Communication method and apparatus, system, electronic device, storage medium and product

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of communication, and particularly provides a communication method and device, system, electronic device, storage medium and product. The network device can obtain the high coverage information of each neighbor cell, and send the high coverage information of the neighbor cell to the terminal. In this way, when the terminal performs neighbor cell measurement, the target neighbor cell can be determined based on the high coverage information of each neighbor cell, so that the target neighbor cell is adapted to the flight height of the terminal itself. In summary, the technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can realize effective management of low-altitude cells through high coverage information, reduce disordered switching and invalid switching of the terminal, and improve the accuracy and efficiency of neighbor cell switching.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus, system, electronic device, storage medium and product. Background Technology

[0002] With the rise of the low-altitude economy, mobile wireless communication network coverage has also extended to low altitudes, forming a three-dimensional network of ground and low-altitude systems. This not only covers traditional ground communication needs but also extends to low-altitude areas, providing communication, sensing, and navigation services for drones, low-altitude aircraft, and other similar devices.

[0003] The relevant technologies do not distinguish between ground-based two-dimensional networks and stereoscopic three-dimensional networks. Low-altitude stereoscopic networks almost entirely adopt the mechanisms of two-dimensional networks, such as neighbor cell configuration and handover measurement. Therefore, for low-altitude terminals, the higher the flight altitude and the more neighbor cells there are, the greater the complexity of neighbor cell configuration and measurement. Furthermore, different neighbor cells have different beam coverage altitudes, and it is even possible that the beam altitude of the neighbor cell switched by the flight terminal may not be able to cover the flight terminal's altitude. The relevant technologies lack effective management of low-altitude neighbor cells. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure is made in view of the above-mentioned problems. This disclosure provides a communication method and apparatus, system, electronic device, storage medium, and product.

[0005] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a communication method is provided, applied to a network device, the method comprising:

[0006] Obtain the height coverage information of each neighboring cell;

[0007] Send first information to the terminal, the first information including the height coverage information of at least one neighboring cell.

[0008] According to one aspect of this disclosure, another communication method is provided for use in a terminal, the method comprising:

[0009] Receive first information from a network device, the first information including the height coverage information of at least one neighboring cell;

[0010] Based on the first information, the target neighboring cell is determined.

[0011] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a communication system is provided, comprising:

[0012] A network device is used to implement the method executed by the network device in any embodiment of this disclosure;

[0013] A terminal is used to implement the method executed by the terminal in any embodiment of this disclosure.

[0014] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising:

[0015] The processing unit is used to obtain the height coverage information of each neighboring cell;

[0016] A transceiver unit is used to send first information to a terminal, the first information including the height coverage information of at least one neighboring cell.

[0017] According to another aspect of this disclosure, another communication device is provided, comprising:

[0018] A transceiver unit is used to receive first information from a network device, the first information including the height coverage information of at least one neighboring cell.

[0019] The processing unit is used to determine the target neighboring cell based on the first information.

[0020] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0021] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program / instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implement the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0022] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program / instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0023] As will be described in detail below, according to an embodiment of this disclosure, a communication method, apparatus, system, electronic device, storage medium, and product allow a network device to acquire altitude coverage information of neighboring cells and send this information to a terminal. Thus, when performing neighbor cell measurements, the terminal can determine a target neighboring cell based on the altitude coverage information of each neighboring cell, ensuring that the target neighboring cell is compatible with the terminal's own flight altitude. In other words, the terminal can select a target neighboring cell that is compatible with its own flight altitude for neighbor cell measurement or handover. This avoids the terminal switching to neighboring cells that are difficult to adapt to its flight altitude, preventing invalid handovers or frequent disordered handovers. This also improves the success rate of neighbor cell selection and handover to a certain extent, reduces the complexity and duration of neighbor cell measurements, and helps improve the accuracy and efficiency of neighbor cell handovers. In summary, the technical solution provided by this disclosure can effectively manage low-altitude cells through altitude coverage information, reduce disordered and invalid handovers by the terminal, and improve the accuracy and efficiency of neighbor cell handovers.

[0024] It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further illustration of the claimed technology. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the more detailed description of the embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this disclosure to explain the disclosure and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a low-altitude network provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the neighbor cell relationship of a cellular network provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the neighboring cell coverage of a low-altitude network provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 4 This is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of high coverage information provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another type of height coverage information provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another type of height coverage information provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a structural block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 9 This is a structural block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 10 This is a structural block diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 11 This is a hardware block diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of a computer-readable storage medium provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure more apparent, exemplary embodiments according to this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments of this disclosure. It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0039] The technical solutions provided in this disclosure can be applied to any neighbor cell handover scenario. For example, when a terminal moves beyond the coverage area of ​​the current serving cell, or when the signal strength of the serving cell weakens, or when the load of the current serving cell is too high, or when the coverage area of ​​the serving cell is adjusted, etc., the terminal can perform neighbor cell measurement and hand over the current serving cell to a suitable neighbor cell to ensure normal communication. It should be understood that this disclosure does not impose any particular restrictions on the circumstances under which the terminal performs neighbor cell measurement and neighbor cell handover; the foregoing examples are merely illustrative.

[0040] The neighbor cell handover scenarios involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: neighbor cell handover scenarios, neighbor cell measurement scenarios, and neighbor cell measurement configuration scenarios. Neighbor cell handover refers to a terminal switching from its current serving cell to a neighboring cell, with the neighboring cell acting as the new serving cell. Neighbor cell measurement refers to the terminal measuring the neighboring cell to facilitate neighbor cell handover or neighboring cell data collection based on the measurement data; there are no limitations on this. Neighbor cell measurement configuration refers to the pre-configuration of relevant parameters for neighbor cell measurement so that they can be applied during the neighbor cell measurement process. All of the above scenarios are related to the neighbor cell handover process.

[0041] Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed herein are applied to scenarios involving neighbor cell handover in low-altitude networks. Specifically, this involves scenarios where flight terminals perform neighbor cell handover, neighbor cell measurement, or neighbor cell configuration at low altitudes (generally less than or equal to 3000 meters).

[0042] The following combination Figures 1-3 A brief explanation of the neighboring cell situation of the low-altitude network is provided. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a low-altitude network provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of neighbor cell relationships in a cellular network provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the neighboring cell coverage of a low-altitude network provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, in low-altitude networks, terminals can operate at different altitudes within the low atmosphere, and during their aerial operations, they can communicate with ground base stations to receive communication services. Compared to ground-based networks (or two-dimensional ground networks) where signals are directed towards the ground surface, signal boundaries are relatively controllable, and transmission range is limited, low-altitude networks (or three-dimensional low-altitude networks) feature open, direct-line-of-sight signal propagation, resulting in a wide transmission range but difficult-to-control boundaries.

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown, mobile wireless communication networks deployed on the ground typically employ a cellular structure, forming a cellular network. Cellular networks mimic the hexagonal structure of a honeycomb in nature to achieve continuous coverage of a two-dimensional plane while reducing interference between signals. For example... Figure 2 As shown, one base station 12 can cover multiple cells 11. In a two-dimensional plane, the number of neighboring cells (or neighboring cells) is usually limited. When configuring neighboring cell measurement for a terminal, the number of neighboring cells that need to be configured is controllable, usually ranging from a few to dozens of (neighboring cells).

