Satellite communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A satellite communication method and apparatus, applied to the technical field of communication. The method comprises: a first communication apparatus determines that the first communication apparatus is allowed to execute GNSS measurement in a C-DRX inactive state, and then executes GNSS measurement on the basis of the relationship between the end time of the C-DRX inactive state and the GNSS validity period. As an example, the end time of the C-DRX inactive state may be within the GNSS validity period. As another example, the end time of the C-DRX inactive state may be outside the GNSS validity period. On the basis of different relationships, the first communication apparatus may execute GNSS measurement at different times, or report GNSS valid durations at different times, etc. The present method can effectively prolong the connection duration of the first communication apparatus.

Description

Satellite communication method and device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on September 27, 2023, with application number 202311273387.3, and priority to the Chinese patent application entitled “Satellite Communication Method and Device”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a satellite communication method and device. Background Art

[0003] Satellite communications offer unique advantages over terrestrial communications, such as wider coverage and reduced vulnerability to natural disasters and external forces. The introduction of satellite communications can provide communications services to areas beyond the reach of terrestrial networks, such as oceans and forests. It also enhances communication reliability, ensuring better service for users on airplanes, trains, and other transportation. It also provides more data transmission resources and increases network speeds. Therefore, supporting both terrestrial and satellite communications offers significant benefits in terms of wide coverage, reliability, multiple connections, and high throughput.

[0004] Satellite communications have been introduced in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards as a communication scenario for 5th generation (5G) communications, known as non-terrestrial networks (NTN). NTN supports not only various 5G terminals but also terminals for the Internet of Things (IoT). Satellite communications are distinguished by high mobility and high communication latency. Therefore, compared to terrestrial communications, terminals require synchronization based on information such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or ephemeris, in addition to uplink synchronization. After a terminal reports GNSS information, it can maintain a connection for a certain period of time. If the GNSS fails, the terminal device enters an idle state.

[0005] However, the above method causes the terminal device to continuously initiate random access to enter the connected state and exit the connected state, so that the terminal device cannot maintain the connection for a long time.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The embodiments of the present application provide a satellite communication method and apparatus, which can effectively increase the time that a terminal device remains connected (such as the time that the connection state is maintained).

[0008] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a satellite communication method, characterized in that the method is applied to a first communication device, which can refer to the terminal device itself or a processor, module, chip, or chip system in the terminal device that implements the method, and the method includes:

[0009] Determining that the first communication device is allowed to perform GNSS measurements in an inactive state of connected-discontinuous reception (C-DRX); the first communication device performs GNSS measurements based on a relationship between an end time of the inactive state of the C-DRX and a GNSS validity period of the first communication device.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present application, the first communication device is allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the non-activated state of C-DRX. The first communication device can not only perform GNSS measurements before the end of the GNSS validity period to obtain new GNSS information and the validity period of the GNSS information, so that the first communication device can continue to maintain uplink synchronization and increase the length of time it maintains the connection, but also can effectively save the resources occupied by the first communication device when performing GNSS measurements in the activated state (such as resources occupied by starting a timer, etc.), thereby effectively saving resources in the activated state.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the first communication device performs GNSS measurement based on the relationship between the end moment of the inactive state of the C-DRX and the GNSS validity period of the first communication device, including: when the end moment of the inactive state of the C-DRX is within the GNSS validity period, the first communication device performs the GNSS measurement in the inactive state of the C-DRX.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: when the first communication device completes the GNSS measurement in the inactive state of the C-DRX, the first communication device feeds back the GNSS valid time or the GNSS remaining valid time of the first communication device after the inactive state of the C-DRX ends.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the first communication device performs GNSS measurement based on the relationship between the end moment of the inactive state of the C-DRX and the GNSS validity period of the first communication device, including: when the end moment of the inactive state of the C-DRX is outside the GNSS validity period, the first communication device starts a timer at the end moment of the GNSS validity period, and performs the GNSS measurement based on the timer.

[0014] In a possible implementation, when the end time of the timer is in an activated state of the first communication device, the end time when the first communication device completes the GNSS measurement is the same as the end time of the timer.

[0015] In one possible implementation, when the end moment of the timer is in the activated state of the first communication device, the method further includes: when the GNSS measurement is completed within the timing duration of the timer, the first communication device feeds back the GNSS valid duration or the GNSS remaining valid duration of the first communication device after the end moment of the timer; or, when the first communication device is in the activated state when the GNSS measurement is completed, the first communication device sends feedback information through random access, and the feedback information indicates that the first communication device has completed the GNSS measurement; or, when the first communication device is in the inactivated state when the GNSS measurement is completed, the first communication device sends feedback information through random access after entering the activated state, and the feedback information indicates that the first communication device has completed the GNSS measurement; or, when the GNSS measurement is not completed within the timing duration of the timer, the first communication device enters the idle state, and the latest time when the first communication device enters the idle state is the end time of the timer.

[0016] In one possible implementation, when the first communication device is in the inactive state at the end of the timer, the method further includes: when the GNSS measurement is completed within the timing duration of the timer, the first communication device feeds back the GNSS valid duration or the GNSS remaining valid duration of the first communication device after the end of the timer; or, when the GNSS measurement is not completed within the timing duration of the timer, the first communication device enters an idle state after the end of the timer.

[0017] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a first communication device for executing the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect. The first communication device includes a unit capable of executing the method of the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect. Exemplarily, the first communication device may be a terminal device, a chip, or a functional module, and the chip or functional module may be applied to a terminal device, etc.

[0018] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a first communication device, comprising a processor configured to execute the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect. Alternatively, the processor is configured to execute a program stored in a memory, and when the program is executed, the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect is executed.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the memory is located outside the first communication device.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the memory is located within the first communication device.

[0021] In the embodiment of the present application, the processor and the memory may also be integrated into one device, that is, the processor and the memory may also be integrated together. For example, the first communication device may be a chip.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the first communication device further includes a transceiver configured to receive or transmit signals. Exemplarily, the transceiver may also be configured to report feedback information (e.g., GNSS effective duration). Exemplarily, the transceiver may also be configured to receive trigger information. Exemplarily, the first communication device may be a terminal device.

[0023] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a first communication device, which includes a logic circuit and an interface, and the logic circuit and the interface are coupled; the interface is used to input and / or output information, and the logic circuit is used to execute the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation method.

[0024] Exemplarily, the interface being used to input information may include: the interface being used to input trigger information. The interface being used to output information may include: the interface being used to output feedback information, etc. Exemplarily, the logic circuit is used to perform GNSS measurement, etc.

[0025] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the method shown in the first aspect or any possible implementation to be executed.

[0026] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program or computer code, and when the computer program product is run on a computer, the method shown in the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation is executed.

[0027] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program. When the computer program runs on a computer, the method shown in the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation is executed.

[0028] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes a first communication device and a second communication device, wherein the first communication device is used to execute the method shown in the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, and the second communication device is used to receive feedback information. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG2a is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication system in a transparent transmission scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG2b and FIG2c are schematic diagrams of a satellite communication system in a regeneration scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG3a is a schematic diagram of a GNSS measurement mechanism method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG3 b is a schematic diagram of a GNSS measurement scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] FIG4 a is a schematic diagram of another GNSS measurement mechanism method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG4 b is a schematic diagram of another GNSS measurement scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of a satellite communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG6 a is a schematic diagram of another GNSS measurement scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG6 b is a schematic diagram of another GNSS measurement scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of another GNSS measurement scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG8a is a schematic diagram of another GNSS measurement scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG8 b is a schematic diagram of another GNSS measurement scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG8c is a schematic diagram of another GNSS measurement scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG8 d is a schematic diagram of another GNSS measurement scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG8e is a schematic diagram of another GNSS measurement scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG8f is a schematic diagram of another GNSS measurement scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of another GNSS measurement scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] To facilitate understanding of the technical solution of the present application, the present application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] The terms "first" and "second" in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used only to distinguish different objects and are not used to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units that are inherent to the process, method, product, or device.

