Chip system, communication method and mobile terminal

Abstract

A chip system, a communication method and a mobile terminal, relating to the technical field of communications. The chip system comprises an application processor (AP) and a baseband processor (Modem), the AP being in communication connection with the Modem. The Modem comprises a first protocol stack module used for cellular communication and a first physical layer module used for cellular communication, the first protocol stack module separately communicating with a first physical layer and a subscriber identity module so as to realize cellular communication. The AP or the Modem comprises a second protocol stack module used for satellite communication. The chip system is used for separately communicating with the subscriber identity module and a satellite communication processor so as to realize satellite communication. The second protocol stack module communicates with the subscriber identity module via the first protocol stack module. The second protocol stack module communicates with a second physical layer module used for satellite communication in the satellite communication processor. By means of using the chip system, the mobile terminal can support both cellular communication and satellite communication while the body thickness and weight of the terminal is changed as little as possible.

Description

A chip system, communication method and mobile terminal

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on June 16, 2023, with application number 202310724427.5 and invention name “A chip system, communication method and mobile terminal”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a chip system, a communication method and a mobile terminal. Background Art

[0003] Compared to cellular communications, satellite communications utilize artificial satellites as relay stations to forward radio electromagnetic wave signals. This allows for communication even in areas without cellular base station coverage, such as deserts and mountainous terrain. Therefore, adding satellite communications capabilities to cellular-capable devices, such as smartphones, is extremely important.

[0004] However, satellite communication usually requires the support of hardware such as a separate satellite communication processor, a radio frequency (RF) component that supports satellite communication, and a user identification card (such as a subscriber identity module (SIM)). These hardware components need to occupy space in the terminal and have a certain weight, which increases the size (such as increasing the thickness of the terminal body) and weight of the terminal.

[0005] However, current smartphones have very high requirements for thickness and weight. For example, a smartphone is typically less than 10 mm thick and weighs no more than 200 grams. Because of this, the difficulty of implementing satellite communications in smartphones while minimizing thickness and weight increases significantly. This is a key reason why current smartphones cannot support both cellular and satellite communications.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of this, the present application provides a chip system, a communication method and a mobile terminal, which can enable the terminal to support both cellular communication and satellite communication without increasing the thickness and weight of the terminal as much as possible.

[0008] In a first aspect, the present application provides a chip system, comprising an application processor (AP) and a baseband processor (Modem), wherein the AP is communicatively connected to the Modem. The Modem includes a first protocol stack module for cellular communication and a first physical layer module for cellular communication, wherein the first protocol stack module communicates with the first physical layer and a user identification card, respectively, to implement cellular communication. The AP or Modem includes a second protocol stack module for satellite communication. The chip system is configured to communicate with the user identification card and the satellite communication processor, respectively, to implement satellite communication. The chip system communicates with the user identification card, including: the second protocol stack module communicating with the user identification card via the first protocol stack module. The chip system communicates with the satellite communication processor, including: the second protocol stack module communicating with the second physical layer module for satellite communication in the satellite communication processor.

[0009] It is understandable that the second protocol stack contains a large amount of code, which accordingly requires a relatively large physical storage space. Larger physical storage space naturally requires a larger size. Therefore, configuring the second protocol stack within the AP can utilize the existing storage space within the AP to store the second protocol stack code. This allows the storage space within the satellite communication processor to be reduced to a smaller size, thereby reducing the size of the satellite communication processor.

[0010] In summary, the aforementioned chip system, while already enabling cellular communication, can be implemented by adding a satellite communication processor that does not include a second protocol stack and installing the second protocol stack in the AP. Compared to a satellite communication processor that includes a satellite protocol stack, the size of the satellite communication processor that does not include a satellite protocol stack is significantly reduced. This reduces the size of the additional hardware. Furthermore, satellite and cellular communications can share a common subscriber identity card, which also reduces the amount of additional hardware. Thus, by applying the aforementioned chip system to a mobile terminal, satellite communication can be achieved while minimizing the increase in thickness and weight of the mobile terminal.

[0011] In a possible design of the first aspect, the AP includes a hardware abstraction layer, and the second protocol stack is configured in the hardware abstraction layer. In this way, the second protocol stack can run in the AP as an independent process.

[0012] In another possible design of the first aspect, the hardware abstraction layer further includes a first communication management module, the first communication management module being configured to support communication between the second protocol stack module and the first protocol stack module. The second protocol stack module being configured to communicate with a subscriber identity card via the first protocol stack module includes: the second protocol stack module being configured to communicate with the first protocol stack module via the first communication management module, and to communicate with the subscriber identity card via the first protocol stack module.

[0013] With this design, the second protocol stack is included in the hardware abstraction layer in the AP, and the communication between the second protocol stack in the AP and the first protocol stack in the Modem can be achieved through the first communication management module, so that the second protocol stack can interact with the user identification card.

[0014] In another possible design of the first aspect, the second protocol stack and the first communication management module communicate with each other using an inter-process communication manner.

[0015] In another possible design manner of the first aspect, a first logical channel is configured between the AP and the modem, wherein the first communication management module communicates with the first protocol stack through the first logical channel.

[0016] With this design approach, the first communication management module and the first protocol stack need to rely on the logical channel between the AP and the Modem to achieve inter-core communication.

[0017] In another possible design of the first aspect, the AP further includes an application layer and an application framework layer. The application framework layer includes a second communication management module. The first communication management module is further configured to support communication between the second communication management module and the second protocol stack module. The second communication management module is configured to support communication between a satellite application in the application layer and the first communication management module. The satellite application in the application layer communicates with the first communication management module via the second communication management module; and the second communication management module communicates with the second protocol stack module via the first communication management module.

[0018] With this design approach, communication between the application layer and the second protocol stack can be achieved through the second communication management module and the first communication management module.

[0019] In another possible design of the first aspect, the communication connection between the AP and the satellite communication processor is a serial port connection, the AP includes a first driver, and the first driver is a serial port driver. The second protocol stack module communicates with the second physical layer module, including: the second protocol stack module communicates with the second physical layer module by calling the first driver.

[0020] With this design approach, the second protocol stack can communicate with the second physical layer by calling the system interface (such as the read interface and the write interface) of the serial port driver.

[0021] In another possible design manner of the first aspect, the AP includes a kernel layer, and the first driver is configured in the kernel layer.

[0022] In another possible design of the first aspect, the chip system is a system on chip (SoC), and the AP and the Modem are integrated in the SoC.

[0023] In another possible design of the first aspect, the chip system is further configured to communicate with the first RF component via the first physical layer module to transmit and receive cellular signals, thereby implementing cellular communication. Furthermore, the chip system is configured to communicate with the second physical layer module via the second protocol stack module to transmit and receive satellite signals, thereby implementing satellite communication. For example, during a call using a satellite network, uplink voice is transmitted to the satellite network via the second physical layer and the second RF component. Furthermore, the second RF component can receive downlink voice from the satellite network and transmit it to the second physical layer.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method applied to a system-on-a-chip (SoC), the SoC including an application processor (AP) and a baseband processor (Modem). The AP is in communication with the Modem. The Modem includes a first protocol stack module for cellular communication and a first physical layer module for cellular communication. The AP includes a second protocol stack module for satellite communication.

[0025] The method includes: a first protocol stack module communicating with a subscriber identity card, and the first protocol stack module communicating with a cellular network via a first physical layer to implement cellular communication. A second protocol stack module communicating with the subscriber identity card via the first protocol stack module, and the second protocol stack module communicating with a satellite network via a second physical layer module for satellite communication in a satellite communication processor to implement satellite communication.

[0026] In summary, the above communication method enables satellite communication through the second protocol stack configured in the AP, in addition to cellular communication. This allows the mobile terminal to support both cellular and satellite communication without significantly increasing the size of the mobile terminal. Furthermore, cellular and satellite communications can share the communication between the first protocol stack and the subscriber identity card, enabling both interaction between the first protocol stack and the subscriber identity card during cellular communication and interaction between the second protocol stack and the subscriber identity card during satellite communication. This allows satellite and cellular communications to reuse the subscriber identity card, further reducing the size of the mobile terminal.

[0027] In a possible design of the second aspect, the second protocol stack module interacts with the satellite network through the second physical layer module, including: in response to starting a call, the second protocol stack sends uplink voice data to the satellite network through the second physical layer module, and the second protocol stack module receives downlink voice data from the satellite network through the second physical layer module.

[0028] In another possible design of the second aspect, the second protocol stack module interacts with the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, including: before initiating a call, in response to an operation to start a satellite network and complete radio resource control protocol (RRC) link establishment, the second protocol stack module forwards an authentication request from the satellite network to the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, the authentication request being used to verify the identity of the user identification card. The second protocol stack module receives an authentication result from the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, the authentication result corresponding to the authentication request.

[0029] That is, before starting a call, the second protocol stack can transmit authentication related information with the subscriber identity card through the first protocol stack.

[0030] Furthermore, the second protocol stack module communicates with the satellite network via the second physical layer module, including: the second protocol stack module sends the authentication result to the satellite network via the second physical layer module. The second protocol stack module receives a successful authentication message from the satellite network via the second physical layer module. That is, after receiving the authentication result, the second protocol stack needs to further send the authentication result to the satellite network via the second physical layer so that the satellite network can verify the identity of the user identification card. Only after successful authentication can the call be started.

[0031] In a third aspect, the present application also provides a mobile terminal, a chip system in the above-mentioned first aspect and any possible design method of the mobile terminal, a user identification card interface and a satellite communication processor, the chip system is communicatively connected to the user identification card interface and the satellite communication processor respectively, and the user identification card interface is used to plug in the user identification card.

[0032] In one possible design of the third aspect, the mobile terminal further includes a first radio frequency (RF) component and a second radio frequency (RF) component. The first RF component is communicatively coupled to a baseband processor (Modem) in the system-on-chip for transmitting and receiving cellular signals. The second RF component is communicatively coupled to a satellite communication processor for transmitting and receiving satellite signals.

