Network switching method and apparatus, communication device, communication system, and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a network switching method and apparatus, a device, and a storage medium. The method comprises: a terminal receives first information sent by a first network device, the first information being used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices. Network types covered by the first network device and the second network devices are different, and the terminal can switch between cells having different network types, thereby improving continuity of service.

Description

Network switching method and device, communication equipment, communication system, and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a network switching method and apparatus, communication equipment, a communication system, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Non-terrestrial network (NTN) communications are a key technology introduced with fifth-generation mobile communications (5G). They provide wireless resources via satellites or drones rather than ground base stations. Combining NTN with terrestrial network (TN) communications can extend TN coverage, provide emergency communications, and enable specialized industry applications, truly realizing the intelligent interconnection of all things. However, current terrestrial TN and non-terrestrial NTN networks are relatively independent and lack true integration, leaving room for improvement in service continuity.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a network switching method and apparatus, communication equipment, a communication system, and a storage medium.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network switching method is proposed, including:

[0006] First information sent by a first network device is received, wherein the first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the first network device and the second network device cover different network types.

[0007] Enables terminals to switch between cells of different network types, improving service continuity.

[0008] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network switching method is proposed, including:

[0009] First information is sent to the terminal, where the first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the first network device and the second network device cover different network types.

[0010] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first terminal is provided, including:

[0011] The transceiver module is used to receive first information sent by a first network device, wherein the first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the first network device and the second network device cover different network types.

[0012] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first network device is provided, including:

[0013] a transceiver module, configured to send first information to a terminal,

[0014] The first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the first network device and the second network device cover different network types.

[0015] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, including:

[0016] A transceiver; a memory; and a processor, connected to the transceiver and the memory, respectively, configured to control the wireless signal reception and transmission of the transceiver by executing computer-executable instructions on the memory, and capable of implementing the network switching method of any one of the first and second aspects.

[0017] According to the sixth aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer storage medium is proposed, which stores computer-executable instructions. After the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, the network switching method of any one of the first and second aspects can be implemented.

[0018] According to a seventh aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication system is proposed, including a terminal and a first network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the method of the first aspect, and the first network device is configured to implement the method of the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figures 1a-1b are schematic diagrams of the architecture of some communication systems provided by embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG2 is an interactive diagram of a network switching method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] 3a-3b are flowcharts of a network switching method provided in yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] 4a-4b are flowcharts of a network switching method provided in yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG5 is a flow chart of a network switching method provided in yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] FIG6 is a flow chart of a network switching method provided in yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG7a is a schematic structural diagram of a first network switching device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG7b is a schematic structural diagram of a second network switching device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG8a is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG8 b is a schematic structural diagram of a chip provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The method disclosed in the present invention can be used to solve the technical problem of "how to implement terminal switching between a non-terrestrial network NTN and a terrestrial network TN".

[0031] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a network switching method and apparatus, a communication device, a communication system, and a storage medium.

[0032] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a network switching method, the method comprising:

[0033] First information sent by a first network device is received, wherein the first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the first network device and the second network device cover different network types.

[0034] In the above embodiment, the terminal receives the cell information of one or more second network devices prepared by the first network device as candidate cell information, and the terminal can select the target cell for switching from the candidate cells, thereby enabling the terminal to switch between cells of different network types, thereby improving service continuity.

[0035] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first network device is a non-terrestrial network NTN device, the second network device is a terrestrial network TN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: a cell identifier of the TN device, an access threshold of the TN device, and a type to be measured of the TN device.

[0036] In the above embodiment, the NTN device to which the terminal is connected prepares cell information of one or more TN devices for the terminal to monitor and select, so that the terrestrial network TN can become the target radio access type (Radio Access Type, RAT) for the terminal to switch to the non-terrestrial network NTN, so that the terminal can switch from the non-terrestrial network NTN to the terrestrial network TN, realizing the mutual integration of the non-terrestrial network NTN and the terrestrial network TN, and improving service continuity.

[0037] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first network device is a TN device, the second network device is an NTN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: a satellite identifier of the NTN device, ephemeris information of the NTN device, an access threshold of the NTN device, and a type to be measured of the NTN device.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the TN device connected to the terminal prepares cell information of one or more NTN devices for the terminal to monitor and select, so that the non-terrestrial network NTN can become the target RAT for the terminal switching of the terrestrial network TN, so that the terminal can switch from the terrestrial network TN to the non-terrestrial network NTN, realizing the mutual integration of the non-terrestrial network NTN and the terrestrial network TN, and improving service continuity.

[0039] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0040] Receive second information sent by the first network device, wherein the second information includes configuration information for the terminal to measure the second network device; measure the second network device based on the second information to obtain a measurement result of the second network device; and send the measurement result to the first network device.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the terminal measures the second network device based on the measurement configuration information sent by the first network device to determine whether the cell of the second network device can be used as a candidate cell.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0043] Based on the first information, a target network device is determined from one or more second network devices.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the terminal determines the cell of the target second network device to be switched from the cells of the candidate second network devices prepared by the first network device, so as to implement switching of the terminal between cells of different network types and improve service continuity.

[0045] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0046] The communication connection with the first network device is disconnected, and a communication connection is established with the target network device.

[0047] In the above embodiment, after determining the target cell, the terminal disconnects from the cell of the current first network device and establishes a communication connection with the cell of the second network device to enable the terminal to switch between cells of different network types and improve service continuity.

[0048] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a network switching method, which includes: sending first information to a terminal, wherein the first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the network types covered by the first network device and the second network device are different.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the first network device prepares cell information of one or more second network devices as candidate cell information for the terminal, and provides it to the terminal for monitoring and selection, so that the terminal can switch between cells of different network types to improve service continuity.

[0050] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first network device is a non-terrestrial network NTN device, the second network device is a terrestrial network TN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: a cell identifier of the TN device, an access threshold of the TN device, and a type to be measured of the TN device.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the NTN device to which the terminal is connected prepares cell information of one or more TN devices for the terminal to monitor and select, so that the terrestrial network TN can become the target RAT for the terminal to switch to the non-terrestrial network NTN, so that the terminal can switch from the non-terrestrial network NTN to the terrestrial network TN, realizing the mutual integration of the non-terrestrial network NTN and the terrestrial network TN, and improving service continuity.

[0052] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first network device is a TN device, the second network device is an NTN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: a satellite identifier of the NTN device, ephemeris information of the NTN device, an access threshold of the NTN device, and a type to be measured of the NTN device.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the TN device connected to the terminal prepares cell information of one or more NTN devices for the terminal to monitor and select, so that the non-terrestrial network NTN can become the target RAT for the terminal switching of the terrestrial network TN, so that the terminal can switch from the terrestrial network TN to the non-terrestrial network NTN, realizing the mutual integration of the non-terrestrial network NTN and the terrestrial network TN, and improving service continuity.

[0054] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0055] Sending second information to the terminal, wherein the second information includes configuration information for the terminal to measure the second network device; receiving a measurement result sent by the terminal, wherein the measurement result is obtained by the terminal measuring the second network device based on the second information.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the first network device sends measurement configuration information to the terminal, so that the terminal can measure the second network device. The first network device receives the measurement results sent by the terminal and prepares one or more candidate cells of the second network device for the terminal based on the measurement results, so that the terminal can switch between cells of different network types, thereby improving service continuity.

