Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a communication method and a communication apparatus. The method comprises: decoupling a system message that couples network configuration information of a service satellite and an adjacent satellite, wherein a first system message comprises network configuration information of the service satellite (a first network device), a second system message comprises network configuration information of the adjacent satellite (a second network device), the first system message is transmitted within the entire service range (a first area) of the service satellite, and the second system message is only transmitted within an overlap area (a second area) between the service satellite and the adjacent satellite. Therefore, the present application avoids system message transmission overhead caused by transmission of network configuration messages of adjacent satellites in non-overlapping areas, so as to save part of transmission resources, which thus can be used for data transmission, thus improving the data transmission efficiency.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] This application is required to be submitted to the State Intellectual Property Office of China on January 4, 2024, with application number 202410017058 .0 , the priority of the Chinese patent application entitled “A Communication Method and Communication Device”, the entire content of which is incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to a satellite network, and more particularly, to a communication method and a communication device. Background Art

[0003] Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), such as satellite communications, have significant advantages such as global coverage, long-distance transmission, flexible networking, easy deployment, and freedom from geographical restrictions. They have been widely used in many fields such as maritime communications, positioning and navigation, disaster relief, scientific experiments, video broadcasting, and earth observation.

[0004] In a satellite communication system, the communication system sends system messages required for various network and access services to users through several broadcast beams in different directions, indicating the relevant configuration of network communications. The system messages mainly include master information blocks (MIBs) and system information blocks (SIBs). Among them, SIBs can be classified according to the content they carry. For example, the main network configuration and access permission of the serving cell are defined as SIB1, the cell reselection configuration information is defined as SIB2, SIB4, etc., and the satellite ephemeris, timing advance (TA), reference point position, handover distance threshold and other auxiliary information are defined as SIB19. SIBs excluding SIB1 can be collectively referred to as other system information (OSI).

[0005] The auxiliary access information and measurement configuration of the serving satellite and the adjacent satellite are coupled in different types of SIB messages. How to send SIB messages is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a communication method that enables a serving satellite to send system configuration information of adjacent satellites only in the direction of a broadcast beam at the coverage edge, thereby reducing the total sending overhead of system messages and improving the system data transmission efficiency.

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method may be executed by a first network device, or may be executed by a chip or circuit configured in the first network device, and this application does not limit this.

[0008] The method includes: broadcasting a first system message to a first area, where the first area is a coverage area provided by the first network device, and the first system message is used for user equipment and the first network device to perform at least one of access, beam management, and mobility measurement within the first area; and broadcasting a second system message to a second area, where the second area includes an area with overlapping coverage of the first network device and the second network device, and the second system message is used for the user equipment and the second network device to perform access and / or mobility measurement within the second area, and the second system message is a message dedicated to the second area.

[0009] In the present application, the first network device may be a service satellite or an access network device of a service satellite, and the present application does not limit this.

[0010] In the present application, the user equipment may be a terminal device, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0011] In the present application, the second network device may be a satellite or access network device adjacent to the service satellite. The second network device may include one or more network devices, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0012] In this application, a region can be understood as a geographical area covered by satellite services, and different geographical areas correspond to different regions. For example, geographical area #1 corresponds to the first region, and geographical area #2 corresponds to the second region.

[0013] In this application, the coverage area of ​​a network device may correspond to one or more cells. For example, the first network device carries one cell and provides services to the first area through one cell. The first network device may also carry multiple cells and provide services to the first area through multiple cells.

[0014] Currently, the network configuration information of the serving satellite and the neighboring satellite (such as auxiliary access information and measurement configuration information) is coupled in multiple different types of system messages (SIBs). In order to ensure access and transmission of the serving satellite, multiple different types of system messages need to be sent within the satellite coverage of the serving satellite. However, the configuration information about the neighboring satellites in these system messages is usually used for access and mobility measurement of user equipment in the overlapping area of ​​the serving satellite and the neighboring satellite. Therefore, sending these system messages within the entire coverage area of ​​the serving satellite will generate unnecessary system message sending overhead, occupy a certain amount of resources, and affect data transmission efficiency. In this application, the system messages that couple the network configuration information of the serving satellite and the neighboring satellite are decoupled. A first system message includes the network configuration information of the serving satellite (first network device), and a second system message includes the network configuration information of the neighboring satellite (second network device). The first system message is sent within the entire service range of the serving satellite (first area), and the second system message is sent only within the overlapping area (second area) of the serving satellite and the neighboring satellite. Therefore, the system message sending overhead generated by sending the network configuration message of the neighboring satellite in the non-overlapping area is avoided, and a portion of sending resources is saved. This portion of sending resources can be used to send data, thereby improving data transmission efficiency.

[0015] With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first system message includes access assistance information used by the first network device to perform NTN access and configuration information for measuring synchronization signals.

[0016] In this application, access auxiliary information can be understood as auxiliary information required for the user equipment to access the first network device in the NTN scenario.

[0017] In this application, the configuration information for measuring the synchronization signal is the measurement configuration of the synchronization signal in the beam management process of the first network device.

[0018] Or it is the measurement configuration of the synchronization signal in the mobility management process during cell reselection or handover.

[0019] In this solution, the first system message reorganizes the network configuration of the serving satellite in SIB2 or 4 and SIB9 into a new OSI message.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first system message includes a first criterion, and the first criterion is used by the user equipment to determine whether it is in the second area.

[0021] Exemplarily, the first criterion may include at least one of a distance threshold from a reference point, an angle threshold, a synchronization signal block (SSB) index, and the like.

[0022] The first criterion may also be sent through other messages, such as MIB messages.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the second system message includes a list of the second network devices and access assistance information for the second network devices to perform NTN access, configuration information for cell reselection, and configuration information for measuring the synchronization signal of the second network devices.

[0024] In the present application, the access auxiliary information of the second network device can be understood as auxiliary information required for the user equipment to access the second network device in the NTN scenario.

[0025] In the present application, the configuration information for cell reselection may include parameters related to whether to perform cell reselection.

[0026] In the present application, the configuration information for measuring the synchronization signal of the second network device can be understood as the relevant configuration of the user equipment to measure the synchronization signal of the second network device.

[0027] In this solution, the first system message reorganizes the network configurations of adjacent satellites in SIB2 / 4 and SIB9 into a new OSI message.

[0028] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first system message also includes the time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, the access permission of the first network device, and a first scheduling indication, and the first scheduling indication is used to schedule the second system message.

[0029] In this solution, the first system message includes not only the network configuration of the serving satellite in SIB2 / 4 and SIB9 but also the content in SIB1, which are recombined into a new SIB message.

[0030] The first scheduling indication includes scheduling information and search space for the second system message.

[0031] The first system message may be indicated by MIB scheduling.

[0032] With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first system message is broadcast to the first area based on different sending directions, and the first system messages sent in the different sending directions include the same configuration parameters.

[0033] When the first system message includes SIB1 content, it is sent as a system message block at the cell level, with identical configurations within each cell. Parameters within each cell must be consistent in each transmission direction. Therefore, when sending the first system message, the corresponding configuration parameters must also be consistent across different broadcast beam directions. This ensures measurement consistency and facilitates combined reception by user equipment.

[0034] In this solution, the configuration parameters and specific parameter values ​​in the second system message sent by the first network device may be the same or different.

