Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and a communication apparatus, relating to the technical field of satellite communications. In the method, a network device sends first information to a terminal device, the first information being used for indicating satellite information of at least two regions, the at least two regions comprising a target region of the terminal device, and the terminal device can determine satellite information of the target region on the basis of the first information, and can determine a strategy for re-searching for a satellite network on the basis of the satellite information of the target region. In this way, the terminal device can selectively re-search for the satellite network, and the terminal device is prevented from blindly searching for the satellite network, thereby supporting reduction of the overall power consumption of the terminal device during re-searching for the satellite network.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on January 4, 2024, with application number 202410027089.4 and application name “Communication Method and Communication Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] Compared with terrestrial networks, satellite networks have their own unique advantages. For example, they can provide a wider coverage area, such as providing communication services to areas that are not covered by terrestrial networks, such as oceans and forests; for example, they are not easily damaged by natural disasters or external forces.

[0004] In satellite communications, satellites provide communication services to terminal devices. Since satellites rarely remain in one location for long, when a terminal device moves to a new location, it may need to re-search the satellite network to restore or establish a new connection. This process can consume significant power. Therefore, reducing the overall power consumption of terminal devices during this re-search is a pressing technical challenge. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method and a communication device, which can support reducing the overall power consumption of a terminal device when re-searching a satellite network.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, comprising: receiving first information, the first information being used to indicate satellite information of at least two areas, the at least two areas including a target area of ​​a terminal device; and determining the satellite information of the target area based on the first information.

[0007] The execution entity of the solution described in the first aspect can be a terminal device, a module in the terminal device (such as a chip system, etc.), or a logical node, logic module, or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device functions, without limitation. For ease of description, the following description uses a terminal device as an example.

[0008] In the above solution, the terminal device can obtain first information from the network device, where the first information indicates satellite information for at least two areas, or the first information indicates satellite information corresponding to at least two areas, where the at least two areas include a target area of ​​the terminal device, or the target area of ​​the terminal device is one or more of the at least two areas. The terminal device can determine the satellite information of the target area based on the first information. When the terminal device moves to the target area, corresponding satellite communication can be performed based on the satellite information of the target area.

[0009] Compared to solutions that require the terminal device to move to the target area and then conduct an extensive satellite network search, the above solution allows the terminal device to re-search the satellite network in a targeted manner based on the acquired satellite information of the target area. For example, if the satellite information of the target area indicates that the target area is always within the satellite coverage area, the terminal device can successfully access the satellite network. For another example, if the satellite information of the target area indicates that the corresponding satellite in the target area will appear within a period of time, the terminal device can re-search the satellite network within that period of time. This can effectively reduce the overall power consumption of the terminal device during the re-search of the satellite network, etc.

[0010] To sum up, by indicating the satellite information of at least two areas, the terminal device can determine the satellite information of the target area based on the satellite information of the above-mentioned at least two areas, and can re-search the satellite network based on the satellite information of the target area. In this way, the overall power consumption of the terminal device when re-searching the satellite network can be effectively reduced.

[0011] In the first aspect, the method further includes: performing satellite communication based on the satellite information of the target area.

[0012] When the terminal device moves to the target area, it can re-search the satellite network according to the satellite information of the target area, and perform satellite communication based on the re-searched satellite network, which can support the satellite communication needs of the terminal device.

[0013] In the first aspect, the method also includes: receiving second information, the second information is used to indicate the activation of a first transmission configuration indication state in a transmission configuration indication state set, each transmission configuration indication state in the transmission configuration indication state set is associated with a satellite information, and the first transmission configuration indication state is associated with a target area; according to the second information, activating the first transmission configuration indication state.

[0014] By associating the transmission configuration indication state with satellite information, when a terminal device needs to switch satellite devices, the terminal device can switch between satellite devices based on the switching between transmission configuration indication states, which can effectively reduce signaling indication overhead. For example, if the transmission configuration indication state and satellite information are not associated, when the terminal device switches to a new satellite device, the terminal device needs to perform signaling interaction with the new satellite device to access the new satellite device. When the transmission configuration indication state and satellite information are associated, the network device only needs to send the second information to the terminal device and does not need to send other signaling to the terminal device. The terminal device switches to the new transmission configuration indication state according to the instruction of the second information. In this way, the signaling interaction overhead when switching satellite devices can be effectively reduced.

[0015] When the terminal device moves to the target area, the network device may instruct the terminal device to activate a first transmission configuration indication state corresponding to the target area. After the terminal device activates the first transmission configuration indication state according to the instruction of the network device, the terminal device may perform satellite communication according to the satellite information corresponding to the first transmission configuration indication state.

[0016] In the first aspect, the method further includes: performing uplink synchronization according to satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication state.

[0017] In this way, uplink synchronization between the terminal device and the satellite network can be supported after the terminal device completes the movement.

[0018] In the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving third information, where the third information is used to configure the transmission configuration indication state set.

[0019] After the network device configures or indicates a transmission configuration indication state set including at least two transmission configuration indication states to the terminal device, the terminal device may activate a specified first transmission configuration indication state from the transmission configuration indication state set according to the instruction of the network device.

[0020] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, comprising: determining first information, the first information being used to indicate satellite information of at least two areas, the at least two areas including a target area of ​​a terminal device; and sending the first information to the terminal device.

[0021] The execution entity of the solution described in the second aspect can be a network device, a module in the network device (such as a chip system, etc.), or a logical node, logic module, or software that can implement all or part of the network device functions, without limitation. For ease of description, the following description uses a network device as an example.

[0022] In the above solution, the network device may send first information to the terminal device, where the first information indicates satellite information for at least two areas, or the first information indicates satellite information corresponding to at least two areas, where the at least two areas include a target area of ​​the terminal device, or the target area of ​​the terminal device is one or more of the at least two areas. The terminal device may determine the satellite information of the target area based on the first information. When the terminal device moves to the target area, corresponding satellite communication may be performed based on the satellite information of the target area.

[0023] Compared to solutions that require the terminal device to move to the target area and then conduct an extensive satellite network search, the above solution can support the terminal device to re-search the satellite network in a targeted manner based on the satellite information already obtained for the target area. For example, if the satellite information of the target area indicates that the target area is always within the satellite coverage area, the terminal device does not need to expend a lot of power to re-search the satellite network. For another example, if the satellite information of the target area indicates that the corresponding satellite in the target area will appear within a specified time, the terminal device can re-search the satellite network within the specified time. This can effectively reduce the overall power consumption of the terminal device when re-searching the satellite network, etc.

[0024] To sum up, by indicating the satellite information of at least two areas, the terminal device can determine the satellite information of the target area based on the satellite information of the above-mentioned at least two areas, and can re-search the satellite network based on the satellite information of the target area. In this way, the overall power consumption of the terminal device when re-searching the satellite network can be effectively reduced.

[0025] In a second aspect, the method further includes: sending second information, the second information being used to indicate activation of a first transmission configuration indication state in a transmission configuration indication state set, each transmission configuration indication state in the transmission configuration indication state set being associated with a satellite information, and the first transmission configuration indication state being associated with a target area.

[0026] By associating the transmission configuration indication state with satellite information, when a terminal device needs to switch satellite devices, the terminal device can switch between satellite devices based on the switching between transmission configuration indication states, which can effectively reduce signaling indication overhead. For example, if the transmission configuration indication state and satellite information are not associated, when the terminal device switches to a new satellite device, the terminal device needs to perform signaling interaction with the new satellite device to access the new satellite device. When the transmission configuration indication state and satellite information are associated, the network device only needs to send the second information to the terminal device and does not need to send other signaling to the terminal device. The terminal device switches to the new transmission configuration indication state according to the instruction of the second information. In this way, the signaling interaction overhead when switching satellite devices can be effectively reduced.

