Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

This application provides a communication method and apparatus, relating to the technical field of wireless communication. The method includes receiving first information sent by a terminal device, the first information including the identifier of at least one network device and the synchronization signal block (SSB) quality corresponding to each identifier; determining a second network device among the at least one network device based on the first information, the first network device and the second network device being used for collaborative communication with the terminal device. The communication method and apparatus provided in this application are used by the first network device to learn about the network device that is collaboratively communicating with the terminal device and to improve the success rate of collaborative communication.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical fields of terminal equipment and communication, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Cooperative communication is a type of communication where multiple network devices send data to a single terminal device. In satellite-to-ground communication, if multiple network devices can communicate cooperatively with the terminal device, the signal reception quality of the terminal device can be improved.

[0003] Currently, how to enable network devices connected to terminal devices to communicate collaboratively with other network devices and terminal devices is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to enable network devices accessed by terminal devices to know other network devices that can communicate collaboratively with the terminal devices, thereby improving the success rate of collaborative communication.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a first network device, comprising:

[0006] The receiving terminal device sends first information, which includes the identifier of at least one network device and the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier.

[0007] Based on the first information, a second network device is determined among the at least one network device, and the first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device.

[0008] In some embodiments, determining the second network device among the at least one network device based on the first information includes:

[0009] The first identifier is determined from the first information based on the SSB quality of the first network device and the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier;

[0010] The second network device is identified as the network device corresponding to the first identifier.

[0011] In some embodiments, determining the first identifier in the first information based on the SSB quality of the first network device includes:

[0012] Given that the SSB quality in the first information is arranged from largest to smallest, the identifier corresponding to the first SSB quality after the SSB quality of the first network device in the first information is determined as the first identifier.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0014] Receive the mobile information of the terminal device;

[0015] Send the mobility information to the second network device;

[0016] The mobility information is used by the first network device to generate a first directional beam and the second network device to generate a second directional beam to communicate with the terminal device, wherein both the first directional beam and the second directional beam are directed at the terminal device.

[0017] The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device based on the first directional beam and the second directional beam.

[0018] In some embodiments, the mobility information includes one or more of the following:

[0019] Location information;

[0020] Movement speed;

[0021] Direction of movement.

[0022] In some embodiments, the first directional beam and the second directional beam are staring beams.

[0023] In some embodiments, the first information and / or the mobility information are carried in one or more of the following:

[0024] Physical uplink control channel;

[0025] Physical uplink shared channel.

[0026] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one information line, the information line including the identifier of the network device and the SSB quality corresponding to the identifier;

[0027] The at least one information line is arranged in descending order of SSB quality.

[0028] In some embodiments, the number of the at least one information line is less than or equal to a preset number threshold.

[0029] In some embodiments, the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier is greater than or equal to a preset quality threshold.

[0030] In some embodiments, the first network device is the network device with the highest SSB quality among the at least one network device.

[0031] In some embodiments, the SSB quality is any one of the following:

[0032] The reference signal received power RSRP of the SSB transmitted by the network device;

[0033] The reference signal reception quality (RSRQ) of the SSB transmitted by the network device;

[0034] The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the SSB transmitted by the network device.

[0035] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a terminal device, comprising:

[0036] Send first information to a first network device. The first information includes the identifier of at least one network device and the synchronization signal block (SSB) quality corresponding to each identifier. The first information is used by the first network device to determine a second network device among the at least one network device. The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device.

[0037] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0038] Send the mobile information of the terminal device to the first network device;

[0039] The mobility information is used by the first network device to generate a first directional beam and the second network device to generate a second directional beam to communicate with the terminal device, wherein both the first directional beam and the second directional beam are directed at the terminal device.

[0040] The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device based on the first directional beam and the second directional beam.

[0041] In some embodiments, the mobility information includes one or more of the following:

[0042] Location information;

[0043] Movement speed;

[0044] Direction of movement.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first directional beam and the second directional beam are staring beams.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first information and / or the mobility information are carried in one or more of the following:

[0047] Physical uplink control channel;

[0048] Physical uplink shared channel.

[0049] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one information line, the information line including the identifier of the network device and the SSB quality corresponding to the identifier;

[0050] The at least one information line is arranged in descending order of SSB quality.

[0051] In some embodiments, the number of the at least one information line is less than or equal to a preset number threshold.

[0052] In some embodiments, the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier is greater than or equal to a preset quality threshold.

[0053] In some embodiments, the first network device is the network device with the highest SSB quality among the at least one network device.

[0054] In some embodiments, the SSB quality is any one of the following:

[0055] RSRP of SSB sent by network device;

[0056] The network device sends the SSB's RSRQ;

[0057] The SNR of the SSB sent by the network device.

[0058] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, including:

[0059] The transceiver module is used to receive first information sent by the terminal device. The first information includes the identifier of at least one network device and the quality of the synchronization signal block (SSB) corresponding to each identifier.