[0057] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0058] Determine the link status with the terminal.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the first network device determines the link status between the terminal and the first network device, and decides whether to send a conditional switching request to the second network device based on the link status between the terminal and the measurement result of the terminal on the second network device. The signaling interaction process for the terminal to switch between cells of different network types is clarified to realize the switching of the terminal between cells of different network types and improve service continuity.

[0060] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0061] A first request is sent to the second network device, wherein the first request is used to instruct the second network device to perform admission control of conditional switching and allocate resources to the terminal.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the first network device sends a conditional switching request to the second network device, instructing the second network device to perform conditional switching admission control and allocate resources to the terminal to prepare for the terminal to switch to the second network device. The signaling interaction process between the first network device and the second network device is clarified to enable the terminal to switch between cells of different network types and improve service continuity.

[0063] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0064] Receive third information sent by the second network device, where the third information is used to indicate a result of the second network device performing admission control of the conditional handover, and the third information includes cell information of the second network device that is allowed to be accessed by the terminal.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the first network device sends a conditional switching request to the second network device, instructs the second network device to perform admission control of the conditional switching, and receives the result of the second network device performing admission control of the conditional switching, thereby clarifying the signaling interaction process between the first network device and the second network device to realize the switching of the terminal between cells of different network types and improve service continuity.

[0066] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0067] Receive fourth information sent by the target network device, wherein the target network device is determined by the terminal from the second network device, and the fourth information is used to instruct the first network device to release resources for communicating with the terminal.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the terminal determines the target network device from the second network device for conditional switching. After the switching is completed, the first network device receives the fourth information of the target network device, releases the resources for communicating with the terminal, and clarifies the signaling interaction process between the first network device and the target network device to realize the switching of the terminal between cells of different network types and improve service continuity.

[0069] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0070] Sending fifth information to a third network device, where the third network device is a second network device other than the target network device, and the fifth information is used to instruct the third network device to release the reserved resources.

[0071] In the above embodiment, after the terminal switches from the first network device to the target network device, the first network device sends the fifth information to the third network device, instructing the third network device to release the reserved resources, clarifying the signaling interaction process between the first network device and the second network device other than the target network device, so as to realize the switching of the terminal between cells of different network types and improve service continuity.

[0072] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a terminal, including:

[0073] The transceiver module is used to receive first information sent by a first network device, wherein the first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the first network device and the second network device cover different network types.

[0074] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a second network switching device, including:

[0075] The transceiver module is used to send first information to the terminal, wherein the first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the network types covered by the first network device and the second network device are different.

[0076] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a communication device, which includes: one or more processors; one or more memories for storing instructions; wherein the processor is used to call the instructions so that the communication device executes the network switching method described in the first and second aspects, and the optional implementation methods of the first and second aspects.

[0077] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a storage medium, which stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the method described in the first aspect, the optional implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, and the optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0078] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a communication system, comprising: a terminal and a first network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the method of the first aspect, and the first network device is configured to implement the method of the second aspect.

[0079] In the above embodiment, a communication system is provided, in which a terminal can be switched between cells of different network types, thereby improving service continuity.

[0080] In combination with some embodiments of the seventh aspect, in some embodiments, the communication system also includes a second network device.

[0081] In conjunction with some embodiments of the seventh aspect, in some embodiments, the second network device is configured to perform:

[0082] A first request sent by a first network device is received; based on the first request, conditional switching admission control is performed and resources are allocated to the terminal.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the first network device sends a first request to the second network device, and the second network device receives the first request sent by the first network device. Based on the first request, the second network device performs conditional switching admission control and allocates resources to the terminal, and clarifies the signaling interaction process between the first network device and the second network device to realize the switching of the terminal between cells of different network types and improve service continuity.

[0084] In conjunction with some embodiments of the seventh aspect, in some embodiments, the second network device is configured to perform:

[0085] Sending third information to the first network device, wherein the third information is used to indicate a result of the second network device performing admission control of the conditional handover, and the third information includes cell information of the second network device that is allowed to be accessed by the terminal.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the first network device sends a conditional switching request to the second network device, instructing the second network device to perform conditional switching admission control, the second network device performs conditional switching admission control, and sends third information to the first network device, indicating the result of the second network device performing conditional switching admission control, which clarifies the signaling interaction process between the first network device and the second network device to realize the switching of the terminal between cells of different network types and improve service continuity.

[0087] In conjunction with some embodiments of the seventh aspect, in some embodiments, the second network device serves as the target network device, configured to execute:

[0088] Fourth information is sent to the first network device, where the target network device is determined by the terminal from the second network device, and the fourth information is used to instruct the first network device to release resources for communicating with the terminal.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the terminal determines the target network device from the second network device for conditional switching. After the switching is completed, the target network device sends the fourth information to the first network device. The first network device receives the fourth information and releases the resources for communicating with the terminal. The signaling interaction process between the first network device and the target network device is clarified to realize the switching of the terminal between cells of different network types and improve service continuity.

[0090] In conjunction with some embodiments of the seventh aspect, in some embodiments, the second network device serves as the third network device, configured to perform:

[0091] Receive fifth information sent by the first network device, and release the reserved resources based on the fifth information, wherein the third network device is a second network device other than the target network device.

[0092] In the above embodiment, after the terminal switches from the first network device to the target network device, the first network device sends the fifth information to the third network device, the third network device receives the fifth information, releases the reserved resources, and clarifies the signaling interaction process between the first network device and the second network device other than the target network device, so as to realize the switching of the terminal between cells of different network types and improve service continuity.

[0093] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a program product. When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device executes the method described in the first aspect, the optional implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, and the optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0094] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in the first aspect, the optional implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, and the optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0095] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a chip or a chip system, which includes a processing circuit configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects above.

[0096] It is understandable that the above-mentioned terminal, first network device, communication device, communication system, storage medium, program product, and computer program are all used to execute the method proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can refer to the beneficial effects of the corresponding method and will not be repeated here.

[0097] The present disclosure provides a network switching method. In some embodiments, the terms "network switching method" and "information processing method" and "communication method" are interchangeable; the terms "information transmission device" and "information processing device" and "communication device" are interchangeable; and the terms "information processing system" and "communication system" are interchangeable.

[0098] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not exhaustive and are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and are not intended to be a specific limitation on the scope of protection of the present disclosure. In the absence of contradiction, each step in a certain embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a certain embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily exchanged. In addition, the optional implementation methods in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; in addition, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0099] In each embodiment of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified or provided for by logic, the terms and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0100] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0101] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, elements expressed in the singular, such as "a", "an", "the", "above", "said", "the", "the", etc., may mean "one and only one", or "one or more", "at least one", etc. For example, when using articles such as "a", "an", "the" in English in translation, the noun following the article may be understood as a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0102] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” refers to two or more.