[0033] In a fourth aspect, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions, which, when executed on a mobile terminal, enables the mobile terminal to execute the method in the above-mentioned second aspect and any possible design thereof.

[0034] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in the second aspect and any possible design thereof.

[0035] It can be understood that the beneficial effects that can be achieved by the communication method, mobile terminal, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product provided above can be referred to the beneficial effects in the first aspect and any possible design method thereof, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing the composition of an existing system-on-chip (SoC);

[0037] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the composition of an existing satellite communication chip;

[0038] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the composition of an existing RF component;

[0039] FIG4 is a structural diagram of a mobile terminal for implementing satellite communication;

[0040] FIG5 is a structural diagram of another mobile terminal for implementing satellite communication;

[0041] FIG6A is a structural diagram of a mobile terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG6B is a structural diagram of another mobile terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG7 is a hardware structure diagram of a mobile terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG8 is a software architecture diagram of a mobile terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG9 is one of the mobile phone interface diagrams provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG10 is a second mobile phone interface diagram provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG11 is one of the interaction diagrams of the communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG12 is a third mobile phone interface diagram provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG13 is a second interaction diagram of the communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG14 is a structural diagram of the chip system provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Among them, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, the terms used in the following embodiments are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to be used as limitations on the present application. As used in the specification and claims of the present application, the singular expressions "a", "said", "above", "the" and "this" are intended to also include expressions such as "one or more", unless there is a clear contrary indication in the context. It should also be understood that in the following embodiments of the present application, "at least one", "one or more" refer to one or more (including two). The term "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist; for example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are a kind of "or" relationship.

[0052] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" etc. described in this specification mean that the specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment are included in one or more embodiments of the present application. Therefore, the statements "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in some other embodiments", "in some other embodiments", etc. appearing in different places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in another way. The terms "including", "comprising", "having" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in another way. The term "connected" includes direct and indirect connections, unless otherwise stated. "First" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated.

[0053] In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be interpreted as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0054] Before introducing the embodiments of the present application, a brief introduction to the relevant technical terms involved in the embodiments of the present application is first given here.

[0055] 1. System on Chip (SoC).

[0056] SoC, or system-on-a-chip, integrates the chips needed to run a smartphone's operating system onto a single chip. SoCs typically integrate the capabilities of key chips such as the application processor (AP) and baseband processor (also known as a modem).

[0057] As shown in Figure 1, the SoC includes both AP and modem capabilities. The AP processes the smartphone's internal data but excludes external communication. The modem handles external communication, including services like making calls, sending text messages, and surfing the internet. For example, the modem includes modules such as a protocol stack for cellular communications (such as the cellular protocol stack in Figure 1) and a physical layer for cellular communications (such as the cellular physical layer in Figure 1), implementing functions such as modulation and demodulation, channel encoding and decoding, and source encoding and decoding.

[0058] In addition, a physical channel such as a shared memory or bus is established between the AP and the Modem to realize data transmission between the AP and the Modem, such as the transmission of call content, text message content and other data.

[0059] In the example shown in Figure 1 above, a modem is integrated into the SoC. However, in practice, the modem can also exist as a separate chip and be soldered together with the SoC on the smartphone's motherboard. The following explanation will primarily use the embodiment shown in Figure 1, where the modem is integrated into the SoC, as an example.

[0060] 2. Satellite communication chip.

[0061] Satellite communication chips are chips specifically designed for satellite communication. Referring to Figure 2 , satellite communication chips typically include a physical layer for implementing satellite communication (herein referred to as the satellite physical layer) and a protocol stack for implementing satellite communication (herein referred to as the satellite protocol stack).

[0062] The satellite protocol stack further includes the data link layer (Layer 2, denoted as L2) and the network layer (Layer 3, denoted as L3). The satellite physical layer, located at the bottom of the satellite protocol stack and therefore also referred to as Layer 1 (denoted as L1), provides radio resources and physical layer processing for L2 and L3 data, such as coding, Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) processing, and modulation.

[0063] Layer 1 includes the physical layer and the physical layer control (Layer 1 Control, L1C) layer. Layer 2 includes the medium access control (MAC) layer, the radio link control (RLC) layer, and the packet data convergence control (PDCP) layer. Layer 3 includes the radio resource control (RRC) layer and the non-access stratum (NAS) layer.

[0064] Typically, the satellite protocol stack is separated from the satellite physical layer by the MAC layer. The MAC layer is responsible for multiplexing data across different logical channels and mapping logical channels to transport channels. It handles signaling and data message processing and resource scheduling. In other words, the satellite protocol stack transmits and receives messages through the MAC layer. The physical layer is responsible for coding, modulation, rate matching, and other processes, providing a transmission channel for the MAC layer. The L1C layer controls the physical layer status, allocates radio resources, and transmits and receives messages to and from the protocol stack.

[0065] Furthermore, the satellite protocol stack also includes an interface layer. The interface layer provides an interface for communication between the satellite protocol stack and other modules (such as the transmission of control plane commands and user plane data). For example, the satellite protocol stack can communicate with the AP in the SoC through the interface provided by the interface layer to implement satellite communication-related display functions, such as displaying satellite communication signal strength, on / off, and satellite alignment prompts. In one specific implementation, the interface layer provides an interface for transmitting Hayes Attention (AT) instructions (hereinafter referred to as the AT interface). The AT interface can be in the form of a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a bus, shared memory, a socket, or the like.

[0066] It should be understood that, unless otherwise specified, the satellite protocol stack and satellite physical layer described below may refer to the description in FIG. 2 and will not be described in detail later.

[0067] 3. User identification card.

[0068] In the embodiment of the present application, the subscriber identification card refers to a card module such as a subscriber identity module (SIM), a user identity module (UIM), or a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) that can be used for identity identification during the communication process.

[0069] Among them, according to different communication modes, user identification cards can be divided into user identification cards for cellular communication (such as user identification card 1 in Figure 1) and user identification cards for satellite communication (such as user identification card 2 in Figure 2). For example, referring to Figure 1, user identification card 1 (such as full network communication TM Card) interacts with the cellular protocol stack in the Modem, which is used for the cellular protocol stack to obtain the identification of the user identification card 1 and the card authentication during the cellular communication process (i.e., to authenticate the user identification card 1). For example, referring to Figure 2, the user identification card 2 (such as Tiantong TM Card) interacts with the satellite protocol stack in the satellite communication chip, and is used by the satellite protocol stack to obtain the identification of the user identification card 2, and for card authentication during satellite communication (ie, authenticating the user identification card 2).

[0070] 4. RF components.

[0071] RF stands for electromagnetic frequencies that can be radiated into space, ranging from 300 kHz to 30 GHz. RF components are primarily used for processing received and transmitted signals during wireless communications.

[0072] Similarly, according to different communication methods, RF components can be divided into RF components for cellular communication (such as RF component 1 in Figure 1) and RF components for satellite communication (such as RF component 2 in Figure 2). For example, referring to Figure 1, RF component 1 interacts with the cellular physical layer in the modem, and is used for RF component 1 to receive digital signals from the cellular physical layer, perform digital-to-analog conversion on them, and transmit them through the antenna, and for RF component 1 to perform analog-to-digital conversion on the radio electromagnetic wave signals received by the antenna and send them to the cellular physical layer. For another example, referring to Figure 2, RF component 2 interacts with the satellite physical layer in the satellite communication chip, and is used for RF component 2 to receive digital signals from the satellite physical layer, perform digital-to-analog conversion on them, and transmit them through the antenna, and for RF component 2 to perform analog-to-digital conversion on the radio electromagnetic wave signals received by the antenna and send them to the satellite physical layer.

[0073] Furthermore, referring to FIG3 , the RF component includes a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) and a radio frequency front-end (RFFE).

[0074] Among them, RFIC is used to receive digital signals from the baseband (such as the cellular physical layer or the satellite physical layer) and complete digital-to-analog conversion, and transmit the converted radio electromagnetic wave signal (analog signal) to RFFE for processing. Exemplarily, RFIC can receive digital signals from the baseband through the radio frequency interface unit (RFIU), and use a digital to analog converter (DAC) to perform digital-to-analog conversion to obtain a radio electromagnetic wave signal. And, RFIC is used to complete analog-to-digital conversion of the radio electromagnetic wave signal obtained by RFFE processing, and send the converted digital signal to the baseband. Exemplarily, RFIC can use an analog to digital converter (ADC) to perform analog-to-digital conversion, and send the converted digital signal to the baseband.

[0075] It's important to note that the primary difference between RF Component 1 and RF Component 2 lies in the different electromagnetic frequencies their RFICs can receive. Cellular communications use electromagnetic frequencies ranging from 700 MHz to 3.5 GHz, so the RFIC in RF Component 1 also needs to be able to receive frequencies between 700 MHz and 3.5 GHz. Furthermore, the C-band for satellite communications operates at approximately 2 GHz. Therefore, if the C-band is used, the RFIC in RF Component 2 needs to be able to receive frequencies around 2 GHz.

[0076] Furthermore, the RFFE is used to transmit and receive radio electromagnetic wave signals. The RFFE primarily includes a power amplifier (PA) and a low-noise amplifier (LNA). The PA amplifies the radio electromagnetic wave signal obtained through digital-to-analog conversion, generating a high-frequency radio electromagnetic wave signal that is then radiated through the antenna. The LNA is an amplifier with a very low noise figure, used to amplify small signals within the radio electromagnetic wave signal received by the antenna.

[0077] It should be noted that Figure 3 illustrates only a simplified structure of RF components and does not limit their functionality. In actual implementation, the structure of RF components is much more complex than that shown in Figure 3. For example, the RFFE may also include filters, switches, and duplexers.

