Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus. Location information of a user can be encapsulated in a TAC through certain conversion, and a base station and a core network device can exchange the location information of the user by means of the TAC. Specifically, the TAC comprises latitude information and longitude information of a location of the user. The latitude information may be represented by a combination of a latitude identifier indicating south or north latitude and a latitude value, or the latitude information is represented by using sign-magnitude or two's complement for northern latitude, and two's complement for southern latitude. Similarly, the longitude information may be represented by a combination of a longitude identifier indicating east or west longitude and a longitude value, or the longitude information is represented by using sign-magnitude or two's complement for east latitude, and two's complement for west latitude.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on December 29, 2023, with application number 202311865347.8 and invention name “A Communication Method and Communication Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] In the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard protocols, user access and mobility management requires accurate communication of the user's tracking area (TA) or TA list between access network equipment and core network equipment. This information is used for user handover, paging services, or service control by other service network elements. The user's location TA is crucial for core network equipment. Besides the most basic function of paging users in idle scenarios, various core network equipment management and control behaviors, such as conventional user access control, initial location-based and real-time location control service policies, real-time querying of third-party network elements, and user location subscription, all require the user's location TA.

[0004] For terrestrial networks, the access network equipment is fixed in position and can be bound to the TA. Therefore, the access network equipment can report the user's location to the core network equipment based on the TA (for example, when the user enters or leaves a certain area, the access network equipment can update the user's corresponding TA to the core network equipment), and the core network equipment can update the user's corresponding TA list to the access network equipment based on the TA.

[0005] However, in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), such as satellite communication networks, access network equipment is deployed on satellites and is constantly in motion. Access network equipment is no longer bound to a TA and no longer broadcasts TA information. Therefore, access network equipment cannot send the tracking area code (TAC) that uniquely identifies a TA, which is planned in the terrestrial network, to core network equipment. However, core network equipment still requires user location information to process services. Therefore, in this scenario, how to exchange user location information between access network equipment and core network equipment becomes an urgent problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a communication method and a communication device to enable interaction of user location information between network devices.

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a first network device. Unless otherwise specified, the "first network device" can refer to the first network device itself or a device that can support the first network device to implement its functions.

[0008] The method includes: obtaining first latitude information and first longitude information of the terminal device's location; determining a first TAC based on the first latitude information and the first longitude information, the first TAC including second latitude information and second longitude information; and sending the first TAC to a second network device.

[0009] Based on the above method, the user's location information can be encapsulated in TAC after a certain conversion. The first network device and the second network device can exchange the longitude and latitude information of the user's location through TAC, that is, the user's location information, thereby realizing the interaction of user location information between the first network device and the second network device.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the first latitude information is used to indicate a first latitude value; and the second latitude information includes a first identifier and a first value. The first identifier is used to indicate north latitude, and the first value is the first M high-order bits of the first latitude value; or the first identifier is used to indicate south latitude, and the first value is the first M high-order bits of the first latitude value plus 1. M is a positive integer.

[0011] Based on the above implementation, the second latitude information can be represented by a combination of the first identifier and the first value, and the second latitude information can be carried by the first TAC.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation thereof, in some other possible implementations, the length of the first identifier is 1 bit, and M is 10.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation thereof, in some other possible implementations, the first latitude information is used to indicate a first latitude value; and the second latitude information is a second numerical value. When the terminal device is located at a north latitude, the second numerical value is the first N high-order bits of the original code or the complement of the first latitude value; when the terminal device is located at a south latitude, the second numerical value is the first N high-order bits of the complement of the first latitude value plus 1. N is a positive integer.

[0014] Based on the above implementation, the north latitude can be represented by the original code or the complement code, and the south latitude can be represented by the complement code, so that the second latitude information can be carried by the first TAC.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation thereof, in some other possible implementations, when the terminal device is located at the north latitude, the second value is at most 2 0 +2 1 +2 2 +…+2 N-1 .

[0016] Based on the above implementation, anti-overflow protection of signed integers can be achieved.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation thereof, in some other possible implementations, N is 11.

[0018] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation thereof, in some other possible implementations, the first longitude information is used to indicate a first longitude value; the second longitude information includes a second identifier and a third numerical value, wherein the second identifier is used to indicate east longitude or west longitude, and the third numerical value is the first P high-order bits of the first longitude value, where P is a positive integer.

[0019] Based on the above implementation, the second longitude information can be represented by a combination of a second identifier and a third value, and the second longitude information can be carried by the first TAC. Furthermore, when the second latitude information is represented by a combination of a first identifier and a first value, and the second longitude information is represented by a combination of a second identifier and a third value, the longitude information and the latitude information are represented using the same format, which helps to simplify the computational complexity of the first network device and the second network device.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation thereof, in some other possible implementations, the length of the second identifier is 1 bit, and P is 11.

[0021] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation manner thereof, in some other possible implementation manners, the first longitude information is used to indicate a first longitude value; the second longitude information is a fourth value. When the terminal device is located in east longitude, the fourth value is the first Q high-order bits of the original code or the complement of the first longitude value; when the terminal device is located in west longitude, the fourth value is the first Q high-order bits of the complement of the first longitude value. Q is a positive integer.

[0022] Based on the above implementation, the east longitude can be represented by the original code or the complement code, and the west longitude can be represented by the complement code, so that the second longitude information can be carried by the first TAC. In addition, when the east longitude and north latitude are represented by the original code or the complement code, and the west longitude and south latitude are represented by the complement code, the longitude information and the latitude information are represented using the same format, which helps to simplify the calculation complexity of the first network device and the second network device.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation thereof, in some other possible implementations, Q is 12.

[0024] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation thereof, in some other possible implementations, the length of the first TAC is 24 bits.

[0025] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation thereof, in some other possible implementations, the first network device is an access network device, and the second network device is a core network device. Obtaining the first latitude information and the first longitude information of the location of the terminal device includes: receiving the first latitude information and the first longitude information from the terminal device.

[0026] Based on the above implementation method, the access network device can receive the longitude and latitude information reported by the terminal device, and change the format of the received longitude and latitude information so as to fill it into the first TAC, thereby interacting with the core network device through TAC to exchange the user's location information.

[0027] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation manner thereof, in some other possible implementation manners, the first network device is a core network device, and the second network device is an access network device. Obtaining the first latitude information and the first longitude information of the location of the terminal device includes: receiving a second TAC from the second network device, the second TAC including third latitude information and third longitude information; determining the first latitude information based on the third latitude information, and determining the first longitude information based on the third longitude information.

[0028] Based on the above implementation, the core network device can receive the longitude and latitude information reported by the access network device.

[0029] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation manner thereof, in some other possible implementation manners, the method further includes: determining the second network device according to the first latitude information and the first longitude information.

[0030] Based on the above implementation method, when paging a terminal device is required, the core network device can determine the access network device to which the terminal device belongs based on the longitude and latitude information of the terminal device's location reported by the access network device, so as to subsequently page the terminal device through the access network device.

[0031] In combination with the first aspect or any implementation thereof, in some other possible implementations, the first TAC is one of multiple TACs, and the multiple TACs are used to determine the paging area of ​​the terminal device.

[0032] Based on the above implementation method, when paging a terminal device is required, the core network device can determine the paging area based on the longitude and latitude information of the terminal device's location reported by the access network device, and indicate it to the access network device through one or more TACs including the first TAC, so that the access network device can page the terminal device within the paging range.

[0033] In a second aspect, a communication device is provided, which is configured to execute the method provided by the first aspect or its implementations. Specifically, the device may include units and / or modules, such as a processing unit and / or a transceiver unit, configured to execute the method provided by the first aspect or its implementations. The processing unit is configured to execute the processing steps of the method provided by the first aspect or its implementations. The transceiver unit is configured to execute the transceiver steps of the method provided by the first aspect or its implementations.

[0034] In one implementation, the apparatus is a first network device. When the apparatus is the first network device, the transceiver unit may be a transceiver, an input / output interface, or a communication interface; and the processing unit may be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver is a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface is an input / output circuit.

