Communication method and apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, and a storage medium. The method comprises: a base station generates a signal frame, wherein the signal frame comprises a synchronization sequence and N pieces of beam-hopping direction information, the N pieces of beam-hopping direction information are respectively used for indicating the directions of M beams in N beam-hopping scheduling processes, one beam-hopping scheduling process is one update of direction information of the M beams, N is greater than 1, and M is a positive integer; the base station sends the signal frame to a satellite. By means of the communication solution provided in the present application, the signal frame sent by the base station to the satellite comprises one synchronization sequence and at least two pieces of beam-hopping direction information, and the at least two pieces of beam-hopping direction information share one synchronization sequence; thus, compared with a solution in which one piece of beam-hopping direction information corresponds to one synchronization sequence, the transmission rate requirement for signal frames is reduced.

Description

Communication method, device, and storage medium

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on January 24, 2024, with application number 202410098216.X and application name “Communication Method, Device, and Storage Medium”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular to communication methods, devices, and storage media. Background Art

[0003] In satellite communication scenarios, beam hopping (BH) technology, with its superior flexibility, good resource utilization efficiency and anti-interference ability, has become an indispensable communication means for satellites to provide broadband access services to ground users.

[0004] In the scenario where the satellite communication mode is the transparent payload mode, the beam hopping control information related to the beam hopping scheduling is formulated by the ground base station and forwarded to the satellite through the gateway, so that the satellite performs corresponding beam hopping based on the pointing information of the beam indicated by the beam hopping control information (also understood as the beam pattern).

[0005] Currently, the beam hopping control information in the signal frame sent by the base station to the satellite includes the beam pointing information of a beam hopping schedule. In addition, in order for the satellite to identify and capture the signal frame, each signal frame will carry a synchronization sequence, which generally occupies 64 bits (bits) or 128 bits. One signal frame corresponds to one beam hopping schedule, but the effective duration of each beam hopping schedule is generally short, for example, 0.25 milliseconds. In other words, the base station needs to send signal frames containing synchronization sequences and beam pointing information to the satellite more frequently. How to reduce the transmission rate of the signal frame has become a key research topic for those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a communication method, device, and storage medium. In the communication scheme provided by the present application, the signal frame sent by the base station to the satellite for carrying beam hopping control information includes a synchronization sequence and at least two beam hopping pointing information. By sharing a synchronization sequence with at least two beam hopping pointing information, the signal frame's requirement for transmission rate is reduced.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, comprising: generating a signal frame, the signal frame comprising a synchronization sequence and N beam hopping pointing information, the N beam hopping pointing information being respectively used to indicate the pointing of M beams in N beam hopping schedulings, wherein one beam hopping scheduling is an update of the pointing information of the M beams, N is greater than 1, and M is a positive integer; and sending the signal frame.

[0008] Using the communication method provided by the present application, one signal frame corresponds to N beam hopping schedulings, and the N beam hopping pointing information in one signal frame share the same synchronization sequence. On the one hand, the redundancy of repeated information (for example, the transmission data includes a synchronization sequence) in the signal frame corresponding to the N beam hopping schedulings can be reduced, thereby improving the transmission rate requirement of the signal frame without changing the duration of the continuous effectiveness of one beam hopping scheduling, and also reducing the demand for the satellite's ability to quickly parse and process the signal frame. On the other hand, because the signal frame's demand for transmission rate is reduced, the redundant space of the check bits for channel coding the signal frame becomes larger, which can further improve the transmission reliability of the signal frame.

[0009] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes N first time information corresponding to the N beam hopping pointing information, where the first time information is used to indicate the effective time of the corresponding beam hopping pointing information.

[0010] In this way, the N beam hopping pointing information correspond to a first time information respectively, and the effective duration of each beam hopping pointing information can be the same or different. On the one hand, the flexibility of the time design of the beam hopping pointing information is better and the limitations are smaller.

[0011] On the other hand, the signal frame's demand for transmission rate is closely related to the sum of the effective durations of the N beam hopping pointing information carried in the signal frame. For example, the minimum transmission rate of the signal frame is the ratio of the bit size of the signal frame to the first duration, and the first duration is the sum of the effective durations of the N beam hopping pointing information. Therefore, each beam hopping pointing information corresponds to a first time information, and is not limited to the effective duration of each beam hopping pointing information being a generally recognized reference duration (for example, 0.25ms). The effective duration corresponding to the first time information can be greater than the reference duration (for example, it can be twice or three times the reference duration), thereby increasing the effective duration of the signal frame, further reducing the signal frame's demand for transmission rate, and increasing the redundant space of the channel coding check bits, providing greater possibilities for further improving the transmission reliability of the signal frame.

[0012] As an example, if the G beam hopping pointing information corresponding to G adjacent beam hopping schedulings are the same (G is a positive integer), that is, the beam hopping pointing information has not changed, then the G beam hopping schedulings can be merged into one beam hopping scheduling. The G beam hopping schedulings share one beam hopping pointing information (for example, beam hopping pointing information 1) and the same first time information (for example, time information 1). The time information 1 is used to indicate the sum of the effective durations of the beam hopping pointing information in the G beam hopping schedulings. The above-mentioned signal frame includes one beam hopping pointing information 1, one time information 1, and N-1 other beam hopping pointing information and corresponding N-1 first time information.

[0013] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes second time information, where the second time information is used to indicate an effective time of at least one beam hopping pointing information among the N beam hopping pointing information.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present application, when the effective duration T of the N beam hopping pointing information in the signal frame is equal, the signal frame can carry the second time information, and the effective time of the N beam hopping pointing information can be analyzed based on the second time information.

[0015] As an example, the second time information can be the effective starting time t0 of the first effective beam hopping pointing information among the N beam hopping pointing information, and the effective starting time of the i-th beam hopping pointing information (i is greater than or equal to 1) in the signal frame is [t0+(i-1)*T].

[0016] In some possible implementations, the data volumes of the first time information and the second time information are equal or have a small difference.

[0017] Using this method, the effective time of N beam hopping pointing information can be inferred through a second time information, that is, the N beam hopping pointing information share the same second time information, which can further reduce the data size of the signal frame. The signal frame's demand for transmission rate is closely related to the size of the data carried in the signal frame. This can further reduce the signal frame's demand for transmission rate, increase the redundant space of the channel coding check bits, and provide greater possibility for further improving the transmission reliability of the signal frame.

