Terminal device method, network device method, terminal device and network device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a communication method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable medium. A terminal determines whether a condition for triggering a flight path report is met in an idle or inactive state. If the condition is met, the terminal transmits the flight path report. In this way, the terminal in an idle or inactive state can report flight path information in a timely manner.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to a communication method, apparatus, and computer storage medium for flight path reporting. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, global interest in services based on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has grown exponentially. Conventionally, a terminal device can indicate the availability of a flight path report when it enters a connected state from an idle or inactive state. However, in the case of a terminal device in an idle or inactive state, the flight path report cannot be triggered. In this case, the network cannot obtain the flight path information in a timely manner. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] Generally, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, apparatus, and computer storage medium for flight path reports. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, the method including: determining, at a terminal device, whether a condition for triggering a flight path report in an idle or inactive state is met; and transmitting the flight path report according to determining that the condition is met.

[0005] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, the method including receiving, at a network device, a flight path report from a terminal device, the flight path report being triggered in response to a condition for triggering the flight path report being satisfied in an idle or inactive state.

[0006] In a third aspect, there is provided a communications apparatus, the apparatus including a processor configured to perform a method according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, there is provided a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure.

[0008] Other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in the accompanying drawings.

[0010] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of several embodiments of the present disclosure in the accompanying drawings.

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary communication environment in which some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0012] [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process for flight path reporting in an idle or inactive state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary communication method implemented in a terminal device, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] [Figure 4] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary communication method implemented in a network device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus suitable for practicing embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numbers represent the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The principles of the present disclosure will be described with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are set forth merely for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art in understanding and practicing the present disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in a variety of ways other than those described below.

[0018] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0019] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not all embodiments need include such a particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is believed to be within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0020] Although terms such as "first," "second," etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, it should be understood that such elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes all combinations of one or more of the listed items.

[0021] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that the terms "comprise," "comprising," "having," "having," "including," and / or "including," when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0022] In some instances, values, procedures, or devices are referred to as "optimum," "lowest," "highest," "minimum," "maximum," etc. It will be understood that such descriptions are intended to indicate choices among multiple functional alternatives used, and that such choices are not necessarily better, smaller, higher, or more preferred than other choices.

[0023] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network conforming to any suitable communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), or Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT). Furthermore, communications between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network may be performed using any suitable generation of communication protocols, including, but not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G), 5.5G, 5G-Advanced, or sixth generation (6G) communication protocols, and / or other protocols currently known or developed in the future. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to various communication systems. Considering the rapid development of communications, there will naturally be future communications technologies and systems in which the present disclosure can be embodied, and the scope of the present disclosure should not be deemed to be limited to only the aforementioned systems.

[0024] As used herein, the term "terminal device" refers to any device with wireless or wired communication capabilities. Examples of terminal devices include drones, user equipment (UE), personal computers, desktops, mobile phones, mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, tablets, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) devices, Internet of Everything (IoE) devices, Machine Type Communications (MTC) devices, vehicle-mounted devices for V2X communications (where X represents pedestrians, vehicles, or infrastructure / networks), devices for Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB), spacecraft or aircraft in Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) including High Altitude Platforms (HAPs) and satellites, including Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs), Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), Virtual Reality (VR), and the like. These include, but are not limited to, XR (Extended Reality) devices that include different types of reality such as XR (Extended Reality), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) that do not require a human pilot, commonly known as drones, devices on high-speed trains (HSTs), imaging devices such as digital cameras, sensors, gaming devices, music storage and playback devices, or internet devices that allow wireless / wired internet access and browsing.A "terminal device" may also have multicast / broadcast capabilities to support public safety and mission-critical V2X applications, transparent IPv4 / IPv6 multicast distribution, IPTV, smart TV, wireless services, wireless software distribution, group communications, and IoT applications. It may also incorporate one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), known as multi-SIMs. The term "terminal device" can be used interchangeably with UE, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile terminal, user terminal, or wireless device.

[0025] The term "network device" refers to a device capable of providing or hosting a cell or coverage area over which terminal devices can communicate. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, a Node B (NodeB or NB), an Evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a next generation Node B (gNB), a transmit / receive point (TRP), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), an IAB node, a low power node such as a femto node or a pico node, a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), etc.