[0035] In another implementation, the apparatus is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in the first network device. When the apparatus is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in the first network device, the transceiver unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; and the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0036] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes: a memory for storing programs; and at least one processor for executing computer programs or instructions stored in the memory to perform the method provided by the first aspect or its implementation.

[0037] In one implementation, the apparatus is a first network device.

[0038] In another implementation, the apparatus is a chip, a chip system, or a circuit used in the first network device.

[0039] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: at least one processor and a communication interface, wherein the at least one processor is configured to retrieve a computer program or instruction stored in a memory through the communication interface to execute the method provided by the first aspect or its implementation. The communication interface may be implemented in hardware or software.

[0040] In one implementation, the device further includes the memory.

[0041] In a fifth aspect, a processor is provided for executing the methods provided in the above aspects.

[0042] For the operations such as sending and acquiring / receiving involved in the processor, unless otherwise specified, or if they do not conflict with their actual functions or internal logic in the relevant descriptions, they can be understood as operations such as processor output, reception, and input, or as sending and receiving operations performed by the radio frequency circuit and antenna. This application does not limit this.

[0043] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a program code for execution by a device, wherein the program code includes a method for executing the above-mentioned first aspect or its implementation method.

[0044] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when run on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method provided by the first aspect or its implementation.

[0045] In an eighth aspect, a chip is provided, comprising a processor and a communication interface, wherein the processor reads instructions stored in a memory through the communication interface and executes the method provided in the first aspect or its implementation. The communication interface may be implemented in hardware or software.

[0046] Optionally, as an implementation method, the chip also includes a memory, in which a computer program or instruction is stored, and the processor is used to execute the computer program or instruction stored on the memory. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the processor is used to execute the method provided by the above-mentioned first aspect or its implementation method.

[0047] When the method provided in this application is executed by a chip, this application does not limit the number of chips that implement the method. For example, the method can be executed by one chip or by two or more chips. Furthermore, when the number of chips implementing the method of this application is two or more, the chip manufacturers are not limited and can be the same manufacturer or different manufacturers.

[0048] In a ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising the first network device and / or the second network device mentioned above.

[0049] In a tenth aspect, a computer program is provided, which, when executed on a computer, enables the method provided by the first aspect or its implementation to be executed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 1000 used in an embodiment of the present application.

[0051] FIG2 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 200 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0052] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the terminal device converting latitude and longitude.

[0053] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a latitude and longitude coordinate system.

[0054] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of TAC.

[0055] Figure 6 shows several specific examples of TAC.

[0056] FIG7 is another schematic diagram of the structure of TAC.

[0057] Figure 8 shows several specific examples of TAC.

[0058] FIG9 is another schematic diagram of the structure of TAC.

[0059] FIG10 shows several specific examples of TAC.

[0060] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a possible device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0061] FIG12 is another schematic structural diagram of a possible device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0062] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 30 provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following explanations are made before introducing the embodiments of the present application.

[0064] "Indication" includes direct indication (also known as explicit indication) and implicit indication. Direct indication of information A refers to the inclusion of information A; implicit indication of information A refers to the indication of information A through the correspondence between information A and information B, as well as the direct indication of information B. The correspondence between information A and information B can be predefined, pre-stored, pre-burned, or pre-configured. Information C is used to determine information D, including situations where information D is determined solely based on information C or based on information C and other information. Furthermore, information C can also be used to determine information D indirectly, for example, when information D is determined based on information E, and information E is determined based on information C. "Network element A sends information A to network element B" can be understood as network element B being the destination of information A or an intermediate network element in the transmission path between the destination and the network element, and can include direct or indirect transmission of information to network element B. "Network element B receives information A from network element A" can be understood as network element A being the source of information A or an intermediate network element in the transmission path between the source and the network element, and can include direct or indirect receipt of information from network element A. The information may be processed as necessary between the source and destination of the information transmission, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. The first, second, and other various digital numbers are only used for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application, such as distinguishing different messages, different information, etc. The "protocol" involved may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, for example, it may include the long term evolution (LTE) protocol, the new radio (NR) protocol and related protocols used in future communication systems, and this application does not limit this. Words such as "exemplary", "for example", "exemplarily", "as (another) example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as an "example" in this application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. The terms "including", "comprising", "having" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized. "Multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b and c can mean: a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or b and c, or a, b and c. Where a, b and c can be single or plural, respectively.Descriptions such as "when...", "in the case of...", "if...", and "if" all mean that the device will take corresponding actions under certain objective circumstances. They do not limit the time, nor do they require the device to make judgments when implementing them, nor do they imply the existence of other limitations.

[0065] In addition, the network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0066] A communication system to which the embodiments of the present application can be applied is described below.

[0067] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as LTE systems, frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, time division duplex (TDD) systems, universal mobile telecommunication systems (UMTS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, 5G systems or NR systems, or future communication systems. The 5G mobile communication system described in this application includes a non-standalone (NSA) 5G mobile communication system or a standalone (SA) 5G mobile communication system. The communication system may also be a public land mobile network (PLMN) network, a device-to-device (D2D) communication system, a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication system, an Internet of Things (IoT) communication system, a vehicle to everything (V2X) communication system, an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) communication system, a satellite communication system, or other communication systems.

[0068] A device in a communication system can send signals to or receive signals from another device. These signals may include information, signaling, or data. The term "device" can also be replaced by an entity, network entity, communication device, communication module, node, communication node, etc. This application uses devices as an example for description. For example, a communication system may include at least one terminal device and at least one network device. A network device can send downlink signals to a terminal device, and / or a terminal device can send uplink signals to a network device.

[0069] For example, FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system 1000 used in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG1 , the communication system includes a radio access network 100 and a core network 200. In one possible implementation, the communication system 1000 may also include the Internet 300. The RAN 100 may include at least one radio access network device (such as 110a and 110b in FIG1 ) and at least one terminal device (such as 120a-120j in FIG1 ). The terminal device is wirelessly connected to the radio access network device, and the radio access network device is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the core network. The core network device and the radio access network device may be independent and distinct physical devices, or the functions of the core network device and the logical functions of the radio access network device may be integrated into the same physical device, or a single physical device may integrate some of the functions of the core network device and some of the functions of the radio access network device. Terminal devices and radio access network devices may be connected to each other via wired or wireless means. FIG1 is only a schematic diagram. The communication system may further include other network devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in FIG1 .

[0070] The terminal devices in the communication system 1000 may also be referred to as terminals, user equipment (UE), mobile stations, mobile terminals, etc. The terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios, such as D2D, V2X, MTC, IoT, virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablet computers, computers with wireless transceiver functions, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal devices.

[0071] The radio access network 100 may be a cellular system related to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as a 4G mobile communication system, a 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolutionary system. The radio access network 100 may also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN) or a cloud radio access network (CRAN). The radio access network 100 may also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0072] A radio access network device, sometimes also referred to as a radio access network node, radio access network entity, or access node, is part of a communication system and helps terminal devices achieve wireless access. The multiple radio access network devices in communication system 1000 can be nodes of the same type or different types.

[0073] In one possible scenario, a wireless access network device may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), or a base station in a future mobile communication system. A RAN node may be a macro base station (such as 110a in Figure 1 ), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in Figure 1 ), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Exemplarily, a wireless access network node may also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle, or an onboard device. For example, the access network device in V2X technology may be a road side unit (RSU).

[0074] In another possible scenario, multiple radio access network devices collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, and different radio access network devices respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the radio access network device can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be set separately, or they can be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio frequency unit (RFU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0075] In different systems, CU, DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called open-CU (open-CU, O-CU), DU may also be called open-DU (open-DU, O-DU), and RU may also be called open-RU (open-RU, O-RU). Any of the CU, DU, and RU units can be implemented as software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0076] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form used by the wireless access network device. For ease of description, access network device is abbreviated as wireless access network device, and base station is an example of wireless access network device.