[0078] The following describes the solution of the embodiment of this application:

[0079] The terminal provided by the embodiments of the present application can be used in scenarios that require support for both satellite and cellular communications. For example, if satellite network communication is required when the cellular network is poor, the terminal provided by the embodiments of the present application can be used to achieve this. In particular, by applying the embodiments of the present application to a smartphone, it is possible to enable the smartphone to support both satellite and cellular communications while minimizing the increase in the thickness and weight of the smartphone.

[0080] Some industry terminals (such as autonomous driving terminals, Internet of Things terminals, etc.) provide satellite communication functions to enable the use of satellite networks to maintain communication when cellular base stations are destroyed or in places without cellular base station coverage such as deserts and mountains.

[0081] For example, an industry terminal may support satellite communication but not cellular communication. Referring to FIG4 , in this example, the industry terminal includes an SoC, a satellite communication chip, a user identification card 2, and an RF component 2. However, the SoC in the industry terminal does not include a modem, and thus does not include a cellular protocol stack and a cellular physical layer, and cannot support cellular communication. The satellite protocol stack and the AP communicate via the AT interface to implement satellite communication-related display functions, such as displaying the signal strength and switch of the satellite network. It should be understood that the SoC and the satellite communication chip are usually connected via a serial port. Therefore, the AT interface needs to communicate with the AP via the serial port to implement communication between the satellite protocol stack in the satellite communication chip and the AP in the SoC. The satellite communication chip, the user identification card 2, and the RF component 2 are used to implement satellite communication.

[0082] As another example, an industry terminal can support both satellite and cellular communications. Referring to Figure 5 , in this example, the industry terminal includes an SoC, a subscriber identity card 1, an RF component 1, a satellite communication chip, a subscriber identity card 2, and an RF component 2. Furthermore, the industry terminal (e.g., the SoC) includes a modem, thereby including a cellular protocol stack and a cellular physical layer for supporting cellular communications. Thus, in addition to implementing satellite communications in the example shown in Figure 4 , the industry terminal can also implement cellular communications through the AP and modem in the SoC, as well as the subscriber identity card 1 and the RF component 1.

[0083] In the examples of Figures 4 and 5 above, satellite communication is achieved by at least requiring an SoC, a satellite communication chip, a subscriber identity card 2, and an RF component 2. The satellite communication chip, the subscriber identity card 2, and the RF component 2 are all hardware specifically added for satellite communication, and all of this hardware takes up space and is quite heavy.

[0084] Meanwhile, industry terminals supporting satellite communications typically only need to meet the specific needs of the corresponding industry for satellite communications functionality, and do not have the same strict thickness and weight restrictions as smartphones. For example, industry terminals can be tens of millimeters thick and weigh 300 grams or even more. Therefore, to enable industry terminals to support satellite communications, it is not a problem to install the satellite communication chip required for satellite communications, as well as the user identification card 2 and RF component 2 that support satellite communications.

[0085] However, unlike industrial terminals, smart terminals (especially smartphones) not only require more components to support more functions, but also have higher requirements for body thickness and weight. For example, smartphones are typically less than 10mm thick and weigh no more than 200g. Because of this, it is difficult to achieve satellite communications while minimizing the thickness and weight of smart terminals.

[0086] In addition, in the example of Figure 5, it is necessary to provide card slots for User Identity Card 1 and User Identity Card 2 respectively, and User Identity Card 1 and User Identity Card 2 cannot be mixed. For example, the terminal provides card slot 1 for User Identity Card 1 and card slot 2 for User Identity Card 2. User Identity Card 1 cannot be inserted into card slot 2, and User Identity Card 2 cannot be inserted into card slot 1. In this way, the user is required to accurately insert the User Identity Cards (such as User Identity Card 1 and User Identity Card 2) into the corresponding card slots. To achieve this purpose, the terminal can further mark the User Identity Card corresponding to each card slot in each card slot to instruct the user to accurately insert the User Identity Card into the corresponding card slot. For example, the position of card slot 1 is marked with "cellular card", indicating that a cellular card (such as User Identity Card 1) is inserted into card slot 1; and the position of card slot 2 is marked with "satellite card", indicating that a satellite card (such as User Identity Card 2) is inserted into card slot 2. In this way, although the difficulty of accurately placing the User Identity Cards can be reduced to a certain extent, it is still impossible to achieve arbitrary placement of the User Identity Cards.

[0087] However, in existing dual-SIM-enabled smart terminals, enabling the user to place the SIM card anywhere is a basic feature. For example, a user can place any SIM card in any slot and still achieve normal communication. The example in Figure 5 above clearly cannot meet this requirement for smart phones.

[0088] Based on this, referring to FIG6A , an embodiment of the present application provides a mobile terminal, which includes a SoC, a satellite communication chip, an RF component 1, an RF component 2, and a user identification card 3. The satellite communication chip includes a satellite physical layer, but the satellite protocol stack in the satellite communication chip (such as the satellite protocol stack shown by the dotted line in FIG6A ) is transplanted to the AP of the SoC (such as the satellite protocol stack shown by the solid line in FIG6A ).

[0089] It should be understood that the satellite protocol stack code is typically stored in double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR). Furthermore, the satellite protocol stack contains a large amount of code, and accordingly, the required DDR is also relatively large. Therefore, in a satellite communication chip with a conventional structure (as shown in FIG. 2 ), the satellite protocol stack code requires a relatively large DDR. However, if the satellite protocol stack in the satellite communication chip is transplanted into the AP using the method shown in FIG. 6A , the required DDR in the satellite communication chip can be significantly reduced. Therefore, the DDR in the satellite communication chip can be trimmed to a very small size, thereby reducing the size of the satellite communication chip. Furthermore, the AP has sufficient DDR to store the satellite protocol stack code, so transplanting the satellite protocol stack into the AP does not increase the size of the AP.

[0090] In the terminal shown in FIG6A , the satellite protocol stack in the AP can interact with the RF component 2 through the satellite physical layer in the satellite communication chip, thereby realizing the transmission and reception of electromagnetic wave signals during satellite communication.

[0091] And, in the terminal shown in Fig. 6 A, the Modem also includes a cellular protocol stack. And, the Subscriber Identity Module 3 has both opened the service of cellular communication and the service of satellite communication. The satellite protocol stack in the AP can interact with the Subscriber Identity Module 3 through the cellular protocol stack in the Modem, and is used for the satellite protocol stack to read the sign (such as International Mobile Subscriber Identification Number (IMSI)) of the Subscriber Identity Module 3 and to carry out the card authentication in the cellular communication process. Like this, can utilize the communication connection of original cellular protocol stack and Subscriber Identity Module 3 among the Modem, realize the interaction of satellite protocol stack and Subscriber Identity Module 3, need not to newly add Subscriber Identity Module 3 for realizing satellite communication. Should be understood that cellular communication and satellite communication can share Subscriber Identity Module 3, then need not distinguish between satellite card and cellular card, thereby can realize placing Subscriber Identity Module 3 in any card slot.

[0092] Furthermore, in the terminal shown in FIG6A , the modem includes a cellular physical layer. During cellular communications, the cellular protocol stack in the modem can interact with RF component 1 via the cellular physical layer to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals. Furthermore, the cellular protocol stack in the modem can interact with subscriber identity card 3 to obtain the identity of subscriber identity card 3 and perform card authentication during cellular communications.

[0093] In summary, the terminal shown in FIG6A , while already implementing cellular communication, can achieve satellite communication by adding a satellite communication chip and RF component 2 that do not include a satellite protocol stack, and then integrating the satellite protocol stack into the AP. Compared to a satellite communication chip that includes a satellite protocol stack, the satellite communication chip that does not include a cellular protocol stack is significantly smaller. Therefore, the volume of the newly added hardware can be reduced. Furthermore, satellite and cellular communications can share the user identification card 3, which can also reduce the amount of newly added hardware to a certain extent. In this way, satellite communication can be achieved while minimizing the increase in the thickness and weight of the terminal.

[0094] In addition, in the embodiment of the present application, cellular communication uses RF component 1 to transmit and receive signals, and satellite communication uses RF component 2 to transmit and receive signals. The two are independent of each other. Therefore, the terminal can use satellite communication while using cellular communication. For example, you can use the satellite network to make calls or send text messages while using the cellular network to access the Internet.

[0095] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6B , the AP further includes a satellite communication manager, which is used to manage communications of a satellite protocol stack.

[0096] On one hand, communication within the satellite protocol stack includes communication between the satellite protocol stack and the cellular protocol stack in the modem. For example, the satellite protocol stack obtains the IMSI from the subscriber identity card 3 through the cellular protocol stack and performs card authentication. Through satellite communication management, commands such as those used by the satellite protocol stack to read the IMSI and transmit the authentication request are parsed, encapsulated, and forwarded to the cellular protocol stack for further interaction with the subscriber identity card 3. This enables data transmission between the satellite protocol stack and the cellular protocol stack, achieving interaction between the satellite protocol stack and the subscriber identity card 3.

[0097] On the other hand, satellite protocol stack communications include communication between the satellite protocol stack and applications. For example, a satellite call request initiated by an application (the application) is transmitted to the satellite protocol stack for processing. Another example is that the satellite protocol stack needs to transmit the satellite network signal strength to the application for display. Satellite communication management enables the aforementioned data transmission between upper-layer applications and the satellite protocol stack.

[0098] For example, the terminal may be a smart phone, tablet, laptop, smart wearable device, industry terminal, or other terminal that needs to support both cellular communication and satellite communication. The embodiment of the present application does not impose any special restrictions on the specific form of the terminal.

[0099] It should be noted that the above-mentioned satellite protocol stack, satellite physical layer, cellular protocol stack and cellular physical layer can be pure software modules or modules combining software and hardware, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0100] Referring to FIG7 , a hardware structure diagram of a terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. As shown in FIG7 , taking a smartphone as an example, the terminal may include: a processor 210, a satellite communication processor 211 (such as a satellite communication chip), an internal memory 221, a charging management module 230, a power management module 231, a battery 232, an antenna 1, an antenna 2, an antenna 3, a mobile communication module 251 (such as an RF component 1), a satellite communication module 252 (such as an RF component 2), a wireless communication module 253, an audio module 270, a speaker 270A, a receiver 270B, a microphone 270C, an earphone jack 270D, a sensor module 280, a display screen 294, and a user identification card 3 (such as a SIM card) interface 295, etc.