[0060] A processing module is configured to determine a second network device among the at least one network device based on the first information, wherein the first network device and the second network device are configured to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device.

[0061] In some embodiments, the processing module is specifically used for:

[0062] The first identifier is determined from the first information based on the SSB quality of the first network device and the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier;

[0063] The second network device is identified as the network device corresponding to the first identifier.

[0064] In some embodiments, the processing module is specifically used for:

[0065] Given that the SSB quality in the first information is arranged from largest to smallest, the identifier corresponding to the first SSB quality after the SSB quality of the first network device in the first information is determined as the first identifier.

[0066] In some embodiments, the transceiver module is further configured to:

[0067] Receive the mobile information of the terminal device;

[0068] Send the mobility information to the second network device;

[0069] The mobility information is used by the first network device to generate a first directional beam and the second network device to generate a second directional beam to communicate with the terminal device, wherein both the first directional beam and the second directional beam are directed at the terminal device.

[0070] The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device based on the first directional beam and the second directional beam.

[0071] In some embodiments, the mobility information includes one or more of the following:

[0072] Location information;

[0073] Movement speed;

[0074] Direction of movement.

[0075] In some embodiments, the first directional beam and the second directional beam are staring beams.

[0076] In some embodiments, the first information and / or the mobility information are carried in one or more of the following:

[0077] Physical uplink control channel;

[0078] Physical uplink shared channel.

[0079] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one information line, the information line including the identifier of the network device and the SSB quality corresponding to the identifier;

[0080] The at least one information line is arranged in descending order of SSB quality.

[0081] In some embodiments, the number of the at least one information line is less than or equal to a preset number threshold.

[0082] In some embodiments, the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier is greater than or equal to a preset quality threshold.

[0083] In some embodiments, the first network device is the network device with the highest SSB quality among the at least one network device.

[0084] In some embodiments, the SSB quality is any one of the following:

[0085] The reference signal received power RSRP of the SSB transmitted by the network device;

[0086] The reference signal reception quality (RSRQ) of the SSB transmitted by the network device;

[0087] The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the SSB transmitted by the network device.

[0088] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device applied to a terminal device, comprising:

[0089] The transceiver module is used to send first information to a first network device. The first information includes the identifier of at least one network device and the synchronization signal block (SSB) quality corresponding to each identifier. The first information is used by the first network device to determine a second network device among the at least one network device. The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device.

[0090] In some embodiments, the transceiver module is further configured to:

[0091] Send the mobile information of the terminal device to the first network device;

[0092] The mobility information is used by the first network device to generate a first directional beam and the second network device to generate a second directional beam to communicate with the terminal device, wherein both the first directional beam and the second directional beam are directed at the terminal device.

[0093] The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device based on the first directional beam and the second directional beam.

[0094] In some embodiments, the mobility information includes one or more of the following:

[0095] Location information;

[0096] Movement speed;

[0097] Direction of movement.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first directional beam and the second directional beam are staring beams.

[0099] In some embodiments, the first information and / or the mobility information are carried in one or more of the following:

[0100] Physical uplink control channel;

[0101] Physical uplink shared channel.

[0102] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one information line, the information line including the identifier of the network device and the SSB quality corresponding to the identifier;

[0103] The at least one information line is arranged in descending order of SSB quality.

[0104] In some embodiments, the number of the at least one information line is less than or equal to a preset number threshold.

[0105] In some embodiments, the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier is greater than or equal to a preset quality threshold.

[0106] In some embodiments, the first network device is the network device with the highest SSB quality among the at least one network device.

[0107] In some embodiments, the SSB quality is any one of the following:

[0108] RSRP of SSB sent by network device;

[0109] The network device sends the SSB's RSRQ;

[0110] The SNR of the SSB sent by the network device.

[0111] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, including: a memory and a processor;

[0112] The memory stores computer-executed instructions;

[0113] The processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory to implement the communication method in any embodiment of the first aspect above, or to implement the communication method in any embodiment of the second aspect above.

[0114] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the communication method in any embodiment of the first aspect or the communication method in any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0115] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a communication device, implements the communication method in any embodiment of the first aspect or the communication method in any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0116] This application provides a communication method and apparatus. The method involves a terminal device sending first information to a first network device, enabling the first network device to determine a second network device among at least one network device based on the first information, thereby allowing the first network device to learn about the network device that communicates collaboratively with the terminal device. Attached Figure Description

[0117] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0118] Figure 1 This is one of the schematic diagrams of a satellite-to-ground communication scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0119] Figure 2 The second schematic diagram of a satellite-to-ground communication scenario provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0120] Figure 3 One of the flowcharts of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0121] Figure 4 A second schematic flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0122] Figure 5 The third flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in this application embodiment;

[0123] Figure 6 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0124] Figure 7 This is a second schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0125] Figure 8 This is the third schematic diagram of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0126] The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of this application to those skilled in the art through reference to particular embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0127] First, let me explain the relevant terms used in this application.

