Method for wireless communication, terminal device, and network device

Abstract

Provided are a method for wireless communication, a terminal device, and a network device. The method comprises: the terminal device receives first information. The first information is used for indicating ephemeris information of a second satellite, the ephemeris information of the second satellite comprises a first reference moment, and the first reference moment is inferred on the basis of time information of a first cell, or the first reference moment is associated with an absolute moment, wherein the first cell is a serving cell of the terminal device, a first satellite is the current serving satellite of the first cell, and the second satellite is the next serving satellite of the first cell.

Description

Method, terminal device and network device for wireless communication Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a method, terminal device, and network device for wireless communication. Background Art

[0002] Even if a terminal device doesn't move, the satellite serving it can change. In related technologies, before a satellite serving a terminal device changes, the ephemeris information of the next satellite serving the terminal device can be provided to the terminal device. Therefore, how to indicate the ephemeris information of the next satellite serving the terminal device to the terminal device is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a method, terminal device, and network device for wireless communication. The following introduces various aspects of the present application.

[0005] In a first aspect, a method for wireless communication is provided, comprising: a terminal device receiving first information, the first information being used to indicate ephemeris information of a second satellite, the ephemeris information of the second satellite including a first reference time, the first reference time being inferred based on time information of a first cell, or the first reference time being associated with an absolute time; wherein the first cell is a service cell of the terminal device, the first satellite is a current service satellite of the first cell, and the second satellite is a next service satellite of the first cell.

[0006] In a second aspect, a method for wireless communication is provided, the method comprising: a network device sends first information to a terminal device, the first information being used to indicate ephemeris information of a second satellite, the ephemeris information of the second satellite comprising a first reference time, the first reference time being inferred based on time information of a first cell, or the first reference time being associated with an absolute time; wherein the first cell is a service cell of the terminal device, the first satellite is a current service satellite of the first cell, and the second satellite is a next service satellite of the first cell.

[0007] According to a third aspect, a terminal device is provided, comprising: a first receiving unit for receiving first information, wherein the first information is used to indicate the ephemeris information of a second satellite, the ephemeris information of the second satellite includes a first reference time, and the first reference time is inferred based on the time information of the first cell, or the first reference time is associated with the absolute time; wherein the first cell is the service cell of the terminal device, the first satellite is the current service satellite of the first cell, and the second satellite is the next service satellite of the first cell.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a network device is provided, comprising: a first sending unit, configured to send first information to a terminal device, wherein the first information is used to indicate the ephemeris information of a second satellite, the ephemeris information of the second satellite including a first reference time, the first reference time being inferred based on the time information of a first cell, or the first reference time being associated with an absolute time; wherein the first cell is a service cell of the terminal device, the first satellite is a current service satellite of the first cell, and the second satellite is a next service satellite of the first cell.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a terminal device is provided, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is used to call the computer program in the memory so that the terminal device executes part or all of the steps in the method of the first aspect.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a network device is provided, comprising a processor, a memory, and a transceiver, wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is used to call the computer program in the memory so that the network device executes part or all of the steps in the method of the second aspect.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes the above-mentioned terminal device and / or network device. In another possible design, the system may also include other devices that interact with the terminal device or network device in the solution provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program, and the computer program enables a terminal device and / or a network device to execute part or all of the steps in the methods of the above aspects.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a computer program product, wherein the computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is operable to cause a terminal device and / or a network device to perform some or all of the steps of the methods described in each of the above aspects. In some implementations, the computer program product may be a software installation package.

[0014] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, which includes a memory and a processor. The processor can call and run a computer program from the memory to implement some or all of the steps described in the methods of the above aspects.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present application, the reference time in the ephemeris information of the new satellite can be inferred from the time information of the first cell corresponding to the old satellite (i.e., the serving cell of the terminal device), or the reference time in the ephemeris information of the new satellite can be indicated by an absolute time. In this way, the terminal device can obtain the ephemeris information of the new satellite before the new satellite provides coverage, and can immediately transmit information through the new satellite after the new satellite provides coverage, thereby helping to reduce the duration of communication interruption. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system used in an embodiment of the present application.

[0017] FIG2A is a schematic diagram of NTN communication in bent-pipe mode.

[0018] FIG2B is a schematic diagram of NTN communication in regeneration mode.

[0019] FIG3A is a schematic diagram of a mobile cell.

[0020] FIG3B is a schematic diagram of a fixed cell.

[0021] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the satellite change process with unchanged PCI.

[0022] FIG5 is a diagram showing an example of ephemeris information.

[0023] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of updating ephemeris information.

[0024] FIG. 7A is an example diagram of satellite coverage of a same geographic area.

[0025] FIG. 7B is another example diagram of satellite coverage in the same geographical area.

[0026] FIG. 7C is another example diagram of satellite coverage in the same geographical area.

[0027] FIG8 is a schematic flowchart of a method for wireless communication provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0028] FIG. 9 is an exemplary diagram illustrating the association between the first reference time and the time information of the first cell.

[0029] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of association between a first reference time and an absolute time.

[0030] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0031] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0032] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a device for communication provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] Communication System

[0035] FIG1 illustrates a wireless communication system 100 used in an embodiment of the present application. The wireless communication system 100 may include communication devices. The communication devices may include a network device 110 and a terminal device 120. The network device 110 may be a device that communicates with the terminal device 120.

[0036] FIG1 exemplarily shows a network device and two terminals. Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may include multiple network devices and each network device may include other numbers of terminal devices within its coverage area, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0037] Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may further include other network entities such as a network controller and a mobility management entity, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0038] It should be understood that the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: fifth generation (5G) system or new radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD), etc. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication system, satellite communication system, etc.

[0039] The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent or user device. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user and can be used to connect people, objects and machines, such as a handheld device with wireless connection function, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc. Optionally, the UE can be used to act as a base station. For example, the UE can act as a scheduling entity that provides sidelink signals between UEs in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) or device-to-device (D2D). For example, a cellular phone and a car communicate with each other using sidelink signals. The cellular phone and smart home devices communicate without relaying the communication signal through a base station.

[0040] The network device in the embodiments of the present application may be a device for communicating with a terminal device. The network device may also include an access network device. The access network device may provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area and may communicate with the terminal device 120 located within the coverage area. The access network device may also be referred to as a radio access network device or a base station. The access network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects the terminal device to a wireless network. Access network equipment can broadly cover various names as follows, or replace the following names, such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master eNB (MeNB), secondary eNB (SeNB), multi-standard radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. The base station can be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node, or the like, or a combination thereof. A base station may also refer to a communication module, modem, or chip used to be set in the aforementioned device or apparatus. A base station may also be a mobile switching center and a device that performs base station functions in D2D, V2X, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, a network-side device in a 6G network, or a device that performs base station functions in future communication systems. A base station may support networks with the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form used by the access network device.

[0041] Base stations can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move based on the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a device that communicates with another base station.

[0042] The communication equipment involved in a wireless communication system can include not only access network equipment and terminal equipment, but also core network elements. Core network elements can be implemented by devices, that is, core network elements are core network devices. It is understood that core network devices can also be a type of network equipment.