[0018] In some possible implementations, the beam hopping pointing information includes M beam weight information and / or M beam angle information, where the beam weight information is a parameter related to beam pointing determined based on the beam angle information.

[0019] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes at least one of the following information: version information, relevant window indication information, and cyclic redundancy check information, where the relevant window indication information is used to indicate a time window of a next signal frame.

[0020] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, comprising: receiving a signal frame, the signal frame comprising a synchronization sequence and N beam hopping pointing information, the N beam hopping pointing information being respectively used to indicate the pointing of M beams in N beam hopping schedulings, wherein one beam hopping scheduling is an update of the pointing information of the M beams, N is greater than 1, and M is a positive integer; based on the N beam hopping control information, determining the beam pointing of the M beams in the N beam hopping schedulings.

[0021] Using the communication method provided by the present application, one signal frame corresponds to N beam hopping schedulings, and the N beam hopping pointing information in one signal frame share the same synchronization sequence. On the one hand, the redundancy of repeated information (for example, the transmission data includes a synchronization sequence) in the signal frame corresponding to the N beam hopping schedulings can be reduced, thereby improving the satellite's reception rate of the signal frame without changing the duration of the continuous effectiveness of one beam hopping scheduling, and also reducing the demand for the satellite's ability to quickly parse and process the signal frame. On the other hand, because the signal frame's demand for transmission rate is reduced, the redundant space for the check bits for channel coding the signal frame becomes larger, which can further improve the transmission reliability of the signal frame.

[0022] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes N first time information corresponding to the N beam hopping pointing information, where the first time information is used to indicate the effective time of the corresponding beam hopping pointing information.

[0023] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes second time information, where the second time information is used to indicate an effective time of at least one beam hopping pointing information among the N beam hopping pointing information.

[0024] In some possible implementations, the beam hopping pointing information includes M beam weight information and / or M beam angle information, where the beam weight information is a parameter related to beam pointing determined based on the beam angle information.

[0025] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes at least one of the following information: version information, relevant window indication information, and cyclic redundancy check information, where the relevant window indication information is used to indicate a time window of a next signal frame.

[0026] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising a unit for executing the method shown in the first aspect or any implementation of the first aspect.

[0027] In some possible implementations, the communication device includes: a processing unit, used to generate a signal frame, the signal frame including a synchronization sequence and N beam hopping pointing information, the N beam hopping pointing information being used to indicate the pointing of M beams in N beam hopping schedulings, wherein one beam hopping scheduling is an update of the pointing information of the M beams, N is greater than 1, and M is a positive integer; and a sending unit, used to send the signal frame.

[0028] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes N first time information corresponding to the N beam hopping pointing information, where the first time information is used to indicate the effective time of the corresponding beam hopping pointing information.

[0029] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes second time information, where the second time information is used to indicate an effective time of at least one beam hopping pointing information among the N beam hopping pointing information.

[0030] In some possible implementations, the beam hopping pointing information includes M beam weight information and / or M beam angle information, where the beam weight information is a parameter related to beam pointing determined based on the beam angle information.

[0031] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes at least one of the following information: version information, relevant window indication information, and cyclic redundancy check information, where the relevant window indication information is used to indicate a time window of a next signal frame.

[0032] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising a unit for executing the method shown in the second aspect or any implementation of the second aspect.

[0033] In some possible implementations, the communication device includes: a receiving unit, configured to receive a signal frame, the signal frame including a synchronization sequence and N beam hopping pointing information, the N beam hopping pointing information being respectively used to indicate the pointing of M beams in N beam hopping schedulings, wherein one beam hopping scheduling is an update of the pointing information of the M beams, N is greater than 1, and M is a positive integer; and a processing unit, configured to determine the beam pointing of the M beams in the N beam hopping schedulings based on the N beam hopping control information.

[0034] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes N first time information corresponding to the N beam hopping pointing information, where the first time information is used to indicate the effective time of the corresponding beam hopping pointing information.

[0035] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes second time information, where the second time information is used to indicate an effective time of at least one beam hopping pointing information among the N beam hopping pointing information.

[0036] In some possible implementations, the beam hopping pointing information includes M beam weight information and / or M beam angle information, where the beam weight information is a parameter related to beam pointing determined based on the beam angle information.

[0037] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes at least one of the following information: version information, relevant window indication information, and cyclic redundancy check information, where the relevant window indication information is used to indicate a time window of a next signal frame.

[0038] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processor, wherein the processor is used to read and execute a computer program stored in a memory to implement the method shown in the first aspect or any implementation of the first aspect, and the method shown in the second aspect or any implementation of the second aspect.

[0039] In some possible implementations, the communication device further includes the aforementioned memory. Optionally, the processor and the memory are integrated together.

[0040] In a possible implementation, the processor is configured to support the device in executing corresponding functions in the communication method, and the memory is used to store computer programs (or computer executable instructions) and / or data necessary for the device.

[0041] In some possible implementations, the apparatus further includes a communication interface configured to support communication between the apparatus and other network elements, such as the transmission or reception of data and / or signals. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface.

[0042] In some possible implementations, the device is a chip.

[0043] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processor and a transceiver, wherein the processor is coupled to the transceiver, and the processor is used to execute a computer program or instruction to control the transceiver to receive and send information; when the processor executes the computer program or instruction, the processor is also used to implement the above method through a logic circuit or execution code instruction. The transceiver can be a transceiver, a transceiver circuit or an input-output interface, which is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device. When the communication device is a chip, the transceiver is a transceiver circuit or an input-output interface.

[0044] In the seventh aspect, the present application provides a communication system, which includes a first communication device and a second communication device, the first communication device being used to execute the method shown in any implementation method corresponding to the first aspect of the embodiment of the present application, and the second communication device being used to execute the method shown in any implementation method corresponding to the second aspect of the embodiment of the present application.

[0045] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when run on an electronic device, enables the electronic device to execute the method shown in any implementation method in the corresponding aspect of the embodiment of the application.

[0046] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed, the method shown in any implementation method in the corresponding aspect of the embodiment of the present application is implemented.

