Ntn access method and communication apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a communication method and communication apparatus for a wireless access network and a core network. The method comprises: a user equipment determining a first reference point list, which comprises points projected by a plurality of beams to the ground; and the user equipment determining a second beam on the basis of the first reference point list and a motion direction of a first satellite. It should be understood that when an access beam is selected, by means of taking into consideration a motion direction of a first satellite, a beam switching problem in an access process caused by satellite motion can be avoided, and a broadcast beam having the maximum beam coverage range in the motion direction is selected on the basis of reference points in a first reference point list, thus smooth access is ensured.

Description

A method and communication device for accessing NTN Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a satellite network, and more particularly, to a method and a communication device for accessing an NTN. Background Art

[0002] Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), such as satellite communications, have significant advantages such as global coverage, long-distance transmission, flexible networking, easy deployment, and freedom from geographical restrictions. They have been widely used in many fields, including maritime communications, positioning and navigation, disaster relief, scientific experiments, video broadcasting, and earth observation.

[0003] Current New Radio (NR) beam scanning solutions are not suitable for NTN systems. In NTN communication systems, when the remaining service time of the beam corresponding to the synchronization signal block (SSB) selected by the user equipment (UE) is less than the UE's access time, satellite motion causes beam switching during the UE's access process, resulting in UE access interruption.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a method and a communication device for accessing an NTN, which ensure that a UE can select a suitable beam and complete access under one beam, thereby avoiding beam switching during the access process and ensuring smooth access.

[0006] In a first aspect, a method for accessing an NTN is provided. The method may be executed by a terminal device, or may be executed by a chip or circuit configured in the terminal device, which is not limited in this application.

[0007] The method includes: determining a first reference point list, the first reference point list includes multiple first reference points, the first reference points are points within the beam coverage range of the first beam projected onto the ground, the multiple first beams correspond one-to-one to the multiple first reference points, and the multiple first reference points have the same relative positions within the beam coverage range; determining a second beam based on the first reference point list and the movement direction of the first satellite, the second beam being one of the multiple first beams, and the second beam being used to access the satellite.

[0008] In this technical solution, the terminal device can determine a first reference point list, which includes multiple points where beams are projected onto the ground, and determine the second beam based on the first reference point list and the movement direction of the first satellite. It should be understood that when selecting the access beam, the movement direction of the first satellite is considered, so as to avoid the beam switching problem during the access process due to satellite movement and ensure smooth access.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, in an implementation manner of the first aspect, a first reference point list is received from an access network device via a broadcast message.

[0010] In this technical solution, the terminal device can receive the first reference point list sent by the access network device through a broadcast message.

[0011] The broadcast message may be carried by SIB19 or other SIB messages, which is not limited in the present embodiment.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in an implementation of the first aspect, a first beam pointing list is received from an access network device via a broadcast message, wherein the first beam pointing list includes the pointing of the multiple first beams, and the pointing of the first beam is used to indicate the pitch angle and azimuth angle of the first beam; the first reference point list is determined according to the first beam direction list, and the pointing of the multiple first beams corresponds one-to-one to the multiple first reference points.

[0013] This technical solution is another way for the terminal device to determine the first reference point list. The access network device sends a first beam pointing list to the terminal device. The first beam pointing list is used to indicate the directions of multiple beams. The terminal device can determine the corresponding reference points based on the directions of the multiple beams, thereby determining the first reference point list.

[0014] According to this technical solution, the terminal device can select a broadcast beam with the largest beam coverage in the direction of movement based on the reference points in the first reference point list, avoid the beam switching problem during the access process caused by satellite movement, and ensure smooth access.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, in an implementation of the first aspect, beam width information and beam index list information are received from an access network device via a broadcast message, wherein the beam width information indicates the beam width of the first satellite toward the first beam; and the first reference point list is determined based on the beam width information and the beam index list information.

[0016] This technical solution is another way for the terminal device to determine the first reference point list. The access network device sends beam width information and beam index list information to the terminal device. The terminal device can determine the corresponding reference point based on the beam width information and beam index list information, thereby determining the first reference point list.

[0017] According to this technical solution, the terminal device can select a broadcast beam with the largest beam coverage in the direction of movement based on the reference points in the first reference point list, avoid the beam switching problem during the access process caused by satellite movement, and ensure smooth access.

[0018] With reference to the first aspect, in an implementation manner of the first aspect, the first beam is a beam corresponding to a sub-satellite point.

[0019] The beam width information indicates the beam width of the beam directed by the first satellite toward the sub-satellite point, and may also indicate the beam width of any first beam directed by the first satellite.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect, in an implementation of the first aspect, a beam arrangement mode is determined based on the beam width information and the beam index list information, and the beam arrangement mode is used to indicate the positions where the multiple first beams are projected onto the ground; and the first reference point list is determined based on the beam arrangement mode.

[0021] In this technical solution, the beam arrangement mode can be determined according to the beam width information and the beam index list information, thereby determining the positions of multiple first beams projected onto the ground, and further directly determining the reference point corresponding to each beam.

[0022] In combination with the first aspect, in an implementation of the first aspect, the beam arrangement mode is determined based on the beam width information, the beam index list information and a first rule, and the first rule is a beam arrangement rule; or, the beam arrangement mode is determined based on the beam width information, the beam index list information and a first pattern, and the first pattern indicates the arrangement of the beam index.

[0023] In this technical solution, the beam arrangement is determined based on a predefined or preconfigured first rule or a fixed pattern.

[0024] In combination with the first aspect, in an implementation manner of the first aspect, first indication information is received from the access network device via a broadcast message, where the first indication information is used to indicate the first pattern.

[0025] In combination with the first aspect, in an implementation of the first aspect, a first vector set is determined based on the location information of the terminal device and the ephemeris information of the first satellite, the first vector set includes multiple first vectors, the initial point of the first vector is the location of the terminal device, and the end point of the first vector is a second reference point; a first scalar set is determined based on the first vector set and the movement direction of the first satellite, the first scalar set includes multiple first scalars, and the first scalar is the projection distance of the first vector in the movement direction of the first satellite; the second beam is determined based on the first scalar set.

[0026] This technical solution allows a terminal device to obtain auxiliary information, calculate the vector between its own location and different beam reference points, and determine the projected distance of this vector in the direction of satellite motion. Based on this projected distance, the terminal device determines the second beam to access. The terminal device selects the broadcast beam with the largest coverage in that direction of motion, avoiding beam switching issues caused by satellite motion during access and ensuring smooth access.

[0027] In combination with the first aspect, in an implementation manner of the first aspect, the second reference point is any reference point in the first reference point list, or the second reference point is any reference point in the second reference point list, the second reference point list is a subset or a full set of the first reference point list, the second reference point list includes multiple first reference points, and the first beam corresponding to the multiple first reference points included in the second reference point list meets the reference signal receiving power (RSRP) threshold.

[0028] It should be understood that when the terminal device selects the beam to access the first satellite, it can determine the beam based on the RSRP threshold value. Before determining the first vector set, the terminal device can first select the beams corresponding to multiple first reference points in the first reference point list, and select multiple first reference points corresponding to the beams that meet the RSRP threshold value to form a second reference point list.

[0029] In this technical solution, after determining the first reference point list, the terminal device can filter out beams that do not meet the RSRP threshold, thereby simplifying the subsequent implementation process. Alternatively, the terminal device can disregard beams that meet the RSRP threshold. This solution allows for flexible selection based on specific implementation requirements, making it applicable to a wider range of scenarios.

[0030] In combination with the first aspect, in an implementation method of the first aspect, a second scalar set is determined based on the first scalar set, the second scalar set is a subset or a full set of the first scalar set, and the beams corresponding to the multiple first scalars included in the second scalar set meet the RSRP threshold value; and the beam corresponding to the smallest first scalar among the multiple first scalars in the second scalar set is determined as the second beam.

[0031] In this technical solution, the RSRP threshold value may also be referred to when determining the second scalar set, and the corresponding beam in the second scalar set may be a beam that meets the RSRP threshold value.

[0032] In combination with the first aspect, in an implementation manner of the first aspect, a beam corresponding to a smallest first scalar among multiple first scalars in the first scalar set is determined as the second beam.

[0033] In this technical solution, the beam corresponding to the smallest first scalar among multiple first scalars has the largest coverage in the direction of movement of the first satellite, so it can satisfy the terminal device to complete the switching process within the same beam as much as possible to ensure smooth access.

[0034] In combination with the first aspect, in an implementation method of the first aspect, a second scalar set is determined based on the first scalar set, the second scalar set is a subset or a full set of the first scalar set, and the beams corresponding to the multiple first scalars included in the second scalar set meet the RSRP threshold value; at least one first scalar among the multiple first scalars in the second scalar set that meets the first threshold is determined; and the beam corresponding to one of the at least one first scalar is determined to be the second beam.

[0035] In this technical solution, RSRP is not considered when determining the first vector set. It is necessary to consider whether the corresponding beams in the first scalar set meet RSRP, and then select the beam that meets the first threshold as the second beam.

