0338] In one possible implementation, the first message can be used to download the first content; the server sending a second message to the third device may include: the server sending a second message to the third device based on the first message, the second message may include the first content or the download address of the first content.

[0339] In this way, even if the first device is offline, it can still obtain the first content from the server through the networked devices.

[0340] In one possible implementation, the communication system may include a fourth device, which establishes a communication connection with the server. The fourth device is not networked with the first device, the second device, or the third device. The method may further include: the first device sending a third message to the second device, the third message including third indication information, the third indication being used to instruct the first device to send a message to the fourth device; the second device receiving the third message and sending a third message to the third device based on the third indication information; the third device receiving the third message and sending a third message to the server based on the third indication information; and the server receiving the third message and sending a third message to the fourth device based on the third indication information.

[0341] In some examples, the third indication information may include the identifier of the first device and the identifier of the fourth device.

[0342] In some examples, the identifier of the fourth device may include, but is not limited to, a user account on the fourth device (e.g., a login account for a communication application on the fourth device, or a system login account on the fourth device) or a mobile phone number on the fourth device.

[0343] In some examples, a fourth device can Figure 7 Node I or Node J in the network. In this way, even if the first device is in a networkless environment, it can still send messages to other networked devices that are not networked with the first device by using the networked devices in the network.

[0344] In one possible implementation, the method may further include: a fourth device sending a fourth message to a server, the fourth message including fourth indication information, the fourth indication information being used to instruct the fourth device to send a message to the first device; the server receiving the fourth message and sending a fourth message to a third device based on the fourth indication information; the third device receiving the fourth message and sending a fourth message to a second device based on the fourth indication information; and the second device receiving the fourth message and sending a fourth message to the first device based on the fourth indication information.

[0345] In some examples, the fourth indication may include the identifier of the fourth device and the identifier of the first device.

[0346] In this way, even if the first device is in an environment without a network, it can still receive messages sent by other networked devices that are not in a network by using the networked devices in the network.

[0347] In one possible implementation, the communication system may further include a fifth device, which establishes a near-field communication connection with the third device through a fifth communication technology, and establishes a communication connection with the server; the method may further include: the third device sending a fifth message to the server, the fifth message including fifth indication information, the fifth indication information being used to instruct the third device to send a message to the fifth device; the third device sending the fifth message to the fifth device through the near-field communication connection.

[0348] In some examples, the fifth indication information may include the identifier of the third device and the identifier of the fifth device.

[0349] In some examples, the identifier of the third device may include, but is not limited to, a user account on the third device (e.g., a login account for a communication application on the third device, or a system login account on the third device) or a mobile phone number on the third device.

[0350] In some examples, the identifier of the fifth device may include, but is not limited to, a user account on the fifth device (e.g., a login account for a communication application on the fifth device, or a system login account on the fifth device) or a mobile phone number on the fifth device.

[0351] In some examples, the fifth device can Figure 7 Node A in the diagram.

[0352] In this way, there can be multiple networked devices (e.g., a third device and a fifth device). Each device in this communication system, upon receiving a message, can send a message to every electronic device connected to it (except for the device sending the message to that electronic device). For example, the third device can send a fifth message to both the server and the fifth device.

[0353] In one possible implementation, after the third device sends a fifth message to the fifth device via a near-field communication connection, the method may further include: the fifth device receiving the fifth message sent by the third device; the fifth device receiving the fifth message sent by the server; and based on the fifth message sent by the third device and the fifth message sent by the server, determining that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message and not processing the fifth message sent by the server.

[0354] In some examples, not processing a fifth message sent by the server may include discarding the fifth message sent by the server, or receiving the fifth message but not replying to the message based on the fifth message or not forwarding the fifth message to other devices in the network.

[0355] In this way, when the fifth device receives the same message repeatedly, it will not process the fifth message repeatedly. This saves power consumption for the fifth device.

[0356] In one possible implementation, determining that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message can specifically include: when the fifth device receives the fifth message sent by the third device, it saves the identifier of the fifth message; after receiving the fifth message sent by the server, the fifth device determines that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message based on the identifier of the fifth message.

[0357] In this way, the fifth device can determine that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message based on the identifier of the fifth message.

[0358] In one possible implementation, the communication system further includes a fifth device, which establishes a near-field communication connection with the third device via a fifth communication technology, and the fifth device also communicates with the server. The method may further include: a fourth device sending a sixth message to the server, the sixth message including sixth indication information, which instructs the fourth device to send a message to the fifth device; the server sending the sixth message to both the fifth and third devices; the third device sending the sixth message to the fifth device via the near-field communication connection; the fifth device receiving the sixth message sent by the third device; the fifth device receiving the sixth message sent by the server; and the fifth device determining, based on the sixth message sent by the third device and the sixth message sent by the server, that the sixth message sent by the third device is a duplicate message and not processing it.

[0359] In some examples, not processing a sixth message sent by a third device may include discarding the sixth message sent by the third device, or receiving the sixth message but not replying to it or forwarding it to other devices in the network.

[0360] In this way, when the fifth device receives the same message repeatedly, it will not process the sixth message repeatedly. This saves power consumption for the fifth device.

[0361] In one possible implementation, the communication system may further include a seventh device, which establishes a near-field communication connection with the third device and a near-field communication connection with the fifth device. The method may further include: the seventh device receiving a seventh message sent by the third device, wherein the seventh message is a message sent to the seventh device; the seventh device receiving a seventh message sent by the fifth device; and, based on the identifier of the seventh message, determining whether the seventh message sent by the third device or the seventh message sent by the fifth device is a duplicate message, and not processing the duplicate message.