[0026] A terminal device or network device may have artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning capabilities, which generally include models that can be used to learn from a large amount of data collected for a specific function and predict some information.

[0027] A terminal device or network device may operate in multiple frequency ranges, such as FR1 (410 MHz (megahertz) to 7125 MHz), FR2 (24.25 GHz (gigahertz) to 71 GHz), frequency bands above 100 GHz, terahertz (THz), etc. Furthermore, it can function in licensed / unlicensed / shared spectrum. A terminal device may have multiple connections with a network device in a multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC) application scenario. A terminal device or network device can function in full duplex, flexible duplex, and cross division duplex modes.

[0028] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in test equipment, such as, for example, a signal generator, a signal analyzer, a spectrum analyzer, a network analyzer, a test terminal equipment, a test network equipment, a channel emulator, and the like.

[0029] As mentioned above, in recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in global interest in UAV-based services, including, for example, multiple drone operation, personal entertainment for flight experiences, cargo delivery, etc. As a foundation for these applications, remote control and data transmission capabilities are key aspects of enhancement that are of interest not only to drone manufacturers but also to service providers or operators.

[0030] In conventional flight path reporting, flight path reporting cannot be triggered for a terminal device in an idle or inactive state, and instead, the terminal device can only indicate the availability of a flight path report when entering a connected state from an idle or inactive state, which makes it impossible for the network to obtain timely flight path information through such a mechanism.

[0031] In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication solution to solve the above and other potential problems, in which a terminal device determines whether a condition for triggering a flight path report is met in an idle or inactive state, and if the condition is met, the terminal device transmits the flight path report to a network device.

[0032] In this way, idle or inactive terminals can report flight path information in a timely manner.

[0033] The principles and exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Communication Network Example

[0034] 1 illustrates an exemplary communication environment 100 in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Network environment 100 includes a terminal device 110 and a network device 120 that provides services to terminal device 110. In this example, terminal device 110 is shown as a drone. It should be noted that exemplary embodiments described with respect to a drone may be applied to any other suitable type of terminal device as well.

[0035] It should be understood that the number of devices in Figure 1 is shown for illustrative purposes and is not intended to imply any limitations on the present disclosure. Communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and / or terminal devices suitable for carrying out implementations of the present disclosure.

[0036] Terminal device 110 may communicate with network device 120 via a channel, such as a wireless communication channel. Communications in communication environment 100 may conform to any suitable standard, including, but not limited to, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Evolution (LTE-Evolution), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), New Radio (NR), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Machine Type Communications (MTC), etc. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed in accordance with any generation of communication protocols now known or developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G), 5.5G, 5G-Advanced Network, or sixth generation (6G) communication protocols.

[0037] In some scenarios, the network device 120 may instruct the terminal device 110 to enter an idle or inactive state. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for flight path reporting in an idle or inactive state, as described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2. Example implementation of flight path reporting

[0038] 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a process 200 for flight path reporting in an idle or inactive state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For purposes of discussion, the process 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The process 200 may involve the terminal device 110 and the network device 120 shown in FIG. 1.

[0039] 2, terminal device 110 determines 210 whether conditions are met for triggering a flight path report in an idle or inactive state. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 makes the determination based on semi-static settings from network device 120. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 makes the determination based on dynamic instructions from network device 120. Semi-static setting-based decision

[0040] 2, in some embodiments, terminal device 110 may receive (211) a set of flight path report settings from network device 120. Terminal device 110 may then determine (212) whether the conditions for triggering a flight path report are based on the set of settings.

[0041] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may receive the set of configurations in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message. For example, network device 120 may send an RRC release message instructing terminal device 110 to enter an idle or inactive state and send the set of configurations in the RRC release message. Note that any other suitable message is also possible. In some alternative embodiments, terminal device 110 may receive the set of configurations in system information from network device 120. In some embodiments, the set of configurations may include only one configuration. In some embodiments, the set of configurations may include multiple configurations.

[0042] In some embodiments, each setting in the set of settings may include at least one of the following: an identity of the setting, a type of trigger for the flight path report indicating whether the flight path report is triggered periodically or by an event, a time interval for triggering the flight path report, or information about the event that triggers the flight path report. It should be understood that these are merely examples and that each setting may include any other suitable information.