[0128] Diversity gain refers to the improvement in received signal performance in a communication system as the number of paths to the received signal increases. Diversity gain can improve the reliability of a communication system, resist multipath fading, multipath interference, and other environmental factors, thereby enhancing the system's performance.

[0129] Power gain refers to the amplification factor of a device or system on the power of an input signal during signal processing. In practical applications, power gain is often used to measure the performance of a device.

[0130] Network equipment refers to network devices located in space that are capable of communicating with terminal devices. It can be called a space base station, spaceborne base station, satellite, satellite communication node, satellite network terminal equipment, satellite communication module, or base station, etc. This network equipment can also be called access network equipment or wireless access network equipment. Network equipment can be a base station (BTS) in a satellite-borne Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) communication system; a base station (NodeB, NB) in a satellite-borne Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system; an evolved base station (eNB or eNodeB) in a satellite-borne LTE system; a base station (gNB) in a satellite-borne 5G network; a base station in a future network (e.g., 6G network) after 5G, carried by satellite; a base station in a future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) network, carried by satellite; a Transmission Reception Point (TRP) in a satellite-borne Transmission Reception Point (TRP) scenario; a radio controller in a satellite-borne Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN) scenario; or a city base station, micro base station, pico base station, or femtobase station, etc., carried by satellite.

[0131] Terminal equipment refers to equipment that includes wireless transceiver capabilities and can cooperate with network equipment to provide communication services to users. Terminal equipment can also be called user equipment (UE), access terminal equipment, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal equipment, mobile device, user terminal equipment, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device, etc. Examples of terminal devices currently include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to wireless modems, in-vehicle devices, marine devices, and wearable devices.

[0132] In this application, the term "comprising" and its variations can refer to non-limiting inclusion; the term "or" and its variations can refer to "and / or". "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0133] In this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. In this application, the term "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more. In this application, the term "at least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of a single item or a plurality of items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, a--c, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0134] In this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or illustration. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the terms "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0135] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0136] In satellite-to-ground communication, the long communication distance and significant path loss between terminal devices and network devices result in poor signal reception quality (or poor reception performance) for the terminal devices. Therefore, the inventors conceived of using multiple network devices to communicate collaboratively with the terminal devices to obtain diversity gain and / or power gain, thereby compensating for path loss and improving the signal reception quality (or reception performance) of the terminal devices.

[0137] Currently, in satellite-to-ground communication, it is impossible to determine which network device a terminal device can communicate with in collaboration with it. Furthermore, if the network device connected to the terminal device uses a wide beam or a leaky sidelobe of a certain beam to communicate with the terminal device, the terminal device's reception performance may be poor, which may lead to the failure of collaborative communication.

[0138] First, combine Figure 1 The scenarios of satellite-to-ground communication in related technologies are explained.

[0139] Figure 1 This is one of the schematic diagrams illustrating a satellite-to-ground communication scenario provided in an embodiment of this application. For example, as shown... Figure 1As shown, it includes: network device 1, network device 2 and terminal device.

[0140] The network device that the terminal device connects to is, for example, network device 1.

[0141] During the connection establishment phase of collaborative communication, network device 1 cannot know whether network device 2 is able to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device together with network device 1.

[0142] Furthermore, during the connection establishment phase of collaborative communication, if network device 2 communicates collaboratively with network device 1 and the terminal device, network device 2 may use a wide beam or a leaky sidelobe of a certain beam to communicate with the terminal device. Since the wide beam or the leaky sidelobe of the beam is not specifically pointed to the terminal device, the obtained diversity gain and / or power gain will be insufficient to compensate for the path loss, thereby causing the collaborative communication between network device 1, network device 2 and the terminal device to fail.

[0143] In view of this, this application provides a communication method in which a terminal device sends first information to a network device it is connected to, enabling the network device to determine which network devices it can communicate with in coordination with the terminal device based on the first information. Furthermore, in this application, the terminal device sends its own mobility information to the network devices participating in the coordinated communication, allowing the network devices to use beams specifically directed to the terminal device for coordinated communication, thereby improving the obtained diversity gain and / or power gain, and achieving a greater degree of compensation for path loss, thus increasing the success rate of coordinated communication between multiple network devices and the terminal device.

[0144] Figure 2 This is a second schematic diagram of a satellite-to-ground communication scenario provided in an embodiment of this application. For example, as shown... Figure 2 As shown, it includes: a first network device, multiple network devices, and a terminal device.

[0145] For example, the network devices include network device 1 and network device 2.

