Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and an apparatus. The method comprises: a first apparatus may receive first information from a second apparatus, the first information being used for determining a first correspondence relationship, the first correspondence relationship being a correspondence relationship between a plurality of first areas and a plurality of SSBs during a first time period, and the plurality of first areas being a plurality of areas within the coverage of the second apparatus during the first time period; and according to the first correspondence relationship, the first apparatus may determine a correspondence relationship between a plurality of second areas and the plurality of SSBs during a second time period, the second time period being after the first time period, and the plurality of second areas being a plurality of areas within the coverage of the second apparatus during the second time period. By means of the method, according to a correspondence relationship between a plurality of areas within the coverage of the second apparatus and a plurality of SSBs during one time period, the first apparatus can quickly and accurately determine a correspondence relationship between a plurality of areas within the coverage of the second apparatus and the plurality of SSBs during a subsequent time period.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on January 4, 2024, with application number 202410015879.0 and application name “A Communication Method and Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and device. Background Art

[0004] In a wireless communication system, an access network device can send measurement configuration information to a terminal. Based on the measurement configuration information, the terminal can measure the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB) to implement mobility management. Because the SSB is not continuous in the time domain, the terminal does not need to continuously search for and measure the SSB in the time domain. Instead, it can measure the SSB within a measurement time window that can lock onto the SSB. Therefore, an SSB-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC) is currently introduced into the SSB measurement configuration information. SMTC can be used to configure a measurement time window. Furthermore, the terminal can measure the SSB within the measurement time window configured by the SMTC.

[0005] Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) provide seamless coverage for terminals by deploying access network equipment, or some of its functionality, on non-terrestrial devices such as high-altitude platforms or satellites. However, satellites, for example, offer a wider coverage area and a greater number of beams—for example, hundreds or even thousands. Determining the correspondence between regions and SSBs in communication systems like NTNs requires further research.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus for determining a correspondence between areas and SSBs in a communication system such as an NTN.

[0008] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a first device. The first device can be a terminal or a module in the terminal (such as a circuit, a chip, a chip system or a processor), and can also be a logical node, a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal functions. The method may include: the first device can receive first information from the second device, and the first information is used to determine a first corresponding relationship. The first corresponding relationship is a corresponding relationship between multiple first areas and multiple SSBs in a first time period. The multiple first areas are multiple areas within the coverage of the second device in the first time period. Then, the first device can determine a second corresponding relationship based on the first corresponding relationship. The second corresponding relationship is a corresponding relationship between multiple second areas and multiple SSBs in a second time period. The second time period is after the first time period. The multiple second areas are multiple areas within the coverage of the second device in the second time period.

[0009] Through this method, within the first time period, the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and the multiple SSBs remains unchanged, and are all first correspondences; after the first time period, there is an association between the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and the multiple SSBs and the first correspondence. The first device can determine the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and the multiple SSBs after the first time period based on the association and the first correspondence, so as to determine the area where it is located and the coverage information around the area, thereby improving the mobility management performance, realizing accurate SSB measurement, and reducing measurement overhead.

[0010] In a possible design, the first device can determine the second corresponding relationship based on the start time of the first time period, the duration of the first time period, and the first corresponding relationship, so that the second corresponding relationship can be determined quickly and accurately.

[0011] In one possible design, the first correspondence may include M rows and N columns. M is the number of areas within the coverage of the second device along the first direction, N is the number of areas within the coverage of the second device along the second direction, the first direction is the direction of movement of the second device, and M and N are positive integers. The second correspondence may also include M rows and N columns. The last K rows in the first correspondence are the first K rows in the second correspondence; the first MK rows in the first correspondence are the last MK rows in the second correspondence. K can be determined based on the number of areas spanned by the second device from the first time period to the second time period. Through this design, the first device can quickly and accurately determine the second correspondence based on the first correspondence.

[0012] In one possible design, the first device may receive second information from the second device, where the second information may be used to indicate the duration of the first time period. In this way, the second device may accurately indicate the duration of the first time period to the first device. Alternatively, the first device may receive third information from the second device, where the third information may be used to indicate the radius, diameter, or side length of the area where the first device is located among multiple first areas. The radius, diameter, or side length of the area where the first device is located may be used to determine the duration of the first time period. In this way, the first device may determine the duration of the first time period on its own, and the second device does not need to indicate the duration of the first time period to the first device, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0013] In one possible design, the first device may receive fourth information from the second device, where the fourth information may be used to indicate the start time of the first time period. With this design, the second device may indicate the start time of the first time period to the first device. In this way, the first time periods determined by the first and second devices are identical, avoiding inconsistent understandings of the effective time of the first correspondence between the first and second devices.

[0014] In one possible design, a first device may receive fifth information from a second device during a cell search and / or random access process. The fifth information is used to determine a third correspondence, where the third correspondence is a correspondence between multiple third areas and multiple SSBs within a third time period. The multiple third areas are multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device within the third time period. After the first device completes random access, the first device receives the first information from the second device. It should be understood that the time when the first device receives the fifth information may be sometime in the middle of the third time period. If the first device uses the time when the fifth information is received as the start time of the third time period and determines the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the second device in subsequent time periods based on this start time, an incorrect correspondence may be obtained. With this design, after the first device completes random access, the first device may receive the first information from the second device. Based on the first information, the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the second device is corrected, ensuring that the first and second devices have a consistent understanding of the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the second device.

[0015] In one possible design, the first device may receive the first message from the second device a first time period after the first device completes random access. The first time period is determined based on the first device's location at the second time period, the coverage area of ​​the first device, and the location information of the second device. The second time period is related to the time when the first device receives the first message. With this design, the first device can quickly and accurately determine the time to begin receiving the first message.

[0016] In one possible design, the first device may receive the first message from the second device after a first duration of time following the completion of random access by the first device. The first duration is determined based on a first parameter, a first range, and the location information of the second device. The first parameter is determined based on a line connecting the first point at the second time and the second device, where the first point is a reference point in the area where the first device is located, the first range is the range of the parameter determined based on the line connecting the first point and the second device when the first device is located in the area where the first device is located, and the second time is related to the time when the first device receives the first message. With this design, the first device can quickly and accurately determine the time to start receiving the first message.

[0017] In one possible design, the first device may receive range indication information from the second device, where the range indication information may be used to indicate the first range. With this design, the first device may obtain the first range in a timely manner.

[0018] In one possible design, the first parameter may be the angle between a line connecting the first point at the second time and the second device and a reference plane, and the first range may be the range of the angle between the line connecting the first point and the second device and the reference plane when the first device is located in the area where the first device resides. Alternatively, the first parameter may be the length of a line connecting the first point at the second time and the second device after being mapped to the reference plane, and the first range may be the range of the length of a line connecting the first point and the second device after being mapped to the reference plane when the first device is located in the area where the first device resides. With this design, the first device can quickly and accurately determine the first duration.

[0019] In one possible design, before the first device receives the first information from the second device, the method may further include: the first device receiving sixth information from the second device, where the sixth information can be used to determine a fourth correspondence, where the fourth correspondence is a correspondence between multiple fourth areas and multiple SSBs within a fourth time period, where the multiple fourth areas are multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device within the fourth time period. The first device may receive first indication information from the second device, where the first indication information can be used to indicate a change in the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs. With this design, the second device can trigger the first device to promptly update the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs.

[0020] In one possible design, the first device may receive second indication information from the second device, where the second indication information is used to indicate whether the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs is variable. With this design, the first device can promptly learn whether the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs is variable, thereby achieving compatibility with both the terrestrial fixed area and beam-following access network device approaches.

[0021] In one possible design, the value of the second indication information falls within the first value range, and the value of the second indication information can be used to indicate that the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and the multiple SSBs remains unchanged, and is used to indicate the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and the multiple SSBs. With this design, the first device can determine whether the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and the multiple SSBs is changeable based on the value of the second indication information, without the need to indicate whether the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and the multiple SSBs is changeable through additional information, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0022] In one possible design, after receiving first indication information from a second device, the first device may determine a second correspondence based on the first correspondence and the first indication information. The first indication information may indicate a change in the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs. The start time of the second time period may be the time when the first indication information is received. With this design, the first device can quickly and accurately determine the second correspondence.

[0023] In one possible design, the first correspondence includes M rows and N columns. M is the number of areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device along the first direction, N is the number of areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device along the second direction, the first direction is the direction of motion of the second device, and M and N are positive integers. The second correspondence may also include M rows and N columns, where the last row in the first correspondence is the first row in the second correspondence, and the first M-1 rows in the first correspondence are the last M-1 rows in the second correspondence. With this design, the first device can quickly and accurately determine the second correspondence based on the first correspondence.

[0024] In one possible design, the first information may be used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0025] the number of areas along the third direction within the coverage area of ​​the plurality of first areas;

[0026] a radius, a diameter, or a side length of each of the plurality of first regions along the third direction;

[0027] the number of areas along the fourth direction in the coverage areas of the plurality of first areas;

[0028] a radius, a diameter, or a side length of each of the plurality of first regions along the fourth direction;

[0029] a location of the reference region in the plurality of first regions;

[0030] an arrangement order of the plurality of SSBs in an initial correspondence between the plurality of first regions and the plurality of SSBs; or

[0031] The association relationship between the first correspondence relationship and the initial correspondence relationship.

[0032] Through this design, the first device can quickly and accurately determine the first corresponding relationship based on the first information.

[0033] In one possible design, the first device may measure at least one of the multiple SSBs according to the second correspondence within the second time period. With this design, the first device may measure some of the multiple SSBs according to the second correspondence, thereby reducing the duration of the SSB measurement by the first device and reducing power consumption of the first device.

[0034] In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a second device. The second device can be an access network device or a module in the access network device (such as a circuit, chip, chip system or processor), and can also be a logical node, logical module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the access network device. Among them, the method may include: the second device determines and sends the first information. Among them, the first information can be used to determine a first corresponding relationship, and the first corresponding relationship is the corresponding relationship between multiple first areas and multiple synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel PBCH blocks SSB in a first time period. The multiple first areas are multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device in the first time period. The first corresponding relationship can be used to determine a second corresponding relationship, and the second corresponding relationship is the corresponding relationship between multiple second areas and multiple SSBs in a second time period. The second time period is after the first time period, and the multiple second areas are multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device in the second time period.

[0035] In one possible design, the start time of the first time period, the duration of the first time period, and the first corresponding relationship can be used to determine the second corresponding relationship.

[0036] In one possible design, the first correspondence may include M rows and N columns. Here, M is the number of areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device along the first direction, N is the number of areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device along the second direction, the first direction is the direction of movement of the second device, and M and N are positive integers. The second correspondence may also include M rows and N columns. The last K rows in the first correspondence are the first K rows in the second correspondence, and the first MK rows in the first correspondence are the last MK rows in the second correspondence. K is determined based on the number of areas spanned by the second device from the first time period to the second time period.

[0037] In one possible design, the second device may send second information to the first device, where the second information may be used to indicate the duration of the first time period. Alternatively, the second device may send third information to the first device, where the third information may be used to indicate the radius, diameter, or side length of the area where the first device is located among the multiple first areas, where the radius, diameter, or side length of the area where the first device is located is used to determine the duration.

[0038] In one possible design, the second device may send fourth information to the first device, where the fourth information may be used to indicate the start time of the first time period.

[0039] In one possible design, during a cell search and / or random access process of the first device, the second device may send fifth information to the first device. The fifth information may be used to determine a third correspondence, where the third correspondence is a correspondence between multiple third areas and multiple SSBs within a third time period, where the multiple third areas are multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device within the third time period. The first information is received by the first device after the first device completes random access.

[0040] In one possible design, the first information is received by the first device a first time period after random access by the first device is completed. The first time period is determined based on a location of the first device at a second time period, coverage of an area where the first device is located, and location information of the second device, and the second time period is related to a time when the first device receives the first information.

[0041] In one possible design, the first information is received by the first device a first time period after random access is completed by the first device. The first time period is determined based on a first parameter, a first range, and location information of the second device. The first parameter is determined based on a line between a first point at a second time and the second device, where the first point is a reference point in the area where the first device is located, the first range is a range of the parameter determined based on a line between the first point and the second device when the first device is located in the area where the first device is located, and the second time is related to the time when the first device receives the first information.

[0042] In one possible design, the second device may send range indication information to the first device, where the range indication information may be used to indicate the first range.

[0043] In one possible design, the first parameter may be the angle between a line between the first point and the second device at the second time and a reference plane, and the first range is the range of the angle between a line between the first point and the second device and the reference plane when the first device is located in the area where the first device is located; alternatively, the first parameter may be the length of a line between the first point and the second device at the second time after being mapped to the reference plane, and the first range is the range of the length of a line between the first point and the second device after being mapped to the reference plane when the first device is located in the area where the first device is located.

