Handover method, terminal, communication system, and electronic device

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of communications, and to a handover method, a terminal, a communication system, and an electronic device. The method of the present invention comprises: a first terminal sends a handover request to a second terminal by means of a source satellite, wherein the first terminal establishes a communication link with the second terminal by means of the source satellite, and the handover request comprises at least one of a satellite reselection indication and ephemeris information of a candidate satellite; the first terminal receives a handover confirmation message sent by the second terminal by means of the source satellite, wherein the handover confirmation message comprises information of a target satellite, and the target satellite is determined by the second terminal on the basis of the handover request; the first terminal hands over to the target satellite, and establishes a communication link with the second terminal by means of the target satellite.

Description

Switching method, terminal, communication system and electronic device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is based on the application with CN application number 202310790659.0 and application date June 29, 2023, and claims its priority. The disclosed content of the CN application is hereby introduced as a whole into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a switching method, a terminal, a communication system, and an electronic device. Background Art

[0004] Currently, the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) and academia are conducting research on integrated space-ground and air-space scenarios. Satellites are gradually taking on some of the functions of base stations or core networks in various architectures.

[0005] Currently, in the integrated air-space-ground scenario, communication between terminals still needs to go through the ground network, that is, communication between a terminal device and another terminal device usually takes place through the path of terminal-satellite-ground network (-satellite)-terminal.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a switching method is provided, including: a first terminal sends a switching request to a second terminal via a source satellite, wherein the first terminal establishes a communication link between the second terminal via the source satellite, and the switching request includes at least one of a satellite reselection indication and ephemeris information of a candidate satellite; the first terminal receives a switching confirmation message sent by the second terminal via the source satellite, wherein the switching confirmation message includes information of a target satellite, and the target satellite is determined by the second terminal according to the switching request; the first terminal switches to the target satellite, and establishes a communication link with the second terminal via the target satellite.

[0008] In some embodiments, the method further includes: the first terminal determines whether to perform satellite switching based on the ephemeris information of each satellite and the connection information between each satellite; wherein the first terminal sends a switching request to the second terminal through the source satellite includes: the first terminal sends a switching request to the second terminal through the source satellite when determining to perform satellite switching.

[0009] In some embodiments, the candidate satellites are determined by the first terminal according to ephemeris information of each satellite and connection information between each satellite.

[0010] In some embodiments, the handover confirmation message further includes: security information for verifying whether the communication link is successfully established.

[0011] In some embodiments, when the switching request includes the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite or when the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the candidate satellite, the target satellite is determined by the second terminal based on the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite; or, when the switching request does not include the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite and the satellite reselection indication is used to indicate reselection of the connected satellite, the target satellite is determined by the second terminal based on the ephemeris information of each satellite; or, when the switching request does not include the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite and the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the target satellite, the target satellite is determined by the second terminal directly based on the identifier of the target satellite.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method further includes: the first terminal establishing a connection with the source satellite, and establishing a communication link with the second terminal through the source satellite.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method further includes: before the first terminal receives a handover confirmation message sent by the second terminal via the source satellite, when the handover request includes ephemeris information of the candidate satellite or when the satellite reselection indication includes an identifier of the candidate satellite, the source satellite sends the stored context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal to the candidate satellite, wherein the context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal are used for authorization and authentication of the first terminal and the second terminal during the handover process.

[0014] In some embodiments, the method further includes: after the first terminal receives a handover confirmation message sent by the second terminal via the source satellite, the source satellite sends the stored context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal to the target satellite, wherein the context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal are used for authorization and authentication of the first terminal and the second terminal during the handover process.

[0015] According to other embodiments of the present disclosure, a switching method is provided, including: a second terminal receives a switching request sent by a first terminal through a source satellite, wherein the first terminal establishes a communication link between the second terminal through the source satellite, and the switching request includes: a satellite reselection indication and at least one of ephemeris information of a candidate satellite; the second terminal determines information of a target satellite based on the switching request; the second terminal sends a switching confirmation message to the first terminal through the source satellite, wherein the switching confirmation message includes information of the target satellite; the second terminal switches to the target satellite, and establishes a communication link with the first terminal through the target satellite.