[0036] In combination with the first aspect, in an implementation method of the first aspect, at least one first scalar in the multiple first scalars in the first scalar set that meets the first threshold is determined; and the beam corresponding to one of the at least one first scalar is determined to be the second beam.

[0037] In this technical solution, RSRP is already taken into consideration when determining the first vector set, and a beam that meets the first threshold is directly selected from the first scalar set as the second beam.

[0038] In combination with the first aspect, in an implementation manner of the first aspect, the first threshold is received from the access network device.

[0039] In a second aspect, a method for accessing an NTN is provided. The method may be executed by an access network device, or may be executed by a chip or circuit configured in the access network device, which is not limited in this application.

[0040] The method includes: determining a first reference point list, the first reference point list includes multiple first reference points, the first reference point is a point within the beam coverage range of a first beam projected onto the ground, the first beam is any one of the multiple first beams determined by a first satellite, the multiple first beams correspond one-to-one to the multiple first reference points, and the relative positions of the multiple first reference points within the beam coverage range are the same; and sending the first reference point list via a broadcast message.

[0041] In this technical solution, the access network device can display a first reference point list to the terminal device, where the first reference point list includes multiple points where beams are projected onto the ground. The second beam is determined based on the first reference point list and the movement direction of the first satellite. It should be understood that when selecting the access beam, the movement direction of the first satellite is taken into consideration, thereby avoiding the beam switching problem during the access process due to satellite movement and ensuring smooth access.

[0042] In combination with the second aspect, in an implementation manner of the second aspect, a first threshold is sent via a broadcast message, the first threshold is used by the terminal device to determine a second beam, and the second beam is used to access the first satellite.

[0043] In a third aspect, a method for accessing an NTN is provided. The method may be executed by an access network device, or may be executed by a chip or circuit configured in the access network device, which is not limited in this application.

[0044] The method includes: determining a first beam pointing list, the first beam pointing list including the pointing of the multiple first beams, the pointing of the first beam being used to indicate the elevation angle and azimuth angle of the first beam; and sending the first beam pointing list through a broadcast message.

[0045] In this technical solution, the access network device can display and indicate the first beam pointing list to the terminal device, which is used for the terminal device to determine the first reference point list. The first reference point list includes multiple points where the beams are projected onto the ground. The second beam is determined based on the first reference point list and the movement direction of the first satellite. It should be understood that when selecting the access beam, the movement direction of the first satellite is taken into consideration, so as to avoid the beam switching problem during the access process due to satellite movement and ensure smooth access.

[0046] In combination with the third aspect, in an implementation manner of the third aspect, a first threshold is sent via a broadcast message, and the first threshold is used by the terminal device to determine a second beam, and the second beam is used to access the first satellite.

[0047] In a fourth aspect, a method for accessing an NTN is provided. The method may be executed by an access network device, or may be executed by a chip or circuit configured in the access network device, and this application does not limit this.

[0048] The method includes: determining beam width information and beam index list information, wherein the beam width information indicates the beam width of the first satellite toward the first beam; and sending the beam width information and the beam index list information through a broadcast message.

[0049] In this technical solution, the access network device can display beam width information and beam index list information to the terminal device, which is used for the terminal device to determine a first reference point list. The first reference point list includes multiple points where beams are projected onto the ground, and the second beam is determined based on the first reference point list and the movement direction of the first satellite. It should be understood that when selecting the access beam, the movement direction of the first satellite is taken into consideration, so as to avoid the beam switching problem during the access process due to satellite movement and ensure smooth access.

[0050] In combination with the fourth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fourth aspect, first indication information is sent via a broadcast message, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first pattern, and the first pattern indicates an arrangement of the beam indexes.

[0051] In combination with the fourth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fourth aspect, a first threshold is sent via a broadcast message, the first threshold is used by the terminal device to determine a second beam, and the second beam is used to access the first satellite.

[0052] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided. The device may be a terminal device, or a chip or circuit configured in the terminal device, which is not limited in this application.

[0053] The device includes: a processing unit, used to determine a first reference point list, the first reference point list includes multiple first reference points, the first reference point is a point within the beam coverage range of the first beam projected onto the ground, the first beam is any one of the multiple first beams determined by the first satellite, the multiple first beams correspond one-to-one to the multiple first reference points, and the relative positions of the multiple first reference points within the beam coverage range are the same; the processing unit is also used to determine a second beam based on the first reference point list and the movement direction of the first satellite, and the second beam is used to access the first satellite.

[0054] In this technical solution, the terminal device can determine a first reference point list, which includes multiple points where beams are projected onto the ground, and determine the second beam based on the first reference point list and the movement direction of the first satellite. It should be understood that when selecting the access beam, the movement direction of the first satellite is considered, so as to avoid the beam switching problem during the access process due to satellite movement and ensure smooth access.

[0055] In combination with the fifth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the communication apparatus further includes a transceiver unit configured to receive a first reference point list from an access network device via a broadcast message.

[0056] In this technical solution, the terminal device can receive the first reference point list sent by the access network device through a broadcast message.

[0057] The broadcast message may be carried by SIB19 or other SIB messages, which is not limited in the present embodiment.

[0058] In combination with the fifth aspect, in an implementation of the fifth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to receive a first beam pointing list from an access network device through a broadcast message, wherein the first beam pointing list includes the pointing of the multiple first beams, and the pointing of the first beam is used to indicate the pitch angle and azimuth angle of the first beam; the processing unit is further used to determine the first reference point list based on the first beam direction list, and the pointing of the multiple first beams corresponds one-to-one to the multiple first reference points.

[0059] This technical solution is another way for the terminal device to determine the first reference point list. The access network device sends a first beam pointing list to the terminal device. The first beam pointing list is used to indicate the directions of multiple beams. The terminal device can determine the corresponding reference points based on the directions of the multiple beams, thereby determining the first reference point list.

[0060] According to this technical solution, the terminal device can select a broadcast beam with the largest beam coverage in the direction of movement based on the reference points in the first reference point list, avoid the beam switching problem during the access process caused by satellite movement, and ensure smooth access.

[0061] In combination with the fifth aspect, in an implementation of the fifth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to receive beam width information and beam index list information from an access network device through a broadcast message, wherein the beam width information indicates the beam width of the first satellite toward the first beam; the processing unit is further used to determine the first reference point list based on the beam width information and beam index list information.

[0062] This technical solution is another way for the terminal device to determine the first reference point list. The access network device sends beam width information and beam index list information to the terminal device. The terminal device can determine the corresponding reference point based on the beam width information and beam index list information, thereby determining the first reference point list.

[0063] According to this technical solution, the terminal device can select a broadcast beam with the largest beam coverage in the direction of movement based on the reference points in the first reference point list, avoid the beam switching problem during the access process caused by satellite movement, and ensure smooth access.

[0064] In combination with the fifth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the first beam is a beam corresponding to the sub-satellite point.

[0065] The beam width information indicates the beam width of the beam directed by the first satellite toward the sub-satellite point, and may also indicate the beam width of any first beam directed by the first satellite.

[0066] In combination with the fifth aspect, in an implementation of the fifth aspect, the processing unit is also used to determine a beam arrangement mode based on the beam width information and the beam index list information, and the beam arrangement mode is used to indicate the positions of the multiple first beams projected onto the ground; the processing unit is also used to determine the first reference point list based on the beam arrangement mode.

[0067] In this technical solution, the beam arrangement mode can be determined according to the beam width information and the beam index list information, thereby determining the positions of multiple first beams projected onto the ground, and further directly determining the reference point corresponding to each beam.

[0068] In combination with the fifth aspect, in an implementation of the fifth aspect, the processing unit is specifically used to determine the beam arrangement mode based on the beam width information, the beam index list information and a first rule, where the first rule is a beam arrangement rule; or, the processing unit is specifically used to determine the beam arrangement mode based on the beam width information, the beam index list information and a first pattern, where the first pattern indicates the arrangement of the beam index.

[0069] In this technical solution, the beam arrangement is determined based on a predefined or preconfigured first rule or a fixed pattern.

[0070] In combination with the fifth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to receive first indication information from the access network device through a broadcast message, where the first indication information is used to indicate the first pattern.

[0071] In combination with the fifth aspect, in an implementation of the fifth aspect, the processing unit is also used to determine a first vector set based on the location information of the terminal device and the ephemeris information of the first satellite, the first vector set including multiple first vectors, the initial point of the first vector being the location of the terminal device, and the end point of the first vector being the second reference point; the processing unit is also used to determine a first scalar set based on the first vector set and the movement direction of the first satellite, the first scalar set including multiple first scalars, the first scalar being the projection distance of the first vector in the movement direction of the first satellite; the processing unit is also used to determine the second beam based on the first scalar set.

[0072] This technical solution allows a terminal device to obtain auxiliary information, calculate the vector between its own location and different beam reference points, and determine the projected distance of this vector in the direction of satellite motion. Based on this projected distance, the terminal device determines the second beam to access. The terminal device selects the broadcast beam with the largest coverage in that direction of motion, avoiding beam switching issues caused by satellite motion during access and ensuring smooth access.