[0035] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, a third system message is broadcast to the first area, where the third system message includes the time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, the access permission of the first network device, and the second scheduling indication, where the second scheduling indication is used to schedule the first system message and the second system message.

[0036] In this solution, the first system message and the second system message are sent as OSI, and the first network device can broadcast the third system message, namely, SIB1, to the first area.

[0037] The second scheduling indication includes scheduling information and search space for the first system message and the second system message.

[0038] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method may be executed by a user device, or may be executed by a chip or circuit configured in the user device, and this application does not limit this.

[0039] The method includes: receiving a first system message in a first area, where the first area is a coverage area provided by a first network device, and the first system message is used by the user equipment and the first network device to perform at least one of access, beam management, and mobility measurement within the first area; and when in a second area, receiving a second system message dedicated to the second area, where the second area includes an area with overlapping coverage by the first network device and the second network device, and the second system message is used by the user equipment and the second network device to perform access and / or mobility measurement within the second area.

[0040] In this application, the contents of the first network device, the second network device, the user equipment and the area can be referred to in the first aspect and will not be repeated here.

[0041] In this technical solution, a user device located in the overlapping coverage area (second area) of the serving satellite (first network device) and the adjacent satellite (second network device) can receive network configuration messages about the serving satellite (first system message) and network configuration messages about the adjacent satellite (second system message), while a user device located in the coverage area (first area) of the serving satellite but not in the overlapping coverage area only receives network configuration messages about the serving satellite (first system message) and does not receive network configuration messages about the adjacent satellite (second system message). Therefore, the system message sending overhead generated by sending the network configuration messages of the adjacent satellite in the non-overlapping area is avoided, and a part of the sending resources is saved. This part of the sending resources can be used to send data, thereby improving data transmission efficiency.

[0042] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first system message includes access assistance information used by the first network device to perform NTN access and configuration information for measuring synchronization signals.

[0043] In this application, access auxiliary information can be understood as auxiliary information required for the user equipment to access the first network device in the NTN scenario.

[0044] In this application, the configuration information for measuring the synchronization signal is the measurement configuration of the synchronization signal in the beam management process of the first network device.

[0045] Or it is the measurement configuration of the synchronization signal in the mobility management process during cell reselection or handover.

[0046] In this solution, the first system message reorganizes the network configuration of the serving satellite in SIB2 or 4 and SIB9 into a new OSI message.

[0047] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first system message includes a first criterion, and the first criterion is used by the user equipment to determine whether it is in the second area.

[0048] Exemplarily, the first criterion may include at least one of a distance threshold from a reference point, an angle threshold, an SSB index, and the like.

[0049] The first criterion may also be sent through other messages, such as MIB messages.

[0050] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the second system message includes a list of the second network devices and access assistance information for the second network devices to perform NTN access, configuration information for cell reselection, and configuration information for measuring the synchronization signal of the second network devices.

[0051] In the present application, the access auxiliary information of the second network device can be understood as auxiliary information required for the user equipment to access the second network device in the NTN scenario.

[0052] In the present application, the configuration information for cell reselection may include parameters related to whether to perform cell reselection.

[0053] In the present application, the configuration information for measuring the synchronization signal of the second network device can be understood as the relevant configuration of the user equipment to measure the synchronization signal of the second network device.

[0054] In this solution, the first system message reorganizes the network configurations about the neighboring satellites in SIB2 or 4 and SIB9 into a new OSI message.

[0055] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first system message also includes the time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, the access permission of the first network device, and a first scheduling indication, and the first scheduling indication is used to schedule the second system message.

[0056] In this solution, the first system message includes not only the network configuration of the serving satellite in SIB2 or 4 and SIB9, but also the content in SIB1, which are recombined into a new SIB message.

[0057] The first scheduling indication includes scheduling information and search space for the second system message.

[0058] The first system message may be indicated by MIB scheduling.

[0059] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first system message is received in the first area based on different receiving directions, and the configuration parameters corresponding to the first system messages received in the different beam directions are the same.

[0060] When the first system message includes SIB1 content, it is sent as a system message block at the cell level, with identical configurations within each cell. Parameters within each cell must be consistent in each transmission direction. Therefore, when sending the first system message, the corresponding configuration parameters must also be consistent across different broadcast beam directions. This ensures measurement consistency and facilitates combined reception by user equipment.

[0061] In this solution, the configuration parameters and specific parameter values ​​in the second system message sent by the first network device may be the same or different.

[0062] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, a third system message is received in the first area, where the third system message includes the time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, the access permission of the first network device, and the second scheduling indication, where the second scheduling indication is used to schedule the first system message and the second system message.

[0063] In this solution, the first system message and the second system message are sent as OSI, and the first network device can broadcast the third system message, namely, SIB1, to the first area.

[0064] The second scheduling indication includes scheduling information and search space for the first system message and the second system message.

[0065] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided. The device may be a first network device, or a chip or circuit configured in the first network device, which is not limited in this application.

[0066] The device includes: a transceiver unit, configured to broadcast a first system message to a first area, where the first area is a coverage area provided by the first network device, and the first system message is used for a user device and the first network device to perform at least one of access, beam management, and mobility measurement within the first area; the transceiver unit is also configured to broadcast a second system message to a second area, where the second area includes an area with overlapping coverage by the first network device and the second network device, and the second system message is used for the user device and the second network device to perform access and / or mobility measurement within the second area, and the second system message is a message dedicated to the second area.

[0067] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the first system message includes access assistance information used by the first network device to perform NTN access and configuration information for measuring synchronization signals.

[0068] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the first system message includes a first criterion, and the first criterion is used by the user equipment to determine whether it is in the second area.

[0069] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the second system message includes a list of the second network devices and access assistance information for the second network devices to perform NTN access, configuration information for cell reselection, and configuration information for measuring the synchronization signal of the second network devices.

[0070] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the first system message also includes the time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, the access permission of the first network device, and a first scheduling indication, and the first scheduling indication is used to schedule the second system message.

[0071] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to broadcast the first system message to the first area based on different sending directions, and the configuration parameters included in the first system messages sent in the different sending directions are the same.

[0072] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to broadcast a third system message to the first area, wherein the third system message includes the time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, the access permission of the first network device, and the second scheduling indication, and the second scheduling indication is used to schedule the first system message and the second system message.

[0073] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided. The device may be a user device, or may be a chip or circuit configured in the user device, which is not limited in this application.

[0074] The device includes: a transceiver unit, used to receive a first system message in a first area, where the first area is a coverage area provided by a first network device, and the first system message is used for the user equipment and the first network device to perform at least one of access, beam management, and mobility measurement within the first area; and a transceiver unit, used to receive a second system message dedicated to the second area when in a second area, where the second area includes an area with overlapping coverage of the first network device and the second network device, and the second system message is used for the user equipment and the second network device to perform access and / or mobility measurement within the second area.

[0075] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the first system message includes access assistance information used by the first network device to perform NTN access and configuration information for measuring synchronization signals.

[0076] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the first system message includes a first criterion, and the first criterion is used by the user equipment to determine whether it is in the second area.

[0077] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the second system message includes a list of the second network devices and access assistance information for the second network devices to perform NTN access, configuration information for cell reselection, and configuration information for measuring the synchronization signal of the second network device.

[0078] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the first system message also includes the time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, the access permission of the first network device, and a first scheduling indication, and the first scheduling indication is used to schedule the second system message.