[0043] In some embodiments, the event information may include at least one of the identity or name of the event that triggered the flight path report, or a set of parameters for determining whether the event occurred, although it should be understood that these are merely examples and any other suitable information is possible.

[0044] In some embodiments, the event may include a change in at least one of the position, height, or velocity of the terminal device 110 within a time period exceeding a change threshold. In some embodiments, the event may include the height of the terminal device 110 being lower than a first threshold height. In some embodiments, the event may include the height of the terminal device 110 being higher than a second threshold height. In some embodiments, the second threshold height may be equal to or greater than the first threshold height. It should be understood that these are merely examples, and any other suitable event is possible.

[0045] In some embodiments, the set of parameters for determining whether an event has occurred may include at least one of a change threshold, a time period, a first threshold height, a second threshold height, a length of time for consecutive events to occur, or a hysteresis parameter, although it should be understood that these are merely examples and any other suitable parameters are possible. 1. Periodic triggers

[0046] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may determine that a flight path report is triggered periodically based on a set of settings.

[0047] In some embodiments, when the terminal 110 enters an idle or inactive state, the terminal 110 may start or restart a timer. When the timer expires, the terminal 110 may determine that the conditions for triggering a flight path report have been met.

[0048] In some embodiments, when terminal device 110 receives a flight path reporting configuration, terminal device 110 may start a timer. For example, when terminal device 110 receives an RRC message that includes a set of flight path reporting configurations, terminal device 110 may start or restart the timer. When the timer expires, terminal device 110 may determine that the conditions for triggering a flight path report are met.

[0049] In some embodiments, the timer may be set based on a time interval for triggering a flight path report set by the network device 120. It should be understood that any other suitable method is also possible.

[0050] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may restart the timer upon transmission of the flight path report, thus facilitating periodic triggering of flight path reports. 2. Event triggers

[0051] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may determine that a flight path report is triggered by an event.

[0052] In some embodiments, when terminal device 110 enters an idle or inactive state, terminal device 110 may begin to determine (or monitor or evaluate) whether an event for triggering a flight path report has occurred. If an event for triggering a flight path report has occurred, terminal device 110 may determine that a condition for triggering a flight path report has been met.

[0053] In some embodiments, when the terminal device 110 receives the flight path report configuration, the terminal device 110 may begin to determine (or monitor or evaluate) whether an event for triggering a flight path report has occurred. If an event for triggering a flight path report has occurred, the terminal device 110 may determine that a condition for triggering a flight path report has been met.

[0054] For example, if a change in at least one of the position, altitude, or velocity of the terminal 110 within a time period exceeds a change threshold, the terminal 110 may determine that a condition for triggering a flight path report is met. As another example, if the altitude of the terminal 110 falls below a first threshold altitude, the terminal 110 may determine that a condition for triggering a flight path report is met. As yet another example, if the altitude of the terminal 110 exceeds a second threshold altitude, the terminal 110 may determine that a condition for triggering a flight path report is met. It should be understood that these are merely examples, and any other suitable events are possible. Dynamic instruction-based judgment

[0055] 2, in some alternative embodiments, terminal device 110 may receive 213, while in an idle or inactive state, a paging message including instructions to request a flight path report from network device 120. The instructions may be implemented in any suitable manner, as the disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0056] In response to receiving the paging message including the instruction, terminal device 110 may determine that a condition for triggering a flight path report has been met.

[0057] In this way, the network can trigger idle or inactive terminals to report flight path information whenever it wishes. Submit a flight path report

[0058] Continuing with reference to FIG. 2, if the conditions for triggering a flight path report are met, the terminal device 110 transmits (220) the flight path report.

[0059] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may initiate an RRC setup procedure or an RRC resumption procedure to transmit the flight path report. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may set the establishment reason or the resumption reason to “mo-signalling.” In some embodiments, the RRC layer of the terminal device 110 may set the establishment reason or the resumption reason to a new value, such as a value indicating a flight path report or radio access layer signaling. In some embodiments, the RRC layer of the terminal device may have to provide parameters for unified access control of the RRC setup or RRC resumption procedure. The unified access control parameters may include an access category and an access identity. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may generate and transmit an RRC message with the flight path report. For example, the terminal device 110 may generate an RRC message and submit the RRC message to lower layers for transmission.