[0073] In combination with the fifth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the second reference point is any reference point in the first reference point list, or the second reference point is any reference point in the second reference point list, the second reference point list is a subset or a full set of the first reference point list, the second reference point list includes multiple first reference points, and the first beam corresponding to the multiple first reference points included in the second reference point list meets the RSRP threshold value.

[0074] It should be understood that when the terminal device selects the beam to access the first satellite, it can determine the beam based on the RSRP threshold value. Before determining the first vector set, the terminal device can first select the beams corresponding to multiple first reference points in the first reference point list, and select multiple first reference points corresponding to the beams that meet the RSRP threshold value to form a second reference point list.

[0075] In this technical solution, after determining the first reference point list, the terminal device can filter out beams that do not meet the RSRP threshold, thereby simplifying the subsequent implementation process. Alternatively, the terminal device can disregard beams that meet the RSRP threshold. This solution allows for flexible selection based on specific implementation requirements, making it applicable to a wider range of scenarios.

[0076] In combination with the fifth aspect, in an implementation of the fifth aspect, the processing unit is also used to determine a second scalar set based on the first scalar set, the second scalar set is a subset or a full set of the first scalar set, and the beams corresponding to the multiple first scalars included in the second scalar set meet the RSRP threshold value; the processing unit is also used to determine that the beam corresponding to the smallest first scalar among the multiple first scalars in the second scalar set is the second beam.

[0077] In this technical solution, the RSRP threshold value may also be referred to when determining the second scalar set, and the corresponding beam in the second scalar set may be a beam that meets the RSRP threshold value.

[0078] In combination with the fifth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the processing unit is further used to determine that the beam corresponding to the smallest first scalar among multiple first scalars in the first scalar set is the second beam.

[0079] In this technical solution, the beam corresponding to the smallest first scalar among multiple first scalars has the largest coverage in the direction of movement of the first satellite, so it can satisfy the terminal device to complete the switching process within the same beam as much as possible to ensure smooth access.

[0080] In combination with the fifth aspect, in an implementation of the fifth aspect, the processing unit is also used to determine a second scalar set based on the first scalar set, the second scalar set is a subset or a full set of the first scalar set, and the beams corresponding to the multiple first scalars included in the second scalar set meet the RSRP threshold value; the processing unit is also used to determine at least one first scalar among the multiple first scalars in the second scalar set that meets the first threshold; the processing unit is also used to determine that the beam corresponding to one of the first scalars among the at least one first scalar is the second beam.

[0081] In this technical solution, RSRP is not considered when determining the first vector set. It is necessary to consider whether the corresponding beams in the first scalar set meet RSRP, and then select the beam that meets the first threshold as the second beam.

[0082] In combination with the fifth aspect, in an implementation of the fifth aspect, the processing unit is also used to determine at least one first scalar in the multiple first scalars in the first scalar set that meets the first threshold; the processing unit is also used to determine that the beam corresponding to one of the at least one first scalar is the second beam.

[0083] In this technical solution, RSRP is already taken into consideration when determining the first vector set, and a beam that meets the first threshold is directly selected from the first scalar set as the second beam.

[0084] In combination with the fifth aspect, in an implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to receive the first threshold from the access network device.

[0085] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided. The device may be an access network device, or may be a chip or circuit configured in the access network device. This application does not limit this.

[0086] The device includes: a processing unit, used to determine a first reference point list, the first reference point list includes multiple first reference points, the first reference point is a point within the beam coverage range of the first beam projected onto the ground, the first beam is any one of the multiple first beams determined by the first satellite, the multiple first beams correspond one-to-one to the multiple first reference points, and the relative positions of the multiple first reference points within the beam coverage range are the same; a transceiver unit, used to send the first reference point list via a broadcast message.

[0087] In this technical solution, the access network device can display a first reference point list to the terminal device, where the first reference point list includes multiple points where beams are projected onto the ground. The second beam is determined based on the first reference point list and the movement direction of the first satellite. It should be understood that when selecting the access beam, the movement direction of the first satellite is considered, so as to avoid the beam switching problem during the access process due to satellite movement. Based on the reference points in the first reference point list, a broadcast beam with the largest beam coverage in the movement direction is selected to ensure smooth access.

[0088] In combination with the sixth aspect, in an implementation of the sixth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to send a first threshold via a broadcast message, where the first threshold is used by the terminal device to determine a second beam, and the second beam is used to access the first satellite.

[0089] In the seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, which may be an access network device, or a chip or circuit configured in the access network device, and this application does not limit this.

[0090] The device includes: a processing unit, used to determine a first beam pointing list, wherein the first beam pointing list includes the pointing of the multiple first beams, and the pointing of the first beam is used to indicate the pitch angle and azimuth angle of the first beam; and a transceiver unit, used to send the first beam pointing list via a broadcast message.

[0091] In this technical solution, the access network device can display a first beam pointing list to the terminal device, which is used for the terminal device to determine a first reference point list. The first reference point list includes multiple points where beams are projected onto the ground. The second beam is determined based on the first reference point list and the movement direction of the first satellite. It should be understood that when selecting the access beam, the movement direction of the first satellite is considered, so as to avoid the beam switching problem during the access process due to satellite movement. Based on the reference points in the first reference point list, a broadcast beam with the largest beam coverage in the movement direction is selected to ensure smooth access.

[0092] In combination with the seventh aspect, in an implementation of the seventh aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to send a first threshold via a broadcast message, where the first threshold is used by the terminal device to determine a second beam, and the second beam is used to access the first satellite.

[0093] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, which may be an access network device, or a chip or circuit configured in the access network device, and this application does not limit this.

[0094] The device includes: a processing unit, used to determine beam width information and beam index list information, wherein the beam width information indicates the beam width of the first satellite toward the first beam; and a transceiver unit, used to send the beam width information and the beam index list information via a broadcast message.

[0095] In this technical solution, the access network device can display beam width information and beam index list information to the terminal device, which is used for the terminal device to determine a first reference point list. The first reference point list includes multiple points where beams are projected onto the ground. The second beam is determined based on the first reference point list and the movement direction of the first satellite. It should be understood that when selecting an access beam, the movement direction of the first satellite is considered, so as to avoid beam switching problems during the access process due to satellite movement. Based on the reference points in the first reference point list, a broadcast beam with the largest beam coverage in the movement direction is selected to ensure smooth access.

[0096] In combination with the eighth aspect, in an implementation manner of the eighth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to send first indication information through a broadcast message, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first pattern, and the first pattern indicates an arrangement of the beam index.

[0097] In combination with the eighth aspect, in an implementation of the eighth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to send a first threshold through a broadcast message, and the first threshold is used by the terminal device to determine a second beam, and the second beam is used to access the first satellite.

[0098] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a processor for executing the methods provided in the above aspects.

[0099] For the operations such as sending and acquiring / receiving involved in the processor, unless otherwise specified, or if they do not conflict with their actual functions or internal logic in the relevant descriptions, they can be understood as processor output, reception, input and other operations, and can also be understood as sending and receiving operations performed by the radio frequency circuit and antenna. This application does not limit this.

[0100] In a tenth aspect, the present application provides a communication device comprising: a memory for storing programs; and at least one processor for executing computer programs or instructions stored in the memory to execute the method provided in any one of the above aspects or its implementation.

[0101] In an eleventh aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a program code for execution by a device, wherein the program code includes a method for executing any one of the above aspects or its implementation.

[0102] In a twelfth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method provided by any one of the above aspects or its implementation.

[0103] In the thirteenth aspect, the present application provides a chip, which includes a processor and a communication interface. The processor reads instructions stored in the memory through the communication interface and executes the method provided by any one of the above aspects or its implementation method.

[0104] Optionally, as an implementation method, the chip also includes a memory, in which a computer program or instruction is stored, and the processor is used to execute the computer program or instruction stored in the memory. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the processor is used to execute the method provided by any of the above aspects or its implementation methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0105] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0106] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of an application architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0107] FIG3 shows a satellite broadcast beam scanning diagram applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0108] FIG4 shows a satellite broadcast beam scanning diagram applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0109] FIG5 shows a schematic diagram of UE beam selection in an NTN system applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0110] FIG6 shows a schematic diagram of a method for accessing an NTN applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0111] FIG7 shows a schematic diagram of a first reference point applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0112] FIG8 shows a schematic diagram of the direction of a first beam applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0113] FIG9 shows a simulation diagram of determining a beam index list according to beam width applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0114] FIG10 shows a simulation diagram of the number of beams and beam width applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0115] FIG11 is a schematic diagram showing a beam arrangement method applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0116] FIG12 shows a schematic diagram of a method for determining a second beam applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0117] FIG13 shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 1300 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0118] FIG14 shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 1400 provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0119] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0120] The technical solution of the present application can be applied to non-terrestrial network (NTN) systems such as satellite communication systems and high altitude platform station (HAPS) communications, for example, integrated communication and navigation (ICaN) systems, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), etc.