[0044] In one possible design, before the second device sends the first information to the first device, the method further includes: the second device may send sixth information to the first device, where the sixth information may be used to determine a fourth correspondence, where the fourth correspondence is a correspondence between multiple fourth areas and multiple SSBs within a fourth time period, where the multiple fourth areas are multiple areas within the coverage of the second device within the fourth time period. The second device may send first indication information to the first device, where the first indication information is used to indicate a change in the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and the multiple SSBs.

[0045] In one possible design, the second device may send second indication information to the first device, where the second indication information may be used to indicate whether the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs is variable.

[0046] In one possible design, the value of the second indication information belongs to the first value range, and the value of the second indication information can be used to indicate that the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device and multiple SSBs remains unchanged, and is used to indicate the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device and multiple SSBs.

[0047] In one possible design, the second device may send first indication information to the first device. The first indication information may be used to indicate a change in the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the second device. The first indication information and the first correspondence may be used to determine a second correspondence, and the start time of the second time period is the time when the first device receives the first indication information.

[0048] In one possible design, the first correspondence may include M rows and N columns. M is the number of areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device along the first direction, N is the number of areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device along the second direction, the first direction is the direction of motion of the second device, and M and N are positive integers. The second correspondence may also include M rows and N columns. The last row in the first correspondence is the first row in the second correspondence, and the first M-1 rows in the first correspondence are the last M-1 rows in the second correspondence.

[0049] In one possible design, the first information may be used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0050] the number of areas along the third direction within the coverage area of ​​the plurality of first areas;

[0051] a radius, a diameter, or a side length of each of the plurality of first regions along the third direction;

[0052] the number of areas along the fourth direction in the coverage areas of the plurality of first areas;

[0053] a radius, a diameter, or a side length of each of the plurality of first regions along the fourth direction;

[0054] a location of the reference region in the plurality of first regions;

[0055] an arrangement order of the plurality of SSBs in an initial correspondence between the plurality of first regions and the plurality of SSBs; or

[0056] The association relationship between the first correspondence relationship and the initial correspondence relationship.

[0057] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a terminal or a module in a terminal (such as a circuit, chip, chip system or processor), or a logical node, logic module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal functions. The communication device has the function of implementing the first aspect above. For example, the communication device includes a module or unit or means corresponding to the operation involved in the first aspect above, and the module or unit or means may be implemented by software, or by hardware, or the corresponding software may be implemented by hardware.

[0058] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processing unit. Optionally, the communication device also includes an interface unit. The interface unit can be used to transmit and receive signals to enable communication between the communication device and other devices; the processing unit can be used to perform certain internal operations of the communication device. The functions performed by the processing unit and the interface unit can correspond to the operations described in the first aspect above.

[0059] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor, which can be coupled to a memory. The memory can store the necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions of the first aspect. The processor can execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the communication device implements the method of any possible design of the first aspect.

[0060] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor and a memory, where the memory may store the necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions of the first aspect. The processor may execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer program or instructions are executed, the communication device implements the method of any possible design of the first aspect.

[0061] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices through the interface circuit and execute the method in any possible design of the first aspect above.

[0062] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be an access network device or a module in the access network device (such as a circuit, chip, chip system or processor), and may also be a logical node, logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network device. The communication device has the function of implementing the second aspect above. For example, the communication device includes a module or unit or means corresponding to the operation involved in the second aspect above, and the module or unit or means may be implemented by software, or by hardware, or the corresponding software implementation may be executed by hardware.

[0063] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processing unit. Optionally, the communication device also includes an interface unit. The interface unit can be used to transmit and receive signals to enable communication between the communication device and other devices; the processing unit can be used to perform certain internal operations of the communication device. The functions performed by the processing unit and the interface unit can correspond to the operations described in the second aspect above.

[0064] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor, which can be coupled to a memory. The memory can store the necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions of the second aspect. The processor can execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the communication device implements the method of any possible design of the second aspect.

[0065] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor and a memory, and the memory may store the necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions involved in the second aspect. The processor may execute the computer program or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer program or instructions are executed, the communication device implements the method in any possible design of the second aspect.

[0066] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices through the interface circuit and execute the method in any possible design of the second aspect above.

[0067] It can be understood that in the third aspect or the fourth aspect above, the processor can be implemented by hardware or by software. When implemented by hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, etc.; when implemented by software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor, which is implemented by reading the software code stored in the memory. In addition, the above processors can be one or more, and the memories can be one or more. The memory can be integrated with the processor, or the memory and the processor can be set separately. In the specific implementation process, the memory can be integrated with the processor on the same chip, or can be set on different chips respectively. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the type of memory and the setting method of the memory and the processor.

[0068] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, which may include the communication device described in the third aspect and the communication device described in the fourth aspect. For example, the communication system includes a terminal and an access network device; wherein the terminal is configured to execute the communication method provided in the first aspect, and the access network device is configured to execute the communication method provided in the second aspect.

[0069] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the method in any possible design of any aspect of the first to second aspects above is implemented.

[0070] In a seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program code. When the computer program code is executed, the method in any possible design of any aspect of the first to second aspects mentioned above is implemented.

[0071] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a chip for reading a computer program stored in a memory to execute a method in any possible design of any one of the first to second aspects above.

[0072] The technical effects that can be achieved in any of the second to eighth aspects mentioned above can refer to the description of the technical effects that can be achieved by any possible design in the first aspect mentioned above, and the repetitions will not be discussed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0073] 1A to 1D are schematic diagrams of several architectures of communication systems applicable to embodiments of the present application;

[0074] 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams of several application scenarios provided by embodiments of the present application;

[0075] FIG3 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams of several corresponding relationships provided in embodiments of the present application;

[0077] FIG4C is a schematic diagram of another application scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG5 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG6 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG7 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG8 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] The method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to NTN communication scenarios. In NTN communication scenarios, non-terrestrial access network devices such as drones, high altitude platform stations (HAPS), and satellites can provide data transmission, voice communication and other services to terminals. In addition, the NTN system may also include other non-terrestrial access network devices, which are not limited in this application. NTN communication scenarios can also support various mobile communication systems, such as new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, or other communication systems such as future communication systems, which are not limited here.

[0085] The method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to at least one of the following: a fourth-generation (4G) communication system (e.g., an LTE system), a fifth-generation (5G) communication system (e.g., an NR system), or various future communication systems (e.g., a sixth-generation (6G) communication system). The communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, vehicle networking, autonomous driving, or assisted driving.

[0086] This application will present various aspects, embodiments, or features around systems including multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that each system may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all of the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the figures. Furthermore, combinations of these aspects may also be used.

[0087] To facilitate understanding, a communication system to which the embodiments of the present application can be applied is first described.

[0088] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of a communication system to which an embodiment of the present application can be applied. As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system may include at least one access network device (such as 110a, 110b, 110c in Figure 1A), and may also include at least one terminal (120a-120g in Figure 1A). The terminal may be mobile or fixed. Each access network device can provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area and can communicate with terminals located within the coverage area. Access network devices and access network devices, access network devices and terminals, and terminals and terminals can be connected to each other via wired or wireless means. Figure 1A is only a schematic diagram, and the communication system may also include other devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices.

[0089] The embodiments of the present application may be applicable to a communication system that integrates a terrestrial communication system and a satellite communication system, which may also be referred to as an NTN communication system.

[0090] Among them, the terrestrial communication system can be, for example, an LTE system, a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), a 5G communication system, or various future communication systems (for example, 6G) communication systems, etc., which are not limited here.

[0091] Among them, satellite communication systems have a wider coverage area than traditional communication systems and can overcome natural geographical obstacles such as oceans, deserts, and mountains. In order to overcome the shortcomings of traditional communication systems, satellite communication systems can serve as an effective supplement to traditional communication systems. Satellite communication systems can be divided into the following three types according to the different orbital altitudes: geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite communication systems, medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite communication systems, and low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication systems. GEO satellite communication systems are also called synchronous orbit satellite systems. It is generally believed that compared with terrestrial communications, NTN has different channel characteristics (for example, large transmission delay, Doppler frequency deviation, etc.). For example, the round-trip delay of the GEO satellite communication system is 238 to 270 milliseconds (ms), and the round-trip delay of the LEO satellite communication system is 8ms to 20ms.

[0092] Satellite operating modes can be categorized as transparent or regenerative. When operating in transparent mode, a satellite performs relay functions. Gateway stations have some or all of the functions of base stations, and in this case, gateway stations can be considered base stations. When operating in regenerative mode, a satellite has data processing capabilities and some or all of the functions of a base station, and in this case, the satellite can be considered a base station.

[0093] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of an NTN in regeneration mode. As shown in Figure 1B, a satellite has some or all of the functions of a base station and can be called a satellite base station. The satellite base station can provide wireless access services and schedule wireless resources for terminals that access the network through the satellite base station. The satellite base station and the terminal can communicate through the user-universal terrestrial radio access network-user (Uu) interface. Specifically, the satellite base station and the core network (CN) can communicate through the next generation network (NG) interface. The satellite base station and the core network can exchange the core network's non-access stratum (NAS) signaling and user service data through the NG interface. The satellite radio interface (SRI) interface is the feeder link between the NTN gateway and the satellite. In Figure 1B, the SRI interface can be used as part of the next generation network (NG) interface to implement communication interaction between the satellite base station and the core network.

[0094] Figure 1C is a schematic diagram of the NTN in transparent transmission mode. As shown in Figure 1C, the terminal and the ground base station communicate via the Uu interface. The satellite enables transparent payload transmission between the terminal and the ground base station. The satellite and the NTN gateway can be considered the remote radio unit (RRU) of the ground base station, enabling transparent signal forwarding. Specifically, the satellite supports functions such as RF filtering, frequency conversion, and amplification, and the signal waveform remains unchanged. Satellite forwarding is transparent to the terminal. Furthermore, the ground base station and the CN can communicate via the NG interface, exchanging core network NAS signaling and terminal service data.

[0095] FIG1D is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication scenario. As shown in FIG1D , in a satellite communication scenario, access network equipment includes satellites and gateways. Terminals include IoT terminals, mobile phone terminals, and high-altitude aircraft, etc. Terminals may also be terminals of other forms and performances, etc., which are not limited here. The link between the satellite and the terminal is called a service link, and the link between the satellite and the gateway is called a feeder link. The gateway may also be called a signal gateway. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to satellite communication scenarios expanded based on FIG1D.

[0096] In this application, a terminal may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, subscriber unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal equipment, wireless communication device, user agent or user device.

[0097] A terminal can be a device that provides wireless communication capabilities, such as a handheld device or vehicle-mounted device with wireless connection capabilities. Currently, some examples of terminals include: mobile phones, satellite mobile terminals, cellular phones, smart phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices (such as smart watches, smart bracelets, pedometers, smart glasses, etc.), vehicle-mounted devices (such as cars, bicycles, electric vehicles, airplanes, ships, trains, high-speed trains, etc.), satellite terminals, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, smart point of sale (POS) machines, customer-premises equipment (CPE), wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, and wireless terminals in smart homes. The present invention also includes wireless terminals (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, electric meters, etc.) in a home, intelligent robots, robotic arms, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, flying devices (e.g., intelligent robots, hot air balloons, drones, airplanes), terminals in 5G networks, or terminals in future-evolved public land mobile networks (PLMNs), etc., which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application. As an example and not a limitation, in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal may also be a mobile terminal (MT) in an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node. When the IAB node faces its parent node, it can be regarded as a terminal. In this case, the IAB node plays the role of an MT.

[0098] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form factor of the terminal. The device used to implement the terminal's functions can be a terminal; it can also be a device that supports the terminal in implementing the functions, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal or used in conjunction with the terminal. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete components.

[0099] In this application, an access network device is a device that provides wireless communication functions for a terminal, and the terminal can communicate with a core network device through the access network device. As a node in a wireless access network, an access network device can also be called a base station, a radio access network (RAN) node (or device), or an access point (AP). A communication system may include multiple access network devices, which can be nodes of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of the access network device and the terminal are relative. For example, network element #A can be a helicopter or a drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station and access the RAN through network element #B. For those terminals that access the RAN through network element #A, network element #A is a base station; but for network element #B, network element #A is a terminal.

[0100] In one possible scenario, the access network device may be a base station, a transmitting and receiving point (TRP), a transmitting point (TP), a next-generation base station in a 6G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, a satellite, an IAB node, a mobile switching center, a high-altitude platform or a satellite, etc. The access network device may be a macro base station, a micro base station or an indoor station, a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a cloud RAN (CRAN) scenario. The access network device may also be a device that acts as a base station in sidelink communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, drone communication, or machine communication. Optionally, the access network device may also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or an on-board device, etc. For example, the access network device in V2X technology may be a road side unit (RSU).