[0060] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may enter a connected state to transmit flight path reports. In this manner, the network may control an idle or inactive terminal device to report flight path information when certain conditions are met, so that the network can obtain timely flight path information for the idle or inactive terminal device.

[0061] In some alternative embodiments, terminal device 110 may transmit the flight path report via Small Data Transmission (SDT) in an idle or inactive state. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may transmit the RRC message with the flight path report via signaling radio bearer 2 (SRB2). In some embodiments where network device 120 configures signaling radio bearer 1 (SRB1) for SDT, terminal device 110 may transmit the RRC message with the flight path report via SRB1. In some embodiments where network device 120 configures an SRB dedicated to SDT (e.g., a new SRB), terminal device 110 may transmit the RRC message with the flight path report via the SRB. In this manner, the terminal device may remain in an idle or inactive state when reporting flight path information.

[0062] In some embodiments, the flight path report may include information about the conditions for triggering the flight path report. For example, the flight path report may include the identity of the settings for the flight path report. As another example, the flight path report may include the identity or name of the event. As yet another example, the flight path report may include the type of trigger for the flight path report, such as, for example, a periodic trigger or an event trigger.

[0063] In some embodiments, the flight path report may include information on at least one of the following: position, speed, direction, or altitude of a set of waypoints along the flight path, hi some embodiments, the flight path report may include information on timestamps of waypoints within the set of waypoints.

[0064] In some embodiments, the flight path report may include information about hovering or maintaining a position. For example, the flight path report may include the number of consecutive waypoints at a location. As another example, the flight path report may include the length of time the terminal device 110 hovered or maintained at a waypoint. Of course, any other suitable information is also possible. In this way, signaling overhead for flight path reports in hovering or stable scenarios can be saved.

[0065] It should be appreciated that the flight path report may include any combination of the above information and any other suitable information.

[0066] The flight path reporting mechanism of the present disclosure has been described above, which allows idle or inactive UEs to report flight path information in time, and allows the network to obtain the flight path information in time accordingly, thereby improving communication efficiency. Exemplary implementation of the method

[0067] In response to the above, embodiments of the present disclosure provide communication methods implemented in a terminal device and a network device, which will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0068] 3 illustrates an exemplary communication method 300 implemented in a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 300 may be performed in terminal device 110 shown in FIG. 1. For purposes of discussion, method 300 is described below with reference to FIG. 1. It should be understood that method 300 may include additional blocks not shown and / or omit some blocks shown, and that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0069] In block 310, the terminal 110 determines whether the conditions for triggering a flight path report in an idle or inactive state are met. If the conditions are met, the method 300 proceeds to block 320.

[0070] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may receive a set of settings for flight path reporting and may determine a condition for triggering flight path reporting based on the set of settings. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may receive the set of settings in an RRC message. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may receive the set of settings in system information.

[0071] In some embodiments, a setting in the set of settings may include at least one of the following: an identity of the setting; a type of trigger for the flight path report indicating whether the flight path report is triggered periodically or by an event; a time interval for triggering the flight path report; or information about the event that triggers the flight path report.

[0072] In some embodiments, the event information may include at least one of an identity or name of the event that triggers the flight path report or a set of parameters for determining whether the event occurred. In some embodiments, the event may include a change in at least one of the terminal device's position, altitude, or velocity within a period of time exceeding a change threshold, the terminal device's altitude being lower than a first threshold altitude, or the terminal device's altitude being higher than a second threshold altitude.

[0073] In some embodiments, the set of parameters may include at least one of a change threshold, a time period, a first threshold height, a second threshold height, a length of time for consecutive events to occur, or a hysteresis parameter.

[0074] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may start a timer in response to entering an idle or inactive state or receiving a flight path report configuration, and in response to expiration of the timer, terminal device 110 may determine that a condition for triggering a flight path report has been met. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may also restart the timer in response to transmitting a flight path report.

[0075] In some embodiments, in response to entering an idle or inactive state or receiving a flight path report setting, terminal device 110 may begin determining whether an event for triggering a flight path report has occurred. If an event for triggering a flight path report has occurred, terminal device 110 may determine that a condition for triggering a flight path report has been met.

[0076] In some embodiments, if a paging message is received in an idle or inactive state and the paging message contains an instruction requesting a flight path report, terminal device 110 may determine that the conditions for triggering a flight path report are met.

