Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus. The method comprises: a first network device receives at least one piece of first information from at least one terminal, the first information being used for indicating the signal quality of a second cell, the second cell being a cell managed by a second network device, and the second cell being a neighbor cell of a first cell managed by the first network device; and, according to the at least one piece of first information, the first network device sends second information to the second network device, the second information being used for instructing the second network device to adjust the coverage range of the second cell. Network communication quality can be improved.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on August 28, 2023, with application number 202311096901.0 and application name “Communication Method and Communication Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly, to a communication method and a communication device. Background Art

[0003] Satellite communications, utilizing high-, medium-, and low-orbit satellites, can achieve wide-area, even global, coverage, providing undifferentiated communications services to users worldwide. The integration of satellite communications systems with mobile communications networks to build a seamless, integrated global communications network covering land, sea, and air, meeting the diverse service needs of ubiquitous terminals, is a key research direction.

[0004] When deploying a satellite network, in order to ensure continuous coverage of the equatorial region, a sufficient number of satellite orbital planes need to be deployed. This makes the satellite orbital planes denser in the middle and high latitudes of the earth, and the coverage areas of multiple satellites mostly overlap, causing the signals of multiple satellites to interfere with each other, resulting in a decline in terminal communication quality.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and a communication device, which can improve the quality of network communication.

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a first network device or a module (such as a chip) configured in (or used for) the first network device. The following description takes the first network device executing the method as an example.

[0008] The method includes: a first network device receiving at least one first information from at least one terminal, the first information being used to indicate signal quality of a second cell, the second cell being a cell managed by the second network device and a neighboring cell of the first cell managed by the first network device; and the first network device sending, based on the at least one first information, second information to a second network device, the second information being used to instruct the second network device to adjust coverage of the second cell.

[0009] According to the above solution, network equipment can obtain the terminal's measurement results of the signal quality of neighboring cells in the serving cell, and then negotiate with the adjacent network equipment managing the neighboring cells to adjust the cell coverage. This can reduce signal interference from adjacent network equipment or network coverage gaps, ensuring network coverage and providing high-quality network communication services to terminals, thereby improving network communication quality.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the second information includes the at least one first information.

[0011] According to the above scheme, the second information that the first network device can send to the second network device may include the signal quality of the second cell measured by at least one terminal in the first cell collected by the first network device, so that the second network device can adjust the coverage range based on the signal quality of the second cell in the first cell, thereby reducing signal interference from adjacent network devices or reducing network coverage loopholes.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: the first network device receiving fourth information from the second network device, where the fourth information is used to indicate that the coverage of the second cell has been adjusted.

[0013] According to the above solution, after the second network device adjusts the coverage of the second cell based on the second information, it can notify the first network device through the fourth information so that the first network device and the second network device can reach a consensus on the coverage of the second cell.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the second information includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate an average signal quality of the second cell.

[0015] According to the above solution, the first network device can determine the average signal quality of the second cell based on the signal quality of the second cell measured by at least one terminal, and notify the second network device through the second information so as to serve as a reference for the second network device to adjust the coverage range.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the second information includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate one of the following ways of adjusting the coverage of the second cell:

[0017] Increase coverage, decrease coverage, maintain coverage, or shut down part or all of the coverage of the second cell.

[0018] According to the above scheme, the first network device can determine the adjustment method of the second network device to the coverage range of the second cell based on the signal quality of the second cell measured by the terminal of the first cell, and notify the second network device through the second information, so that the second network device can adjust the coverage range of the second cell based on the second information, thereby enabling the first network device and the second network device to reach a consensus on the coverage range of the second cell, reducing signal interference and coverage loopholes.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the second information includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate a parameter of the coverage range or a change in the parameter of the coverage range.

[0020] Exemplarily, the parameters of coverage include one or more of the following:

[0021] The off-axis angle of the coverage edge, the elevation angle of the coverage edge, the coverage radius, the side length of the coverage edge, or the coverage area.

[0022] According to the above solution, the first network device can specifically notify the second network device of the coverage parameters of the second cell or the change in the coverage parameters, so that the second network device can accurately adjust the coverage of the second cell according to the third indication information.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the second information is specifically used to instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage range corresponding to the reference signal of the second cell, and the second information includes information about the reference signal; or, the second information is specifically used to instruct adjustment of the coverage range of the beam of the second cell, and the second information includes information about the beam.

[0024] According to the above solution, the first network device can specifically notify the second network device to adjust the coverage range of the reference signal or beam of the second cell, so that the second network device can adjust the coverage range of the second cell with finer granularity.

[0025] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first network device receives at least one first information from at least one terminal, including: the first network device receives the at least one first information from the at least one terminal within a first time period, and the first time period is the period length of the neighboring cell signal quality detection period of the first network device.

[0026] According to the above solution, the first network device can obtain the signal quality of the neighboring cell measured by the terminal in the first cell at a certain period, regularly judge the coverage range of the neighboring cell, and make timely adjustments to ensure network communication quality.

[0027] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first network device sends second information to the second network device based on the at least one first information, including: the first network device determines the average signal quality difference between the signal quality of the second cell and the signal quality of the first cell based on the at least one first information; and sends the second information to the second network device based on the average signal quality difference.

[0028] According to the above solution, the first network device can determine whether the coverage of the second cell needs to be adjusted based on the average difference in signal quality between the first cell and the second cell, thereby providing a criterion for determining whether to adjust the cell coverage.

[0029] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first information includes a signal quality difference between the signal quality of the second cell and the signal quality of the first cell.

