Beam management method, device, chip and storage medium

Abstract

This specification relates to the field of satellite communication technology, and provides a beam management method, device, chip, and storage medium. The method includes: a user equipment acquiring the serving beam corresponding to its current position; the serving beam is the beam corresponding to a target beam index, the target beam index being determined based on the current position and a beam deployment map of the satellite network. In the beam deployment map, the global coverage of the satellite network is divided into multiple fixed ground positions, and each position is bound to a beam index. The embodiments of this specification can avoid co-channel interference between adjacent positions in different cells and reduce the processing complexity and resource overhead caused by frequent beam changes in positions and frequent changes in neighboring cell positions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to the field of satellite communication technology, and in particular to a beam management method, device, chip, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In the traditional beam management scheme of satellite communication systems, each satellite base station independently deploys the beam index (i.e., the SSB Index corresponding to the beam) within its coverage area. This beam management scheme is prone to the following problems: (1) co-channel interference between adjacent beam positions of different cells; (2) frequent beam position changes increase processing complexity; (3) frequent changes in neighboring cell beam positions lead to frequent Xn interface and Uu interface updates. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the embodiments in this specification is to provide a service beam management method, apparatus, device, and storage medium to solve or at least partially solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, in one aspect, embodiments of this specification provide a beam management method, including:

[0005] The user equipment obtains the service beam corresponding to its current position; the service beam is the beam corresponding to the target beam index, and the target beam index is determined according to the current position and the beam deployment map of the satellite network. In the beam deployment map, the global coverage of the satellite network is divided into multiple fixed ground positions, and each position is bound to a beam index.

[0006] In some embodiments of this specification, the user equipment acquires the serving beam corresponding to its current wavelength, including:

[0007] The user equipment matches the target beam index corresponding to its position from the beam deployment map of the satellite network; the user equipment selects the beam corresponding to the target beam index from its cell as the serving beam.

[0008] In some embodiments of this specification, adjacent cells of the satellite network have overlapping coverage areas; a first portion of the beam index of the satellite network serves as a reserved beam index for allocation to edge positions corresponding to the overlapping coverage areas; a second portion of the beam index of the satellite network is fixedly allocated to positions in the beam deployment map.

[0009] In some embodiments of this specification, there is no overlapping coverage area between adjacent cells of the satellite network; all beam indices of the satellite network are fixedly assigned to beam positions in the beam deployment map.

[0010] In some embodiments of this specification, the beam management method further includes:

[0011] The user equipment determines whether the current wavelength enters the overlapping coverage area of ​​its own cell and its neighboring cells;

[0012] In response to the user equipment entering the overlapping coverage area of ​​its own cell and its neighboring cells, the user equipment selects the beam corresponding to a specific beam index as the serving beam; the specific beam index is the beam index received by the user equipment in the overlapping coverage area and located within the range of reserved beam indexes.

[0013] In some embodiments of this specification, the beam management method further includes:

[0014] The user equipment determines whether the current wavelength has fallen outside the overlapping coverage area of ​​its own cell and its neighboring cells;

[0015] In response to the user equipment's current frequency band exiting the overlapping coverage area of ​​its own cell and its neighboring cells, the user equipment determines whether the current frequency band has changed.

[0016] In response to the fact that the current wavelength has not changed, the user equipment reselects the beam corresponding to the target beam index as the serving beam.

[0017] In some embodiments of this specification, the beam management method further includes:

[0018] In response to a change in the current wave position, the user equipment determines the new target beam index corresponding to the changed current wave position based on the beam deployment map;

[0019] The user equipment selects the beam corresponding to the new target beam index from its cell as the serving beam.

[0020] In some embodiments of this specification, the beam management method further includes:

[0021] The user equipment receives a system message sent by the network equipment of the satellite network; the system message carries the reserved beam index range.

[0022] In some embodiments of this specification, the edge wave position includes the edge wave position in front of and / or behind the cell in the direction of movement.

[0023] In some embodiments of this specification, the beam deployment map is pre-configured in the user equipment.

[0024] In some embodiments of this specification, the beam management method further includes:

[0025] The user equipment receives map update data sent by the network equipment of the satellite network;

[0026] The user equipment updates its local beam deployment map based on the map update data.

[0027] In some embodiments of this specification, the user equipment acquires the serving beam corresponding to its current wavelength, including:

[0028] The user equipment receives the service beam assigned to the user equipment's location by the network equipment of the satellite network; the target beam is determined by the network equipment based on the location and the beam deployment map.

[0029] On the other hand, embodiments of this specification also provide a beam management method, including:

[0030] The network device determines the target beam index corresponding to the beam position covered by its cell based on the beam deployment map; in the beam deployment map, the global coverage of the satellite network to which the network device belongs is divided into multiple fixed ground beam positions, and each beam position is bound to a beam index;

[0031] The network device transmits a beam according to the target beam index.

[0032] In some embodiments of this specification, adjacent cells of the satellite network have overlapping coverage areas; a first portion of the beam index of the satellite network serves as a reserved beam index for allocation to edge positions corresponding to the overlapping coverage areas; a second portion of the beam index of the satellite network is fixedly allocated to positions in the beam deployment map.

[0033] In some embodiments of this specification, there is no overlapping coverage area between adjacent cells of the satellite network; all beam indices of the satellite network are fixedly assigned to beam positions in the beam deployment map.

[0034] In some embodiments of this specification, the network device transmits a beam according to the target beam index, including:

[0035] The network device transmits beams to the edge positions covered by the cell according to the reserved beam index allocation information, and the network device transmits beams to the remaining positions covered by the cell according to the target beam index.