[0077] In block 320, terminal device 110 transmits the flight path report to network device 120. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may initiate an RRC setup procedure or an RRC resumption procedure to transmit the flight path report and / or may transmit an RRC message with the flight path report.

[0078] In some embodiments, terminal 110 may enter a connected state to transmit the flight path report. In some embodiments, terminal 110 may transmit the flight path report over an SDT in an idle or inactive state. In some embodiments, terminal 110 may transmit the RRC message with the flight path report over an SRB. In some embodiments, the SRB may include an SRB2. In some embodiments, the SRB may include an SRB1 configured for SDT. In some embodiments, the SRB may include an SRB dedicated to SDT (e.g., SRB1).

[0079] In some embodiments, the flight path report may include at least one of status information, position or speed or direction or altitude information of a set of waypoints along the flight path, timestamp information of a waypoint within the set of waypoints, or hovering or maintaining at a position information.

[0080] The method 300 allows idle or inactive terminal devices to report flight path information in a timely manner, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0081] 4 illustrates an exemplary communication method 400 implemented in a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 400 may be performed in network device 120 shown in FIG. 1. For purposes of discussion, method 400 is described below with reference to FIG. 1. It should be understood that method 400 may include additional blocks not shown and / or omit some blocks shown, and that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0082] In block 410, the network device 120 receives a flight path report from the terminal device 110. The flight path report is triggered in response to a condition being met for triggering the flight path report in an idle or inactive state.

[0083] In some embodiments, the network device 120 may perform an RRC setup procedure or an RRC resumption procedure of the terminal device 110 to receive the flight path report and / or may receive an RRC message with the flight path report from the terminal device 110.

[0084] In some embodiments, network device 120 may receive flight path reports from terminal device 110 in a connected state. In some embodiments, network device 120 may receive flight path reports from terminal device 110 in an idle or inactive state via SDT.

[0085] In some embodiments, network device 120 may configure SRB1 for SDT. In some embodiments, network device 120 may configure SRBs dedicated to SDT. In some embodiments, network device 120 may receive an RRC message with a flight path report over an SRB. The SRBs may include at least one of SRB2, SRB1 configured for SDT, or an SRB dedicated to SDT.

[0086] In some embodiments, network device 120 may transmit the set of configurations for the flight path report to terminal device 110. In some embodiments, network device 120 may transmit the set of configurations in an RRC message. In some embodiments, network device 120 may transmit the set of configurations in system information.

[0087] In some embodiments, a setting in the set of settings may include at least one of the following: an identity of the setting; a type of trigger for the flight path report indicating whether the flight path report is triggered periodically or by an event; a time interval for triggering the flight path report; or information about the event that triggers the flight path report.

[0088] In some embodiments, the event information may include at least one of an identity or name of the event that triggers the flight path report or a set of parameters for determining whether the event occurred. In some embodiments, the event may include a change in at least one of the terminal device's position, altitude, or velocity within a period of time exceeding a change threshold, the terminal device's altitude being lower than a first threshold altitude, or the terminal device's altitude being higher than a second threshold altitude.

[0089] In some embodiments, the set of parameters may include at least one of a change threshold, a time period, a first threshold height, a second threshold height, a length of time for consecutive events to occur, or a hysteresis parameter.

[0090] In some embodiments, network device 120 may send a paging message to idle or inactive terminal 110 that includes instructions to request a flight path report.

[0091] In some embodiments, the flight path report may include at least one of status information, position or speed or direction or altitude information of a set of waypoints along the flight path, timestamp information of a waypoint within the set of waypoints, or hovering or maintaining at a position information.

[0092] The method 400 allows the network to obtain flight path reports for idle or inactive UEs in a timely manner. Exemplary Implementations of Devices and Instruments

[0093] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 500 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Apparatus 500 can be considered another exemplary implementation of terminal device 110 or network device 120 shown in Figure 1. Thus, apparatus 500 can be implemented in, or at least as part of, terminal device 110 or network device 120.

[0094] As shown, the device 500 includes a processor 510, a memory 520 coupled to the processor 510, a suitable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) 540 coupled to the processor 510, and a communication interface coupled to the TX / RX 540. The memory 510 stores at least a portion of a program 530. The TX / RX 540 is for bidirectional communication. The TX / RX 540 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication, although in practice, the access nodes described herein may have multiple antennas. The communication interface may represent any interface required for communication with other network elements, such as an X2 / Xn interface for bidirectional communication between eNBs / gNBs, an S1 / NG interface for communication between a Mobility Management Entity (MME) / Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) / SGW / UPF and an eNB / gNB, a Un interface for communication between an eNB / gNB and a Relay Node (RN), or a Uu interface for communication between an eNB / gNB and a terminal device.