[0047] It is understandable that the communication device, communication system, computer storage medium, computer program, computer program product, and chip system provided above are all used to execute the method shown in any implementation of the corresponding aspects of the embodiments of the present application. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can refer to the beneficial effects of the corresponding methods and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] FIG1 is a simplified schematic diagram of a wireless communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG2A is a schematic diagram of an NTN scenario based on transparent load;

[0050] FIG2B is a schematic diagram of an NTN scenario based on regenerative load;

[0051] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a scenario in which a satellite performs beam hopping scheduling according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a format of a signal frame for carrying the beam hopping control information in another communication method for beam hopping scheduling;

[0053] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of another format of a signal frame for carrying the beam hopping control information in another communication method for beam hopping scheduling;

[0054] FIG6 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG7A is a schematic diagram of a format of a signal frame when N is 4 in a communication solution provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] FIG7B is a schematic diagram of a format of a signal frame when N is 8 in the communication solution provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] FIG8A is a schematic diagram of another format of a signal frame when the value of N is 4 in the communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] FIG8B is a schematic diagram of another format of a signal frame when the value of N is 8 in the communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] FIG9A and FIG9B are schematic diagrams of a scenario in which beam hopping scheduling is performed based on two adjacent beam hopping pointing information in the same signal frame using the communication solution provided by the present application;

[0060] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] FIG12 is a structural diagram of another communication transposition provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] The embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0064] The technology provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems. For example, the communication system can be a fourth generation (4G) communication system (such as a long term evolution (LTE) system), a fifth generation (5G) communication system, a non-terrestrial network (NTN), or a fusion system of multiple systems, or a future communication system, such as a 6G communication system. Among them, the 5G communication system can also be called a new radio (NR) system.

[0065] A network element in a communication system can send a signal to another network element or receive a signal from another network element. The signal may include information, signaling, or data, etc. The network element can also be replaced by an entity, a network entity, a device, a terminal device, a communication module, a node, a communication node, etc. The present application uses the network element as an example for description. For example, the communication system may include at least one terminal device and at least one access network device. The access network device can send a downlink signal to the terminal device, and / or the terminal device can send an uplink signal to the access network device. In addition, it can be understood that if the communication system includes multiple terminal devices, the multiple terminal devices can also send signals to each other, that is, the signal sending network element and the signal receiving network element can both be terminal devices.

[0066] Refer to Figure 1, which is a simplified schematic diagram of a wireless communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the wireless communication system includes a wireless access network 100. The wireless access network 100 can be a next-generation (e.g., 6G or higher) wireless access network, or a traditional (e.g., 5G, 4G) wireless access network. One or more terminal devices (120a-120g, collectively referred to as 120) can be connected to each other, or connected to one or more network devices (110a~110c, collectively referred to as 110) in the wireless access network 100, and the connection method can be wired or wireless. Optionally, Figure 1 is only a schematic diagram, and the wireless communication system may also include other devices, such as core network devices, wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices, etc., which are not drawn in Figure 1.

[0067] Optionally, in actual applications, the wireless communication system may include multiple network devices (also called access network devices) and multiple terminal devices at the same time. A network device can serve one or more terminal devices at the same time. A terminal device can also access one or more network devices at the same time. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the number of terminal devices and network devices included in the wireless communication system.

[0068] The network device may be an entity on the network side for transmitting or receiving signals. The network device may be an access device for a terminal device to access the wireless communication system in a wireless manner, such as a base station. The base station can broadly cover various names as follows, or be replaced with the following names, such as: RAN node, NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next generation NodeB (gNB), access network equipment in open radio access network (O-RAN), relay station, access point, transmission point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master station MeNB, secondary station SeNB, multi-standard radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, building baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), centralized unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), radio unit (RU), centralized unit control plane (CU control plane) A 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. A network device may also refer to a communication module, a modem or a chip provided in the aforementioned device or apparatus. A network device may also be a mobile switching center and a device to device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), or machine-to-machine (M2M) communication device that performs base station functions, a network side device in a 6G network, or a device that performs base station functions in a future communication system. The network device may support networks with the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the network device.

[0069] Network devices can be fixed or mobile. For example, base stations 110b and 110c are stationary and are responsible for wireless transmission and reception in one or more cells from terminal device 120. The helicopter or drone 120c shown in Figure 1 can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move according to the location of the mobile base station 120c. In other examples, the helicopter or drone (120c) can be configured to act as a terminal device communicating with satellite 110a or base station 110b.

[0070] In this application, the communication device for implementing the access network function can be an access network device, a network device having some of the access network functions, or a device capable of supporting the implementation of the access network function, such as a chip system, a hardware circuit, a software module, or a hardware circuit and a software module. The device can be installed in the access network device or used in conjunction with the access network device. In the method of this application, the communication device for implementing the access network function is described as an access network device, and does not limit the solution of the embodiments of this application.

[0071] In one possible implementation, the communication solution provided in the present application can be applied to the scenario where the satellite communication mode is a transparent payload in the communication system shown in Figure 1, wherein the execution entity for generating signal frames and sending signal frames can be the ground base station 110b in the communication system shown in Figure 1, and the execution entity for receiving signal frames and performing beam hopping scheduling based on signal frames can be the satellite 110a in the communication system of Figure 1.

[0072] A terminal device may be an entity on the user side for receiving or transmitting signals, such as a mobile phone. The terminal device may be used to connect people, objects, and machines. The terminal device may communicate with one or more core networks through a network device. The terminal device includes a handheld device with wireless connection function, other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, or a vehicle-mounted device. The terminal device may be a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-built-in, or vehicle-mounted mobile device. The terminal device 120 may be widely used in various scenarios, such as cellular communication, D2D, V2X, point-to-point (P2P), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation, autonomous delivery and mobility, etc.Some examples of the terminal device 120 include: user equipment (UE) of the 3GPP standard, fixed equipment, mobile equipment, handheld equipment, wearable equipment, cellular phones, smart phones, session initiated protocol (SIP) phones, laptops, personal computers, smart books, vehicles, satellites, global positioning system (GPS) equipment, target tracking equipment, drones, helicopters, aircraft, ships, remote control equipment, smart home equipment, industrial equipment, personal communication service (PCS) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless network cameras, tablet computers, handheld computers, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices such as smart watches, VR devices, AR devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, terminals in vehicle networking systems, wireless terminals in self-driving cars, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, and smart cities. The terminal device 120 may be a wireless terminal in a city, such as a smart gas pump, a terminal device on a high-speed rail, and a wireless terminal in a smart home, such as a smart speaker, a smart coffee machine, a smart printer, etc. The terminal device 120 may be a wireless device in the above various scenarios or a device for being set in a wireless device, for example, a communication module, a modem or a chip in the above device. The terminal device may also be referred to as a terminal, a terminal device, a user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), a mobile terminal (MT), etc. The terminal device may also be a terminal device in a future wireless communication system. The terminal device may be used in a dedicated network device or a general device. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal device.