[0101] It should be understood that the structure illustrated in this embodiment does not constitute a specific limitation on smartphones. In other embodiments, smartphones may include more or fewer components than illustrated, or may combine or separate certain components, or have different component arrangements. The illustrated components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0102] The processor 210 may include one or more processing units. For example, the processor 210 may include an AP (e.g., including a satellite protocol stack), a GPU, an image signal processor (ISP), a controller, a memory, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a modem (e.g., including a cellular protocol stack and a cellular physical layer), and / or a neural network processing unit (NPU). The different processing units may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors. The processor 210 may be a SoC.

[0103] In some embodiments, the processor 210 may include one or more interfaces. The interfaces may include an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) interface, an inter-integrated circuit sound (I2S) interface, a pulse code modulation (PCM) interface, a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) interface, a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI), a general-purpose input / output (GPIO) interface, a subscriber identity card 3 (such as a SIM card) interface, and / or a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

[0104] The satellite communication processor 211 is communicatively connected to the AP in the processor 210 , and is used for communication between the satellite protocol stack in the AP and the satellite physical layer in the satellite communication processor 211 .

[0105] The charging management module 230 is configured to receive charging input from a charger. The charger can be either a wireless charger or a wired charger. The power management module 231 is configured to connect the battery 232, the charging management module 230, and the processor 210. The power management module 231 receives input from the battery 232 and / or the charging management module 230 and provides power to the processor 210, the internal memory 221, the external memory, the display 294, the camera 293, and the wireless communication module 253.

[0106] The wireless communication function of the smartphone can be implemented through antenna 1, antenna 2, antenna 3, mobile communication module 251, satellite communication module 252, wireless communication module 253, access point, modem, and satellite communication chip. Antenna 1, antenna 2, and antenna 3 are used to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals.

[0107] Mobile communication module 251 (such as RF component 1 described above) can provide a solution for cellular communications (such as 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G) on smartphones. Mobile communication module 251 can include at least one filter, switch, power amplifier, and low-noise amplifier (LNA). Mobile communication module 251 can receive electromagnetic waves from antenna 1, filter and amplify the received electromagnetic waves, and transmit them to the modem for demodulation. Mobile communication module 251 can also amplify the signals modulated by the modem and convert them into electromagnetic waves for radiation via antenna 1.

[0108] Satellite communication module 252 (such as RF component 2 mentioned above) can provide a satellite communication solution for smartphones. Mobile communication module 252 can include at least one filter, switch, power amplifier, and low-noise amplifier (LNA). Satellite communication module 252 receives electromagnetic waves from antenna 2, filters and amplifies them, and transmits them to the satellite communication chip and access point for processing. Satellite communication module 252 can also amplify the signals processed by the access point and satellite communication chip, converting them into electromagnetic waves and radiating them through antenna 2.

[0109] The satellite communication module 252 may be independent of the satellite communication processor 211. Alternatively, the satellite communication module 252 may be partially encapsulated in the satellite communication processor 211. For example, the RFIC in the satellite communication module 252 may be encapsulated in the satellite communication processor 211.

[0110] The wireless communication module 253 can provide wireless communication solutions for smartphones, including wireless local area networks (WLAN) (such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks), Bluetooth (BT), global navigation satellite system (GNSS), frequency modulation (FM), near field communication (NFC), infrared (IR), etc. The wireless communication module 253 can be one or more devices that integrate at least one communication processing module. The wireless communication module 253 receives electromagnetic waves via the antenna 3, frequency modulates and filters the electromagnetic wave signals, and sends the processed signals to the processor 210. The wireless communication module 253 can also receive the signal to be sent from the processor 210, frequency modulate it, amplify it, and convert it into electromagnetic waves for radiation through the antenna 3.

[0111] The AP may output a sound signal through an audio device (not limited to the speaker 270A, the receiver 270B, etc.), or may display an image or video through the display screen 294 .

[0112] The smartphone implements display functions through the GPU, the display 294 , and the AP, such as displaying the switches of satellite communication and cellular communication, and displaying application interfaces of various applications such as calls and text messages.

[0113] The internal memory 221 can be used to store computer executable program code, which includes instructions. The processor 210 executes various functional applications and data processing of the smartphone by running the instructions stored in the internal memory 221. The internal memory 221 can include a program storage area and a data storage area.

[0114] The smartphone can implement audio functions such as music playback and recording through the audio module 270, speaker 270A, receiver 270B, microphone 270C, headphone jack 270D, and application processor. In some embodiments, during a call using a cellular network or satellite network, the smartphone can collect the user's voice through the microphone 270C and play the voice from the other party through the speaker 270A, receiver 270B, or headphones connected to the headphone jack 270D.

[0115] The SIM card interface 295 is used to connect a SIM card. The smartphone may include 1-N SIM card interfaces 295. The SIM card can be connected to and separated from the smartphone by inserting it into the SIM card interface 295 or removing it from the SIM card interface 295. The smartphone may support one or more SIM card interfaces. The SIM card interface 295 may support Nano SIM cards, Micro SIM cards, SIM cards, and the like. Multiple cards may be inserted into the same SIM card interface 295 at the same time. The types of the multiple cards may be the same or different. The SIM card interface 295 may also be compatible with different types of SIM cards. The SIM card interface 295 may also be compatible with external memory cards. The smartphone interacts with the network through the SIM card to implement functions such as calls and data communications. In some embodiments, the smartphone uses an eSIM, i.e., an embedded SIM card. The eSIM card may be embedded in the smartphone and cannot be separated from the smartphone.

[0116] The software system of the AP in the above terminal can adopt a layered architecture, event-driven architecture, micro-core architecture, micro-service architecture, or cloud architecture. TM Taking the system as an example, the software structure of the terminal is illustrated.

[0117] Refer to Figure 8, which is a diagram of the software architecture of the terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 8, the satellite protocol stack is set in the AP, rather than in the satellite communication chip. Specifically, the layered architecture can divide the AP software into several layers, each with a clear role and division of labor. The layers communicate with each other through software interfaces. In some embodiments, the Android TM The system is divided into four layers, from top to bottom: application layer, application framework layer, hardware abstract layer (HAL) and kernel layer.

[0118] It should be understood that the AP layering shown in FIG8 is merely exemplary, and in actual implementation, the AP software may include more or fewer layers. For example, between the application framework layer and the hardware abstraction layer, a system library may also be included.

[0119] Among them, the application layer may include a series of application packages, such as calls, text messages, browsers, chat applications, video players and other applications that require network (including cellular networks, satellite networks, etc.) support.

[0120] It should be noted that applications such as calls and text messages can implement communication services (i.e., making calls, sending text messages, etc.) with the support of cellular networks, and can also implement communication services with the support of satellite networks. That is to say, calls can be divided into satellite calls and cellular calls, and text messages can be divided into satellite text messages and cellular text messages. Therefore, in a specific implementation method, the terminal can further include two call applications, satellite calls and cellular calls, and can further include two text message applications, satellite text messages and cellular text messages. In this way, it is convenient to distinguish the type of network to be used from the application running in the foreground. For example, if the application running in the foreground is satellite text messages, then in response to the user confirming the operation of sending the text message, the terminal can determine to use the satellite network to send the text message.

[0121] Of course, the actual implementation is not limited to this implementation. In another specific implementation, calls and text messages may not be further subdivided, that is, calls and text messages are each only one application. In this implementation, the terminal can determine the type of network to be used based on the network currently enabled by the terminal or based on the network set by the user for the application. For example, in response to the user confirming the operation of sending a text message, the terminal can use the currently enabled cellular network to send the text message. For another example, in the text message settings, the network used for sending text messages can be set to a satellite network. Then, in response to the user confirming the operation of sending a text message, the terminal can determine to use the satellite network to send the text message.

[0122] In some embodiments, the application layer also includes satellite applications and cellular applications.

[0123] The cellular application is used to provide display information related to the cellular network.

[0124] For example, the cellular application may provide information about the signal strength of the cellular network in the status bar. For example, the cellular application may provide the signal strength shown in the prompt 9011 in the interface 901 shown in FIG. 9 .

[0125] As another example, the cellular application can provide information about whether the cellular network is on or off. For example, in response to a user sliding down from the top of interface 901 shown in FIG9 , the mobile phone can display interface 902 shown in FIG9 . Interface 902 includes a cellular network switch 9021 . The cellular application can provide information about the on / off status of switch 9021 . If the cellular application indicates an on status, switch 9021 can indicate that the cellular network is on; if the cellular application indicates an off status, switch 9021 can indicate that the cellular network is off.

[0126] As another example, the cellular application can provide information related to the cellular network settings item in the settings application. For example, in response to a user clicking on the settings application icon 9013 in interface 901 shown in FIG9 , the mobile phone can display interface 903 shown in FIG9 , which includes a cellular network settings item 9031. The cellular application can provide various information displayed after entering settings item 9031.

[0127] The satellite application is used to provide display information related to the satellite network.

[0128] For example, a satellite application may provide information on the signal strength of a satellite network.

[0129] As another example, the satellite application can provide information about whether the satellite network is on or off. For example, in response to a user swiping down from the top of interface 901 shown in Figure 9 , the mobile phone can display interface 902 shown in Figure 9 . Interface 902 includes a satellite network switch 9022 . The satellite application can provide information about the status of switch 9022 . If the satellite application indicates an on status, switch 9022 can indicate that the satellite network is on; if the satellite application indicates an off status, switch 9022 can indicate that the satellite network is off.