[0043] The core network elements in the embodiments of the present application may include network elements that process and forward user signaling and data. For example, the core network equipment may include core network access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), user plane gateway, location management function (LMF) and other core network equipment. Among them, the user plane gateway may be a server with functions such as mobility management, routing, and forwarding of user plane data, generally located on the network side, such as a serving gateway (SGW) or a packet data network gateway (PGW) or a user plane network element function entity (UPF). Of course, the core network may also include other network elements, which are not listed here one by one.

[0044] In some deployments, the network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a CU or a DU, or the network device may include a CU and a DU. The gNB may also include an AAU.

[0045] The network equipment and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; they can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the scenarios in which the network equipment and terminal devices are located.

[0046] It should be understood that all or part of the functions of the communication device in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform).

[0047] Non-terrestrial network (NTN)

[0048] In related technologies, cellular communication network base stations can be built at relatively high altitudes, such as rooftops or mountaintops, to provide coverage over a wide area. The coverage radius of a base station can range from a few hundred meters to 100 kilometers. This coverage range can depend on the frequency band. For example, base stations operating in low-frequency bands (e.g., 700 MHz) can have a relatively large coverage range. Base stations operating in high-frequency bands (24 GHz) can have a relatively small coverage range. Urban and suburban areas have high population densities. Using such ground-based base stations allows for a large number of devices within the coverage area of ​​each base station. Therefore, such ground-based base stations provide very efficient coverage in urban and suburban areas. However, to achieve coverage, even in rural areas with low population density, operators must establish base stations at regular intervals (e.g., 100 kilometers). Therefore, using such ground-based base stations for rural coverage is inefficient and expensive. Furthermore, with the continuous development of cellular communication networks and advancements in technologies such as the Internet of Things, there is an increasing demand for coverage in remote areas. For example, cellular communication networks need to monitor the operation of oil pipelines in desert areas and support communications with ocean-going cargo ships at sea. However, the above-mentioned ground base stations cannot support such scenarios.

[0049] To address the above issues, NTN communications emerged. NTN communications can be implemented based on satellites or other non-terrestrial communication equipment. Therefore, in some embodiments, NTN communications can also be referred to as satellite communications.

[0050] According to the deployment location of wireless network equipment, NTN communication can be divided into two modes: bent pipe mode and regeneration mode.

[0051] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of NTN communication in bent-pipe mode. As shown in Figure 2A, in bent-pipe mode, the base station is deployed on the ground, and the satellite can act as a repeater. For downlink communication, the downlink signal from the base station is transmitted to the satellite via a gateway (GW). The downlink signal is then transmitted to the terminal device on the ground via the satellite, a special repeater. For uplink communication, the uplink signal from the terminal is transmitted via the satellite, a special repeater, to the gateway on the ground, and then to the base station. Through the core network gateway, the base station can send the uplink signal to the external network.

[0052] Figure 2B shows a schematic diagram of NTN communication in regenerative mode. As shown in Figure 2B, in regenerative mode, the base station is deployed at the satellite. Core network elements communicate with the satellite-mounted base station via a gateway. Terminal devices communicate directly with the satellite-mounted base station.

[0053] Unlike terrestrial communication systems, satellites can move continuously along predetermined orbits. In this case, the ground coverage of the cells corresponding to the satellites can be either mobile or fixed. Depending on whether the cells are mobile, the basic modes of the cells corresponding to the satellites can include: mobile cell or fixed cell.

[0054] For mobile cells, as the satellite moves, the cell coverage also moves on the ground. Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of a mobile cell. As shown in Figure 3A, when the satellite is in position 1, the cell coverage range is range 1; when the satellite is in position 2, the cell coverage range is range 2. When the satellite moves from position 1 to position 2, the coverage range of the cell corresponding to the satellite changes from range 1 to range 2. As shown in Figure 3A, the coverage conditions corresponding to range 1 and range 2 are different. When the cell mode is a mobile cell, the implementation of the satellite is relatively simple. The tilt angle of the satellite antenna toward the ground can remain unchanged. However, the implementation of the terminal equipment is relatively complex.

[0055] For fixed cells, the cell coverage does not move with the movement of the satellite. That is, as the satellite moves, the cell coverage range hardly changes. Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of a fixed cell. When the satellite is in position 1, the cell coverage range is range 1; when the satellite is in position 2, the cell coverage range is range 2. As shown in Figure 3B, the coverage conditions corresponding to range 1 and range 2 are almost the same. When the cell mode is a fixed cell, the implementation of the satellite is relatively complex. The satellite needs to adjust the antenna tilt angle toward the ground according to the physical location of the satellite. However, the implementation of the terminal device is relatively simple.

[0056] It should be noted that the satellite division method and cell division method described above are relatively independent. In other words, the two division methods can be combined in any way. For example, the following four combinations are possible: bent pipe mode + mobile cell; bent pipe mode + fixed cell; regenerative mode + mobile cell; regenerative mode + fixed cell.

[0057] Satellite changes

[0058] Since satellites can move, even if the terminal device does not move, the satellite serving the terminal device can change. Taking the bent-pipe mode + fixed cell mode as an example, some communication protocols (such as the 3GPP protocol) adopt a solution in which the physical cell ID (PCI) of the cell remains unchanged. For the terminal device, as the old satellite moves out and the new satellite moves in, the base station can remain unchanged, and all configurations used by the cell (including the PCI) can remain unchanged. In this solution, it is equivalent to simply replacing a repeater, and changing the repeater does not involve any changes to the protocol stack. Based on this, the process can be called a handover, but it cannot be considered a handover in the strict sense.

[0059] Figure 4 illustrates the satellite change process with unchanged PCI. Before the satellite change time on the timeline, the terminal device (represented by the UE in Figure 4) is connected to satellite A, and the PCI of the cell corresponding to satellite A is the first PCI. After the satellite change time, the base station switches to satellite B, and the terminal device begins transmitting data through satellite B. The PCI of the cell corresponding to satellite B remains unchanged and remains the first PCI. Satellite A can be referred to as the old satellite, and satellite B can be referred to as the new satellite. Although the satellite has changed, since all base station configurations remain unchanged, all wireless configuration parameters of the terminal device can remain unchanged.

[0060] Ephemeris information

[0061] In related technologies, NTN cells can notify terminal devices of satellite-related location information through ephemeris information. Based on the ephemeris information, the terminal device can infer the current location of the satellite. The ephemeris information can be transmitted via the system information block (SIB) 19.

[0062] In some embodiments, the ephemeris information may include one or more of the following information: a reference time, a variation parameter, and a valid time length. As shown in FIG5 , the ephemeris information obtained by the terminal device includes the reference time T1, the valid time length of the ephemeris information (T2-T1), and the variation parameter. Based on this information, the terminal device can calculate the satellite position at any time within the time period from T1 to T2. For example, at time T3, the terminal device can determine the satellite position at time T3 based on the satellite position at time T1, the time period length from time T3 to reference time T1 (T3-T1), and the variation parameter.