[0079] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to receive the first system message in the first area based on different receiving directions, and the configuration parameters corresponding to the first system messages received in different beam directions are the same.

[0080] In combination with the fourth aspect, in certain implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further used to receive a third system message in the first area, where the third system message includes the time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, the access permission of the first network device, and the second scheduling indication, and the second scheduling indication is used to schedule the first system message and the second system message.

[0081] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, the device being configured to execute the method provided in any of the first to second aspects. Specifically, the communication device may include units and / or modules, such as a processing unit and / or a communication unit, configured to execute the method provided in any of the above-mentioned implementations of any of the first to second aspects.

[0082] In one implementation, the communication device includes a communication unit and a processing unit. The communication unit may be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit may be at least one processor. Alternatively, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Alternatively, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0083] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip, chip system, or circuit in a network device. When the communication device is a chip, chip system, or circuit in a network device, the communication unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; and the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0084] In the sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a processor and, optionally, a memory, wherein the processor is used to control the transceiver to send and receive signals, the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to call and run the computer program from the memory, so that the sending device executes the method in any possible implementation of any aspect of the first to second aspects above.

[0085] Optionally, there are one or more processors and one or more memories.

[0086] Optionally, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be provided separately from the processor.

[0087] Optionally, the network device further includes a transceiver, which may specifically be a transmitter (transmitter) and a receiver (receiver).

[0088] In the seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program or code. When the computer program or code is run on a computer, the computer executes the method in any possible implementation of any aspect of the first to second aspects above.

[0089] In the eighth aspect, a chip is provided, comprising at least one processor, the at least one processor being coupled to a memory, the memory being used to store a computer program, the processor being used to call and run the computer program from the memory, so that a sending device equipped with the chip system executes a method in any possible implementation of any aspect from the first aspect to the second aspect above.

[0090] The chip may include an input circuit or interface for sending information or data, and an output circuit or interface for receiving information or data.

[0091] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising: a computer program code, which, when the computer program code is sent and executed by a device, executes a method in any possible implementation of any of the first to second aspects above.

[0092] The beneficial effects of the third to ninth aspects can refer to the beneficial effects of the first to second aspects and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0093] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an architecture 100 of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0094] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an architecture 200 of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0095] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an architecture 300 of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0096] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of an architecture 400 of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0097] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an architecture 500 of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0098] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the coverage of multiple satellites applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0099] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the service range of a satellite applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0100] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a time domain resource pattern occupied by sending SIBs applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0101] FIG9 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0102] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a time domain resource pattern occupied by sending SIBs applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0103] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of a time domain resource pattern occupied by sending SIBs applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0104] FIG12 is a structural block diagram of a communication device applicable to an embodiment of the present application.

[0105] FIG13 is a structural block diagram of a communication device applicable to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0106] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0107] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: fifth generation (5G) or new radio (NR) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, etc. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication system. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to sidelink communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), and Internet of Things (IoT) communication systems or other communication systems.

[0108] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0109] First, a communication system applicable to this application is briefly introduced as follows.

[0110] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture 100 of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, a terrestrial mobile terminal (UE) accesses the network via the 5G new air interface. The 5G access network equipment is deployed on a satellite and connected to the terrestrial core network via a wireless link. At the same time, a wireless link exists between the satellites to complete the signaling interaction and user data transmission between the access network equipment. The various network elements in Figure 1 and their interfaces are described as follows:

[0111] Terminal device: A mobile device that supports the 5G new air interface, typically a mobile phone, tablet, or other mobile device. It can access the satellite network through the air interface and initiate calls, access the Internet, and other services.

[0112] 5G access network equipment: mainly provides wireless access services, dispatches wireless resources to access terminals, and provides reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols, such as base stations.

[0113] 5G core network: This network provides services such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing. It consists of multiple functional units, divided into control plane and data plane functional entities. The access and mobility management function (AMF) is responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. The user plane function (UPF) manages user plane data transmission, traffic statistics, and other functions.

[0114] Ground station: responsible for forwarding signaling and business data between satellite access network equipment and 5G core network.

[0115] 5G New Air Interface: The wireless link between the terminal and access network equipment.

[0116] Xn interface: The interface between 5G access network devices, mainly used for signaling interaction such as switching.

[0117] NG interface: The interface between 5G access network equipment and 5G core network, mainly used for interacting with core network high-layer signaling (non access stratum, NAS) and other signaling, as well as user service data.

[0118] In non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), various NTN-RAN architectures are defined. The following provides examples of RAN architectures applicable to NTNs.

[0119] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an architecture 200 of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application. The architecture shown in Figure 2 is called transparent satellite RAN architecture (RAN architecture with transparent satellite). As shown in Figure 2, in the transparent transmission scenario, the role of the satellite is to achieve frequency conversion and wireless frequency amplification, which is equivalent to an analog RF repeater. Therefore, the satellite copies the NR Uu wireless interface signal from the feeder link (between the NTN gateway and the satellite) to the service link (between the satellite and the UE), and vice versa. The satellite radio interface (SRI) on the feeder link transmits the NR-Uu interface signal, that is, the satellite does not terminate the NR Uu interface signal, but copies the signal. The NTN gateway supports all necessary functions for forwarding the NR-Uu interface signal. Different transmission satellites can be connected to the same ground gNB.

[0120] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another architecture 300 of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application. The architecture shown in Figure 3 is called regenerative satellite without ISL (inter-satellite link). In this architecture, the satellite acts as a base station to regenerate signals received from the ground, that is, the service link between the UE and the satellite transmits the NR-Uu wireless interface signal, and the feeder link between the NTN gateway and the satellite transmits the satellite radio interface (SRI) signal. The SRI interface is a transmission link between the NTN gateway and the satellite. The NG interface signal is transmitted to the NTN gateway through the SRI interface, and then forwarded by the NTN gateway to the core network device on the ground. The process of transmitting the NG interface signal from the ground core network device to the satellite base station is similar and will not be repeated here.

[0121] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another architecture 400 of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application. The architecture shown in Figure 4 is called a regenerative satellite with an intersatellite link (ISL). In this scenario, the satellite also acts as a base station. The difference from the previous scenario is that an ISL exists in this scenario. The ISL is an inter-satellite transmission link. As shown in the above figure, a UE served by an onboard base station can access the 5G core network through the ISL. Base stations on different satellites can be connected to the same terrestrial 5G core network.

[0122] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another architecture 500 of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application. The architecture shown in Figure 5 is named NG-RAN with a regenerative satellite based on gNB-DU. In this scenario, the CU and DU of the base station are separated. The satellite is on board as the DU of the base station. The satellite regenerates the signal received from the ground, that is, the service link between the UE and the satellite transmits the NR-Uu radio interface signal, and the feeder link between the NTN gateway and the satellite transmits the satellite radio interface (SRI) signal. The satellite radio interface is a transmission link that can transmit the logical interface F1 signal of the 3GPP standard. On the satellite radio interface, the F1 protocol signal is transmitted. The satellite can provide inter-satellite links (ISLs) between satellites. The NTN gateway is a transmission network layer node and supports all necessary transmission protocols. DUs on different satellites can be connected to the same ground CU.

[0123] It should be noted that the above RAN architecture is only an example and may also be used in other NTN architectures, or 4G, 5G, and future wireless network architectures. The embodiments of this application are not limited to this.