[0095] The program 530 may include program instructions that, when executed by the associated processor 510, cause the device 500 to operate in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure as described with reference to Figures 1-4. The embodiments herein may be implemented by computer software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware executable by the processor 510 of the device 500. The processor 510 may be configured to implement various embodiments of the present disclosure. The combination of the processor 510 and the memory 520 may also constitute a processing means 550 suitable for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0096] The memory 520 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology (e.g., but not limited to, computer-readable non-transitory storage media, semiconductor-based storage devices, magnetic storage devices and systems, optical storage devices and systems, fixed and removable memory, etc.). Although only one memory 520 is shown in the device 500, multiple physically distinct memory modules may be installed in the device 500. The processor 510 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and may include, by way of example and not limitation, one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor configuration. The device 500 may have multiple processors, e.g., application-specific integrated circuit chips time-slaved to a clock synchronous with the main processor.

[0097] In some embodiments, the terminal device includes circuitry configured to determine whether a condition for triggering a flight path report is met in an idle or inactive state, and to transmit the flight path report pursuant to a determination that the condition is met.

[0098] In some embodiments, the network device includes circuitry configured to receive a flight path report from the terminal device, the flight path report being triggered in response to a condition for triggering the flight path report being met in an idle or inactive state.

[0099] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to a hardware circuit and / or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. For example, a circuit may be a combination of analog hardware circuitry and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware. As a further example, a circuit may be any portion of a hardware processor with software, such as a digital signal processor, software, and memory that cooperate to perform various functions in a device, such as a terminal device or network device. In yet another example, a circuit may be a hardware circuit and / or processor, such as a microprocessor or portion of a microprocessor, that requires software / firmware for operation but the software may be absent when not needed for operation. As used herein, the term circuitry also encompasses a simple hardware circuit, processor, portion of a hardware circuit or processor, and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware implementation.

[0100] In summary, the embodiments of the present disclosure can provide the following solutions:

[0101] In one solution, a communication method includes determining, in a terminal device, whether a condition for triggering a flight path report is met in an idle or inactive state, and transmitting the flight path report in accordance with a determination that the condition is met.

[0102] In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving a set of settings for the flight path report and determining the condition for triggering the flight path report based on the set of settings.

[0103] In some embodiments, a setting in the set of settings includes at least one of the following: an identity of the setting; a type of the trigger for the flight path report indicating whether the flight path report is triggered periodically or by an event; a time interval for triggering the flight path report; or information about an event that triggers the flight path report.

[0104] In some embodiments, the information about the event includes at least one of the identity or name of the event that triggered the flight path report, or a set of parameters for determining whether the event occurred.

[0105] In some embodiments, the event includes a change in at least one of the position, height, or velocity of the terminal device within a period of time exceeding a change threshold, the height of the terminal device being lower than a first threshold height, or the height of the terminal device being higher than a second threshold height.

[0106] In some embodiments, the set of parameters includes at least one of the change threshold, the time period, the first threshold height, the second threshold height, the length of time for consecutive occurrences of the events, or a hysteresis parameter.

[0107] In some embodiments, receiving the set of settings includes receiving the set of settings in a radio resource control message or receiving the set of settings in system information.

[0108] In some embodiments, determining whether the condition for triggering the flight path report is met includes starting a timer in response to entering the idle or inactive state or receiving a configuration for the flight path report, and determining that the condition for triggering the flight path report is met in response to expiration of the timer. In some embodiments, the method further includes restarting the timer in response to the transmission of the flight path report.

[0109] In some embodiments, determining whether the condition for triggering the flight path report is satisfied includes: initiating a determination whether an event for triggering the flight path report has occurred in response to entering the idle state or the inactive state or receiving a configuration for the flight path report; and determining that the condition for triggering the flight path report is satisfied in accordance with a determination that the event for triggering the flight path report has occurred.