[0121] Satellite communication systems can be integrated with traditional mobile communication systems. For example, the mobile communication systems may include fourth-generation (4G) communication systems (e.g., long-term evolution (LTE) systems), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, fifth-generation (5G) communication systems (e.g., new radio (NR) systems), and future mobile communication systems.

[0122] Refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of a communication system 100 applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the satellite provides communication services to the terminal device through multiple beams. The satellite in this scenario is a non-geostationary earth orbit (NGEO) satellite, and the satellite is connected to the core network equipment. The satellite uses multiple beams to cover the service area, and different beams can communicate through one or more of time division, frequency division and space division. The satellite provides communication and navigation services to the terminal device by broadcasting communication signals and navigation signals. The satellite mentioned in the embodiment of the present application may also be a satellite base station, or a network-side device carried on a satellite.

[0123] The terminal devices mentioned in the embodiments of the present application include various handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem with wireless communication functions, and may specifically refer to user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. The terminal device may also be a satellite phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a wireless data card, a wireless modem, a machine type communication device, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device or a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, a terminal device in a 5G network or a future communication network, etc.

[0124] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an application architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application. A terrestrial mobile terminal (UE) accesses the network via the 5G new air interface. 5G access network equipment is deployed on a satellite and connected to the terrestrial core network via a wireless link. At the same time, a wireless link exists between satellites to complete signaling interaction and user data transmission between access network equipment. The various network elements in Figure 2 and their interfaces are described as follows:

[0125] Terminal device: A mobile device that supports the 5G new air interface, typically a mobile phone, tablet, or other mobile device. It can access the satellite network through the air interface and initiate calls, access the Internet, and perform other services.

[0126] 5G access network equipment: mainly provides wireless access services, dispatches wireless resources to access terminals, and provides reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols, such as base stations.

[0127] 5G core network: This network provides services such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing. It consists of multiple functional units, divided into control plane and data plane functional entities. The access and mobility management function (AMF) is responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. The user plane function (UPF) manages user plane data transmission, traffic statistics, and other functions.

[0128] Ground station: responsible for forwarding signaling and business data between satellite access network equipment and 5G core network.

[0129] 5G New Air Interface: The wireless link between the terminal and access network equipment.

[0130] Xn interface: The interface between 5G access network devices, mainly used for signaling interaction such as switching.

[0131] NG interface: The interface between 5G access network equipment and 5G core network, mainly used for interacting with core network NAS and other signaling, as well as user business data.

[0132] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, a brief explanation of the terms involved in the present application is first given.

[0133] 1. SSB: Contains the primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and physical broadcast channel (PBCH). It provides UEs with cell downlink synchronization and basic cell configuration information. The PBCH carries the cell's master information block (MIB), which indicates whether system information block type 1 (SIB1) exists. SSBs appear regularly in the frequency domain, with an SSB occurring at regular intervals. When the UE is powered on, it can search for cells based on this interval.

[0134] 2. NR Beam Scanning: NR uses higher frequencies, and high-frequency carriers experience greater transmission loss. Therefore, beamforming is required to increase the transmission distance of wireless signals. Because each beam has a limited coverage angle, NR uses multiple beam scans to cover the entire cell's service range. Beam scanning involves transmitting physical channels or reference signals using beams in different directions at different times. A cell typically needs to send multiple SSBs to complete a beam scan, and SSBs can be configured with up to 64 beams in each direction.

[0135] 3. Binding of SSB index and wave position: If the SSB index is bound to the wave position, the ground wave position needs to be divided. Each wave position corresponds to at least one satellite identification ID and SSB index. When the satellite performs broadcast beam scanning, it determines the corresponding wave position set according to the satellite ID, and then sends the SSB information block according to the SSB index marked on the wave position. The implicit prerequisite here is that the satellite needs to store a table of wave position information in advance for broadcast beam scanning. During the broadcast beam scanning process, due to satellite movement, the satellite needs to adjust the beam pointing to provide staring service to the wave position to ensure that the same broadcast message, such as SSB index, is sent to the same wave position.

[0136] 4. SSB index and beam binding: If the SSB index is bound to the beam, for example, each beam is bound to an SSB index. After the satellite determines the beam direction, it can directly obtain the SSB index to be sent according to the mapping table between its SSB index and beam, and finally complete the scanning of the coverage area.

[0137] The way of binding the SSB index to the beam position is an earth-fixed way, which requires the satellite to store more broadcast beam codebooks or have stronger codebook calculation capabilities to complete the continuous adjustment of the beam pointing; the way of binding the SSB index to the beam is a satellite-fixed way, which is relatively simple to implement for the satellite. The beam scanning method in the embodiment of the present application adopts a satellite-fixed way.

[0138] For the broadcast beam in the satellite-fixed scenario, its coverage area switches gradually during the scanning process.

[0139] Figure 3 shows a satellite broadcast beam scanning diagram. As shown in Figure 3, (a) shows the beam position number of the satellite broadcast beam scanning, and (b) shows the beam index corresponding to the beam position number.

[0140] Based on the broadcast beam scanning results in the above example, it can be seen that when the coverage area switches while the satellite is moving along the direction of motion, the beam ID will repeat the beam ID in the previous column and will be scanned in reverse order. The correspondence between the beam position number and the SSB index is shown in Table 1 below.

[0141] Table 1

[0142] As can be seen from the table, there are two situations:

[0143] Case 1: Multiple wave positions correspond to the same SSB index. For example, wave position 14 and wave position 17 both correspond to SSB index 14.

[0144] In this case, the UE access process is as follows.

[0145] Step 1: In SSB scanning cycle 1, the network side sends SSB index 14 for wavelength 14; in SSB scanning cycle 2, the network side sends SSB index 14 for wavelength 17.

[0146] Step 2: The terminals at both wave position 14 and wave position 17 send the preamble sequence according to the RO corresponding to SSB index 14.

[0147] Step 3: The access network device receives the leading sequence sent by the terminal. Based on the correspondence between the SSB index and the RO beam, and the mapping between the current wave position and the SSB index, it is inferred that the terminal is located in wave position 17. Therefore, the beam is pointed to wave position 17 with beam pointing 14, and the RAR message is sent.

[0148] In summary, because the beam pointing corresponding to the UE in wave position 14 is beam 14, the access network device sends the RAR using beam pointing 14. As a result, the UE in wave position 14 cannot receive the RAR, resulting in access failure. Even if the UE repeatedly sends the preamble sequence, the access network device still cannot determine the UE's true location, resulting in failure to successfully complete the access process.

[0149] Case 2: The same wave position corresponds to multiple SSB indexes.

[0150] Figure 4 shows a satellite broadcast beam scanning diagram. As shown in Figure 4 (a), before a coverage area switch occurs, beam position 18 corresponds to SSB index 18. As shown in Figure 4 (b), after a coverage area switch occurs (the coverage area shifts one beam position to the right), beam position 18 needs to be served by beam 13, and thus beam position 18 corresponds to SSB index 13.

[0151] Step 1: For beam position 18, in scanning cycle 1, use beam 18 to scan and send SSB index 18; in SSB scanning cycle 2, use beam 13 to scan and send SSB index 13.

[0152] Step 2: For the terminal device, some UEs in wave position 18 send the preamble sequence according to the RO corresponding to SSB index 13, and the other UEs send the preamble sequence according to the RO corresponding to SSB index 18.

[0153] Step 3: After receiving the preamble sequence, the access network device replies to the UE with a RAR message using beam pointing 13 and beam pointing 18 (the pointed wave positions are wave positions 18 and 23 respectively).

[0154] In summary, because the satellite sends RARs to both waveband 18 and waveband 23, some UEs in waveband 18 cannot receive the RARs sent to waveband 23, leading to access failure. Even if the UE repeatedly sends the preamble sequence, the access network equipment still cannot determine the UE's true location, preventing the access process from completing successfully.

[0155] Based on the above analysis, as the satellite moves, the satellite coverage area will switch. The UE sends a preamble sequence based on the beam of the current wave position, which may cause the access network equipment to be unable to determine the actual location of the UE, affecting the access process.

[0156] In the NR system, when selecting an SSB beam, it is necessary to measure the SSS signal and ultimately select an SSB whose SS-RSRP is greater than the threshold. If none of the measured SS-RSRPs is greater than the threshold, a random SSB is selected.

[0157] The current new radio (NR) beam scanning solution is not applicable to the NTN system.

[0158] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of UE beam selection in an NTN system. As shown in Figure 5, if the UE selects beam #1, then as the satellite moves, the UE leaves the coverage area of ​​beam #1. This may cause beam switching during the access process, resulting in the access network equipment being unable to accurately infer the downlink beam direction based on the mapping relationship between SSB and RO. As a result, the network side cannot obtain the UE's true location, and the access process cannot be successfully completed.