[0073] Alternatively, a terminal device can function as a base station. For example, a UE can act as a dispatching entity, providing sidelink signals between UEs in V2X, D2D, or P2P scenarios. As shown in Figure 1, a cell phone 120a and a car 120b communicate with each other using sidelink signals. Cell phone 120a and smart home device 120e communicate without relaying the communication signals through base station 110b.

[0074] It should be understood that the number and type of each device in the communication system shown in Figure 1 are for illustration only, and the present application is not limited to this. In actual applications, the communication system may also include more terminal devices, more access network devices, and other network elements, such as core network devices, and / or network elements for implementing artificial intelligence functions.

[0075] It is understandable that all or part of the functions implemented by one or more of the terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network equipment, or network elements for implementing artificial intelligence functions can be virtualized, that is, implemented by one or more of the proprietary processors or general-purpose processors and the corresponding software modules. Among them, since the terminal equipment and the access network equipment involve interfaces for air interface transmission, the transceiver functions of the interfaces can be implemented by hardware. Core network equipment, such as operation administration and maintenance (OAM) network elements, can be virtualized. Optionally, one or more functions of the virtualized terminal equipment, access network equipment, core network equipment, or network elements for implementing artificial intelligence functions can be implemented by cloud devices, such as cloud devices in over the top (OTT) systems.

[0076] The following are some concepts that may be involved in this application:

[0077] (1) NTN network:

[0078] An NTN network utilizes radio frequency resources from satellites (or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or high altitude platform stations (HAPS)). Compared to terrestrial cellular networks (such as 5G mobile communication systems), NTN networks offer wide coverage, low latency, broadband, and low cost. As a supplement and extension of terrestrial networks, NTN networks can achieve wide-area seamless coverage that neither wired telephone networks nor terrestrial mobile communication networks can achieve, effectively addressing internet access challenges in areas lacking communication infrastructure. With a large number of satellites deployed in low-Earth orbit, the round-trip data transmission latency between satellites and ground terminals is significantly reduced, reaching a low latency of tens of milliseconds. The use of high-frequency bands, multi-spot beams, and frequency reuse technologies has significantly enhanced satellite communication capabilities, reducing unit bandwidth costs and meeting the demands of high-information-rate services. Compared to communication infrastructure such as terrestrial 5G base stations and submarine fiber optic cables, NTN networks offer significant cost advantages. Modern small satellites are inexpensive to develop and manufacture, and software-defined technologies can further extend the service life of in-orbit satellites. NTN networks can be used in scenarios such as global coverage (such as remote areas and ocean-going ships), emergency relief (such as disaster monitoring and emergency communications), the Internet of Everything, and high-speed mobility (such as high-speed rail and airplanes).

[0079] Typical scenarios for NTN networks to provide terminal device access include transparent payloads and regenerative payloads. As shown in Figure 2A, a schematic diagram of an NTN scenario based on a transparent payload, a transparent payload is a payload that changes the frequency carrier of the uplink RF signal and filters and amplifies it before downlink transmission. This payload only has an RF processing unit and does not have baseband demodulation, decoding, or other processing. Therefore, the signal waveform is unchanged and is repeated. As shown in Figure 2B, a schematic diagram of an NTN scenario based on a regenerative payload, a regenerative payload is a payload that transforms and amplifies the uplink RF (radio frequency, RF) signal before downlink transmission. Signal conversion refers to digital processing, which can include demodulation, decoding, re-encoding, remodulation, and / or filtering. This is actually equivalent to having all or part of the base station functions on a satellite (or UAS platform).

[0080] The above-mentioned NTN network generally has the following elements:

[0081] (1) There are one or more gateways connecting the NTN network and the common data network.

[0082] (2) Feeder link: The wireless link between the gateway and the satellite (or UAS platform).

[0083] (3) Service link: The wireless link between the terminal device and the satellite (or UAS platform).

[0084] (4) Satellites (or UAS platforms) can realize transparent payloads and regenerative payloads.

[0085] (5) Whether the satellite constellation has an inter-satellite link (ISL) is optional. ISLs require that the satellites be regenerative payloads (i.e., if ISLs are present, the satellites must be regenerative payloads). ISLs can operate in either RF or optical bands.

[0086] (6) The terminal device is served by a satellite (or UAS platform) within the target service area.

[0087] In this article, "base station sends to satellite" means "base station sends to satellite through a gateway station", where the gateway station does not process the data or information and is only used to forward the data or information from the base station to the satellite.

[0088] (2) Beam hopping:

[0089] Generally speaking, a single satellite has a wide coverage area, with a coverage radius of thousands or even tens of thousands of kilometers, while the coverage of a single beam can be as small as tens or even thousands of meters. Therefore, to support wide-area coverage, a single high-throughput satellite is usually equipped with hundreds or even thousands of beams, which poses a huge challenge to the payload of satellites, especially low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. To alleviate the contradiction between small payload and wide coverage of a single satellite, beam-hopping satellite communication systems have come into being. Specifically, in a beam-hopping satellite system, a single satellite is equipped with only a small number of beams (such as eight beams or dozens of beams), and the beams are used in a time-sharing manner to serve all coverage areas of the single satellite.