[0063] It is worth noting that the network device can provide the terminal device with ephemeris information before the reference time, or after the reference time. In addition, the network device can provide the terminal device with updated ephemeris information before the current ephemeris information expires.

[0064] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a network device providing new ephemeris information before the current ephemeris information becomes invalid. For ease of distinction, the ephemeris information before the update is referred to as the old ephemeris information, and the ephemeris information after the update is referred to as the new ephemeris information. As shown in Figure 6, the old ephemeris information becomes invalid at time T2. Before time T2, the network device can provide the terminal device with new ephemeris information. The reference time of the new ephemeris information is T1'. Therefore, during the period from T1' to T2, the terminal device has two copies of ephemeris information available. When the terminal device calculates the physical position of the satellite using the ephemeris information, although the physical positions of the same satellite calculated based on the two copies of ephemeris information may not be the same, they can be considered valid and equivalent within a certain accuracy range. Therefore, the terminal device can arbitrarily select one copy of the ephemeris information for use.

[0065] In the PCI-unchanged handover scenario shown in Figure 4, the radio configuration parameters of the first PCI cell and the terminal device can remain unchanged. However, the ephemeris information corresponding to satellites A and B differs. To expedite the handover process, such as when the serving satellite of the first PCI cell changes from satellite A to satellite B, some communication protocols (such as 3GPP protocols) provide for pre-delivering the ephemeris information of the next satellite serving the cell, such as satellite B, to the terminal device.

[0066] When two satellites (which can be called the old satellite and the new satellite) successively cover the same geographical area, the temporal relationship between the coverage of the geographical area (hereinafter referred to as the first area) by the new satellite and the old satellite can include three situations, as shown in Figures 7A to 7C.

[0067] Referring to FIG7A , at time T1, the signal of the old satellite stops covering the first area, and at time T1, the signal of the new satellite starts covering the first area. That is, the time when the signal of the old satellite stops covering the first area is equal to the time when the signal of the new satellite starts covering the first area. In this case, when the network device notifies the terminal device of the ephemeris information of the new satellite, it can use the system frame number (SFN) and subframe number of the cell corresponding to the old satellite to indicate the reference time of the new satellite. For example, the network device can notify the terminal device of the ephemeris information of the new satellite through the cell corresponding to the old satellite. The reference time T3 in the ephemeris information of the new satellite corresponds to SFN 365 and subframe number 3. When the terminal device receives the ephemeris information of the new satellite, it can be considered that the time corresponding to SFN 365 and subframe number 3 is the reference time T3 of the ephemeris information of the new satellite.

[0068] The timing for using the new satellite's ephemeris information is tied to the time the new satellite begins covering the first area. Before the new satellite begins covering the first area, the new satellite's ephemeris information may not be used. In Figure 7A, time T1 corresponds to SFN = 400 and subframe number = 5 for the cell corresponding to the old satellite, and time T1 corresponds to SFN = 213 and subframe number = 6 for the cell corresponding to the new satellite. After the new satellite begins covering the first area, i.e., after time T1, the terminal device can use the new satellite's ephemeris information and communicate with network devices via the new satellite.

[0069] Referring to Figure 7B , the old satellite's signal stops covering the first area at time T1, and the new satellite's signal begins covering the first area at time T2. That is, the old satellite's signal stops covering the first area later than the new satellite's signal begins covering the first area. In this case, the network device can provide the new satellite's ephemeris information to the terminal device using a method similar to that in Figure 7A , such as using the SFN and subframe number of the cell corresponding to the old satellite to indicate the reference time in the new satellite's ephemeris information.

[0070] 7C , at time T1 the signal of the old satellite stops covering the first area, and at time T2 the signal of the new satellite starts covering the first area, that is, the time when the signal of the old satellite stops covering the first area is earlier than the time when the signal of the new satellite starts covering the first area.

[0071] In some cases, the reference time in the new satellite's ephemeris information is before time T1, that is, the reference time is within the coverage period of the old satellite. In this case, the network device can use a method similar to that in Figure 7A to provide the new satellite's ephemeris information to the terminal device, such as indicating the reference time in the new satellite's ephemeris information using the SFN and subframe number of the cell corresponding to the old satellite.

[0072] In other cases, the reference time in the new satellite's ephemeris information may be after time T1 and before time T2. In other words, the reference time falls within the time gap between the old satellite's coverage period and the new satellite's coverage period. During this time gap, the terminal device has no network coverage, or in other words, no wireless signal. Therefore, the first region does not have a corresponding radio frame number and subframe number for the new satellite's reference time, making it impossible to notify the terminal device of the reference time in the new satellite's ephemeris information using a method similar to that shown in FIG. 7A . As a result, the terminal device will be unable to obtain the new satellite's ephemeris information in a timely manner, potentially increasing the duration of communication interruption.

[0073] So, in different scenarios, such as when there is no network coverage, how to indicate the ephemeris information of new satellites is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0074] FIG8 is a flow chart of a method for wireless communication provided by an embodiment of the present application to solve the above-mentioned problem.

[0075] The method shown in FIG8 can be applied to the various scenarios mentioned above. For example, the method shown in FIG8 can be applied to a scenario where the old and new satellites continuously cover the same geographic area, as shown in FIG7A and FIG7B . For another example, the method shown in FIG8 can also be applied to a scenario where the old and new satellites discontinuously cover the same geographic area, as shown in FIG7C .

[0076] When the serving satellite of a terminal device's serving cell (i.e., a first cell) changes from an old satellite (hereinafter referred to as the first satellite) to a new satellite (hereinafter referred to as the second satellite), although the configuration information corresponding to the first cell may remain unchanged, the time information in the first cell, such as the SFN and subframe number, may change. For ease of distinction, the time information of the first cell when served by the first satellite may be referred to as the first cell time information corresponding to the first satellite, and the time information of the first cell when served by the second satellite may be referred to as the first cell time information corresponding to the second satellite.

[0077] The method shown in Figure 8 may include step S810. In step S810, the terminal device receives first information.

[0078] The first information may be used to indicate the ephemeris information of the second satellite. The second satellite may be the new satellite mentioned above, or the next serving satellite of the first cell. The first cell may be the current serving cell of the terminal device. The current serving satellite of the first cell may be the old satellite mentioned above, i.e., the first satellite. In other words, the first satellite and the second satellite successively cover the same geographical area, which corresponds to the first cell.

[0079] The ephemeris information of the second satellite is the future ephemeris information of the first cell, and is not equivalent to the ephemeris information of the serving satellite of the neighboring cell. The ephemeris information of the second satellite may include the reference time, validity period, and change parameters mentioned above. As an implementation method, the reference time (i.e., the first reference time) in the ephemeris information of the second satellite can be associated with the time information of the first cell. The time information of the first cell may include, for example, the SFN, or the SFN and the subframe number. As another implementation method, the first reference time can be associated with the absolute time. The following introduces two methods of indicating the first reference time in conjunction with specific scenarios.