[0036] In some embodiments of this specification, the beam management method further includes:

[0037] The network device broadcasts system messages to the wavelengths covered by the cell; the system messages carry the reserved beam index range.

[0038] In some embodiments of this specification, the beam management method further includes:

[0039] The network device receives map update data sent by the ground control center of the satellite network;

[0040] The network device broadcasts the map update data to the wavelengths covered by the cell.

[0041] On the other hand, embodiments of this specification also provide a user equipment, including:

[0042] At least one processor; and

[0043] At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed individually or jointly by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform the beam management method described above.

[0044] On the other hand, embodiments of this specification also provide a network device, including:

[0045] At least one processor; and

[0046] At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed individually or jointly by the at least one processor, cause the network device to perform the beam management method described above.

[0047] On the other hand, embodiments of this specification also provide a chip, the chip including a circuit system configured to perform the beam management method described above.

[0048] On the other hand, embodiments of this specification also provide a computer storage medium storing instructions thereon, which, when executed individually or jointly by at least one processor of a computer device, cause the computer device to perform the beam management method described above.

[0049] On the other hand, embodiments of this specification also provide a computer program product, including instructions that, when executed individually or jointly by at least one processor of a computer device, cause the computer device to perform the beam management method described above.

[0050] As can be seen from the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this specification above, in the embodiments of this specification, the global coverage of the satellite network is divided into multiple fixed ground positions, and each position is bound to a beam index. This information is provided to user equipment in advance as a global beam deployment map so that user equipment can select the serving beam according to the beam deployment map. In this way, under this globally unified beam management, each network device no longer needs to independently deploy the beam index of its own coverage area, thereby avoiding the co-channel interference problem caused by each network device independently deploying the beam index of its own coverage area. Moreover, since a fixed ground position corresponds to a fixed position index, and it does not change with the change of the serving satellite, in the case of frequent satellite overhead scenarios, the time domain position of the SSB of the serving beam will not change for stationary or low-mobility user equipment, thereby reducing the complexity of beam management, network search, measurement, paging, and random access related processes of user equipment, and reducing the energy consumption of user equipment. Furthermore, since the beam index is bound to a fixed beam position on the ground, network devices only need to know the beam index information of their own coverage area to determine the beam management information of neighboring cells based on the beam deployment map, thereby avoiding the problem of frequent updates of the Xn interface and Uu interface caused by frequent changes in the beam positions of neighboring cells. Attached Figure Description

[0051] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or prior art of this specification, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this specification. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. In the drawings:

[0052] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of independently deployed beamlines in the prior art is shown;

[0053] Figure 2 Schematic diagrams of satellite communication systems in some embodiments of this specification are shown;

[0054] Figure 3 Flowcharts of beam management methods (UE side) in some embodiments of this specification are shown;

[0055] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 The flowchart shown illustrates the process by which a user equipment obtains the service beam corresponding to its current beam position in the beam management method.

[0056] Figure 5a A schematic diagram illustrating the allocation of reserved beam indices in an exemplary embodiment of this specification is shown;

[0057] Figure 5b A schematic diagram illustrating the allocation of the remaining beam indices in an exemplary embodiment of this specification is shown;

[0058] Figure 5c This specification illustrates a schematic diagram of the allocation of reserved beam indices to edge waves in an overlapping coverage area in an exemplary embodiment of this specification.

[0059] Figure 6 Flowcharts of beam management methods (UE side) in other embodiments of this specification are shown;

[0060] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a beam switching process in an exemplary embodiment of this specification is shown;

[0061] Figure 8 Flowcharts of beam management methods (network device side) in some embodiments of this specification are shown;

[0062] Figure 9 A structural block diagram of a computer device in some embodiments of this specification is shown.

[0063] [Explanation of Labels in the Attached Image]

[0064] 10. User equipment;

[0065] 20. Network equipment;

[0066] 902. Computer equipment;

[0067] 904, Processor;

[0068] 906. Memory;

[0069] 908. Drive mechanism;

[0070] 910. Input / output interfaces;

[0071] 912. Input devices;

[0072] 914. Output devices;

[0073] 916. Presentation equipment;

[0074] 918. Graphical User Interface;

[0075] 920. Network interface;

[0076] 922. Communication link;

[0077] 924. Communication bus. Detailed Implementation

[0078] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this specification, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this specification will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this specification, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this specification, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this specification.

[0079] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, data stored, data displayed, etc.) involved in the embodiments of this specification are all information and data authorized and agreed upon by the user and fully authorized by all parties. That is, the acquisition, transmission, storage, use, and processing of data in the technical solution of this application all comply with the relevant provisions of national laws and regulations.

[0080] Satellite communication systems use satellites as relay stations to forward radio waves, enabling communication between multiple ground stations and facilitating communication between user equipment (UEs) and between UEs and satellites via satellite and ground stations. User equipment may include fixed terminals, handheld terminals (i.e., portable terminals), and receivers mounted on vehicles (e.g., vehicles, ships, aircraft) for satellite communication. In some embodiments of this specification, handheld terminals may include smartphones, satellite phones, tablets, laptops, and smart wearable devices (e.g., smart bracelets, smartwatches, smart glasses, or smart helmets). Furthermore, in scenarios where the satellite and UEs are directly connected, the satellite communication system may not include ground stations. In these scenarios, the satellite carries a communication base station (i.e., an onboard base station), and both the satellite (including the onboard base station) and the ground stations are network devices within the satellite communication system, and can be collectively referred to as the satellite network or the network side.