[0146] During the connection establishment phase of collaborative communication, the terminal device can send first information to the first network device. The first network device can then determine, based on the first information, a second network device among multiple network devices that can collaborate with the terminal device to communicate with the terminal device.

[0147] For example, the first network device may identify network device 1 among a plurality of network devices as the second network device.

[0148] Furthermore, the terminal device can also send its mobility information to the first network device, enabling the first network device to generate a first directional beam based on the mobility information. The first network device can also send this mobility information to a second network device, enabling the second network device to generate a second directional beam based on the mobility information. Both the first and second directional beams are specifically directed towards the terminal device, ensuring that during the connection establishment phase of collaborative communication, the first and second network devices can communicate collaboratively with the terminal device based on the first and second directional beams, thereby preventing communication failure between the first and second network devices and the terminal device.

[0149] The technical solution of this application will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments.

[0150] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. For example, as shown... Figure 3 As shown, the method includes:

[0151] S301. The terminal device sends first information to the first network device. The first information includes the identifier of at least one network device and the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier.

[0152] In some implementations, at least one network device may include a first network device.

[0153] In some implementations, the first network device is a network device that the terminal device has already connected to, and the first network device is the network device with the highest SSB quality among at least one network device.

[0154] In some implementations, each of the at least one network device may be a Low Earth Orbit (LEO), a Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), or a Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO), etc.

[0155] In some implementations, the first network device is the network device to which the terminal device is connected.

[0156] In some implementations, the first network device may be a device in at least one network device, or it may not be a device in at least one network device.

[0157] In some implementations, the identifier for a network device can be an ephemeris number.

[0158] In some embodiments, at least one network device is a network device whose SSB can be found by the terminal device during the process of searching for network devices to send SSBs.

[0159] In some embodiments, at least one network device is a network device among multiple network devices whose SSB quality is greater than or equal to a preset quality threshold. The multiple network devices are network devices whose SSBs the terminal device can find during the process of searching for SSBs sent by network devices.

[0160] In some embodiments, the preset quality threshold may be a quality threshold agreed upon by the protocol, or it may be a quality threshold configured by the first network device for the terminal device.

[0161] S302. The first network device determines a second network device from at least one network device based on the first information. The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device.

[0162] The number of second network devices can be one or more.

[0163] In some embodiments, a first identifier is determined in the first information, and the network device corresponding to the first identifier is determined as the second network device.

[0164] In some embodiments, determining the first identifier in the first information includes: randomly determining one or more identifiers in the first information as the first identifier.

[0165] In the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application, a terminal device sends first information to a first network device, so that the first network device can determine a second network device among at least one network device based on the first information, thereby enabling the first network device to know the network device that communicates with the terminal device.

[0166] In some embodiments, determining a second network device among at least one network device based on first information includes:

[0167] Based on the SSB quality of the first network device and the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier, the first identifier is determined in the first information; the second network device is determined to be the network device corresponding to the first identifier.

[0168] In some embodiments, when the SSB quality in the first information is arranged from largest to smallest, the identifier corresponding to the first SSB quality after the SSB quality of the first network device in the first information is determined as the first identifier.

[0169] In some embodiments, when the SSB qualities in the first information are arranged from largest to smallest, the identifiers corresponding to the N SSB qualities following the SSB quality of the first network device in the first information are determined as the first identifier. N is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0170] In some embodiments, when the SSB quality in the first information is arranged from smallest to largest, the identifier corresponding to the first SSB quality preceding the SSB quality of the first network device in the first information is determined as the first identifier.

[0171] In some embodiments, when the SSB quality in the first information is arranged from largest to smallest, the identifiers corresponding to the N SSB quality values ​​preceding the SSB quality of the first network device in the first information are determined as the first identifier.

[0172] In some implementations, the first information may also be a list of satellites exceeding the access threshold, which in this application may also be referred to as a preset quality threshold. The satellite list has a fixed format.

[0173] In some implementations, based on a fixed format, the first information includes at least one information line, each information line including the identifier of the network device and the SSB quality corresponding to the identifier;

[0174] At least one information line is arranged in descending or ascending order of SSB quality.

[0175] For example, the first information can be shown in Table 1 below.

[0176] Table 1

[0177]

[0178]

[0179] In Table 1, Q1, Q2, and Q3 are arranged in descending or ascending order, respectively. The identifier S1 corresponding to Q1 is arranged in the same information row as Q1, the identifier S2 corresponding to Q2 is arranged in the same information row as Q2, and the identifier S3 corresponding to Q3 is arranged in the same information row as Q3.

[0180] In some embodiments, the number of at least one information line is less than or equal to a preset number threshold.

[0181] In some embodiments, the number of at least one information line is less than or equal to a preset quantity threshold. This can also be understood as the number of each identifier in the first information being less than or equal to a preset quantity threshold, or as the number of SSB quality in the first information being less than or equal to a preset quantity threshold.