[0052] References to "embodiments" herein mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it refer to independent or alternative embodiments that are mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It will be understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0053] In this application, "at least one (item)" means one or more, "more than one" means two or more, "at least two (items)" means two or three and more than three, and "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time, where A and B can be singular or plural. "Or" means that two relationships can exist, such as only A exists, only B exists; when A and B are not mutually exclusive, it can also mean that three relationships exist, such as only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c".

[0054] The method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to a non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication system. As shown in FIG1 , the communication system may include terminal devices, satellites, and ground stations (also referred to as gateway stations or signal gateway stations). It is understandable that FIG1 only shows one satellite and one ground station. In actual use, a multi-satellite and / or multi-ground station architecture may be adopted as needed. Each satellite can provide services to one or more terminal devices, each satellite can correspond to one or more ground stations, each ground station can correspond to one or more satellites, and so on. The embodiments of the present application are not specifically limited. The method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to the Internet of Things (IoT) system, the Vehicle to X (V2X), and the narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) system; for example, it can be applied to the LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, the LTE time division duplex (TDD), the long term evolution (LTE) system, the fifth generation (5G) communication system, the sixth generation (6G) communication system or the future communication system, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not specifically limited.

[0055] A terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities. The terminal device can communicate with an access network device (or access device) in a radio access network (RAN). The terminal device can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, terminal, subscriber unit, user station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, user agent, or user device. In one possible implementation, the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on the water (such as a ship, etc.). In one possible implementation, the terminal device can be a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a sensor, a terminal in the Internet of Things, a terminal in the Internet of Vehicles, a drone, a fifth generation (5G) network, and any form of terminal device in future networks, etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. For example, terminal devices can also communicate with each other through device-to-device (D2D) and machine-to-machine (M2M). The terminal device shown in the embodiment of the present application may also be a device in the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT network may include, for example, the Internet of Vehicles. The communication methods in the Internet of Vehicles system are collectively referred to as vehicle to other devices (vehicle to X, V2X, where X can represent anything). For example, the V2X may include: vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle to pedestrian (V2P) communication, or vehicle to network (V2N) communication.

[0056] Ground stations can be used to connect satellites to base stations, or satellites to the core network. Satellites can provide wireless access services to terminal devices, dispatch wireless resources to connected terminal devices, and offer reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols. As an example, satellites can be base stations that use artificial satellites and high-altitude aircraft as wireless communication platforms, such as evolved NodeBs (eNBs) and next-generation NodeBs (gNBs). As another example, satellites can also serve as relays for these base stations, transparently transmitting their signals to terminal devices.

[0057] Therefore, in some implementations of the present application, such as in the transparent transmission scenario of the satellite, the network device may be the base station shown in Figure 1 (also referred to as a ground base station). Figure 2a is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication system in a transparent transmission scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application. Exemplarily, the terminal device can access the network through an air interface (the air interface can be various types of air interfaces, such as a 5G air interface, etc.), and the network device can be deployed on a ground base station. The satellite is connected to the ground station via a wireless link. The ground station and the ground base station are connected to the core network via a wired or wireless connection. There may be a wireless link between satellites, and in the system shown in Figure 2a, the satellite may have a transparent transmission forwarding function. In other implementations of the present application, such as in the regeneration scenario of the satellite, the network device may be the satellite shown in Figure 1. Figure 2b is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication system in a regeneration scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application. Exemplarily, the terminal device can access the network through the air interface (the air interface can be various types of air interfaces, such as a 5G air interface, etc.), and the network equipment can be deployed on the satellite (such as the satellite's regeneration mode), such as the base station or part of the base station function is deployed on the satellite, and the satellites can complete the signaling interaction and user data transmission between the base stations, as shown in Figure 2c.

[0058] For example, the network elements and their interfaces in FIG. 2a to FIG. 2c may be as follows:

[0059] Terminal devices can access the satellite network through the air interface and initiate calls, access the Internet, and other services. Base stations can be used to provide wireless access services, schedule wireless resources to accessed terminal devices, and provide reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols. Ground stations can be responsible for forwarding signaling and service data between the satellite and the core network. The core network can be used for user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication or billing, etc. The core network can be composed of multiple functional units, such as functional entities including the control plane and the data plane. For example, the core network shown in Figures 2a to 2c may include an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), and a user plane function (UPF). For example, AMF can be responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. UPF can be responsible for managing the transmission of user plane data, traffic statistics, etc. The air interface shown in Figures 2a to 2c can be understood as the wireless link between a terminal and a base station, or the wireless link between a satellite and a ground station. The Xn interface can be understood as the interface between base stations, primarily used for signaling exchanges such as handover. The NG interface can be used as the interface between a base station and the core network, used for signaling exchanges such as the core network's non-access stratum (NAS), as well as user service data. In systems with different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with base station functions may vary, and are not shown one by one in this embodiment.

[0060] The satellite may be a geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite, a medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite or a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite of a non-geostationary Earth orbit (NGEO), or a high altitude platform station (HAPS). The specific type of satellite is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0061] In some deployments of network devices, the network device may include a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). In other deployments of network devices, the CU may also be divided into a CU-control plane (CP) and a CU-user plane (UP). In still other deployments of network devices, the network device may also be an open radio access network (ORAN) architecture, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific deployment method of the network device. For example, when the network device is an ORAN architecture, the network device shown in the embodiments of the present application may be an access network device in the ORAN, or a functional module, etc. In the ORAN system, the CU may also be referred to as an open (O)-CU, the DU may also be referred to as an O-DU, the CU-CP may also be referred to as an O-CU-CP, and the CU-UP may also be referred to as an O-CU-UP, etc. The deployment methods of the network devices listed here are only examples. With the evolution of standard technologies, network devices may have other deployment forms.

[0062] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field will know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions and network architecture provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0063] Currently, there is a short-term connection communication method, in which the terminal device initiates random access and exits the connection state after sending uplink data. During this process, the GNSS information obtained by the terminal device before random access has a certain validity period. The GNSS information can remain valid before the terminal device exits the RRC connection state because even if the terminal device moves, the GNSS deviation caused by the movement can still meet the synchronization requirements. For IoT-type terminal devices, since IoT services have the characteristics of short packet periodic transmission, the above-mentioned short-term connection communication method can be effectively applied to terminal devices with short packet periodic transmission characteristics.

[0064] However, the GNSS information obtained by the terminal device in the above method has a certain validity duration. When the GNSS information expires, the terminal device can no longer maintain the connection and needs to exit the connected state and enter the idle state. Then, it needs to re-acquire the GNSS information and initiate random access. The terminal device performs random access multiple times to enter the connected state and exit the connected state, which will result in excessive signaling overhead. Alternatively, when the terminal device is in the connected state for a long time, the GNSS information will expire, and the terminal device will need to re-acquire the GNSS information. However, when the terminal device re-acquires the GNSS information, there may be a situation where communication and GNSS measurement cannot be performed at the same time. For example, if the terminal device performs GNSS measurement, it will be unable to communicate (such as unable to send uplink data, or unable to receive downlink data). Especially for IoT services, the data packet period of IoT services is relatively short. The inability to communicate during the execution of GNSS measurement will greatly affect the normal communication of IoT services. Exemplarily, the above-mentioned effective duration can be a duration determined by the terminal device based on its movement speed or based on its relative position relationship with the satellite (for example, whether it is in the central area or the edge area covered by the satellite) or based on information such as its relative speed with the satellite, and then reported by the terminal device to the network device.

[0065] In view of this, embodiments of the present application provide a satellite communication method and apparatus that, based on achieving uplink synchronization of a terminal device, can increase the duration for which the terminal device remains connected (or increase the duration for which the terminal device remains connected), allowing the terminal device to remain connected for a long period of time. This can also avoid the signaling overhead generated by the terminal device constantly entering and exiting the connected state, thereby reducing signaling overhead. Furthermore, the constant entry and exit of the terminal device into and out of the connected state also consumes energy, and embodiments of the present application can also reduce energy loss.