[0030] According to the above scheme, the terminal determines the signal quality difference between the first cell and the second cell and notifies the first network device, so that the first network device determines whether it is necessary to adjust the coverage range of the second cell based on the signal quality difference between the first cell and the second cell determined by at least one terminal.

[0031] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the average signal quality of the first cell is determined according to the signal quality of the first cell from the at least one terminal.

[0032] Exemplarily, the first information is also used to indicate the signal quality of the first cell.

[0033] According to the above solution, the first network device can also obtain the signal quality of the first cell from the at least one terminal, and compare the signal quality of the first cell with the signal quality of the second cell by the first network device to obtain the average difference in signal quality, thereby determining whether it is necessary to adjust the coverage of the second cell.

[0034] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method also includes: when the average signal quality of the second cell is greater than the average signal quality of the first cell, and the difference in the average signal quality is greater than a first threshold, the first network device determines to notify the second network device to reduce the coverage of the second cell, and the second information is specifically used to instruct the second network device to reduce the coverage of the second cell; or, when the average signal quality of the second cell is less than the average signal quality of the first cell, and the difference in the average signal quality is greater than a second threshold, the first network device determines to notify the second network device to increase the coverage of the second cell, and the second information is specifically used to instruct the second network device to increase the coverage of the second cell.

[0035] In a second aspect, a data transmission method is provided, which can be executed by a second network device or a module (such as a chip) configured in (or used for) the second network device. The following description takes the second network device executing the method as an example.

[0036] The method includes: a second network device receives second information from a first network device, where the second information is used to instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage of a second cell, where the second cell is a cell managed by the second network device and is a neighboring cell of the first cell managed by the first network device; and according to the second information, adjust the coverage of the second cell.

[0037] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the second information includes the indication of at least one first information, or the second information includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the average signal quality of the second cell.

[0038] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the second network device sending fourth information to the first network device, where the fourth information is used to indicate that the coverage range of the second cell has been adjusted.

[0039] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the second information includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate one of the following ways of adjusting the coverage of the second cell:

[0040] Increase coverage, decrease coverage, maintain coverage, or shut down part or all of the coverage of the second cell.

[0041] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the second information includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate a parameter of the coverage range or a change in a parameter of the coverage range.

[0042] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the parameters include one or more of the following:

[0043] The off-axis angle of the coverage edge, the elevation angle of the coverage edge, the coverage radius, the side length of the coverage edge, or the coverage area.

[0044] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the second information is specifically used to instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage range corresponding to the reference signal of the second cell, and the second information includes information about the reference signal; or, the second information is specifically used to instruct to adjust the coverage range of the beam of the second cell, and the second information includes information about the beam.

[0045] According to a third aspect, a communication device is provided. In one design, the device may include a module corresponding to the method / operation / step / action described in the first aspect or any one of the embodiments of the first aspect. The module may be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. According to one design, the device includes: a transceiver unit for receiving at least one first information from at least one terminal, the first information being used to indicate the signal quality of a second cell, the second cell being a cell managed by a second network device, and the second cell being a neighboring cell of the first cell managed by the first network device. A processing unit for sending second information to the second network device based on the at least one first information, the second information being used to instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage of the second cell.

[0046] In the third aspect, the specific content and indication method of the first information and the second information can refer to the description of the first aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0047] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to receive fourth information from the second network device, where the fourth information is used to indicate that the coverage range of the second cell has been adjusted.

[0048] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is specifically used to receive the at least one first information from the at least one terminal within a first time period, and the first time period is the period length of the neighboring cell signal quality detection period of the first network device.

[0049] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the processing unit is also used to determine the average signal quality difference between the signal quality of the second cell and the signal quality of the first cell based on the at least one first information; the transceiver unit is specifically used to send second information to the second network device based on the average signal quality difference.

[0050] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, when the average signal quality of the second cell is greater than the average signal quality of the first cell, and the difference in the average signal quality is greater than a first threshold, the processing unit is also used to determine to notify the second network device to reduce the coverage of the second cell, and the second information is specifically used to instruct the second network device to reduce the coverage of the second cell; or, when the average signal quality of the second cell is less than the average signal quality of the first cell, and the difference in the average signal quality is greater than a second threshold, the processing unit is also used to determine to notify the second network device to increase the coverage of the second cell, and the second information is specifically used to instruct the second network device to increase the coverage of the second cell.

[0051] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided. In one design, the device may include a module corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect or any one of the embodiments of the second aspect. The module may be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. In one design, the device includes: a transceiver unit for receiving second information from a first network device, the second information being used to instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage of a second cell, the second cell being a cell managed by the second network device, and the second cell being a neighboring cell of the first cell managed by the first network device; and a processing unit for adjusting the coverage of the second cell based on the second information.

[0052] In combination with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is used to send fourth information to the first network device, where the fourth information is used to indicate that the coverage range of the second cell has been adjusted.

[0053] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor. The processor can implement the method of the first aspect or the second aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory, and the processor is coupled to the memory and can be used to execute instructions in the memory to implement the method of the first aspect or the second aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface. In an embodiment of the present application, the communication interface can be a transceiver, a pin, a circuit, a bus, a module, or other types of communication interfaces, without limitation.

[0054] In one implementation, the communication apparatus is a communication device (such as a network device). When the communication apparatus is a communication device, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0055] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip configured in a communication device. When the communication device is a chip configured in a communication device, the communication interface may be an input / output interface.