[0101] In another possible scenario, multiple access network devices collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, and different access network devices respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the access network device can be a centralized unit (CU), DU, CU-control plane (CP), CU-user plane (UP), or radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be set separately, or can also be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH). It can be understood that the access network device can be a CU node, a DU node, or a device including a CU node and a DU node. In addition, the CU can be divided into an access network device in the access network RAN, or the CU can be divided into an access network device in the core network CN, which is not limited here.

[0102] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0103] In the embodiments of the present application, the form of the access network device is not limited. The device used to implement the functions of the access network device can be the access network device; it can also be a device that supports the access network device to implement the functions, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the access network device or used in conjunction with the access network device.

[0104] Access network equipment and terminals can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; on water; and in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of access network equipment and terminals.

[0105] The communication system 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. A person skilled in the art will appreciate 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.

[0106] The following first explains the relevant terms involved in the embodiments of the present application. It should be noted that these explanations are intended to make the embodiments of the present application easier to understand and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of protection claimed by this application.

[0107] 1) Mobility Management

[0108] The mobility of a terminal causes it to select and switch between different cells. This selection and switching typically relies on mobility management, which primarily involves measurement processes related to radio resource management (RRM) and mobility signaling processes triggered by measurement results.

[0109] In mobility management, the access network device sends measurement configuration information to the terminal. The terminal can measure the reference signal based on the measurement configuration information and obtain the measurement result. The measurement result can include at least one of the following: reference signal receiving power (RSRP), reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ), or signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR).

[0110] There are two types of reference signals used for mobility management, such as SSB or channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS). The embodiments of the present application mainly focus on mobility management based on SSB.

[0111] 2) SSB:

[0112] The synchronization signal block (SS) is generally sent together with the main information block (MIB) on the PBCH to form an SS / PBCH block. The SSB described below in the embodiments of the present application may refer to the SS / PBCH block. Among them, the synchronization signal can be used by the terminal to perform downlink synchronization and obtain the cell identity (ID). Downlink synchronization may include frequency synchronization and time synchronization. The PBCH can be used by the terminal to obtain information about the cell it is accessing.

[0113] 3) The relationship between SSB and beam:

[0114] Access network equipment may use multiple antennas to enhance coverage, but using multiple antennas results in very narrow antenna radiation beams, making it difficult for a single narrow beam to cover the entire cell. At the same time, due to hardware limitations, access network equipment often cannot simultaneously transmit signals through multiple beams to cover the entire cell. Therefore, the communication system introduces beam scanning technology, which allows access network equipment to transmit signals through different beams at different times. For example, for a cell, the access network equipment can transmit different SSBs through different beams at different times, thereby completing the cell's broadcast beam coverage. Each beam can be indicated by an SSB, for example, each beam can be indicated by the index of the SSB transmitted on that beam.

[0115] 4) SSB-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC):

[0116] Typically, SSBs are not continuous in the time domain, so terminals do not need to continuously search for and measure SSBs in the time domain. Instead, they can operate within a time window that can lock onto these SSBs. Therefore, the NR protocol introduces SMTC, which can be used to configure a measurement time window. Access network equipment can configure a corresponding SMTC for each frequency to be measured. The terminal can then measure SSBs within the measurement time window configured by the SMTC for that frequency. If the center frequency and subcarrier spacing of the SSBs of two cells are the same during RRM measurement, the measurement between the two cells is called intra-frequency measurement; otherwise, it is called inter-frequency measurement. In the intra-frequency measurement scenario, the terminal may measure SSBs of multiple cells within the measurement time window configured by the SMTC for a single frequency.

[0117] 5) The correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the access network equipment (such as satellite).

[0118] In some possible methods, the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the access network device can be unchanged. That is, at different times, the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the access network device is the same. For example, as shown in Figure 2A, at time 1, the satellite is located at position 1, the coverage area of ​​the satellite is coverage area 1, and the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within coverage area 1 is correspondence 1. At time 2, the satellite moves to position 2, the coverage area of ​​the satellite is coverage area 2, and the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within coverage area 2 is still correspondence 1. In this method, as the access network device moves, the beam weight and beam direction on the access network device side remain unchanged. Therefore, this method can also be called a method in which the beam follows the access network device.

[0119] In other possible approaches, the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the access network device and multiple SSBs can be variable. That is, the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the access network device and multiple SSBs may be different at different times. Optionally, over a period of time, even if the location of the access network device changes, the SSBs corresponding to the same area on the ground within the coverage area of ​​the access network device remain the same. For example, as shown in Figure 2B, at time 3, the satellite is at position 3, the satellite's coverage area is coverage area 3, and the correspondence between multiple areas within coverage area 3 and multiple SSBs is correspondence relationship 1. At time 4, the satellite is at position 4, the satellite's coverage area is coverage area 4, and the correspondence between multiple areas within coverage area 4 and multiple SSBs is correspondence relationship 2. Correspondence relationship 1 and correspondence relationship 2 are different. In both correspondence relationship 1 and correspondence relationship 2, ground area 1 corresponds to SSB 1. In this approach, as the access network device moves, the SSBs corresponding to the same area on the ground remain the same. Therefore, this approach can also be called a ground fixed area approach.

[0120] 6) Region:

[0121] In this application, a region can be a geographical area or range, an administrative area or range, or a wave position, etc. Among them, a wave position can be the coverage range of a beam (or the projection range of the beam on the ground). The access network device can adjust the antenna weights so that the beam sent by the access network device can point in different directions and have different coverage ranges. For example, a satellite is configured with 16 beams, each with a different coverage range, and the coverage range of each beam can be one wave position.

[0122] 7) Initial access:

[0123] In this application, initial access may include cell search and random access.

[0124] Before accessing the network, a terminal must perform a cell search. For example, a cell search can be performed when the terminal is powered off and then powered on again. The purpose of a cell search is to enable the terminal to achieve system time and frequency synchronization, thereby enabling the terminal to read system information (such as information about the cell to be accessed, system bandwidth, and other cell broadcast information) and perform subsequent data transmission.

[0125] Random access is the process initiated by the terminal to achieve uplink synchronization between the terminal and the access network device after they have achieved downlink synchronization. Random access can be categorized as contention-based random access (also known as four-step random access) and contention-free random access (also known as two-step random access).

[0126] 8) In this application, "sending information to ... (terminal)" can be understood as the destination of the information being the terminal, and can include directly or indirectly sending information to the terminal. "Receiving information from ... (terminal)" can be understood as the source of the information being the terminal, and can include directly or indirectly receiving information from the terminal. The information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination of the information, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be understood similarly and will not be repeated here.

[0127] In communication systems such as NTN, each beam of an access network device may correspond to an area (e.g., a waveband). Determining the correspondence between areas and SSBs in communication systems such as NTN requires further study. This application does not impose any restrictions on the number of beams of an access network device. In some examples, the number of beams of an access network device may be 8 or 64. In other examples, the number of beams of an access network device may reach hundreds or even thousands, and the number of areas (e.g., wavebands) corresponding to the beams may also reach hundreds or even thousands. For example, in NTN communication systems, to overcome the impact of path loss caused by transmission distance and ensure the quality of communication services, satellites generally use large-scale antenna arrays to provide higher array gain, but this also makes the beam main lobe narrower. For example, the coverage radius of a 3 decibel (dB) beamwidth is only a dozen kilometers. If the satellite's service range is hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, using narrow beams to achieve seamless coverage of the satellite's service range would require thousands of beams. Furthermore, even if the beams are widened to a certain extent, hundreds of beams are still required to achieve coverage in order to ensure the gain level.

[0128] Furthermore, in NTN communication systems, due to the rapid movement of satellites, terminals may frequently switch between multiple satellites, making mobility management particularly important. However, the excessive number of satellite beams significantly prolongs the time it takes for terminals to search and measure SSBs during mobility management. Furthermore, the varying distances between the serving satellite and neighboring satellites and the terminal result in varying SSB transmission delays. To ensure that the SMTC encompasses SSB measurements from both the serving and neighboring satellites, a longer measurement window duration is required. However, an excessively long SMTC window duration significantly reduces terminal measurement efficiency. This significantly increases the power consumption of the terminal's continuous SSB search and the time-frequency resources used for SSB measurement, significantly limiting terminal data transmission. Therefore, further research is needed to reduce the duration of SSB measurements and power consumption in communication systems like NTN.

[0129] It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the NTN scenario. NTN is only one of the application scenarios, and other scenarios (for example, in the future 6G evolution) are still applicable.

[0130] An embodiment of the present application provides a communication method. Figure 3 is a flow chart corresponding to the communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. In Figure 3, the method is illustrated by taking the first device and the second device as the execution subjects of the interaction diagram as an example, but the present application does not limit the execution subjects of the interaction diagram. For example, the first device can be a terminal, or a module applied to the terminal, such as a circuit, a chip, a chip system or a processor, or a logical node, a logical module or software that can realize all or part of the terminal functions; the second device can also be an access network device (for example, a satellite), or a module applied to an access network device (for example, a satellite), such as a circuit, a chip, a chip system or a processor, or a logical node, a logical module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of an access network device (for example, a satellite). As shown in Figure 3, the method includes:

[0131] S301: The second device sends first information to the first device; correspondingly, the first device receives the first information from the second device.

[0132] Among them, the first information can be used to determine the first corresponding relationship. The first corresponding relationship is the corresponding relationship between multiple first areas and multiple SSBs in the first time period, and the multiple first areas are multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device in the first time period. The indexes of the multiple SSBs can be continuous or discontinuous. Optionally, the first corresponding relationship can be represented by a pattern or a matrix. Exemplarily, the first corresponding relationship includes M rows and N columns, M is the number of areas within the coverage range of the second device along the first direction, N is the number of areas within the coverage range of the second device along the second direction, and M and N are positive integers. Among them, the first direction can be the movement direction of the second device (or the track direction of the second device); the second direction is different from the first direction, for example, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The first element is any element in the first corresponding relationship, the first element represents the first area a of the multiple first areas, the value of the first element is the index of the first SSB in the multiple SSBs, and the first area a corresponds to the first SSB. For example, Figure 4A shows a possible example of the first corresponding relationship. The first correspondence includes 8 rows and 16 columns. That is, during the first time period, the coverage of the second device includes 8*16=128 first areas, each of which corresponds to an SSB. First area 0 corresponds to SSB0, first area 1 corresponds to SSB1, and so on.

[0133] Optionally, the first information may be carried in broadcast information sent by the second device, such as system information or UE-specific radio resource control (RRC) signaling. The system information may be a traditional system information block, such as system information block 1 (SIB1), system information block 19 (SIB19), or other system information (OSI); or, the system information may be a new system information block, such as system information block 1bis (SIB1bis). It should be understood that SIB1bis may also have other names, such as system information block 1' (SIB1').

[0134] To determine the first corresponding relationship, the first information may be used to indicate at least one of the following information 1 to information 7:

[0135] Information 1: The number of first areas along the third direction within the coverage of the multiple first areas: The coverage of the multiple first areas may be the same as the coverage of the second device. Therefore, Information 1 can be replaced by the number of first areas along the third direction within the coverage of the second device. The third direction may be the same as or different from the first direction. When the third direction is the same as the first direction, Information 1 may be M. Still using Figure 4A as an example, during the first time period, the coverage of the second device includes 128 first areas. If the third direction is the first direction, i.e., the direction of motion of the second device, Information 1 may be 8.

[0136] Information 2: The radius, diameter, or side length of each of the plurality of first areas along the third direction: For example, if each of the plurality of first areas is circular or elliptical, Information 2 may be the radius or diameter of each of the plurality of first areas along the third direction. For another example, if each of the plurality of first areas is rectangular or square, Information 2 may be the side length of each of the plurality of first areas along the third direction.

[0137] Optionally, the shapes and sizes of the multiple first regions may be the same or different. If the shapes and sizes of the multiple first regions are the same, the first information may only indicate the radius, diameter, or side length of one region in the multiple first regions along the third direction, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of the first information. For example, the first information may indicate that the radius of each region in the multiple first regions along the third direction is 40 kilometers (km). If the shapes and sizes of the multiple first regions are different, the first information may indicate the radius, diameter, or side length of each region in the multiple first regions along the third direction.

[0138] Information 3: The number of first areas along the fourth direction within the coverage of the plurality of first areas: The coverage of the plurality of first areas may be the same as the coverage of the second device. Therefore, Information 3 may be replaced by the number of first areas along the fourth direction within the coverage of the second device. The fourth direction may be different from the third direction, for example, perpendicular to the fourth direction. The fourth direction may be the same as or different from the second direction. When the fourth direction is the same as the second direction, Information 3 may be N. Still using Figure 4A as an example, during the first time period, the coverage of the second device includes 128 first areas. If the third direction is the direction of motion of the second device and is perpendicular to the fourth direction, Information 3 is 16.

[0139] Information 4: The radius, diameter, or side length of each of the plurality of first areas along the fourth direction: For example, if each of the plurality of first areas is circular or elliptical, Information 4 may be the radius or diameter of each of the plurality of first areas along the fourth direction. For another example, if each of the plurality of first areas is rectangular or square, Information 4 may be the side length of each of the plurality of first areas along the fourth direction.