[0066] The following introduces the terms involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0067] GNSS measurement:

[0068] GNSS measurement is the process of obtaining geographic location information by positioning based on the signals of navigation satellites. For example, the geographic location information obtained may be GNSS information, which may represent information related to the geographic location of the terminal device, such as coordinates X, Y, Z or longitude, latitude, altitude, and other information. When the first communication device obtains GNSS information, it may obtain the effective duration of the GNSS information (such as the GNSS effective duration) based on its position relationship with the satellite, or speed relationship, etc. The position relationship between the first communication device and the satellite may include the first communication device being in the central area or edge area of ​​the satellite coverage area, or the orbital height or elevation angle of the satellite, etc. The speed relationship between the first communication device and the satellite may include the relative speed relationship between the first communication device and the satellite, or the movement speed of the first communication device, etc. For example, the greater the movement speed of the terminal device, the shorter the GNSS effective duration may be. Exemplarily, the GNSS effective duration may be at the second level, or at the hundredth of a second level, or at the minute level, or at the hour level, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. For example, the GNSS valid duration can be any of the following {10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 5min, 10min, 15min, 20min, 25min, 30min, 60min, 90min, 120min, infinity}. Wherein, min refers to minutes and s refers to seconds. For example, for a terminal device that does not move, or a terminal device with a low moving speed, such as a terminal device with a movement speed less than a certain threshold, its GNSS information can be always valid, so the GNSS valid duration can be infinite. The low movement speed of the terminal device includes but is not limited to the following examples: for a user in a walking state, the movement speed of the terminal device is 1 to 3 meters per second (m / s); or for a user in a running state, the movement speed of the terminal device can be 10 kilometers per hour (km / h); or for a vehicle in a running state, the movement speed can be 30km / h to 60km / h. For another example, the movement speed of a terminal device that is in a slow state relative to the satellite can also be understood as small. The GNSS validity periods listed above are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of the present application.

[0069] The GNSS validity duration may also be referred to as the GNSS validity period or the GNSS validity duration, etc. The specific name of the GNSS validity duration is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0070] GNSS measurement mechanism 1:

[0071] FIG3a is a schematic diagram of a GNSS measurement mechanism method provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG3a, the method includes:

[0072] 301. A second communication device sends trigger information, and a first communication device receives the trigger information. The trigger information may be used to trigger the first communication device to perform GNSS measurement.

[0073] Exemplarily, the trigger information can also be used to trigger the terminal device to perform GNSS measurement within the GNSS measurement gap. For example, the trigger information can be carried in a media access control element (MAC CE) or a radio resource control (RRC). For example, the subframe or time slot when the first communication device receives the MAC CE is n, then the start time (or starting time point, or starting moment) of the GNSS measurement interval can be n+X. For example, X can be a predefined value, or a configured value (such as the value of X can be included in the MAC CE), or related to the hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback (HARQ feedback) of the MAC CE. The specific value of X is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0074] As an example, the duration for the GNSS measurement gap can be configured by the network device, such as the duration can be included in the MAC CE or RRC, or before the network device sends the MAC CE or RRC, the network device can send information for indicating the duration, and correspondingly, the terminal device receives the information for indicating the duration. As another example, the duration of the GNSS measurement gap can be reported to the network device by the terminal device based on its capabilities, and then the network device configures the duration through the MAC CE or RRC. As another example, when the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is not included in the MAC CE or RRC, the duration can be equal to the duration most recently reported by the terminal device. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific method of the start time and duration of the GNSS measurement interval.

[0075] 302. The first communication device completes the GNSS measurement within the GNSS measurement interval and reports the GNSS valid time or the GNSS remaining valid time.

[0076] Completing a GNSS measurement can also be referred to as a successful GNSS measurement or the terminal device obtaining valid GNSS information. The first communication device completing a GNSS measurement within a GNSS measurement interval indicates that the first communication device obtained GNSS information by performing the GNSS measurement. This GNSS information has a certain validity period (e.g., referred to as the GNSS validity period). Reporting the GNSS validity period or the remaining GNSS validity period can also be referred to as feedback on the GNSS validity period or the remaining GNSS validity period.

[0077] When a terminal device completes GNSS measurement within a GNSS measurement interval, the terminal device may report the GNSS valid duration or the remaining GNSS valid duration after the GNSS measurement interval, or the terminal device may report the GNSS valid duration or the remaining GNSS valid duration within the GNSS measurement interval. When a terminal device needs to report the GNSS valid duration or the remaining GNSS valid duration within a GNSS measurement interval, the terminal device may first request an uplink resource through random access, and report the GNSS valid duration or the remaining GNSS valid duration through the uplink resource.

[0078] The remaining effective time of GNSS can be determined by the effective time of GNSS and the reference time. For example, the reference time can be determined based on the time of reporting the effective time of GNSS or the remaining effective time of GNSS. For example, if the effective time of GNSS determined by the terminal device is 20s, and the terminal device takes 5s from the moment of completing the GNSS measurement to the moment of reporting, then the remaining effective time of GNSS can be 15s. For example, when the terminal device determines the remaining effective time of GNSS, the transmission delay between the network device and the terminal device can be considered. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the method of reporting the remaining effective time of GNSS. The reporting of GNSS effective time or the remaining effective time of GNSS shown in the embodiment of the present application is only an example. For example, the terminal device can indicate the GNSS effective time by reporting the index of the effective time of GNSS or the difference between the effective time of GNSS and the reference value. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific form of reporting. For the convenience of description, the following uses the reporting of GNSS effective time as an example when referring to specific examples, but it should not be understood as a limitation on the embodiment of the present application.

[0079] 303. The first communication device fails to complete GNSS measurement within the GNSS measurement interval and enters an idle state.

[0080] Incomplete GNSS measurement may also be referred to as GNSS measurement failure, or the terminal device may not obtain valid GNSS information. For example, the terminal device may enter the idle state after the GNSS measurement interval ends (eg, after the end time of the GNSS measurement interval).

[0081] In a specific implementation, the method shown in Figure 3a may include steps 301 and 302; or, include steps 301 and 303; or include steps 301 to 303, such as the terminal device executes step 302 in some scenarios and executes step 303 in other scenarios.

[0082] Figure 3b illustrates an example of a terminal device completing a GNSS measurement within a GNSS measurement interval. As shown in Figure 3b, the upward arrow indicates information reported by the terminal device, and the downward arrow indicates information received by the terminal device. The latest time a terminal device can complete a GNSS measurement can be the end time of the GNSS measurement interval.

[0083] The GNSS measurement interval in the embodiments of the present application may also be measured using a timer. For example, the length of the GNSS measurement interval may be equal to the length of the timer. Similarly, the timers described below may also be measured using the GNSS measurement interval, or other similar time measurement information.

[0084] In this embodiment of the present application, when the terminal device receives the trigger information, its GNSS information is still valid. When the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement within the GNSS measurement interval, the terminal device obtains new GNSS information, thereby allowing the terminal device to continue to maintain uplink synchronization, extending the length of time the terminal device remains connected.

[0085] GNSS measurement mechanism 2:

[0086] FIG4a is a schematic diagram of another GNSS measurement mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG4a , the method includes:

[0087] 401. The first communication device does not receive trigger information at the end of the GNSS validity period and starts a timer.

[0088] For relevant descriptions of the trigger information, please refer to FIG3 a and will not be described in detail here.

[0089] No trigger information is received at the end of the GNSS validity period, which means that no information is received to trigger the terminal device to perform GNSS measurement within the GNSS validity period, or the terminal device does not receive any trigger information until the GNSS validity period expires. The above-mentioned failure to receive trigger information at the end of the GNSS validity period means that the terminal device does not receive any trigger information until the end of the GNSS validity period. At this time, the first communication device can start a timer. For example, the start condition of the timer can be that the terminal device does not receive any trigger information until the end of the GNSS validity period. The timer can be started at the end of the GNSS validity period, or when the GNSS validity period expires, or at the end of the validity period of the GNSS information.

[0090] As an example, the timing duration of the timer (or referred to as the length of the timer) may be defined by a protocol, or configured by a network device to a terminal device via radio resource control (RRC) signaling or MAC-CE signaling.

[0091] As another example, the timer duration may not be fixed (e.g., it may not be a fixed value defined by the protocol). For example, the start condition of the timer is the expiration of the GNSS validity period, and the stop condition is the end of the inactive state. The stop condition shown here may be defined by the protocol or configured by the network device, and is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0092] As another example, the terminal device may determine the end time of the timer based on the end time of the C-DRX inactive state thereof, for example, the end time of the timer may be the same as the end time of the C-DRX inactive state.