[0130] As another example, the satellite application can provide information related to the satellite network settings item in the settings application. For example, in response to a user clicking on the settings application icon 9013 in interface 901 shown in FIG9 , the mobile phone can display interface 903 shown in FIG9 , which includes a satellite network settings item 9032. The satellite application can provide various information displayed after entering settings item 9032.

[0131] Furthermore, the cellular application can also receive user operations to turn the cellular network on or off, such as receiving a user click on a cellular switch (e.g., cellular switch 9021 in interface 902). In response to these operations, the cellular application can request the underlying layer to turn on the cellular network. The satellite application can also receive user operations to turn the satellite network on or off, such as receiving a user click on a cellular switch (e.g., cellular switch 9022 in interface 902). In response to these operations, the cellular application can request the underlying layer to turn on the satellite network.

[0132] Of course, in a broad sense, applications that can implement communication services (i.e., making calls, sending text messages, etc.) with the support of cellular networks can also be referred to as cellular applications. However, this article primarily describes cellular applications as those that provide display information related to cellular networks. Furthermore, applications that can implement communication services (i.e., making calls, sending text messages, etc.) with the support of satellite networks can also be referred to as satellite applications. However, this article primarily describes satellite applications as those that provide display information related to satellite networks.

[0133] The application framework layer provides an application programming interface (API) and programming framework for applications in the application layer. The application framework layer includes some predefined functions. For example, the application framework layer may include a notification manager, a window manager, a resource manager, a content provider, and a view system.

[0134] The hardware abstraction layer can provide a unified interface for the calls of upper-layer applications, shielding the specific implementation details of the hardware driver in the kernel layer. The upper-layer applications can implement corresponding functions by calling the interface provided by the hardware abstraction layer without having to know the specific implementation method of the kernel-layer hardware driver.

[0135] In some embodiments, the satellite protocol stack is configured within the AP's hardware abstraction layer. Specifically, the satellite protocol stack runs as an independent process within the hardware abstraction layer. It should be noted that when the terminal is powered on, the initialization (init) process can initiate the process corresponding to the satellite protocol stack and set it as a daemon process. This allows the process corresponding to the satellite protocol stack to automatically restart even if it exits abnormally. For more information about the satellite protocol stack, please refer to the previous description and will not be repeated here.

[0136] Since the satellite protocol stack is located in the hardware abstraction layer, the communication between the satellite protocol stack and the upper layer applications needs to cross three layers: the application layer, the application framework layer, and the hardware abstraction layer. Based on this, in a specific implementation, in order to facilitate the communication between the satellite protocol stack and the upper layer applications, the satellite communication management can further include satellite communication management 1 set in the application framework layer and satellite communication management 2 set in the hardware abstraction layer. The following mainly explains this method.

[0137] Satellite Communication Manager 1 is located in the application framework layer and provides interface management functions for satellite communication services to upper-layer applications. For example, when sending text messages via a satellite network, a user simply enters the recipient's number and the message content in the SMS (app). Upon receiving a request to send a text message, the SMS (app) can invoke the SMS sending interface of Satellite Communication Manager 1 to encode the message content, for example, using UCS2 encoding for Chinese characters and 7-bit encoding for English characters.

[0138] In addition, the satellite communication management 1 can also complete some processing that does not require the perception of upper-layer applications (such as satellite applications). For example, the satellite communication management 1 can calculate the angle between the satellite's beam and the terminal antenna's (such as the antenna 1 mentioned above) beam based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) signal and the signals collected by related sensors, and determine the satellite alignment strategy based on the calculated angle, such as the direction and angle of rotation. Finally, the satellite communication management 1 feeds back the satellite alignment strategy to the satellite application, and the satellite application can prompt the user to rotate the terminal. In this example, the satellite application does not need to perceive the process of calculating and determining the satellite alignment strategy, and this process is completely completed by the satellite communication management 1.

[0139] Furthermore, Satellite Communication Manager 2 is provided in the Hardware Abstraction Layer. On one hand, Satellite Communication Manager 2 can communicate with Satellite Communication Manager 1. For example, Satellite Communication Manager 2 can receive data processed by Satellite Communication Manager 1, such as encoded text message content. For another example, Satellite Communication Manager 2 can also send data to Satellite Communication Manager 1, such as the signal strength of the satellite network.

[0140] On the other hand, satellite communication manager 1 can communicate with the satellite protocol stack. For example, the satellite protocol stack can receive data from satellite communication manager 2, such as text message content. For another example, the satellite protocol stack can also send data to satellite communication manager 2, such as the signal strength of the satellite network.

[0141] Furthermore, the satellite communication management system 2 may include a card authentication agent to facilitate data transmission between the satellite protocol stack and the cellular protocol stack, enabling data transmission related to card authentication during satellite communication. Exemplarily, the card authentication agent may forward a request from the satellite protocol stack to obtain the identifier of the user identification card 3 to the cellular protocol stack; further, the card authentication agent may return the identifier read by the cellular protocol stack to the satellite protocol stack. Furthermore, exemplary, the card authentication agent may forward an authentication request from the satellite protocol stack to the cellular protocol stack; further, the card authentication agent may return an authentication response received by the cellular protocol stack to the satellite protocol stack.

[0142] In some embodiments, the application framework layer may further include a cellular framework, and the hardware abstraction layer may further include a cellular HAL. It should be understood that the cellular framework and cellular HAL are used for interaction between upper layer applications and modems during cellular communication, and this document will not elaborate on this.

[0143] The kernel layer is the layer between hardware and software. The kernel layer may include display drivers, camera drivers, audio drivers, etc.

[0144] In some embodiments, the kernel layer also includes a serial port driver. It should be understood that the SoC and the satellite communication chip are connected via a hardware circuit, and the hardware circuit is usually connected in the form of a serial port, such as a UART interface or a serial peripheral interface (SPI). Then, a serial port driver is set in the kernel layer to drive the serial port and realize data transmission between the satellite protocol stack in the SoC and the satellite physical layer in the satellite communication chip. For example, the serial port driver provides three interfaces: read, write, and control. The satellite protocol stack can read data from the satellite physical layer by calling the read interface and write data to the satellite physical layer by calling the write interface.

[0145] At this point, it's important to note that the satellite communication chip and the SoC communicate via serial ports, and in SoCs, the serial port driver is typically located within the AP's kernel layer. This means that communication between the satellite communication chip and the SoC must pass through the AP's kernel layer. Therefore, placing the satellite protocol stack in the AP, rather than the modem, facilitates communication between the satellite protocol stack and the satellite physical layer. For example, if the satellite protocol stack is located in the modem, communication between the satellite protocol stack and the satellite physical layer must traverse the modem, AP, and satellite communication chip, rather than directly communicating between the AP and the satellite communication chip.

[0146] In addition, the operating system running in the AP (such as Android TMThe system is open source, and it is relatively easy for terminal manufacturers to add a software module to it. The operating system running in the modem (such as the real-time operating system (RTOS) TM Currently, these protocols are not open source. Terminal manufacturers need to collaborate with modem manufacturers to add new software modules. This means that improving a modem is much more difficult than improving the AP. Therefore, integrating the satellite protocol stack into the AP is much easier to implement.

[0147] Although this article uses the example of configuring the satellite protocol stack in the AP for illustration, in practice, the satellite protocol stack can also be configured in the Modem, which is not specifically limited in the present embodiment.

[0148] Continuing to refer to Figure 8, the terminal's software architecture also includes the Modem software component, which runs an RTOS. TM . With Android running in AP TM The difference between the two systems is that RTOS is a single-task operating system that can only handle a single process at a time. TM The system can handle multiple processes at the same time.

[0149] Modem generally comprises cellular protocol stack, cellular physical layer.It should be noted that in certain embodiments, cellular protocol stack is not only used for cellular communication, also is used for the interaction between satellite protocol stack and Subscriber Identity Module 3 in the satellite communication process.For example, cellular protocol stack can read the sign of Subscriber Identity Module 3 and return (as returned by satellite communication management 2) to satellite protocol stack.For another example, cellular protocol stack can return (as returned by satellite communication management 2) to satellite protocol stack with authentication response.

[0150] In certain embodiments, also comprise card driver (not shown) among the Modem.Card driver can be used for the mutual of cellular protocol stack and Subscriber Identity Module 3.Exemplary, cellular protocol stack can read the sign of Subscriber Identity Module 3 by card driver, cellular protocol stack can send authentication request to Subscriber Identity Module 3 by card driver, and Subscriber Identity Module 3 can return authentication response etc. to cellular protocol stack by card driver.

[0151] In some embodiments, the modem also includes an RF interface module (not shown). The RF interface module is used for interaction between the cellular physical layer and the RF component 1. In one specific implementation, the RF interface module includes a baseband interface unit (BBIU). For example, the cellular physical layer sends uplink voice data to the RF component 1 via the RF interface module, which is then transmitted via the antenna. Furthermore, the RF component 1 can send downlink voice data to the cellular physical layer via the RF interface module, which is then played back via a device such as a speaker, receiver, or headphones.

[0152] Continuing with Figure 8 , the terminal's software architecture also includes a satellite physical layer within the satellite communication chip. The satellite physical layer can communicate with the satellite protocol stack and RF component 2 within the AP, respectively. For example, the satellite physical layer can receive data (e.g., via a serial port driver) from the satellite protocol stack, such as text message content. For another example, the satellite physical layer can also send data (e.g., via a serial port driver) to the satellite protocol stack, such as downlink voice data or text message data.

[0153] By using the software architecture shown in Figure 8, the satellite protocol stack in the satellite communication chip is ported to the AP. This eliminates the need for an overly large DDR memory in the satellite protocol stack to store the satellite protocol stack code. This reduces the size of the satellite communication chip, thereby reducing the size of the hardware required to implement satellite communication. Furthermore, satellite communication management is implemented in the AP to manage communications within the satellite protocol stack. This management not only manages communications between the satellite protocol stack and upper-layer applications, but also between the satellite protocol stack and the cellular protocol stack, enabling interaction with the subscriber identity card 3 via the cellular protocol stack. This allows cellular and satellite communications to share the same subscriber identity card 3.