[0140] Optionally, the shapes and sizes of the multiple first regions may be the same or different. If the shapes and sizes of the multiple first regions are the same, the first information may only indicate the radius, diameter, or side length of one region in the multiple first regions along the fourth direction, thereby reducing the signaling overhead of the first information. For example, the first information may indicate that the radius of each region in the multiple first regions along the fourth direction is 30 km. If the shapes and sizes of the multiple first regions are different, the first information may indicate the radius, diameter, or side length of each region in the multiple first regions along the fourth direction.

[0141] Optionally, if the shape of each of the multiple first areas is circular or square, the first information may indicate one of information 1 and information 3, and one of information 2 and information 4.

[0142] Information 5. The position of the reference area in the multiple first areas: The reference area may be one of the multiple first areas. In some examples, the reference area is the central area of ​​the multiple first areas. In other examples, the reference area is the starting area of ​​the multiple first areas. For example, still taking Figure 4A as an example, the reference area may be the area corresponding to 0. In some further examples, the reference area is the area corresponding to the starting SSB in the multiple first areas. The starting SSB may be the SSB with the largest or smallest index among the multiple SSBs. For example, still taking Figure 4A as an example, if the starting SSB may be the SSB with the smallest index among the multiple SSBs, the reference area may be the area corresponding to SSB index 0; if the starting SSB may be the SSB with the largest index among the multiple SSBs, the reference area may be the area corresponding to SSB index 255.

[0143] In some implementations, the first information may display an indication of the geographic location of the reference area (e.g., the coordinates or longitude and latitude of the reference area), so that upon receiving the first information, the first device may determine the location of the reference area. In other implementations, the first information may indicate a relationship between the reference area and a reference location (e.g., the sub-satellite point of the second device), so that the first device may determine the geographic location of the reference area based on the first information and the reference location. For example, still using FIG4A as an example, the reference area may be the area corresponding to 0, the reference location may be the sub-satellite point of the second device, and the first information indicates that the reference location is offset by 4 first areas in the opposite direction of the third direction and by 8 first areas in the opposite direction of the fourth direction relative to the sub-satellite point of the second device.

[0144] Information 6. In the initial correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs, the arrangement order of the multiple SSBs: in some examples, the arrangement order is arranged in sequence along the fourth direction. For example, the fourth direction is perpendicular to the movement direction of the second device (or the fourth direction is perpendicular to the track direction of the second device), and the arrangement order is arranged in sequence along the vertical track. In other examples, the arrangement order is arranged in sequence along the third direction. For example, the third direction is the movement direction of the second device (or the track direction of the second device), and the arrangement order is arranged in sequence along the horizontal track. Assuming that the initial correspondence is as shown in Figure 4A, if the third direction is the movement direction of the second device, the indexes of the multiple SSBs gradually increase along the third direction.

[0145] Optionally, if the indexes of the multiple SSBs are discontinuous, the information 6 may further include the indexes of the multiple SSBs. The indexes of the multiple SSBs may be presented in the form of a bitmap. For example, still taking FIG. 4A as an example, the indexes of the multiple SSBs included in the information 6 may be {0, 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, …, 240, 241, 246, 247, 248, 249, 254, 255}.

[0146] Information 7, the association relationship between the first correspondence and the initial correspondence: Exemplarily, there are M correspondences between multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and multiple SSBs. The M correspondences include the initial correspondence and the first correspondence. Any of the M correspondences has an association relationship with the initial correspondence. The following is an example of the association relationship between the i-th correspondence among the M correspondences and the initial correspondence. The i-th correspondence includes M rows and N columns, where i is an integer ranging from 1 to M. The second element is any element in the i-th correspondence, and the second element represents area b of the multiple areas within the coverage of the second device. The value of the second element is the index of the second SSB in the multiple SSBs, and area b corresponds to the second SSB. The last (or bottom) i-1 row in the initial correspondence is the first (or top) i-1 row in the i-th correspondence; the first (or top) M-i+1 row in the initial correspondence is the last (or bottom) M-i+1 row in the i-th correspondence.

[0147] If the first correspondence is the i-th correspondence, then information 7 may be related to i. For example, information 7 may be i, or information 7 may be the sum of i and an offset value 1, where offset value 1 can be positive or negative. Offset value 1 may be pre-set, for example, as specified by a protocol, or determined by the first device or the second device. The following description uses information 7 as i and M as 8 as an example.

[0148] For example, the initial correspondence is the correspondence shown in FIG4A , the first correspondence is the correspondence shown in FIG4B , and i is 2. The last (or bottommost) row 1 (i.e., i-1=2-1=1) in the initial correspondence is the first (or topmost) row 1 in the first correspondence; the first (or topmost) row 7 (i.e., M-i+1=8-2+1=7) in the initial correspondence is the last (or bottommost) row 7 in the first correspondence.

[0149] For another example, the initial correspondence and the first correspondence are both the correspondences shown in FIG4A , and i is 1. The first row in the initial correspondence is the first row in the first correspondence; the second row in the initial correspondence is the second row in the first correspondence, and so on.

[0150] In this way, the first device can determine the first correspondence based on the first information. For example, the first device can determine the multiple first regions based on information 1 to information 5, and determine the first correspondence between the multiple first regions and the multiple SSBs based on information 6 and information 7. Optionally, when determining the first correspondence, the first device can also refer to the ephemeris of the second device; that is, the first device can determine the first correspondence based on the ephemeris of the second device and the first information. For example, the first device can determine information 5 based on the ephemeris of the second satellite and the first information, thereby determining the locations of the multiple first regions and further determining the first correspondence.

[0151] S302: The first device determines a second corresponding relationship based on the first corresponding relationship.

[0152] The second correspondence is a correspondence between multiple second areas and multiple SSBs within a second time period. The second time period may be after the first time period, and the first and second time periods may be continuous or discontinuous. The multiple second areas may be multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device within the second time period. For details of the second correspondence, refer to the description of the first correspondence in S301, except that the first correspondence is replaced by the second correspondence, the first area is replaced by the second area, and the first time period is replaced by the second time period. Any repetitions are omitted.

[0153] The first correspondence and the second correspondence may be the same, for example, the first correspondence and the second correspondence are the same one of the M correspondences in S301, that is, the i corresponding to the first correspondence and the second correspondence are the same; or, the first correspondence and the second correspondence may be different, for example, the first correspondence and the second correspondence are different correspondences among the M correspondences in S301, that is, the i corresponding to the first correspondence and the second correspondence are different.

[0154] S302 can be implemented in multiple ways, for example, way a1 or way a2:

[0155] Method a1: The first device determines the second corresponding relationship based on the start time of the first time period, the duration of the first time period and the first corresponding relationship; in other words, the start time of the first time period, the duration of the first time period and the first corresponding relationship can be used to determine the second corresponding relationship.

[0156] The following first describes how the first device determines the start time of the first time period.

[0157] In some possible approaches, the first device may determine the time at which the first information is received as the start time of the first time period. For example, if the first device receives the first information at second 0, the first device may determine the start time of the first time period as second 0. In this way, the second device does not need to indicate the start time of the first time period to the first device, thereby reducing signaling overhead.

[0158] In some other possible ways, the second device may indicate the start time of the first time period to the first device. For example, the second device may send the fourth information to the first device; accordingly, the first device receives the fourth information from the second device. The fourth information can be used to indicate the start time of the first time period. The fourth information may explicitly indicate the start time of the first time period. For example, the fourth information includes 0, which is in seconds, indicating that the start time of the first time period is the 0th second; or, the fourth information may implicitly indicate the start time of the first time period. For example, the fourth information is information that has a corresponding relationship with the start time of the first time period. The fourth information and the first information may be carried in the same message or in different messages, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this. In this way, the second device can indicate the start time of the first time period to the first device, so that the first time period determined by the first device and the second device is the same, avoiding inconsistent understanding of the effective time of the first corresponding relationship between the first device and the second device.

[0159] In this application, the duration of the first time period may also be referred to as at least one of the following: the effective duration of the first correspondence, and the duration during which the beam corresponding to each SSB in the first correspondence serves the area corresponding to the SSB. As described in S301, there are M types of correspondences between the multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and the multiple SSBs, and the effective duration of each of the M types of correspondences may be the same. In this case, the duration of the first time period may also be referred to as the effective duration of each correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and the multiple SSBs.

[0160] The following describes how the first device determines the duration of the first time period. There are multiple ways for the first device to determine the duration of the first time period, such as way b1 or way b2.

[0161] Mode b1: The second device sends the second information to the first device; correspondingly, the first device receives the second information from the second device. The second information can be used to indicate the duration of the first time period. The second information can explicitly indicate the duration of the first time period. For example, the fourth information includes 9 in seconds, indicating that the duration of the first time period is 9 seconds; or, the second information can implicitly indicate the duration of the first time period. For example, the second information is information that corresponds to the duration of the first time period. The second information and the first information can be carried in the same message or in different messages, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this. Through mode b1, the second device can accurately indicate the duration of the first time period to the first device.

[0162] Method b2: The first device sends third information to the second device; in response, the first device receives the third information from the second device. The third information may indicate the radius, diameter, or side length of the area where the first device is located, among the multiple first areas. For example, the third information may include information 2 and / or information 4 in S301. The radius, diameter, or side length of the area where the first device is located may be used to determine the duration of the first time period; in other words, the first device may determine the duration of the first time period based on the radius, diameter, or side length of the area where the first device is located.

[0163] Optionally, the motion information of the second device and the radius, diameter or side length of the area where the first device is located can be used to determine the duration of the first time period; in other words, the first device can determine the duration of the first time period based on the motion information of the second device and the radius, diameter or side length of the area where the first device is located. The motion information of the second device may include the motion speed and motion direction of the second device. Exemplarily, Δt=d1 / v, where Δt is the duration of the first time period, v is the motion speed of the second device, and d1 is the diameter or side length of the area where the first device is located along the motion direction of the second device.

[0164] Through this method b2, the first device can determine the duration of the first time period by itself, and the second device does not need to indicate the duration of the first time period to the first device, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0165] The following describes the method for determining the second corresponding relationship in method a1.

[0166] Optionally, the first correspondence includes M rows and N columns, and the second correspondence also includes M rows and N columns. For example, both the first correspondence and the second correspondence belong to the M types of correspondence in S301. The last (or bottom) K rows in the first correspondence are the first (or top) K rows in the second correspondence; the first (or top) MK rows in the first correspondence are the last (or bottom) MK rows in the second correspondence. For example, if the first correspondence is the correspondence shown in FIG4A, M is 8, N is 16, and K is 1, then the second correspondence may be the correspondence shown in FIG4B. That is, the last (or bottom) 1 (i.e., K) row in the first correspondence is the first (or top) 1 row in the second correspondence; the first (or top) 7 (i.e., MK=8-1=7) rows in the first correspondence are the last (or bottom) 7 rows in the second correspondence.

[0167] Here, K is determined based on the number of regions spanned by the second device from the first time period to the second time period; in other words, the first device can determine K based on the number of regions spanned by the second device from the first time period to the second time period. Since the number of regions can be determined based on the start time of the first time period, the duration of the first time period, and the first corresponding relationship, K can be determined based on the start time of the first time period, the duration of the first time period, and the first corresponding relationship. Exemplarily, K can satisfy one of the following formulas (1) to (5), so the first device can determine K based on one of formulas (1) to (5). K= floor((t-t0) / Δt) mod M, Formula (1) K= (floor((t-t0) / Δt)+1)mod M, Formula (2) K= roundup((t-t0) / Δt) mod M, Formula (3) K= (roundup((t-t0) / Δt)-1)mod M, Formula (4) K= round ((t-t0) / Δt) mod M, Formula (5)

[0168] Where t is a time in the second time period, t0 is the start time of the first time period, Δt is the duration of the first time period, floor represents a round-down operation, roundup represents a round-up operation, round represents a round-off operation, and mod represents a modulo operation.

[0169] The following example illustrates how to determine K, taking the case where K satisfies formula (1) as an example. For example, if the first correspondence is the correspondence shown in FIG4A , M is 8, Δt is 9 seconds, t0 is 0 seconds, and t is 10 seconds, then K = floor((t-t0) / Δt) mod M = floor((10-0) / 9) mod 8 = 1 mod 8 = 1. In this case, the second correspondence can be the correspondence shown in FIG4B .

[0170] Through the method a1, the first device can quickly and accurately determine the second corresponding relationship according to the start time of the first time period, the duration of the first time period, and the first corresponding relationship.

[0171] Mode a2: The first device determines the second corresponding relationship based on the first corresponding relationship and the first indication information from the second device.

[0172] Method a2 may include steps A1 to A2:

[0173] Step A1: The second device sends first indication information to the first device; correspondingly, the first device receives the first indication information from the second device.