[0093] 402. The first communication device completes the GNSS measurement before the timer expires and reports the GNSS valid time or the remaining GNSS valid time.

[0094] For example, if the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement before the timer expires, the terminal device may report the GNSS valid duration or the GNSS remaining valid duration after the timer expires or within the timer duration. For instructions on completing the GNSS measurement and reporting the GNSS valid duration or the GNSS remaining valid duration, please refer to step 302 in Figure 3a and will not be described in detail here.

[0095] As shown in the embodiment of the present application, the timing duration of the timer includes the end time of the timer.

[0096] 403. The first communication device does not complete the GNSS measurement before the timer expires and enters an idle state.

[0097] For example, if the GNSS measurement is not completed within the timer duration, the terminal device may enter the idle state within the timer duration, or enter the idle state after the end of the timer. For relevant instructions on the incomplete GNSS measurement, please refer to step 303 in Figure 3a, which will not be described in detail here.

[0098] In a specific implementation, the method shown in Figure 4a may include steps 401 and 402; or, include steps 401 and 403; or include steps 401 to 403, such as the terminal device executes step 402 in some scenarios and executes step 403 in other scenarios.

[0099] Figure 4b illustrates an example of a terminal device completing a GNSS measurement within the timer's duration. As shown in Figure 4b, the upward arrow indicates that the latest time the terminal device reported completing the GNSS measurement could be the end time of the timer. The timer's start time could overlap with the end time of the GNSS validity period.

[0100] In an embodiment of the present application, a terminal device starts a timer at the end of the GNSS validity period and performs GNSS measurement within the timer's duration. When the GNSS measurement is completed within the timer's duration, the terminal device can obtain new GNSS information, thereby allowing the terminal device to continue to maintain uplink synchronization, thereby extending the duration for which the terminal device remains connected.

[0101] GNSS measurement mechanism 3:

[0102] In the C-DRX inactive state, the first communication device may determine at least one of the following: the time to perform the GNSS measurement, the number of times to perform the GNSS measurement, and the duration of performing one GNSS measurement.

[0103] GNSS measurement mechanism 4:

[0104] In the C-DRX inactive state, the first communication device may determine the time to perform the GNSS measurement, the number of times to perform the GNSS measurement, and the duration of the GNSS measurement may be determined by the timer. For example, the terminal device may complete the GNSS measurement before the timer expires, or the latest time the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement may be the end time of the timer.

[0105] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device performs GNSS measurement in the non-activated state of C-DRX, which can effectively save the resources occupied by the terminal device when performing GNSS measurement in the activated state (such as resources occupied by starting the timer), thereby effectively saving resources in the activated state.

[0106] In the satellite communication method shown below, the first communication device can be a terminal device or a chip provided in the terminal device or a functional module in the terminal device, and the second communication device can be a network device or a chip provided in the network device or a functional module in the network device. As shown above, the network device can include an access network device or a functional module under the O-RAN architecture, etc. For a specific description of the terminal device and the network device, please refer to Figures 1 and 2a to 2c, which will not be described in detail here. For ease of description, the embodiments of the present application may use terminal devices and network devices as examples when referring to specific examples, but this should not be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0107] FIG5 is a flow chart of a satellite communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG5 , the method includes:

[0108] 501. When the terminal device is allowed to perform GNSS measurement in the inactive state of C-DRX, the terminal device can perform GNSS measurement in accordance with any one of GNSS measurement mechanisms 2 to GNSS measurement mechanism 4 based on the relationship between the end time of the inactive state of C-DRX and the GNSS validity period.

[0109] 502. When the terminal device is not allowed to perform GNSS measurement in the C-DRX inactive state, the terminal device may perform GNSS measurement according to GNSS measurement mechanism 1 or GNSS measurement mechanism 2.

[0110] Exemplarily, the terminal device is allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the inactive state of C-DRX, and the terminal device can perform GNSS measurements in accordance with the above-mentioned GNSS measurement mechanism 2 in the inactive state of C-DRX; the terminal device is not allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the inactive state of C-DRX, and the terminal device can perform GNSS measurements in accordance with the above-mentioned GNSS measurement mechanism 2 in the active state.

[0111] Whether the terminal device is allowed to perform GNSS measurement in the C-DRX inactive state may be defined by a protocol or configured by a network device.

[0112] As an example, the protocol may define that the terminal device is allowed to perform GNSS measurements in a C-DRX inactive state.

[0113] As another example, the network device may configure, through configuration information, the terminal device to perform GNSS measurements in a C-DRX inactive state.

[0114] As another example, a broadcast message from a network device may indicate whether the terminal device is allowed to perform GNSS measurements in a C-DRX inactive state.

[0115] As another example, it may be defaulted that the terminal device is allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the inactive state of C-DRX. At this time, when the terminal device is not allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the inactive state of C-DRX, the network device may indicate through relevant information that the terminal device is not allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the inactive state of C-DRX.

[0116] As another example, whether the terminal device is allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the inactive state of C-DRX can also be determined by the relationship between the end moment of the inactive state of C-DRX and the GNSS validity period. If the end moment of the inactive state of C-DRX is within the GNSS validity period (such as the end moment of the inactive state of C-DRX is not later than the end moment of the GNSS validity period), the terminal device may not be allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the inactive state of C-DRX, or the terminal device may be allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the inactive state of C-DRX. For another example, if the end moment of the inactive state of C-DRX is outside the GNSS validity period (such as the end moment of the inactive state of C-DRX is later than the end moment of the GNSS validity period), the terminal device may be allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the inactive state of C-DRX. The above is illustrated by the example that the end moment of the inactive state of C-DRX is within the GNSS validity period, including the end moment of the inactive state of C-DRX. Exemplarily, the end time of the C-DRX inactive state being within the GNSS validity period may also include that the end time of the C-DRX inactive state is later than the end time of the GNSS validity period, and the end time of the C-DRX inactive state being outside the GNSS validity period may also include that the end time of the C-DRX inactive state is no earlier than the end time of the GNSS validity period. Similar descriptions apply below.

[0117] As another example, when whether the terminal device is allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the inactive state of C-DRX is determined by the relationship between the end moment of the inactive state of C-DRX and the GNSS validity period, the network device may configure the correspondence between the aforementioned relationship and whether the terminal device is allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the inactive state of C-DRX, or the terminal device may determine the correspondence between the aforementioned relationship and whether the terminal device is allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the inactive state of C-DRX. If the end moment of the inactive state of C-DRX is within the GNSS validity period, the network device may configure (or the terminal device may decide by itself) not to allow the terminal device to perform GNSS measurements in the inactive state of C-DRX. For another example, if the end moment of the inactive state of C-DRX is outside the GNSS validity period, the network device may configure (or the terminal device may decide by itself) to allow the terminal device to perform GNSS measurements in the inactive state of C-DRX. Exemplarily, the priority configured by the network device may be higher than the priority determined by the terminal device itself. For example, when the network device is not configured with the aforementioned correspondence, the terminal device may determine the aforementioned correspondence by itself.

[0118] As another example, when allowing the terminal device to perform GNSS measurement in the inactive state of C-DRX, the network device may further configure which of GNSS measurement mechanisms 2 to GNSS measurement mechanism 4 the terminal device can use to perform GNSS measurement.

[0119] As another example, when the terminal device is allowed to perform GNSS measurement in the C-DRX inactive state, it may be assumed that the terminal device can use GNSS measurement mechanism 3 or GNSS measurement mechanism 4 to perform GNSS measurement.

[0120] As another example, when the terminal device is allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the inactive state of C-DRX, it can be defined by the protocol, configured by the network device, or decided by the terminal device when to report the GNSS valid time or the GNSS remaining valid time.

[0121] The various examples shown here can be combined with the various implementations or examples shown below, and the specific description of the combination will not be repeated here.

[0122] When the terminal device is allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the C-DRX inactive state, the terminal device can perform any of the GNSS measurement mechanisms 2 to GNSS measurement mechanisms 4 shown above based on the relationship between the end time of the C-DRX inactive state and the end time of the GNSS validity period. For a detailed description of this solution, please refer to the following and will not be described in detail here.