[0154] The following is an exemplary description of the communication between various modules related to implementing satellite communications in the software architecture shown in Figure 8. The modules related to implementing satellite communications include: satellite applications, call applications, satellite communications management (including satellite communications management 1 and satellite communications management 2), satellite protocol stack, satellite physical layer, and cellular protocol stack.

[0155] The AP layers communicate with each other through software interfaces. Satellite communication management 2 and the satellite protocol stack, both located in the hardware abstraction layer, can use inter-process communication (IPC) such as sockets and message queues. In other words, after the satellite protocol stack is ported to the AP, the AT interface takes the form of sockets and message queues.

[0156] Satellite communication manager 2 and the cellular protocol stack in the modem communicate via a newly added first logical channel between the AP and the modem. It should be understood that multiple virtual logical channels can be created within a single physical channel to transmit data with different functions. Because data related to the satellite communication process, such as the IMSI and authentication response, needs to be transmitted between the AP and the modem, a new first logical channel can be added to the physical channel between the AP and the modem to support data transmission between the AP's satellite communication manager 2 and the cellular protocol stack in the modem.

[0157] It should be understood that when adding a first logical channel, the logical channel can be implemented using a matching interface based on the type of SoC. For example, if the SoC is a chip from manufacturer A, and the AP and modem in manufacturer A's chip communicate via interface a, then an additional set of interface a can be added to implement the first logical channel. For another example, if the SoC is a chip from manufacturer B, and the AP and modem in manufacturer B's chip communicate via interface b, then an additional set of interface b can be added to implement the first logical channel.

[0158] Of course, other logical channels can be virtualized in the physical channel between the AP and the Modem, for example, a logical channel for transmitting cellular communication data can be virtualized.

[0159] The form of request (request)-response (response) is adopted to interact between satellite protocol stack, cellular protocol stack and card driver.So, via satellite protocol stack, cellular protocol stack and card driver, after finally transmitting request (as request, authentication request of the mark of reading subscriber identity card 3), can return the response (as mark, authentication result) of request to satellite protocol stack according to the transmission path original path of request.Like this, in the process of satellite communication, cellular protocol stack can return the response from subscriber identity card 3 to satellite communication management accurately, finally returns to satellite protocol stack, and can not mistakenly be transferred to cellular physical layer.

[0160] The satellite protocol stack can call the serial port driver to drive the serial port between the SoC and the satellite communication chip, thereby realizing communication between the satellite protocol stack and the satellite physical layer.

[0161] By adopting the above communication method, the following multiple communication paths can be constructed: communication path ①, communication path ②, communication path ③ and communication path ④.

[0162] The following describes the communication process of the terminal provided in the embodiment of the present application, based on the multiple communication paths shown in FIG8 and further combined with the following process 1 and process 2:

[0163] Process 1: Enable the satellite network. That is, access the satellite network.

[0164] After receiving the operation to activate the satellite network, the terminal will begin executing process 1 to connect the terminal to the satellite network. For example, the mobile phone may display interface 1001 shown in FIG. 10 , which includes a satellite network switch 10011. At this point, satellite network switch 10011 is in the off state (indicated by the non-bold icon and text in the figure). The operation to activate the satellite network may be a click operation on the satellite network switch that is in the off state. Then, in response to the user clicking on the off switch 10011, the mobile phone may begin the process of activating the satellite network. Furthermore, after the satellite network activation is completed, the mobile phone may display interface 1002 shown in FIG. Interface 1002 includes a satellite network switch 10021. However, at this point, satellite network switch 10021 is in the on state (indicated by the bold icon and text in the figure), and the satellite network signal strength is indicated by icon 10022 in interface 1002.

[0165] Referring to Figure 11 , in process 1, communication path ① is used to enable interaction between the satellite application and the satellite protocol stack, as shown in S1101-S1108 and S1137-S1139 of Figure 11 , between the satellite application, satellite communication management (e.g., satellite communication management 1), and the satellite protocol stack. After the satellite protocol stack is started, communication path ② is used to enable interaction between the satellite protocol stack and the satellite network during network search, RRC link establishment, and registration, as shown in S1109-S1136 of Figure 11 , between the satellite protocol stack, satellite physical layer, and RF component 2. Furthermore, communication path ③ is used to enable interaction between the satellite protocol stack and the user identification card 3 during registration, as shown in S1109-S1136 of Figure 11 , between the satellite protocol stack, satellite communication management (e.g., satellite communication management 2), the cellular protocol stack, and the user identification card 3.

[0166] Specifically, the process of a terminal accessing a satellite network includes the following steps:

[0167] S1101: The satellite application receives an event for starting a satellite network.

[0168] For example, the event of turning on the satellite network may be a user clicking on the switch 10011 of the satellite network in the interface 1001 shown in FIG. 10 .

[0169] Of course, the event of turning on the satellite network is not limited to that shown in FIG10 . For example, the terminal may provide a physical button for turning on the satellite network, and the event of turning on the satellite network may be a user performing an activation operation on the physical button; or, the event of turning on the satellite network may be an event of the user inputting a preset voice 1 (e.g., "turn on satellite network"). Alternatively, the event of turning on the satellite network may be an event of detecting conditions for turning on the satellite network (e.g., a cellular network signal).

[0170] S1102. The satellite application notifies the satellite communication management to start the satellite network.

[0171] S1103. The satellite communication management receives a notification to start the satellite network.

[0172] S1104: The satellite communication management obtains the terminal's location and attitude, and calculates the angle between the terminal's antenna and the satellite based on the location and attitude.

[0173] For example, the satellite communication management system may acquire GPS signals to obtain the terminal's location, and the satellite communication management system may acquire gyroscope signals to obtain the terminal's attitude.

[0174] S1105: If the angle is greater than or equal to the preset angle, the satellite communication management generates a satellite alignment strategy that matches the angle.

[0175] It should be understood that pointing refers to the process of adjusting the terminal's posture to change the antenna's orientation so that the center of the antenna's beam is aligned with the satellite. Accordingly, a pointing strategy provides guidance for users to adjust the terminal's posture. For example, a pointing strategy includes the rotation direction and rotation angle.

[0176] If the angle is greater than or equal to the preset angle, it indicates that the center of the terminal's antenna beam is significantly offset from the line connecting the satellite and the terminal. Therefore, the terminal's attitude needs to be adjusted to reduce the offset between the center of the antenna beam and the line connecting the satellite and the terminal.

[0177] S1106. The satellite communication management sends the satellite alignment strategy to the satellite application.

[0178] S1107, satellite application displays the star pointing strategy.

[0179] After the satellite application displays the pointing strategy, the user can adjust the terminal's attitude according to the pointing strategy, for example, by adjusting the rotation direction and rotation angle according to the pointing strategy.

[0180] It should be noted that for the specific implementation of calculating angles and generating matching star alignment strategies, as well as adjusting the terminal's posture based on the star alignment strategies, please refer to relevant star alignment materials, and this article will not go into details.

[0181] It should be noted that after the user adjusts the terminal's attitude, the satellite communication management system can recalculate the angle between the terminal's antenna and the satellite based on the positioning and the new attitude. If the angle is greater than the preset angle, a new alignment strategy is generated and the user is guided. In other words, after S1103, the above steps S1104-S1107 can be continuously executed.

[0182] However, if the angle is less than the preset angle, it indicates that the antenna of the terminal has been aligned with the satellite. In this case, S1108 and subsequent steps may be executed to continue the steps of accessing the satellite network.

[0183] S1108: If the angle is less than the preset angle, the satellite communication management sends a command to the satellite protocol stack to start the satellite protocol stack.

[0184] Exemplarily, the satellite communication management may send a command to the satellite communication management to start the satellite protocol stack by calling an interface for starting the satellite protocol stack in the satellite communication management.

[0185] S1109: The satellite protocol stack is started.

[0186] After the satellite protocol stack is started, it can search for the satellite network (referred to as searching the network) and establish an RRC link through communication between the satellite protocol stack and the satellite network. It should be understood that the satellite protocol stack needs to pass through the satellite physical layer, RF component 2, and antenna to ultimately achieve communication with the satellite network. Among them, the satellite protocol stack can achieve communication with the satellite physical layer by calling the serial port driver interface. The satellite physical layer and RF component 2 can both achieve communication between the satellite physical layer and RF component 2 by calling the RF interface module.

[0187] Exemplarily, the network search process includes: the satellite protocol stack sends a network search request to the satellite physical layer. After receiving the network search request, the satellite physical layer can turn on the RF component 2, such as turning on the receiving path of the RF component 2 (referred to as the RF receiving path) through RF driver control. It should be understood that the sending path of the RF component 2 (referred to as the RF transmitting path) is usually turned on when information needs to be sent, and it can be temporarily not turned on at this time. After turning on the RF component 2, the RF component 2 can receive system messages from the satellite network through the antenna. Then, the RF component 2 sends the system message to the satellite physical layer. The satellite physical layer demodulates the system message and, after the demodulation is successful, feeds back a message of successful demodulation to the satellite protocol stack. In this example, only part of the network search process is shown, and the actual network search process is not limited to this.

[0188] Exemplarily, the RRC link establishment process includes: after receiving a successful demodulation message, the satellite protocol stack initiates a random access channel (RACH) to the satellite physical layer. This process sequentially passes through the satellite physical layer, RF component 2, and the antenna, ultimately sending the RACH to the satellite network. After receiving the RACH, the satellite network can reply with an access response within the Random Access Response window. RF component 2 can then receive the access response via the antenna. This process sequentially passes through RF component 2 and the satellite physical layer, ultimately returning the access response to the satellite protocol stack. This example only illustrates a portion of the RRC link establishment process; the actual RRC link establishment process is not limited to this.