[0159] To avoid beam switching during the access process, that is, to complete the switching process under the same beam, the selected beam coverage time must be sufficient. For example, for the coverage area of ​​a beam with a diameter of 24km, the maximum beam coverage time is approximately 3s; that is, the maximum duration of a beam sending the same SSB index is 3s. If the remaining service time of the SSB beam selected by the UE is short, the total access time will be greater than the remaining service time of the access beam, that is, beam switching will occur during the access process. Therefore, when selecting an SSB beam, the UE should consider the direction of satellite movement to ensure that the remaining service time of the beam is sufficient, and avoid the problem of beam switching during the access process due to satellite movement in advance.

[0160] In summary, for the NTN communication system, when the remaining service time of the beam corresponding to the synchronization signal block (synchronization signal and PBCH block, SSB) selected by the terminal equipment (UE) is less than the UE access time, during the UE access process, the beam switches due to satellite movement, causing the UE access to be interrupted.

[0161] In view of this, the present application proposes a method for accessing NTN, which can ensure that the UE can select a suitable beam and complete access under the same beam, thereby avoiding beam switching during the access process and ensuring smooth access.

[0162] The technical solution of this application is introduced below.

[0163] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a method for accessing an NTN proposed in this application.

[0164] S610: The terminal device determines a first reference point list.

[0165] First, the first reference point list and the first reference point are described.

[0166] The first reference point list includes a plurality of first reference points.

[0167] The first reference point is a point within the beam coverage range projected onto the ground by the first beam, or in other words, the first reference point is a projection point of the first beam within the coverage range of the ground.

[0168] The first beam is any one of a plurality of first beams determined by the first satellite.

[0169] It can be understood that the point within the beam coverage of each first beam in the multiple first beams projected onto the ground can be called a first reference point, that is, multiple first beams projected onto the ground generate multiple first reference points, and the multiple first beams correspond one-to-one to the multiple first reference points.

[0170] FIG7 shows a schematic diagram of a first reference point provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0171] As shown in Figure 7, reference point #1, reference point #2, reference point #3, reference point #4 and reference point #5 are examples of multiple first reference points, and reference point #1, reference point #2, reference point #3, reference point #4 and reference point #5 correspond to 5 first beams respectively.

[0172] Exemplarily, the first reference point may be a center point within a beam coverage range projected by the first beam onto the ground, or may be any point within the beam coverage range.

[0173] It is worth noting that the relative position of each first reference point within the coverage range of the beam is the same.

[0174] The following describes how the terminal device determines the first reference point list.

[0175] In a possible implementation, the access network device sends the first reference point list to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first reference point list from the access network device.

[0176] Exemplarily, the access network device sends the first reference point list via a broadcast message.

[0177] For example, the first reference point list can be carried by a SIB19 message or other SIBs and sent to the terminal device via a broadcast message, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0178] In this application, the first reference point list can be represented in the following three ways.

[0179] Method 1: Use absolute position to indicate the position of the first reference point.

[0180] For example, the first reference point can be represented by IE beamReferenceLocationk.

[0181] Method 2: Use relative position to indicate the position of the first reference point.

[0182] For example, the relative position may be the position of ReferenceLocation-r17, and the position of the first reference point relative to ReferenceLocation-r17 may be expressed as IE beamReferenceLocationOffsetk. The relative position may also be other positions, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0183] Method three: The position of the first reference point is represented by an absolute position and an offset value. For example, one of the multiple first reference points can be represented by an absolute position, and the other first reference points are represented by distance offset values ​​from the absolute position.

[0184] For example, a first reference point in the broadcast cell is represented by IE ReferenceLocation-r18, and the distance offset values ​​between other first reference points and IE ReferenceLocation-r18 are broadcast, represented by IE beamReferenceLocationOffsetk.

[0185] The above three methods are merely exemplary and do not limit the embodiments of the present application.

[0186] In a possible implementation, the access network device sends a first beam pointing list to the terminal device. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the first beam pointing list from the access network device, and the terminal device determines the first reference point list based on the first beam pointing list.

[0187] The first beam direction list and the first beam direction are described below.

[0188] The first beam pointing list includes a plurality of first beam pointings.

[0189] The direction of the first beam is used to indicate the elevation angle and azimuth angle of the first beam.

[0190] The direction of the first beam can be set as Where θ represents the pitch angle, Indicates the azimuth.

[0191] It can be understood that each of the multiple first beams corresponds to a first reference point, that is, the directions of the multiple first beams correspond to the multiple first reference points one-to-one.

[0192] FIG8 shows a schematic diagram of the direction of a first beam provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0193] As shown in Figure 8, a local coordinate system is established using the satellite antenna panel, with its z-axis pointing to the center of the Earth. The x-axis or y-axis can be used as the velocity direction. The satellite points its beam toward the target, and the angle θ represents the pitch angle, which is defined as the angle between the beam direction and the z-axis. represents the azimuth angle, which is defined as the angle between the positive half-axis of the x-axis and the projection of the beam on the xoy plane.

[0194] Exemplarily, the access network device sends the first beam pointing list via a broadcast message.

[0195] For example, the first beam pointing list can be carried by SIB19 message or other SIB message and sent to the terminal device via a broadcast message. This embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0196] In this application, the first beam pointing list can be represented in the following three ways.

[0197] Method 1: Use absolute angle to indicate the direction of the first beam.

[0198] For example, the direction of the first beam can be represented by IE BeamDirectionk, and the broadcast beam direction As shown in the figure below, the value of θ is an integer ranging from 0 to 900, with a unit of 0.1 degree. The value range is an integer from 0 to 3600, and the unit is 0.1 degree.

[0199] Method 2: Use the full information method and the differential method to indicate the direction of the first beam.

[0200] For example, the direction of one first beam among the multiple first beams may be represented by full information (IE ReferenceDirection), and the other first beam directions may be represented by IE BeamDirectionOffsetk, which represents a difference value from the IE ReferenceDirection.

[0201] The above two methods are merely exemplary and do not limit the embodiments of the present application.

[0202] The terminal device can determine the first reference point list according to the first beam pointing list, the movement direction of the first satellite, and the satellite ephemeris information.

[0203] In one possible implementation, the access network device sends beam width information and beam index list information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the beam width information and beam index list information from the access network device, and the terminal device determines the first reference point list based on the beam width information and beam index list information.

[0204] The beam width information and beam index list information are described below.

[0205] The beam width information is used to indicate the beam width of the first beam emitted by the first satellite.

[0206] Optionally, the first beam may be a beam corresponding to the sub-satellite point, or may be any one of multiple first beams, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0207] The beam width can be expressed as θ 3dB express.

[0208] The beam index list information indicates a beam index list, and the beam index list is related to a beam width.

[0209] FIG9 shows a simulation diagram of determining a beam index list according to beam width provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0210] As shown in Figure 9, the beam width θ 3dB Taking 10 degrees as an example and the scanning angle as 60 degrees as an example, according to the uv plane of 3GPP, the beams are arranged in a regular hexagonal manner, and the beam arrangement shown in Figure 9 can be obtained.

[0211] FIG10 shows a simulation diagram of the number of beams and beam width provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0212] As shown in Figure 10, the beam width θ 3dB Taking 3-60 degrees as an example, through beam arrangement, the number of broadcast beams calculated is 7-1141, and the value range of the beam index can be 0-4095, that is, 12 bits are used to represent integers of 0-4095.

[0213] Exemplarily, the access network device sends the beam width information and the beam index list information via a broadcast message.

[0214] For example, beam width information and beam index list information can be carried by SIB19 messages or other SIBs and sent to the terminal device via broadcast messages. This is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0215] Beam width information θ 3dB It is expressed as IE DegreeBeamwidth. For example, as shown in Figure 10, θ 3dB The value range is an integer from 0 to 900. The beam index list information is represented by IE BeamIndex, and its value range is related to the beam width.

[0216] The above representation of beam width information and beam index list information is merely exemplary and does not limit the embodiments of the present application.

[0217] The following describes how the terminal device determines the first reference point list based on the beam width information and the beam index list information.

[0218] The terminal device determines a beam arrangement mode according to the beam width information and the beam index list information, where the beam arrangement mode is used to indicate positions where multiple first beams corresponding to the first reference point list are projected onto the ground.

[0219] FIG11 is a schematic diagram showing a beam arrangement method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0220] As shown in FIG11 , in this beam arrangement, the beam index corresponds one-to-one to the position projected onto the ground, and the corresponding beam position can be determined based on the beam index.

[0221] Exemplarily, the terminal device determines the beam arrangement mode according to the beam width information, the beam index list information and the first rule, where the first rule is the beam arrangement rule.

[0222] The first rule may be a rule predefined by the access network device and the terminal device, or a rule indicated by the access network device to the terminal device, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0223] For example, the first rule may be the beam index arrangement rule shown in Figure 11. The terminal device may determine the beam position according to the beam index list information and the first rule. For example, beam index 0 is located at the sub-satellite point, and the beam arrangement is performed using counterclockwise rotation numbering.

[0224] Exemplarily, the terminal device determines a beam arrangement mode according to the beam width information, the beam index list information and a first pattern, where the first pattern indicates the arrangement of the beam indexes.