[0124] Generally speaking, satellite communication systems can deliver synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) to users via several broadcast beams in different directions. These SSBs are used for terminal synchronization during the initial access phase. Compared to terrestrial networks, satellite communications cover a wider area, experience greater transmission losses, and move at higher speeds. Therefore, NTN systems require a significantly greater number of broadcast beams. For example, while terrestrial systems define broadcast beams corresponding to 8 SSBs (FR1) or 64 SSBs (FR2) to cover the service range of a single base station, NTN systems may require hundreds or even thousands of broadcast beams.

[0125] For example, taking the NTN system, which orbits at an altitude of 600 km, as an example, a single satellite can provide a service range of hundreds of thousands of square kilometers. To overcome the impact of path loss caused by transmission distance and ensure communication service quality, satellites generally use large-scale antenna arrays to provide higher array gain, but this also results in a narrower main lobe. For example, the coverage radius of a 3dB beamwidth is only a dozen kilometers, covering an area of ​​approximately several hundred square kilometers. Using narrow beams to achieve seamless coverage of a single satellite's service range would require thousands of beams. Furthermore, even if the beams are broadened to a certain extent, to maintain the same gain level, hundreds of beams are still required to achieve coverage.

[0126] For example, using the current protocol's SSB transmission pattern in FR1, 8 SSBs are transmitted within the first 2 ms of every 20 ms period, considered a group. Therefore, the 256 SSB beams must be divided into 32 groups. Each group lasts 20 ms, so a complete transmission of 256 broadcast beams takes a total of 640 ms. Within each group, only the first 2 ms contain SSBs, leaving 18 ms for normal data transmission.

[0127] Refer to Figure 6, which illustrates the coverage areas of multiple satellites as an example. Considering that satellites maintain a specific relative relationship between orbits as they fly, seamless coverage of the entire constellation is ensured when each satellite's coverage area is a rectangle. For example, as shown in Figure 6, when the coverage areas of satellites #1, #2, #3, and #4 are all rectangular, comprehensive coverage is ensured.

[0128] It can be understood that each satellite can carry one or more cells, and the one or more cells carried by the satellite can provide services for the corresponding service area.

[0129] It will be understood that the above number of satellites is only for illustrative purposes, and other satellites may also be included in the coverage area, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0130] Referring to Figure 7, a schematic diagram of a satellite's service range is shown as an example. For example, a satellite's service range is evenly divided into 256 regions. That is, the satellite's service range requires 256 SSB beams to cover each region, with each SSB beam corresponding to one region.

[0131] In addition to SSBs, communications also use several broadcast beams in different directions to deliver system messages required for various network and access services to users, indicating network communication configuration. These system messages primarily include the Master Information Block (MIB) and the System Message Block (SIB). The MIB is typically coupled with the SSB to form a synchronization signal and transmitted together with the Physical Broadcast Channel (SS / PBCH) block, while the SIB is broadcast after the SS / PBCH block.

[0132] The SIB message is described in detail below.

[0133] In the NR NTN protocol, the base station mainly broadcasts system messages to users by using beams in different directions for time-sharing scanning, thereby sending network-side configurations to each user. Generally speaking, only users who have just accessed or are in the IDLE / INACTIVE state need to receive system messages to obtain network configuration parameters and changes, while users in the connected state can obtain them through RRC signaling. As of the 3GPP Release 17 standard, the NR protocol defines a total of 21 different types of system messages, namely SIB1 to SIB21. In the NTN scenario, the commonly used SIB types that are slightly different from terrestrial cellular scenarios mainly include SIB1, SIB2 / 4, and SIB19.

[0134] Different types of system messages carry different content. SIB1 contains access permission for the serving satellite and defines the OSI scheduling indication. It also indicates unified configuration information for the serving satellite, including uplink and downlink frequencies, initial bandwidth part (BWP), SSB transmission period, and transmission index. SIB2 / 4 contain information related to intra-frequency / inter-frequency cell reselection, primarily including the measured frequency, signal strength, the measurement window configuration corresponding to that frequency, and the adjacent satellite measurement window configuration (SMTC4). SIB19, newly added for NTN scenarios, contains a wide range of auxiliary information about the satellites accessed by the NTN, primarily including serving satellite configuration (ephemeris, TA information, cell-level Koffset, epoch time, etc.), handover distance reference point and threshold, and adjacent satellite configuration.

[0135] Referring to Figure 8, as an example, a schematic diagram of the time domain resource pattern occupied by transmitting SIBs is shown. Taking 20ms as an example, the SSB is transmitted in the first 2ms, and the main system information blocks, such as SIB1 and SIB19, are transmitted in the subsequent time slots. Other system information blocks, such as SIB2 and SIB4, may also be transmitted.

[0136] It can be seen that various types of system messages need to be sent in each broadcast beam direction to ensure that users within the coverage area can access the network. Therefore, the resource overhead of system messages is proportional to the number of broadcast beams and the number of SIB types sent.

[0137] In summary, the auxiliary access information for the serving satellite and its neighboring satellites, as well as the measurement configuration information for the serving satellite and its neighboring satellites, are coupled into multiple different types of system messages. Considering the necessity of the serving satellite's network configuration for access and transmission, these system messages must be transmitted within the satellite's coverage area, that is, on each broadcast beam. Furthermore, due to the extensive content of system messages, the total number of bits required to be transmitted is generally high, especially for ephemeris information (for example, SIB19 requires a time slot to transmit in its entirety). Each system message requires independent time-frequency resources. Therefore, if these messages are transmitted according to the time-domain pattern shown in Figure 8, the time-domain resources available for data transmission will be significantly compressed to only 10%. In practice, although the serving satellite's configuration is essential, the neighboring satellite network configuration used for cell handover or reselection only takes effect when the user is within the overlapping area between satellites. Compared to the coverage area of ​​a single satellite, the overlapping area between satellites is relatively small. Transmitting the neighboring satellite's configuration in all broadcast beam directions is a significant waste of time-frequency resources for transmitting system messages. In summary, the relevant configurations of the service satellite and the adjacent satellites, coupled in the same type of system messages and broadcast within the full coverage area, will greatly preempt data transmission resources and reduce data transmission efficiency.

[0138] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication solution that enables a serving satellite to send system configuration information of adjacent satellites only in the direction of the broadcast beam at the coverage edge, thereby reducing the total sending overhead of system messages and improving system data transmission efficiency.

[0139] The communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiment provided by the present application can be applied to the communication system shown in Figures 1 to 5 above, without limitation.

[0140] The solution of this application is described in detail below.

[0141] Figure 9 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. For ease of description, method 900 is exemplified below using a first network device as an example. It is understood that the first network device may also be a component of the network device (e.g., a chip or circuit), without limitation. Method 900 may also be applicable to a chip system of the first network device.

[0142] In the present application, the first network device may be a service satellite or an access network device of a service satellite, and the present application does not limit this.

[0143] The first network device can provide network services to the first area, or in other words, the first area is a coverage area provided by the first network device. For example, user equipment in the first area can access the first network device, or user equipment in the first area can perform beam management or mobility measurement through the first network device. This embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0144] In the present application, the user equipment may be a terminal device, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0145] In the present application, the second network device may be a satellite or access network device adjacent to the service satellite. The second network device may include one or more network devices, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0146] For example, as shown in Figure 6, satellite #1 is a serving satellite, and satellites #2, #3, and #4 are adjacent satellites to satellite #1. It should be noted that the number of adjacent satellites to a serving satellite can be one or more, and in this embodiment of the present application, the number of adjacent satellites to a serving satellite is not limited.