[0123] For the relevant descriptions of GNSS measurement mechanisms 1 to GNSS measurement mechanisms 4, please refer to the above and will not be repeated here.

[0124] In an embodiment of the present application, the behavior of the terminal device can be configured by the network device or defined by the protocol, while allowing the terminal device to have a certain degree of flexibility, thereby not only ensuring the alignment of the behaviors of the communicating parties, but also ensuring the flexibility of the behavior of the terminal device.

[0125] In the method shown in Figure 5, step 501 and step 502 can be separate embodiments, or step 501 and step 502 can also be combined into a complete embodiment. For example, in some scenarios, the terminal device can execute step 501, and in other scenarios, the terminal device can execute step 502.

[0126] The various implementations or examples shown below can be combined with the method shown in FIG5 , or can be a separate embodiment. The specific manner of combination will not be described in detail below.

[0127] The following takes allowing a terminal device to perform GNSS measurement in an inactive state of C-DRX as an example to further illustrate the satellite communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0128] Figure 6a is an example of the end moment of the C-DRX inactive state being within the GNSS validity period. The end moment of the C-DRX inactive state being within the GNSS validity period includes: the end moment of the GNSS validity period overlaps with the end moment of the C-DRX inactive state, or the end moment of the C-DRX inactive state is earlier than the end moment of the GNSS validity period, or at the end of the C-DRX inactive state, the GNSS information obtained from the last GNSS measurement is still within the validity period. In the scenario shown in Figure 6a, the terminal device can perform GNSS measurements in the C-DRX inactive state.

[0129] As shown in FIG5 above, in the scenario shown in FIG6a, the terminal device may be allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the C-DRX inactive state, or the terminal device may not be allowed to perform GNSS measurements in the C-DRX inactive state. The following description will take allowing the terminal device to perform GNSS measurements in the C-DRX inactive state as an example.

[0130] As a possible implementation method 1, the terminal device performs GNSS measurement in the C-DRX inactive state.

[0131] For implementation method 1, there are several examples:

[0132] Example 1: The terminal device completes GNSS measurement in the inactive state of C-DRX. The terminal device can report the GNSS valid time or the remaining GNSS valid time after the inactive state of C-DRX ends.

[0133] Exemplarily, the terminal device may enter the active state after the inactive state of C-DRX ends, and then report the GNSS valid duration or the remaining GNSS valid duration to the network device. As shown in Figure 6b, the latest time when the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement may be the end time of the inactive state of C-DRX. The original GNSS validity period or the original GNSS valid duration in Figure 6b is determined by the last GNSS measurement performed by the terminal device. The reporting shown in Figure 6b refers to reporting the GNSS valid duration or the remaining GNSS valid duration determined based on this GNSS measurement.

[0134] In an embodiment of the present application, when the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement, by promptly reporting the GNSS validity period or the remaining GNSS validity period, the network device can promptly learn of the GNSS validity period of the terminal device, maintain uplink synchronization between the terminal device and the network device, and increase the time the terminal device remains connected.

[0135] Example 2: The terminal device performs GNSS measurement in the inactive state of C-DRX. The terminal device reports the GNSS valid time or the remaining GNSS valid time after the inactive state of C-DRX ends.

[0136] For Example 2, regardless of whether the terminal device has completed the GNSS measurement, the GNSS valid duration or the remaining GNSS valid duration can be reported. For example, even if the terminal device has not completed the GNSS measurement, the terminal device can report the remaining GNSS valid duration after entering the activation state and within the GNSS valid period. For another example, if the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement, the GNSS valid duration or the remaining GNSS valid duration can be reported after entering the activation state and within the GNSS valid period.

[0137] In the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can promptly report the remaining GNSS effective time or the GNSS effective time, so that the network device can promptly and accurately obtain the GNSS information of the terminal device.

[0138] Example three: The terminal device has not completed GNSS measurement in the inactive state of C-DRX. The terminal device can enter the idle state in advance in the inactive state of C-DRX.

[0139] For example three, if the terminal device fails to perform GNSS measurement in the inactive state of C-DRX, the terminal device can enter the idle state before the end of the inactive state of C-DRX. For example, for a terminal device with poor channel conditions, if it fails to complete the GNSS measurement in the inactive state of C-DRX, it may still fail to complete the GNSS measurement after entering the active state and within the GNSS validity period. Therefore, the terminal device can enter the idle state in advance before the end of the inactive state of C-DRX.

[0140] Example 4: The terminal device has not completed the GNSS measurement in the inactive state of C-DRX. The terminal device can enter the idle state after the end time of the inactive state of C-DRX.

[0141] For Example 4, if the terminal device fails to successfully perform GNSS measurement in the inactive state of C-DRX, the terminal device may enter the idle state after the end of the inactive state of C-DRX. For example, for a terminal device with good channel conditions, if it fails to complete the GNSS measurement in the inactive state of C-DRX, performing GNSS measurement after entering the active state and within the GNSS validity period can effectively increase the probability of success. Therefore, the terminal device may enter the idle state after the end of the inactive state of C-DRX.

[0142] Example 5: If the GNSS measurement is not completed in the inactive state of C-DRX, the terminal device can start the timer after the end of the inactive state of C-DRX and at the end of the GNSS validity period to perform the GNSS measurement again. If the GNSS measurement is completed before the end of the timer (including the end of the timer), the GNSS validity period or the remaining GNSS validity period is reported. If the GNSS measurement is still not completed at the end of the timer, the terminal device enters the idle state.

[0143] For relevant descriptions of Example 5, please refer to Figure 4a or Figure 4b, which will not be repeated here.

[0144] Example 6: Although the terminal device can perform GNSS measurement in the inactive state of C-DRX, the terminal device does not perform GNSS measurement.

[0145] For example 6, the terminal device may not have time to perform GNSS measurement, or there may be conflicts with other downlink reception, etc., which may cause the terminal device to not perform GNSS measurement. The reasons shown here are only examples. For example, the reason why the terminal device did not perform GNSS measurement may also include: GNSS information has not expired, so the terminal device does not need to perform GNSS measurement.

[0146] Example seven: The terminal device may perform GNSS measurement, or may not perform GNSS measurement.

[0147] If the time difference between the end of the C-DRX inactive state and the end of the GNSS validity period is small (for example, after the terminal device enters the active state, the GNSS information obtained from the last measurement expires immediately), the terminal device can perform GNSS measurement. For another example, if the moving speed of the terminal device suddenly changes, the terminal device can also perform GNSS measurement. For another example, if the time difference between the end of the C-DRX inactive state and the end of the GNSS validity period is large, the terminal device may not perform GNSS measurement.

[0148] Example 8: If the time difference between the end time of the C-DRX inactive state and the end time of the GNSS validity period (also referred to as the remaining GNSS validity period) is less than a certain threshold, the terminal device can perform GNSS measurement.

[0149] If the remaining GNSS valid time is greater than a certain threshold, the terminal device may not perform GNSS measurement.

[0150] Examples 1 to 8 above may also be combined with each other. For example, Example 1 above may be combined with Example 7 or Example 8, Example 2 above may be combined with Example 7 or Example 8, Example 3 may be combined with Example 7 or Example 8, Example 4 may be combined with Example 7 or Example 8, and Example 5 may be combined with Example 7 or Example 8. Specific ways of combining are not listed here one by one.

[0151] Figure 7 illustrates an example where the end time of the C-DRX inactive state is outside the GNSS validity period. The end time of the C-DRX inactive state outside the GNSS validity period may include the end time of the GNSS validity period being earlier than the end time of the C-DRX inactive state (or the end time of the C-DRX inactive state being later than the end time of the GNSS validity period), or the terminal device is still in the C-DRX inactive state when the GNSS validity period expires.

[0152] As another possible implementation method 2, the terminal device may start a timer at the end of the GNSS validity period to perform GNSS measurement. The end time of the timer may be within the activation state of the terminal device (or the timer continues until the activation state of the terminal device ends). As shown in Figure 8a, the end time of the timer is within the activation state of the terminal device.

[0153] For implementation method 2, there are several examples:

[0154] In example one, the terminal device starts a timer to perform GNSS measurement. If the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement within the timer's timing, the terminal device can report the GNSS valid time or the GNSS remaining valid time after the timer ends.