[0090] As an example, FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a scenario in which a satellite performs beam hopping scheduling according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG3 , a certain beam emitted by a satellite covers (or illuminates or lights up) different wave positions in different time periods, that is, it provides services for different wave positions in a time division multiplexing manner, which can also be described as the beam scanning each wave position in turn. Among them, the wave position can be understood as dividing the satellite coverage area into units of single beam coverage areas, and the coverage area of ​​each beam is called a wave position. As shown in FIG3 , the wave positions are represented by circles in FIG3 , and all wave positions constitute the coverage area of ​​a satellite. The service is uploaded to the satellite through the gateway station and then transmitted to the ground user through the beam hopping downlink. The downlink adopts a time division multiplexing system, and different time units cover different wave positions. For example, the two solid arrows pointing from the satellite side to the ground wave position are used to indicate that the beam covers the position corresponding to wave position 1 in the current beam hopping scheduling, and the other two dotted arrows are used to indicate that the beam will cover the position corresponding to wave position 7 in the next beam hopping scheduling.

[0091] (3) Synchronization sequence and correlation window:

[0092] In satellite communications, satellites and base stations synchronize time and frequency based on synchronization sequences. For example, a base station sends a signal frame containing a synchronization sequence to a satellite. The satellite searches for and identifies this synchronization sequence. Detecting this synchronization sequence indicates that the satellite has recognized the signal frame. The satellite then performs a cross-correlation operation on the searched synchronization sequence with its local synchronization sequence to determine the starting frame position of the signal frame and correctly parse the signal frame.

[0093] Generally, if both the synchronization sequence is detected and the current time is within the time window of the correlation window corresponding to the synchronization sequence, the satellite will perform a cross-correlation between the detected synchronization sequence and the locally stored synchronization sequence. In an embodiment of the present application, the base station can carry correlation window indication information in the signal frame. The correlation window indication information is used to indicate the time window in which the satellite receives the next signal frame.

[0094] In NTN's satellite communication mode, which uses a transparent payload, beam hopping control information is generated by a ground-based base station and transmitted to the satellite, enabling the satellite to perform corresponding beam hopping based on this control information. The implementation challenges of beam hopping in this scenario include: 1) the base station generates and transmits the control information to the satellite, requiring the base station to minimize the transmission rate required to transmit the signal frames containing this control information; and 2) the satellite must meet certain reception rates and the ability to parse and process these signal frames.

[0095] Typically, a signal frame containing beam-hopping control information sent by a base station to a satellite corresponds to a beam-hopping schedule. However, the interval between beam-hopping schedules is typically short, such as 0.25 milliseconds. Furthermore, to facilitate satellite identification, each signal frame carries a synchronization sequence, typically 64 or 128 bits.

[0096] As an example, in some other communication methods for beam hopping scheduling, the format of the signal frame used to carry beam hopping control information is shown in Figure 4. The beam hopping control information is used to indicate the precise control of the beam hopping direction and beam effective time on the satellite. The signal frame includes a synchronization sequence, a second synchronization identifier, beam effective time information, and beam adjustment information. The synchronization sequence is used to indicate the starting position of the beam hopping control information in the beam hopping control information, the second synchronization identifier indicates the control of the beam, the beam effective time information includes the system frame number (SFN), subframe number, and time slot number, and the beam adjustment information includes the beam sequence number (beam ID), subcarrier spacing, wave position number, beam dwell granularity, and beam dwell duration. As another example, in some other communication methods of beam hopping scheduling, as shown in Figure 5, the signal frame used to carry beam hopping control information includes a fixed-length PN acquisition sequence (i.e., a synchronization sequence) and control information (i.e., beam hopping control information), wherein the code length of the fixed-length PN acquisition sequence is greater than 128 bits, and the control information includes beam hopping switch control information.

[0097] In the two other beam-hopping scheduling communication methods exemplified above, one signal frame (used to carry beam-hopping control information) corresponds to only one beam-hopping scheduling, and the effective duration of one scheduling is generally 0.25ms. In order for the satellite to continuously and uninterruptedly perform beam-hopping scheduling, the base station needs to send at least one signal frame to the satellite every 0.25ms. Each signal frame sent contains a 64-bit or 128-bit synchronization sequence. This beam-hopping scheduling method has a large amount of data redundancy in the synchronization sequences carried in multiple signal frames, which leads to a high signal frame transmission rate requirement.

[0098] In view of this, the present application provides a communication method, in which a signal frame sent by a base station to a satellite carries a synchronization sequence and N beam hopping pointing information corresponding to N beam hopping schedulings, where N is greater than 1, that is, the N beam hopping pointing information share the same synchronization sequence. On the one hand, the redundancy of the synchronization sequence in multiple signal frames can be reduced, thereby improving the transmission rate requirement of the signal frame used to carry the beam hopping control information without changing the duration of the continuous effectiveness of a beam hopping scheduling, thereby reducing the demand for the satellite's parsing and processing capabilities. On the other hand, because the signal frame's demand for the transmission rate is reduced, the redundant space of the check bits for channel coding the signal frame becomes larger, and the transmission reliability of the signal frame can be further improved by appropriately increasing the redundancy of the check bits for channel coding.

[0099] For example, assuming that the effective duration of a beam hopping pointing information is 0.25ms, and a signal frame only contains a synchronization sequence and beam hopping pointing information, the transmission rate of the N beam hopping pointing information shown in Figures 4 or 5 is (N synchronization sequences + N beam hopping pointing information) / N*0.25. However, using the communication method provided by the present application, the transmission rate of the N beam hopping pointing information is (1 synchronization sequence + N beam hopping pointing information) / N*0.25. It can be seen that within the same duration, the communication method provided by the present application requires a smaller amount of data to be sent, thereby reducing the signal frame's transmission rate requirements for the base station, and further reducing the signal frame's reception rate requirements for the satellite, as well as reducing the beam hopping pointing information's requirements for the satellite's parsing and processing capabilities. In addition, the reduced amount of redundant data in the synchronization sequence is exchanged for the redundant data amount of the parity bits, thereby increasing the reliability of communication between the satellite and the base station. This reduces the signal frame's transmission rate requirements while improving the signal frame's transmission reliability; or, at the same transmission rate, improves the signal frame's transmission reliability.

[0100] As shown in Figure 6, a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. Exemplarily, the method may include the following steps:

[0101] S601: A base station generates a signal frame, where the signal frame includes a synchronization sequence and N beam hopping direction information, where N is greater than 1.