[0045] Compared to terrestrial networks, low-altitude networks are more complex. For example... Figure 3 As shown, in low-altitude networks, the altitude at which a terminal operates in the air is related to the number of neighboring cells it can see. The higher the terminal's altitude, the more neighboring cells it can see. For example, the number of neighboring cells a terminal can see at position L is significantly less than the number it can see at position H. In this case, both configuring neighboring cells for the terminal and performing neighboring cell measurements and subsequent handover are highly complex, impacting both measurement efficiency and handover success rate to varying degrees. Moreover, in situations such as... Figure 1 and Figure 3In the low-altitude network shown, the coexistence of ground and low-altitude networks means that multiple cells may exist at different altitudes at the same location, making the neighbor cell relationships in the three-dimensional low-altitude network more complex. Due to the diffusion of signal propagation, signal overlap between multiple cells is unavoidable, and relying on the neighbor cell measurement results obtained by the terminal for independent measurement inevitably leads to frequent and disordered handovers.

[0046] Due to the complexity of low-altitude networks, the configuration, measurement, and handover processes for neighboring cells are also quite complex. However, as described in the background section, related technologies lack effective management of low-altitude neighboring cells. To address this issue, embodiments of this disclosure provide a novel design concept: network devices can obtain coverage information of each neighboring cell in advance, especially altitude coverage information, and send it to the terminal. This allows the terminal to select a neighboring cell that is compatible with its location (e.g., altitude) when performing neighboring cell measurements. This makes the terminal more compatible with the target neighboring cell being handed over, thereby effectively improving the handover success rate and efficiency. In particular, when facing the neighboring cell handover problem for flight terminals, this disclosure can better prevent the terminal from switching to a neighboring cell that is difficult to adapt to the terminal's flight altitude, thus avoiding invalid handovers, frequent and disordered handovers, and other problems, thereby improving the success rate of neighboring cell selection and handover.

[0047] The terminals involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include, but are not limited to, flight terminals; wherein, the flight terminals include, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and manned aircraft. A flight terminal refers to a terminal with flight capabilities, which may specifically include, but are not limited to, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and manned aircraft. This disclosure does not particularly limit the function or scope of flight terminals. For example, a flight terminal may also be a terminal for a specific industry using specific capabilities, such as a reconnaissance UAV (e.g., in disaster relief scenarios), a cargo aircraft, or a passenger aircraft; a flight terminal may also be ordinary civilian equipment, such as civilian remote-controlled UAVs, or any other single device with low-altitude flight capabilities. This is not an exhaustive list.

[0048] It should be noted that this disclosure applies to various terminals, including flight terminals. Besides flight terminals, other terminals can also use the communication methods provided in this disclosure to achieve neighbor cell handover. The terminals involved in this disclosure may also include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The terminals involved in this disclosure can be applied to various application scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, they will be collectively referred to as terminals.

[0049] Furthermore, the network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can also be referred to as network-side devices, specifically including base stations, evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs), transmission reception points (TRPs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs) in 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems, next-generation base stations in 6th generation (6G) mobile communication systems, base stations in future mobile communication systems, or access nodes in wireless fidelity (WiFi) systems; they can also be modules or units that perform some of the functions of a base station, for example, they can be central units (CUs) or distributed units (DUs). The wireless access network device can be a macro base station, a micro base station, an indoor station, or a relay node, etc. This disclosure does not impose any particular limitations on the specific technologies or device forms used in the wireless access network device. For ease of description, a base station is used as an example of a wireless access network device in the following description.

[0050] Furthermore, the network equipment and terminals disclosed herein can constitute a communication system. The communication systems involved in this disclosure may include, but are not limited to: Global System for Mobile communication (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A), New Radio (NR), evolution systems of NR, LTE-based access to unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U), NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum (NR-U), Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), and Wireless Fidelity. Fidelity (WiFi), 5th-Generation (5G) communication systems, or other communication systems.

[0051] The following is a detailed explanation of this plan.

[0052] This disclosure provides a communication method. Please refer to... Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] like Figure 4 As shown, for network devices, the method includes:

[0054] S402, network devices obtain the height coverage information of each neighboring cell.

[0055] In this embodiment, the network device can specifically be the network device corresponding to the terminal's currently serving cell. In a real-world scenario, one network device can cover one or more cells. Cells other than the currently serving cell are the terminal's neighboring cells.

[0056] In this disclosure, the network device can acquire the height coverage information of all available neighboring cells, or it can acquire the height coverage information of a subset of neighboring cells. The range of height coverage information acquired by the network device (i.e., which neighboring cells' height coverage information is acquired) can be preset (e.g., configured on the user side), or it can be determined based on custom conditions. For example, it can acquire the height coverage information of all neighboring cells within a range less than or equal to a preset threshold (i.e., all neighboring cells in a relatively close range). Besides the distance condition exemplified here, other custom conditions are also possible, such as angle conditions, hardware conditions, attribute conditions, etc., which will not be elaborated upon or exhaustively listed.

[0057] In this disclosure, the height coverage information of a neighboring cell is used to indicate the height coverage range of that neighboring cell. Furthermore, the height coverage information can be used to indicate the appropriate height range that the neighboring cell can cover. The height coverage information can be applied to the neighboring cell measurement process of the terminal. The specific information content and possible acquisition methods of the height coverage information will be detailed later.

[0058] S404, The network device sends first information to the terminal, the first information including the height coverage information of at least one neighboring cell.

[0059] It should be noted that the height coverage information of at least one neighboring cell carried in the first information can be the height coverage information of all neighboring cells obtained in S402, or it can be the height coverage information of some of the neighboring cells.

[0060] In other words, in implementing this solution, the network device can directly synchronize the height coverage information of all acquired neighboring cells to the terminal without further filtering. Accordingly, the terminal can select a suitable target neighboring cell for neighboring cell measurement and / or neighboring cell handover. Alternatively, the network device can selectively select some neighboring cells as candidate neighboring cells and send the height coverage information of the candidate neighboring cells (i.e., at least one neighboring cell in S404) to the terminal, allowing the terminal to select a target neighboring cell within the candidate neighboring cell range. This implementation effectively reduces the complexity of neighboring cell measurement for the terminal and narrows the measurement range, thus improving measurement efficiency.

[0061] In embodiments where network devices selectively configure candidate neighbor cells for terminals, this disclosure does not impose any particular restrictions on the strategy for network devices to select candidate neighbor cells. In one exemplary embodiment, the network device can obtain the terminal's height and, based on the height coverage information of each neighbor cell, select a neighbor cell whose height matches the terminal's height as a candidate neighbor cell, thereby sending the height coverage information of each candidate neighbor cell as first information to the terminal. And / or, in another exemplary embodiment, the network device can also, based on the terminal's location (e.g., location), select a neighbor cell that is close to the terminal's location (e.g., less than a preset threshold) as a candidate neighbor cell, thereby sending the height coverage information of each candidate neighbor cell as first information to the terminal. And / or, in another exemplary embodiment, the network device can also, based on the communication results of other neighbor cell base stations, select candidate neighbor cells that meet custom requirements. And / or, in another exemplary embodiment, the network device can also, based on user operation information, select candidate neighbor cells. The above embodiments can be used individually or in combination, and are not exhaustive; further details are omitted.