[0080] In some embodiments, the first reference time can be directly indicated by the time information of the first cell, such as by the SFN of the first cell corresponding to the first satellite, or by the SFN and subframe number. For example, if the first reference time falls within a time period when the geographical area corresponding to the first cell has network coverage, the first reference time can be directly indicated by the SFN of the first cell corresponding to the first satellite. As an example, if the first reference time falls within a time period when the first satellite covers the first cell, and / or the first reference time falls within a time period when the second satellite covers the first cell, then the geographical area corresponding to the first cell has network coverage at the first reference time. In other words, if the first reference time falls before the first time, and / or the first reference time falls after the second time, then the geographical area corresponding to the first cell has network coverage at the first reference time. The first time is the time when the first satellite stops covering the first cell, and the second time is the time when the second satellite begins covering the first cell.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first reference moment can be inferred based on the time information of the first cell. For example, if the first reference moment is within a time period when the geographical area corresponding to the first cell has no network coverage, the first reference moment can be inferred based on the time information of the first cell. As an example, if the first reference moment is outside the time period when the first satellite covers the first cell, and the first reference moment is outside the time period when the second satellite covers the first cell, then the geographical area corresponding to the first cell has no network coverage at the first reference moment. In other words, if the first reference moment is after the first moment and before the second moment, then the geographical area corresponding to the first cell has no network coverage at the first reference moment.

[0082] In some embodiments, the first information may indicate a first reference moment through a virtual SFN, or a virtual SFN and a virtual subframe number. Then, based on the SFN (or SFN and subframe number) of the first cell, the moment corresponding to the virtual SFN (or virtual SFN and virtual subframe number), i.e., the first reference moment, may be inferred. The virtual SFN and / or virtual subframe number are associated with the SFN and / or subframe number of the first cell. For example, the virtual SFN may indicate a moment after a duration of Ta has passed with reference to the SFN of the first cell. For another example, the virtual SFN and the virtual subframe number may indicate a moment after a duration of Tb has passed with reference to the SFN and subframe number of the first cell. It can be seen that the virtual SFN does not correspond to an actual wireless frame, the virtual subframe is not an actual subframe, and at the moment corresponding to the virtual SFN, or the virtual SFN and the virtual subframe number, the first cell does not cover the terminal device.

[0083] The virtual SFN (also referred to as an equivalent SFN) can be determined based on the SFN of the first cell corresponding to the first satellite, or based on the actual SFN. For example, the virtual SFN can be determined based on the actual SFN and the time length of a radio frame in the communication system. If the time difference between the first reference time and the actual SFN a is X (X can be converted to b radio frames), then the virtual SFN corresponding to the first reference time is SFN a+b. The time length corresponding to b radio frames is equal to X, or the time length corresponding to b-1 radio frames is less than X, and the time length corresponding to b radio frames is greater than X.

[0084] It should be noted that SFN a can be any actual SFN, or in other words, SFN a can be any SFN of the first cell when the first cell is served by the first satellite. In addition, the terminal device may not be notified of SFN a.

[0085] As described above, the first information can indicate the first reference time using a virtual SFN and a virtual subframe number (also referred to as an equivalent subframe number). For example, in the case where the time length corresponding to b-1 radio frames is less than X, and the time length corresponding to b radio frames is greater than X, to improve the accuracy of indicating the first reference time, the first information also includes a virtual subframe number. The virtual subframe number can be determined based on the difference between the time corresponding to the virtual SFN and the first reference time, as well as the time length of the subframe. The method for determining the virtual subframe number is similar to the method for determining the virtual SFN and is not further described here for the sake of brevity.

[0086] If the first reference moment is indicated by a virtual SFN and / or subframe number, the terminal device can determine the first reference moment based on the time relationship between the virtual SFN and / or subframe number and the actual SFN and / or subframe number. For example, the terminal device can determine any actual SFN and / or subframe number as a reference frame, and then determine the first reference moment based on the time length between the reference frame and the virtual SFN and / or subframe number. As an example, the reference frame can be the moment when the first satellite stops covering the first cell, that is, the SFN and subframe number of the first cell corresponding to the first moment. As another example, the terminal device can determine the first reference moment through a first timer. The start time of the first timer is the moment corresponding to the reference frame, the timing duration of the first timer is the time length between the reference frame and the virtual SFN and / or subframe number, and the timeout moment of the timer is the first reference moment.

[0087] In some embodiments, the first information may indicate the first reference time by using the second reference time and the first duration, such as first reference time = second reference time + first duration. For example, if the geographical area corresponding to the first cell has no network coverage at the first reference time, the first reference time may be indicated by using the second reference time and the first duration. For another example, if the geographical area corresponding to the first cell has network coverage at the first reference time, the first reference time may be indicated by using the second reference time and the first duration.

[0088] The second reference time may be associated with the time information of the first cell corresponding to the first satellite, for example, the second reference time may be the SFN and / or subframe number of the first cell corresponding to the first satellite. Alternatively, the second reference time may be an absolute time.

[0089] If the first reference time is indicated by the second reference time and the first duration, the terminal device may determine the first reference time based on the second timer, wherein the start time of the second timer is the second reference time, the timing duration of the second timer is the first duration, and the time when the second timer times out is the first reference time.

[0090] In some embodiments, the first reference time can be associated with an absolute time. That is, the first reference time can be indicated by an absolute time. For example, the absolute time can be expressed by one or more of year, month, day, hour, minute, second, millisecond, or microsecond. As an example, the first reference time can be expressed as 7:47:45:244 on October 23, 2023.

[0091] When the first reference time is associated with an absolute time, after receiving the ephemeris information of the second satellite, the terminal device needs to determine a time compensation value for data transmission by the terminal device via the second satellite. For example, if the terminal device transmits data via the second satellite at SFN X, the terminal device may determine the time compensation value based on the absolute time corresponding to SFN X and the first reference time, such as the difference between the absolute time corresponding to SFN X and the first reference time.

[0092] In some embodiments, before the serving satellite of a first cell changes from a first satellite to a second satellite, a terminal device may receive first information, namely, ephemeris information of the second satellite. For example, when the terminal device is covered by the signal of the first satellite, the terminal device may receive ephemeris information of the second satellite. Obtaining ephemeris information of the second satellite before the second satellite covers the first cell helps reduce the duration of communication interruption caused by satellite switching.

[0093] In some embodiments, the terminal device may receive the first information sent by the network device, or in other words, the network device may send the first information to the terminal device.

[0094] In some embodiments, the first information may be carried in a radio resource control (RRC) message or a SIB message, or in other words, the first information is a dedicated RRC message or SIB message. For example, the SIB message may be used to indicate the above information to a terminal device in an idle state, an inactive state, or a connected state. A dedicated RRC message may be used to indicate the above information to a terminal device in a connected state.

[0095] In this embodiment of the present application, the reference time in the ephemeris information of the second satellite can be inferred from the time information of the first cell corresponding to the first satellite, or the reference time in the ephemeris information of the second satellite can be indicated by an absolute time. In this way, the terminal device can obtain the ephemeris information of the new satellite before the new satellite provides coverage, and can immediately transmit information through the new satellite after the new satellite provides coverage, thereby helping to reduce the duration of communication interruption.