[0225] The first pattern may be pre-saved by the terminal device, or may be a pattern indicated by the access network device to the terminal device, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0226] Optionally, the access network device sends first indication information to the terminal device to indicate the first pattern.

[0227] For example, the access network device uses the IE BeamIndexPattern to represent the beam and broadcast it to the terminal device. If the access network device indicates four patterns to the terminal device, 2-bit signaling can be used for notification. After receiving the IE BeamIndexPattern, the terminal side obtains the broadcast beam number pattern and, based on the IE BeamIndex, ultimately determines the beam position.

[0228] After the terminal device determines the beam arrangement mode, the positions of multiple first beams can be determined according to the beam index list, thereby determining the corresponding first reference points and obtaining a first reference point list.

[0229] S620: The terminal device determines a second beam according to the first reference point list and the movement direction of the first satellite, where the second beam is one of the multiple first beams and is used to access the first satellite.

[0230] The terminal device determines the second beam according to the first reference point list and the movement direction of the first satellite, including the following steps.

[0231] Step 1: The terminal device determines a first vector set according to the location information of the terminal device and the ephemeris information of the first satellite.

[0232] The first vector set includes multiple first vectors, the initial point of the first vector is the position of the terminal device, and the end point of the first vector is the second reference point.

[0233] In an optional implementation, the second reference point may be any reference point in the first reference point list.

[0234] In this case, the terminal end of the first vector is the first reference point.

[0235] For example, the first reference point is p k The first vector is represented by d k Indicates that the first reference point list includes {p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7, p8}, then the first vector set is {d1, d2, d3, d4, d5, d6, d7, d8}.

[0236] In an optional implementation, the second reference point can be any reference point in the second reference point list, the second reference point list is a subset or a full set of the first reference point list, and the first beams corresponding to the multiple first reference points included in the second reference point satisfy RSRP.

[0237] It should be understood that when the terminal device selects the beam to access the first satellite, it can determine the beam based on the RSRP threshold value. Before determining the first vector set, the terminal device can first select the beams corresponding to multiple first reference points in the first reference point list, and select multiple first reference points corresponding to the beams that meet the RSRP threshold value to form a second reference point list.

[0238] It can be understood that the beams corresponding to the multiple first reference points in the first reference point list may all meet the RSRP threshold value, or may partially meet the RSRP threshold value.

[0239] In this case, the end point of the first vector is the first reference point corresponding to the beam that meets the RSRP threshold.

[0240] In other words, in this manner, after determining the first reference point list, the terminal device can first filter out the beams that do not meet the RSRP threshold value.

[0241] For example, the first reference point is p k The first vector is represented by d kIt means that the first reference point list includes {p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7, p8}, and the second reference point list includes {p2, p5, p8}, then the first vector set is {d2, d5, d8}, where the beams corresponding to p2, p5, and p8 meet the RSRP threshold value.

[0242] It should be noted that determining the beam based on the RSRP threshold value is only an exemplary method. The terminal device can also select the beam based on other possible parameters or standards. The embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0243] Step 2: Determine a first scalar set according to the first vector set and the motion direction of the first satellite.

[0244] The first scalar set includes a plurality of first scalars, where the first scalar is a projection distance of the first vector in the moving direction of the first satellite.

[0245] For example, the first reference point is p k The first vector is represented by d k Indicates that the first reference point list includes {p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7, p8}, and the first vector set is {d1, d2, d3, d4, d5, d6, d7, d8}, the first scalar set is determined based on the first vector set, and the first scalar is expressed as b k The direction of motion of the first satellite is represented by v, and b k d k ·v, then the first scalar set is {b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7, b8}, and when the first vector set is {d2, d5, d8}, the first scalar set is {b2, b5, b8}.

[0246] Step 3: Determine a second beam according to the first scalar set.

[0247] In a possible implementation, the terminal device determines that the beam corresponding to the smallest first scalar among multiple first scalars in the first scalar set is the second beam.

[0248] Exemplarily, when the second reference point is any reference point in the second reference point list, when determining the second beam according to the first scalar set, the beam corresponding to the smallest first scalar among multiple first scalars in the first scalar set can be determined as the second beam.

[0249] For example, the first reference point is p k The first vector is represented by d kIndicates that the first reference point list includes {p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7, p8}, and the second reference point list includes {p2, p5, p8}, then the first vector set is {d2, d5, d8}, and the first scalar is b k The direction of motion of the first satellite is represented by v, and b k d k v, the first scalar set is {b2, b5, b8}, the terminal device determines that the smallest first scalar is b5, and then determines that the beam corresponding to b5 is the second beam.

[0250] Exemplarily, when the second reference point is any reference point in the first reference point list, when determining the second beam according to the first scalar set, the beam corresponding to the smallest first scalar among multiple first scalars in the first scalar set can be determined as the second beam.

[0251] For example, the first reference point is p k The first vector is represented by d k Indicates that the first reference point list includes {p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7, p8}, the first vector set is {d1, d2, d3, d4, d5, d6, d7, d8}, and the first scalar set is determined based on the first vector set. The first scalar is represented by b k The direction of motion of the first satellite is represented by v, and b k d k ·v, then the first scalar set is {b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7, b8}, and the terminal device determines that the smallest first scalar is b1, and determines that the beam corresponding to b1 is the second beam.

[0252] Exemplarily, when the second reference point is any reference point in the first reference point list, when determining the second beam according to the first scalar set, the second scalar set can be determined according to the first scalar set, the second scalar set is a subset or a full set of the first scalar set, and the beams corresponding to the multiple first scalars included in the second scalar set satisfy RSRP; determine the beam corresponding to the smallest first scalar among the multiple first scalars in the second scalar set as the second beam.

[0253] For example, the first reference point is p k The first vector is represented by d k Indicates that the first reference point list includes {p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7, p8}, the first vector set is {d1, d2, d3, d4, d5, d6, d7, d8}, and the first scalar set is determined based on the first vector set. The first scalar is represented by b k The direction of motion of the first satellite is represented by v, and b k dk ·v, then the first scalar set is {b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7, b8}. Considering whether the beam corresponding to the first scalar in the first scalar set meets the RSRP threshold, the second scalar set {b2, b5, b8} can be determined, where the beams corresponding to b2, b5, and b8 meet the RSRP threshold. The terminal device determines that the smallest first scalar is b5, and determines that the beam corresponding to b5 is the second beam.

[0254] In another possible implementation, the terminal device determines at least one first scalar in the plurality of first scalars in the first scalar set that satisfies a first threshold; and determines a beam corresponding to one of the at least one first scalars as the second beam.

[0255] Exemplarily, when the second reference point is any reference point in the first reference point list, when determining the second beam based on the first scalar set, the terminal device can determine at least one first scalar among the multiple first scalars in the first scalar set that meets the first threshold; and determine that the beam corresponding to one of the at least one first scalars is the second beam.

[0256] For example, the first reference point is p k The first vector is represented by d k Indicates that the first reference point list includes {p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7, p8}, the first vector set is {d1, d2, d3, d4, d5, d6, d7, d8}, and the first scalar set is determined based on the first vector set. The first scalar is represented by b k The direction of motion of the first satellite is represented by v, and b k d k ·v, then the first scalar set is {b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7, b8}, the terminal device determines that the first scalar that meets the first threshold is b1, and determines that the beam corresponding to b1 is the second beam.

[0257] Exemplarily, when the second reference point is any reference point in the first reference point list, when determining the second beam according to the first scalar set, the terminal device can determine the second scalar set according to the first scalar set, the second scalar set is a subset or a full set of the first scalar set, and the beams corresponding to the multiple first scalars included in the second scalar set satisfy RSRP; determine at least one first scalar among the multiple first scalars in the second scalar set that satisfies the first threshold; and determine that the beam corresponding to one of the at least one first scalar is the second beam.

[0258] For example, the first reference point is p k The first vector is represented by d kIndicates that the first reference point list includes {p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7, p8}, the first vector set is {d1, d2, d3, d4, d5, d6, d7, d8}, and the first scalar set is determined based on the first vector set. The first scalar is represented by b k The direction of motion of the first satellite is represented by v, and b k d k ·v, then the first scalar set is {b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7, b8}. Considering whether the beam corresponding to the first scalar in the first scalar set meets the RSRP threshold value, the second scalar set {b2, b5, b8} can be determined, wherein the beams corresponding to b2, b5, and b8 meet the RSRP threshold value. The terminal device determines that the first scalar that meets the first threshold value is b5, and then determines that the beam corresponding to b5 is the second beam.

[0259] Exemplarily, when the second reference point is any reference point in the second reference point list, when determining the second beam based on the first scalar set, the terminal device can determine at least one first scalar among multiple first scalars in the first scalar set that meets the first threshold; and determine that the beam corresponding to one first scalar among the at least one first scalar is the second beam.

[0260] For example, the first reference point is p k The first vector is represented by d k Indicates that the first reference point list includes {p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7, p8}, and the second reference point list includes {p2, p5, p8}, then the first vector set is {d2, d5, d8}, and the first scalar is b k The direction of motion of the first satellite is represented by v, and b k d k v, the first scalar set is {b2, b5, b8}, the terminal device determines that the first scalar that meets the first threshold is b5, and then determines that the beam corresponding to b5 is the second beam.