[0062] Correspondingly, such as Figure 4 As shown, for the terminal, the method includes:

[0063] S406, the terminal receives first information from the network device, the first information including the height coverage information of at least one neighboring cell.

[0064] S408, the terminal determines the target neighboring cell based on the first information.

[0065] In implementing this step, the terminal can directly identify all neighboring cells mentioned in the first information as target neighboring cells (for example, in scenarios where the network device has already selected candidate neighboring cells that are compatible with the terminal's altitude based on altitude coverage information). Alternatively, the terminal can also select neighboring cells that are compatible with its current or expected flight altitude from all neighboring cells mentioned in the first information based on the altitude coverage information in the first information, and identify them as target neighboring cells; in other words, in this embodiment, the first information can be used to indicate the effective range of each neighboring cell; whether a certain neighboring cell is effective for different terminals depends on the terminal's flight altitude.

[0066] In other words, for the purposes of this disclosure, during the process of neighbor cell handover, the terminal does not need to perform additional measurements or communication on the height coverage of each neighbor cell. In this disclosure, the terminal only needs to receive the first information to determine the target neighbor cell, which is simple, fast, accurate, and has high handover efficiency and accuracy.

[0067] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the target neighboring cell can be a cell determined by the terminal that allows for neighboring cell measurement and / or neighboring cell handover. In other words, in one possible embodiment of this application, for the terminal, the method may further include: performing neighboring cell measurement on the target neighboring cell (it should be noted that in this embodiment, the terminal has already determined the height coverage information of the target neighboring cell based on the first information before performing the neighboring cell measurement. Thus, when performing the neighboring cell measurement, the terminal does not need to measure the height coverage range of the target neighboring cell again, and can perform custom measurements on other data to be measured, such as measuring the signal quality of the neighboring cell). In one possible embodiment of this application, for the terminal, the method may further include: handover to the target neighboring cell.

[0068] For example, neighboring cell A is suitable for covering altitudes below 300 meters, while neighboring cell B is suitable for covering altitudes below 600 meters. For the terminal, if its current flight altitude is 400 meters, and based on the received initial information, it can determine the altitude coverage ranges of neighboring cells A and B. Therefore, the terminal does not need additional measurement or communication with neighboring cells to determine the following: First, neighboring cell B's altitude coverage range is compatible with its own altitude, making it a valid neighboring cell. The terminal can then use neighboring cell B as the target neighboring cell for direct handover during neighboring cell measurement. Second, neighboring cell A's altitude coverage range is incompatible with its own altitude, and selecting neighboring cell A cannot meet its communication needs. Therefore, neighboring cell A is considered an ineffective neighboring cell, and the terminal will not select it for handover, avoiding invalid or frequent handovers and improving the success rate and efficiency of handover.

[0069] Furthermore, unlike related technologies where network devices only indicate the presence of up-beams in a cell using some identification information, which requires the terminal to perform additional cell measurements or cell communication when selecting a cell, this disclosure simplifies the process of the terminal determining the target cell by collecting the height coverage information of each neighboring cell in advance and directly instructing the terminal. This improves the efficiency of neighboring cell handover and also helps to improve the safety and endurance of the terminal when flying in the air.

[0070] In summary, in this disclosure, the network device can obtain the altitude coverage information of each neighboring cell and send this information to the terminal. Thus, when the terminal performs neighboring cell measurements, it can determine the target neighboring cell based on the altitude coverage information of each neighboring cell, ensuring that the target neighboring cell is compatible with the terminal's own flight altitude. In other words, the terminal can select a target neighboring cell that is compatible with its own flight altitude for neighboring cell measurement or handover. This avoids the terminal switching to neighboring cells that are difficult to adapt to its flight altitude, preventing invalid handovers or frequent disordered handovers caused by them. This also improves the success rate of neighboring cell selection and handover to a certain extent, reduces the complexity and measurement time of neighboring cell measurements, and helps improve the accuracy and efficiency of neighboring cell handovers. In conclusion, the technical solution provided by the embodiments of this disclosure can achieve effective management of low-altitude cells through altitude coverage information, reduce disordered and invalid handovers of the terminal, and improve the accuracy and efficiency of neighboring cell handovers.

[0071] It should be understood that in real-world scenarios, the communication methods executed by the network device side (S402 and S404) and the communication methods executed by the terminal side (including S406 and S408) can each be used independently. Figure 4 For illustrative purposes only.

[0072] The following is a brief explanation of the possible methods for sending the first message.

[0073] In this embodiment, the first information can be any communication message. In practical scenarios, the first information can be a message used to configure candidate neighbor cells for the terminal. That is, the height coverage information of the neighbor cells can be sent to the terminal as part of the configuration information during the neighbor cell configuration process of the network device. Alternatively, in other possible implementation scenarios, the first information can also be information independent of the configuration information, which can be sent to the terminal separately by the network device; or, existing communication messages between the network device and the terminal in related technologies can be reused, and the first information can be sent as an adjunct to these existing communication messages. In other words, this embodiment does not have any particular restrictions on the way the first information is sent.

[0074] In one exemplary embodiment, the network device sending first information to the terminal can specifically involve the network device sending Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to the terminal, the RRC signaling carrying the first information; wherein, the first information is used to configure at least one candidate neighbor cell for the terminal. In this embodiment, the serving cell (i.e., the network device in this disclosure) can configure neighbor cell measurement parameters for terminals accessing the cell via RRC signaling, wherein the MeasObject in the RRC signaling is specifically used to configure the neighbor cell to be measured (i.e., the neighbor cell measurement object), i.e., the candidate neighbor cell in this disclosure. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first information in this disclosure can specifically be MeasObject information, that is, this embodiment of the disclosure additionally configures height coverage information about the neighbor cell for the terminal in the MeasObject, so that the terminal can combine the height coverage information to select a height-adapted target cell for neighbor cell measurement and neighbor cell handover. In addition, RRC signaling can also carry other neighbor cell measurement parameters, such as including but not limited to at least one of the following: cell identification information (e.g., cell ID), synchronization signal block (SSB), reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR), etc., without exhaustive list.

[0075] Corresponding to this embodiment, for the terminal, receiving the first information from the network device can specifically be: the terminal receives RRC signaling from the network device, the RRC signaling carrying the first information; wherein, the first information is used to configure at least one candidate neighbor cell for the terminal. Further details are omitted. In this embodiment, this communication method can also be referred to as a neighbor cell configuration method.

[0076] In another exemplary embodiment, after obtaining the height coverage information of at least one neighboring cell, the network device can also write the height coverage information into a neighbor relationship table; wherein, the neighbor relationship table (NRT NeighborRelation Table) is used to maintain the neighbor relationships of each cell. The neighbor relationship table can be obtained through management tools (described in detail below), or through the automatic neighbor relationship (ANR Automatic Neighbor Relation) function of the network device, network management configuration of neighbor relationships, etc. Writing the height coverage information into the neighbor relationship table can also be achieved through management tools; thus, the height coverage information transmitted between them can be obtained through interfaces such as the network management interface (between the network management tool and the network device) and the Xn interface (between network devices). Therefore, in one possible implementation of this embodiment, when the network device sends the first information to the terminal, it can directly send the neighbor relationship table to the terminal. Corresponding to this embodiment, for the terminal, receiving the first information from the network device can specifically mean receiving a neighbor cell relationship table from the network device; thereby, the terminal can obtain the height coverage information of each candidate neighbor cell from the neighbor cell relationship table. Alternatively, in a possible implementation of this embodiment, the network device can determine candidate neighbor cells based on the neighbor cell relationship table, and accordingly add the relevant information of the candidate neighbor cells (including height coverage information) to the RRC signaling and send it to the terminal.