[0155] In this example, the following situations may occur: the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement before the end of the timer; or the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement at the end of the timer. The embodiments of this application do not limit when the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement within the timer duration.

[0156] As shown in Figure 8b, since the end time of the timer is within the activation state of the terminal device, after the end time of the timer, the terminal device can report the GNSS validity period or the remaining GNSS validity period to the network device. For the relevant description of the end time of the original GNSS validity period and the original GNSS validity period in Figure 8b, please refer to the description of Figure 6b and will not be repeated here.

[0157] Example 2: The terminal device starts a timer to perform GNSS measurement. The terminal device completes the GNSS measurement before the end of the timer and is already in an activated state when completing the GNSS measurement. The terminal device can indicate to the network device through random access that the terminal device has completed the GNSS measurement.

[0158] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG8c, while the timer is still running, the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement, and the time for completing the GNSS measurement is within the time when the terminal device is in the activated state, then the terminal device can indicate at least one of the following information through random access: the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement in advance within the timing duration of the timer, and the terminal device requests uplink resources to report the GNSS effective duration or the GNSS remaining effective duration within the timing duration of the timer. For example, the terminal device sends a random access to the network device within the timing duration of the timer to indicate that the terminal device has completed the GNSS measurement in advance. Generally speaking, the network device can know the time when the terminal device is in the inactive state and the time when the terminal device is in the activated state. When the network device receives the random access in the activated state, it indicates that the terminal device has completed the GNSS measurement. For another example, a 1-bit indication information can be carried in the random access, and the indication information can be used to indicate that the terminal device has completed the GNSS measurement in advance. For another example, the terminal device may indicate through random access that it has completed the GNSS measurement, and then the terminal device may report the GNSS valid duration or the GNSS remaining valid duration after the end moment of the timer.

[0159] For example, if the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement before the timer ends, the time when the GNSS measurement is completed is within the activation state of the terminal device, and the time difference between the time when the GNSS measurement is completed and the end time of the timer is large, if the time difference is greater than a certain duration, then the terminal device can execute the relevant steps shown in Figure 8c above, which will not be described in detail here. The certain duration shown here can be configured by the network device or defined by the protocol, and this embodiment of the application is not limited to this. For example, a certain duration can be 12 milliseconds, etc.

[0160] The above is an example of using random access to indicate that the terminal device has completed GNSS measurement. In a specific implementation, the terminal device can also indicate to the network device that the terminal device has completed GNSS measurement through a pre-configured uplink (UL) grant (PUR).

[0161] Example three: The terminal device starts a timer to perform GNSS measurement. The terminal device completes the GNSS measurement before the end time of the timer, and the terminal device is still in an inactive state when completing the measurement. The terminal device can indicate to the network device that the terminal device has completed the GNSS measurement through random access after entering the active state.

[0162] For example, as shown in Figure 8d, if the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement before the timer ends, and the time of completing the GNSS measurement is within the inactive state of the terminal device, the terminal device can indicate at least one of the following information to the network device through random access when entering the active state: the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement in advance before the end time of the timer, and the terminal device requests uplink resources to report the GNSS effective duration or the remaining GNSS effective duration. As shown in the solid line part of Figure 8d, the terminal device can indicate the above information in advance through random access within the timing duration of the timer and after entering the active state, or, as shown in the dotted line part of Figure 8d, the terminal device can indicate the above information in advance through random access after the end time of the timer.

[0163] Example 4: During the C-DRX inactive state, regardless of when the terminal device starts to perform GNSS measurement, the end time of the terminal device completing the GNSS measurement is determined by the end time of the timer. The timer can be started at the end time of the GNSS validity period.

[0164] As an example, the end time of the GNSS measurement completed by the above-mentioned terminal device is determined by the end time of the timer, including: the end time of the GNSS measurement completed by the terminal device is the same as the end time of the timer. As shown in Figure 8e, no matter when the terminal device decides to start performing the GNSS measurement, the end time of performing the GNSS measurement is at the end time of the timer. Exemplarily, after the timer ends, the terminal device can report the GNSS valid duration or the GNSS remaining valid duration (such as reporting the GNSS valid duration or the GNSS remaining valid duration determined by the GNSS measurement performed this time). Therefore, no matter which GNSS measurement mechanism the terminal device adopts to perform the GNSS measurement, the network device can receive the GNSS valid duration or the GNSS remaining valid duration reported by the terminal device within the same time period. The same time period shown here represents a period of time after the timer ends. If the period of time can be less than or equal to the duration threshold, the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific time period.

[0165] As another example, the end time of the GNSS measurement completed by the above-mentioned terminal device is determined by the end time of the timing duration of the timer, including: the end time of the GNSS measurement completed by the terminal device is earlier than the end time of the timer, and the time difference between the end time of the GNSS measurement completed by the terminal device and the end time of the timer is small, such as less than or equal to a certain threshold. As shown in Figure 8f, no matter when the terminal device decides to start performing the GNSS measurement, the end time of the GNSS measurement is earlier than the end time of the timer and the time difference between the end time of the GNSS measurement and the end time of the timer is less than or equal to the threshold. Exemplarily, the terminal device can send at least one of the following information to the network device through random access before the timing duration of the timer expires: the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement in advance within the timing duration of the timer, and the terminal device requests uplink resources to report the GNSS valid duration or the GNSS remaining valid duration within the timing duration of the timer.

[0166] As another example, if the time difference between the end time of the GNSS validity period and the end time of the C-DRX inactive state is large, the terminal device can complete the GNSS measurement before (including the end time of the C-DRX inactive state). If there is no limit on the time when the terminal device starts to perform the GNSS measurement, it is sufficient as long as a GNSS measurement can be completed before the end time of the C-DRX inactive state.

[0167] Example five: If the terminal device fails to complete the GNSS measurement within the timing duration of the timer, the terminal device may enter the idle state in advance, or the terminal device enters the idle state after the end time of the timer, or the latest time for the terminal device to enter the idle state is the end time of the timer.

[0168] For example, the content shown in Example 5 above can be agreed upon by the agreement.

[0169] The above examples 1 to 5 can also be combined with each other, for example, the above example 1 can be combined with example 4, and the above example 2 can be combined with example 4, etc. The specific ways of combining are not listed here one by one.

[0170] As another possible implementation method 3, the terminal device can start a timer at the end of the GNSS validity period, and the end time of the timer is within the inactive state of the C-DRX of the terminal device (including the case where the end time of the timer overlaps with the end time of the inactive state). As shown in Figure 9, the end time of the timer is within the inactive state of the C-DRX of the terminal device. The end time of the timer does not extend into the active state of the terminal device.

[0171] For implementation method 3, there are the following examples:

[0172] Example 1: If the terminal device fails to complete the GNSS measurement (such as failing to obtain valid GNSS information) before the end time (including the end time) of the C-DRX inactive state, the terminal device enters the idle state.

[0173] Exemplarily, the terminal device may enter the idle state at the end of the inactive state.

[0174] Example 2: If the terminal device does not complete the GNSS measurement at the end of the timer, the terminal device enters the idle state after the end of the timer.

[0175] Even if the C-DRX inactive state of the terminal device has not ended, the terminal device will enter the idle state as long as the terminal device has not completed the GNSS measurement before the timer expires.

[0176] Example three: The terminal device completes the GNSS measurement within the timer's timing duration. After the timer ends, the terminal device can report the GNSS valid duration or the GNSS remaining valid duration.

[0177] Example four, the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement within the timing duration of the timer. Within the timing duration of the timer, the terminal device indicates at least one of the following information to the network device through random access: the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement in advance within the timing duration of the timer, and the terminal device requests uplink resources to report the GNSS valid duration or the remaining GNSS valid duration within the timing duration of the timer.

[0178] Example 5: The terminal device performs GNSS measurement before the end time of the inactive state of C-DRX (including the end time).

[0179] As an example, after the end time of the timer and before the end time of the C-DRX inactive state, the terminal device can still perform GNSS measurements.