[0077] Base stations and terminal devices can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; on water; or on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of base stations and terminal devices.

[0078] The roles of base stations and terminal devices can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal devices 120j accessing the wireless access network 100 via 120i, terminal device 120i is a base station. However, for base station 110a, 120i is a terminal device, meaning that communication between 110a and 120i occurs via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, communication between 110a and 120i can also occur via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, 120i is also a base station relative to 110a. Therefore, base stations and terminal devices can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with base station functionality, and 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0079] Communication between base stations and terminal devices, between base stations, and between terminal devices can be carried out through authorized spectrum, unauthorized spectrum, or both; communication can be carried out through spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), spectrum above 6 GHz, or spectrum below 6 GHz and spectrum above 6 GHz. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0080] Unless otherwise specified, the device used to implement the function of a terminal device or network device in this application may refer to the terminal device or network device itself, or may refer to a device that can support the terminal device or network device to implement the function, such as a chip system or chip, specifically, a system on a chip (SoC) or a modem. The device can be installed in the terminal device or network device. In the embodiments of the present application, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0081] It should be understood that the network architecture shown above is only an exemplary illustration, and the network architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application is not limited to this. Any network architecture that can realize the functions of the above-mentioned network elements is applicable to the embodiments of the present application.

[0082] It should also be understood that the above naming is only defined to facilitate the distinction between different functions and should not constitute any limitation to this application. This application does not exclude the possibility of adopting other naming in future networks and other networks.

[0083] In 3GPP standard protocols, user access and mobility management require the accurate transmission of the user's location TA or TA list between the access network and the core network. This is used for user handover, paging services, or service control by other service network elements. The user's location TA is crucial to the core network. In addition to the most basic function of paging users when the user is idle, various core network management and control actions, such as conventional user access control, initial location-based and real-time location control service policies, real-time querying of third-party network elements, and subscription to user locations, all require the user's location TA.

[0084] For terrestrial networks, base stations are fixed in position and can be bound to TAs. Therefore, base stations can report user locations to the core network based on TAs (for example, when a user enters or leaves a certain area, the base station can update the user's corresponding TA to the core network), and the core network can update the user's corresponding TA or TA list to the base station based on TA).

[0085] However, in an NTN (such as a satellite communications network), base stations are deployed on satellites and are constantly in motion. Base stations are no longer bound to a TA and no longer broadcast TA information. Therefore, base stations cannot send the TAC (Traffic Address Control) that uniquely identifies a TA, as planned in the terrestrial network, to the core network. However, the core network still requires user location information to process services. Therefore, in an NTN, base stations no longer send the TAC planned in the terrestrial scenario to the core network. Instead, they send the user's actual location information (such as the latitude and longitude of the user's location) to the core network.

[0086] Therefore, in this scenario, how to exchange user location information between base stations and core network equipment becomes an urgent problem that needs to be solved.

[0087] In response to the above problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and a communication device, which can encapsulate the user's location information in a TAC after a certain conversion, and the base station and the core network equipment can exchange the user's location information through the TAC. Specifically, in the embodiments of the present application, the TAC includes the latitude information and longitude information of the user's location. Among them, the latitude information can be represented by a combination of a latitude identifier indicating the south latitude or the north latitude + a latitude value, or the latitude information can be represented by the original code or the complement code to represent the north latitude and the complement code to represent the south latitude. Similarly, the longitude information can be represented by a combination of a longitude identifier for indicating the east longitude or the west longitude + a longitude value, or the longitude information can be represented by the original code or the complement code to represent the east longitude and the complement code to represent the west longitude.

[0088] The following describes the method embodiments of the present application.

[0089] FIG2 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 200 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0090] The method shown in Figure 2 can be performed by a first network device and a second network device. Unless otherwise specified, the "first network device" or "second network device" can refer to the first network device or the second network device itself, or can refer to a device that can support the first network device or the second network device to implement its functions. For convenience of description, the following description uses the first network device and the second network device. In the embodiment of the present application, the first network device can be an access network device or a core network device, and the second network device can be an access network device or a core network device.

[0091] Method 200 includes at least part of the following.

[0092] Step 201: A first network device obtains first latitude information and first longitude information of a location of a terminal device.

[0093] Exemplarily, the first latitude information and the first longitude information may be the first latitude information and the first longitude information under a system such as the global positioning system (GPS) or the Beidou positioning system, which is the precise location information of the terminal device.

[0094] When the first network device is an access network device, illustratively, the access network device can receive the first latitude information and the first longitude information reported by the terminal device, or the access network device with a positioning function can also locate itself to obtain the first latitude information and the first longitude information of the terminal device.

[0095] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the manner in which the terminal device reports the first latitude information and the first longitude information. For example, a terminal device with a positioning function may perform positioning to obtain the latitude and longitude of the terminal device's location, convert the obtained latitude and longitude, and obtain the first latitude information and the first longitude information based on the converted latitude and longitude, and then report them to the access network device.

[0096] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific forms of the first latitude information and the first longitude information reported by the terminal device. As an example, the first latitude information includes north and south latitude information and the converted latitude, and the first longitude information includes the converted longitude with positive and negative signs, wherein the north and south latitude information is used to indicate north latitude or south latitude, and the positive and negative signs of the longitude indicate east longitude or west longitude, such as a positive longitude indicates that the terminal device is in east longitude, and a negative longitude indicates that the terminal device is in west longitude. As another example, the first latitude information includes north and south latitude information and the converted latitude, and the first longitude information includes east and west longitude information and the converted longitude, wherein the north and south latitude information is used to indicate north latitude or south latitude, and the east and west longitude information is used to indicate east longitude or west longitude. As another example, the first latitude information includes a converted latitude with a positive and negative sign, and the first longitude information includes east-west longitude information and the converted longitude, wherein the positive and negative signs of the latitude indicate south latitude or north latitude, such as a positive latitude indicates that the terminal device is at north latitude, and a negative latitude indicates that the terminal device is at south latitude, and the east-west longitude information is used to indicate east longitude or west longitude. As another example, the first latitude information includes a converted latitude with a positive and negative sign, and the first longitude information includes a converted longitude with a positive and negative sign, wherein the positive and negative signs of the latitude indicate south latitude or north latitude, such as a positive latitude indicates that the terminal device is at north latitude, and a negative latitude indicates that the terminal device is at south latitude, and the positive and negative signs of the longitude indicate east longitude or west longitude, such as a positive longitude indicates that the terminal device is at east longitude, and a negative longitude indicates that the terminal device is at west longitude.

[0097] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the terminal device converting latitude and longitude. As shown in Figure 3, the terminal device can convert latitude and longitude based on the formula Convert latitude based on the formula For longitude conversion, X1 is the latitude before conversion, N1 is the latitude after conversion, X2 is the longitude before conversion, and N2 is the longitude after conversion. Take 40 degrees north latitude and 115 degrees east longitude as an example. In this example, X1 is 40 and X2 is 115. For latitude (2 23 *40) / 90=3728270.222, N1 is 3728270, for longitude (2 24 *115) / 360=5359388.444, the value of N2 is 5359388.

[0098] When the first network device is a core network device, exemplarily, the core network device can obtain the first latitude information and the first longitude information from the access network device, such as the core network device can receive a second TAC from the access network device, the second TAC includes the third latitude information and the third longitude information of the location of the terminal device, the core network device can recover the first latitude information based on the third latitude information, and recover the first longitude information based on the third longitude information, wherein the specific form of the third latitude information and the third longitude information carried by the second TAC can refer to the specific form of the second latitude information and the second longitude information carried by the first TAC below.

[0099] Step 202: The first network device determines a first TAC according to the first latitude information and the first longitude information.

[0100] The first TAC includes second latitude information and second longitude information, wherein the second latitude information is determined based on the first latitude information, and the second longitude information is determined based on the first longitude information.

[0101] In one possible implementation, the first network device determines the second latitude information based on the first latitude information, determines the second longitude information based on the first longitude information, and then combines the second latitude information and the second longitude information into a first TAC.