[0362] In this way, when the seventh device receives the same message repeatedly, it can avoid processing the same message repeatedly, thereby saving power consumption of the seventh device.

[0363] In one possible implementation, the first communication technology is any one of cellular communication technology, satellite communication technology, or wireless local area network communication technology;

[0364] The second communication technology is any one of Bluetooth communication technology, Starlight communication technology, point-to-point communication technology, or communication technology based on a preset frequency band;

[0365] The third communication technology is any one of Bluetooth communication technology, Starlight communication technology, point-to-point communication technology, or communication technology based on a preset frequency band;

[0366] Near-field communication technology can be any one of cellular communication technology, satellite communication technology, or wireless local area network communication technology.

[0367] Near-field communication (NFC) connection is a communication connection established through NFC technology.

[0368] In this way, devices in the network can be networked using different communication technologies.

[0369] In a communication method provided in this application embodiment, the networked devices in the mesh network significantly extend the communication distance between devices without a network to 10+ km through multi-channel fusion communication, effectively solving the distance limitation of traditional single communication technology. It is suitable for large-scale communication scenarios such as wilderness and remote areas, such as wilderness exploration and border patrol, and ensures stable long-distance communication between devices.

[0370] The new converged networking approach, integrating wired and wireless networks, breaks down the barriers between wired and wireless communication, enabling wireless devices to relay and communicate with the cloud via wired devices, thus enhancing data sharing capabilities and expanding application scope. In emergency disaster relief scenarios, disaster information in wireless environments can be promptly uploaded to the cloud platform and distributed, improving rescue efficiency.

[0371] The global roaming algorithm for offline messages ensures that data can be transmitted quickly and reliably to all nodes in an offline environment, and forwarded to the cloud through the optimal network node, reducing data transmission latency and ensuring the timeliness of information interaction between offline devices. It is suitable for offline application scenarios with high real-time requirements, such as communication between equipment in underground mines.

[0372] The network-connected message relay algorithm, through its multi-source shortest route design, greatly shortens the time for network-connected data to be forwarded to network-free nodes, reduces transmission latency, and improves data transmission efficiency. In scenarios such as the Industrial Internet, it can ensure that cloud commands are quickly and accurately delivered to network-free devices, thereby improving the overall system response speed and operating efficiency.

[0373] The following describes an exemplary electronic device 100 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0374] Figure 11This is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of the electronic device 100 provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0375] The following detailed description uses electronic device 100 as an example. It should be understood that electronic device 100 may have more or fewer components than shown in the figures, may combine two or more components, or may have different component configurations. The various components shown in the figures can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software, including one or more signal processing and / or application-specific integrated circuits.

[0376] Electronic device 100 may include: processor 110, external memory interface 120, internal memory 121, universal serial bus (USB) interface 130, charging management module 140, power management module 141, battery 142, antenna 1, antenna 2, mobile communication module 150, wireless communication module 160, audio module 170, speaker 170A, receiver 170B, microphone 170C, headphone jack 170D, sensor module 180, button 190, motor 191, indicator 192, camera 193, display screen 194, and subscriber identification module (SIM) card interface 195, etc. The sensor module 180 may include a pressure sensor 180A, a gyroscope sensor 180B, a barometric pressure sensor 180C, a magnetic sensor 180D, an accelerometer sensor 180E, a distance sensor 180F, a proximity sensor 180G, a fingerprint sensor 180H, a temperature sensor 180J, a touch sensor 180K, an ambient light sensor 180L, a bone conduction sensor 180M, etc.

[0377] It is understood that the structures illustrated in the embodiments of the present invention do not constitute a specific limitation on the electronic device 100. In other embodiments of this application, the electronic device 100 may include more or fewer components than illustrated, or combine some components, or split some components, or have different component arrangements. The illustrated components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0378] Processor 110 may include one or more processing units, such as: application processor (AP), modem processor, graphics processing unit (GPU), image signal processor (ISP), controller, memory, video codec, digital signal processor (DSP), baseband processor, and / or neural network processing unit (NPU), etc. Different processing units may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors.

[0379] The controller can be the nerve center and command center of the electronic device 100. The controller can generate operation control signals according to the instruction opcode and timing signals to complete the control of fetching and executing instructions.

[0380] The processor 110 may also include a memory for storing instructions and data. In some embodiments, the memory in the processor 110 is a cache memory. This memory can store instructions or data that the processor 110 has just used or that are used repeatedly. If the processor 110 needs to use the instruction or data again, it can retrieve it directly from the memory. This avoids repeated accesses, reduces the waiting time of the processor 110, and thus improves the efficiency of the system.

[0381] In some embodiments, the processor 110 may include one or more interfaces. Interfaces may include an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) interface, an inter-integrated circuit sound (I2S) interface, a pulse code modulation (PCM) interface, a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) interface, a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI), a general-purpose input / output (GPIO) interface, a subscriber identity module (SIM) interface, and / or a universal serial bus (USB) interface, etc.

[0382] The I2C interface is a bidirectional synchronous serial bus, including a serial data line (SDA) and a serial clock line (SCL). In some embodiments, the processor 110 may include multiple I2C buses. The processor 110 can couple to the touch sensor 180K, charger, flash, camera 193, etc., through different I2C bus interfaces. For example, the processor 110 can couple to the touch sensor 180K through the I2C interface, enabling the processor 110 and the touch sensor 180K to communicate through the I2C bus interface, thereby realizing the touch function of the electronic device 100.