[0102] In an embodiment of the present application, the signal frame includes a synchronization sequence and beam hopping control information, and the beam hopping control information includes N beam hopping pointing information, and the N beam hopping pointing information are respectively used to indicate the pointing of M beams in N beam hopping schedulings, wherein one beam hopping scheduling is an update of the pointing information of M beams, that is, the signal frame corresponds to N beam hopping schedulings, N is an integer greater than 1, and M is a positive integer.

[0103] It should be noted that one beam hopping scheduling corresponds to an update of the directional information of M beams. The "update" does not mean that the directional information of each of the M beams in each two adjacent beam hopping schedulings must change. Specifically, the directional information of some or all of the M beams may change, or the directional information of all of the M beams may not change. This article does not limit this.

[0104] In the embodiment of the present application, the synchronization sequence is used to instruct the satellite to identify the signal frame, or it can also be understood that the synchronization sequence is used to indicate the starting position of the signal frame.

[0105] As an example, the synchronization sequence can be a fixed-length pseudorandom noise sequence (PN sequence), which can be a maximum-length sequence (M sequence), a subcarrier phase sequence (Zaddoff chu sequence, ZC sequence), or a Gold sequence, etc., which is not limited in this document. As another example, the synchronization sequence can also be generated according to a preset algorithm, which is not limited in this document.

[0106] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes at least one of the following information: version information, correlation window indication information, and cyclical redundancy check (CRC) information. The correlation window indication information indicates the time window within which the satellite receives the next signal frame. The version information indicates the communication software version, which may specifically be a version number. The cyclic redundancy check information is used for data verification. For example, the base station calculates a CRC value and includes it in the signal frame and sends it to the satellite. The satellite recalculates the CRC based on the received signal frame and compares it with the CRC carried in the received signal frame. If the two CRC values ​​are the same, data communication is correct. If the two CRC values ​​are different, a data communication error has occurred.

[0107] In an embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned M beams belong to the beams supported by the target satellite. The source end of the signal frame is the base station, and the destination end is the target satellite. In the description of this article, the target satellite is referred to as the satellite. Let the number of beams supported by the satellite be H (H is greater than or equal to 1), then M is less than or equal to H. It should be noted that the M beams corresponding to each of the above-mentioned N beam hopping pointing information may be completely the same or partially the same, and this article does not limit this. For example, the beams supported by the satellite include 8 beams (beams A to beam I respectively), and the above-mentioned N beam hopping pointing information include beam hopping pointing information 1 and beam hopping pointing information 2. Then the M beams corresponding to beam hopping pointing information 1 are all or partially the same as the M beams corresponding to beam hopping pointing information 2. For example, the M beams corresponding to beam hopping pointing information 1 and beam hopping pointing information 2 are both beams A to beam I. Alternatively, the M (M=8) beams corresponding to the first hopping beam pointing information are beam A to beam I, and the M (M=7) beams corresponding to the second hopping beam pointing information are beam A to beam H, which is not limited in this document.

[0108] In some possible implementations, the N beam hopping direction information may be arranged in a signal frame according to a preset rule. For example, the preset rule includes prioritizing the beam hopping direction information in the N beam hopping direction information based on the earliest effective time, and arranging them in order of priority, with higher priority information being arranged at the top. For example, earlier effective time information has higher priority information, and the information is arranged from left to right in descending order of priority.

[0109] S602: The base station sends the signal frame to the satellite, and correspondingly, the satellite receives the signal frame.

[0110] In the embodiment of the present application, there is a communication connection between the base station and the gateway station, and there is a communication connection between the satellite and the gateway station. The gateway station plays a transparent transmission role in the communication between the base station and the satellite.

[0111] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes effective time information, where the effective time information is used to indicate the effective time of the N beam hopping pointing information.

[0112] For example, the validity time information carried in the signal frame may be carried in the following two ways (way 1 and way 2). In these two different ways, the minimum transmission rate of the signal frame may also be different.

[0113] Method 1:

[0114] The signal frame also includes N first time information corresponding to the N beam hopping pointing information, and the first time information is used to indicate the effective time of the corresponding beam hopping pointing information.

[0115] For the convenience of description, the beam hopping steering information corresponding to the first time information among the N pieces of beam hopping steering information is referred to as first beam hopping steering information below.

[0116] Optionally, the correspondence between the first time information and the first hopping beam pointing information can be represented by the adjacent bit positions of the first time information and the first hopping beam pointing information in the signal frame, or the correspondence between the first time information and the first hopping beam pointing information can also be represented in other suitable ways, which is not limited in this article.

[0117] In the embodiment of the present application, the first time information corresponding to each beam hopping pointing information may be time instant information or time period information.

[0118] As an example, when the effective duration T of each beam hopping pointing information carried in every two signal frames is equal and the T value is stored on the satellite side, the first time information may be the first moment. The first moment may be any moment in the effective time period of the first beam hopping pointing information corresponding to the first time information, and the satellite may determine the effective time period of the first beam hopping pointing information based on the first moment and the T value. For example, the first moment may be the starting moment or the ending moment of the effectiveness of the first beam hopping pointing information. It should be noted that the first moment may also be any moment in the effective time period of the first beam hopping pointing information except the starting moment and the ending moment, as long as the satellite and the base station both know the specific meaning of the first moment, and the satellite can analyze and obtain the effective time period of the first beam hopping pointing information based on the first moment.

[0119] As another example, the first time information may also include the above-mentioned first moment and a target effective duration T1, where T1 is the effective duration of the first beam hopping pointing information corresponding to the first time information.

[0120] As another example, the first time information may also be information about the effective time period of the first beam hopping pointing information. For example, the first time information may include a start time and an end time, or the first time information may include a start time and a target effective time period, or the first time information may include an end time and a target effective time period. The satellite may determine the effective time period of the first beam hopping pointing information based on the first time information.

[0121] It should be noted that the durations of validity indicated by the first time information corresponding to the N pieces of beam hopping direction information may be equal or unequal. For example, if the N pieces of beam hopping direction information include beam hopping direction information 1 and beam hopping direction information 2, the validity duration 1 indicated by the time information 1 corresponding to the beam hopping direction information 1 may be equal to or unequal to the validity duration 2 indicated by the time information 2 corresponding to the beam hopping direction information 2.