[0081] In traditional beam management schemes for satellite communication systems, each network device (e.g., onboard base station) independently deploys beam indices within its coverage area. However, this beam management scheme is prone to the following problems:

[0082] (1) Co-frequency interference

[0083] Since each network device independently deploys its beam index within its coverage area, adjacent beam positions in different cells may be configured with the same beam index, which can lead to co-channel interference between adjacent beam positions. To avoid this co-channel interference, adjacent network devices need to coordinate their beam index deployment schemes, resulting in frequent Xn interface interactions and high processing complexity.

[0084] For example, in such Figure 1 In the ground area shown, which is covered by three cells, each regular hexagon represents a wave position. Figure 1 Different grayscale values ​​represent the coverage areas of different cells, and the number on each wavelength indicates the beam index corresponding to the beam covering that wavelength. Figure 1 The two adjacent beam positions within the dashed box belong to different cells, but both are configured with the same beam index 4; this will cause co-channel interference.

[0085] (2) Frequent beam changes increase processing complexity.

[0086] In satellite communication systems, a single band can span tens of kilometers. Therefore, except for high-speed mobile user equipment (UE) such as airplanes, most UEs operate within a fixed band for most of the time. Compared to the high-speed movement of satellites, most UEs can be considered stationary or low-mobility UEs. However, even these stationary or low-mobility UEs experience frequent cell switching due to frequent satellite overhead.

[0087] Specifically, compared to terrestrial communication systems, in satellite communication systems (such as low-Earth orbit satellite communication systems), the coverage area of ​​network equipment is not static relative to the ground but changes with the movement of the satellite. The coverage area of ​​the network equipment dynamically covers the corresponding ground area along the direction of satellite travel. When a stationary or low-mobility user device experiences a change in serving satellite, the beam corresponding to its position in the original cell may be inconsistent with the beam corresponding to its position in the new cell. Therefore, beam redeployment is required. In short, under traditional beam management schemes, the coverage area of ​​network equipment will change every short period of time, requiring the network equipment to redeploy the beams within its coverage area, thus leading to frequent beam changes. Frequent beam changes not only increase the processing complexity of network equipment but also increase the complexity of user equipment in beam management, network search, measurement, paging, and random access processes.

[0088] For example, in Figure 1 In the middle, at time T0, the user equipment is located in the beam position corresponding to beam index 6 of the middle cell (white area). At the next time T1, the user equipment switches to the beam position corresponding to beam index 4 of the lower cell (dark gray area).

[0089] (3) Frequent changes in the neighboring cell wave position lead to frequent updates of the Xn and Uu interfaces.

[0090] In traditional beam management schemes, since the shape of the cell may change continuously as the satellite travels, the adjacency relationship of the beam index at the boundary of adjacent cells will also change continuously. The network equipment side also needs to frequently update these changes through the Xn interface and Uu interface.

[0091] In view of this, in order to solve the above problems, this specification provides an improved beam management scheme that can be applied to user equipment 10 of low-Earth orbit satellite communication systems, as well as medium- and high-Earth orbit satellite communication systems.

[0092] Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a satellite communication system according to some embodiments of this specification; the satellite communication system includes user equipment 10 and network equipment 20. User equipment 10 can communicate with network equipment 20. User equipment 10 may include handheld user equipment (i.e., portable user equipment), receivers mounted on vehicles (e.g., vehicles, ships, airplanes) for satellite communication, and other terminal devices. In some embodiments of this specification, handheld user equipment may include, for example, smartphones, satellite phones, tablets, laptops, smart wearable devices (e.g., smart bracelets, smartwatches, smart glasses, or smart helmets). Network equipment 20 may be network equipment 20 in a low-Earth orbit satellite communication system or network equipment 20 in a medium-to-high Earth orbit satellite communication system.

[0093] This specification provides a beam management method that can be applied to the user equipment side described above. (Refer to...) Figure 3 As shown in some embodiments of this specification, the beam management method on the user equipment side may include the following steps:

[0094] Step 301: The user equipment obtains the service beam corresponding to its current position; the service beam is the beam corresponding to the target beam index, and the target beam index is determined according to the current position and the beam deployment map of the satellite network. In the beam deployment map, the global coverage of the satellite network is divided into multiple fixed ground positions, and each position is bound to a beam index.

[0095] In the embodiments of this specification, the global coverage of the satellite network is divided into multiple fixed ground positions (the positions do not change with the overhead of different satellites, but remain fixed relative to the ground), and each position is bound to a beam index. This information is provided to user equipment in advance as a global beam deployment map so that user equipment can select a service beam according to the beam deployment map. In this way, under this global unified beam management, each network device no longer needs to independently deploy the beam index of its own coverage area, thereby avoiding the co-channel interference problem caused by each network device independently deploying the beam index of its own coverage area.

[0096] In the embodiments of this specification, since a fixed ground position corresponds to a fixed position index and does not change with the change of serving satellite, in the case of frequent satellite overhead scenarios, the time domain position of the SSB of the serving beam will not change for stationary or low-mobility user equipment, thereby reducing the complexity of beam management, network search, measurement, paging, and random access related processes of user equipment, and reducing the energy consumption of user equipment.

[0097] In the embodiments of this specification, since the beam index is bound to the fixed beam position on the ground, the network device only needs to know the beam index information of its own coverage area to determine the beam management information of neighboring cells according to the beam deployment map, thereby avoiding the problem of frequent updates of the Xn interface and Uu interface caused by frequent changes in the beam position of neighboring cells.