[0383] The I2S interface can be used for audio communication. In some embodiments, the processor 110 may include multiple I2S buses. The processor 110 can be coupled to the audio module 170 via the I2S bus to enable communication between the processor 110 and the audio module 170. In some embodiments, the audio module 170 can transmit audio signals to the wireless communication module 160 via the I2S interface to enable the function of answering phone calls through a Bluetooth headset.

[0384] The PCM interface can also be used for audio communication, sampling, quantizing, and encoding analog signals. In some embodiments, the audio module 170 and the wireless communication module 160 can be coupled via the PCM bus interface. In some embodiments, the audio module 170 can also transmit audio signals to the wireless communication module 160 via the PCM interface, enabling the function of answering phone calls through a Bluetooth headset. Both the I2S interface and the PCM interface can be used for audio communication.

[0385] The UART interface is a universal serial data bus used for asynchronous communication. This bus can be a bidirectional communication bus. It converts the data to be transmitted between serial and parallel communication. In some embodiments, the UART interface is typically used to connect the processor 110 and the wireless communication module 160. For example, the processor 110 communicates with the Bluetooth module in the wireless communication module 160 via the UART interface to implement Bluetooth functionality. In some embodiments, the audio module 170 can transmit audio signals to the wireless communication module 160 via the UART interface to enable music playback through Bluetooth headphones.

[0386] The MIPI interface can be used to connect the processor 110 to peripheral devices such as the display screen 194 and the camera 193. The MIPI interface includes a camera serial interface (CSI) and a display serial interface (DSI). In some embodiments, the processor 110 and the camera 193 communicate via the CSI interface to enable the electronic device 100 to capture images. The processor 110 and the display screen 194 communicate via the DSI interface to enable the electronic device 100 to display images.

[0387] The GPIO interface can be configured via software. It can be configured as a control signal or a data signal. In some embodiments, the GPIO interface can be used to connect the processor 110 to a camera 193, a display screen 194, a wireless communication module 160, an audio module 170, a sensor module 180, etc. The GPIO interface can also be configured as an I2C interface, an I2S interface, a UART interface, a MIPI interface, etc.

[0388] The SIM interface can be used to communicate with the SIM card interface 195 to transmit data to or read data from the SIM card.

[0389] USB port 130 is a USB standard compliant interface, specifically a Mini USB port, Micro USB port, USB Type-C port, etc. USB port 130 can be used to connect a charger to charge electronic device 100, and can also be used for data transfer between electronic device 100 and peripheral devices. It can also be used to connect headphones for audio playback. This interface can also be used to connect other electronic devices, such as AR devices.

[0390] It is understood that the interface connection relationships between the modules illustrated in the embodiments of the present invention are merely illustrative and do not constitute a structural limitation on the electronic device 100. In other embodiments of this application, the electronic device 100 may also employ different interface connection methods or combinations of multiple interface connection methods as described in the above embodiments.

[0391] The charging management module 140 is used to receive charging input from the charger. The charger can be a wireless charger or a wired charger.

[0392] The power management module 141 is used to connect the battery 142, the charging management module 140, and the processor 110. The power management module 141 receives input from the battery 142 and / or the charging management module 140 to power the processor 110, internal memory 121, external memory, display 194, camera 193, and wireless communication module 160, etc.

[0393] The wireless communication function of electronic device 100 can be realized through antenna 1, antenna 2, mobile communication module 150, wireless communication module 160, modem processor and baseband processor, etc.

[0394] Antenna 1 and antenna 2 are used to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals. Each antenna in electronic device 100 can be used to cover one or more communication frequency bands. Different antennas can also be multiplexed to improve antenna utilization. For example, antenna 1 can be multiplexed as a diversity antenna for a wireless local area network. In some other embodiments, the antennas can be used in conjunction with tuning switches.

[0395] The mobile communication module 150 can provide solutions for wireless communication, including 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G, applied to the electronic device 100. The mobile communication module 150 may include at least one filter, switch, power amplifier, low noise amplifier (LNA), etc. The mobile communication module 150 can receive electromagnetic waves via antenna 1, and perform filtering, amplification, and other processing on the received electromagnetic waves before transmitting them to a modem processor for demodulation. The mobile communication module 150 can also amplify the signal modulated by the modem processor and convert it into electromagnetic waves for radiation via antenna 1. In some embodiments, at least some functional modules of the mobile communication module 150 may be housed in the processor 110. In some embodiments, at least some functional modules of the mobile communication module 150 and at least some modules of the processor 110 may be housed in the same device.

[0396] The modem processor may include a modulator and a demodulator. The modulator modulates the low-frequency baseband signal to be transmitted into a mid-to-high frequency signal. The demodulator demodulates the received electromagnetic wave signal into a low-frequency baseband signal. The demodulator then transmits the demodulated low-frequency baseband signal to the baseband processor for processing. After processing by the baseband processor, the low-frequency baseband signal is transmitted to the application processor. The application processor outputs sound signals through an audio device (not limited to speaker 170A, receiver 170B, etc.) or displays images or videos through the display screen 194. In some embodiments, the modem processor may be a separate device. In other embodiments, the modem processor may be independent of the processor 110 and may be housed in the same device as the mobile communication module 150 or other functional modules.