[0077] The following is a brief description of the possible implementation forms of the high coverage information in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0078] As described above, the height coverage information in this disclosure is used to indicate the height coverage range of neighboring cells. Further, the height coverage information involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: height information and coverage elevation angle information.

[0079] The height information involved in this embodiment may include, but is not limited to: minimum height and maximum height; the height information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: height value, height range, and height value and first offset.

[0080] For ease of understanding, combined with Figure 5 Exemplary illustration, Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating height coverage information provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. For example... Figure 5As shown, network devices can be deployed on the ground. For a neighboring cell, its height coverage range can be specifically defined as a height range, that is, the height range that the communication signal of the neighboring cell can cover. This height range can include, but is not limited to, at least one of a minimum height H1 and a maximum height H2. In other words, in a practical scenario, for a neighboring cell, its height coverage information can restrict only the minimum height H1, in which case the height coverage range of the neighboring cell is any range higher than or equal to the minimum height H1; or, the height coverage information can restrict only the maximum height H2, in which case the height coverage range of the neighboring cell is the range between the maximum height H2 and the ground; or, the height coverage information can restrict both the minimum height H1 and the maximum height H2 simultaneously, in which case the height coverage range of the neighboring cell is the spatial range higher than or equal to the minimum height H1 and lower than or equal to the maximum height H2.

[0081] Furthermore, when specifically representing altitude information, the representation method of altitude information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: altitude value, altitude range, altitude value and first offset.

[0082] In one embodiment, the height value can be a specific numerical value. In this case, the height coverage information of a certain neighboring cell in the first information can be represented as H1 and / or H2.

[0083] In another embodiment, the height range can be characterized by the interval formed by the height value and the first offset. For example, Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, taking the highest altitude as an example, the altitude coverage information of a certain neighboring cell in the first information can be represented as a altitude range, namely: the range formed by H2 and H2+x2; where x2 represents the first offset corresponding to the highest altitude. It should be understood that... Figure 5 For illustrative purposes only, in real-world scenarios, height information can also be expressed as: height value ± first offset, or height value + first offset, or height value - first offset.

[0084] In another embodiment, the height information can be represented by two numerical values: the height value and a first offset. For example, Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, taking the highest altitude as an example, the altitude coverage information of a certain neighboring cell in the first information can be represented by two values: H2 and x2. In this embodiment, the relationship between H2 and x2 can be preset in advance, as described in the previous embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0085] Furthermore, it should be noted that in this disclosure, the first offset may include: the first offset x2 corresponding to the highest height H2, and / or the first offset x1 corresponding to the lowest height H1. This disclosure does not impose any particular restrictions on the numerical relationship between x2 and x1; in actual scenarios, they can be the same or different, and can be customized.

[0086] The coverage elevation angle information involved in this embodiment may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: minimum coverage elevation angle and maximum coverage elevation angle. The coverage elevation angle information includes at least one of the following: coverage elevation angle value, coverage elevation angle range, and coverage elevation angle value plus a second offset.

[0087] For ease of understanding, combined with Figure 6 Exemplary illustration, Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another height coverage information provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. For example... Figure 6 As shown, network devices can be deployed on the ground. For a neighboring cell, its altitude coverage range can be specifically defined as the coverage elevation angle range, that is, the altitude range that the communication signal of the neighboring cell can cover is characterized by the coverage elevation angle. The coverage elevation angle range can include, but is not limited to, at least one of the minimum coverage elevation angle β and the maximum coverage elevation angle α. In other words, in a practical scenario, for a neighboring cell, its coverage elevation angle information can only restrict the minimum coverage elevation angle β, in which case the coverage elevation angle range of the neighboring cell is any range greater than or equal to the minimum coverage elevation angle β; or, the coverage elevation angle information can only restrict the maximum coverage elevation angle α, in which case the coverage elevation angle range of the neighboring cell is the range between the maximum coverage elevation angle α and the ground; or, the coverage information can simultaneously restrict the minimum coverage elevation angle β and the maximum coverage elevation angle α, in which case the coverage elevation angle range of the neighboring cell is the spatial range greater than or equal to the minimum coverage elevation angle β and less than or equal to the maximum coverage elevation angle α.

[0088] It should be understood that, such as Figure 6 As shown, the maximum coverage elevation angle α, the height difference H4-H3 between the terminal and the network device, and the horizontal distance d1 between the terminal and the network device satisfy a trigonometric function relationship, i.e., H4-H3=d1*tanα; that is, H4=H3+d1*tanα. Similarly, the minimum coverage elevation angle β, the height difference H5-H3 between the terminal and the network device, and the corresponding horizontal distance d2 between the terminal and the network device also satisfy a trigonometric function relationship, i.e., H5-H3=d2*tanβ; that is, H5=H3+d2*tanβ. Thus, as Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, if the coverage elevation angle information includes the minimum coverage elevation angle β and / or the maximum coverage elevation angle α, then the corresponding height range can be specifically defined as: H³ + di * tanβ and / or H³ + di * tanα. Where di is the horizontal distance between the terminal and the network device.

[0089] Furthermore, when specifically representing the coverage elevation angle information, the representation method of the coverage elevation angle information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: coverage elevation angle value, coverage elevation angle range, and coverage elevation angle value and second offset.

[0090] In one embodiment, the coverage elevation angle value can be a specific numerical value. In this case, the height coverage information of a certain neighboring cell in the first information can be represented as α and / or β.

[0091] In another embodiment, the coverage elevation angle range can be characterized by the interval formed by the coverage elevation angle value and the second offset. For example, Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, taking the maximum coverage elevation angle α as an example, the height coverage information of a certain neighboring cell in the first information can be represented as a coverage elevation angle range, namely: the range formed by α and α+yi; where yi represents the second offset corresponding to the maximum coverage elevation angle α. It should be understood that... Figure 6 For illustrative purposes only, in actual scenarios, the coverage elevation angle information can also be expressed as: coverage elevation angle value ± second offset, or coverage elevation angle value + second offset, or coverage elevation angle value - second offset.

[0092] In another embodiment, the representation of the covered elevation angle information can be specifically two values: the covered elevation angle value and a second offset. For example, Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, taking the maximum coverage elevation angle as an example, the height coverage information of a certain neighboring cell in the first information can be represented by two values: α and α+yi. In this embodiment, the relationship between α and α+yi can be preset in advance, as described in the previous embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0093] Furthermore, it should be noted that in this disclosure, the second offset may include: the second offset y1 corresponding to the maximum coverage elevation angle, and / or, the second offset y2 corresponding to the minimum coverage elevation angle. This disclosure does not impose any particular restrictions on the numerical relationship between y1 and y2; in practical scenarios, they can be the same or different, and can be customized.