[0016] In some embodiments, the handover confirmation message further includes: security information for verifying whether the communication link is successfully established.

[0017] In some embodiments, the second terminal determines the information of the target satellite based on the switching request, including: when the switching request includes the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite or when the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the candidate satellite, the second terminal determines the information of the target satellite based on the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite; or, when the switching request does not include the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite and the satellite reselection indication is used to indicate reselection of the connected satellite, the second terminal determines the information of the target satellite based on the ephemeris information of each satellite; or, when the switching request does not include the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite and the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the target satellite, the second terminal directly determines the information of the target satellite based on the identifier of the target satellite.

[0018] According to some further embodiments of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, which is configured as a first terminal and includes: a transmitter for sending a switching request to a second terminal via a source satellite, wherein the switching request includes: a satellite reselection indication and at least one of ephemeris information of a candidate satellite; a receiver for receiving a switching confirmation message sent by the second terminal via the source satellite, wherein the switching confirmation message includes information of a target satellite, and the target satellite is determined by the second terminal based on the switching request; and a controller for controlling the first terminal to switch to the target satellite and establish a communication link with the second terminal via the target satellite.

[0019] According to some further embodiments of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, which is configured as a second terminal and includes: a receiver for receiving a switching request sent by a first terminal through a source satellite, wherein the switching request includes: a satellite reselection indication and at least one of ephemeris information of a candidate satellite; a controller for determining information of a target satellite according to the switching request, and controlling the second terminal to switch to the target satellite, and establish a communication link with the first terminal through the target satellite; and a transmitter for sending a switching confirmation message to the first terminal through the source satellite, wherein the switching confirmation message includes information of the target satellite.

[0020] According to some further embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, including: the first terminal of any of the aforementioned embodiments and the second terminal of any of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0021] In some embodiments, the system further includes: a source satellite, configured to receive a handover request sent by the first terminal and forward the handover request to the second terminal, and receive a handover confirmation message sent by the second terminal and forward the handover confirmation message to the first terminal.

[0022] In some embodiments, the source satellite is further used to store the context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal, and before receiving the switching confirmation message sent by the second terminal, when the switching request includes the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite or when the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the candidate satellite, the context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal are sent to the candidate satellite; and / or, after receiving the switching confirmation message sent by the second terminal, the context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal are sent to the target satellite, wherein the context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal are used for authorization and authentication of the first terminal and the second terminal during the switching process.

[0023] In some embodiments, the system further includes: a target satellite, configured to establish a connection with the first terminal and the second terminal to form a communication link in response to the switching between the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0024] According to some further embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, for storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to execute a switching method as described in any embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] According to some further embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored, wherein when the program is executed by a processor, the switching method of any embodiment of the present disclosure is implemented.

[0026] According to some further embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer program is provided, comprising: instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute the switching method as described in any embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0029] FIG1 is a schematic flow chart showing a switching method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of a system architecture according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG3 is a schematic flow chart showing a switching method according to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG4 shows a schematic structural diagram of a first terminal according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG5 shows a schematic structural diagram of a second terminal according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG6 shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all the embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is actually only illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure and its application or use. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0038] The inventors discovered that due to the mobility of satellites, terminals need to switch between them. Currently, there is no solution for achieving this between-satellite terminal switching in integrated air-space-ground scenarios. Furthermore, communication between terminals currently requires terrestrial networks, which can result in significant latency and increased signaling overhead.

[0039] A technical problem to be solved by the present disclosure is to propose a method for switching in an air-ground-space integrated scenario to improve switching efficiency and reduce signaling overhead.