[0103] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one of", "at least one of", "at least one of", "one or more", "a plurality of", "multiple", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0104] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, descriptions such as "at least one of A and B," "A and / or B," "A in one case, B in another case," and "in response to one case A, in response to another case B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the circumstances: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); and in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0105] In some embodiments, "A or B" and other descriptions may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0106] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different description objects and do not constitute any restriction on the position, order, priority, quantity or content of the description objects. For the statement of the description object, please refer to the description in the context of the claims or embodiments, and no unnecessary restriction should be constituted due to the use of prefixes. For example, if the description object is a "field", the ordinal number before the "field" in the "first field" and the "second field" does not limit the position or order between the "fields". "First" and "second" do not limit whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they limit the order of the "first field" and the "second field". For another example, if the description object is a "level", the ordinal number before the "level" in the "first level" and the "second level" does not limit the priority between the "levels". For another example, the number of description objects is not limited by the ordinal number and can be one or more. Taking "first device" as an example, the number of "devices" can be one or more. In addition, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the description object is "device", then the "first device" and the "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different; for another example, if the description object is "information", then the "first information" and the "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their contents can be the same or different.

[0107] In some embodiments, “including A,” “comprising A,” “used to indicate A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0108] In some embodiments, terms such as "in response to...", "in response to determining...", "in the case of...", "at the time of...", "when...", "if...", "if...", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0109] In some embodiments, terms such as "greater than", "greater than or equal to", "not less than", "more than", "more than or equal to", "not less than", "higher than", "higher than or equal to", "not less than", and "above" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "less than", "less than or equal to", "not greater than", "less than", "less than or equal to", "not more than", "lower than", "lower than or equal to", "not higher than", and "below" can be replaced with each other.

[0110] In some embodiments, devices, etc. can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. Terms such as "device", "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", and "subject" can be used interchangeably.

[0111] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network (eg, access network equipment, core network equipment, etc.).

[0112] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)", "radio access network device (RAN device)", "base station (BS)", "radio base station" "fixed station", "node", "access point", "transmission point (TP)", "reception point (RP)", "transmission / reception point (TRP)", "panel", "antenna panel", "antenna array", "cell", "macro cell", "small cell", "femto cell", "pico cell", "sector", "cell group", "carrier", "component carrier", "bandwidth part (BWP)" and the like may be used interchangeably.

[0113] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0114] In some embodiments, the access network device, the core network device, or the network device can be replaced by a terminal. For example, the various embodiments of the present disclosure can also be applied to a structure in which the communication between the access network device, the core network device, or the network device and the terminal is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (for example, it can also be called device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, it can also be set as a structure in which the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. In addition, language such as "uplink" and "downlink" can also be replaced by language corresponding to communication between terminals (for example, "side"). For example, uplink channels, downlink channels, etc. can be replaced by side channels, and uplinks, downlinks, etc. can be replaced by side links.

[0115] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, the core network device, or the network device may have a structure that has all or part of the functions of the terminal.

[0116] In some embodiments, obtaining data, information, etc. may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the data is obtained.

[0117] In some embodiments, data, information, etc. may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0118] In addition, each element, each row, or each column in the table of the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of any elements, any rows, and any columns can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0119] FIG1a and FIG1b are schematic diagrams showing the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0120] As shown in Figure 1a, a communication system 100 may include a terminal 101 and a first network device 102. The first network device 102 may include one of an access network device and a core network device.

[0121] As shown in FIG1 b , the communication system 100 may further include a second network device 103 . The second network device 103 may include one of an access network device and a core network device.

[0122] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first network device 102 and the second network device 103 cover different network types. For example, in some embodiments, the first network device 102 may be a non-terrestrial network (NTN) device, and the second network device 103 may be a terrestrial network (TN) device. In other embodiments, the first network device 102 may be a terrestrial network (TN) device, and the second network device 103 may be a non-terrestrial network (NTN) device.

[0123] In some embodiments, terrestrial network TN equipment is deployed on the ground, and non-terrestrial network NTN equipment is deployed on high-altitude platforms such as satellites, drones, balloons in the stratosphere, and airships.

[0124] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 includes, for example, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an Internet of Things device, a car with communication function, a smart car, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, and at least one of a wireless terminal device in a smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0125] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that accesses a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include an evolved NodeB (eNB), a next generation evolved NodeB (ng-eNB), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a node B (NB), a home node B (HNB), a home evolved nodeB (HeNB), a wireless backhaul device, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base band unit (BBU), a mobile switching center, a base station in a 6G communication system, an open base station (Open RAN), a cloud base station (Cloud RAN), a base station in other communication systems, and at least one of an access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, but is not limited thereto.

[0126] In some embodiments, the technical solution of the present disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within the access network devices involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of the Open RAN, and the processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented through software or programs.

[0127] In some embodiments, the access network device can be composed of a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU), where the CU can also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can be used to split the protocol layer of the access network device, with the functions of some protocol layers centrally controlled by the CU, and the functions of the remaining part or all of the protocol layers distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU, but is not limited to this.

[0128] In some embodiments, a core network device may be a single device comprising one or more network elements, or may be a plurality of devices or a group of devices, each comprising all or part of one or more network elements. A network element may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a 5G Core Network (5GCN), and a Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0129] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned one or more network elements may include, for example: Policy Control Function (PCF), Application Function (AF), Network Application Function (NAF), Authentication and Key management for Applications Anchor Function (AAnF), Bootstrapping Server Functionality (BSF), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), User Plane Function (UPF), Session Management Function (SMF), Mobility Management Entity (MME), etc.

[0130] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned PCF, AF, NAF, AAnF, BSF, AMF, UPF, SMF, and MME are used for "function limitation", and the names are not limited to this.

[0131] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned PCF, AF, NAF, AAnF, BSF, AMF, UPF, SMF, and MME can be independent of the core network equipment.

[0132] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned PCF, AF, NAF, AAnF, BSF, AMF, UPF, SMF, and MME can be part of the core network device 103.

[0133] It can be understood that the communication system described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure is also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0134] The following embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to the communication system 100 shown in Figures 1a and 1b, or a portion thereof, but are not limited thereto. The entities shown in Figures 1a and 1b are examples. The communication system may include all or part of the entities shown in Figures 1a and 1b, or may include other entities other than those shown in Figures 1a and 1b. The number and form of the entities may be arbitrary. The connection relationship between the entities is an example. The entities may be connected or disconnected, and the connection may be in any manner, including direct or indirect, wired or wireless.

[0135] FIG2 is an interactive diagram of a network switching method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2 , the present disclosure embodiment relates to a network switching method for a communication system 100, the method comprising:

[0136] Step 2101: The first network device 102 sends second information to the terminal 101.

[0137] The second information includes configuration information for the terminal 101 to measure the second network device 103 , and the first network device 102 and the second network device 103 cover different network types.

[0138] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 is the network device where the terminal 101 currently resides, and the terminal 101 is connected to the cell covered by the first network device 102 before performing network switching.

[0139] In some embodiments, the second network device 103 is a network device around the terminal 101, and there may be one or more second network devices 102.

[0140] For example, when terminal 101 is moving, the link with the first network device 102 weakens, and the first network device 102 sends measurement configuration information to terminal 101. Terminal 101 can measure the surrounding network devices based on the measurement configuration information to determine whether there are more suitable network devices around to provide a stronger network connection.