[0027] In the second aspect, the method further includes: sending third information, where the third information is used to configure the transmission configuration indication state set.

[0028] After the network device configures or indicates a transmission configuration indication state set including at least two transmission configuration indication states to the terminal device, the terminal device may activate a specified first transmission configuration indication state from the transmission configuration indication state set according to the instruction of the network device.

[0029] In combination with the method described in any of the first and second aspects, the at least two areas include one or more of the first area, the second area, and the third area; the first area is an area where the terminal device can always receive satellite services; the second area is an area where the terminal device can receive satellite services within the first time; and the third area is an area where the terminal device cannot receive satellite services.

[0030] By determining the characteristics of different types of areas, the terminal device can determine an appropriate satellite network search strategy based on the characteristics of each type of area. For example, if the target area is the first area, the terminal device can easily search for a satellite network. For another example, if the target area is the second area, the terminal device can search for a satellite network within the first time, which can prevent the terminal device from being constantly searching for a satellite network, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the terminal device. For another example, if the target area is the third area, the terminal device does not need to search for a satellite network, which can also reduce the overall power consumption of the terminal device.

[0031] In combination with the method described in any of the first and second aspects, the satellite information includes at least one of the following: satellite identification information, satellite ephemeris information, satellite service time, satellite visibility time, and identification information of the satellite's coverage area or associated area.

[0032] The terminal device can determine an appropriate satellite network re-search strategy based on one or more of the above parameters or contents, thereby supporting reduction of overall power consumption of the terminal device when re-searching the satellite network.

[0033] In combination with the method described in any of the first and second aspects, the second information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the first transmission configuration indication state, identification information of satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication state, or identification information of the satellite corresponding to the first transmission configuration indication state.

[0034] In this way, the terminal device can determine the transmission configuration indication state that needs to be activated based on one or more of the above.

[0035] In combination with the method described in any of the first and second aspects, the second information is further used to indicate the deactivation of a second transmission configuration indication state in the transmission configuration indication state set.

[0036] In this way, the terminal device can deactivate the second transmission configuration indication state to avoid the terminal device continuing to use or turn on the second transmission configuration indication state after activating the first transmission configuration indication state, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the terminal device.

[0037] According to a third aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising: a terminal device and a network device. The network device is configured to determine first information and to send the first information to the terminal device, the first information indicating satellite information of at least two areas, the at least two areas including a target area of ​​the terminal device. The terminal device is configured to receive the first information and determine the satellite information of the target area based on the first information.

[0038] The above-mentioned terminal device and network device can also be used to execute the methods described in the first aspect and the second aspect respectively.

[0039] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device may be a terminal device, or a device or module for executing the functions of the terminal device.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the communication device may include a module or unit corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect. The module or unit may be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0041] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device may be a network device, or a device or module for performing the functions of a network device.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the communication device may include a module or unit corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect. The module or unit may be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0043] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes: a transceiver unit for receiving first information, the first information being used to indicate satellite information of at least two areas, the at least two areas including a target area of ​​a terminal device; and a processing unit for determining the satellite information of the target area based on the first information.

[0044] The above-mentioned communication device can also be used to execute the solution described in the method described in the first aspect and any possible manner of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0045] In the seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes: a processing unit for determining first information, the first information is used to indicate satellite information of at least two areas, and the at least two areas include a target area of ​​a terminal device; a transceiver unit for sending the first information to the terminal device.

[0046] The above-mentioned communication device can also be used to execute the solution described in the method described in the aforementioned second aspect and any possible manner of the second aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0047] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to, by executing a computer program or instruction, or by a logic circuit, enable the communication device to execute the method described in the first aspect and any possible manner of the first aspect; or, enable the communication device to execute the method described in the second aspect and any possible manner of the second aspect.

[0048] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a memory for storing the computer program or instruction.

[0049] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a communication interface, which is used to input and / or output signals.

[0050] In the ninth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a logic circuit and an input / output interface, the input / output interface being used to input and / or output signals, the logic circuit being used to execute the method described in the first aspect and any possible manner of the first aspect; or, the logic circuit being used to execute the method described in the second aspect and any possible manner of the second aspect.

[0051] In the tenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program or instruction is stored. When the computer program or the instruction is run on a computer, the method described in the first aspect and any possible manner of the first aspect is executed; or, the method described in the second aspect and any possible manner of the second aspect is executed.

[0052] In the eleventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the method described in the first aspect and any possible manner of the first aspect to be executed; or, cause the method described in the second aspect and any possible manner of the second aspect to be executed.

[0053] In the twelfth aspect, a chip system is provided, which is connected to a memory and is used to read and execute a software program stored in the memory to execute the method described in the first aspect and any possible manner in the first aspect; or, to execute the method described in the second aspect and any possible manner in the second aspect.

[0054] In the thirteenth aspect, a chip system is provided, which includes: a communication interface for communicating with other devices; a processor for enabling a communication device equipped with the chip system to execute the method described in the first aspect and any possible manner in the first aspect; or, for enabling a communication device equipped with the chip system to execute the method described in the second aspect and any possible manner in the second aspect.

[0055] In the fourteenth aspect, a chip system is provided, which includes a processor, a memory and an input / output port, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program; the processor is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory, so that the processor executes the method described in the above-mentioned first aspect and any possible manner in the first aspect; or, so that the processor executes the method described in the above-mentioned second aspect and any possible manner in the second aspect.

[0056] In the fifteenth aspect, a chip system is provided, which is applied to an electronic device, and the chip system includes one or more processors, and the processor is used to call computer instructions so that the electronic device executes the method described in the above-mentioned first aspect and any possible manner in the first aspect; or, the processor is used to call computer instructions so that the electronic device executes the method described in the above-mentioned second aspect and any possible manner in the second aspect.

[0057] The description of the beneficial effects of any of the third to fifteenth aspects etc. may refer to the description of the beneficial effects of the first and second aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system to which an embodiment of the present application is applicable.

[0059] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an embodiment of the present application.

[0060] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an interaction flow of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0061] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the movement of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0062] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an interaction flow of another communication method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0063] FIG6 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0064] FIG7 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0066] In order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following points are first explained.

[0067] 1. Unless otherwise specified, “at least two or more” means two or more.

[0068] 2. Unless otherwise specified or there is no logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments of this application are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their internal logical relationships.

[0069] 3. The various numerical numbers involved in this application are only used for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this application. The size of the serial numbers involved in this application does not mean the order of execution. The order of execution of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic. For example, the terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth" and other various terminology labels (if any) in the specification and claims and drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. Among them, the data used in this way can be interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments described here can be implemented in an order other than what is illustrated or described here.

[0070] At the same time, any embodiment or design described in this application as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner to facilitate understanding.

[0071] 4. The terms "comprise" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, product or apparatus.

[0072] 5. In this application, "used to indicate" can be understood as "enabling," and "enabling" can include direct enabling and indirect enabling. When describing that certain information is used to enable A, it can include that the information directly enables A or indirectly enables A, and does not necessarily mean that the information contains A.

[0073] The information enabled by the information is called information to be enabled. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to enable the enabled information, such as but not limited to, directly enabling the information to be enabled, such as the information to be enabled itself or the index of the information to be enabled. The information to be enabled can also be indirectly enabled by enabling other information, wherein there is an association between the other information and the information to be enabled. It is also possible to enable only a part of the information to be enabled, while the other parts of the information to be enabled are known or agreed in advance. For example, it is also possible to enable specific information with the help of the arrangement order of each piece of information agreed in advance (such as specified in the protocol), thereby reducing the enabling overhead to a certain extent. At the same time, it is also possible to identify the common parts of each piece of information and enable them uniformly to reduce the enabling overhead caused by enabling the same information separately.