[0040] For the air-ground-ground integrated scenario, a switching method is proposed, which is described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

[0041] Figure 1 is a flow chart of some embodiments of the handover method disclosed herein. As shown in Figure 1 , the method of this embodiment includes steps S102 to S108.

[0042] In step S102, the first terminal sends a handover request to the second terminal via the source satellite. Correspondingly, the second terminal receives the handover request sent by the first terminal via the source satellite.

[0043] A communication link is established between the first terminal and the second terminal via the source satellite. As shown in Figure 2, a communication link is established between UE (User Equipment, also called terminals) A and UE B via satellite 1, and a communication link is established between UE C and UE D via satellite 2. The satellite is also connected to the terrestrial network, but signaling between the terminals can be exchanged solely via the satellite.

[0044] Satellites can be equipped with functions such as storage and forwarding, meaning they can possess terminal capabilities, which can be referred to as "terminal-on-satellite." On the one hand, terminal-on-satellite avoids the payload and processing power requirements inherent in base station and core network functions, facilitating lightweight deployment and implementation. Compared to base station and core network functions, terminal functions place lower hardware requirements on satellites, resulting in shorter satellite production cycles and lower costs, making rapid and large-scale deployment easier. Furthermore, terminal-on-satellite communication can provide terminal-satellite-terminal communication. The terminal-satellite-ground network (-satellite)-terminal communication method requires data to be transmitted through the core network, increasing transmission latency and radio resource overhead, particularly in emergency situations such as navigation and exploration. However, terminal-satellite-terminal communication can reduce signaling interactions with the ground network, lower radio resource overhead, reduce latency, and improve communication efficiency. In addition, compared with the traditional terminal-to-terminal communication method, terminal-satellite-to-terminal can ensure that two terminals can communicate directly within the satellite coverage area, greatly improving the geographical range of terminal-to-terminal communication, thereby improving the service quality of the communication network, expanding application cases, and better serving communication services in remote areas and uninhabited areas.

[0045] The first terminal now sends a handover request to the source satellite, which is then forwarded by the source satellite to the second terminal. In some embodiments, the handover request includes at least one of a satellite reselection instruction and ephemeris information of a candidate satellite. The satellite reselection instruction may include at least one of an indicator for reselecting a satellite for connection, an identifier of a target satellite, and an identifier of a candidate satellite. There may be one or more candidate satellites. The ephemeris information of the candidate satellites may include the identifier of each candidate satellite and its corresponding ephemeris information.

[0046] In some embodiments, the candidate satellites are determined by the first terminal based on the ephemeris information of each satellite and the connection information between each satellite. Alternatively, when the satellite reselection instruction includes an identifier of a target satellite, the target satellite is determined by the first terminal based on the ephemeris information of each satellite and the connection information between each satellite. The first terminal may also determine the candidate satellite or the target satellite based solely on the ephemeris information of each satellite.

[0047] For example, the first terminal determines one or more satellites that will cover the location of the first terminal within a preset future time period based on the ephemeris information of each satellite, determines whether the one or more satellites are connected to a source satellite based on the connection information between the satellites, and selects one or more satellites connected to the source satellite as candidate satellites, or selects one satellite connected to the source satellite as a target satellite. The connection information between satellites can be represented by an intersatellite link or an intersatellite connection matrix.

[0048] The first terminal can learn about changes in satellite coverage areas through ephemeris information and connection information between satellites, decide whether to perform satellite switching, and identify candidate satellites or target satellites.

[0049] In step S104, the second terminal determines information of the target satellite according to the handover request.

[0050] In some embodiments, when the handover request includes ephemeris information of the candidate satellite or when the satellite reselection indication includes an identifier of the candidate satellite, the second terminal determines the target satellite according to the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite.

[0051] In some embodiments, when the handover request does not include ephemeris information of the candidate satellite and the satellite reselection indication is used to instruct reselection of the connected satellite, the second terminal determines the target satellite according to the ephemeris information of each satellite.