[0141] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 is a terrestrial network TN device, and the second network device 103 is a non-terrestrial network NTN device, and the second information includes information of the NTN network device.

[0142] In some embodiments, the terrestrial network TN includes a terrestrial cellular network, such as an NR (New Radio) or LTE (Long Term Evolution) network, and the first network device 102 can be an access network device or a core network device of the terrestrial cellular network, such as a base station of the terrestrial cellular network.

[0143] In some embodiments, non-terrestrial network NTN devices include satellites, drones, etc. If the second network device is a satellite, the second information includes satellite identification, ephemeris, and other information.

[0144] Exemplarily, the base station or cell where the terminal 101 resides sends measurement configuration information to the terminal 101. The measurement configuration information is configuration information used by the terminal 101 to measure the satellites around it. The measurement configuration information includes information such as satellite identification and ephemeris.

[0145] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 is a non-terrestrial network NTN device, and the second network device 103 is a terrestrial network TN device, and the second information includes information of surrounding TN network devices.

[0146] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 may be an access network device and / or a core network device of a terrestrial cellular network, such as a base station of a terrestrial cellular network, and the second information may include an identifier of a cell of the terrestrial cellular network, confidential information, etc., wherein the identifier of the cell is, for example, a physical cell identifier (PCI) and a frequency, and the terminal 101 may distinguish different cells based on the PCI and the frequency.

[0147] Exemplarily, the resident satellite (or source satellite) of terminal 101 sends measurement configuration information to terminal 101. The measurement configuration information is configuration information used by terminal 101 to measure cells of the cellular network around terminal 101. The measurement configuration information includes cell information of the cellular network.

[0148] Step 2102 : The terminal 101 measures the second network device 103 based on the second information to obtain a measurement result of the second network device 103 .

[0149] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 obtains configuration information for measuring the second network device 103 from the first network device 102 , and measures the second network device 103 , including measuring the signal strength, signal quality, etc. of the second network device 103 .

[0150] For example, in an LTE network, the terminal 101 may measure the reference signal receiving power (RSRP) of the second network device 103, where RSRP is a key parameter representing the strength of a wireless signal. The terminal 101 may measure the reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ) of the second network device 103, where RSRQ is a key parameter representing the quality of a wireless signal.

[0151] Step 2103 : The terminal 101 sends the measurement result to the first network device 102 .

[0152] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 is a terrestrial network (TN) device, and the second network device 103 is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) device.

[0153] Exemplarily, the first network device 102 is a base station of a terrestrial cellular network, and the second network device 103 is a satellite. The terminal 101 receives measurement configuration information sent by the resident base station or cell to the terminal 101. The measurement configuration information includes satellite identification, ephemeris, etc., and senses the current multi-coverage status, that is, senses which satellites are around. According to the measurement configuration information, the surrounding satellites are measured, the signal strength and signal quality of the surrounding satellites are measured, and the measurement results are sent to the resident base station or cell.

[0154] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) device, and the second network device 103 is a terrestrial network (TN) device.

[0155] Exemplarily, the first network device 102 is a satellite, and the second network device 103 is a base station of a terrestrial cellular network. The terminal 101 receives measurement configuration information sent by the resident satellite or source satellite to the terminal 101. The measurement configuration information includes cell information of the terrestrial cellular network, etc., and senses the current multi-coverage status, that is, senses which cells are around, measures the surrounding cells according to the measurement configuration information, measures the signal strength and signal quality of the surrounding cells, etc., and sends the measurement results to the resident satellite.

[0156] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 measures one or more second network devices 103 , obtains measurement results of the one or more second network devices 103 , and sends the measurement results of the one or more second network devices 103 to the first network device 102 .

[0157] Exemplarily, the first network device 102 is a base station of a terrestrial cellular network, the second network device 103 is a satellite, and the terminal 101 senses that there are 10 satellites around it, measures the signal strength, signal quality, etc. of the 10 satellites respectively, and reports the measurement results of the 10 satellites to the resident base station or cell.

[0158] Step 2104 : The first network device 102 determines the link status between itself and the terminal 101 .

[0159] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 determines the link status between itself and the terminal 101 by determining link strength, link quality, etc.

[0160] Step 2105 : The first network device 102 sends a first request to the second network device 103 .

[0161] In some embodiments, the first request is used to instruct the second network device to perform admission control of conditional handover and allocate resources to the terminal. The first request may be a Conditional Handover (CHO) request.

[0162] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 determines whether to send the first request to the second network device 103 according to the link status between the first network device 102 and the terminal 101 .

[0163] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 selects one or more second network devices 103 to send the first request based on the measurement result sent by the terminal 101 .

[0164] Exemplarily, the first network device 102 is a base station of a terrestrial cellular network, and the second network device 103 is a satellite. The resident base station or cell of the terminal 101 receives the measurement results of 10 satellites reported by the terminal 101, selects one or more satellites according to a preset algorithm, for example, 5 of the satellites, and sends a conditional switching request to these 5 satellites.

[0165] Step 2106 : The second network device 102 performs conditional handover admission control and allocates resources to the terminal 101 based on the first request.

[0166] In some embodiments, the second network device 102 performs conditional switching access control to determine and control whether the terminal 101 is allowed to access the network, including determining whether the terminal 101 is allowed to access the network based on the load level of the network, performing a compliance check on the terminal 101 of the first network device 102 to determine whether the terminal 101 is allowed to access, etc.

[0167] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 is a terrestrial network (TN) device, and the second network device 103 is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) device.

[0168] Exemplarily, the first network device 102 is a base station of a terrestrial cellular network, and the second network device 103 is a satellite. The resident base station or cell of the terminal 101 selects one or more satellites to send a conditional switching request. The selected satellites are called candidate satellites. After each candidate satellite receives the conditional switching request, it performs conditional switching admission control to prepare for switching and allocate resources to the terminal 101.

[0169] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) device, and the second network device 103 is a terrestrial network (TN) device.

[0170] Exemplarily, the first network device 102 is a base station of a terrestrial cellular network, and the second network device 103 is a satellite. The resident satellite or source satellite of the terminal 101 selects one or more terrestrial cellular network cells to send a conditional switching request. The selected cells are called candidate cells. After each candidate cell receives the conditional switching request, it performs conditional switching admission control to prepare for switching and allocate resources to the terminal 101.

[0171] Step 2107 : The second network device 103 sends third information to the first network device 102 .

[0172] In some embodiments, some second network devices 103 allow terminal access, and some second network devices 103 do not allow terminal access. For example, the second network device 103 is used to perform emergency services, and the terminal 101 is an ordinary user device. The second network device 103 determines that the service level of the terminal 101 does not belong to emergency services and does not allow the terminal 101 to access.

[0173] In some embodiments, the third information is used to indicate a result of the second network device performing admission control of the conditional handover, and the third information includes cell information of the second network device that is allowed to be accessed by the terminal.

[0174] In some embodiments, the second network devices 103 that are allowed to be accessed by the terminal all send cell information to the first network device 102 .

[0175] In some embodiments, the third information is carried in a conditional handover request confirmation command (CHO Request Acknowledge), and the third information may be RRC reconfiguration information.