[0074] 6. In this application, "pre-configuration" may include pre-definition, such as protocol definition. "Pre-definition" may be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (e.g., including each network element). This application does not limit the specific implementation method.

[0075] 7. "Storage" or "saving" as used in this application may refer to storage in one or more memories. The one or more memories may be provided separately or integrated into an encoder or decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The one or more memories may also be provided in part separately and in part integrated into a decoder, processor, or communication device. The type of memory may be any form of storage medium and is not limited thereto.

[0076] 8. The “protocol” referred to in this application may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, such as the fourth generation (4G) th generation, 4G) network, fifth generation (5 th generation, 5G) network protocol, NR protocol, and future communication networks, which are not limited in this application.

[0077] 9. The arrows or boxes indicated by dotted lines in the schematic diagrams in the accompanying drawings of this application specification represent optional steps or optional modules.

[0078] 10. Unless otherwise specified, “ / ” indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an “or” relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. “And / or” in this application is only a description of the association relationship between the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural.

[0079] 11. In this application, "indication" may include direct indication, indirect indication, explicit indication, and implicit indication. When describing a certain indication information as indicating A, it can be understood that the indication information carries A, directly indicates A, or indirectly indicates A.

[0080] In this application, the information indicated by the indication information is referred to as the information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as but not limited to, the information to be indicated can be directly indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or the index of the information to be indicated. The information to be indicated can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, wherein there is an association between the other information and the information to be indicated. It is also possible to indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts of the information to be indicated are known or agreed in advance. For example, the indication of specific information can also be achieved with the help of the arrangement order of each information agreed in advance (for example, stipulated by the protocol), thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent. In addition, the information to be indicated can be sent together as a whole, or it can be divided into multiple sub-information and sent separately, and the sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be the same or different.

[0081] 12. In this application, "sending" and "receiving" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "sending information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which can include direct sending through the air interface, as well as indirect sending through the air interface by other units or modules. "Receiving information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which can include direct receiving from YY through the air interface, as well as indirect receiving from YY through the air interface from other units or modules. "Sending" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receiving" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface. In other words, sending and receiving can be performed between devices, for example, between a network device and a terminal device, or can be performed within a device, for example, sending or receiving between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device through a bus, trace, or interface.

[0082] First, a communication system to which the embodiments of the present application are applicable is described.

[0083] The technical solution provided by this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as the fifth generation (5 thgeneration, 5G) or new radio (NR) system, long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, etc.

[0084] The technical solution provided in this application can also be applied to future communication networks.

[0085] The technical solution provided in this application can also be applied to device-to-device (D2D) 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.

[0086] The terminal devices in the embodiments of the present application include various devices with wireless communication functions, which can be used to connect people, objects, machines, etc. The terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios, such as: cellular communication, D2D, V2X, peer to peer (P2P), M2M, MTC, IoT, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wear, smart transportation, smart city drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery and other scenarios. The terminal device can be a terminal in any of the above scenarios, such as an MTC terminal, an IoT terminal, etc. The terminal device can be a 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) terminal. rdThe present invention relates to user equipment (UE), terminal, fixed device, mobile station device or mobile device, subscriber unit, handheld device, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, cellular phone, smart phone, SIP phone, wireless data card, personal digital assistant (PDA), computer, tablet computer, notebook computer, wireless modem, handheld device, laptop computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, smart book, vehicle, satellite, global positioning system (GPS) device, target tracking device, aircraft (such as drone, helicopter, multi-copter, quadcopter, or airplane), ship, remote control device, smart home device, industrial equipment, or device built into the above devices (such as communication module, modem or chip in the above devices), or other processing devices connected to the wireless modem. For the convenience of description, the terminal device will be described below by taking the terminal or UE as an example.

[0087] In some scenarios, the terminal device can also be used to act as a base station. For example, the terminal device can act as a scheduling entity, which provides sidelink signals between UEs in scenarios such as V2X, D2D, or P2P.

[0088] In the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the terminal device can be the terminal device, or it can be a device that can support the terminal device to implement the function, such as a chip system or chip, which can be installed in the terminal device. In the embodiments of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or it can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0089] The network device in the embodiments of the present application may be a device for communicating with a terminal device, and may also be referred to as an access network device or a radio access network device. For example, the network device may be a base station. The network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects a terminal device to a wireless network.

[0090] The base station can broadly cover various names as follows, or be replaced with the following names, such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmission point (transmitting and receiving point, TRP), transmitting point (transmitting point, TP), master station, auxiliary station, multi-standard radio (motor slide retainer, MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc.

[0091] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, the access network device may be a network device or a module of a network device in an open radio access network (open RAN, ORAN) system. In the ORAN system, CU may also be referred to as open (open, O)-CU, DU may also be referred to as O-DU, CU-CP may also be referred to as O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be referred to as O-CU-UP, and RU may also be referred to as O-RU. Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application may be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0092] The base station may be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, a donor node, or the like, or a combination thereof. The base station may also refer to a communication module, a modem, or a chip configured within the aforementioned device or apparatus.

[0093] A base station may also be a mobile switching center, a device that performs base station functions in D2D, V2X, and M2M communications, a network-side device in a future communication network, or a device that performs base station functions in a future communication system. A base station may support networks with the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies and device forms used by network devices.

[0094] Base stations can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move based on the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a device that communicates with another base station.

[0095] In the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the network device can be the network device, or it can be a device that can support the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system or chip, which can be installed in the network device. In the embodiments of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or it can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0096] The network equipment and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; they can also be deployed in the air on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the scenarios in which the network equipment and terminal devices are located.

[0097] First, a brief introduction to the network architecture applicable to the embodiments of the present application is given.

[0098] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 1 , the communication system includes a network device and a terminal device. The network device may include multiple communication nodes, each of which can serve a physical cell and is controlled by a control unit of the network device. The same terminal device can communicate in the same physical cell at the same time.

[0099] A network device is an entity that sends or receives signals and is used to communicate with terminal devices.

[0100] A terminal device is an entity that sends or receives signals and is used to communicate with network devices.

[0101] In a possible application scenario, the network equipment and terminal equipment described in Figure 1 can be applied to non-terrestrial networks (NTN) scenarios. The NTN system may include a satellite system. According to the satellite altitude, that is, the satellite orbit altitude, the satellite system can be divided into high elliptical orbiting (HEO) satellites, geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites, medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites and low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites. In addition, the NTN system may also include aerial network equipment such as high altitude platform station (HAPS) communication systems. The aerial network equipment involved in this application is not limited to the above examples.

[0102] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG2 , the network device can serve as a base station for wireless communication; the ground station can forward signaling between the network device and the core network. At least one communication node is deployed on each satellite, and multiple communication nodes deployed on multiple satellites are controlled by a control unit of the network device. When a terminal device performs a cell handover (for example, the terminal device moves, causing a cell handover), it can directly switch from one communication node to another without the need for a radio resource control (RRC) protocol configuration process.

[0103] It should be noted that the communication system described in the embodiment of the present application is intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application is also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0104] Optionally, the relevant functions of the network equipment and terminal equipment involved in this application can be implemented by one device, or by multiple devices together, or by one or more functional modules within a device, or by one or more chips, or by a system on chip (SOC) or a chip system. The chip system can be composed of chips, or can include chips and other discrete devices. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit this.

[0105] It is understandable that the above functions can be network elements in hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or a combination of hardware and software, or virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0106] In the scenario shown in Figure 2, since satellites rarely remain in one location for long periods of time, when a terminal device moves, it may need to re-search the satellite network to restore connection or establish a new connection. During this process, the overall power consumption of the terminal device while re-searching for a satellite network may be significant.