[0182] In some embodiments, the preset quantity threshold can be a quantity threshold agreed upon by the protocol, or it can be a quantity threshold configured by the first network device for the terminal device;

[0183] In some embodiments, the number of each identifier can be the number determined by the terminal device based on its own capabilities, and v can also be understood as the number of rows in the satellite list determined by the terminal device based on its own capabilities.

[0184] In some embodiments, the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier is greater than or equal to a preset quality threshold.

[0185] In some implementations, the SSB quality can be any of the following:

[0186] The Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP) of the SSB transmitted by the network device;

[0187] The Reference Signal Receiving Quality (RSRQ) of the SSB transmitted by the network device;

[0188] The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the SSB transmitted by network devices.

[0189] In the embodiments of this application, the SSB quality can be the RSRP, RSRQ or SNR of the SSB, which can improve the flexibility of reporting SSB quality by the terminal device.

[0190] Based on any of the above embodiments, the following is combined with Figure 4 The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application will be further described.

[0191] Figure 4 The second flowchart illustrates the communication method provided in this application. Figure 4 As shown, the method includes:

[0192] S401, The terminal device sends first information and the terminal device's movement information to the first network device.

[0193] The first piece of information includes the identifier of at least one network device, and the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier.

[0194] Mobile information can be referred to as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) information.

[0195] Mobile information is used by the first network device to generate a first directional beam and by the second network device to generate a second directional beam for collaborative communication with the terminal device.

[0196] Both the first and second directional beams are pointed at the terminal device.

[0197] Both the first directional beam and the second directional beam are pointed at the terminal device, which can be understood as the terminal device being located within the coverage area of ​​the first directional beam and the second directional beam, or within the coverage area of ​​the main lobe of the first directional beam and the second directional beam.

[0198] The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device based on the first directional beam and the second directional beam.

[0199] In some embodiments, the movement information includes one or more of the following: location information, movement speed, and movement direction.

[0200] In some embodiments, the movement information of the terminal device can be collected through the positioning system in the terminal device.

[0201] The positioning system can be the Global Positioning System (GPS), the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), the Galileo positioning system, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), or other applicable positioning systems.

[0202] In some embodiments, the first information and / or mobility information is carried in one or more of the following:

[0203] Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH);

[0204] Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).

[0205] For example, the first information and the movement information can be carried together in the PUCCH or in the PUSCH.

[0206] For example, the first information can be carried in the PUCCH, and the movement information can be carried in the PUSCH.

[0207] For example, the first information can be carried in the PUSCH, and the movement information can be carried in the PUCCH.

[0208] S402. The first network device determines a second network device among at least one network device based on the first information. The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device.

[0209] S403, The first network device sends the mobile information of the terminal device to the second network device.

[0210] In some embodiments, the first network device may send mobile information to the second network device based on the collaborative transmission process established by the ground base station (e.g., a 5G base station).

[0211] In this embodiment, the terminal device sends its own mobility information to the first network device, and the first network device sends its own mobility information to the second network device. This allows the first and second network devices to use a high-gain beam pointing towards the terminal device during the connection establishment phase of collaborative communication, thereby improving the receiving performance of the terminal device during the connection establishment phase.

[0212] Furthermore, the first network device and the second network device can communicate collaboratively with the terminal device based on the first directional beam and the second directional beam, preventing each network device participating in the collaborative communication from using a wide beam or a leaky sidelobe of a certain beam to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device. This can improve the receiving performance of the terminal device and increase the success rate of collaborative communication, preventing the collaborative communication between the first network device, the second network device and the terminal device from failing.

[0213] Figure 5 This is the third flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in this application. Figure 5 As shown, the method includes:

[0214] S501, The terminal device sends the first information and the terminal device's movement information to the first network device.

[0215] The first information includes the identifier of at least one network device, and the quality of the synchronization signal block (SSB) corresponding to each identifier.

[0216] Mobile information is used by the first network device to generate a first directional beam and by the second network device to generate a second directional beam for collaborative communication with the terminal device.

[0217] S502, the first network device determines a second network device among at least one network device based on the first information, and the first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device.

[0218] S503. The first network device generates a first directional beam based on the mobility information.

[0219] In some embodiments, the first network device determines the first directional beam based on mobility information and the location information of the first network device.

[0220] In some embodiments, the first network device determines the beam pointing to the terminal device from a plurality of first beams as a first directional beam based on the mobility information and the location information of the first network device. The plurality of first beams are beams that the first network device can generate according to its own capabilities.

[0221] In some embodiments, the first network device may input mobility information and the location information of the first network device into a pre-stored beamforming algorithm, and determine the beam output by the beamforming algorithm as a first directional beam.

[0222] S504. The first network device sends the mobile information of the terminal device to the second network device.

[0223] S505, the second network device generates a second directional beam based on the mobility information.