[0056] Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0057] In a sixth aspect, a processor is provided, comprising: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive a signal through the input circuit and transmit a signal through the output circuit, so that the processor executes the method of the first aspect or the second aspect, and any possible implementation of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0058] In a specific implementation, the processor may be one or more chips, the input circuit may be an input pin, the output circuit may be an output pin, and the processing circuit may be a transistor, a gate circuit, a trigger, or various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, received and input by a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, output to and transmitted by a transmitter. The input circuit and the output circuit may be the same circuit, which functions as an input circuit and an output circuit at different times. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation of the processor and various circuits.

[0059] In the seventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes: a computer program (also referred to as code, or instructions), which, when executed, enables a computer to execute the method in the above-mentioned first aspect or second aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect or second aspect.

[0060] In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program (also referred to as code, or instructions) which, when run on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method in the above-mentioned first aspect or second aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect or second aspect.

[0061] In a ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising the aforementioned at least one first network device and the aforementioned at least one second network device. Optionally, the communication system further comprises the aforementioned at least one terminal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of an NTN network applicable to an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG3 is another schematic diagram of the architecture of an NTN network applicable to an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG4 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG5 is a schematic block diagram of an example of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of another example of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0069] In the embodiments of this application, " / " can indicate that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" can be used to describe the existence of three relationships between the associated objects. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: A exists alone, A and B exists simultaneously, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural. To facilitate the description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the words "first" and "second" can be used to distinguish them in the embodiments of this application. The words "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or order of execution, and the words "first" and "second" do not necessarily mean different. In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. The use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete way to facilitate understanding. In the embodiments of the present application, at least one (kind) can also be described as one (kind) or multiple (kinds), and multiple (kinds) can be two (kinds), three (kinds), four (kinds) or more (kinds), and this application does not limit it.

[0070] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as long term evolution (LTE) systems, 5G systems or new radio (NR), non-terrestrial networks (NTN), and future communication systems such as the sixth generation mobile communication system. This application is not limited to this.

[0071] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 100 applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG1 , the communication system 100 may include at least one access network device (such as 110a, 110b, and 110c in FIG1 ) and may also include at least one terminal (such as 120a-120g in FIG1 ). Access network devices may be connected to each other via wired or wireless means. FIG1 is merely a schematic diagram, and the communication system may also include other network devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices.

[0072] In the NTN network, satellites can realize transparent payload transmission or regenerative payload transmission.

[0073] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an NTN network architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG2 , user equipment (UE) communicates with a ground base station via a user-universal terrestrial radio access network (Uu) interface. Satellites enable transparent payload transmission between users and ground base stations. Satellites and NTN gateways can be considered remote radio units of ground base stations, enabling transparent signal forwarding. Specifically, satellites only support functions such as RF filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification, and the signal waveform remains unchanged. Satellite forwarding is transparent to the terminal. Furthermore, the ground base station and the core network (CN) can communicate via a next-generation network (NG) interface, exchanging core network non-access stratum (NAS) signaling and UE service data via the NG interface.

[0074] FIG3 is another schematic diagram of the NTN network architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG3 , a satellite has some or all of the functions of an access network device and can be referred to as a satellite base station. It can provide wireless access services and schedule wireless resources for terminals accessing the network through the satellite base station. The satellite base station communicates with the UE via the Uu interface. The satellite base station and the CN can communicate via the NG interface, and the satellite base station and the core network can exchange NAS signaling and UE service data via the NG interface. The satellite radio interface (SRI) is the feeder link between the NTN gateway and the satellite. In FIG3 , the SRI interface can be used as part of the NG interface to implement communication between the satellite and the core network.

[0075] The network device provided in the embodiments of the present application may be an access network device, such as a base station, a satellite, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation Node B (gNB) in a fifth generation (5G) mobile communication system, an access network node in an open radio access network (O-RAN or open RAN), a next generation base station in a sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. Alternatively, the network device may be a module or unit that performs part of the functions of a base station, for example, a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) module, or a centralized unit user plane (CU-UP) module. The network device may be a satellite (such as 110a in FIG1 or a satellite base station in FIG2 ) or a macro base station (such as 110b in FIG1 ). The access network device may also be a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110c in FIG1 ), or a relay node or a donor node. This application does not limit the specific technology and device form used by the access network device.

[0076] In the embodiment of the present application, some or all functions of the network device may be on a non-terrestrial network (NTN) platform (NTN platforms include but are not limited to satellites, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), high altitude platform stations (HAPS), etc.), or some or all functions of the network device may be on the ground, and the NTN platform is responsible for forwarding signals between the UE and the access network device.

[0077] The terminal provided in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as a terminal device, including but not limited to user equipment (UE), a mobile station, or a mobile terminal. The terminal can be widely used in various communication scenarios. The scenarios include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), massive machine-type communications (mMTC), device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, or smart city. The terminal may be a mobile phone (such as mobile phones 120a, 120d, and 120f in FIG1 ), a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities (such as computer 120g in FIG1 ), a wearable device, a vehicle (such as 120b in FIG1 ), a drone, a helicopter, an airplane (such as 120c in FIG1 ), a ship, a robot, a robotic arm, or a smart home device (such as printer 120e in FIG1 ). This application does not limit the specific technology and specific device form used by the terminal.

[0078] The access network equipment and / or terminal can be fixed or movable. The access network equipment and / or terminal can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; or can be deployed on the water surface; or can be deployed on aircraft, balloons and artificial satellites in the air. This application does not limit the environment / scenario in which the access network equipment and terminals are located. The access network equipment and the terminal can be deployed in the same or different environments / scenarios, for example, the access network equipment and the terminal are deployed on land at the same time; or, the access network equipment is deployed on land and the terminal is deployed on water surface, etc., and no further examples are given.