[0098] refer to Figure 4 As shown in some embodiments of this specification, the user equipment obtaining the serving beam corresponding to its current wavelength may include the following steps:

[0099] Step 401: The user equipment matches the target beam index corresponding to its current position from the beam deployment map of the satellite network; in the beam deployment map, the global coverage of the satellite network is divided into multiple fixed ground positions, and each position is bound to a beam index.

[0100] Step 402: The user equipment selects the beam corresponding to the target beam index from the cell where it is located as the serving beam.

[0101] In other embodiments of this specification, the user equipment (UE) obtaining the service beam corresponding to its current wavelength can be achieved by the UE receiving a service beam designated by the network device of the satellite network for the wavelength where the UE is located. The service beam is the beam corresponding to a target beam index, which is determined by the network device based on the current wavelength and the beam deployment map. The network device of the satellite network can obtain the current wavelength and the cell where the UE is located; based on this, the network device can match the target beam index corresponding to the current wavelength from the beam deployment map of the satellite network, and then designate the beam corresponding to the target beam index from the cell where the UE is located as the service beam for the UE at that wavelength. Furthermore, if other UEs are also present at that wavelength, the beam corresponding to the target beam index can also be used as the service beam for those other UEs at that wavelength.

[0102] In the embodiments of this specification, the beam deployment map of a satellite network refers to the beam deployment map of a specific satellite network; the global coverage of a satellite network refers to the global coverage of a specific satellite network. For example, taking the Starlink satellite network as an example, in the beam deployment map of the Starlink satellite network, the global coverage of the Starlink satellite network is divided into multiple fixed ground positions, and each position is bound to a fixed beam index.

[0103] In the embodiments of this specification, a cell refers to the signal coverage area of ​​a satellite-borne base station. The cell in which the user equipment is located refers to the cell in which the user equipment is currently located (i.e., the serving cell of the user equipment).

[0104] In the embodiments of this specification, a beam refers to a specific shape formed in space by electromagnetic waves emitted by a satellite base station; a service beam refers to the beam currently used by user equipment in a satellite network.

[0105] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this specification, a beamposition is a fixed area on the ground that does not change with the replacement of the serving cell or satellite. The beamposition in question refers to the beamposition in which the user equipment is currently located; if the user equipment's current location is within the coverage area of ​​a beamposition, then that beamposition is the beamposition in which the user equipment is located. The target beam index corresponding to the beamposition in question refers to the beam index corresponding to the beamposition in the beam deployment map. For example, if the user equipment is located on beamposition A, and the beam index corresponding to beamposition A in the beam deployment map is beamposition index X, then beamposition index X is the target beam index corresponding to the beamposition in question.

[0106] In the embodiments of this specification, the beam index refers to the SSB Index corresponding to the beam, which is the location identifier of the SSB in the time-frequency resources, that is, the beam index corresponds to the beam in the time-frequency resources. SSB is an abbreviation for Synchronization Signal / PBCH Block, which includes synchronization signals and broadcast signals. The SSB includes the primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and physical broadcast channel (PBCH). These components together realize functions such as cell search, timing and frequency synchronization, location and mobility management, and access and measurement, providing stable and reliable communication services for user equipment.

[0107] In some embodiments of this specification, for application scenarios where adjacent cells of a satellite network have overlapping coverage areas, a portion of the beam indices supported by the satellite network are reserved as beam indices and allocated to the edge positions corresponding to the overlapping coverage areas; the remaining beam indices of the satellite network are fixedly allocated to positions in the beam deployment map. This ensures that, in overlapping coverage scenarios, the beams corresponding to the edge positions of the overlapping coverage areas between adjacent cells will not frequently change due to the dynamic coverage of different ground positions in the overlapping coverage areas, thereby further reducing the processing complexity of beam management.

[0108] For example, in Figures 5a-5c In the exemplary embodiment shown, the global coverage of the satellite network is divided into fifty fixed ground-based wavelengths, and the wavelength indexes 0 to 49 supported by the satellite network are fixedly assigned to these fifty fixed ground-based wavelengths (e.g., ...). Figure 5b As shown), in Figure 5b In the first column, the first fixed ground-based beam position is assigned beam position index 0 (i.e., the first fixed ground-based beam position in the first column is bound to beam position index 0), the second fixed ground-based beam position in the first column is assigned beam position index 1 (i.e., the second fixed ground-based beam position in the first column is bound to beam position index 1), and so on. Beam position indices 50-54, supported by the satellite network, are reserved as reserved beam indices (e.g., ...). Figure 5a As shown), to be used for assigning edge wavelengths corresponding to overlapping coverage areas (such as... Figure 5c (As shown). In Figure 5c In the middle, the top row of wave positions filled with black dots represents the edge wave positions corresponding to the overlapping coverage area between the middle cell and the cell above. These edge wave positions are assigned wave position indices 55 to 50 from left to right.

[0109] In the embodiments of this specification, the overlapping coverage area will have two beams covering the same position (one beam is the beam corresponding to the beam index that is fixedly assigned according to the beam deployment map, and the other is the reserved beam index). However, since the two beams covering the same position use different beam indices, the two beams generally will not transmit to the position at the same time, so there will be no signaling interference.

[0110] In some embodiments of this specification, the hexagonal wave position is only used as an example for illustration; in other embodiments of this specification, the wave position may also be rectangular, circular or elliptical, etc.