[0052] In some embodiments, when the handover request does not include the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite and the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the target satellite, the second terminal directly determines the target satellite according to the identifier of the target satellite.

[0053] If the handover request includes only the ephemeris information of the candidate satellites, or only the satellite reselection instruction, and the satellite reselection instruction includes the identifier of the candidate satellite, the second terminal can obtain the ephemeris information of the candidate satellites and determine the target satellite based on the ephemeris information of the candidate satellites. For example, the second terminal can determine the target satellite that will cover the location of the second terminal within a preset future time period based on the ephemeris information of each candidate satellite. The second terminal can also determine whether the target satellite is connected to the source satellite based on the connection information between the satellites. If the target satellite is not connected to the source satellite, a new target satellite can be selected.

[0054] The first terminal can select a candidate satellite and send the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite to the second terminal. The second terminal selects the target satellite, which can ensure that the selected target satellite can accurately cover both terminals and reduce the process of the second terminal obtaining ephemeris information, thereby improving efficiency.

[0055] If the handover request only includes a satellite reselection indication and the satellite reselection indication is only used to indicate reselection of a connected satellite, the second terminal may determine the target satellite based on the ephemeris information of each satellite, or based on the ephemeris information of each satellite and connection information between each satellite.

[0056] If the handover request only includes a satellite reselection instruction, and the satellite reselection instruction includes the identifier of the target satellite, the second terminal can directly determine the target satellite. The second terminal can determine, based on the target satellite's ephemeris information, whether the target satellite will cover the second terminal's location within a preset future time period. If the target satellite cannot cover the second terminal's location within the preset future time period, the second terminal can return a handover response to the first terminal, with the handover response including information indicating that the target terminal is unsuitable.

[0057] In step S106, the second terminal sends a handover confirmation message to the first terminal via the source satellite. Correspondingly, the first terminal receives the handover confirmation message sent by the second terminal via the source satellite.

[0058] Once the handover is decided, the second terminal sends a handover confirmation message to the source satellite and then to the first terminal. The handover confirmation message includes information of the target satellite, such as an identifier of the target satellite.

[0059] In some embodiments, the handover confirmation message further includes: security information for verifying whether the communication link is successfully established.

[0060] In step S108, the first terminal switches to the target satellite and establishes a communication link with the second terminal through the target satellite. Correspondingly, the second terminal switches to the target satellite and establishes a communication link with the first terminal through the target satellite.

[0061] In the above embodiment, a new communication method is proposed, in which a communication link is established between the first terminal and the second terminal via a satellite, and the first terminal and the second terminal can communicate directly via the satellite. The first terminal sends a switching request to the second terminal via the source satellite, and the switching request includes: a satellite reselection indication and at least one of the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite. The second terminal determines the target satellite according to the switching request, and sends a switching confirmation message carrying the information of the target satellite to the first terminal, and then the first terminal and the second terminal both switch to the target satellite, and the first terminal establishes a communication link between the target satellite and the second terminal. The solution of the above embodiment realizes the switching of terminals between satellites in an integrated air-space-ground scenario, and the terminals exchange signaling via satellites, thereby improving switching efficiency and reducing signaling overhead.

[0062] Other embodiments of the switching method disclosed herein are described below in conjunction with FIG. 3 .

[0063] FIG3 is a flow chart of another embodiment of the switching method disclosed herein. As shown in FIG3 , the method of this embodiment includes steps S302 to S316.

[0064] In step S302, the first terminal establishes a connection with the source satellite and establishes a communication link with the second terminal through the source satellite. Correspondingly, the second terminal establishes a connection with the source satellite and establishes a communication link with the first terminal through the source satellite.

[0065] The first terminal establishes a communication link with the second terminal via the source satellite. After connecting to the source satellite, the first terminal can also obtain satellite ephemeris information and / or inter-satellite connection information from a ground network (e.g., a core network). Service authorization and pre-configuration for the first and second terminals are completed before the first terminal-source satellite-second terminal connection is established.