[0147] In this application, a region can be understood as a geographical area covered by satellite services, and different geographical areas correspond to different regions. For example, geographical area #1 corresponds to the first region, and geographical area #2 corresponds to the second region.

[0148] Exemplarily, the geographical area in which the first network device provides network services is the first area, the geographical area in which the second network device provides network services is the third area, and the area in which the first network device and the second network device overlap is the second area. That is, within the second area, both the first network device and the second network device can provide access services or mobility measurement services for user equipment, and the second area is part of the first area, which is also part of the third area.

[0149] In this application, the coverage area of ​​a network device may correspond to one or more cells. For example, the first network device carries one cell and provides services to the first area through one cell. The first network device may also carry multiple cells and provide services to the first area through multiple cells.

[0150] In the present application, the division of geographical regions may be implemented based on the H3 geographic space grid system or the Fibonacci geographic grid division method, but the present application embodiment does not limit this.

[0151] The method 900 shown in FIG. 9 may include the following steps.

[0152] S910: A first network device broadcasts a first system message to a first area.

[0153] The first network device sends a first system message to user equipment in the first area by sending broadcast beams in different directions to the first area.

[0154] The first system message is used for the user equipment and the first network device to perform at least one of access, beam management, and mobility measurement within the first area.

[0155] In the present application, user equipment performing access includes user equipment performing random access.

[0156] In the present application, the mobility measurement performed by the user equipment includes the measurement of the synchronization signal caused by the movement of the user equipment or the movement of the first network device, wherein the measurement of the synchronization signal refers to the measurement of the synchronization signal performed during cell reselection or switching.

[0157] In the present application, the beam management performed by the user device includes the measurement of the synchronization signal used to maintain beam alignment with the first network device, wherein the measurement of the synchronization signal refers to the measurement of the synchronization signal required for beam scanning and failure recovery in the beam management process.

[0158] Exemplarily, the first area corresponds to a cell, and the user equipment does not need to perform cell switching in the first area, so the device can perform beam management in the first area.

[0159] Exemplarily, the first area corresponds to multiple cells, and the user equipment may reselect or switch in the multiple cells in the first area, that is, perform mobility measurement.

[0160] In a possible implementation, the first system message may include access assistance information used by the first network device to access the NTN and configuration information for measuring the synchronization signal.

[0161] It can be understood that the above-mentioned measurement synchronization signal can be used for cell switching or reselection, and can also be used for beam management.

[0162] In the present application, the access auxiliary information of the first network device can be understood as auxiliary information required for the user equipment to access the first network device in the NTN scenario.

[0163] Exemplarily, the access assistance information may include ephemeris information, TA information, cell-level koffset, epoch time, etc.

[0164] For example, the access network assistance information includes all access assistance information of the serving satellite in SIB19, and the access network assistance information may include ntn-Config-r17, t-Service-r17, referenceLocation-r17, etc.

[0165] In the present application, the configuration information of the first network device for measuring the synchronization signal can be understood as parameter configuration for measuring the synchronization signal.

[0166] Exemplarily, the configuration information may include the frequency of the cell, signal strength, measurement window configuration corresponding to the frequency, etc.

[0167] For example, the configuration information includes configuration information for intra-frequency / inter-frequency cell reselection and / or beam management in SIB2 / 4, and the configuration information may include smtc, ss-RSSI-Measurement (signal strength), ssb-ToMeasure, etc. in intraFreqCellReselectionInfo.

[0168] In the present application, the cell reselection may be a reselection between a cell corresponding to the first area and a cell corresponding to the second area, or a reselection between multiple cells corresponding to the first area.

[0169] Optionally, the first system message may further include a first criterion, where the first criterion is used by the user equipment to determine whether it is in the second area.

[0170] Exemplarily, the first criterion may include at least one of a distance threshold from a reference point, an angle threshold, an SSB index, and the like.

[0171] The first criterion may be sent through a first system message, through an MIB, or through other messages, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0172] S920: User equipment receives a first system message in a first area.

[0173] In the present application, the user equipment is in the first area, and the user equipment can receive a first system message. The user equipment can perform at least one of access, beam management, and mobility measurement with the first network device in the first area based on the first system message.

[0174] For details about at least one of the first system message and access, beam management, and mobility measurement, please refer to the description of S910 and will not be repeated here.

[0175] S930: The first network device broadcasts a second system message to the second area.

[0176] The first network device sends a second system message to the user equipment in the second area by sending broadcast beams in different directions to the second area.

[0177] The second system message is used by the user equipment and the second network device to perform access and / or mobility measurement in the second area.

[0178] The second system message is a system message dedicated to the second area.

[0179] An optional understanding is that the second system message is only sent to the second area and will not be sent to areas other than the second area in the first area. In other words, for the first network device, the second system message is only sent to the area where the first network device and the second network device overlap, and the second system message is not sent to areas without overlapping coverage. In other words, user equipment in the second area can receive the first system message and the second system message, but user equipment in the remaining areas of the first area excluding the second area can receive the first system message but will not receive the second system message.

[0180] It should be noted that, in the present application, the first network device broadcasts the second system message to the second area. In fact, the range in which the first network device broadcasts the second system message may be slightly larger than the second area.

[0181] In one possible implementation, the second system message may include a list of second network devices, access assistance information for the second network device to access the NTN, configuration information for cell reselection, and configuration information for measuring the synchronization signal of the second network device.

[0182] In the present application, the access auxiliary information of the second network device can be understood as auxiliary information required for the user equipment to access the second network device in the NTN scenario.

[0183] Exemplarily, the access assistance information may include all access assistance information of neighboring satellites in SIB19, and the access assistance information may include distanceThresh-r17, ntn-NeighCellConfigList-r17, and NTN-NeighCellConfig-r17 in the list, etc.

[0184] In the present application, the configuration information for cell reselection may include parameters related to whether to perform cell reselection.

[0185] For example, the configuration information includes configuration information for intra-frequency / inter-frequency cell reselection in SIB2 / 4, and the configuration information may include cell-ReselectionInfoCommon, cellReselectionServingFreqInfo, and the like.

[0186] In the present application, the cell reselection for the second system message may be a reselection between a cell corresponding to the first area and a cell corresponding to the second area.

[0187] In the present application, the configuration information for measuring the synchronization signal of the second network device can be understood as the relevant configuration of the user equipment to measure the synchronization signal of the second network device.

[0188] Exemplarily, the configuration information may include signal strength, adjacent satellite measurement window configuration, etc.

[0189] For example, the configuration information includes measurement configuration information of adjacent satellites in SIB2 / 4, and the configuration information may include smtc4, ssb-ToMeasure, etc. in intraFreqCellReselectionInfo.

[0190] In a possible implementation, the first network device may broadcast the third system message to the first area.

[0191] The third system message includes the time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, the access permission of the first network device, and the second scheduling indication, and the second scheduling indication is used to schedule the first system message and the second system message.

[0192] The access permission of the first network device includes an access permission for the terminal device and an access permission for the access network device.

[0193] The second scheduling indication includes scheduling information and search space for the first system message and the second system message.