[0111] In some embodiments of this specification, the edge positions include the edge positions in front of and / or behind the cell's movement direction. The first row of frontal and rearal edge positions in the cell's movement direction are the positions where handover occurs most frequently; therefore, the edge positions can be designated as the edge positions in front of and / or behind the cell's movement direction, which is beneficial for achieving service continuity.

[0112] Furthermore, the left and right edge beam positions of the cell may also become switching beam positions due to the movement of user equipment or the Earth's rotation, but the frequency of such switching is relatively low. Therefore, in some embodiments of this specification, the two edge beam positions may not overlap. In this scenario, the user equipment can complete the switching by measuring the signal leakage from neighboring cells. Of course, in other embodiments of this specification, overlapping coverage of the two edge beam positions may be selected as needed.

[0113] Of course, in other embodiments of this specification, for application scenarios where there is no overlapping coverage area between adjacent cells of the satellite network, all beam indices supported by the satellite network can be fixedly assigned to beam positions in the beam deployment map.

[0114] This specification provides another beam management method, which can be applied to the user equipment side described above. (Refer to...) Figure 6 As shown in some embodiments of this specification, the beam management method on the user equipment side may include the following steps:

[0115] Step 601: The user equipment matches the target beam index corresponding to its current position from the beam deployment map of the satellite network; in the beam deployment map, the global coverage of the satellite network is divided into multiple fixed ground positions, and each position is bound to a beam index.

[0116] Step 602: The user equipment selects the beam corresponding to the target beam index from the cell where it is located as the serving beam.

[0117] For example, in Figure 7 In the exemplary embodiment shown, at time T0, according to the beam deployment map, the mobile terminal is located in the beam position marked with the number 5 (i.e., beam index 5) in cell 2. This beam position is the location of the mobile terminal, and cell 2 is the cell where the mobile terminal is located. Therefore, at time T0, the mobile terminal can select the beam corresponding to beam index 5 in cell 2 as the serving beam.

[0118] Step 603: The user equipment determines whether the current wavelength enters the overlapping coverage area of ​​its own cell and its neighboring cells.

[0119] If the current wave position enters the overlapping coverage area of ​​the current cell and its neighboring cells, then proceed to step 604; otherwise, it is possible to continue to determine whether the current wave position enters the overlapping coverage area of ​​the current cell and its neighboring cells (for example, when the next determination time arrives, it is determined again whether the current wave position enters the overlapping coverage area of ​​the current cell and its neighboring cells).

[0120] In some embodiments of this specification, the user equipment is generally a stationary or low-mobility user equipment (relative to the ground). In this scenario, "entry" refers to the movement of the cell relative to the user equipment and its wavelength as the satellite moves forward, causing the user equipment and its wavelength to enter the dynamic coverage area of ​​the cell. If the user equipment is a highly mobile user equipment (such as an aircraft), the superposition of the movement of the user equipment and the cell will also cause the user equipment and its wavelength to enter the dynamic coverage area of ​​the cell.

[0121] Step 604: The user equipment selects the beam corresponding to a specific beam index as the serving beam; the specific beam index is the beam index received by the user equipment in the overlapping coverage area and located within the reserved beam index range.

[0122] For example, in Figure 7 In the exemplary embodiment shown, at time T0, the mobile terminal receives service within the beam position of beam index 5 in cell 2. As the satellite moves forward, at time T1, this beam position is simultaneously covered by cell 3 and cell 2. At this time, the mobile terminal can receive not only the SSB with beam index 5, but also the SSB with beam index 63, meaning the user equipment enters the overlapping coverage area of ​​cell 2 and its adjacent cell 3. Since beam index 63 is located within the reserved beam index range (59-63), at time T1, the mobile terminal can select the beam corresponding to beam index 63 of cell 3 as the serving beam, that is, switch the serving beam to the beam corresponding to beam index 63 of cell 3.

[0123] As can be seen, in some embodiments of this specification, the user equipment can perform neighbor cell detection, measurement and switching only within the time domain window corresponding to the reserved beam index range. In this way, the power consumption of the user equipment during neighbor cell measurement can be reduced.

[0124] In some embodiments of this specification, due to the use of overlapping coverage, the user equipment has more time to complete the handover process during beam switching, which can reduce or avoid the impact of beam switching on service continuity to a certain extent, thereby improving the user experience.

[0125] Step 605: The user equipment determines whether the current waveform has exited the overlapping coverage area of ​​its own cell and its neighboring cells.

[0126] If the current wave position exits the overlapping coverage area of ​​the current cell and its neighboring cells, then proceed to step 606; otherwise, it is possible to continue to determine whether the current wave position has exited the overlapping coverage area of ​​the current cell and its neighboring cells (for example, when the next determination time arrives, it is determined again whether the current wave position has exited the overlapping coverage area of ​​the current cell and its neighboring cells).

[0127] In some embodiments of this specification, the user equipment is generally a stationary or low-mobility user equipment (relative to the ground). In this scenario, "out" refers to the cell moving relative to the user equipment and its wavelength as the satellite advances, causing the user equipment and its wavelength to move out of the cell's dynamic coverage area. If the user equipment is a highly mobile user equipment, the combined movement of the user equipment and the cell will also cause the user equipment and its wavelength to move out of the cell's dynamic coverage area.

[0128] Step 606: The user equipment determines whether its current waveform has changed. If the current waveform has not changed, proceed to step 607; otherwise, proceed to step 601.

[0129] In some embodiments of this specification, determining whether the current wave position has changed means determining whether the current wave position of the user equipment is the same as the wave position of its previous wave position.