[0107] In view of this, the present application provides a communication method and a communication device that can support reducing the overall power consumption of a terminal device when re-searching a satellite network.

[0108] The communication method and communication device according to the embodiments of the present application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0109] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an interactive flow of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. The method shown in FIG3 can be executed by a network device and a terminal device, or by modules and / or devices (e.g., chips or integrated circuits) with corresponding functions installed in the network device and the terminal device, without limitation. The following description takes the network device and the terminal device as an example. As shown in FIG3, the method includes:

[0110] Optionally, S301a, the terminal device sends location information of the terminal device to the network device.

[0111] Accordingly, the network device receives the location information of the terminal device and can provide communication services for the terminal device.

[0112] S301: A network device determines first information.

[0113] The first information can be used to indicate satellite information for at least two regions (or satellite information corresponding to at least two regions). The satellite information for at least two regions can be understood as corresponding or associated satellite information for each of the at least two regions. For details on the association between regions and satellite information, see Table 1. The information in Table 1 is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be definitive.

[0114] Table 1

[0115] As shown in Table 1:

[0116] The region is region a, which is associated with or corresponds to satellite information 1;

[0117] The region is region b, which is associated with or corresponds to satellite information 2;

[0118] The area is area c, which is associated with or corresponds to satellite information 3.

[0119] The satellite information corresponding to or associated with each area may include the same information or parameters. For example, satellite information 1 associated with area a and satellite information 2 associated with area b may have the same parameters. Exemplarily, the satellite corresponding to area 1 and the satellite corresponding to area 2 are the same (exemplarily, area 1 and area 2 are two adjacent areas, and area a and area b may be within the coverage range of the same satellite) (taking the satellite information as the satellite identifier as an example).

[0120] The satellite information corresponding to or associated with each area may also include different information or parameters. For example, satellite information 1 associated with area a and satellite information 2 associated with area b may have different parameters. Exemplarily, the service time of the satellite corresponding to area 1 is different from the service time of the satellite corresponding to area 2. Exemplarily, the service time of the satellite corresponding to area a is 8:00-10:00, and the service time of the satellite corresponding to area b is 11:00-14:00 (taking the satellite information as the satellite service time as an example) (the satellite corresponding to area a and the satellite corresponding to area b can be the same satellite, without limitation).

[0121] In summary, the embodiments of the present application do not limit the method of dividing the regions. The regions may be divided according to the coverage range of the satellite. For example, the coverage range of each satellite is called a region, such as the coverage range of satellite 1 is called region a, and the coverage range of satellite 2 is called region b. For another example, the coverage range of a satellite may be called multiple regions, such as the coverage range of satellite 1 may include region a and region b, etc.; the regions may also be divided according to the service time of the satellite, such as region a is the region where the satellite service time is 0:00-4:00 (the number of satellites is not limited), and region b is the region where the satellite service time is 4:00-8:00.

[0122] The at least two areas mentioned above can be understood as areas to which the terminal device may move. Alternatively, the at least two areas include the target area of ​​the terminal device. Alternatively, the target area of ​​the terminal device can be one or more areas of the at least two areas. The target area of ​​the terminal device can be understood as the area to which the terminal device ultimately moves.

[0123] In one possible implementation, the network device may determine the first information based on the location information of the terminal device.

[0124] For example, the location information of a terminal device indicates the current location of the terminal device. The network device can determine the current location of the terminal device based on the location information of the terminal device. The network device can also estimate the area to which the terminal device may move based on the current location of the terminal device. For example, the network device may consider a larger area at a certain distance from the current location of the terminal device as the area to which the terminal device may move. The network device may determine the satellite information corresponding to or associated with the area, or may determine the satellite information corresponding to each small area within the area, without limitation. For example, the network device may determine the satellite information corresponding to a larger area, divide the larger area into multiple small areas, and determine the satellite information corresponding to each small area. For example, if the satellite information is satellite service hours, the network device may determine that the satellite service hours corresponding to the larger area are 8:00-19:00, and divide the larger area into three small areas, with the satellite service hours corresponding to each small area being: 8:00-12:00, 12:00-16:00, and 16:00-19:00.

[0125] For another example, the location information of a terminal device is used to indicate the area to which the terminal device may be located. The network device may determine the area to which the terminal device may be located based on the location information of the terminal device. The network device may determine the satellite information corresponding to or associated with the area. The description of how the network device determines the satellite information corresponding to or associated with the area can be found in the previous paragraph and will not be repeated here.

[0126] For another example, the location information of a terminal device can also be used to indicate the movement trajectory of the terminal device. The network device can determine the area that the terminal device may visit based on the movement trajectory of the terminal device. The network device can also determine the satellite information corresponding to or associated with the area. The description of how the network device determines the satellite information corresponding to or associated with the area can be found in the previous paragraph and will not be repeated here.

[0127] To sum up, when the network device determines the first information based on the location information of the terminal device, the satellite information of at least two areas indicated by the first information can meet the needs of the terminal device. For example, the at least two areas may include the target area of ​​the terminal device. The terminal device can determine the satellite information of the target area based on the first information, and determine the strategy for re-searching the satellite network based on the satellite information of the target area, thereby supporting the effective reduction of the overall power consumption of the terminal device when re-searching the satellite network.

[0128] In another possible implementation, the network device may not determine the first information based on the location information of the terminal device.

[0129] For example, the movement trajectory of the terminal device may be preconfigured for the network device. The network device may determine the area that the terminal device may visit based on the preconfigured movement trajectory of the terminal device, and may determine the satellite information corresponding to the area.

[0130] In summary, when the terminal device does not determine the first information based on the location information of the terminal device, this can reduce the signaling interaction overhead between the terminal device and the network device. In summary, the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific manner in which the network device determines the first information.

[0131] In one possible implementation, the at least two areas include at least one of the following:

[0132] First Area;

[0133] Second Region; or

[0134] The third area.

[0135] The first area may be an area where the terminal device can always receive satellite services. For example, when the target area of ​​the terminal device is the first area, the terminal device can successfully access the satellite network.

[0136] The second area may be an area where the terminal device can receive satellite services within the first time (which may also be understood as the first configuration time or the first preset time, etc., which may be represented by other terms and names, and is not limited to this). For example, when the target area of ​​the terminal device is the second area, the first time may be 10:00-18:00, and the terminal device re-searches the satellite network within the first time. In this way, the terminal device can consume power to re-search the satellite network within the first time, and does not need to use power to re-search the satellite network all day long. In this way, this can effectively reduce the overall power consumption of the terminal device when re-searching the satellite network.

[0137] The third area may be an area where the terminal device cannot receive satellite services. For example, when the target area of ​​the terminal device is the third area, the terminal device does not need to re-search the satellite network, which can avoid the terminal device from performing unnecessary re-search of the satellite network.

[0138] In one possible implementation, the third area may be within the coverage area of ​​a satellite that provides satellite services only for specialized devices and not for general devices. When the terminal device moves to the third area, it cannot receive services from the satellite corresponding to the third area. For example, if the satellite information includes the satellite's service hours, the satellite service hours corresponding to the third area are 0. Based on this, the terminal device can determine that it cannot receive services from the satellite corresponding to the third area.

[0139] In another possible implementation, the third area may not be within the coverage area of ​​any satellite, or in other words, no satellite's coverage area includes the third area. For example, if the satellite information includes the satellite's coverage area, the coverage area of ​​the satellite corresponding to the third area is 0. Therefore, the terminal device can determine that it cannot receive satellite service when it is within the third area.

[0140] In summary, the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific form of expression of the satellite information of the third region.

[0141] It should be noted that the first area may refer to one or more areas, the second area may refer to one or more areas, and the third area may refer to one or more areas, and this is not limited.