[0397] The wireless communication module 160 can provide solutions for wireless communication applications on the electronic device 100, including wireless local area networks (WLANs) (such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks), Bluetooth (BT), global navigation satellite system (GNSS), frequency modulation (FM), near field communication (NFC), and infrared (IR) technologies. The wireless communication module 160 can be one or more devices integrating at least one communication processing module. The wireless communication module 160 receives electromagnetic waves via antenna 2, performs frequency modulation and filtering of the electromagnetic wave signals, and sends the processed signal to processor 110. The wireless communication module 160 can also receive signals to be transmitted from processor 110, perform frequency modulation and amplification, and convert them into electromagnetic waves for radiation via antenna 2.

[0398] In some embodiments, antenna 1 of electronic device 100 is coupled to mobile communication module 150, and antenna 2 is coupled to wireless communication module 160, enabling electronic device 100 to communicate with networks and other devices via wireless communication technology. The wireless communication technology may include Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Time Division Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), BT, GNSS, WLAN, NFC, FM, and / or IR technologies, etc. The GNSS may include the Global Positioning System (GPS), the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), and / or satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS).

[0399] Electronic device 100 implements display functions through a GPU, a display screen 194, and an application processor. The GPU is a microprocessor for image processing, connected to the display screen 194 and the application processor. The GPU is used to perform mathematical and geometric calculations and for graphics rendering. Processor 110 may include one or more GPUs, which execute program instructions to generate or modify display information.

[0400] Display screen 194 is used to display images, videos, etc. Display screen 194 includes a display panel. The display panel may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED), a flexible light-emitting diode (FLED), a Mini LED, a MicroLED, a Micro-OLED, a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED), etc. In some embodiments, electronic device 100 may include one or N displays 194, where N is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0401] Electronic device 100 can perform shooting functions through ISP, camera 193, video codec, GPU, display 194 and application processor.

[0402] The ISP (Image Signal Processor) is used to process data fed back from the camera 193. For example, when taking a picture, the shutter is opened, and light is transmitted through the lens to the camera's photosensitive element. The light signal is converted into an electrical signal, and the camera's photosensitive element transmits the electrical signal to the ISP for processing, transforming it into an image visible to the naked eye. The ISP can also perform algorithmic optimization of image noise, brightness, and color. The ISP can also optimize parameters such as exposure and color temperature of the shooting scene. In some embodiments, the ISP can be set in the camera 193.

[0403] Camera 193 is used to capture still images or videos. An object is projected onto a photosensitive element by generating an optical image through the lens. The photosensitive element can be a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) phototransistor. The photosensitive element converts the light signal into an electrical signal, which is then passed to an ISP for conversion into a digital image signal. The ISP outputs the digital image signal to a DSP for processing. The DSP converts the digital image signal into image signals in standard RGB, YUV, or other formats. In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 may include one or N cameras 193, where N is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0404] Digital signal processors (DSPs) are used to process digital signals. Besides digital image signals, they can also process other digital signals. For example, when electronic device 100 selects a frequency, the DSP can perform Fourier transforms on the frequency energy.

[0405] Video codecs are used to compress or decompress digital video. Electronic device 100 may support one or more video codecs. Thus, electronic device 100 can play or record videos in various encoding formats, such as Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) 1, MPEG2, MPEG3, MPEG4, etc.

[0406] An NPU (Neural Processing Unit) is a computational processor for neural networks (NNs). By borrowing the structure of biological neural networks, such as the transmission patterns between neurons in the human brain, it can rapidly process input information and continuously learn on its own. NPUs enable intelligent cognitive applications in electronic devices, such as image recognition, facial recognition, speech recognition, and text understanding.

[0407] The external storage interface 120 can be used to connect an external memory card, such as a Micro SD card, to expand the storage capacity of the electronic device 100. The external memory card communicates with the processor 110 through the external storage interface 120 to perform data storage functions. For example, music, video, and other files can be saved on the external memory card.

[0408] Internal memory 121 can be used to store computer executable program code, which includes instructions. Processor 110 executes various functional applications and data processing of electronic device 100 by running the instructions stored in internal memory 121. Internal memory 121 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system, at least one application required for a function (such as facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, mobile payment, etc.). The data storage area may store data created during the use of electronic device 100 (such as facial information template data, fingerprint information templates, etc.). Furthermore, internal memory 121 may include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, universal flash storage (UFS), etc.

[0409] Electronic device 100 can implement audio functions, such as music playback and recording, through audio module 170, speaker 170A, receiver 170B, microphone 170C, headphone jack 170D, and application processor.

[0410] The audio module 170 is used to convert digital audio information into analog audio signals for output, and also to convert analog audio input into digital audio signals. The audio module 170 can also be used for encoding and decoding audio signals. In some embodiments, the audio module 170 may be located in the processor 110, or some functional modules of the audio module 170 may be located in the processor 110.

[0411] The speaker 170A, also known as a "loudspeaker," is used to convert audio electrical signals into sound signals. The electronic device 100 can listen to music or make hands-free calls through the speaker 170A.

[0412] The receiver 170B, also known as the "earpiece," is used to convert audio electrical signals into sound signals. When the electronic device 100 answers a telephone call or voice message, the receiver 170B can be brought close to the ear to listen to the voice.

[0413] Microphone 170C, also known as a "microphone" or "voice transducer," is used to convert sound signals into electrical signals. When making a phone call or sending a voice message, the user can speak by bringing their mouth close to microphone 170C, inputting the sound signal into microphone 170C. Electronic device 100 may have at least one microphone 170C. In some embodiments, electronic device 100 may have two microphones 170C, which, in addition to collecting sound signals, can also perform noise reduction. In other embodiments, electronic device 100 may also have three, four, or more microphones 170C, which can collect sound signals, reduce noise, identify the sound source, and perform directional recording, etc.