[0176] Exemplarily, the first network device 102 is a base station of a terrestrial cellular network, the second network device 103 is a satellite, and the resident base station or cell of the terminal 101 selects 5 satellites to send a conditional switching request. The selected satellites are called candidate satellites. After receiving the conditional switching request, each candidate satellite performs conditional switching admission control. One candidate satellite is used for fire alarm service, and the terminal 101 is an ordinary user device and is not allowed to access. The remaining 4 candidate satellites allow the terminal 101 to access. The 4 candidate satellites all send a conditional handover request confirmation command including an RRC reconfiguration message to the resident base station or cell of the terminal 101.

[0177] Step 2108 : The first network device 102 sends first information to the terminal 101 .

[0178] The first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices.

[0179] In some embodiments, the first network device creates the first information based on the third information, for example, based on received cell information of one or more second network devices that are allowed to be accessed by the terminal, where the first information indicates the cell information of the one or more second network devices that are allowed to be accessed by the terminal.

[0180] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 performs conditional switching, and the first information includes the identification, access threshold, etc. of one or more candidate second network devices 103 prepared by the network device 102 for the terminal 101. The terminal 101 selects a second network device 103 from the candidate list as the target network device for performing the switching.

[0181] In some embodiments, the first information also includes additional measurement configurations, and the terminal 101 can further monitor the candidate second network device 103 according to the measurement configuration to determine the target network device. For example, the second information in step 2101 includes the measured signal strength. In the preparation stage of the conditional switching, the terminal 101 only measures the signal strength of the second network device 103. The first message includes the measured signal quality, and the terminal 101 further measures the signal quality of the second network device 103.

[0182] In some embodiments, the third information includes RRC reconfiguration information (RRCReconfiguration). The first network device 102 creates first information based on the RRC reconfiguration information, including a list of candidate second network devices 103 and additional RRC measurement configuration, and sends the first information to the terminal 101 so that the terminal 101 can monitor the candidate second network devices 103 and select the target network device from them.

[0183] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 is a non-terrestrial network NTN device, the second network device 103 is a terrestrial network TN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: a cell identifier of the TN device, an access threshold of the TN device, and a type of measurement to be performed by the TN device.

[0184] Exemplarily, the first network device 102 is a satellite, the second network device 103 is a base station of a terrestrial cellular network, and the terminal 101 resides in the satellite network. The first information sent by the resident satellite of the terminal 101, or the source satellite, to the terminal 101 includes cell information of the terrestrial cellular network, such as information of candidate cells such as NR and LTE, specifically including at least one of a cell identifier, an access threshold, and a type to be measured.

[0185] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 is a TN device, the second network device 103 is an NTN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: a satellite identifier of the NTN device, ephemeris information of the NTN device, an access threshold of the NTN device, and a type of the NTN device to be measured.

[0186] Exemplarily, the first network device 102 is a base station of a terrestrial cellular network, the second network device 103 is a satellite, the terminal 101 resides in the terrestrial cellular network, and the first information sent by the resident base station of the terminal 101 to the terminal 101 includes information about the terrestrial satellite, specifically including at least one of satellite identification, ephemeris information, access threshold, and type to be measured.

[0187] Step 2109 : The terminal 101 determines a target network device from one or more second network devices 103 based on the first information.

[0188] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 maintains a connection with the first network device 102 , and based on the first information, the terminal 101 monitors one or more second network devices 103 indicated by the first information.

[0189] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 opens a time window to monitor the second network device 103 for a preset time. If the signal strength, signal quality, etc. of a second network device 103 remain good within the preset time, the terminal 101 can determine the second network device 103 as the target network device.

[0190] Exemplarily, the first network device 102 is a satellite, the second network device 103 is a base station of a terrestrial cellular network, the terminal maintains connection with the source satellite, begins to monitor the status of four candidate terrestrial cellular network cells, makes a conditional switching decision, and determines one of the candidate terrestrial cellular network cells as the target cell.

[0191] Step 21010: Terminal 101 disconnects the communication connection with the first network device 102 and establishes a communication connection with the target network device.

[0192] In some embodiments, after determining the target network device, the terminal 101 prepares to separate from the first network device 102 and synchronize to the target network device, and sends a reconfiguration completion message to the target network device to complete the conditional switching process.

[0193] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 is a non-terrestrial network NTN device, and the second network device 103 is a terrestrial network TN device. The terminal switches from the non-terrestrial network NTN to the terrestrial network TN. Exemplarily, the first network device 102 is a satellite, and the second network device 103 is a base station of a terrestrial cellular network. The UE is ready to separate from the source satellite and synchronize to the target terrestrial cellular network cell, and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message (RRCReconfiguration Complete) to the target terrestrial cellular network cell to complete the CHO process.

[0194] Step 21011: The target network device sends fourth information to the first network device 102.

[0195] The fourth information is used to instruct the first network device 102 to release resources for communicating with the terminal 101.

[0196] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 performs conditional switching, switching from the first network device 102 to the target network device. The target network device checks the completion status of the conditional switching of the terminal 101 and sends a fourth message to the first network device 102. The first network device 102 receives the fourth message, releases the resources for communicating with the terminal 101, and completes the link switching.

[0197] In some embodiments, the fourth information may be a UE context release message (UE context Release).

[0198] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 is a non-terrestrial network NTN device, and the second network device 103 is a terrestrial network TN device. The terminal switches from the non-terrestrial network NTN to the terrestrial network TN. Exemplarily, the first network device 102 is a satellite, and the second network device 103 is a base station of a terrestrial cellular network. The target terrestrial cellular network cell checks the completion status of the conditional switching and sends a UE context release message to the source satellite. The context release message is used to instruct the first network device 102 to release resources for communicating with the terminal 101 and complete the link switching.

[0199] Step 21012: The first network device 102 sends fifth information to the third network device.

[0200] The third network device is a second network device 103 other than the target network device, and the fifth information is used to instruct the third network device to release the reserved resources.

[0201] In some embodiments, in step 2106, the second network device 103 that receives the first request allocates resources to the terminal 101 and is ready to switch. The terminal 101 selects a target network device from one or more second network devices 103 for switching. When the terminal 101 completes the switch, the second network device 103 other than the target network device receives the fifth information and releases the resources allocated to the terminal 101.

[0202] In some embodiments, the fifth information may be a conditional switching cancellation message.

[0203] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 is a non-terrestrial network NTN device, and the second network device 103 is a terrestrial network TN device. The terminal switches from the non-terrestrial network NTN to the terrestrial network TN. Exemplarily, the first network device 102 is a satellite, and the second network device 103 is a base station of a terrestrial cellular network. The source satellite checks whether the conditional switching is completed, and then sends a conditional switching cancellation message to other candidate terrestrial cellular network cells to release the reserved resources.

[0204] The network switching method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S21012. For example, step 2108 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2101 to S2108 may be implemented as independent embodiments, and steps S2108 to S21012 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0205] In some embodiments, steps S2101 to S2107 and steps 2109 to 21012 are optional steps, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0206] FIG3a is a flow chart of a network switching method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3a, the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a network switching method, which is executed by terminal 101 and includes:

[0207] Step 3101: Receive second information sent by the first network device.

[0208] The second information includes configuration information used by the terminal to measure the second network device.