[0174] Among them, the first indication information can be used to indicate that the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and multiple SSBs has changed. In some examples, the first indication information is information specifically used to indicate that the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and multiple SSBs has changed. In this way, after receiving the first indication information, the first device can determine that the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and multiple SSBs has changed. In other examples, the value of the first indication information is a first value (for example, 0 or 1), indicating that the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and multiple SSBs has changed.

[0175] The first indication information may be carried in a traditional message (eg, a paging message) or in a new message, and this application does not impose any limitation on this.

[0176] Step A2: The first device determines a second corresponding relationship based on the first corresponding relationship and the first indication information.

[0177] Optionally, the first correspondence includes M rows and N columns, and the second correspondence includes M rows and N columns. For example, both the first correspondence and the second correspondence belong to the M types of correspondence in S301. The last (or bottom) row in the first correspondence is the first (or top) row in the second correspondence, and the M-1 rows from the front (or top) of the first correspondence are the M-1 rows from the back (or bottom) of the second correspondence. The start time of the second time period may be the time when the first indication information is received. For example, if the first correspondence is the correspondence shown in FIG4A, M is 8, and N is 16, then the second correspondence may be the correspondence shown in FIG4B. That is, the last (or bottom) row in the first correspondence is the first (or top) row in the second correspondence; the first (or top) 7 rows (i.e., M-1=8-1=7) from the front (or top) of the first correspondence are the last (or bottom) 7 rows in the second correspondence.

[0178] Through manner a2, the first device can quickly and accurately determine the second corresponding relationship based on the first corresponding relationship and the first indication information from the second device.

[0179] In some possible embodiments, the method shown in FIG3 further includes S303 .

[0180] S303: The first device measures at least one of the multiple SSBs according to the second corresponding relationship within the second time period.

[0181] In some implementations, the first device may measure one of the multiple SSBs during the second time period based on the location of the first device and the second correspondence. In some examples, the first device may measure the SSB corresponding to the area where the first device is located during the second time period. For example, the second correspondence is the correspondence shown in FIG4B . If the first device is located in the area corresponding to SSB136, the first device may measure SSB136. In other examples, the first device may measure the SSB corresponding to the area where the first device is located and the SSB corresponding to the area adjacent to the area where the first device is located during the second time period. For example, the second correspondence is the correspondence shown in FIG4B . If the first device is located in the area corresponding to SSB136, the first device may measure SSB136, SSB119, SSB120, SSB121, SSB135, SSB137, SSB151, SSB152, and SSB153.

[0182] In other implementations, the first device may measure one of the multiple SSBs within the second time period based on the location of the first device, the motion information of the first device, and the second correspondence. In some examples, if the first device does not move, the first device may measure the SSB corresponding to the area where the first device is located within the second time period. For example, the second correspondence is the correspondence shown in FIG4B . If the first device is located in the area corresponding to SSB136 and the first device does not move, the first device may measure SSB136. In other examples, if the first device moves, the first device may measure the SSB corresponding to the area where the first device is located and the SSB corresponding to the first adjacent area within the second time period. The first adjacent area is an area adjacent to the area where the first device is located in the direction of motion of the first device. For example, the second correspondence is the correspondence shown in FIG4B . If the first device is located in the area corresponding to SSB136 and the first device moves toward the area corresponding to SSB137, the first device may measure SSB136 and SSB137.

[0183] Through this method, the first device can measure part of the multiple SSBs according to the second corresponding relationship, thereby reducing the time the first device takes to measure the SSBs and reducing the power consumption of the first device.

[0184] Optionally, the first device may also perform other processing according to the second correspondence within the second time period. For example, the first device may merge system messages corresponding to adjacent SSBs (for example, SIB1, SIB19, SIB1bis or OSI) upon access, thereby improving performance.

[0185] In some possible embodiments, the method shown in FIG3 further includes S304 .

[0186] S304: The second device sends fifth information to the first device; correspondingly, the first device receives the fifth information from the second device during the cell search and / or random access process.

[0187] The fifth information can be used to determine a third correspondence, which is a correspondence between multiple third areas and multiple SSBs within a third time period. The multiple third areas are multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device within the third time period. The specific content of the fifth information can be found in the description of the first information in S301, except that the first information is replaced by the fifth information, the first correspondence is replaced by the third correspondence, the first area is replaced by the third area, and the first time period is replaced by the third time period. The details are not repeated here. The third time period may precede the first time period. Optionally, the third time period and the first time period are continuous.

[0188] Optionally, the third correspondence relationship may be one of the M correspondence relationships in S301. The third correspondence relationship may be different from the first correspondence relationship.

[0189] After S304, S301 may include step B1:

[0190] Step B1: The first device completes random access and receives the first information from the second device.

[0191] For example, after the random access of the first device is completed, the first device may receive the first information from the second device.

[0192] It should be understood that in S304, the time at which the first device receives the fifth information may be sometime in the middle of the third time period. If the first device uses the time at which the fifth information is received as the start time of the third time period and, based on this start time, determines the correspondence between the multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the second device in subsequent time periods, an incorrect correspondence may be obtained. For example, from seconds 0 to 9 (i.e., the third time period is from seconds 0 to 9), the correspondence between the multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the second device is the third correspondence; from seconds 10 to 18, the correspondence between the multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the second device is the first correspondence. If the first device receives the fifth information at second 8, the first device considers second 8 to be the start time of the third time period and, therefore, considers the correspondence between the multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the second device from seconds 8 to 17 to be the third correspondence. Thus, the first and second devices have inconsistent understandings of the correspondence between the multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the second device from seconds 10 to 17. Through the method shown in the present application, after the random access of the first device is completed, the first device can receive the first information from the second device, and thus correct the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage range of the second device based on the first information, so that the first device and the second device have the same understanding of the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage range of the second device.

[0193] Optionally, the first device may receive the first information from the second device after a first period of time after the random access of the first device is completed; in other words, the first information may be received by the first device after a first period of time after the random access of the first device is completed.

[0194] There are multiple ways to determine the first duration, for example, method c1 or method c2.

[0195] Method c1: The first duration is determined according to the location of the first device at the second time, the coverage of the area where the first device is located, and the location information of the second device.

[0196] The second time is related to the time when the first device receives the first information. Exemplarily, the sum of the second time and the first duration is the time when the first device receives the first information. Additionally, the second time may be related to the time when the first device completes random access. For example, the second time is the time when the first device completes random access. For another example, the second time is the sum of the time when the first device completes random access and offset value 2. Offset value 2 may be a positive or negative number. Offset value 2 may be pre-set, for example, as specified by a protocol, or may be determined by the first device or the second device.

[0197] The location information of the second device may indicate at least one of the following: the movement speed or the movement direction of the second device. The location information of the second device may be sent by the second device to the first device, or may be obtained by the first device from the ephemeris information of the second device.

[0198] Exemplarily, the first duration may satisfy the following formula: t1=d2 / v, where t1 is the first duration, d2 is the distance between the position of the first device at the second time and the edge position of the coverage range of the area where the first device is located along the movement direction of the second device, and v is the movement speed of the second device.

[0199] Through method c1, the first device can quickly and accurately determine the time to start receiving the first information based on the location of the first device at the second time, the coverage of the area where the first device is located, and the location information of the second device.

[0200] Method c2: The first duration is determined based on the first parameter, the first range, and the location information of the second device. The first parameter may be determined based on a line connecting the first point at the second time and the second device. The first point may be a reference point in the area where the first device is located, for example, the center point of the area where the first device is located. The first range may be the range of the parameter determined based on a line connecting the first point and the second device when the first device is located in the area where the first device is located.

[0201] Among them, the specific content of the location information of the second device can refer to the description of the location information of the second device in method c1, and the specific content of the second time can refer to the description of the second time in method c1, which will not be repeated here.

[0202] In some implementations, the first parameter may be the angle between a line connecting the first point at the second time and the second device and a reference plane; the first range may be the range of angles between a line connecting the first point at the second time and the second device and the reference plane when the first device is located in the area where the first device is located. The reference plane may be a first predetermined plane, such as a vertical plane or the ground.

[0203] For example, when the second device is located between positions 3 and 4, the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the second device is the correspondence shown in Figure 4A; when the second device is located at position 4, the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the second device is the correspondence shown in Figure 4B. As shown in Figure 4C, at the second time, the second device is located between positions 3 and 4, and the first device is located in the area corresponding to SSB16. The first point is the center point of the area corresponding to SSB16. At the second time, the angle between the line connecting the first point and the second device and the ground is The first range is That is, when the first device is located in the area corresponding to SSB16, the angle between the line connecting the first point and the second device and the ground is Thus, the first device can be and the location information of the second device, and determining that the first device is no longer located in the area corresponding to SSB16 after the first time period.

[0204] For example, the first duration may satisfy the following formula: t1=d3 / v, where t1 is the first duration, d3 is the distance between the position 4 and the position of the second device at the second time, and v is the movement speed of the second device. The location information of the second device may include the movement speed and altitude of the second device. d3 may be based on the altitude, as well as Determine, for example, the height of the second device as h,

[0205] Through this implementation, the first device can quickly and accurately determine the first duration based on the angle between the line between the first point at the second time and the second device and the reference plane, and the range of the angle between the line between the first point and the second device and the reference plane when the first device is located in the area where the first device is located.

[0206] In some other implementations, the first parameter may be the length of a line between the first point at the second time and the second device after being mapped to a reference plane; and the first range may be the range of the length of a line between the first point and the second device after being mapped to the reference plane when the first device is located in the area where the first device is located. The reference plane may be a second predetermined plane, such as the ground.

[0207] For example, when the second device is located between positions 3 and 4, the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the second device is the correspondence shown in Figure 4A; when the second device is located at position 4, the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the second device is the correspondence shown in Figure 4B. As shown in Figure 4C, at the second time, the second device is located between positions 3 and 4, and the first device is located in the area corresponding to SSB16. The first point is the center point of the area corresponding to SSB16. At the second time, the length of the line between the first point and the second device after being mapped to the ground is The first range is That is, when the first device is located in the area corresponding to SSB16, the length of the line between the first point and the second device after being mapped to the ground is in the range of Thus, the first device can be and the location information of the second device, and determining that the first device is no longer located in the area corresponding to SSB16 after the first time period.

[0208] For example, the first duration may satisfy the following formula: t1=d3 / v, where t1 is the first duration, d3 is the distance between the position 4 and the position of the second device at the second time, and v is the movement speed of the second device. The location information of the second device may include the movement speed of the second device, and d3 may be based on as well as Determined, for example,

[0209] Optionally, in method c2, the first device may obtain range indication information for indicating the first range through step C1.

[0210] Step C1: The second device sends range indication information to the first device; correspondingly, the first device receives the range indication information from the second device.

[0211] The second device may proactively send range indication information to the first device. For example, the second device may periodically send range indication information. The second device may also send range indication information to the first device upon request from the first device. The range indication information may be carried in a traditional message or in a new message.

[0212] The range indication information may explicitly indicate the first range, for example, the range indication information includes the first range; or the range indication information may implicitly indicate the first range, for example, the range indication information includes information corresponding to the first range.

[0213] Through this step, the first device can obtain the first range in a timely manner.

[0214] In some possible embodiments, before S301 , the method shown in FIG3 further includes S305 to S306 .

[0215] S305: The second device sends sixth information to the first device; correspondingly, the first device receives the sixth information from the second device.

[0216] The sixth information is used to determine a fourth correspondence, which is a correspondence between multiple fourth areas and multiple SSBs within a fourth time period. The multiple fourth areas are multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device within the fourth time period. The specific content of the sixth information can be found in the description of the first information in S301, except that the first information is replaced by the sixth information, the first correspondence is replaced by the fourth correspondence, the first area is replaced by the fourth area, and the first time period is replaced by the fourth time period. The fourth time period may precede the first time period, and the fourth time period may be continuous or discontinuous with the first time period.

[0217] Optionally, the fourth correspondence may be one of the M correspondences in S301. The fourth correspondence may be different from the first correspondence.

[0218] S306: The second device sends first indication information to the first device; correspondingly, the first device receives the first indication information from the second device. The first indication information is used to indicate that the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage area of ​​the second device has changed.

[0219] The specific content of S306 can be referred to step A1, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0220] After receiving the first indication information, the first device may execute step S301, that is, the first device may receive the first information from the second device; in other words, the first indication information may be used to trigger (or instruct) the first device to receive the first information, thereby triggering the first device to timely update the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage range of the second device.

[0221] In some possible approaches, before S301 , the method shown in FIG3 further includes S307 .

[0222] S307: The second device sends second indication information to the first device; accordingly, the first device receives the second indication information from the second device, wherein the second indication information can be used to indicate whether the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and the multiple SSBs is changeable.