[0094] In practical implementations, the above two representation methods (i.e., altitude information representation method and coverage elevation angle representation method) can be used individually or in combination. For example, in one possible embodiment, the first information may include: the altitude information H1 and H2 of neighboring cell A, and the maximum coverage elevation angle α of neighboring cell B. In another possible embodiment, the first information may include: the maximum coverage elevation angle α of neighboring cell A, and the minimum altitude H1 and its corresponding first offset x1. This is not an exhaustive list.

[0095] Furthermore, in some possible embodiments, the height coverage information may be related to the neighbor cell type. Moreover, the representation method of the height coverage information may be related to the neighbor cell type.

[0096] In one exemplary embodiment, the neighbor cell type involved in this disclosure may be related to whether the neighbor cell belongs to a fixed flight path type. Specifically, in this embodiment, when the neighbor cell type is a fixed flight path type, the altitude coverage information includes: the altitude information; or, when the neighbor cell type is a non-fixed flight path type, the altitude coverage information includes: the coverage elevation angle information. For neighbor cells of the fixed flight path type, the terminal generally flies within a fixed altitude range, and the altitude range in which the terminal appears in the neighbor cell is relatively concentrated. Therefore, simple indication can be given directly through altitude information. However, for neighbor cells of the non-fixed flight path type, the terminal generally flies freely at different altitude layers. In this case, the altitude at which the terminal appears in the neighbor cell is discrete and may be distributed over a large altitude range. For example... Figure 6 The two terminals shown, while meeting a certain coverage elevation angle range, differ significantly in their altitude range. For cells with large coverage radii, long horizontal coverage distances, and high coverage altitudes, the discrete distribution range of terminals may be even greater, making it more convenient and effective to use coverage elevation angle information to indicate altitude range.

[0097] For any given neighboring cell, determining whether it belongs to the fixed-route type can be based on one or more methods, such as user-defined configuration or automatic determination through historical data analysis. For example, in scenarios using drones for logistics transportation, drones can fly along fixed routes. Therefore, cells traversed by the drone's route can be identified as fixed-route types, while cells unrelated to the drone's route can be identified as non-fixed-route types. Another example is that in real-world scenarios, historical data from each neighboring cell over a period of time (e.g., the most recent month or week) can be collected, and data analysis can be performed on this historical data (e.g., including but not limited to cluster analysis, artificial intelligence analysis, pre-trained model analysis, or custom rule analysis, etc.) to determine the neighboring cell type of each cell.

[0098] In addition to the classification methods described above, this disclosure also supports other neighbor cell classification methods. For example, the neighbor cell type involved in this disclosure can be determined based on the geographical location of the neighbor cell; specifically, the height coverage information of neighbor cells that are close to the network device (distance less than or equal to a preset threshold) includes the height information; the height coverage information of neighbor cells that are far from the network device includes the coverage elevation angle information. As another example, the neighbor cell type involved in this disclosure can also be determined based on user-defined instructions.

[0099] Furthermore, in a further possible embodiment of this disclosure, the first information sent by the network device to the terminal may include, in addition to height coverage information, planar coverage information. The planar coverage information is used to indicate the planar coverage range of neighboring cells. Specifically, the planar coverage information may include, but is not limited to, distance information. In addition, the planar coverage information may also include at least one of the following: planar coverage angle, planar coverage shape, etc., without exhaustive list.

[0100] In this embodiment, similar to altitude coverage information, planar coverage information can also be used to indicate the effective range of each neighboring cell. For example, neighboring cell A has a suitable altitude coverage range of less than 300 meters and a suitable planar coverage range where the distance from it does not exceed a first threshold. Therefore, for the terminal, if the terminal's current spatial location satisfies both the requirement that the distance between the terminal and neighboring cell A does not exceed the first threshold and the terminal's flight altitude is less than 300 meters, then neighboring cell A is a valid neighboring cell for the terminal. Conversely, if one of these conditions is not met—for example, if the distance between the terminal and neighboring cell A exceeds the first threshold, and / or the terminal's flight altitude exceeds 300 meters—then neighboring cell A is an invalid neighboring cell for the terminal, and no further neighboring cell measurement or handover is required.

[0101] Based on the aforementioned possible implementations of the first information, in this embodiment of the disclosure, for the terminal, the target neighboring area determined by the terminal based on the first information satisfies the following: the spatial location of the terminal falls within the spatial coverage area of ​​the target neighboring area.

[0102] The spatial coverage area is associated with the first information, and the spatial coverage area includes: a height coverage area, or a height coverage area and a planar coverage area. Referring to the preceding description, it will not be repeated.

[0103] Therefore, when the terminal executes S408, it can possibly implement it in the following ways: For any neighboring cell, the terminal can compare its own spatial location with the spatial coverage area of ​​the neighboring cell indicated by the first information; thus, if its own spatial location falls within the spatial coverage area of ​​the neighboring cell, the neighboring cell is valid, and the terminal can determine the neighboring cell as the target neighboring cell. Conversely, if its own spatial location does not fall within the spatial coverage area of ​​the neighboring cell, the neighboring cell is invalid.

[0104] Combination Figure 7 For example. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another type of high coverage information provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0105] like Figure 7As shown, for example, if the altitude coverage information of neighboring cell A carried in the first information includes both the highest altitude H2 and the lowest altitude H1, then neighboring cell A is valid for the terminal when the terminal's flight altitude H6 is between H1 and H2. As another example, if the altitude coverage information of neighboring cell A carried in the first information only restricts the highest altitude H2, then neighboring cell A is valid for the terminal when the terminal's flight altitude H6 is less than or equal to H2. As yet another example, if the altitude coverage information of neighboring cell A carried in the first information only restricts the lowest altitude H1, then neighboring cell A is valid for the terminal when the terminal's flight altitude H6 is greater than or equal to H1. Furthermore, this embodiment may also consider a first offset, which will not be elaborated upon.

[0106] Still combined Figure 7 For example, if the spatial coverage information of neighboring cell A carried in the first information includes the minimum coverage elevation angle β and the maximum coverage elevation angle α, then for the terminal, the terminal can determine the distance d between its own location and the network device in the neighboring cell. Based on this, it can determine that the coverage height range of the neighboring cell is between H3 + d * tanβ (i.e., H1) and H3 + d * tanα (i.e., H2). Thus, when the terminal's flight altitude H6 is within this coverage height range (i.e., H1 ≤ H6 ≤ H2), then neighboring cell A is valid for the terminal. As another example, if the spatial coverage information of neighboring cell A carried in the first information includes the minimum coverage elevation angle β, then for the terminal, the terminal can determine the distance d between its own location and the network device in the neighboring cell. Based on this, it can determine that the coverage height range of the neighboring cell is higher than or equal to H3 + d * tanβ. Thus, when the terminal's flight altitude H6 is higher than H3 + d * tanβ, then neighboring cell A is valid for the terminal. For example, if the spatial coverage information of neighboring cell A carried in the first information includes the maximum coverage elevation angle α, then for the terminal, the terminal can determine the distance d between its own location and the network device of the neighboring cell, and thus determine that the coverage height range of the neighboring cell is less than or equal to H3+d*tanα. In this way, when the terminal's flight altitude H6 is less than H3+d*tanα, then for the terminal, neighboring cell A is valid.