[0189] After completing the network search and RRC link establishment, the registration process begins. During registration, the satellite network needs to identify and authenticate the user identification card 3 (hereinafter referred to as card authentication). The following description focuses on the identity identification and card authentication steps during the registration process, thereby illustrating the interaction between the satellite protocol stack and the user identification card 3.

[0190] Specifically, identity identification includes the following steps S1110-S1118:

[0191] S1110 : The satellite protocol stack sends a read request to the satellite communication management to read the identifier of the user identification card 3 .

[0192] The identifier is used to uniquely indicate the user identification card 3, such as an IMSI, a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) number, and the like.

[0193] In addition, the satellite protocol stack and satellite communication management (such as satellite communication management 2) can realize card interaction data transmission through inter-process communication, such as the read request in S1110, and the identification, authentication request, authentication result, etc. mentioned below.

[0194] S1111. The satellite communication management sends a read request to the cellular protocol stack.

[0195] Satellite communication can parse and encapsulate the read request and forward it to the cellular protocol stack.

[0196] Among them, the satellite communication management and the cellular protocol stack can transmit card interaction data through the first logical channel in the physical channel between the AP and the Modem, such as the read request in S1111, and the identification, authentication request, authentication result, etc. mentioned below.

[0197] S1112 : The cellular protocol stack sends a read request to the subscriber identity card 3 .

[0198] The cellular protocol stack can transmit card interaction data with the subscriber identity card 3 through the card driver, such as the read request and identification in S1112, and the authentication request and authentication result below.

[0199] S1113. The subscriber identity card 3 returns an identifier to the cellular protocol stack.

[0200] S1114. The cellular protocol stack returns an identifier to the satellite communication management.

[0201] S1115. The satellite communication management returns an identifier to the satellite protocol stack.

[0202] S1116. The satellite protocol stack sends an identifier to the satellite physical layer.

[0203] The satellite protocol stack and the satellite physical layer can interact with each other by driving the serial port (such as UART, SPI) through the serial port driver.

[0204] In S1110-S1116, the satellite protocol stack reads the identifier of the subscriber identity card 3 from the subscriber identity card 3 in real time. In practice, the identifier of the subscriber identity card 3 may already be stored in the terminal. For example, upon detecting the insertion of the subscriber identity card 3, the terminal may obtain and store the identifier of the subscriber identity card 3. In this case, S1110 and S1116 described above may be replaced by the satellite protocol stack obtaining the identifier of the subscriber identity card 3 from a preset storage location.

[0205] S1117 . The satellite physical layer sends an identifier to the RF component 2 .

[0206] S1118. RF component 2 sends an identifier to the satellite network.

[0207] The RF component 2 sends the identification to the satellite network via the antenna.

[0208] After receiving the identifier, the satellite network can perform identity verification on the user identification card 3 based on the identifier. For example, the satellite network searches for the currently received identifier among the identifiers of those already permitted to access the network. If the currently received identifier is among those already permitted to access the network, the identity verification succeeds. If the currently received identifier is not among those already permitted to access the network, the identity verification fails.

[0209] If the authentication fails, the satellite network can send an identification failure message, which will be fed back to the satellite application through the antenna, RF component 2, satellite physical layer, satellite protocol stack, satellite communication management, and finally displayed as a prompt indicating that the authentication failed.

[0210] And, card authentication includes the following S1119-S1132:

[0211] S1119. RF component 2 receives an authentication request from the satellite network, where the authentication request carries a check value.

[0212] After the identity verification is passed, the satellite network can send an authentication request, which carries a check value, such as a preset value or a random number.

[0213] S1120. RF component 2 sends an authentication request to the satellite physical layer.

[0214] S1121. The satellite physical layer sends an authentication request to the satellite protocol stack.

[0215] S1122. The satellite protocol stack sends an authentication request to the satellite communication management.

[0216] S1123. The satellite communication management sends an authentication request to the cellular protocol stack.

[0217] S1124 : The cellular protocol stack sends an authentication request to the subscriber identity card 3 .

[0218] S1125. The user identification card 3 calculates the check value in the authentication request to obtain an authentication result.

[0219] After receiving the authentication request, the subscriber identity card 3 may calculate the check value. For example, the subscriber identity card 3 may calculate the check value using a built-in check algorithm to obtain an authentication result.

[0220] S1126. The subscriber identity card 3 sends the authentication result to the cellular protocol stack.

[0221] S1127. The cellular protocol stack sends the authentication result to the satellite communication management.

[0222] S1128. The satellite communication management sends the authentication result to the satellite protocol stack.

[0223] S1129. The satellite protocol stack constructs an authentication response message (Authentication response Message) based on the authentication result.

[0224] The authentication response message is a message that can be fed back to the satellite network, and the authentication response message carries the authentication result.

[0225] S1130. The satellite protocol stack sends an authentication response message to the satellite physical layer.

[0226] S1131. The satellite physical layer sends an authentication response message to RF component 2.

[0227] S1132. RF component 2 sends an authentication response message to the satellite network.

[0228] After receiving the authentication response message, the satellite network can parse the authentication result and calculate the check value using a preset check algorithm to obtain a standard authentication result.

[0229] If the built-in verification algorithm in the subscriber identity card 3 is the same as the preset verification algorithm, such as a hash algorithm, the authentication result calculated by the subscriber identity card 3 (i.e., the authentication result parsed by the subscriber identity card 3) should be the same as the standard authentication result. If the built-in verification algorithm in the subscriber identity card 3 is different from the preset verification algorithm, the authentication result calculated by the subscriber identity card 3 (i.e., the authentication result parsed by the subscriber identity card 3) is different from the standard authentication result. Based on this, the satellite network can compare the parsed authentication result with the standard authentication result. If the two are the same, the authentication is successful; if the two are different, the authentication is recognized.

[0230] If authentication fails, the satellite network can send an authentication failure message, which then passes through the antenna, RF component 2, satellite physical layer, satellite protocol stack, and satellite communication management, and is ultimately fed back to the satellite application. The satellite application then displays an authentication failure prompt.

[0231] If the authentication is successful, the satellite network can send a successful authentication message to the satellite protocol stack, as shown in S1133-S1135 below:

[0232] S1133. RF component 2 receives a message indicating successful authentication from the satellite network.

[0233] S1134. RF component 2 sends a message indicating successful authentication to the satellite physical layer.

[0234] S1135. The satellite physical layer sends a message indicating successful authentication to the satellite protocol stack.

[0235] After successful authentication, the satellite protocol stack and the satellite network can continue to complete the subsequent registration process. After registration is completed, the satellite network can send a registration acceptance message to the satellite protocol stack to indicate successful access to the satellite network. In response, the satellite protocol stack can receive the registration acceptance message, as shown in S1136:

[0236] S1136: The satellite protocol stack receives a registration acceptance message.

[0237] S1137. The satellite protocol stack sends a registration acceptance message to the satellite communication management.

[0238] S1138. The satellite communication management sends a registration acceptance message to the satellite application.

[0239] S1139: The satellite application updates the satellite network status to the on state.

[0240] In some embodiments, to facilitate user clarity regarding the signal strength of the satellite network, the satellite protocol stack, after receiving the registration acceptance message, may also report the signal strength measured by the satellite physical layer to upper-layer applications (such as desktop applications, satellite applications, etc.) through satellite communication management and satellite communication management. The upper-layer application may then display the signal strength. It should be understood that the signal strength measured by the satellite physical layer may change as the network environment changes. Therefore, the satellite protocol stack may continuously report the signal strength measured by the satellite physical layer to the upper-layer application. In this way, the upper-layer application can display real-time signal strength.

[0241] For example, after turning on the satellite network, the mobile phone may display the interface 1002 shown in Figure 10. In the interface 1002, the switch 10021 of the satellite network is on, indicating that the satellite network is turned on, and the prompt 10022 in the status bar indicates that the signal strength of the satellite network is 3 bars.

[0242] After accessing the satellite network using the above process 1, the terminal can use the satellite network to make calls, send text messages, transmit IoT short messages, etc. In this article, the use of the satellite network is mainly used as an example to illustrate the use of the satellite network.

[0243] Process 2 is the call process, i.e., making a call using the satellite network.

[0244] After receiving a user's call initiation request, the terminal may begin executing process 2. For example, after enabling the satellite network, the mobile phone may display interface 1201 shown in Figure 12. Interface 1201 is a dialing interface. Interface 1201 includes historical call records 12011 and a dial pad 12012. The call initiation request may be a user entering a number on the dial pad and then clicking a dial button 12013 on the dial pad 12012. Alternatively, the call initiation request may be a user selecting a call from historical call records 12011 (e.g., clicking on the call).

[0245] Of course, the operation of initiating a call is not limited to that shown in FIG12. For example, the operation of initiating a call may also be an operation in which the user inputs voice 3 (e.g., "Call Tom"); or, the operation of initiating a call may also be an operation in which the user clicks a shortcut key on the dial pad (e.g., the shortcut key for alarm is the number "0").

[0246] In response to the call initiation operation, the terminal may display a calling interface. The calling interface includes: the called user's information (such as the number, the number's location, name, etc.) and a calling prompt. Exemplarily, the calling interface is interface 1202 shown in Figure 12, where the text "Tom" is the called user's name and the text "Calling..." is the calling prompt.

[0247] After the call control plane and the call user plane are established, a voice call can be started. At this time, the mobile phone can display the interface 1203 shown in Figure 12. The interface 1203 includes a call timer "00:00", indicating that the call has started.

[0248] Referring to Figure 13 , in process 2, using communication path ④, the call application can interact with the satellite protocol stack, such as the interaction between the call application, satellite communication management (e.g., satellite communication management 2), and the satellite protocol stack in S1301-S1303 of Figure 13 . Using communication path ②, the satellite protocol stack and the satellite network can interact during RRC link establishment, user identity card 3 identity authentication and authorization, call control plane and call user plane establishment, and the call process, such as the interaction between the satellite protocol stack, satellite physical layer, and RF component 2 in S1304-S1312 of Figure 13 . Furthermore, using communication path ③, the satellite protocol stack and user identity card 3 can interact during the user identity card 3 identity authentication and authorization process.