[0142] By determining the characteristics of different types of areas, the terminal device can determine an appropriate satellite network search strategy based on the characteristics of each type of area. For example, if the target area is the first area, the terminal device can successfully search for a satellite network. For another example, if the target area is the second area, the terminal device can search for a satellite network within the first time, which can prevent the terminal device from being constantly searching for a satellite network, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the terminal device. For another example, if the target area is the third area, the terminal device does not need to search for a satellite network, which can also reduce the overall power consumption of the terminal device.

[0143] In one possible implementation, the network device may indicate to the terminal device satellite information of at least two areas excluding the third area, so that the terminal device can filter out areas where the terminal device cannot receive satellite services.

[0144] In another possible implementation, the network device may also indicate satellite information of at least two areas including the third area to the terminal device. In this way, the terminal device may obtain satellite information corresponding to each area.

[0145] In one possible implementation, the satellite information may include at least one of the following:

[0146] Satellite identification information;

[0147] Satellite ephemeris information;

[0148] Satellite service hours;

[0149] The satellite's visibility time;

[0150] The coverage area of ​​the satellite; or

[0151] Identification information of the associated region.

[0152] For example, the satellite information includes identification information of the satellite (which may include information such as the satellite identification or index).

[0153] The network device can determine the satellite identifier corresponding to each of the at least two areas, or in other words, the corresponding serving satellite for each of the at least two areas. By indicating the satellite identifier information, the terminal device can determine which of the at least two areas are likely to have satellites or are likely to be areas that can receive satellite service. The terminal device can search for satellite networks in areas where satellites are present and not search for satellite networks in areas where satellites are not present, which helps reduce the overall cost of satellite network searches performed by the terminal device.

[0154] For the third area, taking the example where the satellite information includes satellite identification information, the identification information of the third area may be represented as 0. The terminal device may thereby determine that it cannot receive satellite services when it is within the third area.

[0155] For example, the satellite information includes the ephemeris information of the satellite.

[0156] The network device can determine the ephemeris information of the satellites corresponding to each of the at least two regions. By indicating the satellite ephemeris information, the terminal device can determine the satellite service time, visibility time, coverage range, etc. for each region based on the ephemeris information of the satellites corresponding to each region. The terminal device can search for satellite networks during the satellite service time, visibility time, or coverage range, and not search for satellite networks outside of the satellite service time, visibility time, or coverage range. This helps reduce the overall cost of satellite network searches performed by the terminal device.

[0157] For the third area, taking the example that the satellite information includes the ephemeris information of the satellite, the ephemeris information of the third area may be represented as 0. The terminal device may thereby determine that it cannot receive satellite services when it is within the third area.

[0158] For example, the satellite information includes the service time of the satellite.

[0159] The network device can determine the service hours of the satellites corresponding to each of the at least two regions. By indicating the service hours of the satellites, the terminal device can search for satellite networks during the satellite service hours and not search for satellite networks outside of the satellite service hours. This helps reduce the overall cost of the terminal device when performing satellite network searches.

[0160] For the third area, taking the satellite information including the satellite service time as an example, the service time of the third area may be represented as 0. The terminal device may thereby determine that it cannot receive satellite service when it is within the third area.

[0161] For example, satellite information includes the time when a satellite is visible.

[0162] The network device can determine the visibility time of satellites corresponding to each of at least two areas. By indicating the satellite visibility time, the terminal device can search for satellite networks during the satellite visibility time and not search for satellite networks outside of the satellite visibility time. This helps reduce the overall cost of the terminal device when performing satellite network searches.

[0163] For the third area, taking the satellite information including the satellite visibility time as an example, the visibility time of the third area may be represented as 0. The terminal device may thereby determine that it cannot receive satellite services when it is within the third area.

[0164] For example, the satellite information includes the coverage area of ​​the satellite.

[0165] The network device can determine the coverage area of ​​the satellite corresponding to each of the at least two areas. By indicating the coverage area of ​​the satellite, the terminal device can search for satellite networks within the coverage area of ​​the satellite and not search for satellite networks outside the coverage area of ​​the satellite, which helps reduce the overall cost of the terminal device when performing satellite network searches.

[0166] For the third area, taking the satellite information including the satellite coverage area as an example, the satellite coverage area corresponding to the third area can be represented as 0. The terminal device can thereby determine that it cannot receive satellite services when it is within the third area.

[0167] For example, the satellite information includes identification information of the associated area (which may include information such as an identification or index of the area).

[0168] By indicating the identification information of the associated area, the terminal device can determine the satellite information corresponding to each area, and then determine the appropriate time to search the satellite network based on the satellite information corresponding to each area, and search the satellite network within the appropriate time, and not search the satellite network outside the appropriate time. This is conducive to reducing the overall overhead of the terminal device when searching for the satellite network.

[0169] The satellite corresponding to each of the at least two areas mentioned above may be the same or different, and this is not limited to this. In summary, the terminal device can determine an appropriate satellite network re-search strategy based on one or more parameters or contents in the satellite information listed above, thereby supporting the reduction of the overall power consumption of the terminal device when re-searching the satellite network.

[0170] For a description of satellite information, please refer to Table 2 and Table 3. The contents shown in Table 2 and Table 3 are only examples and are not intended to be final limitations.

[0171] Table 2

[0172] As shown in Table 2:

[0173] The first area is associated with the satellite associated with satellite identifier 11, and the service time of this satellite is 0:00-24:00;

[0174] The second area is associated with the satellite associated with satellite identifier 22, and the service time of this satellite is 8:00-18:00;

[0175] The third area is associated with the satellite associated with the satellite identifier 33, and the service time of the satellite is 0:00-0:00.

[0176] In this way, the terminal device can determine its own satellite network search strategy according to the satellite information of the first area, the satellite information of the second area, and the satellite information of the third area.

[0177] Table 3

[0178] As shown in Table 3:

[0179] The first area is associated with the satellite associated with satellite identifier 11, and the service time of this satellite is 0:00-24:00;

[0180] The second area is associated with the satellite associated with satellite identifier 22, and the service time of this satellite is 8:00-18:00;

[0181] The third area is not associated with a satellite, and the satellite service time is 0:00-0:00.

[0182] In this way, the terminal device can determine its own satellite network search strategy according to the satellite information of the first area, the satellite information of the second area, and the satellite information of the third area.

[0183] In summary, with respect to the satellite information of the third region, the embodiment of the present application does not limit the presentation form of the satellite information of the third region.

[0184] S302: The network device sends first information to the terminal device.

[0185] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information.

[0186] S303: The terminal device determines satellite information corresponding to the target area according to the first information.

[0187] As mentioned above, the first information is used to indicate satellite information of at least two areas. After the terminal device obtains the first information, it can determine the satellite information corresponding to the target area based on the satellite information corresponding to the at least two areas indicated by the first information.

[0188] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may determine the target area in advance and may determine the satellite information corresponding to the target area based on the first information. For example, the terminal device determines that the target area is area a, and the first information indicates the satellite information corresponding to areas a and b, respectively. The terminal device may determine the satellite information of the target area (area a) based on the first information.

[0189] In an embodiment of the present application, the terminal device may not determine the target area in advance, and may determine the target area based on the first information.

[0190] Exemplarily, the aforementioned at least two areas include a first area, and the terminal device may determine that the target area is the first area, and may be able to obtain satellite information corresponding to the first area.

[0191] Exemplarily, the aforementioned at least two areas include the second area, and the terminal device can determine that the target area is the second area, and can obtain satellite information corresponding to the second area.

[0192] Exemplarily, the aforementioned at least two areas include a third area, the terminal device can determine that the target area is the third area, and can obtain satellite information corresponding to the third area (for example, the identification information of the satellite corresponding to the third area is 11 (which indicates a certain satellite), and the service time of the satellite corresponding to the third area is 0 (which indicates that satellite service cannot be provided)).