[0096] As mentioned above, to ensure normal communication in the NTN system, the terminal device can receive ephemeris information from the serving satellite (i.e., the first satellite). Before the ephemeris information for the first satellite expires, the terminal device can also receive new ephemeris information to update the ephemeris information for the first satellite. In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device can receive ephemeris information from a second satellite. Therefore, the terminal device may receive multiple ephemeris messages. Therefore, determining whether the first ephemeris information received by the terminal device is the ephemeris information for the second satellite is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0097] In order to solve the above problem, in an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device can determine whether the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite based on the first condition, thereby helping the terminal device to identify the received ephemeris information.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first condition may be related to one or more of the following: a message type associated with the first ephemeris information; first indication information; a relationship between a reference moment in the first ephemeris information and the first moment; and a time type associated with the first ephemeris information; wherein the first indication information is used to indicate whether the first ephemeris information is ephemeris information of the second satellite.

[0099] In some embodiments, the first condition may be related to a message type associated with the first ephemeris information. The message type associated with the first ephemeris information may refer to a message type of the first ephemeris information or a message type of a message carrying the first ephemeris information.

[0100] For example, the first condition includes: if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is the first type, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; and if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is the second type, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite. In other words, the embodiment of the present application can determine the satellite associated with the first ephemeris information by defining the message type associated with the ephemeris information of the first satellite and the message type associated with the ephemeris information of the second satellite, which simplifies implementation.

[0101] For another example, the first condition may be: if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is the first type, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite. Alternatively, if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is not the first type, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

[0102] For another example, the first condition may be: if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is the second type, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite. Alternatively, if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is not the second type, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite.

[0103] That is to say, the embodiment of the present application can also determine the satellite associated with the first ephemeris information by only defining the message type associated with the ephemeris information of the first satellite, or the message type associated with the ephemeris information of the second satellite, thereby helping to reduce overhead.

[0104] As an example, the first type of message may be SIB19, and / or the second type of message may be another SIB message other than SIB19, such as SIB99. Of course, the second type of message may also be another type of message defined in the future. If the first condition defines only the first type, SIB19, then the first ephemeris information received from SIB19 is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; and the first ephemeris information received from other messages is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

[0105] In some embodiments, the first condition may be related to the first indication information, that is, the first indication information may indicate that the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite or the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

[0106] This application does not limit the indication method of the first indication information. For example, the first indication information may belong to the first ephemeris information. Alternatively, the first indication information and the first ephemeris information may be carried in different messages.

[0107] In some embodiments, the first indication information may be carried in the first bit. In other words, the first indication information may be represented by one bit. For example, the first indication information may be represented by one bit in the first ephemeris information. As a possible implementation, when the value of the first bit is 0, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite, or the first ephemeris information is not the ephemeris information of the second satellite; when the value of the first bit is 1, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite, or the first ephemeris information is not the ephemeris information of the first satellite. As another possible implementation, when the value of the first bit is 1, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite, or the first ephemeris information is not the ephemeris information of the second satellite; when the value of the first bit is 0, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite, or the first ephemeris information is not the ephemeris information of the first satellite.

[0108] In some embodiments, the first indication information may be carried in a first parameter. The first parameter may be a Boolean parameter. In other words, the first indication information may be indicated by a Boolean parameter. For example, the first parameter may be a parameter in the first ephemeris information. The value of the first parameter may be true or false. As a possible implementation, when the value of the first parameter is true, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite, or the first ephemeris information is not the ephemeris information of the second satellite; when the value of the first parameter is false, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite, or the first ephemeris information is not the ephemeris information of the first satellite. As another possible implementation, when the value of the first parameter is false, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite, or the first ephemeris information is not the ephemeris information of the second satellite; when the value of the first parameter is true, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite, or the first ephemeris information is not the ephemeris information of the first satellite.

[0109] In some embodiments, the first indication information may be optional, that is, the first indication information may or may not exist. For example, when the first indication information exists in the first ephemeris information, the first ephemeris information is determined to be the ephemeris information of the first satellite or the ephemeris information of the second satellite based on the first indication information. For another example, when the first indication information does not exist in the first ephemeris information, the first ephemeris information may be considered to be the ephemeris information of the first satellite or the ephemeris information of the second satellite. As an example, if the first indication information does not exist in the first ephemeris information, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; if the first indication information exists in the first ephemeris information, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

[0110] In some embodiments, the first condition is related to the relationship between a reference time in the first ephemeris information and the first time. For example, the first condition includes: if the reference time in the first ephemeris information is earlier than or equal to the first time, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; if the reference time in the first ephemeris information is later than the first time, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

[0111] In some embodiments, if the reference time in the first ephemeris information is within the time period when the first satellite covers the first cell, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite. If the reference time in the first ephemeris information is outside the time period when the first satellite covers the first cell, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite. For example, if the reference time in the first ephemeris information is after the time period when the first satellite covers the first cell, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

[0112] In some embodiments, if the geographic area corresponding to the first cell has no network coverage at the reference time in the first ephemeris information, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite. For example, if the reference time in the first ephemeris information is after the first time and before the second time, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

[0113] In some embodiments, the first condition may be related to a time type associated with the first ephemeris information. The time type associated with the first ephemeris information may refer to a time type of a reference time in the first ephemeris information.

[0114] The time type may include, for example, absolute time and / or time information of the first cell. For example, the first condition is: if the time type associated with the first ephemeris information is absolute time, then the first ephemeris information is ephemeris information of the second satellite. For another example, the first condition is: if the time type associated with the first ephemeris information is time information of the first cell when the first satellite covers the first cell, then the first ephemeris information is ephemeris information of the first satellite, or ephemeris information of a non-second satellite.

[0115] When the first satellite covers the first cell, the time information of the first cell may, for example, refer to the SFN, or SFN and subframe number, of the first cell corresponding to the first satellite. The SFN and subframe number mentioned here are the actual SFN and subframe number of the first cell, or in other words, not the virtual SFN and virtual subframe number mentioned above.

[0116] The time type may include, for example, the actual SFN and / or subframe number of the first cell and the virtual SFN and / or subframe number of the first cell. For example, the first condition is: if the time type associated with the first ephemeris information is a virtual SFN and / or subframe number, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite. Alternatively, if the time associated with the first ephemeris information is inferred based on the time information of the first cell, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

[0117] In some embodiments, the ephemeris information of the first satellite and the ephemeris information of the second satellite may be carried in different messages or in the same message. The terminal device may determine the first condition based on different carrying modes of the ephemeris information.

[0118] For example, when the ephemeris information of the first satellite and the ephemeris information of the second satellite are carried in different messages, the first condition may be related to one or more of the above-mentioned first indication information, the message type associated with the first ephemeris information, the relationship between the reference moment in the first ephemeris information and the first moment, and the time type associated with the first ephemeris information.