[0223] In some implementations, the second indication information may indicate whether the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and the multiple SSBs is variable. For example, the value of the second indication information is a second value (for example, 0), indicating that the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and the multiple SSBs is variable. In this case, the first device may determine the second correspondence based on the first correspondence. For another example, the value of the second indication information is a third value (for example, 1), indicating that the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage of the second device and the multiple SSBs remains unchanged. In this implementation, the second indication information may also have other names, for example, the AcquireNewPattern parameter.

[0224] In other implementations, the second indication information may implicitly indicate whether the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and the multiple SSBs is variable. In some examples, if the value of the second indication information belongs to the first value range, the value of the second indication information can be used to indicate that the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and the multiple SSBs remains unchanged, and is used to indicate the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and the multiple SSBs. The first value range may include one or more numerical values. For example, the first value range includes [-1, -2, -3, ..., -M]. -j is any integer from -1 to -M. When the value of the second indication information is -j, the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and the multiple SSBs remains unchanged, and is the jth correspondence among the M correspondences in S301. In other examples, if the value of the second indication information is within the second value range, the value of the second indication information can be used to indicate that the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and the multiple SSBs is variable, and is used to indicate the correspondence between the multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and the multiple SSBs. In this example, the second indication information may be information 7 in the first information, and the second value range may include [1, 2, 3, …, M]. Through this example, the first device can determine whether the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs is variable based on the value of the second indication information, without the need to indicate whether the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs is variable through additional information, thereby saving signaling overhead.

[0225] The second indication information may be carried in a traditional message (eg, a system message or RRC signaling) or in a new message. The second indication information and the first information may be carried in the same message or in different messages.

[0226] Through this method, the first device can promptly know whether the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the coverage range of the second device is variable, thereby being compatible with both ground fixed areas and beam-following access network equipment.

[0227] In the method shown in FIG3 , during a first time period, the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs remains unchanged and is a first correspondence. After the first time period, the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs is associated with the first correspondence. Based on this association and the first correspondence, the first device can determine the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs after the first time period, thereby determining its own area and coverage information surrounding that area. This improves mobility management performance, enables accurate SSB measurement, and reduces measurement overhead. For example, within the SMTC window issued by the network, the first device can measure the SSB corresponding to its own area and / or the SSBs corresponding to areas surrounding that area based on the determined area and coverage information surrounding that area, thereby achieving accurate SSB measurement and reducing measurement overhead. Furthermore, during the first time period, the system information associated with different SSB indexes is the same. Therefore, the first device can merge system information corresponding to the same SSB index or system information associated with SSB indexes corresponding to geographically adjacent areas, thereby improving the accuracy of the parsed system information, reducing the time it takes to obtain system messages, and reducing access latency.

[0228] An embodiment of the present application provides another communication method. FIG5 is a flow chart of the communication method. This method is a possible example of the method shown in FIG3. The method is described by taking the first device as a terminal and the second device as a satellite as an example. In this method, the satellite sends information indicating the start time of the first time period to the terminal, and the terminal determines the second correspondence based on the start time of the first time period and the first correspondence. As shown in FIG5, the method includes:

[0229] S501: The satellite sends a message 1 to the terminal; correspondingly, the terminal receives the message 1 from the satellite.

[0230] Message 1 includes first information and fourth information. The first information can be used to determine a first correspondence. The first correspondence is the correspondence between multiple first areas and multiple SSBs within a first time period. The multiple first areas are multiple areas within the satellite's coverage area within the first time period. For details on the first information, refer to the description of the first information in S301 and are not repeated here. The fourth information can be used to indicate the start time of the first time period. For details on the fourth information, refer to the description of the fourth information in method a1 and are not repeated here.

[0231] Message 1 may be broadcast information, such as system information (eg, SIB1, SIB19, SIB1bis, or OSI) or RRC signaling.

[0232] S502: The terminal determines a first corresponding relationship according to the first information.

[0233] The specific content of S502 can refer to the description of "the first device can determine the first corresponding relationship according to the first information" in S301, which will not be repeated here.

[0234] S503: The terminal determines a second corresponding relationship based on the first corresponding relationship, wherein the second corresponding relationship is a corresponding relationship between multiple second areas and multiple SSBs in a second time period.

[0235] The specific content of S503 can be found in the reference method a1, and the specific content of the second corresponding relationship can be found in the description of the second corresponding relationship in S302, which will not be repeated here.

[0236] The method shown in Figure 5 can achieve the effects of the method shown in Figure 3 , and repetitions are omitted. Furthermore, in this method, the satellite transmits information indicating the start time of the first time period to the terminal. This ensures that the first time period determined by the terminal and the satellite is identical, thereby avoiding inconsistencies between the terminal and the satellite regarding the effective time of the first correspondence, which in turn prevents communication between the terminal and the satellite from being affected.

[0237] An embodiment of the present application provides another communication method. Figure 6 is a flow chart of the communication method. This method is another possible example of the method shown in Figure 3. The method is described by taking the first device as a terminal and the second device as a satellite as an example. In this method, after the first time period after random access is completed, the terminal receives the first information and updates the correspondence between multiple areas within the satellite coverage area and multiple SSBs based on the first information. The first time period is determined based on the position of the terminal at the second time, the coverage of the area where the terminal is located, and the position information of the satellite. As shown in Figure 6, the method includes:

[0238] S601: A satellite transmits fifth information to a terminal. Accordingly, the terminal receives the fifth information from the satellite during an initial access process (e.g., a cell search and / or random access process). The fifth information may be used to determine a third correspondence between a plurality of third areas and a plurality of SSBs within a third time period. The plurality of third areas are a plurality of areas within the satellite's coverage area within the third time period.

[0239] The specific content of S601 can be found in S304 and will not be repeated here.

[0240] S602: The terminal determines a third corresponding relationship according to the fifth information.

[0241] For the specific content of S602, please refer to the description of "the first device may determine the first corresponding relationship according to the first information" in S301, except that the first information is replaced by the fifth information and the first corresponding relationship is replaced by the third corresponding relationship.

[0242] S603: The satellite sends first information to the terminal. Accordingly, after a first time period after the terminal completes random access, the terminal may receive the first information from the satellite. The first information may be used to determine a first correspondence. The first correspondence is a correspondence between a plurality of first areas and a plurality of SSBs within a first time period. The plurality of first areas are a plurality of areas within the satellite's coverage area within the first time period.

[0243] For the specific content of S603, please refer to step B1. For the specific content of the first information, please refer to the description of the first information in S301. The repeated parts will not be repeated here.

[0244] The first duration is determined based on the location of the terminal at the second time, the coverage of the area where the terminal is located, and the location information of the satellite. For details, please refer to method c1 and will not be repeated here.

[0245] S604: The terminal determines a first corresponding relationship according to the first information.

[0246] The specific content of S604 can refer to the description of "the first device can determine the first corresponding relationship according to the first information" in S301, which will not be repeated here.

[0247] S605: The terminal determines a second corresponding relationship based on the first corresponding relationship, wherein the second corresponding relationship is a corresponding relationship between multiple second areas and multiple SSBs in a second time period.

[0248] The specific content of S605 can be found in the reference method a1, and the specific content of the second corresponding relationship can be found in the description of the second corresponding relationship in S302, which will not be repeated here.

[0249] The method shown in Figure 6 can achieve the effect of the method shown in Figure 3, and the repeated parts will not be repeated. In addition, the time when the terminal receives the fifth information may be a time in the middle of the third time period. If the terminal uses the time of receiving the fifth information as the starting time of the third time period, and determines the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the satellite's coverage area in subsequent time periods based on the starting time, an incorrect correspondence may be obtained. Through the method shown in Figure 6, after the first time period after the terminal completes random access, the terminal can receive the first information from the satellite, and then, based on the first information, correct the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the satellite's coverage area, so that the terminal and the satellite have the same understanding of the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the satellite's coverage area.

[0250] In addition, in this method, the signaling overhead between the terminal and the satellite is small.

[0251] Assume that the correspondence between the multiple areas within the satellite coverage area and the multiple SSBs includes 16 rows and 16 columns. There can be 16 types of correspondence between the multiple areas within the satellite coverage area and the multiple SSBs. The association between the first correspondence and the initial correspondence (i.e., information 7 in S301) can be indicated by (or by) 5 bits, of which 4 bits are used to indicate the association between the first correspondence and the initial correspondence, and 1 bit is used to indicate whether the correspondence between the multiple areas within the satellite coverage area and the multiple SSBs is changeable.

[0252] The number of first areas along the third direction in the coverage of the plurality of first areas (i.e., information 1 in S301) can be indicated by 4 bits. The number of first areas along the fourth direction in the coverage of the plurality of first areas (i.e., information 3 in S301) can be indicated by 4 bits. In the initial correspondence between the plurality of areas within the coverage of the satellite and the plurality of SSBs, the arrangement order of the plurality of SSBs (i.e., information 6 in S301) can be indicated by 1 bit. The position of the reference area in the plurality of first areas (i.e., information 5 in S301) is the starting area in the plurality of first areas. The horizontal offset of the starting area relative to the reference position can be indicated by 4 bits, and the vertical offset of the starting area relative to the reference position can be indicated by 4 bits.

[0253] The number of bits corresponding to the radius, diameter, or side length of each of the multiple first regions along the third direction (i.e., information 2 in S301) and the radius, diameter, or side length of each of the multiple first regions along the fourth direction (i.e., information 4 in S301) is related to precision. Assuming that information 2 is 50 km and information 4 is 55 km, with a precision of 1 km, information 2 and information 4 can each be indicated using 6 bits.

[0254] In summary, the first information can indicate the first corresponding relationship through 5+4+4+1+4+4+6+6=34 bits.

[0255] An embodiment of the present application provides another communication method. FIG7 is a flow chart of the communication method. This method is another possible example of the method shown in FIG3 . The method is described by taking the first device as a terminal and the second device as a satellite as an example. In this method, after the first duration after random access is completed, the terminal receives the first information and updates the correspondence between the multiple areas within the satellite coverage area and the multiple SSBs according to the first information. The first duration is determined based on the first parameter, the first range, and the position information of the satellite. As shown in FIG7 , the method includes:

[0256] S701: A satellite transmits fifth information to a terminal. Accordingly, the terminal receives the fifth information from the satellite during an initial access process (e.g., a cell search and / or random access process). The fifth information may be used to determine a third correspondence between a plurality of third areas and a plurality of SSBs within a third time period. The plurality of third areas are a plurality of areas within the satellite's coverage area within the third time period.

[0257] S702: The terminal determines a third corresponding relationship according to the fifth information.

[0258] For details of S701 to S702 , please refer to S601 to S602 .

[0259] S703: The satellite sends range indication information to the terminal; in response, the terminal receives the range indication information from the satellite. The range indication information can be used to indicate a first range.

[0260] The specific content of S703 can refer to step C1, and the specific content of the first range can refer to the description of the first range in method c2, which will not be repeated here.

[0261] S704: The satellite sends first information to the terminal. Accordingly, after a first time period after the terminal completes random access, the terminal may receive the first information from the satellite. The first information may be used to determine a first correspondence. The first correspondence is a correspondence between a plurality of first areas and a plurality of SSBs within a first time period. The plurality of first areas are a plurality of areas within the satellite's coverage area within the first time period.

[0262] For the specific content of S704, please refer to step B1. For the specific content of the first information, please refer to the description of the first information in S301. The repeated parts will not be repeated here.

[0263] The first duration is determined based on the first parameter, the first range, and the satellite's position information. For details, please refer to method c2 and will not be described in detail here.

[0264] S705: The terminal determines a first corresponding relationship according to the first information.

[0265] S706: The terminal determines a second corresponding relationship based on the first corresponding relationship, wherein the second corresponding relationship is a corresponding relationship between the plurality of second areas and the plurality of SSBs in the second time period.

[0266] The specific contents of S705 to S706 can be found in reference to S604 to S605 and will not be repeated here.

[0267] The method shown in FIG7 can achieve the effect of the method shown in FIG3, and the repeated parts will not be repeated. In addition, the time when the terminal receives the fifth information may be a time in the middle of the third time period. If the terminal uses the time of receiving the fifth information as the starting time of the third time period, and determines the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the satellite's coverage area in subsequent time periods based on the starting time, an incorrect correspondence may be obtained. Through the method shown in FIG7, after the first time period after the terminal completes random access, the terminal can receive the first information from the satellite, and then, based on the first information, correct the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the satellite's coverage area, so that the terminal and the satellite have the same understanding of the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the satellite's coverage area.

[0268] In this method, the signaling overhead between the terminal and the satellite is relatively small. The following description takes as an example an example where the first parameter can be the angle between a line connecting the first point at the second time and the satellite and a reference plane.

[0269] Assume that the correspondence between the multiple areas within the satellite coverage area and the multiple SSBs includes 16 rows and 16 columns. There can be 16 correspondences between the multiple areas within the satellite coverage area and the multiple SSBs. The association between the first correspondence and the initial correspondence (i.e., information 7 in S301) can be indicated by 5 bits, of which 4 bits are used to indicate the association between the first correspondence and the initial correspondence, and 1 bit is used to indicate whether the correspondence between the multiple areas within the satellite coverage area and the multiple SSBs is changeable.