[0079] It should be understood that in this application, "sending information / data to... (such as a terminal)" can be understood as the destination end of the information being the terminal. It can include sending information / data directly or indirectly to the terminal. "Receiving information / data from... (such as a terminal)" can be understood as the source end of the information being the terminal, which can include receiving information / data directly or indirectly from the terminal. The information / data may be subjected to necessary processing between the source end and the destination end of the information / data transmission, such as format changes, etc., but the destination end can understand the valid information / data from the source end. Similar expressions in this application can be understood similarly and will not be repeated here.

[0080] In this application, "sending information / data" refers only to the direction of information / data transmission, including direct transmission over the air interface and indirect transmission by the processing unit through the air interface. "Sending" can also be understood as the "output" of the module interface. "Receiving information / data" refers only to the direction of information / data transmission, including direct reception over the air interface and indirect reception by the processing unit through the air interface. "Receiving" can also be understood as the "input" of the module interface.

[0081] It should be understood that the present application uses network devices and terminals as examples of the execution subjects of the interaction diagram, but the present application does not limit the execution subjects of the interaction diagram. The functions / steps implemented by the network device in the method of the present application can also be implemented by a module (such as a chip, a chip system, or a processor) applied to the network device, or can be implemented by a logical node, a logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the network device. The terminal in the method of the present application can also be a module (such as a chip, a chip system, or a processor) applied to the terminal, or can be a logical node, a logical module, or software that can implement all or part of the terminal functions.

[0082] The satellite constellation deployment in the NTN network can be a near-polar orbit constellation (Walker-star constellation) or an inclined circular orbit constellation (Walker-star-Delta constellation). Regardless of whether a near-polar orbit constellation or an inclined circular orbit constellation is used, a sufficient number of orbital planes is required to ensure continuous coverage in the equatorial region. However, this makes the orbital planes in the Earth's mid- and high-latitude regions denser, and the satellite coverage areas will overlap. This coverage overlap is exacerbated with increasing latitude, which will cause signal interference between satellites. A simple solution is to shut down some satellites in the coverage overlap areas in mid- and high-latitudes to reduce coverage overlap and thus reduce signal interference. However, this approach may cause coverage holes, making it impossible to achieve global seamless coverage, and some terminals will not be able to obtain network communication services.

[0083] To address the issue of overlapping satellite coverage, this application proposes that a serving satellite can obtain the signal quality measurements of neighboring cells from a terminal within its serving cell, thereby negotiating with the satellite managing the neighboring cells to adjust the cell coverage. This can reduce signal interference from adjacent network devices or mitigate network coverage gaps, thereby improving terminal communication quality.

[0084] Figure 4 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method 400 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method 400 includes but is not limited to the following steps.

[0085] S401: A terminal sends first information to a first network device, where the first information is used to indicate signal quality of a second cell.

[0086] Correspondingly, the first network device receives the first information from the terminal.

[0087] The first network device may send configuration information to at least one terminal in the first cell, where the configuration information is used to configure the at least one terminal to measure the signal quality of the second cell and report the measurement result. The terminal receives the configuration information from the first network device, performs signal quality measurement of the second cell based on the configuration information, and sends first information to the first network device to report the signal quality of the second cell measured by the terminal to the first network device.

[0088] Optionally, the configuration information may configure the at least one terminal to periodically measure and report the signal quality of the second cell. The terminal may periodically measure the signal quality of the second cell according to the configuration information and report the result to the first network device.

[0089] In one implementation, the first information includes signal quality of the second cell measured by the terminal.

[0090] Exemplarily, the signal quality may include one or more of reference signal receiving power (RSRP), reference signal strength indication (RSSI), or signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR).

[0091] Optionally, the first information may further include signal quality of the first cell measured by the terminal.

[0092] The first network device can obtain the signal quality of the first cell and the signal quality of the second cell through the first information. This allows the first network device to compare the signal quality of the first cell measured by the terminal with the signal quality of the second cell, determine whether there is interference between the signals of the two cells, and whether it is necessary to adjust the coverage of the first cell, or notify the second network device that manages the second cell to adjust the coverage of the second cell. However, the present application is not limited to this, and the terminal may also report the signal quality of the first cell to the first network device through other information.

[0093] In another embodiment, the first information includes a signal quality difference between the signal quality of the second cell and the signal quality of the first cell.

[0094] That is, the terminal notifies the first network device of the signal quality of the second cell by means of the difference in signal quality between the second cell and the first cell included in the first information. The first network device can determine the difference between the signal quality of the second cell and the signal quality of the first cell based on the first information.

[0095] Specifically, the first information may indicate whether the signal quality of the first cell is greater than, less than, or equal to the signal quality of the first cell, and indicate the signal quality difference between the signal quality of the first cell and the signal quality of the second cell. That is, the terminal indicates through the first information whether the signal quality of the first cell is worse than, better than, or the same as the signal quality of the second cell, and indicates the magnitude of the difference.

[0096] In one implementation, the first network device receives at least one first information from at least one terminal within a first duration, where the first duration is a period duration of a neighboring cell signal quality detection period of the first network device.

[0097] For example, the first network device may count the signal quality of the second cell measured by the terminal in the first cell in each cycle according to the neighboring cell signal quality detection cycle, so as to determine whether the cell coverage needs to be adjusted.

[0098] S402: The first network device sends second information to the second network device according to at least one first information, where the second information is used to instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage of the second cell.

[0099] Correspondingly, the second network device receives the second information from the first network device. Specifically, it may include but not be limited to the following method 1 and method 2.

[0100] In a first approach, the first network device determines whether the second network device needs to adjust the coverage of the second cell according to at least one first information from a terminal in the first cell, and then sends second information to the second network device.