[0209] The optional implementation of step S3101 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2101 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0210] Step 3102: Based on the second information, measure the second network device to obtain a measurement result of the second network device.

[0211] The optional implementation of step S3102 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2102 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0212] Step 3103: Send the measurement result to the first network device.

[0213] The optional implementation of step S3103 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2103 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0214] Step 3104: Receive first information sent by the first network device.

[0215] The first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the first network device and the second network device cover different network types.

[0216] In some embodiments, the first network device is a non-terrestrial network NTN device, the second network device is a terrestrial network TN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: a cell identifier of the TN device, an access threshold of the TN device, and a type of measurement to be performed on the TN device.

[0217] In some embodiments, the first network device is a TN device, the second network device is an NTN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: a satellite identifier of the NTN device, ephemeris information of the NTN device, an access threshold of the NTN device, and a type of the NTN device to be measured.

[0218] The optional implementation of step S3104 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2108 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0219] Step 3105: Based on the first information, determine the target network device from one or more second network devices.

[0220] The optional implementation of step S3105 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2109 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0221] Step 3106: Disconnect the communication connection with the first network device and establish a communication connection with the target network device.

[0222] The optional implementation of step S3106 can refer to the optional implementation of step S21010 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0223] The communication method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S3101 to S3106, step 3104 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 3104 + step 3105 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 3101 + step 3102 + step 3103 + step 3104 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited to this.

[0224] In some embodiments, step 3101, step 3102, step 3103, step 3105, and step 3106 are optional steps, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0225] In this embodiment or example, unless there is any contradiction, each step can be independent, arbitrarily combined or exchanged in order, the optional methods or optional examples can be arbitrarily combined, and can be arbitrarily combined with any steps of other embodiments or other examples.

[0226] FIG3b is a flow chart of a network switching method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3b , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a network switching method, which is executed by terminal 101 and includes:

[0227] Step 3201: Receive first information sent by a first network device.

[0228] The first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the first network device and the second network device cover different network types.

[0229] In some embodiments, the first network device is a non-terrestrial network NTN device, the second network device is a terrestrial network TN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: a cell identifier of the TN device, an access threshold of the TN device, and a type of measurement to be performed on the TN device.

[0230] In some embodiments, the first network device is a TN device, the second network device is an NTN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: a satellite identifier of the NTN device, ephemeris information of the NTN device, an access threshold of the NTN device, and a type of the NTN device to be measured.

[0231] The optional implementation of step S3201 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2108 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0232] FIG4a is a flow chart of a network switching method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4a , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a network switching method, which is executed by the first network device 102 and includes:

[0233] Step 4101: Send second information to the terminal.

[0234] The second information includes configuration information used by the terminal to measure the second network device.

[0235] The optional implementation of step 4101 can refer to the optional implementation of step 2101 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0236] Step 4102: Receive the measurement result sent by the terminal.

[0237] The measurement result is obtained by the terminal measuring the second network device based on the second information.

[0238] The optional implementation of step 4102 can refer to the optional implementation of step 2103 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0239] Step 4103: Determine the link status with the terminal.

[0240] The optional implementation of step 4103 can refer to the optional implementation of step 2104 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0241] Step 4104: Send a first request to the second network device.

[0242] The first request is used to instruct the second network device to perform admission control of conditional switching and allocate resources to the terminal.

[0243] The optional implementation of step 4104 can refer to the optional implementation of step 2105 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0244] Step 4105: Receive the third information sent by the second network device.

[0245] The third information is used to indicate the result of the second network device performing admission control of the conditional handover, and the third information includes cell information of the second network device that is allowed to be accessed by the terminal.

[0246] The optional implementation of step 4105 can refer to the optional implementation of step 2107 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0247] Step 4106: Send the first information to the terminal.

[0248] The first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the first network device and the second network device cover different network types.

[0249] In some embodiments, the first network device is a non-terrestrial network NTN device, the second network device is a terrestrial network TN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: a cell identifier of the TN device, an access threshold of the TN device, and a type of measurement to be performed on the TN device.

[0250] In some embodiments, the first network device is a TN device, the second network device is an NTN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: a satellite identifier of the NTN device, ephemeris information of the NTN device, an access threshold of the NTN device, and a type of the NTN device to be measured.

[0251] The optional implementation of step S4106 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2108 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0252] Step 4107: Receive the fourth information sent by the target network device.

[0253] The target network device is determined by the terminal from the second network device, and the fourth information is used to instruct the first network device to release resources for communicating with the terminal.

[0254] The optional implementation of step 4107 can refer to the optional implementation of step 21011 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0255] Step 4108: Send the fifth information to the third network device.

[0256] The third network device is a second network device other than the target network device, and the fifth information is used to instruct the third network device to release the reserved resources.

[0257] The optional implementation of step 4108 can refer to the optional implementation of step 21012 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0258] The communication method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S4101 to S4108. Step 4106 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step 4106+step 4107+step 4108 can be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0259] In some embodiments, steps 4101 to 4105, step 4107, and step 4108 are optional steps, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0260] In this embodiment or example, unless there is any contradiction, each step can be independent, arbitrarily combined or exchanged in order, and the optional methods or optional examples can be arbitrarily combined and can be arbitrarily combined with other embodiments or examples.

[0261] FIG4 b is a flow chart of a network switching method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4 b , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a network switching method, which is executed by the first network device 102 and includes:

[0262] Step 4201: Send first information to the terminal.

[0263] The first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the first network device and the second network device cover different network types.

[0264] In some embodiments, the first network device is a non-terrestrial network NTN device, the second network device is a terrestrial network TN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: a cell identifier of the TN device, an access threshold of the TN device, and a type of measurement to be performed on the TN device.

[0265] In some embodiments, the first network device is a TN device, the second network device is an NTN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: a satellite identifier of the NTN device, ephemeris information of the NTN device, an access threshold of the NTN device, and a type of the NTN device to be measured.

[0266] The optional implementation of step S4106 can refer to the optional implementation of step S2108 in Figure 2 and other related parts in the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0267] FIG5 is a flow chart of a network switching method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5 , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a network switching method for a communication system 100, the method comprising:

[0268] Step 5101: The terminal sends first information to a first network device, where the first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, where the first network device and the second network device cover different network types. For optional implementations of step 5101, see the optional implementation of step 2108 in Figure 2 and other related parts of the embodiment involved in Figure 2. In some optional embodiments, step 5101 may include step 3104 in Figure 3a and step 4106 in Figure 4a, as well as the optional implementations of Figures 3a-3b, Figures 4a-4b, and other related parts of the embodiment involved in Figure 2, which are not repeated here.

[0269] In some embodiments, the above method may include the method described in the above embodiments of the communication system side, user equipment side, network equipment side, etc., which will not be repeated here.

[0270] In some embodiments, the first network device 102 is a terrestrial network TN device and the second network device 103 is a non-terrestrial network NTN device, or the first network device 102 is a non-terrestrial network NTN device and the second network device 103 is a terrestrial network TN device.

[0271] In some embodiments, the terrestrial network TN includes a terrestrial cellular network, such as NR (New Radio) and LTE (Long Term Evolution) networks, and non-terrestrial network NTN devices include satellites, drones, etc.