[0249] Specifically, the call process includes:

[0250] S1301: When the satellite network is enabled, the call application receives a call operation initiated by the user.

[0251] S1302: The satellite application sends a call command to the satellite communication management.

[0252] Exemplarily, the satellite application may call a call interface provided by the satellite communication management (such as the satellite communication management 1) and send a call command to the satellite communication management.

[0253] S1303: The satellite communication management sends a call command to the satellite protocol stack.

[0254] Before a call can begin, an RRC link must be established between the satellite protocol stack and the satellite network. Furthermore, after the RRC link is established, the user identification card 3 must be authenticated and authorized. The detailed implementation of RRC link establishment, identity authentication, and card authorization can be found in the previous description of process 1 and will not be repeated here.

[0255] After identity authentication and card authorization are complete, the satellite protocol stack and the satellite network must establish a call control plane and a call user plane. Exemplarily, the process of establishing the call control plane includes: the satellite protocol stack initiating a call command, which then passes through the satellite physical layer, RF component 2, and antenna, ultimately sending the call command to the satellite network. After sending the call command to the satellite network, the satellite network can return a call response to the satellite protocol stack, passing through the antenna, RF component 2, and satellite physical layer.

[0256] After the call control plane and the call user plane are established, the voice call can begin. For example, after the call control plane and the call user plane are established, the satellite protocol stack can provide a call start message to the call application, for example, by providing the call start message to the call application via the satellite communication management. After receiving the call start message, the call application can display a call start timer. For example, the call application can display interface 1203 shown in Figure 12, which includes a call timer of "00:00" to indicate that the call has begun.

[0257] For example, after establishing the call control plane and the call user plane, the satellite protocol stack may call the interface of the audio driver in the kernel layer to enable the audio driver audio device (such as audio acquisition device, audio playback device) to work.

[0258] S1304: The satellite protocol stack receives the uplink voice collected by the audio collection device.

[0259] For example, the audio acquisition device may first send the collected uplink voice to the DSP for processing, and then the DSP sends the processed uplink voice to the satellite protocol stack through inter-core communication.

[0260] The audio acquisition device may be a microphone of the terminal, or a microphone of an earphone connected to the terminal.

[0261] S1305: The satellite protocol stack encodes the uplink voice to obtain an encoded uplink signal.

[0262] S1306. The satellite protocol stack sends an uplink signal to the satellite physical layer.

[0263] S1307 : The satellite physical layer sends an uplink signal to the RF component 2 .

[0264] S1308. RF component 2 sends an uplink signal to the satellite network.

[0265] The RF component 2 can send an uplink signal to the satellite network via the antenna, thereby transmitting the uplink signal to the called user via the satellite network.

[0266] S1309. RF component 2 receives a downlink signal from the satellite network.

[0267] Exemplarily, the RF component 2 may receive a downlink signal from the called user forwarded by a satellite network through an antenna.

[0268] S1310. RF component 2 sends a downlink signal to the satellite physical layer.

[0269] S1311. The satellite physical layer sends a downlink signal to the satellite protocol stack.

[0270] S1312. The satellite protocol stack decodes the downlink signal to obtain decoded downlink voice for playback by the audio playback device.

[0271] Exemplarily, the satellite protocol stack may send downlink voice to the audio playback device.

[0272] An embodiment of the present application also provides a chip system, as shown in Figure 14, the chip system 1400 (such as SoC) includes at least one processor (such as an application processor AP, a baseband processor Modem) 1401 and at least one interface circuit 1402. The processor 1401 and the interface circuit 1402 can be interconnected via a line. For example, the interface circuit 1402 can be used to receive signals from other devices (such as the memory of the terminal). For another example, the interface circuit 1402 can be used to send signals to other devices (such as the processor 1401). Exemplarily, the interface circuit 1402 can read instructions stored in the memory and send the instructions to the processor 1401. When the instructions are executed by the processor 1401, the terminal can execute the various steps in the above embodiments.

[0273] Of course, the chip system may also include other discrete devices, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0274] This embodiment further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which computer instructions are stored. When the computer instructions are executed on a terminal, the terminal executes each function or step in the above method embodiment.

[0275] This embodiment further provides a computer program product. When the computer program product is run on a computer, it enables the computer to execute each function or step in the above method embodiment.

[0276] In addition, an embodiment of the present application also provides a device, which can specifically be a chip, component or module, and the device may include a connected processor and memory; wherein the memory is used to store computer-executable instructions, and when the device is running, the processor can execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory to enable the chip to perform the various functions or steps in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0277] Among them, the chip system, computer-readable storage medium, computer program product or device provided in this embodiment are all used to execute the corresponding methods provided above. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can refer to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0278] Through the description of the above implementation methods, technical personnel in the relevant field can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0279] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the modules or units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another device, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0280] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may be one physical unit or multiple physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed in multiple places. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the present embodiment.

[0281] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0282] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a device (which can be a single-chip microcomputer, chip, etc.) or a processor (processor) to execute all or part of the steps of the various embodiments of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0283] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present application may be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present application.

Claims

1. A chip system, characterized in that: The chip system includes an application processor AP and a baseband processor Modem, and the AP is communicatively connected with the Modem; The Modem includes a first protocol stack module for cellular communication and a first physical layer module for cellular communication, wherein the first protocol stack module communicates with the first physical layer and a user identification card respectively to realize cellular communication; The AP or the Modem includes a second protocol stack module for satellite communication; The chip system is used to communicate with the user identification card and the satellite communication processor respectively to achieve satellite communication; The chip system communicates with the user identification card, including: the second protocol stack module communicates with the user identification card through the first protocol stack module; The chip system communicates with the satellite communication processor, including: the second protocol stack module communicates with the second physical layer module used for satellite communication in the satellite communication processor.

2. The chip system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The AP includes a hardware abstraction layer, and the second protocol stack is configured in the hardware abstraction layer.

3. The chip system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The hardware abstraction layer also includes a first communication management module, and the first communication management module is used to support the communication between the second protocol stack module and the first protocol stack module; The second protocol stack module communicates with the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, including: The second protocol stack module communicates with the first protocol stack module through the first communication management module, so as to communicate with the subscriber identification card through the first protocol stack module.

4. The chip system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second protocol stack module and the first communication management module communicate with each other using an inter-process communication method.

5. The chip system according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: A first logical channel is configured between the AP and the Modem, wherein the first communication management module communicates with the first protocol stack through the first logical channel.

6. The chip system according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that: The AP also includes an application layer and an application framework layer, the application framework layer includes a second communication management module, the first communication management module is further used to support the second communication management module to communicate with the second protocol stack module, and the second communication management module is used to support the satellite application in the application layer to communicate with the first communication management module; The satellite application in the application layer communicates with the first communication management module via the second communication management module; The second communication management module communicates with the second protocol stack module through the first communication management module.

7. The chip system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The communication connection between the AP and the satellite communication processor is a serial port connection, and the AP includes a first driver, which is a serial port driver; The second protocol stack module communicates with the second physical layer module, including: The second protocol stack module communicates with the second physical layer module by calling the first driver.

8. The chip system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The AP includes a kernel layer, and the first driver is configured in the kernel layer.

9. The chip system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The chip system is a system on chip (SoC), and the AP and the Modem are integrated into the SoC.

10. The chip system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The satellite communication processor does not include the second protocol stack module.

11. The chip system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The chip system is also used to: communicate with the first radio frequency (RF) component through the first physical layer module to send and receive cellular signals to achieve the cellular communication; and communicate with the second physical layer module through the second protocol stack module to communicate with the second radio frequency (RF) component through the second physical layer module to send and receive satellite signals to achieve the satellite communication.

12. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a chip system, the chip system includes an application processor AP and a baseband processor Modem, the AP is communicatively connected with the Modem, the Modem includes a first protocol stack module for cellular communication and a first physical layer module for cellular communication, and the AP includes a second protocol stack module for satellite communication; The first protocol stack module communicates with a user identification card, and the first protocol stack module communicates with a cellular network through the first physical layer to implement cellular communication; The second protocol stack module communicates with the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, and the second protocol stack module communicates with the satellite network through the second physical layer module for satellite communication in the satellite communication processor to achieve satellite communication.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The second protocol stack module communicates with the satellite network through a second physical layer module for satellite communication in the satellite communication processor, including: In response to starting a call, the second protocol stack module sends uplink voice data to the satellite network through the second physical layer module, and the second protocol stack module receives downlink voice data from the satellite network through the second physical layer module.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The second protocol stack module communicates with the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, including: Before starting a call, after completing the radio resource control RRC link establishment in response to a first event, the second protocol stack module forwards an authentication request from the satellite network to the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, the authentication request is used to verify the identity of the user identification card, and the first event is used to trigger the opening of the satellite network; The second protocol stack module receives an authentication result from the user identification card through the first protocol stack module, wherein the authentication result corresponds to the authentication request; The second protocol stack module communicates with the satellite network through the second physical layer module, including: The second protocol stack module sends the authentication result to the satellite network through the second physical layer module; The second protocol stack module receives a message indicating successful authentication from the satellite network through the second physical layer module.

15. A mobile terminal, characterized in that: The mobile terminal comprises a chip system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, a user identification card interface and a satellite communication processor, wherein the chip system is communicatively connected to the user identification card interface and the satellite communication processor respectively, and the user identification card interface is used to plug in a user identification card.

16. The mobile terminal according to claim 15, characterized in that: The mobile terminal also includes a first radio frequency (RF) component and a second radio frequency (RF) component. The first RF component is communicatively connected to the baseband processor Modem in the chip system for sending and receiving cellular signals; the second RF component is communicatively connected to the satellite communication processor for sending and receiving satellite signals.

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