[0193] When the target area is the third area, the terminal device may also obtain and store satellite information corresponding to the first area and / or the second area. When the terminal device needs to perform emergency communication, the terminal device may move to the first area and / or the second area and receive satellite services based on the satellite information corresponding to the first area and / or the second area.

[0194] The following is an exemplary description of the scenario where the terminal device moves with reference to FIG4 .

[0195] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the movement of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 4, the terminal device is currently located in area 1, and the aforementioned at least two areas include areas 2 to 9. The first information can be used to indicate the satellite information corresponding to or associated with each area in areas 2 to 9. When the terminal device needs to move from area 1 and the target area is any area in areas 2 to 9, the terminal device can determine that a certain area in areas 2 to 9 is the target area based on the satellite information corresponding to or associated with each area in areas 2 to 9.

[0196] For example, area 2 is the first area, the terminal device can determine area 2 as the target area, and after moving to area 2, the terminal device can perform satellite communication according to satellite information corresponding to or associated with area 2.

[0197] For example, area 3 is the second area, the terminal device can determine area 3 as the target area, and after moving to area 3, the terminal device can perform satellite communication according to satellite information corresponding to or associated with area 3.

[0198] For example, area 4 is the third area, the terminal device may determine area 4 as the target area, and after moving to area 4, the terminal device may not re-search the satellite network.

[0199] When a terminal device in area 4 needs to perform emergency communication, the terminal device can move from area 4 to area 2 or area 3, and can perform satellite communication based on satellite information corresponding to or associated with area 2 or area 3.

[0200] Combined with the content shown in Figure 4, it can be seen that after the terminal device obtains the first information, the terminal device can determine a suitable target area based on the first information, and can determine a suitable time to re-search the satellite network based on the satellite information corresponding to or associated with the target area, and re-search the satellite network within this time, and not re-search the satellite network outside of this time, which is conducive to reducing the overall power consumption of the terminal device when re-searching the satellite network.

[0201] It should be noted that the content shown in Figure 4 is that the terminal device determines the target area based on the first information and obtains the satellite information of the target area. The embodiment of the present application can support the terminal device to determine the target area in advance. For example, the terminal device determines in advance that the target area is area 2 and obtains the satellite information of area 2 based on the first information. When the terminal device moves from area 1 to area 2, the satellite network re-search strategy can be determined based on the satellite information of area 2.

[0202] In the above solution, the terminal device can obtain first information from the network device, where the first information indicates satellite information for at least two areas, or the first information indicates satellite information corresponding to at least two areas, where the at least two areas include a target area of ​​the terminal device, or the target area of ​​the terminal device is one or more of the at least two areas. The terminal device can determine the satellite information of the target area based on the first information. When the terminal device moves to the target area, corresponding satellite communication can be performed based on the satellite information of the target area.

[0203] Compared to solutions that require the terminal device to move to the target area and then conduct an extensive satellite network search, the above solution can support the terminal device to re-search the satellite network in a targeted manner based on the satellite information already obtained for the target area. For example, if the satellite information of the target area indicates that the target area is always within the satellite coverage area, the terminal device does not need to expend a lot of power to re-search the satellite network. For another example, if the satellite information of the target area indicates that the corresponding satellite in the target area will appear within a specified time, the terminal device can re-search the satellite network within the specified time. This can effectively reduce the overall power consumption of the terminal device when re-searching the satellite network, etc.

[0204] To sum up, by indicating the satellite information of at least two areas, the terminal device can determine the satellite information of the target area based on the satellite information of the above-mentioned at least two areas, and can re-search the satellite network based on the satellite information of the target area. In this way, the overall power consumption of the terminal device when re-searching the satellite network can be effectively reduced.

[0205] Optionally, the method may further include:

[0206] S304: The terminal device performs satellite communication according to the satellite information of the target area.

[0207] For example, when the target area is the first area, after the terminal device obtains the satellite information corresponding to the target area, it can re-search the satellite network and access the re-searched satellite network to achieve satellite communication.

[0208] For example, when the target area is the second area, after the terminal device obtains the satellite information corresponding to the target area, it can re-search the satellite network within the specified time, and can access the re-searched satellite network to achieve satellite communication.

[0209] In this way, the terminal device can be connected to the satellite network after moving to a new location, thus achieving satellite communication.

[0210] In summary, when the terminal device moves to the target area, it can re-search the satellite network according to the satellite information of the target area, and perform satellite communication based on the re-searched satellite network, which can support the satellite communication needs of the terminal device.

[0211] The method shown in FIG3 is described by taking a scenario in which a terminal device performs satellite communication according to satellite information of a target area as an example. The scenario in which the terminal device performs satellite switching is described below in conjunction with FIG5 .

[0212] It should be noted that the method described in FIG3 and the method described in FIG5 can be coupled or independent. For example, after moving to the target area, the terminal device can perform satellite handover; for another example, the terminal device can first perform satellite handover and then move to the target area, etc.

[0213] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an interaction flow of another communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. The method shown in FIG5 can be executed by a network device and a terminal device, or by modules and / or devices (e.g., chips or integrated circuits) with corresponding functions installed in the network device and the terminal device, without limitation. The following description takes the network device and the terminal device as an example. As shown in FIG5, the method includes:

[0214] Optionally, S501a, the network device sends third information to the terminal device.

[0215] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the third information.

[0216] The third information can be used to configure a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state set, where the TCI-state set includes at least two TCI-states. For example, the TCI-state set includes a first TCI-state and a second TCI-state. The first TCI-state is the TCI-state that the terminal device needs to activate, and the second TCI-state is the TCI-state currently being used by the terminal device.

[0217] After the network device configures or indicates a transmission configuration indication state set including at least two transmission configuration indication states to the terminal device, the terminal device may activate a specified transmission configuration indication state from the transmission configuration indication state set according to the instruction of the network device.

[0218] Optionally, the TCI-state set may be configurable, thereby reducing the signaling overhead for indicating the TCI-state set.

[0219] In the embodiment of the present application, each TCI-state is associated with a piece of satellite information, as shown in Table 4. The content shown in Table 4 is only an example and is not intended to be a final limitation.

[0220] Table 4

[0221] As shown in Table 4:

[0222] TCI-state is TCI-state1, which is associated with or corresponds to satellite information 1;

[0223] TCI-state is TCI-state2, which is associated with or corresponds to satellite information 2;

[0224] The TCI-state is TCI-state3, which is associated with or corresponds to satellite information 3.

[0225] The description of satellite information can be found in the previous article and will not be repeated here.

[0226] Optionally, the first TCI-state is associated with the aforementioned target area.

[0227] For example, after a terminal device moves to a target area, it needs to switch satellites. For example, before the device moves, satellite 1 provides services for the terminal device. After the terminal device moves to the target area, satellite 2 provides services for the terminal device. The terminal device needs to switch from satellite 1 to satellite 2. By associating TCI-states with satellites, this can reduce the signaling overhead when the terminal device performs satellite handovers.

[0228] S501: The network device sends second information to the terminal device.

[0229] Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the second information.

[0230] The second information is used to indicate activation of the first TCI-state in the TCI-state set.

[0231] In an embodiment of the present application, after the terminal device moves to the target area, the network device may send second information to the terminal device, where the second information is used to instruct the terminal device to activate a first TCI-state, which is associated with the target area.

[0232] In one possible implementation, when a terminal device moves to a target area, the network device may instruct the terminal device to activate a first TCI-state corresponding to the target area. After the terminal device activates the first TCI-state according to the network device's instruction, the terminal device may conduct satellite communication based on the satellite information corresponding to the first TCI-state.