[0066] In step S304, the first terminal determines whether to perform satellite switching based on the ephemeris information of each satellite and the connection information between the satellites. If it is determined to perform satellite switching, step S306 is executed.

[0067] In step S306, the first terminal sends a handover request to the second terminal via the source satellite.

[0068] The handover request includes at least one of a satellite reselection instruction and ephemeris information of a candidate satellite.

[0069] Optionally, in step S308, when the handover request includes ephemeris information of the candidate satellite or when the satellite reselection indication includes an identifier of the candidate satellite, the source satellite sends the stored context information of the first terminal and the stored context information of the second terminal to the candidate satellite.

[0070] The source satellite may store the context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal. If the handover request includes information about a candidate satellite, the source satellite may transmit the stored context information of the first terminal and the second terminal to the candidate satellite. The context information of the first terminal and the second terminal is used for authorization and authentication of the first terminal and the second terminal during the handover process.

[0071] An intersatellite link exists between the source satellite and the candidate satellite. Therefore, after receiving the handover request sent by the first terminal, the source satellite can send context information about the first terminal and the second terminal to the candidate satellite in accordance with the satellite reselection instruction. The candidate satellite stores the resources and context of the first terminal and the second terminal, thereby assisting the candidate satellite in authorizing access to the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0072] In step S310, the second terminal determines information of the target satellite according to the handover request.

[0073] In step S312, the second terminal sends a handover confirmation message to the first terminal via the source satellite.

[0074] The handover confirmation message includes information of the target satellite.

[0075] Optionally, in step S314, the source satellite sends the stored context information of the first terminal and the stored context information of the second terminal to the target satellite.

[0076] If the source satellite has already sent the context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal to the candidate satellite, step S314 does not need to be performed.

[0077] In step S316, the first terminal and the second terminal switch to the target satellite, and the first terminal establishes a communication link with the second terminal through the target satellite.

[0078] If steps S308 or S314 are executed, establishing the links between the first terminal and the target satellite, and between the target satellite and the second terminal, can be simplified. The target satellite can perform authorization and authentication for the first and second terminals based on the stored context information. If steps S308 and S314 are not executed, a new communication link must be re-established between the target satellite and the two terminals.

[0079] The disclosed solution targets the scenario of integrated air-space-ground communication networks. Due to the mobility of satellites, the network topology is highly dynamic, and there is a problem of weak coverage in some areas. By equipping satellites with terminal capabilities (such as storage and forwarding functions), long-distance communication is achieved, and a mobility switching method is proposed to solve the high dynamics of the network topology and better serve remote areas and uninhabited areas.

[0080] The disclosed solution leverages the regularity and predictability of intersatellite network constellation operations and the relatively fixed intersatellite topology to assist in addressing satellite mobility handovers by acquiring satellite ephemeris information. Ground terminals use ephemeris information and intersatellite connectivity information to determine the target satellite for handover. The disclosed method for terminal-on-satellite mobility handover enables satellites to transmit terminal information via intersatellite links and store terminal context information for subsequent assistance in authorizing satellite access to the terminal, improving handover efficiency.

[0081] The present disclosure further provides a terminal, which is configured as a first terminal and is described below in conjunction with FIG. 4 .

[0082] FIG4 is a structural diagram of some embodiments of the first terminal of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4 , the first terminal 40 of this embodiment includes: a transmitter 410 , a receiver 420 , and a controller 430 .

[0083] The transmitter 410 is configured to send a handover request to the second terminal via the source satellite, wherein the handover request includes at least one of a satellite reselection indication and ephemeris information of a candidate satellite.

[0084] The receiver 420 is configured to receive a handover confirmation message sent by the second terminal via the source satellite, wherein the handover confirmation message includes information of a target satellite, and the target satellite is determined by the second terminal according to the handover request.