[0180] As another example, at the end of the GNSS validity period, the terminal device can start a timer to perform GNSS measurement, and extend the end time of the timer to the end time of the inactive state of C-DRX. Exemplarily, if the terminal device completes the GNSS measurement within the timing duration defined by the protocol or set by the network device, the terminal device does not need to extend the timing duration of the timer. Exemplarily, if the terminal device does not complete the GNSS measurement within the timing duration defined by the protocol or set by the network device, the terminal device can extend the timing duration of the timer, and the end time of the timer can be the end time of the inactive state of C-DRX. If the terminal device has not completed the GNSS measurement yet, it can enter the idle state.

[0181] In the embodiments of the present application, the relevant descriptions of the five examples in Implementation Method 3 can refer to the above examples and will not be described in detail here. The five examples in Implementation Method 3 can also be combined with each other, such as Example 5 can be combined with any of Examples 1 to 4, etc. The specific methods of combination will not be described in detail here.

[0182] In the above examples, a terminal device performs a GNSS measurement. However, in a specific implementation, the following situations may also exist:

[0183] 1. In the C-DRX inactive state, the terminal device is allowed to perform one GNSS measurement. In this case, the duration of the GNSS measurement is not limited.

[0184] The execution of a GNSS measurement shown here indicates that the terminal device is continuous in time when executing the GNSS measurement, or indicates that the terminal device executes the GNSS measurement on a continuous resource.

[0185] 2. In the C-DRX inactive state, the terminal device is allowed to perform one GNSS measurement. The duration of the GNSS measurement is determined by the length of the timer.

[0186] As shown in FIG. 8 a above, the duration of the GNSS measurement performed by the terminal device may be determined by the length of the timer.

[0187] 3. In the inactive state of C-DRX, the terminal device is allowed to perform multiple GNSS measurements. The cumulative time of the terminal device performing multiple GNSS measurements is determined by the length of the timer.

[0188] If the terminal device performs n GNSS measurements, the cumulative time is the sum of the durations of these n GNSS measurements. For example, if the duration of a GNSS measurement performed by the terminal device is 1 second and the terminal device is allowed to perform 10 GNSS measurements, the cumulative time can be 10 seconds. Of course, this example is based on the example of each GNSS measurement having the same duration. In a specific implementation, there may be at least two GNSS measurements with different durations.

[0189] 4. In the inactive state of C-DRX, the terminal device is allowed to perform multiple GNSS measurements, and the cumulative time of the terminal device performing multiple GNSS measurements is less than or equal to a certain upper limit.

[0190] The upper limit shown here can be set by a network device or defined by a protocol, etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0191] 5. If the duration of continuous GNSS measurement in the C-DRX inactive state does not exceed the duration required for one continuous measurement, the terminal device cannot perform GNSS measurement in the C-DRX inactive state.

[0192] The duration for continuous GNSS measurement shown here represents the cumulative duration of multiple intermittent measurements that the terminal device can perform in the inactive state of C-DRX, or represents the cumulative duration of multiple GNSS measurements performed by the terminal device in the inactive state of C-DRX. The duration required for a continuous measurement can refer to the description of a GNSS measurement above and will not be described in detail here.

[0193] 6. If the duration of continuous GNSS measurement in the C-DRX inactive state does not exceed the duration required for one continuous measurement, the terminal can complete the GNSS measurement through multiple intermittent measurements.

[0194] 7. The terminal device decides the start time of GNSS measurement by itself. For example, the terminal can complete GNSS measurement through multiple intermittent measurements.

[0195] 8. The terminal device decides the start time of GNSS measurement by itself. If the duration of continuous GNSS measurement in the inactive state of C-DRX does not exceed the duration required for one continuous measurement, the terminal device can complete the GNSS measurement through multiple intermittent measurements, with priority given to the duration that satisfies the time required to complete one GNSS measurement.

[0196] The eight cases shown here can be combined with the above examples. The specific ways of combining them are not listed here. For example, in each of the examples shown above, the terminal device can perform one GNSS measurement, perform multiple GNSS measurements, or not perform GNSS measurements according to any of the conditions in Cases 1 to 8. The specific examples of combination are not listed here.

[0197] The following describes a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0198] The present application divides the functional modules of the communication device according to the above-mentioned method embodiment. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above-mentioned integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in this application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The communication device of the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 10 to 12.

[0199] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 10, the communication device includes a processing module 1001 and a transceiver module 1002. The transceiver module 1002 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing module 1001 is used to process data. For example, the transceiver module 1002 can also be referred to as an interface, a communication interface, or a communication module.

[0200] In some embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be used to execute the actions performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiments. In this case, the communication device can be a terminal device or a component that can be configured in the terminal device (such as a chip or system or functional module, etc.), and the transceiver module 1002 is used to execute the transceiver-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiments, and the processing module 1001 is used to execute the processing-related operations of the terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0201] Exemplarily, the processing module 1001 is used to determine whether the communication device is allowed to perform GNSS measurement in the C-DRX inactive state, and is also used to perform GNSS measurement based on the relationship between the end time of the C-DRX inactive state and the GNSS validity period.

[0202] Exemplarily, the transceiver module 1002 is further configured to input or receive trigger information. The transceiver module 1002 is further configured to send or output feedback information, which may include the GNSS valid duration or the GNSS remaining valid duration, or the feedback information may be information indicated by random access.

[0203] Exemplarily, the processing module 1001 is further configured to start a timer.

[0204] Optionally, in each of the above embodiments, the communication device may further include a storage module, which may be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 1001 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage module to enable the communication device to implement the above method embodiments. Exemplarily, the storage module may be used to store the remaining GNSS validity period or the GNSS validity period, etc.

[0205] For descriptions of various terms or examples, please refer to the introduction in the above method embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.

[0206] It can be understood that the specific descriptions of the transceiver module and the processing module shown in the above embodiments are only examples. For the specific functions or execution steps of the transceiver module and the processing module, please refer to the above method embodiments and will not be described in detail here.

[0207] The above describes the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application. The following describes possible product forms of the communication device. It should be understood that any product having the functions of the communication device described in FIG. 10 falls within the scope of protection of the embodiment of the present application. It should also be understood that the following description is merely illustrative and does not limit the product forms of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application to these examples.

[0208] In one possible implementation, in the communication device shown in Figure 10, the processing module 1001 can be one or more processors, the transceiver module 1002 can be a transceiver, or the transceiver module 1002 can also be a sending module and a receiving module, the sending module can be a transmitter, and the receiving module can be a receiver, and the sending module and the receiving module are integrated into a single device, such as a transceiver. In the embodiment of the present application, the processor and the transceiver can be coupled, etc., and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the connection method between the processor and the transceiver. During the execution of the above method, the process of sending information in the above method can be understood as the process of the processor outputting the above information. When outputting the above information, the processor outputs the above information to the transceiver so that the transceiver can transmit it. After being output by the processor, the above information may also need to undergo other processing before reaching the transceiver. Similarly, the process of receiving information in the above method can be understood as the process of the processor receiving the input information. When the processor receives the input information, the transceiver receives the above information and inputs it into the processor. Furthermore, after the transceiver receives the above information, the above information may need to be processed further before being input into the processor.

[0209] As shown in FIG. 11 , the communication device 110 includes one or more processors 1120 and a transceiver 1110 .

[0210] Illustratively, the transceiver 1110 is configured to execute the functions or steps implemented by the transceiver module 1002 shown in FIG10 , and the processor 1120 is configured to execute the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 1001 shown in FIG10 . For a detailed description of the processor 1120 and the transceiver 1110 , reference may be made to FIG10 or the method embodiment shown above and will not be described in detail here.

[0211] In various implementations of the communication device shown in FIG11 , the transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, wherein the receiver is configured to perform a receiving function (or operation) and the transmitter is configured to perform a transmitting function (or operation). The transceiver is configured to communicate with other devices / devices via a transmission medium.

[0212] Optionally, the communication device 110 may further include one or more memories 1130 for storing program instructions and / or data. The memory 1130 is coupled to the processor 1120. The coupling in the embodiment of the present application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units or modules, which may be electrical, mechanical or other forms, and is used for information exchange between devices, units or modules. The processor 1120 may operate in conjunction with the memory 1130. The processor 1120 may execute program instructions stored in the memory 1130. Optionally, at least one of the one or more memories may be included in the processor. In the embodiment of the present application, the memory 1130 may store GNSS valid duration, difference, index, etc. For example, the memory shown in FIG11 only shows the GNSS valid duration.