[0102] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific form of the second latitude information.

[0103] In one possible implementation, the second latitude information may include a first identifier and a first numerical value. Assume that the first latitude information indicates a first latitude value, such as the first latitude information includes a first latitude value, and the first latitude value is the latitude value of the location of the terminal device. The first identifier is used to indicate north latitude or south latitude. When the first identifier indicates north latitude, the first numerical value is the first M high-order bits of the first latitude value. When the first identifier indicates south latitude, the first numerical value is the first M high-order bits of the first latitude value plus 1. Wherein, M is a positive integer. In this implementation, a combination of the first identifier for indicating north and south latitude and the first numerical value is used to represent the latitude information of the location of the terminal device.

[0104] Exemplarily, when the length of the first TAC is 24 bits, the length of the first identifier may be 1 bit, and M may be 10.

[0105] Optionally, the scheme in which the first value is the first M high-order bits of the first latitude value plus 1 can be applied to the case where the value corresponding to the last KM low-order bits of the first latitude value is greater than or equal to the value corresponding to the KM-length all-1 bit string after being shifted left by one position, where K is the total number of bits of the first latitude value. For the case in which the value corresponding to the last KM low-order bits of the first latitude value is less than the value corresponding to the KM-length all-1 bit string after being shifted left by one position, the first value can be the first M high-order bits of the first latitude value. For example, the first latitude value is 01101100, M=4, KM=4, the 4-length all-1 bit string is 0111 after being shifted left by one position, and the last 4 low-order bits 1100 of the first latitude value are greater than 0111, then the first value can be the first 4 high-order bits 0110 of the first latitude value plus 1, that is, 0111. For another example, the first latitude value is 01100001, M=4, KM=4, and the all-1 bit string of length 4 is 0111 after being shifted left by one bit. The last 4 low-order bits of the first latitude value 0001 are less than 0111, so the first numerical value can be the first 4 high-order bits of the first latitude value 0110.

[0106] In another possible implementation, the second latitude information may be a second numerical value. Assume that the first latitude information indicates a first latitude value, such as the first latitude information includes a first latitude value, and the first latitude value is the latitude value of the terminal device. When the terminal device is located at the north latitude, the second numerical value is the first N high-order bits of the original code or the complement of the first latitude value. When the terminal device is located at the south latitude, the second numerical value is the first N high-order bits of the complement of the first latitude value plus 1. Wherein, N is a positive integer. In this implementation, the original code or the complement is used to represent the north latitude, and the complement is used to represent the south latitude.

[0107] Exemplarily, when the length of the first TAC is 24 bits, N may be 11.

[0108] Alternatively, the scheme in which the second value is the first N high-order bits of the complement of the first latitude value plus 1 can be applied to the case where the value corresponding to the last KN low-order bits of the first latitude value is greater than or equal to the value corresponding to a KN-length all-one bit string shifted left by one position, where K is the total number of bits of the first latitude value. If the value corresponding to the last KN low-order bits of the first latitude value is less than the value corresponding to a KM-length all-one bit string shifted left by one position, the second value can be the first N high-order bits of the complement of the first latitude value.

[0109] In addition, considering that the N1 value obtained by the conversion method shown in Figure 3 is the same for 90 degrees north latitude and 90 degrees south latitude, in order to distinguish 90 degrees north latitude and 90 degrees south latitude, the maximum value of the north latitude can be limited to 2 0 +2 1 +2 2 +…+2N-1 , that is, when the terminal device is located at the north latitude, the second value is a maximum of 2 0 +2 1 +2 2 +…+2 N-1 .

[0110] It should be noted that when the first network device is an access network device, the above-mentioned first latitude value may correspond to the converted latitude mentioned above, that is, N1. When the first network device is a core network device, the above-mentioned first latitude value may correspond to the latitude recovered based on the third latitude information mentioned above. It should also be noted that when the first network device is a core network device, the third dimension information may be the latitude information obtained after deprecision of N1. In this case, the first latitude information may include N1' recovered based on the third latitude information, or the first latitude information may also include X1' further recovered based on N1', without limitation.

[0111] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific form of the second longitude information.

[0112] In one possible implementation, the second longitude information includes a second identifier and a third numerical value. Assume that the first longitude information indicates a first longitude value, such as when the first longitude information includes a first longitude value, and the first longitude value is the longitude value of the terminal device's location. The second identifier is used to indicate east longitude or west longitude, and the third numerical value is the first P high-order bits of the first longitude value, where P is a positive integer. In this implementation, the combination of the second identifier indicating east longitude or west longitude and the third numerical value is used to represent the longitude information of the terminal device's location.

[0113] Exemplarily, when the length of the first TAC is 24 bits, the length of the second identifier may be 1 bit, and P may be 11.

[0114] In another possible implementation, the second longitude information may be a fourth numerical value. Assume that the first longitude information indicates a first longitude value, such as when the first longitude information includes a first longitude value, and the first longitude value is the longitude value of the terminal device's location. When the terminal device is located in the east longitude, the fourth numerical value is the first Q high-order bits of the original code or the complement code of the first longitude value. When the terminal device is located in the west longitude, the fourth numerical value is the first Q high-order bits of the complement code of the first longitude value. Wherein, Q is a positive integer. In this implementation, the original code or the complement code is used to represent the east longitude, and the complement code is used to represent the west longitude.

[0115] Exemplarily, when the length of the first TAC is 24 bits, Q may be 12.

[0116] It should be noted that when the first network device is an access network device, the above-mentioned first longitude value may correspond to the converted longitude mentioned above, that is, N2. When the first network device is a core network device, the above-mentioned first longitude value may correspond to the longitude recovered based on the third longitude information mentioned above. It should also be noted that when the first network device is a core network device, the third longitude information may be the longitude information obtained by deprecising N2. In this case, the first longitude information may include N2' recovered based on the third longitude information, or the first longitude information may also include X2' further recovered based on N2', without limitation.

[0117] Step 203: The first network device sends a first TAC to the second network device. Correspondingly, the second network device receives the first TAC from the first network device.

[0118] The first TAC may be carried in any signaling sent from the first network device to the second network device and may carry user location information.

[0119] As an example, when the first network device is an access network device and the second network device is a core network device, the first TAC can be carried in an uplink non-access layer transmission (UPLINK NAS TRANSPORT) message or a location report (LOCATION REPORT) message sent by the access network device. For example, the first TAC can be carried in the NR NTN tracking area identity (TAI) information of the user location information (user location information) of the UPLINK NAS TRANSPORT message or the LOCATION REPORT message. After receiving the first TAC, the core network device can perform user switching, paging services or other service network element implementation service control based on the first TAC.

[0120] As another example, when the first network device is a core network device and the second network device is an access network device, the first TAC can be carried in a paging (PAGING) message. For example, the first TAC can be carried in a TAI List for Paging (TAI List for Paging) information element in a paging (PAGING) message. In addition, when the first network device is a core network device and the second network device is an access network device, the core network device can send one or more TACs including the first TAC to the access network device, and the one or more TACs are used by the access network device to determine the paging area. The way in which each TAC in the one or more TACs carries information is the same as that of the first TAC, and the way in which the first TAC carries information can be referred to. For example, the core network device receives the second TAC reported by the access network, where the second TAC carries the third latitude information and third longitude information obtained by the access network device through de-precision. Then, the core network device can restore the first latitude information and the first longitude information based on the third latitude information and the third longitude information carried by the second TAC, and then expand the range based on the restored first latitude information, first longitude information and the preset distance, and send the expanded range to the access network device through the TAC in the TA list, where the TAC in the TA list is the one or more TACs mentioned here.

[0121] In addition, in the case where the first network device is a core network device and the second network device is an access network device, when the terminal device needs to be paged, the core network device can also determine the access network device to which the terminal device belongs based on the first latitude information and the first longitude information, and send the above-mentioned one or more TACs to the access network device.