[0130] Step 607: The user equipment reselects the beam corresponding to the target beam index as the serving beam.

[0131] For example, in Figure 7 In the exemplary embodiment shown, at time T1, the user equipment enters the overlapping coverage area of ​​cell 2 and its adjacent cell 3, and the mobile terminal switches the serving beam to the beam corresponding to beam index 63 of cell 3. As the satellite continues to move forward, at time T2, the mobile terminal exits the overlapping coverage area of ​​cell 2 and its adjacent cell 3, that is, the mobile terminal only falls within the coverage area of ​​cell 3. Since the beam position of the mobile terminal at time T2 is the same as the beam position at time T1, that is, the beam position of the mobile terminal has not changed, the measurement configuration of the previously stored beam index 5 can be reused (that is, the serving beam is switched to the beam corresponding to beam index 5 of cell 3), without the need for re-measurement and configuration, thereby greatly reducing the terminal measurement and configuration and saving air interface resources.

[0132] In some embodiments of this specification, the beam deployment map can be pre-configured in the user equipment; for example, the beam deployment map is configured for the user equipment at the factory. Subsequently, if the beam deployment map is updated, the ground control center can provide the update to the satellite-based base station, which then provides it to the user equipment via over-the-air (OTA) technology. Therefore, in some embodiments of this specification, the beam management method on the user equipment side can further include: the user equipment receiving map update data sent by the network equipment of the satellite network; and the user equipment updating its local beam deployment map according to the map update data.

[0133] In other embodiments of this specification, the user equipment is not configured with a beam deployment map at the time of manufacture. Subsequently, the ground control center provides the beam deployment map to the satellite base station in a timely manner, and the base station provides it to the user equipment through over-the-air (OTA) technology or other means.

[0134] In some embodiments of this specification, the reserved beam index range can be provided by the network equipment of the satellite network through system messages. Therefore, in some embodiments of this specification, the beam management method on the user equipment side can further include: the user equipment receiving a system message sent by the network equipment of the satellite network; the system message carrying the reserved beam index range. Thus, by adding an indication to the system information to inform the terminal of the reserved beam index range, it is possible to achieve a low-cost approach where the user terminal and the network side have the same understanding of the beam positions in the overlapping coverage area.

[0135] In some embodiments of this specification, the reserved beam index range can be represented by the ReserveSSBIndexBoundary. For example, the reserved beam index range can be represented by [0, a], while the remaining (a, b] is fixedly bound to a fixed ground position. Here, a is the boundary value, and b is the upper limit of the beam index supported by the system. Of course, the reserved beam index range can also be represented by (a, b], while the remaining [0, a] is fixedly bound to a fixed ground position. Therefore, this specification does not restrict which beam indices are selected as the reserved beam index range, and can be set according to the system.

[0136] In some embodiments of this specification, a one-byte indicator can be added to the message element of the system message to indicate the reserved beam index range. For example, the following indicator can be added to the local satellite configuration of system message SIB19: ReserveSSBIndexBoundary-vxxx INTEGER(0..63)OPTIONAL--Need R

[0137] In the above instructions, the reserved beam index range is 0 to 63. Of course, the use of the reserved beam index range carried in system message SIB19 is only an example for illustration. In other embodiments of this specification, system messages such as SIB1, SIB2, or SIB4 can also be selected to carry the reserved beam index range as needed. This specification does not limit this.

[0138] In some embodiments of this specification, a user equipment (UE) can identify whether it has entered an overlapping coverage area by determining whether it receives beams corresponding to two different beam indices in its current beam position, and whether one of the beam indices is within the reserved beam index range. Thus, by simply extending the system message by one byte to indicate the reserved beam index range, the UE can easily determine whether it has entered an overlapping coverage area, thereby completing measurement, configuration, and handover. Compared to existing technologies that determine entry into an overlapping coverage area based on cell signal strength, the distance of the UE relative to a reference point, etc., the embodiments of this specification are not affected by the near-far effect in satellite communication, nor do they depend on the shape of the cell. This is more beneficial for beam switching of stationary or low-speed UEs in scenarios with frequent satellite overhead passes.

[0139] This specification provides another beam management method, which can be applied to the network device side described above. (Refer to...) Figure 8 As shown in some embodiments of this specification, the beam management method on the network device side may include the following steps:

[0140] Step 801: The network device determines the target beam index corresponding to the beam position covered by the cell according to the beam deployment map; in the beam deployment map, the global coverage of the satellite network to which the network device belongs is divided into multiple fixed ground beam positions, and each beam position is bound to a beam index.

[0141] Step 802: The network device transmits a beam according to the target beam index.

[0142] For example, with Figure 5b Taking the exemplary embodiment shown as an example, according to Figure 5b The beam deployment map shown ( Figure 5b The number in each wavelet is the wavelet index bound to that wavelet. If the cell coverage of a satellite base station at a given time is... Figure 5b For each white spectral position, the satellite base station can transmit beams to that white spectral position according to the spectral index it is bound to. For example, the satellite base station can transmit the beam corresponding to spectral index 4 to the white spectral position corresponding to spectral index 4, the beam corresponding to spectral index 5 to the white spectral position corresponding to spectral index 5, the beam corresponding to spectral index 14 to the white spectral position corresponding to spectral index 14, and so on.

[0143] Based on the network equipment determining the target beam index corresponding to the beam position covered by the cell according to the beam deployment map, and transmitting the beam according to the target beam index, the user equipment can match the beam index corresponding to its own beam position from the beam deployment map, and select the beam corresponding to the beam index from its own cell as the serving beam.