[0261] Among them, the first threshold can be predefined by the access network device and the terminal device, or it can be sent by the access network device to the terminal device. This embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0262] The following is an exemplary description of the process of the terminal device determining the second beam in conjunction with Figure 12.

[0263] FIG12 shows a schematic diagram of a method for determining a second beam provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0264] As shown in Figure 12, reference point #1, reference point #2, reference point #3, reference point #4 and reference point #5 are examples of multiple first reference points, and reference point #1, reference point #2, reference point #3, reference point #4 and reference point #5 correspond to 5 first beams respectively.

[0265] First, a first set of vectors is determined.

[0266] The initial point of the first vector is the position of the UE, and the end point of the first vector is the reference point. Then, vectors d1, d2, d3, d4, d5 can be obtained for reference point #1, reference point #2, reference point #3, reference point #4 and reference point #5 respectively, and d1, d2, d3, d4, d5 constitute a first vector set.

[0267] A first set of scalars is determined from the first set of vectors.

[0268] The first scalar is the projection distance of the first vector in the direction of motion, so b1, b2, b3, b4, and b5 can be obtained, and b1, b2, b3, b4, and b5 constitute a first scalar set.

[0269] A second beam is determined based on the first set of scalars.

[0270] In a possible implementation, the terminal device may select the second beam corresponding to the smallest first scalar in the first scalar set.

[0271] That is, as can be seen from FIG12 , the direction of satellite motion is positive, and the reverse direction is negative, then b5 is the minimum scalar, that is, the beam corresponding to b5 is the second beam.

[0272] In another possible implementation, the terminal device may select a second beam corresponding to a first scalar in the first scalar set that meets a first threshold.

[0273] For example, b3, b4, and b5 are all first scalars that meet the first threshold, and the terminal device can select the beam corresponding to any one of the first scalars as the second beam.

[0274] It should be understood that the above method does not consider satisfying the RSRP condition and is only an exemplary description. When it is necessary to consider satisfying the RSRP condition, refer to the previous description and no further details will be given.

[0275] It should be noted that after receiving multiple beams that meet the RSRP conditions, the terminal device cannot make a beam judgment. It first selects a suitable beam according to the existing NR standard to receive at least one of the above-mentioned first reference point list, first beam pointing list, beam width information and beam index list information. Based on the method described above, the appropriate beam can be determined to initiate random access.

[0276] According to the above technical solution, the terminal device can determine a first reference point list, which includes multiple points where beams are projected onto the ground, and determine the second beam based on the first reference point list and the movement direction of the first satellite. It should be understood that when selecting an access beam, the movement direction of the first satellite is considered, so as to avoid the beam switching problem during the access process due to satellite movement. Based on the reference points in the first reference point list, a broadcast beam with the largest beam coverage in the movement direction is selected to ensure smooth access.

[0277] It should be noted that the solutions given in the above embodiments can be used separately or in combination with each other, and this application does not make any specific limitations on this.

[0278] The above describes in detail the broadcast beam scanning method provided by the present application. The following introduces the communication device provided by the present application.

[0279] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0280] The device 1300 includes a transceiver unit 1310 and a processing unit 1320 , wherein the transceiver unit 1310 can be used to implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing unit 1320 can be used to perform data processing.

[0281] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1310 may also be referred to as a communication interface or communication unit, and may include a transmitting unit and / or a receiving unit. The transceiver unit 1310 may be a transceiver (including a transmitter and / or a receiver), an input / output interface (including an input and / or output interface), a pin, or a circuit. The transceiver unit 1310 may be configured to perform the transmitting and / or receiving steps in the above-described method embodiments.

[0282] Optionally, the processing unit 1320 may be a processor (may include one or more), a processing circuit with processor functions, etc., and may be used to execute other steps except sending and receiving in the above method embodiment.

[0283] Optionally, the apparatus 1300 further includes a storage unit, which may be a memory, an internal storage unit (e.g., a register, a cache, etc.), an external storage unit (e.g., a read-only memory, a random access memory, etc.), etc. The storage unit is used to store instructions, and the processing unit 1320 executes the instructions stored in the storage unit to cause the communication apparatus to perform the above method.

[0284] In one design, the apparatus 1300 may be used to perform the actions performed by the terminal device in each of the above method embodiments, for example, the apparatus 1300 may be used to perform the actions performed by the terminal device in the above method 600. In this case, the apparatus 1300 may be a component of the terminal device, the transceiver unit 1310 may be used to perform the transceiver-related operations on the terminal device side in the above method embodiments, and the processing unit 1320 may be used to perform the processing-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0285] For example, processing unit 1320 is used to determine a first reference point list, where the first reference point list includes multiple first reference points, where the first reference point is a point within the beam coverage range of the first beam projected onto the ground, and the first beam is any one of the multiple first beams determined by the first satellite. The multiple first beams correspond one-to-one to the multiple first reference points, and the relative positions of the multiple first reference points within the beam coverage range are the same; processing unit 1320 is also used to determine a second beam based on the first reference point list and the movement direction of the first satellite, where the second beam is one of the multiple first beams, and the second beam is used to access the satellite.

[0286] It should be understood that the transceiver unit 1310 and the processing unit 1320 can also perform other operations performed by the terminal device in any of the above methods 600, which will not be described in detail here.

[0287] In one design, the apparatus 1300 may be used to perform the actions performed by the access network device in each of the above method embodiments. For example, the apparatus 1300 may be used to perform the actions performed by the access network device in the above method 600. In this case, the apparatus 1300 may be a component of the access network device, the transceiver unit 1310 is used to perform the transceiver-related operations on the access network device side in the above method embodiments, and the processing unit 1320 is used to perform the processing-related operations of the access network device in the above method embodiments.

[0288] For example, the processing unit 1320 is used to determine a first reference point list, where the first reference point list includes multiple first reference points, where the first reference point is a point within the beam coverage range of the first beam projected onto the ground, and the first beam is any one of the multiple first beams determined by the first satellite. The multiple first beams correspond one-to-one to the multiple first reference points, and the relative positions of the multiple first reference points within the beam coverage range are the same; the transceiver unit 1310 is used to send the first reference point list via a broadcast message.

[0289] For another example, the processing unit 1320 is used to determine a first beam pointing list, where the first beam pointing list includes the pointing of the multiple first beams, and the pointing of the first beam is used to indicate the pitch angle and azimuth angle of the first beam; the transceiver unit 1310 is used to send the first beam pointing list via a broadcast message.

[0290] For another example, the processing unit 1320 is used to determine beam width information and beam index list information, where the beam width information indicates the beam width of the first satellite toward the first beam; the transceiver unit 1310 is used to send the beam width information and the beam index list information via a broadcast message.

[0291] It should be understood that the transceiver unit 1310 and the processing unit 1320 may also perform other operations performed by the access network device in any of the above methods 600, which will not be described in detail here.

[0292] It should also be understood that the device 1300 here is embodied in the form of a functional unit. The term "unit" here can refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a dedicated processor or a group processor, etc.) and a memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combined logic circuit and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. In an optional example, those skilled in the art will understand that the device 1300 can be specifically a network device in the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the network device in the above-mentioned method embodiments. To avoid repetition, they will not be described here.

[0293] The apparatus 1300 of each of the above-mentioned solutions has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the terminal device in the above-mentioned method, or the apparatus 1300 of each of the above-mentioned solutions has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the network device in the above-mentioned method. The functions can be implemented by hardware, or the corresponding software can be implemented by hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions; for example, the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transceiver (for example, the sending unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as the processing unit, can be replaced by a processor to respectively perform the sending and receiving operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0294] In addition, the transceiver unit 1310 may also be a transceiver circuit (for example, may include a receiving circuit and a sending circuit), and the processing unit may be a processing circuit.

[0295] It should be noted that the apparatus in FIG13 may be a network element or device in the aforementioned embodiment, or may be a chip or chip system, such as a system on chip (SoC). The transceiver unit may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; the processing unit may be a processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit integrated on the chip. This is not limited here.

[0296] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a communication architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1400 shown in Figure 14 includes a processor 1410, a memory 1420, and a transceiver 1430. The processor 1410 is coupled to the memory 1420 and is configured to execute instructions stored in the memory 1420 to control the transceiver 1430 to transmit and / or receive signals.

[0297] It should be understood that the processor 1410 and memory 1420 described above can be combined into a single processing device, with the processor 1410 configured to execute program code stored in the memory 1420 to implement the aforementioned functions. In a specific implementation, the memory 1420 can also be integrated into the processor 1410 or independent of the processor 1410. It should be understood that the processor 1410 can also correspond to the various processing units in the aforementioned communication device, and the transceiver 1430 can correspond to the various receiving units and transmitting units in the aforementioned communication device.