[0194] Exemplarily, the third system message is SIB1.

[0195] In this case, the first system message and the second system message are two recombined OSIs. After sending SIB1, the first network device may send the first system message or the second system message.

[0196] It can be understood that in different sending directions, the configuration parameters and specific parameter values ​​in the first system message sent by the first network device can be the same or different; the configuration parameters and specific parameter values ​​in the second system message sent by the first network device can be the same or different.

[0197] Exemplarily, the first network device broadcasts the first system message to the first area based on different directions. The configuration parameters included in the first system message sent in different sending directions may be the same or different.

[0198] Exemplarily, the first network device broadcasts the second system message to the second area based on different directions. The configuration parameters included in the second system messages sent in different sending directions may be the same or different.

[0199] In another possible implementation, the first system message may further include time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, access permission of the first network device, and a first scheduling indication, where the first scheduling indication is used to schedule the second system message.

[0200] The first scheduling indication includes scheduling information and search space for the second system message.

[0201] The first system message may be indicated by MIB scheduling.

[0202] One possible understanding is that the first system message includes the content of SIB1.

[0203] In this case, the first system message can be understood as a reorganized system message block, and the second system message is still a reorganized OSI. The first network device does not need to send a third system message.

[0204] It should be understood that this first system message, as a system message block, is the basis for network device access. It must be sent at the cell level, with identical configurations within each cell. Parameters within each cell must be consistent in each transmission direction. Therefore, when sending the first system message, the corresponding configuration parameters must also be consistent across different broadcast beam directions. This ensures measurement consistency and facilitates combined reception by user devices.

[0205] It can be understood that the configuration parameters and specific parameter values ​​in the second system message sent by the first network device may be the same or different.

[0206] The following is an exemplary description of the above two ways of reassembling system messages.

[0207] Mode 1: The first system message and the second system message are reassembled OSI.

[0208] Specifically, the serving satellite access assistance information and synchronization signal measurement configuration information in SIB19 and SIB2 / 4 are reorganized into one OSI, which can be recorded as SIB-bis, for example. The neighboring satellite list, access assistance information, cell reselection configuration information, and synchronization signal measurement configuration information in SIB19 and SIB2 / 4 are reorganized into one OSI, which can be recorded as SIB-neighbor, for example.

[0209] The first network device may send SIB-bis and SIB1 to the first area; the first network device may send SIB-neighbor to the second area.

[0210] For example, as shown in Figure 7, assuming that the 256 areas shown in Figure 7 are the coverage areas of the first network device, and the area in the dotted box is the overlapping coverage area of ​​the first network device and the second network device, then the first network device can send SIB-bis and SIB1 to the 256 areas, and the first network device can send SIB-neighbor to the area in the dotted box, that is, SIB-neighbor does not need to be sent to other areas (excluding the area in the dotted box in the 256 areas), so only 18% of the edge area beam directions need to send SIB-neighbor, and the resource overhead occupied by the system message can be reduced by about 30%.

[0211] Referring to FIG10 , as an example, FIG10 shows a schematic diagram of a time domain resource pattern occupied by sending SIBs provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0212] Taking 20ms as an example, the SSB is sent in the first 2ms, and the main system message block and other system message blocks are sent in the subsequent time slots.

[0213] For non-edge areas, after the first network device sends the SSB, it can send SIB1 and SIB-bis in subsequent time slots, such as SIB1#0 / SIB-bis#0, SIB1#1 / SIB-bis#1, etc. shown in the figure.

[0214] For the edge area, after the first network device sends SSB, SIB1 and SIB-bis, it can send SIB-neighbor in subsequent time slots, such as SIB-neighbor #248, SIB-neighbor #249, etc. shown in the figure.

[0215] Among them, the edge area can be understood as the area where the first network device and the second network device overlap (the second area), and the non-edge area is the area within the coverage range of the first network device excluding the overlapping coverage (the remaining area within the first area excluding the second area).

[0216] In summary, the first network device can send a system message (SIB-neighbor) carrying the network configuration related to the second network device only in the beam direction of the coverage edge or the beam direction overlapping with the neighboring area, and send a system message (SIB1 and SIB-bis) carrying the network configuration related to the first network device in other beam directions. By comparing Figure 10 with Figure 8, Figure 10 does not need to send SIB-neighbor in non-edge areas, thereby saving some resource overhead and improving data transmission efficiency.

[0217] Mode 2: The first system message is a reassembled system message block, and the second system message is a reassembled OSI.

[0218] Specifically, the serving satellite access assistance information and synchronization signal measurement configuration information in SIB19, SIB2 / 4, and the contents of SIB1 are reorganized into a system information block similar to SIB1, which can be recorded as SIB-serve. The neighboring satellite list, access assistance information, cell reselection configuration information, and synchronization signal measurement configuration information in SIB19, SIB2 / 4 are reorganized into an OSI, which can be recorded as SIB-neighbor.

[0219] The first network device may send the SIB-serve to the first area; the first network device may send the SIB-neighbor to the second area.

[0220] For example, as shown in Figure 7, assuming that the 256 areas shown in Figure 7 are the coverage areas of the first network device, and the area in the dotted box is the overlapping coverage area of ​​the first network device and the second network device, then the first network device can send SIB-serve to the 256 areas, and the first network device can send SIB-neighbor to the area in the dotted box, that is, SIB-neighbor does not need to be sent to other areas (excluding the area in the dotted box among the 256 areas), so only 18% of the edge area beam directions need to send SIB-neighbor, and the resource overhead occupied by the system message can be reduced by about 30%.

[0221] Referring to FIG. 11 , as an example, FIG. 11 shows a schematic diagram of a time domain resource pattern occupied by sending SIBs provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0222] Taking 20ms as an example, the SSB is sent in the first 2ms, and the main system message block and other system message blocks are sent in the subsequent time slots.

[0223] For non-edge areas, after the first network device sends the SSB, it can send SIB-serve in subsequent time slots, such as SIB-serve#0, SIB-serve#1, etc. shown in the figure.

[0224] For the edge area, after the first network device sends SSB and SIB-serve, it can send SIB-neighbor in subsequent time slots, such as SIB-neighbor#248, SIB-neighbor#249, etc. shown in the figure.

[0225] Among them, the edge area can be understood as the area where the first network device and the second network device overlap (the second area), and the non-edge area is the area within the coverage range of the first network device excluding the overlapping coverage (the remaining area within the first area excluding the second area).

[0226] In summary, the first network device can send a system message (SIB-neighbor) carrying the network configuration related to the second network device only in the beam direction of the coverage edge or the beam direction overlapping with the neighboring area, and send a system message (SIB-serve) carrying the network configuration related to the first network device in other beam directions. By comparing Figure 11 with Figure 8, Figure 11 does not need to send SIB-neighbor in non-edge areas, thereby saving some resource overhead and improving data transmission efficiency.

[0227] S940: The user equipment receives a second system message in the second area.

[0228] In the present application, the user equipment is in the second area, the user equipment may receive a second system message, and the user equipment may perform access and / or mobility measurement with the second network device in the second area according to the second system message.

[0229] For details about the second system message and access and / or mobility measurement, please refer to the description of S930 and will not be repeated here.

[0230] In a possible implementation, the user equipment may determine whether it is in the second area according to a first criterion in the first system message.