[0119] For another example, when the ephemeris information of a first satellite and the ephemeris information of a second satellite are included in the same message, the first condition may be related to one or more of the first indication information, the relationship between the reference time in the first ephemeris information and the first time, and the time type associated with the first ephemeris information. In some embodiments, the terminal device may receive the time when the second satellite begins coverage, i.e., the third time. Thus, the terminal device may search for the synchronization signal block (SSB) of the first cell corresponding to the second satellite from the time when the second satellite begins coverage to perform downlink synchronization.

[0120] In some embodiments, the terminal device may receive second information sent by the network device, or the network device may send second information to the terminal device. The second information may be used to indicate a third moment. For example, the third moment may be inferred based on the time information of the first cell. For another example, the third moment may be associated with an absolute moment. The time information of the first cell mentioned here may include the SFN of the first cell, or the SFN and the subframe number. Similar to the method mentioned above, the second information may indicate the third moment through the virtual SFN and / or subframe number of the first cell corresponding to the first satellite. The meaning and usage of the virtual SFN and / or subframe number can be referred to the introduction above and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0121] The following is an exemplary introduction to the two methods provided in the embodiments of the present application with reference to FIG9 and FIG10 .

[0122] Figure 9 illustrates an example of the association between a first reference time and time information for a first cell. Referring to Figure 9 , a first satellite ceases coverage of the first cell at first time T1 (SFN = 365, subframe number = 3); a second satellite begins coverage of the second cell at second time T2; and a first reference time T3 lies between the first and second times.

[0123] When the first satellite serves the first cell, the network device sends the ephemeris information of the second satellite to the terminal device at time T4. In the ephemeris information of the second satellite, the first reference time T3 is SFN = 380 and subframe number = 5. The system frame number and subframe number of the first cell corresponding to the first reference time mentioned here are virtual frame number and virtual subframe number.

[0124] When the terminal device receives the ephemeris information from the second satellite, it can consider the first reference time to be the time corresponding to 150ms (i.e., the length of 15 radio frames) plus 2ms (i.e., the length of 2 subframes) from the first moment (i.e., the reference frame mentioned above). Here, 15 radio frames is the difference between the SFN corresponding to the first reference time and the SFN corresponding to the first moment; and 2 subframes is the difference between the subframe number corresponding to the first reference time and the subframe number corresponding to the first moment. The above method can be implemented based on the terminal device's internal clock.

[0125] Figure 10 illustrates an example of the relationship between a first reference time and an absolute time. Referring to Figure 10 , the first satellite ceases coverage of the first cell at first time T1 (SFN = 365, subframe number = 3). The second satellite begins coverage of the second cell at second time T2 (October 23, 2023, at 7:47:45:244 AM). The first reference time T3 lies between the first and second times.

[0126] When the first satellite serves the first cell, the network device sends the ephemeris information of the second satellite to the terminal device at time T4. In the ephemeris information of the second satellite, the first reference time T3 is 7:47:45:234 on October 23, 2023.

[0127] After receiving the ephemeris information from the second satellite, the terminal device needs to determine the time compensation value for data transmission via the second satellite. If the terminal device transmits data at 7:47:45:254 on October 23, 2023, the time difference between the current time and the first reference time is 20 milliseconds.

[0128] In a "handover" process where the PCI remains unchanged, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application enables a terminal device to pre-acquire the ephemeris information of a new satellite when the coverage of two satellites is discontinuous. As a result, the terminal device can immediately begin sending uplink signals through the new satellite when coverage begins, helping to reduce communication interruption delays.

[0129] The method embodiments of the present application are described in detail above, and the device embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. It should be understood that the description of the method embodiments corresponds to the description of the device embodiments, so for parts not described in detail, reference can be made to the above method embodiments.

[0130] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The terminal device 1100 includes: a first receiving unit 1110 .

[0131] The first receiving unit 1110 is used to receive first information, where the first information is used to indicate the ephemeris information of the second satellite, and the ephemeris information of the second satellite includes a first reference time, where the first reference time is inferred based on the time information of the first cell, or the first reference time is associated with an absolute time; wherein the first cell is the service cell of the terminal device, the first satellite is the current service satellite of the first cell, and the second satellite is the next service satellite of the first cell.

[0132] In some embodiments, the time information of the first cell includes the system frame number SFN of the first cell, or the SFN and the subframe number.

[0133] In some embodiments, the first information indicates the first reference time through a virtual SFN, or a virtual SFN and a virtual subframe number, wherein the virtual SFN is associated with the SFN of the first cell, and / or the virtual subframe number is associated with the subframe number of the first cell.

[0134] In some embodiments, the first reference time is after a first time and before a second time, the first time is when the first satellite stops covering the first cell, and the second time is when the second satellite starts covering the first cell.

[0135] In some embodiments, the first information is carried in an RRC message or an SIB message.

[0136] In some embodiments, the terminal device determines whether the received first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite based on a first condition, and the first condition is related to one or more of the following: the message type associated with the first ephemeris information; the first indication information; the relationship between the reference moment and the first moment in the first ephemeris information; and the time type associated with the first ephemeris information; wherein the first indication information is used to indicate whether the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite, and the first moment is the time when the first satellite stops covering the first cell.

[0137] In some embodiments, the first condition is related to a message type associated with the first ephemeris information, and the first condition includes: if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is a first type, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; and / or if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is a second type, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

[0138] In some embodiments, the first type of message is a system information block SIB19, and the second type of message is another SIB message other than SIB19.

[0139] In some embodiments, the first condition is related to the relationship between the reference time in the first ephemeris information and the first time, and the first condition includes: if the reference time in the first ephemeris information is earlier than or equal to the first time, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; if the reference time in the first ephemeris information is later than the first time, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

[0140] In some embodiments, the first condition is related to a time type associated with the first ephemeris information, and the first condition includes: if the time type associated with the first ephemeris information is absolute time, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

[0141] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a second receiving unit for receiving second information, where the second information is used to indicate a third moment, wherein the third moment is inferred based on the time information of the first cell, or the third moment is associated with an absolute moment.

[0142] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The network device 1200 may include a first sending unit 1210 .

[0143] The first sending unit 1210 is used to send first information to the terminal device, where the first information is used to indicate the ephemeris information of the second satellite, and the ephemeris information of the second satellite includes a first reference time, where the first reference time is inferred based on the time information of the first cell, or the first reference time is associated with an absolute time; wherein the first cell is the service cell of the terminal device, the first satellite is the current service satellite of the first cell, and the second satellite is the next service satellite of the first cell.

[0144] In some embodiments, the time information of the first cell includes the system frame number SFN of the first cell, or the SFN and the subframe number.

[0145] In some embodiments, the first information indicates the first reference time through a virtual SFN, or a virtual SFN and a virtual subframe number, wherein the virtual SFN is associated with the SFN of the first cell, and / or the virtual subframe number is associated with the subframe number of the first cell.

[0146] In some embodiments, the first reference time is after a first time and before a second time, the first time is when the first satellite stops covering the first cell, and the second time is when the second satellite starts covering the first cell.