[0414] The 170D headphone jack is used to connect wired headphones. The 170D headphone jack can be a USB 130 interface or a 3.5mm Open Mobile Terminal Platform (OMTP) standard interface, a CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association of the USA) standard interface.

[0415] Pressure sensor 180A is used to sense pressure signals and convert them into electrical signals. In some embodiments, pressure sensor 180A can be disposed on display screen 194. There are many types of pressure sensors 180A, such as resistive pressure sensors, inductive pressure sensors, and capacitive pressure sensors. A capacitive pressure sensor may include at least two parallel plates with conductive material. When force is applied to pressure sensor 180A, the capacitance between the electrodes changes. Electronic device 100 determines the pressure intensity based on the change in capacitance. When a touch operation is applied to display screen 194, electronic device 100 detects the intensity of the touch operation based on pressure sensor 180A. Electronic device 100 can also calculate the touch position based on the detection signal from pressure sensor 180A. In some embodiments, touch operations applied to the same touch position but with different touch operation intensities can correspond to different operation commands. For example, when a touch operation with an intensity less than a first pressure threshold is applied to the SMS application icon, a command to view an SMS is executed. When a touch operation with an intensity greater than or equal to the first pressure threshold is applied to the SMS application icon, a command to create a new SMS is executed.

[0416] The gyroscope sensor 180B can be used to determine the motion attitude of the electronic device 100. In some embodiments, the gyroscope sensor 180B can determine the angular velocity of the electronic device 100 about three axes (i.e., the x, y, and z axes). The gyroscope sensor 180B can be used for image stabilization. For example, when the shutter is pressed, the gyroscope sensor 180B detects the angle of the shake of the electronic device 100, calculates the distance that the lens module needs to compensate based on the angle, and allows the lens to counteract the shake of the electronic device 100 by moving in the opposite direction, thus achieving image stabilization. The gyroscope sensor 180B can also be used in navigation and motion-sensing game scenarios.

[0417] The barometric pressure sensor 180C is used to measure air pressure. In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 calculates altitude using the air pressure value measured by the barometric pressure sensor 180C to assist in positioning and navigation.

[0418] The magnetic sensor 180D includes a Hall sensor. The electronic device 100 can use the magnetic sensor 180D to detect the opening and closing of the flip cover. In some embodiments, when the electronic device 100 is a flip phone, the electronic device 100 can detect the opening and closing of the flip cover using the magnetic sensor 180D. Then, based on the detected opening and closing state of the cover or the flip cover, features such as automatic flip unlocking can be set.

[0419] The 180E accelerometer can detect the magnitude of acceleration of electronic device 100 in various directions (typically three axes). When electronic device 100 is stationary, it can detect the magnitude and direction of gravity. It can also be used to identify the posture of electronic devices and applied to applications such as screen orientation switching and pedometers.

[0420] A distance sensor 180F is used to measure distance. Electronic device 100 can measure distance via infrared or laser. In some embodiments, during a shooting scene, electronic device 100 can utilize the distance sensor 180F to measure distance for rapid focusing.

[0421] The proximity sensor 180G may include, for example, a light-emitting diode (LED) and a light detector, such as a photodiode. The LED may be an infrared LED. The electronic device 100 emits infrared light outward through the LED. The electronic device 100 uses the photodiode to detect infrared reflected light from nearby objects. When sufficient reflected light is detected, it can be determined that there is an object near the electronic device 100. When insufficient reflected light is detected, the electronic device 100 can determine that there is no object near the electronic device 100. The electronic device 100 may use the proximity sensor 180G to detect when a user holds the electronic device 100 close to their ear for a call, so as to automatically turn off the screen to save power. The proximity sensor 180G can also be used in holster mode and pocket mode for automatic unlocking and locking of the screen.

[0422] The ambient light sensor 180L is used to sense the brightness of ambient light. The electronic device 100 can adaptively adjust the brightness of the display screen 194 based on the sensed ambient light brightness. The ambient light sensor 180L can also be used to automatically adjust the white balance when taking pictures. The ambient light sensor 180L can also work with the proximity sensor 180G to detect whether the electronic device 100 is in a pocket to prevent accidental touches.

[0423] The fingerprint sensor 180H is used to collect fingerprints. The electronic device 100 can utilize the characteristics of the collected fingerprints to achieve fingerprint unlocking, accessing application locks, taking photos with fingerprints, answering calls with fingerprints, etc.

[0424] Temperature sensor 180J is used to detect temperature. In some embodiments, electronic device 100 uses the temperature detected by temperature sensor 180J to execute a temperature handling strategy. For example, when the temperature reported by temperature sensor 180J exceeds a threshold, electronic device 100 performs thermal protection by reducing the performance of a processor located near temperature sensor 180J to reduce power consumption. In other embodiments, when the temperature is below another threshold, electronic device 100 heats battery 142 to prevent abnormal shutdown of electronic device 100 due to low temperature. In still other embodiments, when the temperature is below yet another threshold, electronic device 100 boosts the output voltage of battery 142 to prevent abnormal shutdown due to low temperature.

[0425] Touch sensor 180K, also known as a "touch panel," can be located on display screen 194. The touch sensor 180K and display screen 194 together form a touchscreen, also known as a "touch screen." Touch sensor 180K detects touch operations applied to or near it. The touch sensor can transmit the detected touch operation to the application processor to determine the type of touch event. Visual output related to the touch operation can be provided through display screen 194. In other embodiments, touch sensor 180K may also be located on the surface of electronic device 100, in a different position than display screen 194.