[0110] In some embodiments, determining whether the condition for triggering the flight path report is met includes determining that the condition for triggering the flight path report is met in accordance with determining that a paging message is received in the idle or inactive state and that the paging message includes an instruction requesting the flight path report.

[0111] In some embodiments, transmitting the flight path report includes at least one of initiating a radio resource control setup procedure or a radio resource control resumption procedure for transmission of the flight path report, or transmitting a radio resource control message with the flight path report.

[0112] In some embodiments, transmitting the flight path report includes entering a connected state for transmission of the flight path report, or transmitting the flight path report via small data transmission in the idle or inactive state.

[0113] In some embodiments, transmitting the flight path report via the small data transmission includes transmitting a radio resource control message with the flight path report via a signaling radio bearer, the signaling radio bearer including at least one of signaling radio bearer 2, signaling radio bearer 1 configured for the small data transmission, or a signaling radio bearer dedicated to the small data transmission.

[0114] In some embodiments, the flight path report includes at least one of the following information: information on the status, information on at least one of a position, a speed, a direction, or an altitude of a set of waypoints along the flight path, information on timestamps of waypoints within the set of waypoints, or information on hovering or maintaining a position.

[0115] In another solution, a communication method includes receiving, in a network device, a flight path report from a terminal device, the flight path report being triggered in response to a condition for triggering the flight path report being met in an idle or inactive state.

[0116] In some embodiments, the method further includes transmitting a set of configurations for the flight path report to the terminal device.

[0117] In some embodiments, a setting in the set of settings includes at least one of the following: an identity of the setting; a type of the trigger for the flight path report indicating whether the flight path report is triggered periodically or by an event; a time interval for triggering the flight path report; or information about an event that triggers the flight path report.

[0118] In some embodiments, the information about the event includes at least one of the identity or name of the event that triggered the flight path report, or a set of parameters for determining whether the event occurred.

[0119] In some embodiments, the event includes a change in at least one of the position, height, or velocity of the terminal device within a period of time exceeding a change threshold, the height of the terminal device being lower than a first threshold height, or the height of the terminal device being higher than a second threshold height.

[0120] In some embodiments, the set of parameters includes at least one of the change threshold, the time period, the first threshold height, the second threshold height, the length of time for consecutive occurrences of the events, or a hysteresis parameter.

[0121] In some embodiments, transmitting the set of settings includes transmitting the set of settings in a radio resource control message or transmitting the set of settings in system information.

[0122] In some embodiments, the method further includes sending a paging message to an idle or inactive terminal device that includes instructions to request the flight path report.

[0123] In some embodiments, receiving the flight path report includes at least one of performing a radio resource control setup procedure or a radio resource control resumption procedure for the terminal device for transmitting the flight path report, or receiving a radio resource control message having the flight path report from the terminal device.

[0124] In some embodiments, receiving the flight path report includes receiving the flight path report from the terminal device in a connected state, or receiving the flight path report from the terminal device in an idle or inactive state via a small data transmission.

[0125] In some embodiments, receiving the flight path report via the small data transmission includes receiving a radio resource control message having the flight path report via a signaling radio bearer, the signaling radio bearer including at least one of signaling radio bearer 2, signaling radio bearer 1 configured for small data transmission, or a signaling radio bearer dedicated to small data transmission.

[0126] In some embodiments, the method further comprises configuring a signaling radio bearer 1 for small data transmission or configuring a signaling radio bearer dedicated to small data transmission.

[0127] In some embodiments, the flight path report includes at least one of the above-mentioned status information, information on at least one of the position, speed, direction, or altitude of a set of waypoints along the flight path, information on timestamps of waypoints within the set of waypoints, or information on hovering or maintaining at a position.

[0128] In another solution, a communications device includes a processor configured to perform any of the above methods.

[0129] Generally, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented by hardware, while other aspects may be implemented by firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or illustrated by some other pictorial representation, and it will be understood that the blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented by, for example, but not limited to, hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing device, or combinations thereof.

[0130] The present disclosure further provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions included in program modules. The instructions execute on a target real or virtual processor device to perform a process or method such as those described above with reference to FIGS. 1-4. Typically, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules may be combined or split among program modules as desired in various embodiments. The machine-readable instructions of the program modules may be executed in local or distributed devices. In a distributed device, program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0131] Program code for carrying out the methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, and when executed by the processor or controller, the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams are performed. The program code may run entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a separate software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0132] The above-described program code may be embodied on a machine-readable medium, which may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable-programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0133] Although operations have been described in a particular order, it should not be understood that performing these operations in the particular order or sequence shown, or performing all of the operations shown, is required to achieve desired results. In some situations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while the above discussion includes several specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Some features that are described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.