[0147] In some embodiments, the first information is carried in an RRC message or an SIB message.

[0148] In some embodiments, the terminal device determines whether the received first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite based on a first condition, and the first condition is related to one or more of the following: the message type associated with the first ephemeris information; the first indication information; the relationship between the reference moment and the first moment in the first ephemeris information; and the time type associated with the first ephemeris information; wherein the first indication information is used to indicate whether the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite, and the first moment is the time when the first satellite stops covering the first cell.

[0149] In some embodiments, the first condition is related to a message type associated with the first ephemeris information, and the first condition includes: if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is a first type, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; and / or if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is a second type, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

[0150] In some embodiments, the first type of message is a system information block SIB19, and the second type of message is another SIB message other than SIB19.

[0151] In some embodiments, the first condition is related to the relationship between the reference time in the first ephemeris information and the first time, and the first condition includes: if the reference time in the first ephemeris information is earlier than or equal to the first time, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; if the reference time in the first ephemeris information is later than the first time, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

[0152] In some embodiments, the first condition is related to a time type associated with the first ephemeris information, and the first condition includes: if the time type associated with the first ephemeris information is absolute time, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

[0153] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a second sending unit, used to send second information to the terminal device, the second information is used to indicate a third moment, wherein the third moment is inferred based on the time information of the first cell, or the third moment is associated with the absolute moment.

[0154] In an optional embodiment, the first receiving unit 1110 and the first sending unit 1210 may be a transceiver 1330 , and the communication device 1300 may further include a processor 1310 and a memory 1320 , as specifically shown in FIG. 13 .

[0155] Figure 13 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The dashed lines in Figure 13 indicate that the unit or module is optional. Apparatus 1300 may be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. Apparatus 1300 may be a chip, a terminal device, or a network device.

[0156] The device 1300 may include one or more processors 1310. The processor 1310 may support the device 1300 to implement the method described in the method embodiment above. The processor 1310 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor, etc.

[0157] The apparatus 1300 may further include one or more memories 1320. The memories 1320 store programs that can be executed by the processor 1310, causing the processor 1310 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The memories 1320 may be independent of the processor 1310 or integrated into the processor 1310.

[0158] The apparatus 1300 may further include a transceiver 1330. The processor 1310 may communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1330. For example, the processor 1310 may transmit and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1330.

[0159] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. The computer-readable storage medium can be applied to a terminal or network device provided in the present application, and the program enables a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0160] The present application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. The computer program product can be applied to a terminal or network device provided in the present application, and the program causes a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0161] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program. The computer program can be applied to the terminal or network device provided in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program enables a computer to execute the method performed by the terminal or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0162] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" in this application can be used interchangeably. In addition, the terms used in this application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The terms "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" in the specification and claims of this application and the accompanying drawings are used to distinguish different objects rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0163] In the embodiments of this application, the term "indication" may refer to a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" may refer to a direct indication of B, e.g., B can obtain information through A; it may refer to an indirect indication of B, e.g., A indicates C, e.g., B can obtain information through C; or it may refer to an association between A and B.

[0164] In the embodiment of the present application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A and B can be determined based on A. However, it should be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B based solely on A, but B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0165] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and indication, configuration and configuration, etc.

[0166] In the embodiments of the present application, "pre-definition" or "pre-configuration" may be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (e.g., a terminal device and a network device). The present application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, pre-definition may refer to information defined in a protocol.

[0167] In the embodiments of the present application, the “protocol” may refer to a standard protocol in the communications field, for example, it may include an LTE protocol, an NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, and the present application does not limit this.

[0168] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0169] In the embodiments of this application, the term "include" can refer to direct inclusion or indirect inclusion. Alternatively, the term "include" in the embodiments of this application can be replaced with "indicates" or "is used to determine." For example, "A includes B" can be replaced with "A indicates B" or "A is used to determine B."

[0170] In various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0171] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0172] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0173] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0174] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be read by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a digital versatile disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0175] 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 method for wireless communication, characterized in that, comprising: A terminal device receives first information, where the first information is used to indicate the ephemeris information of a second satellite, and the ephemeris information of the second satellite includes a first reference time, where the first reference time is inferred based on the time information of a first cell, or the first reference time is associated with an absolute time; wherein, the first cell is the serving cell of the terminal device, the first satellite is the current serving satellite of the first cell, and the second satellite is the next serving satellite of the first cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the time information of the first cell includes the system frame number SFN of the first cell, or SFN and the sub-frame number.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, the first information indicates the first reference time through a virtual SFN, or a virtual SFN and a virtual sub-frame number, where the virtual SFN is associated with the SFN of the first cell, and / or the virtual sub-frame number is associated with the sub-frame number of the first cell.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, the first reference time is after a first time and before a second time, where the first time is the time when the first satellite stops covering the first cell, and the second time is the time when the second satellite starts covering the first cell.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, the first information is carried in an RRC message or an SIB message.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, the terminal device determines whether the received first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite based on a first condition, and the first condition is related to one or more of the following: the message type associated with the first ephemeris information; first indication information; the relationship between the reference time in the first ephemeris information and the first time; and the time type associated with the first ephemeris information; wherein, the first indication information is used to indicate whether the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite, and the first time is the time when the first satellite stops covering the first cell.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, the first condition is related to the message type associated with the first ephemeris information, and the first condition includes: if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is a first type, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; and / or if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is a second type, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, the message of the first type is system information block SIB19, and the message of the second type is other SIB messages except SIB19.

9. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first condition is related to the relationship between the reference time in the first ephemeris information and the first time, and the first condition includes: If the reference time in the first ephemeris information is earlier than or equal to the first time, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; If the reference time in the first ephemeris information is later than the first time, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The first condition is related to the time type associated with the first ephemeris information, and the first condition includes: If the time type associated with the first ephemeris information is absolute time, the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein, The method further includes: The terminal device receives second information, and the second information is used to indicate a third time, wherein the third time is inferred according to the time information of the first cell, or the third time is associated with an absolute time.

12. A method for wireless communication, wherein, including: The network device sends first information to the terminal device, and the first information is used to indicate the ephemeris information of the second satellite, and the ephemeris information of the second satellite includes a first reference time, and the first reference time is inferred according to the time information of the first cell, or the first reference time is associated with an absolute time; wherein, the first cell is the serving cell of the terminal device, the first satellite is the current serving satellite of the first cell, and the second satellite is the next serving satellite of the first cell.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The time information of the first cell includes the system frame number SFN of the first cell, or SFN and the subframe number.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The first information indicates the first reference time through a virtual SFN, or a virtual SFN and a virtual subframe number, wherein the virtual SFN is associated with the SFN of the first cell, and / or the virtual subframe number is associated with the subframe number of the first cell.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12-14, wherein, The first reference time is after the first time and before the second time, the first time is the time when the first satellite stops covering the first cell, and the second time is the time when the second satellite starts covering the first cell.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12-15, wherein, The first information is carried in an RRC message or an SIB message.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12-16, wherein, The terminal device determines whether the received first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite based on a first condition, and the first condition is related to one or more of the following: The message type associated with the first ephemeris information; First indication information; The relationship between the reference time in the first ephemeris information and the first time; and the time type associated with the first ephemeris information; Wherein, the first indication information is used to indicate whether the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite, and the first time is the time when the first satellite stops covering the first cell.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the first condition is related to the message type associated with the first ephemeris information, and the first condition includes: If the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is the first type, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; and / or If the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is the second type, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that the message of the first type is System Information Block SIB19, and the message of the second type is other SIB messages except SIB19.

20. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the first condition is related to the relationship between the reference time in the first ephemeris information and the first time, and the first condition includes: If the reference time in the first ephemeris information is earlier than or equal to the first time, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; If the reference time in the first ephemeris information is later than the first time, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

21. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the first condition is related to the time type associated with the first ephemeris information, and the first condition includes: If the time type associated with the first ephemeris information is absolute time, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

22. The method according to any one of claims 12-21, characterized in that the method further includes: The network device sends second information to the terminal device, and the second information is used to indicate a third time, wherein the third time is inferred according to the time information of the first cell, or the third time is associated with an absolute time.

23. A terminal device, characterized in that comprising: A first receiving unit, configured to receive first information, where the first information is used to indicate the ephemeris information of a second satellite, and the ephemeris information of the second satellite includes a first reference time, and the first reference time is inferred according to the time information of the first cell, or the first reference time is associated with an absolute time; Wherein, the first cell is the serving cell of the terminal device, the first satellite is the current serving satellite of the first cell, and the second satellite is the next serving satellite of the first cell.

24. The device according to claim 23, characterized in that the time information of the first cell includes the system frame number SFN of the first cell, or SFN and the sub-frame number.

25. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that The first information indicates the first reference time through a virtual SFN, or a virtual SFN and a virtual sub-frame number, where the virtual SFN is associated with the SFN of the first cell, and / or the virtual sub-frame number is associated with the sub-frame number of the first cell.

26. The device according to any one of claims 23-25, wherein, the first reference time is after a first time and before a second time, the first time being the time when the first satellite stops covering the first cell, and the second time being the time when the second satellite starts covering the first cell.

27. The device according to any one of claims 23-26, wherein, the first information is carried in an RRC message or an SIB message.

28. The device according to any one of claims 23-27, wherein, the terminal device determines whether the received first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite based on a first condition, the first condition being related to one or more of the following: the message type associated with the first ephemeris information; a first indication information; the relationship between the reference time in the first ephemeris information and the first time; and the time type associated with the first ephemeris information; wherein the first indication information is used to indicate whether the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite, and the first time is the time when the first satellite stops covering the first cell.

29. The device according to claim 28, wherein, the first condition is related to the message type associated with the first ephemeris information, and the first condition includes: if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is a first type, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; and / or if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is a second type, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

30. The device according to claim 29, wherein, the message of the first type is system information block SIB19, and the message of the second type is other SIB messages other than SIB19.

31. The device according to claim 28, wherein, the first condition is related to the relationship between the reference time in the first ephemeris information and the first time, and the first condition includes: if the reference time in the first ephemeris information is earlier than or equal to the first time, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; if the reference time in the first ephemeris information is later than the first time, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

32. The device according to claim 28, wherein, the first condition is related to the time type associated with the first ephemeris information, and the first condition includes: if the time type associated with the first ephemeris information is absolute time, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

33. The device according to any one of claims 23-32, wherein, the device further includes: A second receiving unit, configured to receive second information, where the second information is used to indicate a third moment, and the third moment is inferred according to time information of the first cell, or the third moment is associated with an absolute moment.

34. A network device, characterized in that it includes: A first sending unit, configured to send first information to a terminal device, where the first information is used to indicate ephemeris information of a second satellite, and the ephemeris information of the second satellite includes a first reference moment, and the first reference moment is inferred according to time information of the first cell, or the first reference moment is associated with an absolute moment; where the first cell is a serving cell of the terminal device, a first satellite is a current serving satellite of the first cell, and the second satellite is a next serving satellite of the first cell.

35. The device according to claim 34, characterized in that the time information of the first cell includes a system frame number (SFN) of the first cell, or the SFN and a sub-frame number.

36. The device according to claim 35, characterized in that the first information indicates the first reference moment through a virtual SFN, or a virtual SFN and a virtual sub-frame number, where the virtual SFN is associated with the SFN of the first cell, and / or the virtual sub-frame number is associated with the sub-frame number of the first cell.

37. The device according to any one of claims 34-36, characterized in that the first reference moment is after a first moment and before a second moment, the first moment is a time when the first satellite stops covering the first cell, and the second moment is a time when the second satellite starts covering the first cell.

38. The device according to any one of claims 34-37, characterized in that the first information is carried in an RRC message or an SIB message.

39. The device according to any one of claims 34-38, characterized in that the terminal device determines whether received first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite based on a first condition, and the first condition is related to one or more of the following: a message type associated with the first ephemeris information; first indication information; a relationship between a reference moment in the first ephemeris information and the first moment; and a time type associated with the first ephemeris information; where the first indication information is used to indicate whether the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite, and the first moment is a time when the first satellite stops covering the first cell.

40. The device according to claim 39, characterized in that the first condition is related to a message type associated with the first ephemeris information, and the first condition includes: if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is a first type, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; and / or if the message type associated with the first ephemeris information is a second type, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

41. The device according to claim 40, characterized in that The message of the first type is System Information Block SIB19, and the message of the second type is other SIB messages except SIB19.

42. The device according to claim 39, wherein, the first condition is related to the relationship between the reference time in the first ephemeris information and the first time, and the first condition includes: if the reference time in the first ephemeris information is earlier than or equal to the first time, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the first satellite; if the reference time in the first ephemeris information is later than the first time, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

43. The device according to claim 39, wherein, the first condition is related to the time type associated with the first ephemeris information, and the first condition includes: if the time type associated with the first ephemeris information is absolute time, then the first ephemeris information is the ephemeris information of the second satellite.

44. The device according to any one of claims 34-43, wherein, the device further comprises: a second sending unit, configured to send second information to the terminal device, where the second information is used to indicate a third time, and wherein the third time is inferred according to the time information of the first cell, or the third time is associated with an absolute time.

45. A terminal device, wherein, comprises a memory and a processor, the memory is used for storing a program, and the processor is used for calling the program in the memory, so that the terminal device executes the method according to any one of claims 1-11.

46. A network device, wherein, comprises a memory and a processor, the memory is used for storing a program, and the processor is used for calling the program in the memory, so that the network device executes the method according to any one of claims 12-22.

47. A device, wherein, comprises a processor, configured to call a program from a memory, so that the device executes the method according to any one of claims 1-22.

48. A chip, wherein, comprises a processor, configured to call a program from a memory, such that a device installed with the chip executes the method according to any one of claims 1-22.

49. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein, a program is stored thereon, and the program causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-22.

50. A computer program product, wherein, comprises a program, and the program causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-22.

51. A computer program, wherein, the computer program causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-22.

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