[0085] The controller 430 is configured to control the first terminal to switch to the target satellite and establish a communication link with the second terminal via the target satellite.

[0086] In some embodiments, the controller 430 is further used to determine whether to perform satellite switching based on the ephemeris information of each satellite and the connection information between each satellite; when it is determined that satellite switching is to be performed, the transmitter 410 is triggered to send a switching request to the second terminal via the source satellite.

[0087] In some embodiments, the candidate satellites are determined by the first terminal according to ephemeris information of each satellite and connection information between each satellite.

[0088] In some embodiments, the handover confirmation message further includes: security information for verifying whether the communication link is successfully established.

[0089] In some embodiments, when the switching request includes the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite or when the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the candidate satellite, the target satellite is determined by the second terminal based on the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite; or, when the switching request does not include the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite and the satellite reselection indication is used to indicate reselection of the connected satellite, the target satellite is determined by the second terminal based on the ephemeris information of each satellite; or, when the switching request does not include the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite and the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the target satellite, the target satellite is determined by the second terminal directly based on the identifier of the target satellite.

[0090] In some embodiments, the controller 430 is further configured to control the first terminal to establish a connection with the source satellite, and to establish a communication link with the second terminal through the source satellite.

[0091] The present disclosure also provides a second terminal, which will be described below in conjunction with FIG5 .

[0092] FIG5 is a block diagram of some embodiments of the second terminal of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5 , the second terminal 50 of this embodiment includes: a receiver 510, a controller 520, and a transmitter 530.

[0093] The receiver 510 is configured to receive a handover request sent by the first terminal via a source satellite, wherein the handover request includes at least one of a satellite reselection indication and ephemeris information of a candidate satellite.

[0094] The controller 520 is configured to determine information of the target satellite according to the switching request, and control the second terminal to switch to the target satellite, and establish a communication link with the first terminal through the target satellite.

[0095] The transmitter 530 is configured to send a handover confirmation message to the first terminal via the source satellite, wherein the handover confirmation message includes information of the target satellite.

[0096] In some embodiments, the handover confirmation message further includes: security information for verifying whether the communication link is successfully established.

[0097] In some embodiments, the controller 520 is used to determine the information of the target satellite based on the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite when the switching request includes the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite or the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the candidate satellite; or, when the switching request does not include the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite and the satellite reselection indication is used to indicate reselection of the connected satellite, determine the information of the target satellite based on the ephemeris information of each satellite; or, when the switching request does not include the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite and the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the target satellite, determine the information of the target satellite directly based on the identifier of the target satellite.

[0098] The transmitter, receiver, and controller in the first terminal and the transmitter, receiver, and controller in the second terminal may be integrated into one terminal to implement corresponding functions.

[0099] The present disclosure also provides a communication system, which will be described below in conjunction with FIG6 .

[0100] FIG6 is a structural diagram of some embodiments of the communication system of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG6 , the system 6 of this embodiment includes: a first terminal 40 and a second terminal 50 .

[0101] In some embodiments, the system 6 further includes a source satellite 62 configured to receive a handover request sent by the first terminal 40 and forward it to the second terminal 50 , and receive a handover confirmation message sent by the second terminal 50 and forward it to the first terminal 40 .

[0102] In some embodiments, the source satellite 62 is further used to store the context information of the first terminal 40 and the context information of the second terminal 50, and before receiving the switching confirmation message sent by the second terminal 50, when the switching request includes the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite or when the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the candidate satellite, the context information of the first terminal 40 and the context information of the second terminal 50 are sent to the candidate satellite; or, after receiving the switching confirmation message sent by the second terminal 50, the context information of the first terminal 40 and the context information of the second terminal 50 are sent to the target satellite, wherein the context information of the first terminal 40 and the context information of the second terminal 50 are used for authorization and authentication of the first terminal 40 and the second terminal 50 during the switching process.