[0101] The first network device may determine an average signal quality difference between the signal quality of the second cell and the signal quality of the first cell based on the acquired at least one first information, and send second information to the second network device based on the average signal quality difference.

[0102] For example, the first information includes the signal quality of the second cell, and the first network device can obtain the signal quality of the first cell measured by the at least one terminal through the first information or other information from the at least one terminal. The first network device can determine the average signal quality of the second cell based on the signal quality of the second cell measured by the at least one terminal, and determine the average signal quality of the first cell based on the signal quality of the second cell measured by the at least one terminal. Furthermore, the first network device can determine the average signal quality difference between the average signal quality of the second cell and the average signal quality of the first cell. The first network device can determine whether the second network device needs to adjust the coverage of the second cell to reduce signal interference based on the average signal quality difference.

[0103] For another example, the first information may include a signal quality difference between the signal quality of the second cell and the signal quality of the first cell, and the first information may specifically indicate a magnitude relationship between the signal quality of the second cell and the signal quality of the first cell. The first network device may determine an average signal quality difference between the signal quality of the second cell and the signal quality of the first cell based on at least one first information from at least one terminal, thereby determining whether the second network device needs to adjust the coverage of the second cell.

[0104] In one embodiment, if the average signal quality of the second cell is greater than the average signal quality of the first cell, and the difference in average signal quality is greater than a first threshold, the first network device determines to notify the second network device to reduce the coverage of the second cell, and the second information is specifically used to instruct the second network device to reduce the coverage of the second cell. Alternatively, if the average signal quality of the second cell is less than the average signal quality of the first cell, and the difference in average signal quality is greater than a second threshold, the first network device determines to notify the second network device to increase the coverage of the second cell, and the second information is specifically used to instruct the second network device to increase the coverage of the second cell. Otherwise, the first network device determines to maintain the coverage of the second cell unchanged.

[0105] For example, the first network device determines, based on at least one first information, that the signal quality of the second cell is greater than the signal quality of the first cell, such as that the average signal quality of the second cell is greater than the average signal quality of the first cell, and the average difference in signal quality is greater than a first threshold. The first network device may determine that the signal interference between the first cell and the second cell is significant, and therefore, the first network device may send second information to the second network device, wherein the second indication information in the second information may instruct the second network device to reduce the coverage of the second cell.

[0106] If the average signal quality of the second cell is greater than the average signal quality of the first cell, and the average signal quality difference is less than or equal to the first threshold, the first network device may determine that the signal interference between the first cell and the second cell is small, and therefore there is no need to adjust the coverage of the second cell. The first network device may determine to maintain the coverage of the second cell unchanged.

[0107] For another example, the first network device determines, based on at least one first information, that the signal quality of the second cell is lower than the signal quality of the first cell, such as the average signal quality of the second cell is lower than the average signal quality of the first cell, and the average difference in signal quality is greater than a second threshold. The first network device may believe that there may be a coverage gap between the first cell and the second cell, and the terminal may be unable to switch normally to maintain communication continuity. Therefore, the first network device may send second information to the second network device, and the second indication information in the second information may instruct the second network device to increase the coverage of the second cell.

[0108] If the average signal quality of the second cell is lower than the average signal quality of the first cell, and the average signal quality difference is lower than or equal to the second threshold, the first network device may determine that the signal interference between the first cell and the second cell is low and there is no coverage gap. Therefore, there is no need to adjust the coverage of the second cell, and the first network device may determine to maintain the coverage of the second cell unchanged.

[0109] In one implementation, the second information may include second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate one of the following ways of adjusting the coverage of the second cell:

[0110] Increase coverage, decrease coverage, maintain coverage, or turn off part or all of the coverage of the second cell.

[0111] In one example, the second information may include at least one first information obtained by the first network device from the terminal. The second network device may increase, decrease or maintain the coverage of the second cell, or turn off part or all of the coverage of the second cell based on the at least one first information and the second indication information.

[0112] In another example, the second information may further include third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate a parameter of the coverage range of the second cell, or a change in the parameter of the coverage range.

[0113] Exemplarily, the coverage parameters may include one or more of the following:

[0114] The off-axis angle of the coverage edge, the elevation angle of the coverage edge, the coverage radius, the side length of the coverage edge, or the coverage area.

[0115] If the second cell has circular coverage, the third indication information may indicate one or more coverage parameters such as the off-axis angle, elevation angle, or coverage radius of the coverage edge point, or the change in one or more coverage parameters. Alternatively, if the second cell has rectangular coverage, the third indication information may indicate the off-axis angle and / or side length of the coverage edge of the second cell's coverage, or the change in the off-axis angle of the coverage edge and / or the change in the side length. Alternatively, the third indication information may indicate the coverage area of ​​the second cell or the change in the coverage area.

[0116] The second network device increases, decreases, or maintains the coverage of the second cell, or shuts down part or all of the coverage of the second cell according to the second indication information and the third indication information in the second information.

[0117] Optionally, the second information may specifically instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage corresponding to the reference signal of the second cell, and the second information may include information about the reference signal. Alternatively, the second information may specifically instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage of the beam of the second cell, and the second information may include information about the beam of the second cell.

[0118] For example, the second network device may notify the first network device of one or more reference signals (or beams) of the second cell that are adjacent to or overlap with the coverage of the first cell. The first network device may configure the terminal in the first cell to measure the signal quality of the one or more reference signals (or beams), and the first information specifically includes the signal quality of the one or more reference signals (or beams). The first network device sends second information to the second network device based on at least one first information of at least one terminal, and the second information may include an identifier of the reference signal (or beam) of the second cell. In one embodiment, the second information also includes the at least one first information, and the second network device may increase, decrease or maintain the coverage of the one or more reference signals (or beams) based on the at least one first information. In another embodiment, the second information also includes third indication information, and the third indication information specifically indicates the parameters of the coverage of the reference signal (or beam) or the change in the parameters, and the second network device may adjust the coverage of the reference signal (or beam) based on the third indication information.