[0270] The number of first areas along the third direction in the coverage of the plurality of first areas (i.e., information 1 in S301) can be indicated by 4 bits. The number of first areas along the fourth direction in the coverage of the plurality of first areas (i.e., information 3 in S301) can be indicated by 4 bits. In the initial correspondence between the plurality of areas within the coverage of the satellite and the plurality of SSBs, the arrangement order of the plurality of SSBs (i.e., information 6 in S301) can be indicated by 1 bit. The position of the reference area in the plurality of first areas (i.e., information 5 in S301) is the starting area in the plurality of first areas. The horizontal offset of the starting area relative to the reference position can be indicated by 4 bits, and the vertical offset of the starting area relative to the reference position can be indicated by 4 bits.

[0271] The number of bits corresponding to the radius, diameter, or side length of each of the multiple first regions along the third direction (i.e., information 2 in S301) and the radius, diameter, or side length of each of the multiple first regions along the fourth direction (i.e., information 4 in S301) is related to precision. Assuming that information 2 is 50 km and information 4 is 55 km, with a precision of 1 km, information 2 and information 4 can each be indicated using 6 bits.

[0272] The number of bits of range indication information is related to the accuracy. Assuming the accuracy is 0.5 degrees (°), for each row in the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the satellite coverage area, if the horizontal angle range is ±50°, there are 100° / 0.5°=200 cases. The horizontal angle can be indicated by 8 bits (can indicate 2 8 = 256 cases); if the vertical angle range is ±50°, the vertical angle can be indicated by 8 bits. The number of bits of the range indication information is (number of horizontal angle range bits + number of vertical angle range bits) * M lines, which is equal to (8 + 8) * 16 = 256.

[0273] In summary, the signaling overhead of the first information and the range indication information is 5+4+4+1+8+12+256=290 bits.

[0274] An embodiment of the present application provides another communication method. FIG8 is a flow chart of the communication method. This method is another possible example of the method shown in FIG3 . The method is described by taking the first device as a terminal and the second device as a satellite as an example. In this method, after receiving the first indication information from the satellite, the terminal can update the correspondence between multiple areas within the satellite coverage area and multiple SSBs. The first indication information can be used to indicate that the correspondence between multiple areas within the satellite coverage area and multiple SSBs has changed. As shown in FIG8 , the method includes:

[0275] S801: A satellite transmits sixth information to a terminal; in response, the terminal receives the sixth information from the satellite. The sixth information may be used to determine a fourth correspondence, where the fourth correspondence is a correspondence between a plurality of fourth areas and a plurality of SSBs within a fourth time period, where the plurality of fourth areas are a plurality of areas within the coverage area of ​​the satellite within the fourth time period.

[0276] The specific content of S801 can be found in S305 and will not be repeated here.

[0277] S802: The terminal determines a fourth corresponding relationship according to the sixth information.

[0278] The specific content of S802 can refer to the description of "the first device can determine the first corresponding relationship according to the first information" in S301, except that the first information is replaced by the sixth information and the first corresponding relationship is replaced by the fourth corresponding relationship.

[0279] S803: The satellite sends first indication information to the terminal; in response, the terminal receives the first indication information from the satellite. The first indication information is used to indicate that the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the satellite and multiple SSBs has changed.

[0280] The specific content of S803 can be found in S306 and will not be repeated here.

[0281] S804: The satellite sends first information to the terminal. Accordingly, after receiving the first indication information, the terminal may receive the first information from the satellite. The first information may be used to determine a first correspondence. The first correspondence is a correspondence between a plurality of first areas and a plurality of SSBs within a first time period. The plurality of first areas are a plurality of areas within the satellite's coverage area within the first time period.

[0282] The specific content of S804 can be found in S301 and will not be repeated here.

[0283] S805: The terminal determines a first corresponding relationship according to the first information.

[0284] S806: The terminal determines a second corresponding relationship based on the first corresponding relationship, wherein the second corresponding relationship is a corresponding relationship between multiple second areas and multiple SSBs in a second time period.

[0285] The specific contents of S805 to S806 can be found in reference to S604 to S605 and will not be repeated here.

[0286] The method shown in FIG8 can achieve the effects of the method shown in FIG3, and the repeated parts are not repeated here. In addition, the terminal can promptly update the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the satellite's coverage area based on the first indication information from the satellite, so that the terminal and the satellite have a consistent understanding of the correspondence between multiple areas and multiple SSBs within the satellite's coverage area.

[0287] Based on the same technical concept as the above-mentioned method embodiment, the embodiment of the present application provides a corresponding communication device, which can be used to perform the functions of the relevant steps in the above-mentioned method embodiment. This function can be implemented by hardware, can be implemented by software, or can be implemented by hardware executing the corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions. The communication device can be a terminal, or can be a module in a terminal (such as a circuit or a chip), or can be a logical node, logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of a terminal or access network device; or the communication device can be an access network device or a module in an access network device (such as a circuit or a chip), or can be a logical node, logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of an access network device.

[0288] In one possible implementation, the structure of the communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG9 , which includes a processing unit 902. Optionally, the communication device further includes an interface unit 901. The functions of each unit in the communication device 900 are described below.

[0289] The interface unit 901 is used to input and / or output information. Input information can be replaced by receiving information, and output information can be replaced by sending information. When outputting information, the interface unit 901 can output information to other devices outside the communication device 900, or it can output information to other units in the communication device 900. In some embodiments, the interface unit 901 can be implemented by at least one of a physical interface, a communication module, a communication interface, and an input / output interface. In other embodiments, the interface unit 901 can be implemented by an interface circuit, for example, a mobile communication module. The mobile communication module may include one or more of at least one antenna, at least one filter, a switch, a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier (LNA), etc.

[0290] The processing unit 902 can be used to support the communication device 900 in performing the processing actions in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The processing unit 902 can be implemented by one or more processors. For example, the processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), or 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 can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0291] In one embodiment, the communication device 900 is applied to the first device in the embodiment of the present application shown in Figure 3. The specific functions of the processing unit 902 in this embodiment are introduced below.

[0292] The processing unit 902 is used to: receive first information from the second device through the interface unit 901, the first information is used to determine a first corresponding relationship, the first corresponding relationship is the corresponding relationship between multiple first areas and multiple SSBs in a first time period, and the multiple first areas are multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device in the first time period; determine a second corresponding relationship based on the first corresponding relationship, the second corresponding relationship is the corresponding relationship between multiple second areas and multiple SSBs in a second time period, the second time period is after the first time period, and the multiple second areas are multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device in the second time period.

[0293] In some possible manners, the processing unit 902 is specifically configured to determine the second corresponding relationship according to the start time of the first time period, the duration of the first time period, and the first corresponding relationship.

[0294] Optionally, the processing unit 902 is also used to: receive second information from the second device through the interface unit 901, the second information is used to indicate the duration; or, receive third information from the second device through the interface unit 901, the third information is used to indicate the radius, diameter or side length of the area where the first device is located among multiple first areas, and the radius, diameter or side length of the area where the first device is located is used to determine the duration.

[0295] Exemplarily, the processing unit 902 is further configured to: receive fourth information from the second device through the interface unit 901, where the fourth information is used to indicate a start time of the first time period.

[0296] In some implementations, the processing unit 902 is also used to: during the cell search and / or random access process, receive fifth information from the second device through the interface unit 901, the fifth information is used to determine a third correspondence, the third correspondence is the correspondence between multiple third areas and multiple SSBs within a third time period, and the multiple third areas are multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device within the third time period; after the random access is completed, receive the first information from the second device through the interface unit 901.

[0297] In some examples, the processing unit 902 is specifically used to: receive the first information from the second device through the interface unit 901 after a first period of time after the random access of the first device is completed, the first period of time is determined based on the position of the first device at the second time, the coverage of the area where the first device is located, and the position information of the second device, and the second time is related to the time when the first device receives the first information.

[0298] In other examples, the processing unit 902 is specifically used to: receive the first information from the second device through the interface unit 901 after a first period of time after the random access of the first device is completed, the first period of time is determined based on the first parameter, the first range and the location information of the second device, wherein the first parameter is determined based on the line between the first point at the second time and the second device, the first point is a reference point in the area where the first device is located, the first range is the range of the parameter determined based on the line between the first point and the second device when the first device is located in the area where the first device is located, and the second time is related to the time when the first device receives the first information.

[0299] Optionally, the processing unit 902 is further configured to: receive range indication information from the second device through the interface unit 901, where the range indication information is used to indicate the first range.

[0300] In other implementations, the processing unit 902 is further used to: before receiving the first information from the second device, receive sixth information from the second device through the interface unit 901, the sixth information is used to determine a fourth correspondence, the fourth correspondence being a correspondence between multiple fourth areas and multiple SSBs within a fourth time period, the multiple fourth areas being multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device within the fourth time period; receive first indication information from the second device through the interface unit 901, the first indication information being used to indicate a change in the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device and multiple SSBs.

[0301] In other possible embodiments, the processing unit 902 is specifically used to: receive first indication information from the second device through the interface unit 901, the first indication information being used to indicate that the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs has changed; determine a second correspondence based on the first correspondence and the first indication information, and the start time of the second time period is the time of receiving the first indication information.

[0302] Optionally, the processing unit 902 is further used to: receive second indication information from the second device through the interface unit 901, where the second indication information is used to indicate whether the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs is variable.

[0303] In some implementations, the processing unit 902 is further configured to: measure at least one of the plurality of SSBs according to a second corresponding relationship within a second time period.

[0304] In another embodiment, the communication device 900 is applied to the second device in the embodiment of the present application shown in Figure 3. The specific functions of the processing unit 902 in this embodiment are introduced below.

[0305] The processing unit 902 is used to: determine the first information; send the first information to the first device through the interface unit 901, the first information is used to determine the first corresponding relationship, the first corresponding relationship is the corresponding relationship between multiple first areas and multiple SSBs in a first time period, the multiple first areas are multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device in the first time period, the first corresponding relationship is used to determine the second corresponding relationship, the second corresponding relationship is the corresponding relationship between multiple second areas and multiple SSBs in a second time period, the second time period is after the first time period, and the multiple second areas are multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device in the second time period.

[0306] In some possible embodiments, the processing unit 902 is also used to: send second information to the first device through the interface unit 901, the second information is used to indicate the duration of the first time period; or send third information to the first device through the interface unit 901, the third information is used to indicate the radius, diameter or side length of the area where the first device is located in multiple first areas, and the radius, diameter or side length of the area where the first device is located is used to determine the duration.

[0307] Optionally, the processing unit 902 is further configured to: send fourth information to the first device through the interface unit 901, where the fourth information is used to indicate a start time of the first time period.

[0308] In some implementations, the processing unit 902 is also used to: during the cell search and / or random access process of the first device, send fifth information to the first device through the interface unit 901, and the fifth information is used to determine a third corresponding relationship, where the third corresponding relationship is the correspondence between multiple third areas and multiple SSBs within a third time period, and the multiple third areas are multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device within the third time period; the first information is received by the first device when the random access of the first device is completed.

[0309] Optionally, the processing unit 902 is further configured to: send range indication information to the first device through the interface unit 901, where the range indication information is used to indicate the first range.

[0310] In other implementations, the processing unit 902 is further used to: before sending the first information to the first device, send sixth information to the first device through the interface unit 901, the sixth information is used to determine a fourth correspondence, the fourth correspondence being the correspondence between multiple fourth areas and multiple SSBs within a fourth time period, the multiple fourth areas being multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device within the fourth time period; and send first indication information to the first device through the interface unit 901, the first indication information being used to indicate that the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device and multiple SSBs has changed.

[0311] Optionally, the processing unit 902 is further used to: send second indication information to the first device through the interface unit 901, where the second indication information is used to indicate whether the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs is variable.

[0312] In some possible embodiments, the processing unit 902 is also used to: send a first indication message to the first device through the interface unit 901, the first indication message being used to indicate that the correspondence between multiple areas within the coverage area of ​​the second device and multiple SSBs has changed; the first indication message and the first correspondence are used to determine a second correspondence, and the start time of the second time period is the time when the first device receives the first indication message.

[0313] A more detailed description of the processing unit 902 and the interface unit 901 can be directly obtained by referring to the relevant description in the method embodiment shown in FIG3 , and is not repeated here.

[0314] It should be noted that the division of modules in the above embodiments of the present application is illustrative and is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a processing unit, or may exist separately physically, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The above-mentioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0315] If the above-mentioned integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or a processor to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0316] In one possible implementation, the communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG10 . The communication device 1000 includes a processor 1002. Optionally, the communication device 1000 also includes an interface circuit 1001 and a memory 1003. The interface circuit 1001, the processor 1002, and the memory 1003 are coupled to each other.