[0103] In some embodiments, system 6 further includes a target satellite 64 configured to establish a connection with first terminal 40 and second terminal 50 to form a communication link in response to a handover between first terminal 40 and second terminal 50. Target satellite 64 is further configured to receive context information of first terminal 40 and second terminal 50 transmitted by source satellite 62, and to authorize and authenticate first terminal 40 and second terminal 50.

[0104] The system 6 may include multiple satellites and multiple terminals, any terminal may serve as the first terminal or the second terminal, and any satellite may serve as the source satellite or the target satellite.

[0105] The electronic devices (first terminal, second terminal, satellite, etc.) in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by various computing devices or computer systems, which will be described below with reference to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 .

[0106] FIG7 is a block diagram of some embodiments of the electronic device disclosed herein. As shown in FIG7 , the electronic device 70 of this embodiment includes a memory 710 and a processor 720 coupled to the memory 710 , wherein the processor 720 is configured to execute the switching method of any of the embodiments of the present disclosure based on instructions stored in the memory 710 .

[0107] The memory 710 may include, for example, a system memory, a fixed non-volatile storage medium, etc. The system memory may store, for example, an operating system, an application program, a boot loader, a database, and other programs.

[0108] FIG8 is a structural diagram of some other embodiments of the electronic device disclosed herein. As shown in FIG8 , the electronic device 80 of this embodiment includes: a memory 810 and a processor 820, which are similar to the memory 710 and the processor 720, respectively. It may also include an input / output interface 830, a network interface 840, a storage interface 850, and the like. These interfaces 830, 840, 850 and the memory 810 and the processor 820 may be connected, for example, via a bus 860. Among them, the input / output interface 830 provides a connection interface for input / output devices such as a display, a mouse, a keyboard, and a touch screen. The network interface 840 provides a connection interface for various networked devices, such as a database server or a cloud storage server. The storage interface 850 provides a connection interface for external storage devices such as SD cards and USB flash drives.

[0109] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present disclosure may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Furthermore, the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable non-transient storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0110] The present disclosure is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0111] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0112] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0113] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure should be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A switching method, comprising: The first terminal sends a handover request to the second terminal through a source satellite, wherein the first terminal establishes a communication link with the second terminal through the source satellite, and the handover request includes at least one of a satellite reselection indication and ephemeris information of a candidate satellite; The first terminal receives a handover confirmation message sent by the second terminal through the source satellite, wherein the handover confirmation message includes information of a target satellite, and the target satellite is determined by the second terminal according to the handover request; The first terminal switches to the target satellite and establishes a communication link with the second terminal through the target satellite.

2. The switching method according to claim 1, further comprising: The first terminal determines whether to perform satellite switching according to the ephemeris information of each satellite and the connection information between each satellite; The first terminal sending a switching request to the second terminal through the source satellite includes: When determining to perform satellite switching, the first terminal sends the switching request to the second terminal through the source satellite.

3. The switching method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The candidate satellites are determined by the first terminal according to the ephemeris information of each satellite and the connection information between each satellite.

4. The switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The switching confirmation message also includes: security information, which is used to verify whether the communication link is successfully established.

5. The switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: In a case where the handover request includes the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite or the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the candidate satellite, the target satellite is determined by the second terminal according to the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite; or, In a case where the handover request does not include the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite and the satellite reselection indication is used to indicate reselection of a connected satellite, the target satellite is determined by the second terminal according to the ephemeris information of each satellite; or, In the case where the handover request does not include the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite and the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the target satellite, the target satellite is directly selected by the second terminal according to the target satellite. The identification is determined.

6. The switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: The first terminal establishes a connection with the source satellite, and establishes a communication link with the second terminal through the source satellite.

7. The switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: Before the first terminal receives the handover confirmation message sent by the second terminal via the source satellite, When the switching request includes the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite or when the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the candidate satellite, the source satellite sends the stored context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal to the candidate satellite, wherein the context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal are used for authorization and authentication of the first terminal and the second terminal during the switching process.