[0224] In this embodiment of the application, the second network device determines the second directional beam based on the mobility information and the location information of the second network device.

[0225] In some embodiments, the second network device determines the beam pointing to the terminal device from among the plurality of second beams as the second directional beam based on the mobility information and the location information of the second network device. The plurality of second beams are beams that the first network device can generate according to its own capabilities.

[0226] In some embodiments, the second network device can input the mobility information and the location information of the second network device into a pre-stored beaming algorithm, and determine the beam output by the beaming algorithm as the second directional beam.

[0227] S506, the first network device and the second network device communicate collaboratively with the terminal device based on the first directional beam and the second directional beam.

[0228] In some embodiments, the first network device sends data to the terminal device using a first directional beam, and the second network device sends data to the terminal device using a second directional beam.

[0229] For example, in the process of collaborative communication, the data sent by the first network device to the terminal device is called first data, and the data sent by the second network device to the terminal device is called second data. The first data and the second data may be the same or different.

[0230] If the first data and the second data are different, the second data can be a portion of the first data.

[0231] In cases where the second data can be a portion of the first data, both the first and second data can originate from core network equipment.

[0232] In some embodiments, during collaborative communication, the terminal device only connects to the first network device and not to the second network device.

[0233] exist Figure 5 In this embodiment, the first network device uses a first directional beam and the second network device uses a second directional beam to send the same or partially the same data to the terminal device, so that the terminal device can obtain a higher power gain. Moreover, the paths through which the first network device and the second network device send data to the terminal device are different, so that the terminal device can obtain a higher diversity gain, thereby compensating for path loss and improving the receiving performance of the terminal device.

[0234] In some embodiments, the first directional beam and the second directional beam involved in this application can both be staring beams.

[0235] A staring beam is a beam whose direction can be changed by updating the array weights of a phased array. The array weights of the phased array are the array weights used in network devices to change the beam's direction.

[0236] When both the first directional beam and the second directional beam are staring beams, the service time of the first directional beam and the second directional beam for the terminal device can be extended without beam switching. The service time is the length of time that the first directional beam and the second directional beam can continuously and effectively cover and serve the terminal device.

[0237] In this embodiment, both the first directional beam and the second directional beam are staring beams, which can extend the service time of the first directional beam and the second directional beam for the terminal device and improve the success rate of the first network device cooperating with the second network device and the terminal device in communication.

[0238] Based on the same technical concept, this application also provides a communication device. This communication device can realize the functions of the first network device in the aforementioned embodiments. This communication device can be implemented through a combination of software and / or hardware. The following describes... Figure 6 The communication device provided in the embodiments of this application will be described.

[0239] Figure 6 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the communication device 60 includes:

[0240] The transceiver module 601 is used to receive first information sent by the terminal device, the first information including the identifier of at least one network device and the quality of the synchronization signal block (SSB) corresponding to each identifier.

[0241] The processing module 602 is configured to determine a second network device among the at least one network device based on the first information, wherein the first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device.

[0242] In some embodiments, the processing module 602 is specifically used for:

[0243] The first identifier is determined from the first information based on the SSB quality of the first network device and the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier;

[0244] The second network device is identified as the network device corresponding to the first identifier.

[0245] In some embodiments, the processing module 602 is specifically used for:

[0246] Given that the SSB quality in the first information is arranged from largest to smallest, the identifier corresponding to the first SSB quality after the SSB quality of the first network device in the first information is determined as the first identifier.

[0247] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 601 is further configured to:

[0248] Receive the mobile information of the terminal device;

[0249] Send the mobility information to the second network device;

[0250] The mobility information is used by the first network device to generate a first directional beam and the second network device to generate a second directional beam to communicate with the terminal device, wherein both the first directional beam and the second directional beam are directed at the terminal device.

[0251] The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device based on the first directional beam and the second directional beam.

[0252] In some embodiments, the mobility information includes one or more of the following:

[0253] Location information;

[0254] Movement speed;

[0255] Direction of movement.

[0256] In some embodiments, the first directional beam and the second directional beam are staring beams.

[0257] In some embodiments, the first information and / or the mobility information are carried in one or more of the following:

[0258] Physical uplink control channel;

[0259] Physical uplink shared channel.

[0260] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one information line, the information line including the identifier of the network device and the SSB quality corresponding to the identifier;

[0261] The at least one information line is arranged in descending order of SSB quality.

[0262] In some embodiments, the number of the at least one information line is less than or equal to a preset number threshold.

[0263] In some embodiments, the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier is greater than or equal to a preset quality threshold.

[0264] In some embodiments, the first network device is the network device with the highest SSB quality among the at least one network device.

[0265] In some embodiments, the SSB quality is any one of the following:

[0266] The reference signal received power RSRP of the SSB transmitted by the network device;

[0267] The reference signal reception quality (RSRQ) of the SSB transmitted by the network device;

[0268] The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the SSB transmitted by the network device.