[0122] In this way, based on method 300, the user's location information can be converted and encapsulated in a TAC. The first network device and the second network device can exchange the user's location information through the TAC, thereby realizing the exchange of user location information between the first network device and the second network device. It should be noted that the paging area corresponding to the one or more TACs is the area where the terminal device may be located, and therefore can also be regarded as a type of user location information.

[0123] The following describes the TAC of this application in detail, taking as an example the use of a combination of a first identifier and a latitude value to represent latitude information, the use of a true or complement code to represent east longitude and longitude, and the use of a complement code to represent west longitude and longitude, with a TAC length of 24 bits. The TAC mentioned below may correspond to the first or second TAC mentioned above.

[0124] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a latitude and longitude coordinate system.

[0125] As shown in Figure 4, the horizontal axis of the longitude and latitude coordinate system is longitude (degreesLongitude), and the vertical axis is latitude (degreesLatitude). Longitude 0 and latitude 0 are the origin of the coordinate system. Above the horizontal axis is north latitude, below the horizontal axis is south latitude, the left of the vertical axis is west longitude, and the right of the vertical axis is east longitude.

[0126] In an embodiment of the present application, the TAC corresponding to a location can be defined as a combination of the latitude and longitude information of the lower left corner of the grid where the location is located. For example, the TAC corresponding to location A in Figure 4 can be formed by combining the latitude and longitude information of location B in the lower left corner of the grid where the location is located. Specifically, the latitude and longitude information of a location can be converted to the latitude and longitude information of the lower left corner of the grid where the location is located according to the following deprecision rules based on the quadrant in which the location is located:

[0127] In the first and fourth quadrants, the longitude is positive, and the value after removing the low-order bit becomes smaller. The longitude after removing the low-order bit is close to the origin as expected. In the first and second quadrants, the latitude is positive, and the value after removing the low-order bit becomes smaller. The latitude after removing the low-order bit is close to the origin as expected. In the second and third quadrants, the longitude is negative. Negative numbers can be represented or stored using two's complement. The value after removing the low-order bit becomes smaller. The longitude after removing the low-order bit is farther away from the origin as expected. In the third and fourth quadrants, the latitude is positive. The positive or negative latitude can be indicated by the latitude sign (latitudeSign). The value after removing the low-order bit becomes smaller. The latitude after removing the low-order bit is closer to the origin as expected, and 1 needs to be added to move the latitude away from the origin. Removing the low-order bit of longitude or latitude can also be described as retaining the high-order bit of longitude or latitude.

[0128] The coordinates before removing the low-order bits of longitude or latitude are labeled (S, T), and the coordinates after removing the low-order bits of longitude or latitude are labeled (X, Y). If the coordinates of the original location information are in the first quadrant, that is, the latitude indicator indicates north latitude (e.g., the latitude indicator is 0) and the longitude is greater than or equal to 0, (S, T) is depreciated according to the above processing method to obtain the coordinates of the new location (i.e., the location of the lower left corner of the grid) as (X, Y). If the coordinates of the original location information are in the second quadrant, that is, the latitude indicator indicates north latitude (e.g., the latitude indicator is 0) and the longitude is less than 0, (S, T) is depreciated according to the above processing method to obtain the coordinates of the new location (i.e., the location of the lower left corner of the grid) as (X, Y). If the coordinates of the original location information are in the third quadrant, that is, the latitude indicator indicates south latitude (e.g., the latitude indicator is 1) and the longitude is less than 0, (S, T) is depreciated according to the above processing method to obtain the coordinates of the new location (i.e., the location of the lower left corner of the grid) as (X, Y+1). If the coordinates of the original location information are in the fourth quadrant, that is, the latitude flag indicates south latitude (e.g., the latitude flag is 1), and the longitude is greater than or equal to 0, then according to the above processing method, (S, T) is deprecised to obtain the coordinates of the new location (i.e., the location of the lower left corner of the grid) as (X, Y+1). In this embodiment, since negative numbers are stored in a two's complement format, removing the low-order bits of the longitude will reduce the negative number. For the case where the longitude is less than 0, removing the low-order bits does not require the X-1 operation.

[0129] After obtaining the coordinates of the lower left corner of the corresponding grid, TAC can be obtained by assembling them in a certain format.

[0130] Taking the original longitude of 24 bits and the original latitude including a 23-bit latitude value and a 1-bit latitude identifier (south latitude is 1, north latitude is 0) as an example, a structure of TAC and several specific examples are given.

[0131] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a TAC structure. As shown in Figure 5, the TAC may include a 1-bit reserved (RSV) bit, a 1-bit latitude identifier, 10 latitude high bits, and 12 longitude high bits, where the latitude identifier is 0 for north latitude and 1 for south latitude. The 1-bit latitude identifier may correspond to the first identifier described above, the 10 latitude high bits may correspond to the first value, the 1-bit latitude identifier and the 10 latitude high bits may correspond to the second latitude information described above, and the 12 longitude high bits may correspond to the second longitude information described above or the fourth value.

[0132] The following are some specific examples.

[0133] Figure 6 shows several specific examples of TAC.

[0134] 1) Take 40 degrees north latitude and 115 degrees east longitude as an example

[0135] Original latitude: (2 23 ×40) / 90=3728270.222, the value of N1 is 3728270, which corresponds to 38E38E in hexadecimal and 001110001110001110001110 in binary.

[0136] Original longitude: (2 24 ×115) / 360=5359388.444, the value of N2 is 5359388, which corresponds to 51C71C in hexadecimal and 010100011100011100011100 in binary.

[0137] According to the deprecision rule, east longitude and north latitude are in the first quadrant, with the latitude identifier being 0. The original longitude is a positive number, represented in its original or complement code. After removing the low-order bits of the original latitude, the resulting 10-bit high-order latitude bit is 0011100011, prepended with the latitude identifier 0, resulting in 00011100011. The original longitude's original or complement code remains 010100011100011100011100, and after removing the low-order bits, the resulting 12-bit high-order longitude bit is 010100011100. In this case, the TAC can be 000011100011010100011100, as shown in Figure 6(a).

[0138] 2) Take 40 degrees south latitude and 115 degrees west longitude as an example

[0139] Original latitude: (2 23 ×40) / 90=3728270.222, the value of N1 is 3728270, which corresponds to 38E38E in hexadecimal and 001110001110001110001110 in binary.

[0140] Original longitude: (2 24 ×115) / 360=5359388.444, the value of N2 is 5359388, which corresponds to 51C71C in hexadecimal and 010100011100011100011100 in binary.

[0141] According to the deprecision rule, west longitude and south latitude are in the third quadrant, with the latitude marker 1. The original longitude is a negative number, represented using the two's complement. After removing the low-order bit of the original latitude, the 10-bit high-order bit is 0011100011. Adding 1 to the 10-bit high-order bit of the latitude is 0011100100, and prepending the latitude marker 1 to the beginning, resulting in 10011100100. The original longitude is bitwise inverted to 10101110001110001100011. After bitwise inversion and adding 1 to the whole number, the result is 101011100011100011100100. The two's complement of the original longitude is 101011100011100011100100. After removing the low-order bit, the 12-bit high-order bit of the longitude is 101011100011. In this case, TAC may be 010011100100101011100011, as shown in FIG6(b).

[0142] 3) Take 90 degrees north latitude and 180 degrees east longitude as an example

[0143] Original latitude: (2 23 ×90) / 90=8388608, the value of N1 is 8388608, which corresponds to 800000 in hexadecimal and 1000000000000000000000000000 in binary.

[0144] Original longitude: (2 24 ×180) / 360=8388608, the value of N2 is 8388608, which corresponds to 800000 in hexadecimal and 1000000000000000000000000000 in binary.

[0145] According to the deprecision rules, east longitude and north latitude are in the first quadrant, with the latitude identifier being 0. Longitude is a positive number, represented in true or two's complement format. The original latitude, after removing the low-order bits, yields a 10-bit high-order latitude bit of 1000000000, prepended with the latitude identifier 0, resulting in 01000000000. The original longitude, after removing the low-order bits, yields a 12-bit high-order longitude bit of 1000000000000. In this case, the TAC can be 0010000000000100000000000, as shown in Figure 6(c).