[0317] Optionally, the interface circuit 1001, the processor 1002, and the memory 1003 are coupled to each other via a bus 1004. Bus 1004 may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus. Buses can be classified as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of illustration, FIG10 shows only one thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0318] Interface circuit 1001 is used to input and / or output information. Inputting information can be replaced by receiving information, and outputting information can be replaced by sending information. When outputting information, interface circuit 1001 can output information to other devices outside of communication device 1000, or to other units within communication device 1000. Exemplarily, interface circuit 1001 can be implemented via at least one of a physical interface, a communication module, a communication interface, an input / output interface, and a mobile communication module. The mobile communication module may include one or more of at least one antenna, at least one filter, a switch, a power amplifier, an LNA, and the like.

[0319] Processor 1002 can be used to support communication device 1000 in executing the processing actions in the above-described method embodiments. When communication device 1000 is used to implement the above-described method embodiments, processor 1002 can also be used to implement the functions of processing unit 902. Processor 1002 can be a CPU, other general-purpose processors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs, other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0320] In one embodiment, the communication device 1000 is applied to the first device in the embodiment of the present application shown in Figure 3. The specific functions of the processor 1002 in this embodiment are introduced below.

[0321] Processor 1002 is used to: receive first information from the second device through interface circuit 1001, the first information is used to determine a first corresponding relationship, the first corresponding relationship is the corresponding relationship between multiple first areas and multiple SSBs in a first time period, and the multiple first areas are multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device in the first time period; determine a second corresponding relationship based on the first corresponding relationship, the second corresponding relationship is the corresponding relationship between multiple second areas and multiple SSBs in a second time period, the second time period is after the first time period, and the multiple second areas are multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device in the second time period.

[0322] In another embodiment, the communication device 1000 is applied to the second device in the embodiment of the present application shown in Figure 3. The specific functions of the processor 1002 in this embodiment are introduced below.

[0323] Processor 1002 is used to: determine first information; send first information to the first device through interface circuit 1001, the first information is used to determine a first corresponding relationship, the first corresponding relationship is the corresponding relationship between multiple first areas and multiple SSBs in a first time period, the multiple first areas are multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device in the first time period, the first corresponding relationship is used to determine a second corresponding relationship, the second corresponding relationship is the corresponding relationship between multiple second areas and multiple SSBs in a second time period, the second time period is after the first time period, and the multiple second areas are multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device in the second time period.

[0324] The specific functions of the processor 1002 can refer to the description of the communication method provided in the above embodiments and examples of the present application, as well as the specific functional description of the communication device 900 in the embodiment of the present application shown in Figure 9, and will not be repeated here.

[0325] Memory 1003 is used to store program instructions and / or data, etc. Specifically, the program instructions may include program code, which includes computer operation instructions. Memory 1003 may include RAM, and may also include non-volatile memory (non-volatile memory), such as at least one disk storage. Processor 1002 executes the program instructions stored in memory 1003, and uses the data stored in memory 1003 to implement the above functions, thereby realizing the communication method provided in the above-mentioned embodiment of the present application. Memory 1003 can be integrated with processor 1002, or it can be a memory outside the communication device.

[0326] It is understood that the memory 1003 in FIG. 10 of the present application can be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be a ROM, a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory can be a RAM, which is used as an external cache. By way of example but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to comprise, but not be limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0327] Based on the above embodiments, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product including computer-executable instructions. When the computer program product is run, the method provided in the above embodiments is executed.

[0328] Based on the above embodiments, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer executes the method provided in the above embodiments.

[0329] The storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer.

[0330] Based on the above embodiments, an embodiment of the present application further provides a chip, which is used to read a computer program stored in a memory to implement the method provided in the above embodiments.

[0331] Based on the above embodiments, embodiments of the present application provide a chip system, which includes a processor for supporting a computer device to implement the functions involved in each device in the above embodiments. In one possible design, the chip system also includes a memory for storing the necessary programs and data for the computer device. The chip system can be composed of a chip or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0332] 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.

[0333] The present application is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the present application. It should be understood that each flow and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the flow chart and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device for implementing the functions specified in one or more flow charts and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0334] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0335] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0336] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. 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. In the text description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. In the formula description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in a "division" relationship.

[0337] It is understood that the various numbers used in the embodiments of this application are merely for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic.

[0338] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Comprising: The first device receives first information from the second device, where the first information is used to determine a first correspondence, and the first correspondence is a correspondence between a plurality of first regions and a plurality of synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel PBCH blocks SSBs within a first time period, and the plurality of first regions are a plurality of regions within the coverage range of the second device during the first time period; The first device determines a second correspondence according to the first correspondence, where the second correspondence is a correspondence between a plurality of second regions and the plurality of SSBs within a second time period, the second time period is after the first time period, and the plurality of second regions are a plurality of regions within the coverage range of the second device during the second time period.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first device determines the second correspondence according to the first correspondence, including: The first device determines the second correspondence according to the start time of the first time period, the duration of the first time period, and the first correspondence.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein The first correspondence includes M rows and N columns, where M is the number of regions within the coverage range of the second device along a first direction, N is the number of regions within the coverage range of the second device along a second direction, the first direction is the movement direction of the second device, M and N are positive integers, the second correspondence includes M rows and N columns, the last K rows in the first correspondence are the first K rows in the second correspondence, and the first M-K rows in the first correspondence are the last M-K rows in the second correspondence, where K is determined based on the number of regions spanned by the second device from the first time period to the second time period.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, Further comprising at least one of the following: The first device receives second information from the second device, where the second information is used to indicate the duration; or The first device receives third information from the second device, where the third information is used to indicate the radius, diameter, or side length of the region where the first device is located among the plurality of first regions, and the radius, diameter, or side length of the region where the first device is located is used to determine the duration.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that Further comprising: The first device receives fourth information from the second device, where the fourth information is used to indicate the start time of the first time period.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Further comprising: During cell search and / or random access procedure, the first device receives fifth information from the second device, where the fifth information is used to determine a third correspondence, and the third correspondence is a correspondence between a plurality of third regions and the plurality of SSBs within a third time period, and the plurality of third regions are a plurality of regions within the coverage range of the second device during the third time period; The first device receives the first information from the second device, including: After the first device completes random access, the first device receives the first information from the second device.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein After the first device completes random access, the first device receives the first information from the second device, including: After a first duration after the first device completes random access, the first device receives the first information from the second device. The first duration is determined according to the position of the first device at a second time, the coverage range of the area where the first device is located, and the position information of the second device. The second time is related to the time when the first device receives the first information.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein The first device completes random access and the first device receives the first information from the second device, including: After a first duration after the first device completes random access, the first device receives the first information from the second device. The first duration is determined according to a first parameter, a first range, and the position information of the second device. Wherein, the first parameter is determined according to the connection line between a first point at the second time and the second device. The first point is a reference point in the area where the first device is located. The first range is the range of the parameter determined according to the connection line between the first point and the second device when the first device is located in the area where the first device is located. The second time is related to the time when the first device receives the first information.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein It further includes: The first device receives range indication information from the second device, and the range indication information is used to indicate the first range.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The first parameter is the angle between the connection line between the first point at the second time and the second device and a reference plane. The first range is the range of the angle between the connection line between the first point and the second device and the reference plane when the first device is located in the area where the first device is located; or, The first parameter is the length of the connection line between the first point at the second time and the second device mapped onto the reference plane. The first range is the range of the length of the connection line between the first point and the second device mapped onto the reference plane when the first device is located in the area where the first device is located.

11. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, Before the first device receives the first information from the second device, it further includes: The first device receives sixth information from the second device. The sixth information is used to determine a fourth correspondence relationship, and the fourth correspondence relationship is the correspondence relationship between multiple fourth regions and the multiple SSBs within a fourth time period. The multiple fourth regions are multiple regions within the coverage range of the second device during the fourth time period; The first device receives first indication information from the second device, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the correspondence relationship between multiple regions within the coverage range of the second device and the multiple SSBs has changed.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, It further includes: The first device receives second indication information from the second device, and the second indication information is used to indicate whether the correspondence relationship between multiple regions within the coverage range of the second device and the multiple SSBs is variable.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein The value of the second indication information belongs to a first value range, and the value of the second indication information is used to indicate that the correspondence between a plurality of regions within the coverage range of the second device and the plurality of SSBs remains unchanged, and is also used to indicate the correspondence between the plurality of regions within the coverage range of the second device and the plurality of SSBs.

14. A communication method, characterized in that, Including: The second device determines first information; The second device sends the first information to the first device. The first information is used to determine a first correspondence relationship, where the first correspondence relationship is the correspondence relationship between a plurality of first regions and a plurality of synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel PBCH blocks SSBs within a first time period. The plurality of first regions are a plurality of regions within the coverage range of the second device during the first time period. The first correspondence relationship is used to determine a second correspondence relationship, where the second correspondence relationship is the correspondence relationship between a plurality of second regions and the plurality of SSBs within a second time period. The second time period is after the first time period. The plurality of second regions are a plurality of regions within the coverage range of the second device during the second time period.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, The start time of the first time period, the duration of the first time period, and the first correspondence relationship are used to determine the second correspondence relationship.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first correspondence relationship includes M rows and N columns. M is the number of regions within the coverage range of the second device along a first direction, and N is the number of regions within the coverage range of the second device along a second direction. The first direction is the movement direction of the second device. M and N are positive integers. The second correspondence relationship includes M rows and N columns. The last K rows in the first correspondence relationship are the first K rows in the second correspondence relationship, and the first M-K rows in the first correspondence relationship are the last M-K rows in the second correspondence relationship. Here, K is determined based on the number of regions spanned by the second device from the first time period to the second time period.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, It further includes at least one of the following: The second device sends second information to the first device, and the second information is used to indicate the duration; or The second device sends third information to the first device, and the third information is used to indicate the radius, diameter, or side length of the region where the first device is located among the plurality of first regions. The radius, diameter, or side length of the region where the first device is located is used to determine the duration.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that It further includes: The second device sends fourth information to the first device, and the fourth information is used to indicate the start time of the first time period.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, characterized in that, It further includes: During the cell search and / or random access process of the first device, the second device sends fifth information to the first device. The fifth information is used to determine a third correspondence relationship, where the third correspondence relationship is the correspondence relationship between a plurality of third regions and the plurality of SSBs within a third time period. The plurality of third regions are a plurality of regions within the coverage range of the second device during the third time period; The first information is received by the first device when the random access of the first device is completed.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The first information is received by the first device after a first duration after the random access of the first device is completed. The first duration is determined according to the position of the first device at a second time, the coverage range of the area where the first device is located, and the position information of the second device. The second time is related to the time when the first device receives the first information.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein The first information is received by the first device after a first duration after the random access of the first device is completed. The first duration is determined according to a first parameter, a first range, and the position information of the second device. Wherein, the first parameter is determined according to the connection line between a first point at the second time and the second device. The first point is a reference point in the area where the first device is located. The first range is the range of the parameter determined according to the connection line between the first point and the second device when the first device is located in the area where the first device is located. The second time is related to the time when the first device receives the first information.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein Further included: The second device sends range indication information to the first device, and the range indication information is used to indicate the first range.

23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that, The first parameter is the included angle between the connection line between the first point at the second time and the second device and a reference plane. The first range is the range of the included angle between the connection line between the first point and the second device and the reference plane when the first device is located in the area where the first device is located; or, The first parameter is the length of the connection line between the first point at the second time and the second device mapped to the reference plane. The first range is the range of the length of the connection line between the first point and the second device mapped to the reference plane when the first device is located in the area where the first device is located.

24. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that, Before the second device sends the first information to the first device, further included: The second device sends sixth information to the first device, and the sixth information is used to determine a fourth correspondence relationship. The fourth correspondence relationship is the correspondence relationship between multiple fourth areas and the multiple SSBs within a fourth time period. The multiple fourth areas are multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device within the fourth time period; The second device sends first indication information to the first device, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the correspondence relationship between multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device and the multiple SSBs has changed.

25. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 24, characterized in that, Further included: The second device sends second indication information to the first device, and the second indication information is used to indicate whether the correspondence relationship between multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device and the multiple SSBs is variable.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein, The value of the second indication information belongs to a first value range. The value of the second indication information is used to indicate that the correspondence relationship between multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device and the multiple SSBs remains unchanged, and is used to indicate the correspondence relationship between multiple areas within the coverage range of the second device and the multiple SSBs.

27. A communication device, characterized in that, Comprising units for performing the method according to any one of claims 1-13, or comprising units for performing the method according to any one of claims 14-26.

28. A communication device, characterized in that, Comprising a processor that executes instructions to cause the device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-13, or to cause the device to perform the method according to any one of claims 14-26.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer program or instructions are stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer program or instructions are executed, the method according to any one of claims 1-26 is implemented.

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