[0134] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the present disclosure, as defined by the appended claims, is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. determining, at the terminal device, whether a condition for triggering a flight path report in an idle or inactive state is met; transmitting the flight path report in accordance with a determination that the condition is satisfied; and Including, Communication method.

2. receiving a set of settings for the flight path report; determining the conditions for triggering the flight path report based on the set of settings; further comprising: The method of claim 1.

3. The settings in the set of settings include: the identity of said setting, the trigger type of the flight path report, indicating whether the flight path report is triggered periodically or by an event; a time interval for triggering said flight path report; or information about the event that triggered the flight path report; At least one of The method of claim 2.

4. The information about the event includes: the identity or name of the event that triggered the flight path report; or A set of parameters for determining whether the event has occurred At least one of The method of claim 3.

5. The event includes: A change in at least one of the position, height, or velocity of the terminal device within the period exceeds a change threshold; The height of the terminal device is less than a first threshold height; or The height of the terminal device is higher than a second threshold height. Contains, The method of claim 4.

6. The set of parameters includes: the change threshold, The period, the first threshold height; the second threshold height; the length of time that the events occur consecutively; or hysteresis parameter At least one of The method of claim 5.

7. receiving the set of configurations receiving said set of configurations in a radio resource control message; or receiving said set of settings in system information; Including, The method of claim 2.

8. Determining whether the condition for triggering the flight path report is met includes: In response to entering the idle or inactive state or receiving the flight path report configuration, starting a timer; determining, in response to expiration of the timer, that the condition for triggering the flight path report is met; Including, The method of claim 1.

9. restarting the timer in response to the transmission of the flight path report. The method of claim 8.

10. Determining whether the condition for triggering the flight path report is met includes: In response to entering the idle or inactive state or receiving the flight path report configuration, initiate a determination of whether an event has occurred to trigger the flight path report; determining, in response to determining that the event for triggering the flight path report has occurred, that the condition for triggering the flight path report has been met; Including, The method of claim 1.

11. Determining whether the condition for triggering the flight path report is met includes: determining that the condition for triggering the flight path report is met in accordance with a determination that a paging message is received in the idle or inactive state and that the paging message includes an instruction requesting the flight path report. The method of claim 1.

12. transmitting the flight path report includes: initiating a radio resource control setup procedure or a radio resource control resumption procedure for transmitting said flight path report; or transmitting a radio resource control message with said flight path report. at least one of The method of claim 1.

13. transmitting the flight path report includes: entering a connected state for transmission of said flight path report; or transmitting said flight path report via small data transmission during said idle or inactive state; Including, The method of claim 1.

14. Transmitting the flight path report via the small data transmission includes: transmitting a radio resource control message with the flight path report over a signaling radio bearer; The signaling radio bearer comprises: Signaling Radio Bearer 2, a signaling radio bearer 1 configured for the small data transmission; or a signaling radio bearer dedicated to the small data transmission; at least one of The method of claim 13.

15. The flight path report may include: information on said conditions, at least one of position, velocity, direction, or altitude information for a set of waypoints along the flight path; timestamp information for waypoints within said set of waypoints; or Information about hovering or maintaining a position At least one of The method of claim 1.

16. receiving, at the network device, a flight path report from the terminal device; The flight path report is triggered in response to a condition for triggering the flight path report being satisfied in an idle or inactive state. Communication method.

17. and transmitting the set of flight path report configurations to the terminal device.

17. The method of claim 16.

18. The settings in the set of settings include: the identity of said setting, the trigger type of the flight path report, indicating whether the flight path report is triggered periodically or by an event; a time interval for triggering said flight path report; or information about the event that triggered the flight path report; At least one of 18. The method of claim 17.

19. The information about the event includes: the identity or name of the event that triggered the flight path report; or A set of parameters for determining whether the event has occurred At least one of 20. The method of claim 18.

20. A processor configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 15 or any one of claims 16 to 19. Communication equipment.

Images