[0146] 4) Take 90 degrees south latitude and 180 degrees west longitude as an example

[0147] Original latitude: (2 23 ×90) / 90=8388608, the value of N1 is 8388608, which corresponds to 800000 in hexadecimal and 1000000000000000000000000000 in binary.

[0148] Original longitude: (2 24 ×180) / 360=8388608, the value of N2 is 8388608, which corresponds to 800000 in hexadecimal and 1000000000000000000000000000 in binary.

[0149] According to the deprecision rules, west longitude and south latitude are in the third quadrant, with a latitude identifier of 1. The original longitude is a negative number, represented using the two's complement. After removing the low-order bit of the original latitude, the 10-bit high-order bit is 1000000000. Adding 1 to the 10-bit high-order bit of the latitude is 1000000001, and prepending the latitude identifier 1, resulting in 11000000001. The original longitude is bitwise inverted to 011111111111111111111111. After bitwise inversion and adding 1 to the whole number, it becomes 10000000000000000000000000. The two's complement of the original longitude is 1000000000000000000000000. After removing the low-order bit, the 12-bit high-order bit of the longitude is 10000000000000. In this case, TAC may be 0110000000011000000000000, as shown in FIG6(d).

[0150] In this way, the above-mentioned TAC division scheme clearly defines the 24 bits of TAC, and clarifies which bits are latitude identifiers, which bits are latitude high bits, and which bits are longitude high bits. When using TAC to transmit latitude information and longitude information, it helps to avoid calculation misalignment between access network equipment and core network equipment due to unclear meanings of each TAC field.

[0151] The following describes the TAC of this application in detail, taking as an example the case where latitude information is represented by a combination of a first identifier and a latitude value, longitude information is represented by a combination of a second identifier and a longitude value, and the TAC length is 24 bits. In conjunction with the latitude and longitude coordinate system shown in Figure 4, another structure of the TAC and several specific examples are given, taking as an example the case where the original longitude is 24 bits, the original latitude includes a 23-bit latitude value and a 1-bit latitude identifier (south latitude is 1, north latitude is 0).

[0152] Figure 7 is another schematic diagram of the structure of a TAC. As shown in Figure 7, a TAC may include a 1-bit reserved bit, a 1-bit latitude identifier, 10 latitude high bits, a 1-bit latitude identifier, and 11 longitude high bits. The latitude identifier takes 0 for north latitude and 1 for south latitude, and the longitude identifier takes 0 for east longitude and 1 for west longitude. The 1-bit latitude identifier may correspond to the first identifier described above, the 10 latitude high bits may correspond to the first value, the 1-bit latitude identifier and the 10 latitude high bits may correspond to the second latitude information described above, the 1-bit longitude identifier may correspond to the second identifier described above, the 11 longitude high bits may correspond to the third value, and the 1-bit longitude identifier and the 11 longitude high bits may correspond to the second longitude information described above.

[0153] Figure 8 shows several specific examples of TAC.

[0154] 1) Take 40 degrees north latitude and 115 degrees east longitude as an example

[0155] Original latitude: (2 23 ×40) / 90=3728270.222, the value of N1 is 3728270, which corresponds to 38E38E in hexadecimal and 001110001110001110001110 in binary.

[0156] Original longitude: (2 24 ×115) / 360=5359388.444, the value of N2 is 5359388, which corresponds to 51C71C in hexadecimal and 010100011100011100011100 in binary.

[0157] According to the deprecision rule, east longitude and north latitude are in the first quadrant, with latitude and longitude marked as 0. After removing the low-order bits of the original latitude, the resulting 10-bit high-order bits are 0011100011, prepended with the latitude marker 0, i.e., 00011100011. After removing the low-order bits of the original longitude, the resulting 11-bit high-order bits are 01010001110, prepended with the longitude marker 0, i.e., 001010001110. In this case, the TAC can be 000011100011001010001110, as shown in Figure 8(a).

[0158] 2) Take 40 degrees south latitude and 115 degrees west longitude as an example

[0159] Original latitude: (2 23 ×40) / 90=3728270.222, the value of N1 is 3728270, which corresponds to 38E38E in hexadecimal and 001110001110001110001110 in binary.

[0160] Original longitude: (2 24 ×115) / 360=5359388.444, the value of N2 is 5359388, which corresponds to 51C71C in hexadecimal and 010100011100011100011100 in binary.

[0161] According to the deprecision rule, west longitude and south latitude are in the third quadrant, with latitude and longitude being 1. After removing the low-order bit of the original latitude, the resulting 10-bit high-order bit is 0011100011. Adding 1 to the 10-bit high-order bit of the latitude is 0011100100, and the latitude identifier 1 is added to the front, i.e., 10011100100. After removing the low-order bit of the original longitude, the resulting 11-bit high-order bit is 01010001110, and the longitude identifier 1 is added to the front, i.e., 101010001110. In this case, the TAC can be 010011100100101010001110, as shown in Figure 8(b).

[0162] 3) Take 90 degrees north latitude and 180 degrees east longitude as an example

[0163] Original latitude: (2 23 ×90) / 90=8388608, the value of N1 is 8388608, which corresponds to 800000 in hexadecimal and 1000000000000000000000000000 in binary.

[0164] Original longitude: (2 24 ×180) / 360=8388608, the value of N2 is 8388608, which corresponds to 800000 in hexadecimal and 1000000000000000000000000000 in binary.

[0165] According to the deprecision rules, east longitude and north latitude are in the first quadrant, with latitude and longitude marked as 0. After removing the low-order bits of the original latitude, the resulting 10-bit high-order bits are 1000000000, prepended with the latitude marker 0, i.e., 01000000000. After removing the low-order bits of the original longitude, the resulting 11-bit high-order bits are 10000000000, prepended with the longitude marker 0, i.e., 010000000000. In this case, the TAC can be 0010000000000010000000000, as shown in Figure 8(c).

[0166] 4) Take 90 degrees south latitude and 180 degrees west longitude as an example

[0167] Original latitude: (2 23×90) / 90=8388608, the value of N1 is 8388608, which corresponds to 800000 in hexadecimal and 1000000000000000000000000000 in binary.

[0168] Original longitude: (2 24 ×180) / 360=8388608, the value of N2 is 8388608, which corresponds to 800000 in hexadecimal and 1000000000000000000000000000 in binary.

[0169] According to the deprecision rule, west longitude and south latitude are in the third quadrant, with latitude and longitude being 1. After removing the low-order bit of the original latitude, the resulting 10-bit high-order bit is 1000000000. Adding 1 to the 10-bit high-order bit of the latitude is 1000000001, and the latitude identifier 1 is added to the front, resulting in 11000000001. After removing the low-order bit of the original longitude, the resulting 11-bit high-order bit is 10000000000, and the longitude identifier 1 is added to the front, resulting in 1100000000000. In this case, the TAC can be 0110000000001110000000000, as shown in Figure 8 (d).

[0170] This TAC partitioning scheme clearly defines the 24 bits of the TAC, clarifying which bits are latitude identifiers, which bits are latitude high bits, which bits are longitude identifiers, and which bits are longitude high bits. This helps avoid misaligned calculations between access network equipment and core network equipment due to unclear meanings of TAC fields when using the TAC to transmit latitude and longitude information. Furthermore, longitude and latitude information are represented in the same format, simplifying the computational complexity of both access and core network equipment.

[0171] The following describes the TAC of this application in detail, taking the example of representing the east longitude and north latitude using the original code or the complement code, representing the west longitude and south latitude using the complement code, and the TAC length being 24 bits. Similarly, in conjunction with the longitude and latitude coordinate system shown in Figure 4, taking the example of the original longitude being 24 bits, the original latitude including a 23-bit latitude value and a 1-bit latitude identifier (south latitude is 1, north latitude is 0), another structure of the TAC and several specific examples are given.