[0426] Buttons 190 include a power button, volume buttons, etc. Buttons 190 can be mechanical buttons or touch-sensitive buttons. Electronic device 100 can receive button input and generate key signal inputs related to user settings and function control of electronic device 100.

[0427] Motor 191 can generate vibration alerts. Motor 191 can be used for incoming call vibration alerts or for touch vibration feedback. For example, different vibration feedback effects can correspond to touch operations performed on different applications (such as taking photos, playing audio, etc.). Motor 191 can also correspond to different vibration feedback effects for touch operations performed on different areas of the display screen 194. Different application scenarios (such as time reminders, receiving messages, alarm clocks, games, etc.) can also correspond to different vibration feedback effects. The touch vibration feedback effect can also be customized.

[0428] Indicator 192 can be an indicator light, used to indicate charging status, power changes, or to indicate messages, missed calls, notifications, etc.

[0429] The SIM card interface 195 is used to connect a SIM card. The SIM card can be inserted into or removed from the SIM card interface 195 to make contact with and detach from the electronic device 100. The electronic device 100 can support one or N SIM card interfaces, where N is a positive integer greater than 1. The SIM card interface 195 can support Nano SIM cards, Micro SIM cards, and other SIM cards. Multiple cards can be inserted into the same SIM card interface 195 simultaneously. The multiple cards can be of the same or different types. The SIM card interface 195 is also compatible with different types of SIM cards. The SIM card interface 195 is also compatible with external memory cards. The electronic device 100 interacts with the network through the SIM card to realize functions such as calls and data communication.

[0430] Other electronic devices involved in this application, such as electronic device 101, electronic device 102, etc., may refer to the structure of the above-described electronic device 100.

[0431] In some examples, the structure of the relay device 200, network-connected devices, and network-free devices involved in this application can also refer to the structure of the electronic device 100 described above. Optionally, the structure of the relay device 200, network-connected devices, and network-free devices involved in the embodiments of this application may include more or fewer components than the electronic device 100 described above, and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0432] The electronic device provided in this application embodiment can run an operating system (OS). This operating system can be various operating systems currently used in the industry, such as HarmonyOS, an operating system developed based on OpenHarmony; or other operating systems, for example... The iOS mobile operating system; it can also refer to various open-source operating systems or their derivatives, such as Linux OS, and other embedded operating systems; it can also be a future type of operating system, such as an AI operating system based on artificial intelligence. An operating system is a set of interconnected system software programs that manage and control the operation of electronic devices, utilize and run hardware and software resources, and provide public services to organize user interaction. The operating system occupies a pivotal position in electronic devices, connecting to the physical hardware layer below and providing a runtime environment for application software above.

[0433] An operating system typically includes a kernel layer, a middleware layer, and an application layer. The application layer includes applications, which can include system applications and third-party applications. The middleware layer is a suite of software, or frameworks, that provides various services to application developers, such as databases, multimedia, and graphics, or capabilities like distributed scheduling and system scaling. For example, the middleware layer can also include a service layer. The service layer comprises the system's core capabilities, providing services to applications through the framework layer. The kernel layer is the layer between hardware and software. The kernel layer can include hardware drivers and the operating system kernel. In addition to providing hardware drivers, the kernel layer also supports functions such as memory management and system process management.

[0434] In some examples, the middleware layer may also include a framework layer. The framework layer provides the application programming interface (API) and programming framework for the application layer's applications.

[0435] The electronic devices we use in our daily lives come in various types and forms, and are applied in a wide range of scenarios. Therefore, based on the different forms and functions of electronic devices, different application scenarios, and different user needs, the operating systems used in these devices may also differ. These operating systems share commonalities but also have their own unique characteristics. Different operating systems affect user experience, application ecosystem, and system performance. The basic functions implemented by the electronic device provided in this application can be implemented using a general-purpose operating system or a dedicated operating system. To more clearly illustrate the implementation of the embodiments of this application under a specific operating system, the architecture of HarmonyOS is shown below. Those skilled in the art can deduce the implementation of the embodiments of this application under other specific operating systems, such as... Implementation under the operating system.

[0436] Figure 12 The software and hardware framework of the electronic device 100 provided in the embodiments of this application is illustrated by way of example.

[0437] like Figure 12 As shown, the software structure of the electronic device 100 can be divided into several layers. In some embodiments, from top to bottom, they are: application layer (hereinafter referred to as application layer), service layer and kernel layer.

[0438] The application layer can include applications in electronic devices, including but not limited to: desktop, gallery, settings, camera, travel, MeeTime, contacts, phone, file management, etc.

[0439] The service layer may include converged communication modules, telephony services, SMS services, video engines, audio engines, and so on.

[0440] The converged communication module can include various communication modules such as a Wi-Fi communication module, a cellular communication module, a satellite communication module, a Bluetooth communication module, and a satellite communication module. The Wi-Fi communication module can provide Wi-Fi communication services. The cellular communication module can provide cellular communication services. The satellite communication module can provide satellite communication services. The Bluetooth communication module can provide Bluetooth communication services. The satellite communication module can provide satellite communication services. In other words, this converged communication module can provide multiple communication services to the electronic device 100.

[0441] The telephone service can be used to provide telephone communication capabilities to electronic device 100. This telephone service enables electronic device 100 to make and receive telephone calls using its telephone communication capabilities.

[0442] The SMS service can be used to provide SMS communication capabilities to electronic device 100. This SMS service enables electronic device 100 to send and receive SMS messages using SMS communication capabilities.