[0107] It should be understood that in embodiments where coverage elevation angle information is used as height coverage information, for a terminal, whether a certain neighboring cell is valid is related to the distance between the terminal and that neighboring cell; therefore, in real-world scenarios, the validity of a certain neighboring cell changes as the terminal moves. This disclosure does not impose any limitations on this. When actually using this solution to determine target neighboring cells or to perform neighboring cell measurements or handovers, the calculation can be based on the actual distance at the time of execution S408.

[0108] The solution provided by the embodiments of this disclosure allows the terminal to determine a suitable target neighboring cell based on the first information. This helps reduce the terminal's neighboring cell measurement overhead, improve the efficiency and accuracy of network handover, avoid disordered handover, and thus enhance overall network performance and communication experience.

[0109] The following briefly describes the various possible implementations of obtaining height coverage information in this embodiment of the disclosure. For example, for any given neighboring cell, obtaining the height coverage information of each neighboring cell includes at least one of the following:

[0110] Based on the first data of each terminal in the neighboring cell, the height coverage information of the neighboring cell is determined; the first data includes at least one of the following: trajectory data and signal measurement data.

[0111] The height coverage information of the neighboring cells is obtained using a management tool; wherein, the management tool is used to manage neighboring cell relationships.

[0112] The height coverage information of the neighboring cells is obtained through a communication interface; wherein, the communication interface is used to enable communication between network devices.

[0113] In other words, in this disclosure, the network device can perform data analysis and determine the height coverage information of the neighboring cells based on the first data related to each terminal in the neighboring cells. Alternatively, administrators can directly configure or instruct the height coverage information of the neighboring cells through management tools. Alternatively, the height coverage information of the neighboring cells can be obtained through communication between network devices, such as communication between a network device and a neighboring cell base station. In practical implementation scenarios, this disclosure does not impose any particular limitations, and the above implementation methods can be used individually or in combination.

[0114] The following is a detailed explanation.

[0115] In one possible embodiment, the network device can determine the height coverage information of the neighboring cells based on first data from each terminal in the neighboring cells. Specifically, the network device can collect the first data from each terminal in the neighboring cells, and then, in conjunction with the location of the network device, perform statistical analysis on the first data to determine the height coverage information of the neighboring cells.

[0116] The first data involved in this embodiment may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: trajectory data and signal measurement data. Trajectory data is used to characterize the terminal's activity trajectory in neighboring cells, and it is generally represented by a set of trajectory locations. These trajectory locations may include, but are not limited to, the terminal's planar coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude) and altitude. Furthermore, the trajectory data may also include time information, flight parameters, and other information corresponding to each trajectory location, without limitation or exhaustive list. Signal measurement data can specifically be signal measurement data measured by the terminal and reported to the network equipment, and it may generally include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: signal received power, signal-to-noise ratio, measurement events, etc., without exhaustive list. In addition, the first data may also include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: base station location, terminal dwell time, neighboring cell handover status (e.g., the target cell for handover), etc., without exhaustive list.

[0117] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the network device can obtain the aforementioned first information from one or more data sources. Specifically, the first data can come from one or more of the following: a terminal management platform (e.g., a drone management platform, a drone logistics management platform, etc., not exhaustive), the network device, and a management tool. The management tool can specifically be a network management tool or a base station local management tool; the management tool is used to implement neighbor cell relationship management, therefore, the management tool can also be used to provide information related to the terminal and neighbor cells.

[0118] For example, network devices can collect initial data from drone management platforms, base stations, network management tools, etc. The initial data collected by network devices from drone management platforms may include, but is not limited to: drone location (latitude and longitude coordinates), altitude, and corresponding time information; information that network devices themselves can collect may include, but is not limited to: terminal signal measurement reporting information (such as signal received power, signal-to-noise ratio, measurement events, etc. mentioned above), base station location, terminal dwell time, and target cell for handover.

[0119] Furthermore, considering the different sources (or data sources) of the data, data matching can be performed on each piece of data before statistical analysis. Data matching can be performed from one or more dimensions, including time, terminal identifier, and location (e.g., R18 UAV location). The terminal identifier can include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: terminal device code, remote access identifier (i.e., remote ID), SIM card number (e.g., IMSI), network ID (MSISDN / GPSI), etc., without exhaustive listing.

[0120] Then, statistical analysis can be performed on the collected first data. Specifically, based on at least one dimension including service quality, signal quality, terminal dwell time, neighbor cell handover status, and distance, combined with the location of the network device, the first data can be statistically analyzed to determine the height coverage information of the neighbor cell.

[0121] Furthermore, the methods used in specific statistical analysis may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: data statistical analysis, machine learning statistical analysis, and rule analysis. Among these, machine learning statistical analysis can be implemented based on a pre-trained machine learning model, or it can be implemented based on a generative large model. The input to the machine learning model or generative large model can be the first data, and the output is the height coverage information of the neighboring cells, or three-dimensional spatial coverage information including height coverage information (i.e., height coverage information and planar coverage information).

[0122] For example, in practical implementation, network devices can use one or more data analysis methods such as data statistical analysis algorithms and machine learning algorithms to perform statistical analysis on the collected data. Specifically, they can comprehensively analyze and statistically determine the appropriate height coverage range of the neighboring cell, or three-dimensional spatial coverage information including height coverage information, from dimensions such as the quality of services corresponding to the terminal location, the strength of the received signal, the dwell time, and the handover situation.

[0123] In this way, network devices can collect data autonomously and adaptively determine the height coverage information of neighboring cells. Based on this, they can perform neighboring cell measurement configuration processing for terminals, allowing terminals to know the appropriate height coverage range of neighboring cells. This effectively reduces unnecessary neighboring cell measurements, improves the accuracy of cell handover, reduces frequent and disorderly handovers, and increases the handover success rate. Furthermore, this data collection and adaptive analysis process can be continuous, periodic, or cyclical, making the height coverage information of neighboring cells more adaptable to actual conditions and changes in those conditions. This makes neighboring cell measurement configuration and management more accurate and effective.

[0124] In another embodiment, the network device can also obtain the height coverage information of the neighboring cells through a management tool. Furthermore, in this disclosure, the height coverage information can also be written into a neighboring cell relationship table using a management tool. Thus, in practical implementation scenarios, the height coverage information is transmitted through network management interfaces, Xn interfaces, etc., and can be obtained from these interfaces.

[0125] In addition, the height coverage information can also be displayed through a management tool in this disclosure. For example, a neighbor cell relationship table containing the height coverage information of each neighbor cell can be presented in the management tool; or, upon user request, the height coverage information of one or more neighbor cells can be displayed in the management tool. In practical scenarios, the management tool can be part of the neighbor cell relationship management function in the network device or a third-party support tool. Thus, for the network device, the height coverage information can be displayed through the management tool within the neighbor cell relationship management function. Furthermore, the neighbor cell relationship management function involved in this disclosure includes one or more of the following: automatic neighbor cell relationship function, network management configuration of neighbor cell relationship function, etc., which are only illustrative and not exhaustive.

[0126] In summary, the technical solutions provided in this disclosure can effectively manage low-altitude cells through high coverage information, reducing disordered and invalid handovers by terminals and improving the accuracy and efficiency of neighbor cell handovers. Furthermore, this disclosure specifically provides a method for configuring a neighbor cell list in a three-dimensional network, which can effectively alleviate the related difficulties in neighbor cell measurement and handover in three-dimensional networks and has broad application prospects. At the same time, this technology can also provide important references for the optimized design and management of three-dimensional networks, promoting innovation and progress in wireless communication technology.