[0231] When the user equipment is determined to be in the second area, the user equipment receives a second system message.

[0232] When the user equipment determines that it is not in the second area, the user equipment does not receive the second system message. In this case, the user equipment can perform access and / or mobility management with the first network device, or the user equipment can wait for the next serving satellite to provide service to perform access and / or mobility management. Alternatively, the user equipment can receive the second system message after moving to the second area and perform access and / or mobility measurement with the second network device in the second area based on the second system message.

[0233] Based on the above technical solution, a new design method for system information in NTNs was proposed. This method addresses the problem of excessive transmission resource overhead and low data transmission efficiency caused by the service satellite uniformly transmitting network configuration information for both the service satellite and adjacent satellites within its full coverage area. Specifically, the previously coupled network configurations of the service satellite and adjacent satellites were separated, and two different types of OSIs were defined to carry the access assistance and measurement parameters of the service satellite and the adjacent satellite, respectively. Furthermore, by transmitting different types of OSIs using coverage edge beams and beams in other directions, the number of transmission beams required for the adjacent satellite network configuration was reduced, thereby lowering the resource overhead for sending system messages within the satellite's full coverage area.

[0234] In another embodiment, the network configurations of the originally coupled service satellite and adjacent satellite are separated, and a new SIB1 and a new OSI are defined to respectively carry the unified network configuration, access assistance and measurement parameters of the service satellite, and the access assistance and measurement parameters of the adjacent satellite; further, by sending the new OSI through the coverage edge beam and the new SIB1 through the beam in other directions, the number of transmitting beams of the adjacent satellite network configuration is reduced, the resource overhead of sending system messages within the full coverage range of the satellite is reduced, and the user can combine and receive multiple system messages for the necessary service satellite configuration information, thereby improving the success rate of signal demodulation.

[0235] It should be understood that other possible implementations of the embodiments of the present application are similar to the above-mentioned method 900. Please refer to the description of method 900 and will not be repeated here.

[0236] It should be understood that the size of the serial numbers of the above processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0237] The above mainly introduces the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application from the perspective of the interaction between various network elements. It can be understood that each network element, such as a transmitting end device or a receiving end device, includes a hardware structure and / or software module corresponding to the execution of each function in order to implement the above functions. Those skilled in the art should be aware that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in a hardware or computer software driven hardware manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0238] In the embodiment of the present application, the functional modules of the transmitting device or the receiving device can be divided according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The following is an example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0239] The method provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail above in conjunction with FIG9 . Below, the apparatus provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail in conjunction with FIG12 and FIG13 . It should be understood that the description of the apparatus embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment. Therefore, for matters not described in detail, reference can be made to the method embodiment above. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0240] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0241] The device 1200 includes a transceiver unit 1210 and a processing unit 1220 , wherein the transceiver unit 1210 can be used to implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing unit 1220 can be used to perform data processing.

[0242] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1210 may also be referred to as a communication interface or communication unit, and may include a transmitting unit and / or a receiving unit. The transceiver unit 1210 may be a transceiver (including a transmitter and / or a receiver), an input / output interface (including an input and / or output interface), a pin, or a circuit. The transceiver unit 1210 may be configured to perform the transmitting and / or receiving steps in the above-described method embodiments.

[0243] Optionally, the processing unit 1220 may be a processor (may include one or more), a processing circuit with processor functions, etc., and may be used to execute other steps except sending and receiving in the above method embodiment.

[0244] Optionally, the apparatus 1200 further includes a storage unit, which may be a memory, an internal storage unit (e.g., a register, a cache, etc.), an external storage unit (e.g., a read-only memory, a random access memory, etc.), etc. The storage unit is used to store instructions, and the processing unit 1220 executes the instructions stored in the storage unit to cause the communication apparatus to perform the above method.

[0245] In one design, the apparatus 1200 can be used to perform the actions performed by the first network device in each of the above method embodiments, for example, the apparatus 1200 can be used to perform the actions performed by the first network device in the above method 900. In this case, the apparatus 1200 can be a component of a terminal device, the transceiver unit 1210 is used to perform the transceiver-related operations on the first network device side in the above method embodiments, and the processing unit 1220 is used to perform the processing-related operations of the first network device in the above method embodiments.

[0246] For example, the transceiver unit 1210 is used to broadcast a first system message to a first area, where the first area is a coverage area provided by the first network device, and the first system message is used for the user equipment and the first network device to perform at least one of access, beam management, and mobility measurement within the first area; the transceiver unit 1210 is also used to broadcast a second system message to a second area, where the second area includes an area where the first network device and the second network device have overlapping coverage, and the second system message is used for the user equipment and the second network device to perform access and / or mobility measurement within the second area, and the second system message is a message dedicated to the second area.

[0247] For another example, the transceiver unit 1210 is further configured to broadcast the first system message to the first area based on different sending directions, and the first system messages sent in the different sending directions include the same configuration parameters.

[0248] For another example, the transceiver unit 1210 is also used to broadcast a third system message to the first area, where the third system message includes the time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, the access permission of the first network device, and the second scheduling indication, and the second scheduling indication is used to schedule the first system message and the second system message.

[0249] It should be understood that the transceiver unit 1210 and the processing unit 1220 may also perform other operations performed by the first network device in the above method 900, which are not described in detail here.

[0250] In one design, the apparatus 1200 may be configured to perform the actions performed by the user equipment in each of the above method embodiments, for example, the apparatus 1200 may be configured to perform the actions performed by the user equipment in the above method 900. In this case, the apparatus 1200 may be a component of the user equipment, the transceiver unit 1210 may be configured to perform the transceiver-related operations on the user equipment side in the above method embodiments, and the processing unit 1220 may be configured to perform the processing-related operations on the user equipment side in the above method embodiments.

[0251] For example, the transceiver unit 1210 is used to receive a first system message in a first area, where the first area is a coverage area provided by a first network device, and the first system message is used for the user device and the first network device to perform at least one of access, beam management, and mobility measurement within the first area; the transceiver unit 1210 is also used to receive a second system message dedicated to the second area when in a second area, where the second area includes an area where the first network device and the second network device have overlapping coverage, and the second system message is used for the user device and the second network device to perform access and / or mobility measurement within the second area.

[0252] For another example, the transceiver unit 1210 is further configured to broadcast the first system message to the first area based on different sending directions, and the first system messages sent in the different sending directions include the same configuration parameters.

[0253] For another example, the transceiver unit 1210 is also used to receive a third system message in the first area, where the third system message includes the time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, the access permission of the first network device, and the second scheduling indication, and the second scheduling indication is used to schedule the first system message and the second system message.

[0254] It should be understood that the transceiver unit 1210 and the processing unit 1220 may also perform other operations performed by the user equipment in the above method 900, which will not be described in detail here.

[0255] It should also be understood that the device 1200 here is embodied in the form of a functional unit. The term "unit" here can refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a dedicated processor or a group processor, etc.) and a memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combined logic circuit and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. In an optional example, those skilled in the art will understand that the device 1200 can be specifically a network device in the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the network device in the above-mentioned method embodiments. To avoid repetition, they will not be described here.