[0443] The video engine can be used to provide electronic devices 100 with the ability to display and play videos, encode and decode videos, and process videos.

[0444] An audio engine can be used to provide electronic device 100 with the ability to play audio, encode and decode audio, and process audio.

[0445] The kernel layer is the layer between hardware and software. The kernel layer includes at least display drivers, audio drivers, Bluetooth drivers, etc.

[0446] The electronic device 100 may also include a hardware layer, which may include a modem, a Wi-Fi chip, a Bluetooth chip, a satellite flash chip, a satellite communication chip, etc.

[0447] A modem can be used to modulate and mediate cellular network signals being transmitted and received. See details for further information. Figure 11 The descriptions of modems in the text and in the prior art are not repeated here.

[0448] Electronic device 100 can establish Wi-Fi communication connections with other devices through a Wi-Fi chip.

[0449] Electronic device 100 can establish Bluetooth communication connections with other devices through a Bluetooth chip.

[0450] Electronic device 100 can establish a StarScan communication connection with other devices through the StarScan chip.

[0451] Electronic device 100 can establish a communication connection with a satellite via a satellite communication chip.

[0452] It is understood that the structures of other electronic devices involved in the embodiments of this application, such as electronic device 101, electronic device 102, relay device 200, first device, second device and third device, can refer to the structure of the above-described electronic device 100.

[0453] Figure 13 An exemplary schematic diagram of a server provided in an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0454] like Figure 13 As shown, the server may include a communication module, memory, and processor. The communication module, memory, and processor can be coupled via a bus.

[0455] The communication module can be used by the server to establish communication connections and communicate with other devices. For example, the server can use the communication module to establish a cellular network connection with other devices.

[0456] The storage device can store one or more of the following: video, audio, images, text, e-books, etc.

[0457] The memory can also store computer programs and other content.

[0458] The processor can be used to read and execute computer programs in memory to implement the method of the server communicating with one or more electronic devices in the embodiments of this application.

[0459] Figure 13 The structure shown is merely an illustrative example of this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. The server may also include components that are more complex than... Figure 13 More devices are shown.

[0460] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, can implement the steps in the above-described method embodiments.

[0461] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when run on a processor, can implement the steps in the various method embodiments described above.

[0462] This application also provides a chip system, which includes a processing circuit and an interface circuit. The interface circuit receives code instructions and transmits them to the processing circuit. The processing circuit executes the code instructions to enable the chip system to implement the steps of any method embodiment of this application. The chip system can be a single chip or a chip module composed of multiple chips.

[0463] It is understood that the user interfaces described in the embodiments of this application are merely example interfaces and do not constitute a limitation on the solution of this application. In other embodiments, the user interface may adopt different interface layouts, may include more or fewer controls, and may add or remove other functional options, as long as they are based on the same inventive concept provided in this application, they are all within the protection scope of this application.

[0464] It should be noted that, without causing contradictions or conflicts, any feature in any embodiment of this application, or any part of any feature, can be combined, and the combined technical solution is also within the scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0465] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

[0466] As used in the above embodiments, depending on the context, the term "when..." can be interpreted as meaning "if...", "after...", "in response to determining...", or "in response to detecting...". Similarly, depending on the context, the phrase "when determining..." or "if (the stated condition or event) is interpreted as meaning "if determining...", "in response to determining...", "when (the stated condition or event) is detected", or "in response to detecting (the stated condition or event)".

[0467] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state drive), etc.

[0468] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. This program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes described in the above method embodiments. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as ROM or random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The communication method is applied to a communication system, which includes a first device, a second device, a third device, and a server; wherein the first device, the second device, and the third device are networked together; the third device and the server establish a communication connection via a first communication technology; the first device and the second device establish a communication connection via a second communication technology; and the second device and the third device establish a communication connection via a third communication technology; the second communication technology and the third communication technology are near-field communication technologies; the method includes: The first device sends a first message to the second device, the first message including first indication information, the first indication information being used to instruct the first device to send a message to the server; The second device receives the first message and sends the first message to the third device based on the first indication information; The third device receives the first message and sends the first message to the server based on the first indication information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the third device sends the first message to the server, the method further includes: The server sends a second message to the third device, the second message including second indication information, the second indication information being used to instruct the server to send a message to the first device; The third device receives the second message and sends the second message to the second device based on the second indication information; The second device receives the second message and sends the second message to the first device based on the second indication information.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, The first message is used to download the first content; After receiving the first message, the server sends a second message to the third device, including: The server sends a second message to the third device based on the first message, the second message including the first content or the download address of the first content.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The communication system includes a fourth device, which establishes a communication connection with the server. The fourth device is not networked with the first device, the second device, or the third device. The method further includes: The first device sends a third message to the second device, the third message including the third indication information, the third indication information being used to instruct the first device to send a message to the fourth device; The second device receives the third message and sends the third message based on the third indication information; The third device receives the third message and sends the third message to the server based on the third indication information; The server receives the third message and sends the third message to the fourth device based on the third indication information.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: The fourth device sends a fourth message to the server, the fourth message including fourth indication information, the fourth indication information being used to instruct the fourth device to send a message to the first device; The server receives the fourth message and sends the fourth message to the third device based on the fourth indication information; The third device receives the fourth message and sends the fourth message to the second device based on the fourth indication information; The second device receives the fourth message and sends the fourth message to the first device based on the fourth indication information.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The communication system further includes a fifth device, which establishes a near-field communication connection with the third device and communicates with the server; the method further includes: The third device sends the fifth message to the server, the fifth message including fifth indication information, the fifth indication information being used to instruct the third device to send a message to the fifth device; The server receives the fifth message and sends the fifth message to the fifth device based on the fifth indication information; The third device sends the fifth message to the fifth device via a near-field communication connection.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, After the third device sends the fifth message to the fifth device via a near-field communication connection, the method further includes: The fifth device receives the fifth message sent by the third device; The fifth device receives the fifth message sent by the server; Based on the fifth message sent by the third device and the fifth message sent by the server, it is determined that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message, and the fifth message sent by the server is not processed.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Determining that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message specifically includes: When the fifth device receives the fifth message sent by the third device, it saves the identifier of the fifth message; After receiving the fifth message sent by the server, the fifth device Based on the identifier of the fifth message, it is determined that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message.