[0233] In one possible implementation, the second information may include at least one of the following:

[0234] Identification information of the first TCI-state (which may include information such as an identifier or index of the first TCI-state);

[0235] Identification information of satellite information associated with the first TCI-state (which may include information such as identification or index of satellite information); or

[0236] Identification information of the satellite corresponding to the first TCI-state (may include information such as satellite identification or index).

[0237] For example, the second information includes identification information of the first TCI-state. The terminal device can determine the first TCI-state from the TCI-state set according to the identification information of the first TCI-state and can activate the first TCI-state.

[0238] For example, the second information includes identification information of the satellite information associated with the first TCI-state. The terminal device can determine the corresponding satellite information based on the identification information of the associated satellite information, and can determine the first TCI-state corresponding to the satellite information based on the correspondence between the satellite information and the TCI-state, and can activate the first TCI-state.

[0239] For example, the second information includes identification information of the satellite corresponding to the first TCI-state. The terminal device can determine the corresponding satellite based on the identification information of the corresponding satellite, and can determine the first TCI-state corresponding to the satellite based on the correspondence between the satellite and the TCI-state, and can activate the first TCI-state.

[0240] In this way, the terminal device can activate the first TCI-state according to one or more of the above implementations.

[0241] In summary, the terminal device can determine the TCI-state that needs to be activated based on one or more of the above.

[0242] S502. The terminal device activates the first TCI-state according to the second information.

[0243] Specifically, the terminal device can activate the first TCI-state according to the aforementioned description of the second information.

[0244] In summary, by associating TCI-state and satellite information, when the terminal device needs to switch satellite devices, the terminal device can switch between satellite devices based on the switching between TCI-states, which can effectively reduce the signaling indication overhead. For example, if TCI-state and satellite information are not associated, when the terminal device switches to a new satellite device, the terminal device needs to perform signaling interaction with the new satellite device to access the new satellite device. After associating TCI-state and satellite information, the network device only needs to send the second information to the terminal device and does not need to send other signaling to the terminal device. The terminal device switches to the new TCI-state according to the instruction of the second information. In this way, the signaling interaction overhead when the satellite device switches can be effectively reduced.

[0245] Optionally, the method may further include:

[0246] S503. The terminal device performs uplink synchronization according to the satellite information associated with the first TCI-state.

[0247] After the terminal device activates the first TCI-state, the terminal device can perform uplink synchronization according to the satellite information associated with the first TCI-state.

[0248] The first TCI-state is associated with the target area, so that uplink synchronization between the terminal device and the satellite network can be supported after the terminal device completes the movement.

[0249] In one possible implementation, the second information may also be used to indicate deactivation of a second TCI-state in the TCI-state set. In this way, the terminal device can deactivate the second TCI-state, preventing the terminal device from continuing to utilize or activate the second TCI-state after activating the first TCI-state, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the terminal device.

[0250] In the method shown in Figure 5, the network device can update the satellite ephemeris list corresponding to the terminal device's current cell based on the actual satellite motion trajectory and coverage conditions. This allows the serving cell to broadcast ephemeris for multiple satellites based on obstruction conditions. Furthermore, the list can be updated at different time periods, meaning the same satellite identifier may correspond to different satellites and satellite ephemeris.

[0251] In other words, the TCI-state sets corresponding to the terminal device at different times may be different, and the network device can indicate the TCI-state sets corresponding to different times to the terminal device. When a TCI-state in the TCI-state set needs to be activated, the network device can send information to the terminal device according to the aforementioned method to indicate the activation of a TCI-state in the TCI-state set. For the specific description, please refer to the aforementioned description of the second information and will not be repeated here.

[0252] If the satellite list corresponding to the cell currently in which the terminal device is located has not changed, the terminal device can deduce the different positions of the same satellite at different times based on the validity period of the satellite ephemeris corresponding to the most recently acquired satellite identifier. If a satellite change occurs, the terminal device needs to re-acquire the new ephemeris list using system message updates. In this way, the network device can more accurately instruct the terminal device to activate a TCI-state in the TCI-state set, allowing the terminal device to access the new satellite network.

[0253] The following describes the device embodiments corresponding to the method embodiments of the present application. The following only briefly describes the device, and the specific implementation steps and details of the solution can be referred to the method embodiments above.

[0254] To implement the various functions of the methods provided herein, both the terminal device and the network device may include hardware structures and / or software modules, with the aforementioned functions implemented in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules. Whether a particular function is implemented in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0255] Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device includes a processor 610 and a communication interface 620, which can be interconnected via a bus 630. The communication device can be a terminal device or a network device.

[0256] Optionally, the communication device may further include a memory 640. The memory 640 includes, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or portable read-only memory (CD-ROM), and is used for related instructions and data.

[0257] The processor 610 may be one or more central processing units (CPUs). In the case where the processor 610 is a CPU, the CPU may be a single-core CPU or a multi-core CPU.

[0258] The processor 610 may be a signal processor, chip, or other integrated circuit capable of implementing the method of the present application, or a portion of the circuitry within the aforementioned processor, chip, or integrated circuit for processing functions. Furthermore, the communication interface 620 may also be an input / output interface, which is used for inputting or outputting signals or data, or may be an input / output circuit.

[0259] When the communication device is a terminal device, illustratively, the processor 610 is configured to perform the following operations: receive first information; determine satellite information corresponding to the target area according to the first information, etc.

[0260] When the communication device is a network device, illustratively, the processor 610 is configured to perform the following operations: determining first information; sending the first information, etc.

[0261] The above contents are merely exemplary descriptions. When the communication device is a terminal device or a network device, it will be responsible for executing the methods or steps related to the terminal device or the network device in the above method embodiments.

[0262] When the communication device is a terminal device or a network device, the communication interface 620 may also be referred to as a transceiver. The above description is merely an exemplary description. For specific details, please refer to the contents shown in the above method embodiment.

[0263] The implementation of each operation in FIG6 may also correspond to the corresponding description of the method embodiments shown in FIG3 to FIG5 .

[0264] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device may be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip or module within the terminal device or network device, configured to implement the methods described in the above embodiments. The communication device includes an interface unit 710 and a processing unit 720. The interface unit 710 and the processing unit 720 are described below as examples.

[0265] The interface unit 710 may include a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. The transmitting unit is used to perform the transmitting operation of the communication device, and the receiving unit is used to perform the receiving operation of the communication device. For ease of description, this embodiment of the application combines the transmitting unit and the receiving unit into a single interface unit. This is described here as a unified description and will not be repeated later.

[0266] When the communication device is a terminal device, illustratively, the interface unit 710 is used to receive the first information, etc. The processing unit 720 is used to execute the content of the terminal device involving processing, coordination, etc. For example, determining the satellite information corresponding to the target area according to the first information.

[0267] When the communication device is a network device, illustratively, the interface unit 710 is used to send the first information, etc. The processing unit 720 is used to execute the content of the network device related to processing, coordination, etc. For example, determining the first information, etc.

[0268] The above contents are merely exemplary descriptions. When the communication device is a terminal device or a network device, it will be responsible for executing the methods or steps related to the terminal device or the network device in the above method embodiments.

[0269] Optionally, the communication device further includes a storage unit 730, which is used to store a program or code for executing the aforementioned method.

[0270] The device embodiments shown in Figures 6 and 7 are used to implement the contents described in Figures 3 to 5. The specific execution steps and methods of the devices shown in Figures 6 and 7 can refer to the contents described in the above method embodiments.

[0271] The present application also provides a chip, including a processor, for calling and executing instructions stored in a memory from the memory, so that a communication device equipped with the chip executes the methods in the above examples.

[0272] The present application also provides another chip, comprising: an input interface, an output interface, and a processor, wherein the input interface, the output interface, and the processor are connected via an internal connection path, and the processor is configured to execute code in a memory. When the code is executed, the processor is configured to execute the methods in the above examples. Optionally, the chip also includes a memory, which is configured to store computer programs or code.