[0298] It should also be understood that the transceiver 1430 may include a receiver (or receiver) and a transmitter (or transmitter). The transceiver may further include an antenna, and the number of antennas may be one or more. The transceiver may also be a communication interface or interface circuit.

[0299] Specifically, the communication device 1400 may correspond to the terminal device in the method 600 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1400 may include the units of the method performed by the terminal device in the method 600. It should be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above-mentioned method embodiment and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0300] When the communication device 1400 is a chip, the chip includes an interface unit and a processing unit, wherein the interface unit may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; and the processing unit may be a processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit integrated on the chip.

[0301] During implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor or by instructions in the form of software. The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in conjunction with its hardware. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail here.

[0302] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiments of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiment can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor or by instructions in the form of software. The above processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component. The various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or executed. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, or electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware.

[0303] The present application also provides a computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, which implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments when executed by a computer.

[0304] The present application also provides a computer program product, which implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments when executed by a computer.

[0305] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may 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 instructions may 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 may be any available medium that a computer can access 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)).

[0306] In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" and "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described in this application as "exemplary" should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the word "exemplary" is intended to present concepts in a concrete way.

[0307] It should be understood that references to "embodiments" throughout this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic associated with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, various embodiments throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0308] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the sequence number of each process does not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiment of the present application. The names of all nodes and messages in this application are merely names set by this application for the convenience of description. The names in the actual network may be different. It should not be understood that this application limits the names of various nodes and messages. On the contrary, any name with the same or similar function as the node or message used in this application is regarded as the method or equivalent replacement of this application, and is within the scope of protection of this application.

[0309] It should also be understood that in this application, "when", "if" and "if" all mean that the UE or base station will take corresponding measures under certain objective circumstances. It does not limit the time, and does not require the UE or base station to take judgment actions when implementing it, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0310] Additionally, the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably. The term "and / or" is simply used to describe an association between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone.

[0311] As used herein, the term "at least one of" or "at least one of" refers to all or any combination of the listed items. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" can mean: A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, B and C together, and A, B, and C together. As used herein, "at least one" means one or more. "A plurality" means two or more.

[0312] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A and can be determined based on A. However, it should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information. The terms "include," "comprising," "having," and their variations all mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0313] It should be understood that in various embodiments of the present application, the first, second, and various numerical numbers are merely distinctions for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0314] 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. Professional and technical personnel 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 application.

[0315] 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.

[0316] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0317] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0318] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0319] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0320] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application 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 application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

[0321] As used in this specification, the terms "component," "module," "system," and the like are used to represent computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, an execution thread, a program, and / or a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on a computing device and a computing device can be a component. One or more components can reside in a process and / or an execution thread, and a component can be located on a computer and / or distributed between two or more computers. In addition, these components can be executed from various computer-readable media having various data structures stored thereon. Components can communicate, for example, via local and / or remote processes based on signals having one or more data packets (e.g., data from two components interacting with another component between a local system, a distributed system, and / or a network, such as the Internet interacting with other systems via signals).

[0322] 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. Professional and technical personnel 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 application.

Claims

1. A communication method for accessing a non-terrestrial network NTN, characterized in that: Applied to terminal equipment, including: Determine a first reference point list, where the first reference point list includes a plurality of first reference points, where the first reference points are points within a beam coverage range projected by the first beam onto the ground, the plurality of first beams correspond one-to-one to the plurality of first reference points, and the plurality of first reference points have the same relative positions within the beam coverage range; A second beam is determined according to the first reference point list and the moving direction of the first satellite, the second beam is one of the multiple first beams, and the second beam is used to access the first satellite.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The determining of the first reference point list comprises: A first reference point list is received from an access network device through a broadcast message.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining of the first reference point list comprises: Receiving a first beam pointing list from an access network device through a broadcast message, where the first beam pointing list includes the pointing of the plurality of first beams, where the pointing of the first beam is used to indicate an elevation angle and an azimuth angle of the first beam; The first reference point list is determined according to the first beam direction list, and the directions of the multiple first beams correspond one-to-one to the multiple first reference points.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The determining of the first reference point list comprises: receiving beam width information and beam index list information from an access network device through a broadcast message, wherein the beam width information indicates a beam width of the first satellite directed toward the first beam; The first reference point list is determined according to the beam width information and the beam index list information.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first beam is a beam corresponding to the sub-satellite point.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The determining the first reference point list according to the beam width information and the beam index list information includes: Determine a beam arrangement mode according to the beam width information and the beam index list information, where the beam arrangement mode is used to indicate positions where the multiple first beams are projected onto the ground; The first reference point list is determined according to the beam arrangement mode.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The determining the beam arrangement mode according to the beam width information and the beam index list information includes: determining the beam arrangement mode according to the beam width information, the beam index list information and a first rule, wherein the first rule is a beam arrangement rule; or, The beam arrangement mode is determined according to the beam width information, the beam index list information and a first pattern, where the first pattern indicates the arrangement of the beam indexes.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: First indication information is received from the access network device through a broadcast message, where the first indication information is used to indicate the first pattern.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The determining the second beam according to the first reference point list and the movement direction of the first satellite includes: Determine a first vector set according to the location information of the terminal device and the ephemeris information of the first satellite, where the first vector set includes a plurality of first vectors, an initial point of the first vector is the location of the terminal device, and an end point of the first vector is a second reference point; Determine a first scalar set according to the first vector set and the movement direction of the first satellite, where the first scalar set includes a plurality of first scalars, and the first scalar is a projection distance of the first vector in the movement direction of the first satellite; The second beam is determined according to the first set of scalars.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The second reference point is any reference point in the first reference point list, or the second reference point is any reference point in the second reference point list, the second reference point list is a subset or a full set of the first reference point list, the second reference point list includes multiple first reference points, and the first beams corresponding to the multiple first reference points included in the second reference point list meet the reference signal received power RSRP threshold value.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: When the second reference point is any reference point in the first reference point list, determining the second beam according to the first scalar set includes: Determine a second scalar set according to the first scalar set, where the second scalar set is a subset or a full set of the first scalar set, and beams corresponding to multiple first scalars included in the second scalar set satisfy an RSRP threshold value; Determine that a beam corresponding to a smallest first scalar among multiple first scalars in the second scalar set is the second beam.

12. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: When the second reference point is any reference point in the second reference point list, determining the second beam according to the first scalar set includes: Determine that a beam corresponding to a smallest first scalar among multiple first scalars in the first scalar set is the second beam.

13. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: When the second reference point is any reference point in the first reference point list, determining the second beam according to the first scalar set includes: Determine a second scalar set according to the first scalar set, where the second scalar set is a subset or a full set of the first scalar set, and beams corresponding to multiple first scalars included in the second scalar set satisfy an RSRP threshold value; determining at least one first scalar among a plurality of first scalars in the second scalar set that satisfies a first threshold; Determine that a beam corresponding to one of the at least one first scalar is the second beam.

14. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that When the second reference point is any reference point in the second reference point list, determining the second beam according to the first scalar set includes: Determine at least one first scalar among a plurality of first scalars in the first scalar set that satisfies a first threshold; Determine that a beam corresponding to one of the at least one first scalar is the second beam.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first threshold is received from the access network device.

16. A communication method for accessing a non-terrestrial network NTN, characterized in that: Applied to access network equipment, including: Determine a first reference point list, where the first reference point list includes a plurality of first reference points, where the first reference points are points within a beam coverage range projected by the first beam onto the ground, the plurality of first beams correspond one-to-one to the plurality of first reference points, and the plurality of first reference points have the same relative positions within the beam coverage range; The first reference point list is sent via a broadcast message.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The method further comprises: A first threshold is sent via a broadcast message, where the first threshold is used by the terminal device to determine a second beam, and the second beam is used to access a first satellite.

18. A communication method for accessing a non-terrestrial network NTN, characterized in that: Applied to access network equipment, including: Determine a first beam pointing list, where the first beam pointing list includes the pointing of the plurality of first beams, where the pointing of the first beam is used to indicate the elevation angle and azimuth angle of the first beam; The first beam pointing list is sent via a broadcast message.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The method further comprises: A first threshold is sent via a broadcast message, where the first threshold is used by the terminal device to determine a second beam, and the second beam is used to access a first satellite.

20. A communication method for accessing a non-terrestrial network NTN, characterized in that: Applied to access network equipment, including: Determine beam width information and beam index list information, wherein the beam width information indicates a beam width of the first satellite toward the first beam; The beam width information and the beam index list information are sent through a broadcast message.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first indication information is sent through a broadcast message, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first pattern, and the first pattern indicates an arrangement of the beam indexes.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that The method further comprises: A first threshold is sent via a broadcast message, where the first threshold is used by the terminal device to determine a second beam, and the second beam is used to access the first satellite.

23. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

24. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor, configured to execute a computer program stored in the memory, so that the apparatus performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

25. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that The apparatus also includes the memory.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

27. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises instructions for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 22.

28. A chip system, characterized in that: include: A processor, used to call and run a computer program from a memory so that a communication device equipped with the chip system executes the method described in any one of claims 1 to 22.

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