[0119] For example, if both the first network device and the second network device are satellites, the second information may be referred to as satellite coverage information, such as SatCoverageInfo. The format of the second information may be as follows:

[0120] SatCoverageInfo::=SEQUENCE{

[0121] Satindex pci

[0122] beamindex Beam-index

[0123] coverageinfo CoverageInfo

[0124] …}

[0125] The second information may include satellite identification information, such as the above-mentioned Satindex. The satellite identification information is used to indicate the physical cell identifier (PCI) of the second cell, that is, the above-mentioned PCI, or, one satellite can manage one cell, then the satellite identification information can indicate the identifier of the second network device, such as the above-mentioned PCI can be replaced by Satindex. The second information may also include beam identification information, such as the above-mentioned Beamindex, the beam identification information is used to indicate the identifier of the beam whose coverage range needs to be adjusted, such as the beam identification information indicates the identifier of one or more beams, that is, the above-mentioned Beam-index. Alternatively, the beam identification information can be replaced with reference signal identification information, such as RSindex, the reference signal identification information can indicate a synchronization signal block (SSB) identifier, such as SSB-index and / or a reference signal identifier, such as the reference signal identifier can be RS-index, or the reference signal can be a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), and the reference signal identifier can be CSI-RS-index. The coverage information, ie, the above-mentioned coverageinfo, may include but is not limited to one or more of the above-mentioned at least one first information, second indication information or third indication information.

[0126] In another embodiment, the second information may include third indication information for indicating parameters of the coverage of the second cell, but not the second indication information. The first network device may adjust the coverage of the second cell according to the parameters of the coverage indicated by the third indication information.

[0127] The above describes the first method provided by the embodiment of the present application. The first network device can determine, based on the measurement results of the terminal on the second cell collected in the first cell, to notify the second network device through the second information to increase, decrease, maintain, or shut down part or all of the coverage of the second cell. Alternatively, the first network device can determine, based on the measurement results of the terminal on the second cell collected in the first cell, to notify the second network device through the second information of the coverage parameters, so that the second network device adjusts the coverage of the second cell based on the adjustment method of the second cell coverage determined by the first network device.

[0128] Optionally, in this method one, the first network device can determine the adjustment method of the coverage of the first cell and the second cell based on the at least one first information, thereby reducing the signal interference between the first cell and the second cell or reducing the coverage loophole problem. For example, the first network device can determine to increase the coverage of the first cell based on the measurement result fed back by the terminal, and notify the second network device through the second information to reduce, maintain the coverage of the second cell, or close part or all of the coverage. Or the first network device can determine to reduce the coverage of the first cell based on the measurement result fed back by the terminal, and notify the second network device through the second information to increase or maintain the coverage of the second cell, etc. This application is not limited to this.

[0129] The second method provided in the embodiment of this application is introduced below.

[0130] In a second embodiment, after the first network device obtains at least one first information from at least one terminal, the first network device sends second information to the second network device, where the second information includes the at least one first information. The second network device adjusts the coverage of the second cell based on the at least one second information in the second information.

[0131] In this manner, the first network device collects first information of the terminal in the first cell, obtains the measurement result of the signal quality of the second cell by the terminal in the first cell, and sends it to the second network device through the second information. The second network device determines whether to adjust the coverage of the second cell and how to adjust the coverage of the second cell based on the measurement result of the signal quality of the second cell by the terminal in the first cell, such as increasing, decreasing, maintaining the coverage of the second cell, or closing part or all of the coverage of the second cell.

[0132] In one implementation, after receiving the second information, the second network device may send fourth information to the first network device, where the fourth information is used to indicate that the coverage of the second cell has been adjusted.

[0133] The fourth information may indicate the result of the adjustment to the second cell. For example, the fourth information may instruct the second network device to increase, decrease, or maintain the coverage of the second cell, or to partially or completely disable the coverage of the second cell. Furthermore, the fourth information may indicate the coverage parameters or the amount of change in the coverage parameters after the second network device adjusts the coverage of the second cell. The first network device may determine the result of the second network device's adjustment to the coverage of the second cell based on the fourth information.

[0134] Optionally, after the first network device determines the adjustment result of the second network device on the coverage range of the second cell, it can further adjust the coverage range of the first cell to reduce signal interference between the first cell and the second cell, or reduce network coverage loopholes, thereby ensuring the communication quality of the terminal in the first cell.

[0135] According to the above solution, network equipment can obtain the terminal's measurement results of the signal quality of neighboring cells in the serving cell, and then negotiate with the adjacent network equipment that manages the neighboring cells to adjust the cell coverage. This can reduce signal interference from adjacent network equipment or narrow network coverage gaps, thereby ensuring the terminal's communication quality.

[0136] In one implementation of the embodiment shown in FIG4 , the first information may indicate the signal quality of multiple neighboring cells of the first cell measured by the terminal. The first network device receives multiple first information from multiple terminals within a first time period, where the first time period is the period length of the neighboring cell signal quality detection period of the first network device. The first network device may determine the average number N of neighboring cells included in the multiple first information, the average signal quality Q of each neighboring cell, and the average signal quality Q of each neighboring cell. N The first network device may also determine the average signal quality Q of the first cell based on the plurality of first information or other information from the plurality of terminals. S .