[0127] This disclosure also provides a communication device. Figure 8 A structural block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 800 includes:

[0128] Processing unit 810 is used to obtain the height coverage information of each neighboring cell;

[0129] The transceiver unit 820 is used to send first information to the terminal, the first information including the height coverage information of at least one neighboring cell.

[0130] In one exemplary embodiment, the height coverage information is used to indicate the height coverage range of neighboring cells;

[0131] The height coverage information includes at least one of the following: height information, coverage elevation angle information;

[0132] The height information includes at least one of the following: minimum height and maximum height; the height information also includes at least one of the following: height value, height range, and height value plus a first offset.

[0133] The coverage elevation angle information includes at least one of the following: minimum coverage elevation angle and maximum coverage elevation angle; the coverage elevation angle information includes at least one of the following: coverage elevation angle value, coverage elevation angle range, coverage elevation angle value and second offset.

[0134] In one exemplary embodiment, the height coverage information is related to the neighbor cell type;

[0135] When the neighboring cell type is a fixed flight route type, the altitude coverage information includes: the altitude information;

[0136] When the neighboring cell type is a non-fixed flight route type, the altitude coverage information includes: the coverage elevation angle information.

[0137] In one exemplary embodiment, the first information further includes: planar coverage information;

[0138] The planar coverage information is used to indicate the planar coverage range of neighboring cells;

[0139] The planar coverage information includes: distance information.

[0140] In one exemplary embodiment, the transceiver unit 820 is specifically used for:

[0141] Send Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to the terminal, wherein the RRC signaling carries the first information;

[0142] The first information is used to configure at least one candidate neighboring cell of the terminal.

[0143] In one exemplary embodiment, the processing unit 810 is specifically used for at least one of the following:

[0144] Based on the first data of each terminal in the neighboring cell, the height coverage information of the neighboring cell is determined; the first data includes at least one of the following: trajectory data and signal measurement data.

[0145] The height coverage information of the neighboring cells is obtained using a management tool; wherein, the management tool is used to manage neighboring cell relationships.

[0146] The height coverage information of the neighboring cells is obtained through a communication interface; wherein, the communication interface is used to enable communication between network devices.

[0147] In one exemplary embodiment, the processing unit 810 is specifically used for:

[0148] Collect the first data of each terminal in the neighboring cell;

[0149] By combining the location of the network device, statistical analysis is performed on the first data to determine the height coverage information of the neighboring cell.

[0150] In one exemplary embodiment, the first data comes from one or more of the terminal management platform, the network device, and the management tool;

[0151] The first data also includes at least one of the following: terminal dwell time and neighbor cell handover status.

[0152] In one exemplary embodiment, the processing unit 810 is specifically used for:

[0153] Based on at least one dimension, including service quality, signal quality, terminal dwell time, neighbor cell handover status, and distance, and combined with the location of the network device, the first data is statistically analyzed to determine the height coverage information of the neighbor cell.

[0154] The statistical analysis includes at least one of the following: data statistical analysis, machine learning statistical analysis, and rule analysis.

[0155] In one exemplary embodiment, the processing unit 810 is further configured to:

[0156] The height coverage information is displayed through management tools.

[0157] In one exemplary embodiment, the processing unit 810 is further configured to:

[0158] The height coverage information is written into the neighbor cell relationship table; wherein, the neighbor cell relationship table is used to maintain the neighbor cell relationships of each cell;

[0159] Sending the first information to the terminal includes sending the neighboring cell relationship table to the terminal.

[0160] In one exemplary embodiment, the terminal includes: a flight terminal;

[0161] The flight terminal includes: unmanned aerial vehicles and manually piloted aerial vehicles.

[0162] This disclosure also provides another communication device. Figure 9 A structural block diagram of another communication device provided in the embodiments of this disclosure, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the communication device 900 includes:

[0163] Transceiver unit 910 is used to receive first information from network device, the first information including the height coverage information of at least one neighboring cell;

[0164] Processing unit 920 is used to determine the target neighboring cell based on the first information.

[0165] In one exemplary embodiment, the spatial location of the terminal falls within the spatial coverage area of ​​the target neighboring area;

[0166] The spatial coverage range is associated with the first information, and the spatial coverage range includes: height coverage range, or height coverage range and planar coverage range.

[0167] In one exemplary embodiment, the height coverage information is used to indicate the height coverage range of neighboring cells;

[0168] The height coverage information includes at least one of the following: height information, coverage elevation angle information;

[0169] The height information includes at least one of the following: minimum height and maximum height; the height information also includes at least one of the following: height value, height range, and height value plus a first offset.

[0170] The coverage elevation angle information includes at least one of the following: minimum coverage elevation angle and maximum coverage elevation angle; the coverage elevation angle information includes at least one of the following: coverage elevation angle value, coverage elevation angle range, coverage elevation angle value and second offset.

[0171] In one exemplary embodiment, the height coverage information is related to the neighbor cell type;

[0172] When the neighboring cell type is a fixed flight route type, the altitude coverage information includes: the altitude information;

[0173] When the neighboring area type is a non-fixed route type, the altitude coverage information includes: the coverage elevation angle information.

[0174] In one exemplary embodiment, the first information further includes: planar coverage information;

[0175] The planar coverage information is used to indicate the planar coverage range of neighboring cells;

[0176] The planar coverage information includes: distance information.

[0177] In one exemplary embodiment, the transceiver unit 910 is specifically used for:

[0178] Receive RRC signaling from the network device, wherein the RRC signaling carries the first information;

[0179] The first information is used to configure at least one candidate neighboring cell for the terminal.

[0180] In one exemplary embodiment, the processing unit 920 is further configured to:

[0181] Neighboring cells are measured for the target neighboring cells.

[0182] In one exemplary embodiment, the terminal includes: a flight terminal;

[0183] The flight terminal includes: unmanned aerial vehicles and manually piloted aerial vehicles.

[0184] This disclosure also provides a communication system. Figure 10 A structural block diagram of a communication system provided in this disclosure embodiment is shown below. Figure 10 As shown, the communication system 1000 includes:

[0185] Network device 1010 is used to implement the method executed by the network device in any embodiment of this disclosure;

[0186] Terminal 1020 is used to implement the method executed by the terminal in any embodiment of this disclosure.

[0187] For details not covered herein, please refer to the preceding text; further explanation is not required here.

[0188] Figure 11 This is a hardware block diagram of an electronic device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic device 1100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory. The processor executes the computer program to implement the communication method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0189] Figure 11 The illustrated electronic device 1100 specifically includes a central processing unit (CPU) 1101, a graphics processing unit (GPU) 1102, and a memory 1103. These units are interconnected via a bus 1104. The CPU 1101 and / or GPU 1102 can function as the aforementioned processor, and the memory 1103 can function as the aforementioned memory storing computer-readable instructions. Furthermore, the electronic device 1100 may also include a communication unit 1105, a storage unit 1106, an output unit 1107, an input unit 1108, and an external device 1109, all of which are also connected to the bus 1104.