[0122] As an example, assuming that N is equal to 4 and M is equal to 8, the arrangement format and size of the data carried in the signal frame can be as shown in Figure 7A. The signal frame includes:

[0123] (1) 128-bit synchronization sequence.

[0124] (2) 2-bit version information, for example, the version information is specifically a version number.

[0125] (3) 1-bit related window indication information.

[0126] (4) Beam hopping control information: includes 4 (N=4) first time information and 4 beam hopping pointing information. Each first time information is 24 bits. Each beam hopping pointing information includes the pointing information of M=8 beams. The pointing information of each beam is 24 bits. That is, the data size of each beam hopping pointing information is 24 bits*8=192 bits.

[0127] The above four first time information and four beam hopping pointing information can be arranged in the following order: effective time information 1, beam hopping pointing information 1, effective time information 2, beam hopping pointing information 2, effective time information 3, beam hopping pointing information 3, effective time information 4, and beam hopping pointing information 4.

[0128] (5)8-bit CRC.

[0129] For example, assuming that the effective duration of each beam hopping pointing information is 0.25ms, in order to ensure that the satellite performs beam hopping scheduling every 0.25ms, in the case shown in Figure 7A, the base station needs to send the signal frame to the satellite at least once every (0.25ms*4)=1ms, that is, the minimum sending rate of the signal frame is [(28+2+1+24*4+192*4+8)bit / 1ms]=1003bit / 1ms=1.003 megabits per second (Mbps).

[0130] As another example, assuming that N is equal to 8 and M is equal to 8, the format of the signal frame and the size of the data carried in the signal frame can be as shown in Figure 7B. The signal frame includes:

[0131] (1) 128-bit synchronization sequence.

[0132] (2) 2-bit version information, for example, the version information is specifically a version number.

[0133] (3) 1-bit related window indication information.

[0134] (4) Beam hopping control information, including 8 (N=8) first time information and 4 beam hopping direction information. Each first time information is 24 bits, and the data size of each beam hopping direction information is 24 bits*8=192 bits.

[0135] The above 8 first time information and 8 beam hopping pointing information are arranged in the following order: effective time information 1, beam hopping pointing information 1, effective time information 2, beam hopping pointing information 2, effective time information 3, beam hopping pointing information 3, effective time information 4, beam hopping pointing information 4, effective time information 5, beam hopping pointing information 5, effective time information 6, beam hopping pointing information 6, effective time information 7, beam hopping pointing information 7, and effective time information 8, beam hopping pointing information 8.

[0136] (5)8-bit CRC.

[0137] In some possible implementations, the minimum transmission rate of the signal frame (including the minimum sending rate and / or the minimum receiving rate) is the ratio of the data size of the signal frame to the first duration, and the first duration is the sum of the effective durations corresponding to the above-mentioned N beam hopping pointing information.

[0138] For example, assuming that the effective duration of each beam hopping pointing information is 0.25ms, in order to ensure that the satellite performs beam hopping scheduling every 0.25ms, in the case shown in Figure 7B, the base station needs to send the signal frame to the satellite at least once every (0.25ms*4)=1ms, and the minimum transmission rate corresponding to the signal frame is 1867bit / 2ms=933.5 kilobits per second (Kbps).

[0139] However, if we refer to the idea of ​​Figure 4 or Figure 5, when the signal frame carries a beam hopping pointing information, a synchronization sequence, and the above-mentioned version information, correlation window indication information and CRC, its transmission rate is [(28+2+1+24+192+8)bit / 0.25ms]=355bit / 0.25ms=1.42Mbps.

[0140] That is to say, using the method provided in the present application, when N takes the values ​​of 4 and 8 respectively, and the data contained in the signal frame is as shown in Figures 7A and 7B respectively, the signal frame has a transmission rate requirement of 1.003Mbps or 933.5Kbps for the base station, respectively. Compared with the communication method in which a signal frame only carries one beam hopping pointing information (the transmission rate requirement for the base station is 1.42Mbps), the transmission rate requirement of the signal frame is reduced, and the requirements for the satellite's parsing and processing capabilities of the beam hopping control information are also reduced. It can also provide a larger redundant space for check bits for the channel coding of the signal frame, further improving the reliability of communication between the satellite and the base station.

[0141] Method 2:

[0142] The signal frame also includes second time information, where the second time information is used to indicate the effective time of at least one beam hopping pointing information among the N beam hopping pointing information.

[0143] In the embodiment of the present application, the second time information may be moment information or time period information.

[0144] As an example, when the effective duration T of each beam hopping pointing information carried in every two signal frames is equal and the effective duration is stored on the satellite side, the second time information may be a second time t0, which is related to the effective time period of one of the N beam hopping pointing information. The effective time period of each of the N beam hopping pointing information may be determined based on the second time and T. For example, the N beam hopping pointing information are arranged from left to right in the signal frame in descending order of priority, wherein the earlier the effective time of the beam hopping pointing information, the higher the priority. t0 is the effective start time of the first beam hopping pointing information among the N beam hopping pointing information (it can also be understood that t0 is the effective start time of the beam hopping pointing information with the earliest effective start time). Then, the effective start time of the i-th (i is greater than or equal to 1) beam hopping pointing information in the signal frame is [t0+(i-1)*T].

[0145] As another example, when the effective duration T of each beam hopping pointing information in the N beam hopping pointing information is equal, the second time information may also include the second moment and the T value.

[0146] As another example, when the preset effective duration T of each beam hopping pointing information is the same, the second time information can also be the effective time period information of any one of the above-mentioned N beam hopping pointing information, wherein the effective time period information can include the starting time and / or ending time of the corresponding beam hopping pointing information, and can also include the T value. Based on the effective time period information, the effective time periods corresponding to the N beam hopping pointing information can be analyzed.

[0147] As an example, assuming that N is equal to 4 and M is equal to 8, the format of the signal frame and the size of the data carried in the signal frame can be shown in Figure 8A. The signal frame includes:

[0148] (1) 128-bit synchronization sequence.

[0149] (2) 2-bit version information.

[0150] (3) 1-bit related window indication information.

[0151] (4) 24-bit second time information.

[0152] (5) 4 pieces of 24 bits * 8 = 192 bits of beam hopping pointing information.