[0272] In some embodiments, the communication system 100 can be applied to non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). NTN communications use satellites or drones rather than ground base stations to provide wireless resources. The communication connection between the UE and the satellite is a service link, and the connection between the satellite and the ground receiving station is a feeder link. The ground receiving station is connected to the core network, thereby enabling the UE to access the core network through the satellite access network.

[0273] The following is an exemplary introduction to the above method by taking the first network device 102 as a satellite and the second network device 103 as a base station of a terrestrial cellular network as an example.

[0274] In some embodiments, the network handover method can be applied to a conditional handover process of a non-terrestrial network (NTN). For the NTN, the main improvement from normal handover to conditional handover is to enable each UE to continuously monitor radio quality before HO is performed and ultimately select the best target satellite from a list of candidate neighboring satellites.

[0275] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6 , the UE performs conditional handover from a source satellite to a target satellite.

[0276] Step 6101: The source satellite sends measurement configuration information to the UE.

[0277] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration information may include information such as satellite identification, ephemeris, or cell information of a terrestrial cellular network.

[0278] In some embodiments, the terminal receives measurement configuration information of the source satellite, senses the current multi-coverage status, and then reports according to the measurement configuration.

[0279] Step 6102: The terminal sends a Radio Resource Control (RRC) measurement report to the source satellite.

[0280] In some embodiments, the radio resource control measurement report includes a series of target candidate satellite or terrestrial cellular network cell information, indicating that a handover to the next satellite or terrestrial cellular network cell information is required.

[0281] Step 6103: The source satellite checks the service link status.

[0282] Step 6104: The source satellite sends a conditional handover request (CHO Request) to each target candidate satellite or terrestrial cellular network cell information.

[0283] Step 6105: Each candidate satellite or terrestrial cellular network cell performs admission control of the conditional handover request to prepare for the handover and allocate resources to the UE.

[0284] Step 6106: The candidate satellite or terrestrial cellular network cell that is allowed to access sends a request confirmation command (CHO RequestAckonwledge) to the source satellite.

[0285] In some embodiments, the request confirmation command includes RRC reconfiguration information (RRCReconfiguration).

[0286] Step 6107: The source satellite creates a conditional handover command based on the RRC reconfiguration message and sends it to the UE.

[0287] In some embodiments, the conditional handover command includes a conditional handover candidate list and additional RRC measurement configuration.

[0288] In some embodiments, the conditional handover option list includes cell information of the terrestrial cellular network, such as cell identification, access threshold, etc.

[0289] Step 6108: The terminal maintains connection with the source satellite and begins monitoring the status of target candidate satellites or terrestrial cellular network (NR, LTE) cells, makes conditional handover decisions, and determines the target RAT (Radio Access Type).

[0290] In some embodiments, the target RAT may be a target satellite as shown in FIG. 6 , or may be a target terrestrial cellular network cell.

[0291] Step 6109: The UE prepares to separate from the source satellite and synchronize to the target satellite or terrestrial cellular network cell.

[0292] Step 61010: The UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message (RRCReconfiguration Complete) to the target satellite or terrestrial cellular network cell.

[0293] Step 61011: Complete the conditional switching process.

[0294] Step 61012: The target satellite or terrestrial cellular network cell checks the completion of the conditional handover and sends a UE context release message to the source satellite to complete the link handover.

[0295] Step 61013: The source satellite checks whether the conditional handover is completed, and then sends a conditional handover cancellation message to other candidate satellites or ground cellular network cells to release the reserved resources.

[0296] It should be noted that in the above embodiment, the UE resides in the satellite network, and the cell information of the terrestrial cellular network (such as information of target cells such as NR and LTE) is added to the candidate list of the CHO message, so that the terrestrial cellular network can become the target RAT for NTN network switching.

[0297] Similarly, if the UE resides on a terrestrial cellular network, satellite information (such as satellite number, ephemeris data, etc.) is added to the candidate list of the conditional handover message so that the NTN network can become the target RAT for handover to the terrestrial cellular network.

[0298] Therefore, the network switching method disclosed in the present invention can enable the NTN network and the terrestrial wireless cellular network to become the target RATs for switching to each other. By using conditional switching, the target NTN network or the terrestrial cellular network is measured and switched, so that the service continuity of the NTN network and the terrestrial cellular network is further improved, and the deep integration of the NTN network and the terrestrial cellular network is realized.

[0299] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a user equipment in any of the above methods. For another example, another apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network function node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0300] It should be understood that the division of the various units or modules in the above device is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they may be fully or partially integrated into a physical entity, or they may be physically separated. In addition, the units or modules in the device may be implemented in the form of a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor, the processor is connected to a memory, and the memory stores instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or implement the functions of the various units or modules of the above device, wherein the processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory is a memory within the device or a memory outside the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits, and the functions of some or all of the units or modules can be realized by designing the hardware circuits. The above-mentioned hardware circuits can be understood as one or more processors; for example, in one implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which realizes the functions of some or all of the above units or modules by designing the logical relationship of the components in the circuit; for example, in another implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit can be realized by a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gate circuits, and the connection relationship between the logic gate circuits is configured by configuring the configuration file, thereby realizing the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. All units or modules of the above devices can be realized in the form of software called by the processor, or in the form of hardware circuits, or in part by the form of software called by the processor, and the rest by hardware circuits.

[0301] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capability. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capability, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP); in another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationship of the hardware circuit, and the logical relationship of the above hardware circuit is fixed or reconfigurable, such as a hardware circuit implemented by a processor as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and implementing the hardware circuit configuration can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. In addition, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc.

[0302] Figure 7a is a structural diagram of the terminal proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7a, the terminal includes: a transceiver module for receiving a first message sent by a first network device, wherein the first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the network types covered by the first network device and the second network device are different. Optionally, the above-mentioned transceiver module is used to execute the steps related to "receiving the first information sent by the first network device" executed by the terminal 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be repeated here. Optionally, the first network switching device also includes at least one of the following: a determination module, and the above-mentioned determination module is used to execute the steps related to determination executed by the terminal 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be repeated here.

[0303] Figure 7b is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first network device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7b, the first network device includes a transceiver module configured to send first information to a terminal, wherein the first information indicates cell information of one or more second network devices, and the first network device and the second network device cover different network types. Optionally, the transceiver module is configured to execute the steps related to "sending the first information to the terminal" performed by first network device 102 in any of the above methods, and will not be further described here.

[0304] Figure 8a is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 8100 proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Communication device 8100 can be a first network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., a user equipment, etc.), a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports a network device to implement any of the above methods, or a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports a terminal to implement any of the above methods. Communication device 8100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiments.

[0305] As shown in Figure 8a, the communication device 8100 includes one or more processors 8101. The processor 8101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (such as a base station, baseband chip, terminal device, terminal device chip, DU or CU, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. The processor 8101 is used to call instructions to enable the communication device 8100 to perform any of the above methods.

[0306] In some embodiments, the communication device 8100 further includes one or more memories 8102 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 8102 may be located outside the communication device 8100.

[0307] In some embodiments, the communication device 8100 further includes one or more transceivers 8103. When the communication device 8100 includes one or more transceivers 8103, the communication steps such as sending and receiving in the above method are performed by the transceiver 8103, and the other steps are performed by the processor 8101.