[0269] It should be noted that the communication device 60 provided in this application embodiment can implement all the method steps implemented by the first network device in the above method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. Here, the parts and beneficial effects that are the same as those in the method embodiment will not be described in detail.

[0270] Based on the same technical concept, this application also provides a communication device. This communication device can realize the functions of the terminal device in the foregoing embodiments. This communication device can be implemented through a combination of software and / or hardware. The following describes... Figure 7 The communication device provided in the embodiments of this application will be described.

[0271] Figure 7 This is a second schematic diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 As shown, the communication device 70 includes:

[0272] The transceiver module 701 is used to send first information to a first network device. The first information includes the identifier of at least one network device and the synchronization signal block (SSB) quality corresponding to each identifier. The first information is used by the first network device to determine a second network device among the at least one network device. The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device.

[0273] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 701 is further configured to:

[0274] Send the mobile information of the terminal device to the first network device;

[0275] The mobility information is used by the first network device to generate a first directional beam and the second network device to generate a second directional beam to communicate with the terminal device, wherein both the first directional beam and the second directional beam are directed at the terminal device.

[0276] The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device based on the first directional beam and the second directional beam.

[0277] In some embodiments, the mobility information includes one or more of the following:

[0278] Location information;

[0279] Movement speed;

[0280] Direction of movement.

[0281] In some embodiments, the first directional beam and the second directional beam are staring beams.

[0282] In some embodiments, the first information and / or the mobility information are carried in one or more of the following:

[0283] Physical uplink control channel;

[0284] Physical uplink shared channel.

[0285] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one information line, the information line including the identifier of the network device and the SSB quality corresponding to the identifier;

[0286] The at least one information line is arranged in descending order of SSB quality.

[0287] In some embodiments, the number of the at least one information line is less than or equal to a preset number threshold.

[0288] In some embodiments, the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier is greater than or equal to a preset quality threshold.

[0289] In some embodiments, the first network device is the network device with the highest SSB quality among the at least one network device.

[0290] In some embodiments, the SSB quality is any one of the following:

[0291] RSRP of SSB sent by network device;

[0292] The network device sends the SSB's RSRQ;

[0293] The SNR of the SSB sent by the network device.

[0294] It should be noted that the communication device 70 provided in this application embodiment can implement all the method steps implemented by the terminal device in the above method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. Here, the parts and beneficial effects that are the same as those in the method embodiment will not be described in detail.

[0295] It should be understood that the aforementioned communication devices 60 and 70 are embodied in the form of functional modules. The term "module" here may refer to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), electronic circuits, processors (e.g., shared processors, proprietary processors, or group processors) and memories for executing one or more software or firmware programs, combined logic circuits, and / or other suitable components that support the described functions.

[0296] In embodiments of this application, communication devices 60 and 70 may also be chips, such as system-on-chips (SOCs), modulator-demodulators (Modems), etc.

[0297] Figure 8 This is a third schematic diagram of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. It should be understood that the communication device 80 may specifically be the first network device, the second network device, or the terminal device in the above embodiments, and may be used to execute the various steps and / or processes corresponding to the first network device, the second network device, or the terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0298] like Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 80 may include: a memory 801, a processor 802, and a transceiver 803.

[0299] The memory 801, processor 802, and transceiver 803 communicate with each other through an internal connection path. The memory 801 is used to store instructions, and the processor 802 is used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 801 to control the transceiver 803 to send and / or receive messages.

[0300] For example, the memory 801, processor 802 and transceiver 803 are interconnected via bus 804.

[0301] Optionally, the memory 801 may include read-only memory and random access memory, and provide instructions and data to the processor. A portion of the memory may also include non-volatile random access memory. For example, the memory may also store device type information. The processor 802 may be used to execute instructions stored in the memory, and when the processor 802 executes instructions stored in the memory, the processor 802 is used to perform various steps and / or processes of the above method embodiments. The transceiver 803 may include a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter may be used to implement the various steps and / or processes corresponding to the transceiver for performing a transmitting action, and the receiver may be used to implement the various steps and / or processes corresponding to the transceiver for performing a receiving action.

[0302] It should be understood that, in the embodiments of this application, the processor may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or it may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0303] In implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as execution by a hardware processor, or as a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor executes the instructions in the memory, combining them with its hardware to complete the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0304] As a possible product form, the access point and station in the embodiments of this application can also be implemented by one or more of the following: one or more field-programmable gate arrays, programmable logic devices (PLDs), controllers, state machines, gate logic, discrete hardware components, any other suitable circuits, or any combination of circuits capable of performing the various functions described throughout this application.

[0305] This application also provides a communication system, which includes: a first network device, a second network device, and a terminal device.