[0137] The average data volume N in the neighboring cell is less than the allowed data volume N of the neighboring cell. th In the case of , the first network device may determine whether the coverage of the neighboring cell needs to be adjusted according to the following judgment method:

[0138] If the average signal quality of the multiple neighboring cells Q N The maximum average signal quality Q in Nmax is greater than the average signal quality Qs of the first cell, and Q Nmax -Qs≥Q th, the first network device may determine to reduce the coverage of neighboring cells other than the neighboring cell with the highest average signal quality among the multiple neighboring cells, and the first network device may notify the network devices corresponding to the neighboring cells for which coverage reduction is required through the second information. Otherwise, the first network device may determine that the coverage of the first cell and the multiple neighboring cells does not need to be adjusted.

[0139] The average data volume N in the neighboring cell is greater than or equal to the allowed data volume N of the neighboring cell. th In the case of , the first network device may determine whether the coverage of the neighboring cell needs to be adjusted according to the following judgment method:

[0140] If the average signal quality of the multiple neighboring cells Q N The maximum average signal quality Q in Nmax is greater than the average signal quality Qs of the first cell, and Q Nmax -Qs≥Q th , the first network device may determine to reduce the coverage of neighboring cells other than the neighboring cell with the highest average signal quality among the multiple neighboring cells, and the first network device may notify the network devices corresponding to the neighboring cells whose coverage needs to be reduced through the second information. Otherwise, the first network device may determine to reduce the coverage of each neighboring cell among the multiple neighboring cells, and the first network device may notify the network devices corresponding to each neighboring cell among the multiple neighboring cells through the second information.

[0141] With this solution, network equipment can obtain the signal quality measurements of multiple neighboring cells from a terminal within its serving cell, thereby negotiating with the satellites managing those cells to adjust the cell's coverage. This can reduce signal interference from neighboring network devices or mitigate network coverage gaps, thereby ensuring communication quality for the terminal.

[0142] It is understood that, in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the base station and the terminal include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should readily appreciate that, in conjunction with the units and method steps of the various examples described in the embodiments disclosed in this application, this application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or in a computer software-driven hardware manner depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0143] Figures 5 and 6 are schematic diagrams of the structures of possible communication devices provided in embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the terminal, the first network device, or the second network device in the above method embodiments, thereby also achieving the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be one of the terminals 120a-120j shown in Figure 1, or it can be the network devices 110a or 110b shown in Figure 1, or it can be a module (such as a chip or chip system) applied to a terminal or network device.

[0144] The communication device 500 includes a transceiver unit 520, which can be used to receive or send information. The communication device 500 can also include a processing unit 510, which can be used to process instructions or data to implement corresponding operations.

[0145] It should be understood that when the communication device 500 is a chip configured in (or used in) a communication device, the transceiver unit 520 in the communication device 500 can be the input / output interface or circuit of the chip, and the processing unit 510 in the communication device 500 can be the processor in the chip.

[0146] Optionally, the communication device 500 may further include a storage unit 530, which may be used to store instructions or data. The processing unit 510 may execute the instructions or data stored in the storage unit to enable the communication device to perform corresponding operations.

[0147] The communication apparatus 500 may be used to implement the functions of the first network device or the second network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 4 .

[0148] When the communication apparatus 500 is used to implement the functions of the first network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG4 : the transceiver unit 520 is configured to receive at least one first information from at least one terminal, the first information being used to indicate the signal quality of a second cell, the second cell being a cell managed by the second network device and being a neighboring cell of the first cell managed by the first network device. The processing unit 510 is configured to send second information to the second network device based on the at least one first information, the second information being used to instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage of the second cell.

[0149] When the communication device 500 is used to implement the function of the second network device in the method embodiment shown in Figure 4: the transceiver unit 520 is used to receive second information from the first network device, and the second information is used to instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage of the second cell, the second cell is a cell managed by the second network device, and the second cell is a neighboring cell of the first cell managed by the first network device; the processing unit 510 is used to adjust the coverage of the second cell according to the second information.

[0150] For a more detailed description of the processing unit 510 and the transceiver unit 520 , reference may be made to the relevant description in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 4 .

[0151] It should be understood that the transceiver unit 520 in the communication device 500 can be implemented through a communication interface (such as a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, an input / output interface, or a pin, etc.). When the communication interface is a transceiver, the transceiver can be composed of a receiver and / or a transmitter. The processing unit 510 in the communication device 500 can be implemented by at least one processor. The processing unit 510 in the communication device 500 can also be implemented by at least one logic circuit. Optionally, the communication device 500 also includes a storage unit, which can be implemented by a memory.

[0152] As shown in Figure 6, communication device 600 includes a processor 610 and an interface circuit 620. Processor 610 and interface circuit 620 are coupled to each other. It is understood that interface circuit 620 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, communication device 600 may also include a memory 630 for storing instructions executed by processor 610, input data required by processor 610 to execute instructions, or data generated after processor 610 executes instructions.

[0153] In one implementation, the memory 630 may also be integrated into the processor 610 or independent of the processor 610 .

[0154] When the communication device 600 is used to implement the method shown in FIG. 4 , the processor 610 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 610 , and the interface circuit 620 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 620 .

[0155] When the communication device is a chip used in a terminal, the terminal chip can implement the functions of the terminal in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information from other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the network device to the terminal; or the terminal chip sends information to other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the network device.

[0156] When the above-mentioned communication device is a module applied to a network device, the network device module can implement the functions of the first network device or the second network device in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The network device module receives information from other modules in the network device (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the network device; or the network device module sends information to other modules in the network device (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the network device to the terminal. The network device module here can be a baseband chip of the network device, or it can be a DU or other module. The DU here can be a DU under the open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture.