[0308] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, and transceiver circuit may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit may be used interchangeably.

[0309] Optionally, the communication device 8100 further includes one or more interface circuits 8104, which are connected to the memory 8102. The interface circuits 8104 can be used to receive signals from the memory 8102 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to the memory 8102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 8104 can read instructions stored in the memory 8102 and send the instructions to the processor 8101.

[0310] The communication device 8100 described in the above embodiment may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 8100 described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 8100 may not be limited by FIG. 8a. The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: 1) an independent integrated circuit IC, or a chip, or a chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the above IC collection may also include a storage component for storing data or programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, a terminal device, an intelligent terminal device, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handheld device, a mobile unit, an in-vehicle device, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0311] FIG8b is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip 8200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. If the communication device 8100 can be a chip or a chip system, reference can be made to the schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 8200 shown in FIG8b, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0312] The chip 8200 includes one or more processors 8201, and the processor 8201 is used to call instructions so that the chip 8200 executes any of the above methods.

[0313] In some embodiments, chip 8200 further includes one or more interface circuits 8202, which are connected to memory 8203. Interface circuit 8202 can be used to receive signals from memory 8203 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to memory 8203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 8202 can read instructions stored in memory 8203 and send the instructions to processor 8201. Optionally, the terms interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, and transceiver are interchangeable.

[0314] In some embodiments, the chip 8200 further includes one or more memories 8203 for storing instructions. Alternatively, all or part of the memories 8203 may be outside the chip 8200.

[0315] The present disclosure also proposes a storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed on the communication device 8100, causes the communication device 8100 to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but is not limited thereto, and may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but is not limited thereto, and may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0316] The present disclosure also provides a program product, which, when executed by the communication device 8100, enables the communication device 8100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0317] The present disclosure also proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform any one of the above methods.

[0318] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs. When the computer program is loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present disclosure are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer program can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a high-density digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0319] The correspondences shown in the tables of the present disclosure can be configured or predefined. The values ​​of the information in each table are merely examples and can be configured to other values, which are not limited by the present disclosure. When configuring the correspondences between information and parameters, it is not necessarily required to configure all the correspondences shown in each table. For example, in the tables of the present disclosure, the correspondences shown in certain rows may not be configured. For another example, appropriate deformation adjustments can be made based on the above tables, such as splitting, merging, etc. The names of the parameters shown in the titles of the above tables may also adopt other names that can be understood by the communication device, and the values ​​or representations of the parameters may also adopt other values ​​or representations that can be understood by the communication device. When implementing the above tables, other data structures may also be used, such as arrays, queues, containers, stacks, linear lists, pointers, linked lists, trees, graphs, structures, classes, heaps, hash tables or hash tables, etc.

[0320] The predefined in the present disclosure may be understood as defined, predefined, stored, pre-stored, pre-negotiated, pre-configured, solidified, or pre-burned.

[0321] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0322] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0323] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the scope of protection of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this disclosure should be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A network switching method, characterized in that: The method is executed by a terminal, and includes: receiving first information sent by a first network device, The first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the first network device and the second network device cover different network types.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first network device is a non-terrestrial network NTN device, the second network device is a terrestrial network TN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: The cell identifier of the TN device, the access threshold of the TN device, and the type of the TN device to be measured.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first network device is a TN device, the second network device is an NTN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: The satellite identifier of the NTN device, the ephemeris information of the NTN device, the access threshold of the NTN device, and the type of the NTN device to be measured.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving second information sent by the first network device, wherein the second information includes configuration information used by the terminal to measure the second network device; Based on the second information, measure the second network device to obtain a measurement result of the second network device; Send the measurement result to the first network device.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: Based on the first information, a target network device is determined from the one or more second network devices.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: The communication connection with the first network device is disconnected, and a communication connection is established with the target network device.

7. A network switching method, characterized in that: The method is performed by a first network device, and the method includes: Sending first information to the terminal, The first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the first network device and the second network device cover different network types.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The first network device is a non-terrestrial network NTN device, the second network device is a terrestrial network TN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: The cell identifier of the TN device, the access threshold of the TN device, and the type of the TN device to be measured.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first network device is a TN device, the second network device is an NTN device, and the first information includes at least one of the following: The satellite identifier of the NTN device, the ephemeris information of the NTN device, the access threshold of the NTN device, and the type of the NTN device to be measured.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending second information to the terminal, wherein the second information includes configuration information used by the terminal to measure the second network device; A measurement result sent by the terminal is received, wherein the measurement result is obtained by the terminal measuring the second network device based on the second information.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that The method further comprises: A link status with the terminal is determined.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The method further comprises: sending a first request to the second network device, The first request is used to instruct the second network device to perform conditional switching admission control and allocate resources to the terminal.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving third information sent by the second network device, The third information is used to indicate the result of the second network device executing the admission control of the conditional switching, and the third information includes the cell information of the second network device that is allowed to be accessed by the terminal.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The method further comprises: receiving fourth information sent by the target network device, The target network device is determined by the terminal from the second network device, and the fourth information is used to instruct the first network device to release resources for communicating with the terminal.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The method further comprises: sending fifth information to the third network device, The third network device is a second network device other than the target network device, and the fifth information is used to instruct the third network device to release the reserved resources.

16. A terminal, characterized in that: include: a transceiver module, configured to receive first information sent by a first network device, The first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the first network device and the second network device cover different network types.

17. A first network device, characterized in that: include: a transceiver module, configured to send first information to a terminal, The first information is used to indicate cell information of one or more second network devices, and the first network device and the second network device cover different network types.

18. A communication device, characterized in that: include: Transceiver; Memory; A processor is connected to the transceiver and the memory, respectively, and is configured to control the wireless signal reception and transmission of the transceiver by executing computer executable instructions on the memory, and can implement any one of the methods of claims 1-15.

19. A computer storage medium, characterized in that: The computer storage medium stores computer executable instructions; after the computer executable instructions are executed by the processor, the method described in any one of claims 1 to 15 can be implemented.

20. A communication system, characterized in that: The method comprises a terminal and a first network device, wherein the terminal is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and the first network device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 7 to 15.

21. The communication system according to claim 20, characterized in that The communication system further includes a second network device.

22. The communication system according to claim 21, characterized in that The second network device is used to perform: receiving a first request sent by the first network device; Based on the first request, conditional switching admission control is performed and resources are allocated to the terminal.

23. The communication system according to claim 22, characterized in that The second network device is used to perform: sending third information to the first network device, The third information is used to indicate the result of the second network device executing the admission control of the conditional switching, and the third information includes the cell information of the second network device that is allowed to be accessed by the terminal.

24. The communication system according to claim 23, characterized in that The second network device is used as a target network device to execute: sending fourth information to the first network device, The target network device is determined by the terminal from the second network device, and the fourth information is used to instruct the first network device to release resources for communicating with the terminal.

25. The communication system according to claim 24, characterized in that The second network device serves as a third network device, and is configured to execute: receiving fifth information sent by the first network device, Based on the fifth information, releasing the reserved resources, The third network device is a second network device other than the target network device.

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