[0273] The present application also provides a processor for coupling with a memory, and for executing the methods and functions involving a network device or a terminal device in any of the above embodiments.

[0274] In another embodiment of the present application, a computer program product including instructions is provided. When the computer program product is run on a computer, the method of the above embodiment is implemented.

[0275] The present application also provides a computer program. When the computer program is executed in a computer, the method of the aforementioned embodiment is implemented.

[0276] In another embodiment of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a computer, the method described in the above embodiment is implemented.

[0277] 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.

[0278] 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.

[0279] In the several embodiments provided in this application, 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 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.

[0280] Units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and 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 based on actual needs to achieve the objectives of the technical solutions of this embodiment.

[0281] 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.

[0282] If the function is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment 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, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the various embodiments 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 ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0283] The above is only a specific implementation of the embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiment of the present application, and they should be included in the scope of protection of the embodiment of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the embodiment of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a terminal device, and the method includes: Receiving first information, where the first information is used to indicate satellite information of at least two regions, and the at least two regions include a target region of the terminal device; Determining, according to the first information, the satellite information of the target region.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further includes: Performing satellite communication according to the satellite information of the target region.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The at least two regions include one or more of a first region, a second region, and a third region; The first region is a region where the terminal device can always receive satellite services; The second region is a region where the terminal device can receive satellite services within a first period of time; The third region is a region where the terminal device cannot receive satellite services.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The satellite information includes at least one of the following: Identification information of a satellite, ephemeris information of the satellite, service time of the satellite, visible time of the satellite, coverage area of the satellite, or identification information of an associated area.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receiving second information, where the second information is used to indicate activating a first transmission configuration indication state in a set of transmission configuration indication states, and each transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states is associated with a satellite information, and the first transmission configuration indication state is associated with the target region; Activating, according to the second information, the first transmission configuration indication state.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: Performing uplink synchronization according to the satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication state.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that Before receiving the second information, the method further includes: Receiving third information, where the third information is used to configure the set of transmission configuration indication states.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that The second information includes at least one of the following: Identification information of the first transmission configuration indication state, identification information of the satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication state, or identification information of the satellite corresponding to the first transmission configuration indication state.

9. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that, The second information is further used to indicate deactivating a second transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a network device, and the method includes: Determining first information, where the first information is used to indicate satellite information of at least two regions, and the at least two regions include a target region of a terminal device; Sending the first information to the terminal device.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The at least two regions include one or more of a first region, a second region, and a third region; The first region is a region where the terminal device can always receive satellite services; The second region is a region where the terminal device can receive satellite services within a first period of time; The third region is a region where the terminal device cannot receive satellite services.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that The satellite information includes at least one of the following: Identification information of a satellite, ephemeris information of the satellite, service time of the satellite, visible time of the satellite, coverage area of the satellite, or identification information of an associated area.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The method further includes: Send a second piece of information, where the second piece of information is used to indicate activation of a first transmission configuration indication state in a set of transmission configuration indication states, and each transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states is associated with a satellite information, and the first transmission configuration indication state is associated with the target area.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein Before sending the second piece of information, the method further includes: Send a third piece of information, where the third piece of information is used to configure the set of transmission configuration indication states.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The second piece of information includes at least one of the following: The identification information of the first transmission configuration indication state, the identification information of the satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication state, or the identification information of the satellite corresponding to the first transmission configuration indication state.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that, The second piece of information is further used to indicate deactivation of a second transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes: A transceiver unit, configured to receive a first piece of information, where the first piece of information is used to indicate satellite information of at least two areas, and the at least two areas include the target area of the communication device; A processing unit, configured to determine the satellite information of the target area according to the first piece of information.

18. The device according to claim 17, characterized in that, The processing unit is further configured to: Perform satellite communication according to the satellite information of the target area.

19. The device according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that The at least two areas include one or more of a first area, a second area, and a third area; The first area is an area where the communication device can always receive satellite services; The second area is an area where the communication device can receive satellite services within a first period of time; The third area is an area where the communication device cannot receive satellite services.

20. The device according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that, The satellite information includes at least one of the following: The identification information of the satellite, the ephemeris information of the satellite, the service time of the satellite, the visible time of the satellite, the coverage area of the satellite, or the identification information of the associated area.

21. The device according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a second piece of information, where the second piece of information is used to indicate activation of a first transmission configuration indication state in a set of transmission configuration indication states, and each transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states is associated with a satellite information, and the first transmission configuration indication state is associated with the target area; The processing unit is further configured to activate the first transmission configuration indication state according to the second piece of information.

22. The device according to claim 21, characterized in that, The processing unit is further configured to: Perform uplink synchronization according to the satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication state.

23. The device according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is further configured to: Receive a third piece of information, where the third piece of information is used to configure the set of transmission configuration indication states.

24. The device according to any one of claims 21 to 23, characterized in that, The second piece of information includes at least one of the following: The identification information of the first transmission configuration indication state, the identification information of the satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication state, or the identification information of the satellite corresponding to the first transmission configuration indication state.

25. The device according to any one of claims 21 to 24, characterized in that The second piece of information is further used to indicate deactivation of a second transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states.

26. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes: A processing unit determines first information, where the first information is used to indicate satellite information of at least two regions, and the at least two regions include a target region of a terminal device; A transceiver unit is configured to send the first information to the terminal device.

27. The device according to claim 26, characterized in that, The at least two regions include one or more of a first region, a second region, and a third region; The first region is a region where the terminal device can always receive satellite services; The second region is a region where the terminal device can receive satellite services within a first period of time; The third region is a region where the terminal device cannot receive satellite services.

28. The device according to claim 26 or 27, characterized in that, The satellite information includes at least one of the following: Identification information of a satellite, ephemeris information of the satellite, service time of the satellite, visible time of the satellite, coverage area of the satellite, or identification information of an associated region.

29. The device according to any one of claims 26 to 28, characterized in that The transceiver unit is further configured to: Send second information, where the second information is used to indicate activating a first transmission configuration indication state in a set of transmission configuration indication states, and each transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states is associated with a satellite information, and the first transmission configuration indication state is associated with the target region.

30. The device according to claim 29, characterized in that, The transceiver unit is further configured to: Send third information, where the third information is used to configure the set of transmission configuration indication states.

31. The device according to claim 29 or 30, characterized in that, The second information includes at least one of the following: Identification information of the first transmission configuration indication state, identification information of the satellite information associated with the first transmission configuration indication state, or identification information of the satellite corresponding to the first transmission configuration indication state.

32. The device according to any one of claims 29 to 31, characterized in that, The second information is further used to indicate deactivating a second transmission configuration indication state in the set of transmission configuration indication states.

33. A communication device, characterized in that, Comprising a processor, where the processor is configured to, by executing a computer program or instruction, or by a logic circuit, Cause the communication device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9; or, Cause the communication device to execute the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16.

34. A communication device, characterized in that, Comprising a logic circuit and an input / output interface, where the input / output interface is used for inputting and / or outputting signals, The logic circuit is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9; or, The logic circuit is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16.

35. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that A computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instruction, and when the computer program or the instruction runs on a computer, Cause the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 to be executed; or, Cause the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16 to be executed.

36. A computer program product, characterized in that, Containing an instruction, and when the instruction runs on a computer, Cause the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 to be executed; or, Cause the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16 to be executed.

37. A chip system, characterized in that, Comprising a processor, a memory, and an input / output port, The memory is used for storing a computer program; The processor is configured to execute the computer program stored in the memory, So that the processor executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9; or, such that the processor executes the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16.

38. A communication system, characterized in that, comprising a terminal device and a network device, the terminal device is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the network device is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16.

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