[0172] Figure 9 is another schematic diagram of the TAC structure. As shown in Figure 9, the TAC may include a 1-bit reserved bit, 11 latitude high bits, and 12 longitude high bits. North latitude is positive, south latitude is negative. Positive numbers are represented using the original code or the two's complement code, while negative numbers are represented using the two's complement code. When stored, the 11 latitude high bits can directly indicate whether the latitude is south or north. East longitude is positive, west longitude is negative. Positive numbers are represented using the original code or the two's complement code, while negative numbers are represented using the two's complement code. When stored, the 12 longitude high bits can directly indicate whether the longitude is east or west. The second network device can directly calculate the number represented by the original code. When calculating the number represented by the two's complement code, the second network device can directly shift the number. The second network device can also identify the negative sign bit of the two's complement code and convert it to the original code before performing the calculation. The 11 latitude high bits can correspond to the second latitude information mentioned above, and the 12 longitude high bits can correspond to the second longitude information mentioned above.

[0173] FIG10 shows several specific examples of TAC.

[0174] 1) Take 40 degrees north latitude and 115 degrees east longitude as an example

[0175] Original latitude: (2 23 ×40) / 90=3728270.222, the value of N1 is 3728270, which corresponds to 38E38E in hexadecimal and 001110001110001110001110 in binary.

[0176] Original longitude: (2 24 ×115) / 360=5359388.444, the value of N2 is 5359388, which corresponds to 51C71C in hexadecimal and 010100011100011100011100 in binary.

[0177] According to the deprecision rules, the original latitude is positive in the first quadrant, and the original east longitude is positive. Positive numbers are represented by the original code or the complement code. The original latitude code or the complement code is still 001110001110001110001110. After removing the low-order bit, the 11-bit longitude high bit is 00111000111. The original longitude code or the complement code is still 010100011100011100011100. After removing the low-order bit, the 12-bit longitude high bit is 010100011100. In this case, the TAC can be 000111000111010100011100, as shown in Figure 10 (a).

[0178] 2) Take 40 degrees south latitude and 115 degrees west longitude as an example

[0179] Original latitude: (2 23×40) / 90=3728270.222, the value of N1 is 3728270, which corresponds to 38E38E in hexadecimal and 001110001110001110001110 in binary.

[0180] Original longitude: (2 24 ×115) / 360=5359388.444, the value of N2 is 5359388, which corresponds to 51C71C in hexadecimal and 010100011100011100011100 in binary.

[0181] According to the deprecision rules, west longitude and south latitude are in the third quadrant, so the original latitude is negative, and the original east longitude is negative. Negative numbers are represented using the two's complement. The original latitude is bitwise inverted to 110001110001110001110001. After bitwise inversion and adding 1 to the whole, it becomes 110001110001110001110010. That is, the two's complement of the original latitude is 110001110001110001110010. After removing the low-order bit, the 11-bit high-order bit of the latitude is 11000111000. Adding 1 to the high-order bit of the 11-bit latitude is 11000111001. The original longitude is bitwise inverted to 101011100011100011100011. After bitwise inversion and adding 1 to the whole, it is 101011100011100011100100. That is, the two's complement of the original longitude is 101011100011100011100100. After removing the low-order bit, the 12-bit longitude high-order bit is 101011100011. In this case, the TAC can be 011000111001101011100011, as shown in Figure 10 (b).

[0182] 3) Take 90 degrees north latitude and 180 degrees east longitude as an example

[0183] Because positive numbers are represented in true or two's complement format, and negative numbers are represented in two's complement format, overflow protection is usually required for signed integers. The following example verifies the values ​​of 90 degrees north latitude and 90 degrees south latitude, and 180 degrees east longitude and 180 degrees west longitude, respectively.

[0184] For 90 degrees north latitude and 90 degrees south latitude, latitude 90: (2 23× 90) / 90 = 8388608. The converted value is 8388608, which corresponds to 800000 in hexadecimal and 100000000000000000000000000. When the latitude is north, the latitude is positive, and the two's complement of the latitude is the same as the original code. When the latitude is south, the latitude is negative, and the two's complement of the latitude is: invert the bitwise value of 1000000000000000000000 to 01111111111111111111111, and then add 1 to the total value to 10000000000000000000000000. This will result in 90 degrees north and 90 degrees south. In practice, when positive numbers are represented using the original code and negative numbers using the two's complement code, it's usually necessary to restrict the overflow prevention mechanism for positive numbers. That is, 1000000000000000000000000 can only be used to represent the two's complement form of negative numbers, not the original code form of positive numbers. The overflow prevention mechanism limits the maximum positive latitude value to 0111111111111111111111111. This sacrifices a small amount of precision, but the deprecision rule itself also sacrifices a small amount of precision. The TAC is filled with the deprecised longitude and latitude. Furthermore, for schemes using latitude identifiers, the high-order latitude bit is 10 bits, which is 1 bit less than 11 bits, also sacrificing a small amount of precision.

[0185] For 180 degrees east longitude and 180 degrees west longitude, since 180 degrees east longitude and 180 degrees west longitude are the same longitude line, the above problem does not exist.

[0186] Thus, for 90 degrees north latitude and 180 degrees east longitude:

[0187] Original latitude: (2 23 ×90) / 90=8388608, the value of N1 is 8388608, which corresponds to 800000 in hexadecimal and 1000000000000000000000000000 in binary.

[0188] Original longitude: (2 24 ×180) / 360=8388608, the value of N2 is 8388608, which corresponds to 800000 in hexadecimal and 1000000000000000000000000000 in binary.

[0189] According to the deprecision rules, east longitude and north latitude are in the first quadrant, and the original latitude is positive. The original east longitude is positive, and positive numbers are represented using the original code or its complement. The original latitude's original code or its complement is still 1000000000000000000000000. Based on the aforementioned overflow prevention mechanism, the maximum value of north latitude is limited to 011111111111111111111. After removing the low-order bits, the resulting 11-bit longitude high-order bits are 01111111111. The original longitude's original code or its complement is still 10000000000000000000000. After removing the low-order bits, the resulting 12-bit longitude high-order bits are 100000000000000000. In this case, TAC may be 00111111111111000000000000, as shown in FIG10(c).

[0190] 4) Take 90 degrees south latitude and 180 degrees west longitude as an example

[0191] Original latitude: (2 23 ×90) / 90=8388608, the value of N1 is 8388608, which corresponds to 800000 in hexadecimal and 1000000000000000000000000000 in binary.

[0192] Original longitude: (2 24 ×180) / 360=8388608, the value of N2 is 8388608, which corresponds to 800000 in hexadecimal and 1000000000000000000000000000 in binary.

[0193] According to the deprecision rules, the original latitude is negative, and the original east longitude is negative. Negative numbers are represented using the two's complement. The original latitude is bitwise inverted to 0111111111111111111111111. After bitwise inversion, the total is 1000000000000000000000000. That is, the two's complement of the original latitude is 100000000000000000000000. After removing the low-order bit, the 11-bit high-order bit of the latitude is 100000000000. The 11-bit high-order bit of the latitude plus 1 is 100000000001. The original longitude is bitwise inverted to 0111111111111111111111111. After bitwise inversion, the total value is 1000000000000000000000000. That is, the two's complement of the original longitude is 10000000000000000000000. After removing the low-order bits, the 12-bit longitude high-order bits are 1000000000000. In this case, the TAC can be 0100000000001100000000000, as shown in Figure 10 (d).

[0194] This TAC partitioning scheme clearly defines the 24 bits of the TAC, clarifying which bits are the high-order latitude bits and which bits are the high-order longitude bits. This helps avoid misaligned calculations between access network equipment and core network equipment due to unclear meanings of the TAC fields when using the TAC to transmit latitude and longitude information. Furthermore, longitude and latitude information are represented in the same format, simplifying computational complexity for both access and core network equipment.

[0195] The above describes in detail the method embodiment provided by the present application in conjunction with Figures 1 to 10 , and the following describes the device embodiment of the present application in conjunction with Figures 11 to 13 .