8. The switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: After the first terminal receives the handover confirmation message sent by the second terminal via the source satellite, The source satellite sends the stored context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal to the target satellite, wherein the context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal are used for authorization and authentication of the first terminal and the second terminal during a handover process.

9. A switching method, comprising: The second terminal receives a handover request sent by the first terminal through the source satellite, wherein the first terminal establishes a communication link with the second terminal through the source satellite, and the handover request includes at least one of a satellite reselection indication and ephemeris information of a candidate satellite; The second terminal determines information of the target satellite according to the switching request; The second terminal sends a switching confirmation message to the first terminal through the source satellite, wherein the switching confirmation message includes information of the target satellite; The second terminal switches to the target satellite and establishes a communication link with the first terminal through the target satellite.

10. The switching method according to claim 9, wherein: The switching confirmation message also includes: security information, which is used to verify whether the communication link is successfully established.

11. The switching method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: The information of the target satellite determined by the second terminal according to the switching request includes: The handover request includes the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite or the satellite reselection indication packet In the case where the identification of the candidate satellite is included, the second terminal determines the information of the target satellite according to the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite; or In a case where the handover request does not include the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite and the satellite reselection indication is used to indicate reselection of a connected satellite, the second terminal determines the information of the target satellite according to the ephemeris information of each satellite; or In a case where the handover request does not include the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite and the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the target satellite, the second terminal directly determines the information of the target satellite according to the identifier of the target satellite.

12. A terminal, configured as a first terminal, comprising: A transmitter, configured to send a switching request to the second terminal via a source satellite, wherein the switching request includes at least one of a satellite reselection indication and ephemeris information of a candidate satellite; a receiver, configured to receive a handover confirmation message sent by the second terminal via the source satellite, wherein the handover confirmation message includes information of a target satellite, and the target satellite is determined by the second terminal according to the handover request; The controller is used to control the first terminal to switch to the target satellite and establish a communication link with the second terminal through the target satellite.

13. A terminal, configured as a second terminal, comprising: A receiver, configured to receive a handover request sent by the first terminal through a source satellite, wherein the handover request includes at least one of a satellite reselection indication and ephemeris information of a candidate satellite; a controller, configured to determine information of a target satellite according to the switching request, and control the second terminal to switch to the target satellite, and establish a communication link with the first terminal through the target satellite; A transmitter is used to send a switching confirmation message to the first terminal through the source satellite, wherein the switching confirmation message includes information of the target satellite.

14. A communication system comprising: The terminal described in claim 12 serves as a first terminal and the terminal described in claim 13 serves as a second terminal.

15. The communication system according to claim 14, further comprising: The source satellite is configured to receive the switching request sent by the first terminal and forward it to the second terminal, and receive the switching confirmation message sent by the second terminal and forward it to the first terminal.

16. The communication system according to claim 15, wherein: The source satellite is also used to store the context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal. before receiving the handover confirmation message sent by the second terminal, when the handover request includes the ephemeris information of the candidate satellite or the satellite reselection indication includes the identifier of the candidate satellite, sending the context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal to the candidate satellite; and / or, after receiving the handover confirmation message sent by the second terminal, sending the context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal to the target satellite, The context information of the first terminal and the context information of the second terminal are used for authorization and authentication of the first terminal and the second terminal during the switching process.

17. The communication system according to any one of claims 14 to 16, further comprising: The target satellite is used to establish a connection with the first terminal and the second terminal to form a communication link in response to the switching of the first terminal and the second terminal.

18. An electronic device, comprising: processor; as well as A memory coupled to the processor, for storing instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by the processor, the processor executes the switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

19. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein: When the program is executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 are implemented.

20. A computer program comprising: Instructions, when the instructions are executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute the switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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