[0256] The apparatus 1200 of each of the above-mentioned solutions has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the device in the above-mentioned method, or the apparatus 1200 of each of the above-mentioned solutions has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the network device in the above-mentioned method. The function can be implemented by hardware, or the corresponding software can be implemented by hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions; for example, the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transceiver (for example, the sending unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver unit can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as the processing unit, can be replaced by a processor to respectively perform the sending and receiving operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0257] In addition, the transceiver unit 1210 may also be a transceiver circuit (for example, may include a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit), and the processing unit may be a processing circuit.

[0258] It should be noted that the apparatus in FIG12 may be a network element or device in the aforementioned embodiment, or may be a chip or chip system, such as a system on chip (SoC). The transceiver unit may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; the processing unit may be a processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit integrated on the chip. This is not limited here.

[0259] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a communication architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1300 shown in Figure 13 includes a processor 1310 and a transceiver 1320. Optionally, the processor 1310 and the transceiver 1320 may be interconnected via a bus 1330. The communication device 1300 may be a terminal device or a network device.

[0260] Optionally, the communication device 1300 may further include a memory 1340. The memory 1340 includes, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), and is used to store relevant instructions and data.

[0261] The processor 1310 is coupled to the memory 1340 and is configured to execute instructions stored in the memory 1340 to control the transceiver 1320 to send signals and / or receive signals.

[0262] It should be understood that the processor 1310 and memory 1340 can be combined into a single processing device, with the processor 1310 configured to execute program code stored in the memory 1340 to implement the aforementioned functions. In a specific implementation, the memory 1340 can also be integrated into the processor 1310 or independent of the processor 1310. It should be understood that the processor 1310 can also correspond to the various processing units in the aforementioned communication device, and the transceiver 1320 can correspond to the various receiving units and transmitting units in the aforementioned communication device.

[0263] It should also be understood that the transceiver 1320 may include a receiver (or receiver) and a transmitter (or transmitter). The transceiver may further include an antenna, and the number of antennas may be one or more. The transceiver may also be a communication interface or interface circuit.

[0264] Specifically, the communication device 1300 may correspond to the first network device in the method 900 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1300 may include the units of the method performed by the first network device in the method 900. It should be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above-mentioned method embodiment and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0265] Specifically, the communication device 1300 may correspond to the user equipment in the method 900 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1300 may include the units of the method performed by the user equipment in the method 900. It should be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above-mentioned method embodiment and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0266] When the communication device 1300 is a chip, the chip includes an interface unit and a processing unit, wherein the interface unit may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; and the processing unit may be a processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit integrated on the chip.

[0267] During implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor or by instructions in the form of software. The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in conjunction with its hardware. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail here.

[0268] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiments of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiment can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor or by instructions in the form of software. The above processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component. The various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or executed. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, or electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware.

[0269] The present application also provides a computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, which implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments when executed by a computer.

[0270] The present application also provides a computer program product, which implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments when executed by a computer.

[0271] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a high-density digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0272] In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" and "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described in this application as "exemplary" should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the word "exemplary" is intended to present concepts in a concrete way.

[0273] It should be understood that references to "embodiments" throughout this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic associated with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, various embodiments throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0274] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the sequence number of each process does not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiment of the present application. The names of all nodes and messages in this application are merely names set by this application for the convenience of description. The names in the actual network may be different. It should not be understood that this application limits the names of various nodes and messages. On the contrary, any name with the same or similar function as the node or message used in this application is regarded as the method or equivalent replacement of this application, and is within the scope of protection of this application.

[0275] It should also be understood that in this application, "when", "if" and "if" all mean that the UE or base station will take corresponding measures under certain objective circumstances. It does not limit the time, and does not require the UE or base station to take judgment actions when implementing it, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0276] Additionally, the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably. The term "and / or" is simply used to describe an association between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone.

[0277] As used herein, the term "at least one of" or "at least one of" refers to all or any combination of the listed items. For example, "at least one of A, B, and C" can mean: A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, B and C together, and A, B, and C together. As used herein, "at least one" means one or more. "A plurality" means two or more.

[0278] It should be understood that in each embodiment of the present application, the terms "include", "comprise", "have" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0279] It should be understood that in various embodiments of the present application, the first, second, and various numerical numbers are merely distinctions for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0280] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0281] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0282] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0283] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0284] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0285] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they 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 the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned 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.

[0286] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to the first network device or the chip system of the first network device, including: Broadcasting a first system message to a first area, where the first area is the coverage area served by the first network device, and the first system message is used for at least one of access, beam management, and mobility measurement between the user equipment and the first network device within the first area; Broadcasting a second system message to a second area, where the second area includes the overlapping coverage area of the first network device and the second network device, and the second system message is used for access and / or mobility measurement between the user equipment and the second network device within the second area, and the second system message is a message dedicated to the second area.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first system message includes access assistance information for the first network device to perform NTN access and configuration information for measuring synchronization signals.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first system message includes a first criterion for the user equipment to determine whether it is in the second area.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second system message includes a list of the second network devices, access assistance information for the second network devices to perform NTN access, configuration information for cell reselection, and configuration information for measuring the synchronization signals of the second network devices.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The first system message further includes time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, access permission of the first network device, and a first scheduling indication for scheduling the second system message.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein The broadcasting the first system message to the first area includes: Broadcasting the first system message to the first area based on different transmission directions, and the configuration parameters included in the first system messages transmitted in the different transmission directions are the same.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Broadcasting a third system message to the first area, where the third system message includes time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, access permission of the first network device, and a second scheduling indication for scheduling the first system message and the second system message.

8. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to the user equipment or the chip system of the user equipment, including: Receiving a first system message in a first area, where the first area is the coverage area served by the first network device, and the first system message is used for at least one of access, beam management, and mobility measurement between the user equipment and the first network device within the first area; When in the second area, receiving a second system message dedicated to the second area, where the second area includes the overlapping coverage area of the first network device and the second network device, and the second system message is used for access and / or mobility measurement between the user equipment and the second network device within the second area.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein The first system message includes access assistance information for the first network device to perform NTN access and configuration information for measuring synchronization signals.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that The first system message includes a first criterion for the user equipment to determine whether it is in the second area.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein The second system message includes a list of the second network devices, access assistance information for the second network devices to perform NTN access, configuration information for cell reselection, and configuration information for measuring the synchronization signals of the second network devices.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9-11, characterized in that, The first system message further includes time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, access permission of the first network device, and a first scheduling indication for scheduling the second system message.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, Receiving the first system message in the first area includes: Receiving the first system message in the first area based on different reception directions, and the configuration parameters corresponding to the first system messages received in the different beam directions are the same.

14. The method according to any one of claims 9-11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving a third system message in the first area, where the third system message includes time-frequency resource configuration on the link between the first network device and the user equipment, access permission of the first network device, and a second scheduling indication for scheduling the first system message and the second system message.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes units for executing the method according to any one of claims 1-7 or 8-14.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a processor, the processor is coupled with a memory, the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions, and the processor is used to execute the computer programs or instructions in the memory, so that the device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or executes the method according to any one of claims 8 to 14.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer program or instruction is stored on the computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer program or instruction runs on a computer, the computer is made to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or execute the method according to any one of claims 8 to 14.

18. A chip system, characterized in that, It includes: A processor for calling and running a computer program from a memory, so that the communication device equipped with the chip system executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or executes the method according to any one of claims 8 to 14.

19. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program product runs on a computer, the computer is made to execute the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or execute the steps of the method according to any one of claims 8 to 14.

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