[0306] The first network device is configured to implement the method executed by the first network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0307] The second network device is configured to implement the method executed by the second network device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0308] The terminal device is configured to implement the method executed by the terminal device in any of the above method embodiments.

[0309] This application also provides a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the communication method in any of the above embodiments.

[0310] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a communication device, implements the communication method in any of the above embodiments.

[0311] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the modules and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0312] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and modules described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0313] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of modules is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or modules may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0314] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0315] In addition, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing module, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module.

[0316] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0317] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the protection scope of the embodiments of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of this application should be included within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of the embodiments of this application should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method applied to a first network device, characterized in that, include: The receiving terminal device sends first information, which includes the identifier of at least one network device and the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier. Based on the first information, a second network device is determined among the at least one network device, and the first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining a second network device among the at least one network device based on the first information includes: The first identifier is determined from the first information based on the SSB quality of the first network device and the SSB quality corresponding to each identifier; The second network device is identified as the network device corresponding to the first identifier.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Determining the first identifier from the first information based on the SSB quality of the first network device includes: Given that the SSB quality in the first information is arranged from largest to smallest, the identifier corresponding to the first SSB quality after the SSB quality of the first network device in the first information is determined as the first identifier.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the mobile information of the terminal device; Send the mobility information to the second network device; The mobility information is used by the first network device to generate a first directional beam and the second network device to generate a second directional beam to communicate with the terminal device, wherein both the first directional beam and the second directional beam are directed at the terminal device. The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device based on the first directional beam and the second directional beam.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The mobility information includes one or more of the following: Location information; Movement speed; Direction of movement.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first directional beam and the second directional beam are staring beams.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4-6, characterized in that, The first information and / or the mobility information are carried in one or more of the following: Physical uplink control channel; Physical uplink shared channel.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The first information includes at least one information line, wherein the information line includes the identifier of the network device and the SSB quality corresponding to the identifier; The at least one information line is arranged in descending order of SSB quality.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The number of at least one information line is less than or equal to a preset number threshold.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The SSB quality corresponding to each identifier is greater than or equal to a preset quality threshold.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The first network device is the network device with the highest SSB quality among the at least one network device.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The SSB quality is any one of the following: The reference signal received power RSRP of the SSB transmitted by the network device; The reference signal reception quality (RSRQ) of the SSB transmitted by the network device; The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the SSB transmitted by the network device.

13. A communication method applied to a terminal device, characterized in that, include: Send first information to a first network device. The first information includes the identifier of at least one network device and the synchronization signal block (SSB) quality corresponding to each identifier. The first information is used by the first network device to determine a second network device among the at least one network device. The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send the mobile information of the terminal device to the first network device; The mobility information is used by the first network device to generate a first directional beam and the second network device to generate a second directional beam to communicate with the terminal device, wherein both the first directional beam and the second directional beam are directed at the terminal device. The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device based on the first directional beam and the second directional beam.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The mobility information includes one or more of the following: Location information; Movement speed; Direction of movement.

16. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The first directional beam and the second directional beam are staring beams.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14-16, characterized in that, The first information and / or the mobility information are carried in one or more of the following: Physical uplink control channel; Physical uplink shared channel.

18. The method according to any one of claims 14-17, characterized in that, The first information includes at least one information line, wherein the information line includes the identifier of the network device and the SSB quality corresponding to the identifier; The at least one information line is arranged in descending order of SSB quality.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The number of at least one information line is less than or equal to a preset number threshold.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13-19, characterized in that, The SSB quality corresponding to each identifier is greater than or equal to a preset quality threshold.

21. The method according to any one of claims 13-20, characterized in that, The first network device is the network device with the highest SSB quality among the at least one network device.

22. The method according to any one of claims 13-21, characterized in that, The SSB quality is any one of the following: RSRP of SSB sent by network device; The network device sends the SSB's RSRQ; The SNR of the SSB sent by the network device.

23. A communication device applied to a first network device, characterized in that, include: The transceiver module is used to receive first information sent by the terminal device. The first information includes the identifier of at least one network device and the quality of the synchronization signal block (SSB) corresponding to each identifier. A processing module is configured to determine a second network device among the at least one network device based on the first information, wherein the first network device and the second network device are configured to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device.

24. A communication device, applied to a terminal equipment, characterized in that, include: The transceiver module is used to send first information to a first network device. The first information includes the identifier of at least one network device and the synchronization signal block (SSB) quality corresponding to each identifier. The first information is used by the first network device to determine a second network device among the at least one network device. The first network device and the second network device are used to communicate collaboratively with the terminal device.

25. A communication device, characterized in that, include: Memory and processor; The memory stores computer-executed instructions; The processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory to implement the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-22.

26. A storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on the communication device, cause the communication device to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-22.

27. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes a computer program, which, when executed by a communication device, implements the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-22.

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