[0144] In the beam management method on the network device side of some embodiments of this specification, there are overlapping coverage areas between adjacent cells of the satellite network; a portion of the beam index of the satellite network is reserved as a reserved beam index for allocation to edge positions corresponding to the overlapping coverage areas; the remaining beam index of the satellite network is fixedly allocated to positions in the beam deployment map.

[0145] In the beam management method on the network device side of some embodiments of this specification, there is no overlapping coverage area between adjacent cells of the satellite network; all beam indices of the satellite network are fixedly assigned to beam positions in the beam deployment map.

[0146] In the beam management method on the network device side of some embodiments of this specification, for scenarios where adjacent cells of a satellite network have overlapping coverage areas, the network device transmitting a beam according to the target beam index may include:

[0147] The network device transmits beams to the edge positions covered by the cell according to the reserved beam index allocation information, and the network device transmits beams to the remaining positions covered by the cell according to the target beam index.

[0148] For example, with Figure 5c Taking the exemplary embodiment shown as an example, according to Figure 5c The beam deployment map shown ( Figure 5b The number in each wavelet is the wavelet index bound to that wavelet. If the cell coverage of a satellite base station at a given time is: Figure 5c The dark gray wave position and its edge wave position (the wave position filled with a row of small black dots adjacent to the dark gray wave position). Then:

[0149] The spaceborne base station can transmit beams to each edge position according to the position index bound to each edge position. For example, the spaceborne base station can transmit the beam corresponding to position index 54 to the edge position corresponding to position index 54, transmit the beam corresponding to position index 53 to the edge position corresponding to position index 53, and so on.

[0150] The spaceborne base station can also transmit beams to each dark gray wave position according to the wave position index bound to each dark gray wave position. For example, the spaceborne base station can transmit the beam corresponding to wave position index 7 to the dark gray wave position corresponding to wave position index 7, transmit the beam corresponding to wave position index 17 to the dark gray wave position corresponding to wave position index 17, transmit the beam corresponding to the wave position index corresponding to the dark gray wave position corresponding to wave position index 8, and so on.

[0151] The beam management method on the network device side in some embodiments of this specification may further include:

[0152] The network device broadcasts system messages to the wavelengths covered by the cell; the system messages carry the reserved beam index range.

[0153] The beam management method on the network device side in some embodiments of this specification may further include:

[0154] The network device receives map update data sent by the ground control center of the satellite network;

[0155] The network device broadcasts the map update data to the wavelengths covered by the cell.

[0156] This specification also provides a chip, which includes a circuit system configured to perform the beam management method described above.

[0157] Although the process described above includes multiple operations that occur in a specific order, it should be clearly understood that these processes may include more or fewer operations, which may be executed sequentially or in parallel (e.g., using parallel processors or a multithreaded environment).

[0158] For ease of description, the above devices are described in terms of function, divided into various units. Of course, in implementing this specification, the functions of each unit can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware components.

[0159] Embodiments of this specification also provide a computer device. For example... Figure 9As shown, in some embodiments of this specification, the computer device 902 may include one or more processors 904, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs) or graphics processing units (GPUs), each of which may implement one or more hardware threads. The computer device 902 may also include any memory 906 for storing any kind of information, such as code, settings, data, etc. In one specific embodiment, a computer program on memory 906 that can run on processor 904, when the computer device is a user device, can execute instructions of the user device-side beam management method described in any of the above embodiments when the computer device is run by processor 904; when the computer device is a network device (such as a satellite base station), the computer program can execute instructions of the network device-side beam management method described in any of the above embodiments when run by processor 904. Non-limitingly, for example, memory 906 may include any type of RAM, any type of ROM, flash memory, hard disk, optical disk, etc. More generally, any memory can use any technology to store information. Furthermore, any memory can provide volatile or non-volatile retention of information. Furthermore, any memory can represent a fixed or removable component of the computer device 902. In one case, when the processor 904 executes associated instructions stored in any memory or combination of memories, the computer device 902 can perform any operation of the associated instructions. The computer device 902 also includes one or more drive mechanisms 908 for interacting with any memory, such as a hard disk drive, an optical disk drive, etc.

[0160] Computer device 902 may also include an input / output interface 910 (I / O) for receiving various inputs (via input device 912) and providing various outputs (via output device 914). A specific output mechanism may include a presentation device 916 and an associated graphical user interface 918 (GUI). In other embodiments, the input / output interface 910 (I / O), input device 912, and output device 914 may be omitted, and the device may function solely as a computer device within a network. Computer device 902 may also include one or more network interfaces 920 for exchanging data with other devices via one or more communication links 922. One or more communication buses 924 couple the components described above together.

[0161] Communication link 922 can be implemented in any way, such as via a local area network, a wide area network (e.g., the Internet), a point-to-point connection, or any combination thereof. Communication link 922 may include any combination of hardwired links, wireless links, routers, gateway functions, name servers, etc., governed by any protocol or combination of protocols.

[0162] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), computer-readable storage media, and computer program products according to some embodiments of this specification. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processor to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processor, create a mechanism for implementing the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0163] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processor to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0164] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processor, causing a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable device for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0165] In a typical configuration, a computer device includes one or more processors (CPU), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0166] Memory may include non-persistent storage in computer-readable media, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. Memory is an example of computer-readable media.