[0157] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0158] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions that can be executed by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disk, mobile hard disk, CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in an access network device or a terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist in an access network device or a terminal as discrete components.

[0159] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the application, the embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code, when the computer program code is executed by one or more processors, it enables the device including the processor to execute the method in the embodiment shown in Figure 4.

[0160] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using 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 programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device.

[0161] According to the method provided in an embodiment of the present application, an embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores the above-mentioned computer program or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed by one or more processors, the device including the processor executes the method in the embodiment shown in Figure 4.

[0162] As described above, the computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer, or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium can be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or can include both volatile and non-volatile types of storage media.

[0163] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, including the aforementioned one or more first network devices and one or more second network devices. The system may further include the aforementioned one or more terminals.

[0164] 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 devices described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. For example, 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 coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between each other shown or discussed can be through some interface, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0165] 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 solution based on actual needs.

[0166] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0167] 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.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method is used in a first network device or a chip in the first network device, and includes: receiving at least one first information from at least one terminal, where the first information is used to indicate a signal quality of a second cell, where the second cell is a cell managed by a second network device, and the second cell is a neighboring cell of a first cell managed by the first network device; According to the at least one first information, second information is sent to the second network device, where the second information is used to instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage of the second cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The second information includes the at least one first information, or the second information includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate an average signal quality of the second cell.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: Fourth information is received from the second network device, where the fourth information is used to indicate that the coverage of the second cell has been adjusted.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The second information includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate one of the following ways of adjusting the coverage of the second cell: Increase the coverage, reduce the coverage, maintain the coverage, or shut down part or all of the coverage of the second cell.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The second information includes third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate a parameter of the coverage range or a change amount of the parameter of the coverage range.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The parameters include one or more of the following: The off-axis angle of the coverage edge, the elevation angle of the coverage edge, the coverage radius, the side length of the coverage edge, or the coverage area.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The second information is specifically used to instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage corresponding to the reference signal of the second cell, and the second information includes information of the reference signal; or, The second information is specifically used to indicate adjustment of coverage of the beam of the second cell, and the second information includes information of the beam.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The receiving at least one first information from at least one terminal comprises: The at least one first information is received from the at least one terminal within a first time period, where the first time period is a period duration of a neighboring cell signal quality detection period of the first network device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The sending the second information to the second network device according to the at least one first information includes: determining, according to the at least one first information, an average difference in signal quality between a signal quality of the second cell and a signal quality of the first cell; Sending second information to the second network device according to the average signal quality difference.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The first information includes a signal quality difference between a signal quality of the second cell and a signal quality of the first cell.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The average signal quality of the first cell is determined according to the signal quality of the first cell from the at least one terminal.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The first information is also used to indicate the signal quality of the first cell.

13. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the average signal quality of the second cell is greater than the average signal quality of the first cell, and the difference in the average signal quality is greater than a first threshold, determining to notify the second network device to reduce the coverage of the second cell, wherein the second information is specifically used to instruct the second network device to reduce the coverage of the second cell; or When the average signal quality of the second cell is less than the average signal quality of the first cell, and the difference in the average signal quality is greater than a second threshold, it is determined to notify the second network device to increase the coverage of the second cell, and the second information is specifically used to instruct the second network device to increase the coverage of the second cell.

14. A communication method, characterized in that: The method is used for a second network device or a chip in the second network device, and includes: receiving second information from a first network device, where the second information is used to instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage of a second cell, where the second cell is a cell managed by the second network device, and the second cell is a neighboring cell of a first cell managed by the first network device; Adjust the coverage of the second cell according to the second information.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The second information includes the at least one first information indicating the quality of the second cell, or the second information includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate an average signal quality of the second cell.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending fourth information to the first network device, where the fourth information is used to indicate that the coverage of the second cell has been adjusted.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that The second information includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate one of the following ways of adjusting the coverage of the second cell: Increase the coverage, reduce the coverage, maintain the coverage, or shut down part or all of the coverage of the second cell.

18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that The second information includes third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate a parameter of the coverage range or a change amount of the parameter of the coverage range.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The parameters include one or more of the following: The off-axis angle of the coverage edge, the elevation angle of the coverage edge, the coverage radius, the side length of the coverage edge, or the coverage area.

20. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, characterized in that The second information is specifically used to instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage corresponding to the reference signal of the second cell, and the second information includes information of the reference signal; or, The second information is specifically used to indicate adjustment of coverage of the beam of the second cell, and the second information includes information of the beam.

21. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a transceiver unit, configured to receive at least one first information from at least one terminal, wherein the first information is used to indicate a signal quality of a second cell, wherein the second cell is a cell managed by a second network device, and the second cell is a neighboring cell of the first cell managed by the first network device; a processing unit, configured to determine second information according to the at least one first information, wherein the second information is used to instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage of the second cell; The transceiver unit is further configured to send second information to the second network device.

22. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a transceiver unit, configured to receive second information from a first network device, wherein the second information is used to instruct the second network device to adjust the coverage of a second cell, wherein the second cell is a cell managed by the second network device, and the second cell is a neighboring cell of a first cell managed by the first network device; A processing unit is used to adjust the coverage of the second cell according to the second information.

23. A communication device, characterized in that: comprising at least one processor coupled to the memory; The memory is used to store programs or instructions; The at least one processor is configured to execute the program or instruction so that the apparatus implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

24. A chip, characterized in that: comprising at least one processor and a communication interface; The communication interface is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device. The processor is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 20 through logic circuits or executing code instructions.

25. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: Instructions are stored, and when the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

26. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

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