9. The method according to any one of claims 4-8, characterized in that, The communication system further includes a fifth device, which establishes a near-field communication connection with the third device via a fifth communication technology, and the fifth device is also connected to the server; the method further includes: The fourth device sends the sixth message to the server. The sixth message includes sixth indication information, which instructs the fourth device to send a message to the fifth device. The server sends the sixth message to the fifth device and the third device; The third device sends the sixth message to the fifth device via a near-field communication connection; The fifth device receives the sixth message sent by the third device; The fifth device receives the sixth message sent by the server; Based on the sixth message sent by the third device and the sixth message sent by the server, the fifth device determines that the sixth message sent by the third device is a duplicate message and does not process the sixth message sent by the third device.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The communication system further includes a sixth device, which establishes a near-field communication connection with the third device and a near-field communication connection with the fifth device; the method further includes: The sixth device receives a seventh message sent by the third device, the seventh message being a message sent to the sixth device; The sixth device receives the seventh message sent by the fifth device; The sixth device determines, based on the identifier of the seventh message, whether it is a duplicate message sent by the third device or the fifth device, and does not process the duplicate message.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7-10, characterized in that, The first communication technology is any one of cellular communication technology, satellite communication technology, and wireless local area network communication technology; The near-field communication connection technology is any one of Bluetooth communication technology, Starlight communication technology, point-to-point communication technology, or communication technology based on a preset frequency band. The near-field communication connection is a communication connection established through the near-field communication connection technology.

12. A communication method, characterized in that, The communication method is applied to a third device, which is networked with the first device and the second device. The third device establishes a communication connection with the server through a first communication technology, and the second device establishes a communication connection with the third device through a third communication technology. The third communication technology is near-field communication technology; the method includes: The third device receives a first message sent by the second device. The first message is sent by the first device to the second device via a near-field communication connection. The first message includes first indication information, which is used to instruct the first device to send a message to the server. The third device receives the first message and sends the first message to the server based on the first indication information.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: The third device receives a second message sent by the server, the second message including second indication information, the second indication information being used to instruct the server to send a message to the first device; The third device receives the second message, sends a second message to the second device based on the second message, and then sends the second message to the first device through the second device.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The first message is used to download the first content; the second message received by the third device from the server includes: The third device receives the second message sent by the server, the second message including the first content or the download address of the first content.

15. The method according to any one of claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: The third device receives a third message sent by the second device. The third message is sent by the first device to the second device via a near-field communication connection. The third message includes third indication information, which is used to instruct the first device to send a message to the fourth device. The third device receives the third message, sends the third message to the server based on the third indication information, and then sends the third message to the fourth device through the server.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: The third device receives a fourth message sent by the server. The fourth message is sent by the fourth device to the server and includes fourth indication information, which is used to instruct the fourth device to send a message to the first device. The third device receives the fourth message and sends the fourth message to the second device based on the fourth indication information, and then sends the fourth message to the first device through the second device.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12-16, characterized in that, The first communication technology is any one of cellular communication technology, satellite communication technology, and wireless local area network communication technology; The near-field communication connection technology is any one of Bluetooth communication technology, Starlight communication technology, point-to-point communication technology, or communication technology based on a preset frequency band. The near-field communication connection is a communication connection established through the near-field communication connection technology.

18. A communication method applied to a fifth device, wherein the fifth device establishes a near-field communication connection with the third device, and the fifth device communicates with the server, the method comprising: The fifth device receives a fifth message sent by the third device, the fifth message including fifth indication information, the fifth indication information being used to instruct the third device to send a message to the fifth device; The fifth device receives the fifth message sent by the server; Based on the fifth message sent by the third device and the fifth message sent by the server, the fifth device determines that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message and does not process the fifth message sent by the server.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The determination that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message specifically includes: When the fifth device receives the fifth message sent by the third device, it saves the identifier of the fifth message; After receiving the fifth message sent by the server, the fifth device determines that the fifth message sent by the server is a duplicate message based on the identifier of the fifth message.

20. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes a first device, a second device, a third device, and a server; wherein the third device and the server establish a communication connection through a first communication technology, the first device and the second device establish a communication connection through a second communication technology, and the second device and the third device establish a communication connection through a third communication technology; the second communication technology and the third communication technology are near-field communication technologies, and the first device, the second device, the third device, and the server are used to execute the method as described in any one of claims 1-11.

21. An electronic device, characterized in that, The device includes one or more processors, one or more memories, and a transceiver; wherein the transceiver, the one or more memories, and the one or more processors are coupled together, and the one or more memories are used to store computer program code, the computer program code including computer instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 12-17 or 18-19.

22. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as claimed in claims 12-17 or any one of claims 18-19.

23. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes computer instructions that, when executed on an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the method as claimed in claims 12-17 or any one of claims 18-19.

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