[0196] It is understood that, in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the apparatuses in Figures 11 to 13 include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the functions. Those skilled in the art should readily appreciate that, in conjunction with the various exemplary units and method steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software.

[0197] Figures 11 and 12 are schematic diagrams of possible apparatuses provided in embodiments of the present application. These apparatuses can be used to implement the functions of the first network device, the second network device, or the terminal device in the above method embodiments, thereby also achieving the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments.

[0198] As shown in FIG. 11 , the device 10 includes a transceiver unit 11 and a processing unit 12 .

[0199] When the apparatus 10 is used to implement the functions of the first network device in each of the above method embodiments, the transceiver unit 11 is used to execute the transceiver steps of the first network device, and the processing unit 12 is used to execute the processing steps of the first network device. When the apparatus 10 is used to implement the functions of the second network device in each of the above method embodiments, the transceiver unit 11 is used to execute the transceiver steps of the second network device, and the processing unit 12 is used to execute the processing steps of the second network device. When the apparatus 10 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device in each of the above method embodiments, the transceiver unit 11 is used to execute the transceiver steps of the terminal device, and the processing unit 12 is used to execute the processing steps of the terminal device.

[0200] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 11 and the processing unit 12 , please refer to the relevant description in the above method embodiment, which will not be described again here.

[0201] As shown in FIG12 , the apparatus 20 includes a processor 21. The processor 21 is coupled to a memory 23, which is used to store instructions. When the apparatus 20 is used to implement the method described above, the processor 21 is used to execute the instructions in the memory 23 to implement the functions of the processing unit 12 described above.

[0202] Optionally, the device 20 further includes a memory 23 .

[0203] Optionally, the apparatus 20 further includes an interface circuit 22. The processor 21 and the interface circuit 22 are coupled to each other. It will be appreciated that the interface circuit 22 may be a transceiver or an input / output interface. When the apparatus 20 is used to implement the method described above, the processor 21 is configured to execute instructions to implement the functions of the processing unit 12, and the interface circuit 22 is configured to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 11.

[0204] Exemplarily, when the device 20 is a chip applied to the first network device, the second network device, or the terminal device, the chip implements the functions of the first network device, the second network device, or the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The chip receives information from other modules (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) in the first network device, the second network device, or the terminal device, where the information is sent by other devices to the first network device, the second network device, or the terminal device; or the chip sends information to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) in the first network device, the second network device, or the terminal device, where the information is sent by the first network device, the second network device, or the terminal device to other devices.

[0205] 13 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 30 according to an embodiment of the present application. The chip system 30 (or also referred to as a processing system) includes a logic circuit 31 and an input / output interface 32.

[0206] The logic circuit 31 may be a processing circuit in the chip system 30. The logic circuit 31 may be coupled to a storage unit and call instructions in the storage unit so that the chip system 30 can implement the methods and functions of the various embodiments of the present application. The input / output interface 32 may be an input / output circuit in the chip system 30, outputting information processed by the chip system 30 or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 30 for processing.

[0207] As a solution, the chip system 30 is used to implement the operations performed by the first network device, the second network device or the terminal device in the above various method embodiments.

[0208] For example, the logic circuit 31 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the first network device, the second network device or the terminal device in the above method embodiment; the input / output interface 32 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the first network device, the second network device or the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0209] The present application also provides a communication device, comprising a processor coupled to a memory, the memory being configured to store computer programs or instructions and / or data, the processor being configured to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory, or to read data stored in the memory, to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, there are one or more processors. Optionally, the communication device includes a memory. Optionally, there are one or more memories. Optionally, the memory is integrated with the processor or provided separately.

[0210] The present application also provides a chip, including a processor, which is coupled to a memory, the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions, and the processor is used to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory to implement the methods performed by the first network device, the second network device or the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0211] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by the first network device, the second network device or the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0212] The present application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, implement the methods performed by the first network device, the second network device or the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0213] The present application also provides a communication system, which includes at least one of the first network device, the second network device or the terminal device in the above embodiments.

[0214] The explanation of the relevant contents and beneficial effects of any of the above-mentioned devices can be referred to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, which will not be repeated here.

[0215] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0216] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, a register, a hard disk, a mobile hard disk, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and can write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a first network device, a second network device or a terminal device. Of course, the processor and the storage medium can also be present in the first network device, the second network device or the terminal device as discrete components.

[0217] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions may be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive.

[0218] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0219] Unless otherwise indicated, all technical and scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present application have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art of the technical field of the application. The terms used in this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the application. It should be understood that the above are for illustration, and the examples above are only for helping those skilled in the art to understand the embodiments of the present application, rather than limiting the application embodiments to the specific numerical values ​​or specific scenarios illustrated. Those skilled in the art can obviously carry out various equivalent modifications or changes based on the examples given above, and such modifications and changes also fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a first network device or a module in the first network device, and the method includes: Obtain first latitude information and first longitude information of the location where the terminal device is located; Determine a first tracking area code TAC according to the first latitude information and the first longitude information, where the first TAC includes second latitude information and second longitude information; Send the first TAC to a second network device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first latitude information is used to indicate a first latitude value; The second latitude information includes a first identifier and a first value, where: The first identifier is used to indicate north latitude, and the first value is the first M high-order bits of the first latitude value; or, The first identifier is used to indicate south latitude, and the first value is the first M high-order bits of the first latitude value plus 1; where M is a positive integer.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein The length of the first identifier is 1 bit, and M is 10.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first latitude information is used to indicate a first latitude value; The second latitude information is a second value, where: When the terminal device is located in the northern hemisphere, the second value is the first N high-order bits of the original code or the complement code of the first latitude value; When the terminal device is located in the southern hemisphere, the second value is the first N high-order bits of the complement code of the first latitude value plus 1; where N is a positive integer.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein When the terminal device is located at the north latitude, the maximum value of the second value is 2 0 +2 1 +2 2 +…+2 N-1 。 6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that N is 11.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The first longitude information is used to indicate a first longitude value; The second longitude information includes a second identifier and a third value, where the second identifier is used to indicate east longitude or west longitude, and the third value is the first P high-order bits of the first longitude value, and P is a positive integer.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The length of the second identifier is 1 bit, and P is 11.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The first longitude information is used to indicate a first longitude value; The second longitude information is a fourth value, where: When the terminal device is located in the eastern hemisphere, the fourth value is the first Q high-order bits of the original code or the complement code of the first longitude value; When the terminal device is located in the western hemisphere, the fourth value is the first Q high-order bits of the complement code of the first longitude value; where Q is a positive integer.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, Q is 12.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The length of the first TAC is 24 bits.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein The first network device is an access network device, and the second network device is a core network device; The obtaining of the first latitude information and the first longitude information of the location where the terminal device is located includes: receiving the first latitude information and the first longitude information from the terminal device.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein The first network device is a core network device, and the second network device is an access network device; Obtaining the first latitude information and the first longitude information of the location where the terminal device is located includes: receiving a second TAC from the second network device, where the second TAC includes third latitude information and third longitude information; determining the first latitude information according to the third latitude information, and determining the first longitude information according to the third longitude information.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein The method further includes: Determining the second network device according to the first latitude information and the first longitude information.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The first TAC is one of multiple TACs, and the multiple TACs are used to determine the paging area of the terminal device.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, Including a module or unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, Including a processor and an interface circuit, where the interface circuit is used to receive a signal from another communication device outside the communication device and transmit it to the processor or send a signal from the processor to another communication device outside the communication device, and the processor is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 through logic circuits or by executing code instructions.

18. The communication device according to claim 17, wherein, The communication device is a chip or a chip system.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer program or instruction is stored in the storage medium, and when the computer program or instruction is executed by the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 is implemented.

20. A computer program product, characterized in that, Including a computer program, and when the computer program is run, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 is implemented.

21. A communication system, characterized in that, Including: A communication device for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12; And / or, A communication device for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, 13, 14, 15.

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