[0213] The specific connection medium between the transceiver 1110, processor 1120, and memory 1130 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. In Figure 11, the memory 1130, processor 1120, and transceiver 1110 are connected via a bus 1140. The bus is represented by a bold line in Figure 11. The connection methods between other components are merely schematic and are not limiting. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, Figure 11 only uses a single bold line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0214] In the embodiments of the present application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, etc., and may implement or execute the various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of the present application may be directly implemented as being executed by a hardware processor, or may be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor, etc.

[0215] In the embodiment of the present application, memory may include but is not limited to non-volatile memories such as hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD), random access memory (RAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), read-only memory (ROM) or portable read-only memory (CD-ROM), etc. Memory is any storage medium that can be used to carry or store program code in the form of instructions or data structures, and can be read and / or written by a computer (such as the communication device shown in the present application), but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiment of the present application can also be a circuit or other arbitrarily capable of realizing a storage function, for storing program instructions and / or data.

[0216] The processor 1120 is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process software program data. The memory 1130 is primarily used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 1110 may include a control circuit and an antenna. The control circuit is primarily used to convert baseband signals into radio frequency signals and process radio frequency signals. The antenna is primarily used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as a touch screen, display, and keyboard, are primarily used to receive user input and output data to the user.

[0217] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 1120 can read the software program in the memory 1130, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be sent wirelessly, the processor 1120 performs baseband processing on the data to be sent and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency circuit. The radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal and then transmits the radio frequency signal to the outside in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the radio frequency circuit receives the radio frequency signal through the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1120. The processor 1120 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0218] In another implementation, the RF circuit and antenna may be provided independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the RF circuit and antenna may be remotely arranged independent of the communication device.

[0219] It is understood that the communication device shown in the embodiment of the present application may also have more components than those in Figure 11, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. The method performed by the processor and transceiver shown above is only an example. For the specific steps performed by the processor and transceiver, please refer to the method described above.

[0220] In another possible implementation, in the communication device shown in Figure 10, the processing module 1001 can be one or more logic circuits, and the transceiver module 1002 can be an input / output interface, or also called a communication interface, or an interface circuit, or an interface, etc. Alternatively, the transceiver module 1002 can also be a sending module and a receiving module, the sending module can be an output interface, and the receiving module can be an input interface, and the sending module and the receiving module are integrated into one module, such as an input / output interface. As shown in Figure 12, the communication device shown in Figure 12 includes a logic circuit 1201 and an interface 1202. That is, the above-mentioned processing module 1001 can be implemented with a logic circuit 1201, and the transceiver module 1002 can be implemented with an interface 1202. Among them, the logic circuit 1201 can be a chip, a processing circuit, an integrated circuit or a system on chip (SoC) chip, etc., and the interface 1202 can be a communication interface, an input / output interface, a pin, etc. For example, Figure 12 is illustrated using the above-mentioned communication device as a chip, and the chip includes a logic circuit 1201 and an interface 1202.

[0221] In the embodiment of the present application, the logic circuit and the interface may also be coupled to each other. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific connection method of the logic circuit and the interface. For example, the logic circuit 1201 can be used to perform the functions or steps implemented by the processing module 1001 shown in Figure 10, and the interface 1202 can be used to perform the functions or steps implemented by the transceiver module 1002 shown in Figure 10. For a specific description of the logic circuit 1201 and the interface 1202, please refer to Figure 10 or the method embodiment shown above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0222] Exemplarily, the chip shown in FIG12 may further include a memory, which may be used to store GNSS valid duration, etc.

[0223] It can be understood that the communication device shown in the embodiment of the present application can implement the method provided in the embodiment of the present application in the form of hardware, or can implement the method provided in the embodiment of the present application in the form of software, etc., and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0224] For the specific implementation of each embodiment shown in FIG12 , reference may also be made to the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0225] An embodiment of the present application further provides a wireless communication system, which includes a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device and the second communication device can be used to execute the method in any of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0226] In addition, the present application also provides a computer program, which is used to implement the operations and / or processing performed by the first communication device in the method provided by the present application.

[0227] The present application also provides a computer program, which is used to implement the operations and / or processing (such as receiving feedback information) performed by the second communication device in the method provided by the present application.

[0228] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer code. When the computer code runs on a computer, it enables the computer to execute the operations and / or processing performed by the first communication device in the method provided by the present application.

[0229] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer code. When the computer code runs on a computer, it enables the computer to execute the operations and / or processing performed by the second communication device in the method provided by the present application.

[0230] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer code or computer program. When the computer code or computer program runs on a computer, the operations and / or processing performed by the first communication device in the method provided by the present application are executed.

[0231] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer code or computer program. When the computer code or computer program runs on a computer, the operations and / or processing performed by the second communication device in the method provided by the present application are executed.

[0232] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the modules is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple modules or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or modules, or it can be an electrical, mechanical or other form of connection.

[0233] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the technical effects of the solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0234] In addition, the functional modules in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a processing module, or each module may exist physically separately, or two or more modules may be integrated into a single module. The above-mentioned integrated modules may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules.

[0235] If the integrated module is implemented in the form of a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a readable storage medium, including a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned readable storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0236] 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 satellite communication method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a first communication device, and the method includes: Determining to allow the first communication device to perform a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurement in an inactive state of a Discontinuous Reception (C-DRX) connection state; The first communication device performs GNSS measurement based on a relationship between an end time of the C-DRX inactive state and a GNSS validity period of the first communication device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first communication device performing GNSS measurement based on the relationship between the end time of the inactive state of the C-DRX and the GNSS validity period of the first communication device includes: When the end time of the C-DRX inactive state is within the GNSS validity period, the first communication device performs the GNSS measurement in the C-DRX inactive state.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the first communication device completes the GNSS measurement in the inactive state of the C-DRX, the first communication device feeds back the GNSS valid time or the remaining GNSS valid time of the first communication device after the inactive state of the C-DRX ends.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first communication device performing GNSS measurement based on the relationship between the end time of the inactive state of the C-DRX and the GNSS validity period of the first communication device includes: When the end time of the inactive state of the C-DRX is outside the GNSS validity period, the first communication device starts a timer at the end time of the GNSS validity period, and performs the GNSS measurement based on the timer.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that When the end time of the timer is in the activation state of the first communication device, the end time when the first communication device completes the GNSS measurement is the same as the end time of the timer.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that When the end time of the timer is in the activated state of the first communication device, the method further includes: When the GNSS measurement is completed within the timing duration of the timer, the first communication device feeds back the GNSS effective duration or the GNSS remaining effective duration of the first communication device after the end time of the timer; or In a case where the first communication device is in an activated state when completing the GNSS measurement, the first communication device sends feedback information through random access, wherein the feedback information indicates that the first communication device has completed the GNSS measurement; or In the case where the first communication device is in the inactive state when the GNSS measurement is completed, the first communication device sends feedback information through random access after entering the active state, wherein the feedback information indicates that the first communication device has completed the GNSS measurement; or When the GNSS measurement is not completed within the timing duration of the timer, the first communication device enters an idle state, and the latest time for the first communication device to enter the idle state is the end time of the timer.

7. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that In the case where the first communication device is in the inactive state at the end time of the timer, the method further includes: When the GNSS measurement is completed within the timing duration of the timer, the first communication device feeds back the GNSS effective duration or the GNSS remaining effective duration of the first communication device after the end time of the timer; or When the GNSS measurement is not completed within the timing duration of the timer, the first communication device enters an idle state after the end time of the timer.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The end time of the timer is the same as the end time of the inactive state of the C-DRX.

9. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. The communication device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The communication device further includes a transceiver, and the transceiver is used to receive a signal or send a signal.

12. The communication device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The communication device includes a chip.

13. The communication device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The communication device includes a terminal device.

14. A communication device, characterized in that: It comprises a logic circuit and an interface, wherein the logic circuit and the interface are coupled; the interface is used for inputting and / or outputting information, and the logic circuit is used for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program. When the computer program is executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is executed.

16. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises a computer program, and when the computer program is executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is performed.

17. A communication system, characterized in that: The communication system comprises a first communication device and a second communication device, the first communication device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and the second communication device is used to receive feedback information.

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