[0167] Computer-readable media, including both permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media, can store information using any method or technology. Information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase-change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile optical disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transferable medium that can be used to store information accessible by computer equipment. As defined in this specification, computer-readable media does not include transient media, such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0168] Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments of this specification can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the embodiments of this specification can take the form of entirely hardware embodiments, entirely software embodiments, or embodiments combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the embodiments of this specification can take the form of computer program products implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0169] The embodiments described in this specification can be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, that are executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. The embodiments of this specification can also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processors connected via a communication network. In distributed computing environments, program modules can reside in local and remote computer storage media, including storage devices.

[0170] It should also be understood that, in the embodiments of this specification, the term "and / or" is merely a description of 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, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0171] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the system embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments.

[0172] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the embodiments of this specification. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0173] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A beam management method, characterized in that, include: The user equipment obtains the service beam corresponding to its current position; the service beam is the beam corresponding to the target beam index, and the target beam index is determined according to the current position and the beam deployment map of the satellite network. In the beam deployment map, the global coverage of the satellite network is divided into multiple fixed ground positions, and each position is bound to a beam index. 2.The beam management method of claim 1, wherein, The user equipment obtains the serving beam corresponding to its current wavelength, including: The user equipment matches the target beam index corresponding to its position from the beam deployment map of the satellite network; the user equipment selects the beam corresponding to the target beam index from its cell as the serving beam.

3. The beam management method of Claim 2, wherein, The satellite network has overlapping coverage areas between adjacent cells; a first portion of the satellite network's beam index serves as a reserved beam index for allocation to edge positions corresponding to the overlapping coverage areas; a second portion of the satellite network's beam index is fixedly allocated to positions in the beam deployment map.

4. The beam management method of claim 2, wherein, There is no overlapping coverage area between adjacent cells of the satellite network; all beam indices of the satellite network are fixedly assigned to beam positions in the beam deployment map.

5. The beam management method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: The user equipment determines whether the current wavelength enters the overlapping coverage area of ​​its own cell and its neighboring cells; In response to the user equipment entering the overlapping coverage area of ​​its own cell and its neighboring cells, the user equipment selects the beam corresponding to a specific beam index as the serving beam; the specific beam index is the beam index received by the user equipment in the overlapping coverage area and located within the range of reserved beam indexes.

6. The beam management method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Also includes: The user equipment determines whether the current wavelength has fallen outside the overlapping coverage area of ​​its own cell and its neighboring cells; In response to the user equipment's current frequency band exiting the overlapping coverage area of ​​its own cell and its neighboring cells, the user equipment determines whether the current frequency band has changed. In response to the fact that the current wavelength has not changed, the user equipment reselects the beam corresponding to the target beam index as the serving beam.

7. The beam management method of Claim 6, wherein, Also includes: In response to a change in the current wave position, the user equipment determines the new target beam index corresponding to the changed current wave position based on the beam deployment map; The user equipment selects the beam corresponding to the new target beam index from its cell as the serving beam. 8.The method of Claim 5, wherein Also includes: The user equipment receives system messages sent by the network equipment of the satellite network; The system message carries the reserved beam index range. 9.The method of Claim 3, wherein, The edge wave positions include the edge wave positions in front of and / or behind the cell in the direction of movement. 10.The beam management method of claim 2, wherein, The beam deployment map is pre-configured in the user equipment.

11. The beam management method of Claim 10, wherein, Also includes: The user equipment receives map update data sent by the network equipment of the satellite network; The user equipment updates its local beam deployment map based on the map update data.

12. The beam management method of Claim 1, wherein, The user equipment obtains the serving beam corresponding to its current wavelength, including: The user equipment receives the service beam assigned to the user equipment's location by the network equipment of the satellite network; the target beam is determined by the network equipment based on the location and the beam deployment map.

13. A method of beam management, the method comprising: include: The network device determines the target beam index corresponding to the beam position covered by its cell based on the beam deployment map; in the beam deployment map, the global coverage of the satellite network to which the network device belongs is divided into multiple fixed ground beam positions, and each beam position is bound to a beam index; The network device transmits a beam according to the target beam index. 14.The method of Claim 13, wherein The satellite network has overlapping coverage areas between adjacent cells; a first portion of the satellite network's beam index serves as a reserved beam index for allocation to edge positions corresponding to the overlapping coverage areas; a second portion of the satellite network's beam index is fixedly allocated to positions in the beam deployment map.

15. The beam management method of claim 13, wherein, There is no overlapping coverage area between adjacent cells of the satellite network; all beam indices of the satellite network are fixedly assigned to beam positions in the beam deployment map.

16. The beam management method of claim 14, wherein, The network device transmits a beam according to the target beam index, including: The network device transmits beams to the edge positions covered by the cell according to the reserved beam index allocation information, and the network device transmits beams to the remaining positions covered by the cell according to the target beam index.

17. The beam management method of claim 14, wherein, Also includes: The network device broadcasts system messages to the wavelengths covered by the cell; the system messages carry the reserved beam index range.

18. The beam management method as described in claim 14, characterized in that, Also includes: The network device receives map update data sent by the ground control center of the satellite network; The network device broadcasts the map update data to the wavelengths covered by the cell. 19.A user equipment, comprising: include: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed individually or jointly by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

20. A network device, comprising: include: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed individually or jointly by the at least one processor, cause the network device to perform the method according to any one of claims 13 to 18.

21. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes a circuit system configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

22. A computer storage medium storing instructions thereon, characterized in that, When the instructions are executed individually or jointly by at least one processor of a computer device, the computer device performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

23. A computer program product, comprising instructions, characterized in that, When the instructions are executed individually or jointly by at least one processor of a computer device, the computer device performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

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