[0190] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of a computer-readable storage medium provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The computer-readable storage medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure stores a computer program / instructions (including but not limited to computer-readable instructions). Specifically, as shown... Figure 12 As shown, a computer-readable storage medium 1200 stores computer-readable instructions 1201. When executed by a processor, this computer program / instruction implements the communication method described in any of the preceding embodiments of this disclosure. The computer-readable storage medium includes, but is not limited to, volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. Volatile memory may include, for example, random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory. Non-volatile memory may include, for example, read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, flash memory, optical disk, magnetic disk, etc.

[0191] This disclosure further provides a computer program product, including a computer program / instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the communication method described in any of the preceding embodiments of this disclosure.

[0192] The basic principles of this disclosure have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this disclosure are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of this disclosure. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the scope of this disclosure to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details for implementation.

[0193] The block diagrams of devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems disclosed herein are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” etc., are open-ended terms meaning “including but not limited to,” and are used interchangeably with them. The terms “or” and “and” as used herein refer to the terms “and / or,” and are used interchangeably with them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “such as” as used herein refers to the phrase “such as but not limited to,” and is used interchangeably with it.

[0194] Additionally, as used herein, the “or” used in a list of items beginning with “at least one” indicates a separate list, such that a list of, for example, “at least one of A, B, or C” means A or B or C, or AB or AC or BC, or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Furthermore, the word “exemplary” does not imply that the described example is preferred or better than other examples.

[0195] It should also be noted that in the systems and methods of this disclosure, the components or steps can be decomposed and / or recombined. These decompositions and / or recombinations should be considered as equivalent solutions to this disclosure.

[0196] Various changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made to the technology described herein without departing from the teachings defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, the scope of the claims of this disclosure is not limited to the specific aspects of the processes, machines, manufactures, events, means, methods, and actions described above. Currently existing or later-developed processes, machines, manufactures, events, means, methods, or actions that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding aspects described herein can be utilized. Therefore, the appended claims include such processes, machines, manufactures, events, means, methods, or actions within their scope.

[0197] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to be carried out within the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0198] The above description has been given for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations therein.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to network devices, the method includes: Obtain the height coverage information of each neighboring cell; Send first information to the terminal, the first information including the height coverage information of at least one neighboring cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height coverage information is used to indicate the height coverage range of neighboring cells; The height coverage information includes at least one of the following: height information, coverage elevation angle information; The height information includes at least one of the following: minimum height and maximum height; the height information also includes at least one of the following: height value, height range, and height value plus a first offset. The coverage elevation angle information includes at least one of the following: minimum coverage elevation angle and maximum coverage elevation angle; the coverage elevation angle information includes at least one of the following: coverage elevation angle value, coverage elevation angle range, coverage elevation angle value and second offset.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The height coverage information is related to the neighbor cell type; When the neighboring cell type is a fixed flight route type, the altitude coverage information includes: the altitude information; When the neighboring cell type is a non-fixed flight route type, the altitude coverage information includes: the coverage elevation angle information.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first information also includes: planar coverage information; The planar coverage information is used to indicate the planar coverage range of neighboring cells; The planar coverage information includes: distance information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Sending the first information to the terminal includes: Send Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to the terminal, wherein the RRC signaling carries the first information; The first information is used to configure at least one candidate neighboring cell of the terminal.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, For any given neighboring cell, obtaining the height coverage information of each neighboring cell includes at least one of the following: Based on the first data of each terminal in the neighboring cell, the height coverage information of the neighboring cell is determined; the first data includes at least one of the following: trajectory data and signal measurement data. The height coverage information of the neighboring cells is obtained using a management tool; wherein, the management tool is used to manage neighboring cell relationships. The height coverage information of the neighboring cells is obtained through a communication interface; wherein, the communication interface is used to enable communication between network devices.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The step of determining the height coverage information of the neighboring cells based on the first data of each terminal in the neighboring cells includes: Collect the first data of each terminal in the neighboring cell; By combining the location of the network device, statistical analysis is performed on the first data to determine the height coverage information of the neighboring cell.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first data comes from one or more of the terminal management platform, the network device, and the management tool; The first data also includes at least one of the following: terminal dwell time and neighbor cell handover status.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The step of combining the location of the network device with statistical analysis of the first data to determine the height coverage information of the neighboring cells includes: Based on at least one dimension, including service quality, signal quality, terminal dwell time, neighbor cell handover status, and distance, and combined with the location of the network device, the first data is statistically analyzed to determine the height coverage information of the neighbor cell. The statistical analysis includes at least one of the following: data statistical analysis, machine learning statistical analysis, and rule analysis.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The method further includes: The height coverage information is displayed through management tools.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The method further includes: The height coverage information is written into the neighbor cell relationship table; wherein, the neighbor cell relationship table is used to maintain the neighbor cell relationships of each cell; Sending the first information to the terminal includes sending the neighboring cell relationship table to the terminal.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The terminal includes: a flight terminal; The flight terminal includes: unmanned aerial vehicles and manually piloted aerial vehicles.

13. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a terminal, the method includes: Receive first information from a network device, the first information including the height coverage information of at least one neighboring cell; Based on the first information, the target neighboring cell is determined.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The spatial location of the terminal falls within the spatial coverage area of ​​the target neighboring area; The spatial coverage range is associated with the first information, and the spatial coverage range includes: height coverage range, or height coverage range and planar coverage range.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The height coverage information is used to indicate the height coverage range of neighboring cells; The height coverage information includes at least one of the following: height information, coverage elevation angle information; The height information includes at least one of the following: minimum height and maximum height; the height information also includes at least one of the following: height value, height range, and height value plus a first offset. The coverage elevation angle information includes at least one of the following: minimum coverage elevation angle and maximum coverage elevation angle; the coverage elevation angle information includes at least one of the following: coverage elevation angle value, coverage elevation angle range, coverage elevation angle value and second offset.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The height coverage information is related to the neighbor cell type; When the neighboring cell type is a fixed flight route type, the altitude coverage information includes: the altitude information; When the neighboring cell type is a non-fixed flight route type, the altitude coverage information includes: the coverage elevation angle information.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The first information also includes: planar coverage information; The planar coverage information is used to indicate the planar coverage range of neighboring cells; The planar coverage information includes: distance information.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13-17, characterized in that, The receipt of the first information from the network device includes: Receive RRC signaling from the network device, wherein the RRC signaling carries the first information; The first information is used to configure at least one candidate neighboring cell of the terminal.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13-18, characterized in that, The method further includes: Neighboring cells are measured for the target neighboring cells.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13-19, characterized in that, The terminal includes: a flight terminal; The flight terminal includes: unmanned aerial vehicles and manually piloted aerial vehicles.

21. A communication system, characterized in that, include: Network device for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1-12; A terminal for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 13-20.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The processing unit is used to obtain the height coverage information of each neighboring cell; A transceiver unit is used to send first information to a terminal, the first information including the height coverage information of at least one neighboring cell.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A transceiver unit is used to receive first information from a network device, the first information including the height coverage information of at least one neighboring cell. The processing unit is used to determine the target neighboring cell based on the first information.

24. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, characterized in that, The processor executes the computer program to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-20.

25. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program / instructions stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program / instructions are executed by the processor, they implement the method described in any one of claims 1-20.

26. A computer program product, comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method described in any one of claims 1-20.

Images