[0153] (6) 8-bit CRC.

[0154] As another example, assuming that N is equal to 8 and M is equal to 8, the format of the signal frame and the size of the data carried in the signal frame can be shown in Figure 8B. The signal frame includes:

[0155] (1) 128-bit synchronization sequence.

[0156] (2) 2-bit version information.

[0157] (3) 1-bit related window indication information.

[0158] (4) 24-bit second time information.

[0159] (5) 8 pieces of 24 bits * 8 = 192 bits of beam hopping pointing information.

[0160] (6) 8-bit CRC.

[0161] In some possible implementations, the minimum transmission rate of the signal frame (including the minimum sending rate and / or the minimum receiving rate) is the ratio of the data size of the signal frame to the first duration, and the first duration is the sum of the effective durations corresponding to the above-mentioned N beam hopping pointing information.

[0162] As an example, assuming that the effective duration of each beam hopping pointing information is 0.25ms, in order to ensure that the satellite performs beam hopping scheduling every 0.25ms. In the case shown in Figure 8A, the base station needs to send the signal frame to the satellite at least once every (0.25ms*4)=1ms, that is, the minimum transmission rate of the signal frame is [(28+2+1+24+192*4+8)bit / 1ms]=931bit / 1ms=931Kbps. Using the same calculation method, in the case shown in Figure 8B, the minimum transmission rate corresponding to the signal frame is 1699bit / 2ms=849.5Kbps. According to the idea of ​​Figure 4 or Figure 5, when the signal frame carries only one beam hopping pointing information, its transmission rate is 355bit / 0.25ms=1.42Mbps.

[0163] That is to say, using the method provided in the present application, when N takes the values ​​of 4 and 8 respectively, and the formats of the signal frames are as shown in Figures 8A and 8B respectively, the signal frame has a transmission rate requirement of 931Kbps or 849.5Kbps for the base station, respectively. Compared with the communication method in which a signal frame only carries one hopping beam pointing information (the transmission rate requirement for the base station is 1.42Mbps), the transmission rate requirement of the signal frame for the base station and the satellite is reduced, and the signal frame has a lower requirement for the satellite's parsing and processing capabilities. It can also provide a larger check bit redundancy space for the channel coding of the signal frame, further improving the reliability of communication between the satellite and the base station.

[0164] In some possible implementations, a beam hopping pointing information may specifically include M beam weight information and / or M beam angle information, where the beam weight information is a parameter related to the beam pointing obtained based on the beam angle information. In an embodiment of the present application, the beam weight information may be determined by the base station based on the beam angle information, and then the base station may carry the beam weight information in a signal frame and send it to the satellite. Alternatively, the base station may carry the beam angle information as beam hopping pointing information in a signal frame, and the satellite may determine the corresponding beam weight information based on the beam angle information after receiving the signal frame.

[0165] As an example, a beam hopping pointing information may include M beam identifiers, and one or more of M beam position numbers, angle pointing, beam weight information, and bandwidth information corresponding to the M beam identifiers.

[0166] In some other possible implementations, the signal frame sent by the base station to the satellite may not include the validity time information.

[0167] As an example, the preset effective duration T of each beam hopping pointing information carried in every two signal frames is equal, and the N beam hopping pointing information are arranged in the signal frame according to the preset rules. Furthermore, the satellite stores the target end time of the last effective beam hopping pointing information before the above N beam hopping pointing information becomes effective, or the satellite can obtain the target end time based on locally stored data. The satellite can then determine the effective time corresponding to each of the N beam hopping pointing information in the signal frame based on the target end time and T. Therefore, the signal frame does not need to include the effective time information, further reducing the data volume of the signal frame and lowering the transmission rate requirement of the signal frame.

[0168] As another example, the first signal frame sent by the base station to the satellite includes effective time information, which can specifically be the above-mentioned first time information or second time information, but the second signal frame sent by the base station to the satellite (the second signal frame is the signal frame after the first signal frame) may not include effective time information. Based on the effective time information and T contained in the first signal frame, the satellite can analyze and obtain the target end time of the last effective hopping beam pointing information in the first signal frame, and then based on the target end time and T, the satellite can sequentially calculate the effective time information of the N hopping beam pointing information carried in the second signal frame. Therefore, the second signal frame may not include effective time information, further reducing the data volume of the second signal frame and lowering the transmission rate requirements of the second signal frame. It should be noted that the signal frame described in the above steps S601-S602 can be the first signal frame or the second signal frame.

[0169] S603: The satellite determines the beam pointing of the M beams in the N beam hopping scheduling based on the N beam hopping pointing information.

[0170] In an embodiment of the present application, after receiving the above signal frame and parsing to obtain the above N beam hopping pointing information, the satellite determines the beam pointing of the corresponding M beams in the N beam hopping scheduling based on the N beam hopping pointing information.

[0171] As an example, after receiving the above signal frame, the satellite cross-correlates the synchronization sequence in the signal frame with the local synchronization sequence (for example, both are PN sequences) to obtain the starting position of the signal frame, parses the signal frame, and obtains the above N hopping beam pointing information.

[0172] In some possible implementations, the signal frame includes effective time information, and the effective time information is N first time information corresponding to N beam hopping pointing information (that is, the method of carrying the effective time information in the signal frame is the above-mentioned method 1). After the satellite obtains the above-mentioned N beam hopping pointing information, it can determine the pointing direction of the M beams within the effective time period based on the corresponding beam pointing information according to the effective time indicated by the first time information corresponding to each beam hopping pointing information, and in the order of the effective time information from early to late.

[0173] In some possible implementations, the signal frame includes effective time information, and the effective time information carried in the signal frame is the above-mentioned second time information, and the N beam hopping pointing information are sorted in the signal frame from early to late and from left to right based on the effective time. After the satellite obtains the above-mentioned N beam hopping pointing information, it determines the beam pointing of the M beams within the corresponding effective time based on the arrangement of the N beam hopping pointing information in the signal frame (for example, the arrangement of the N beam hopping pointing information in the signal frame can be based on the arrangement from early to late and from left to right based on the effective time), and based on the second time information.

[0174] As an example, the second time information is the effective start time of the first beam hopping pointing information (e.g., t0 = 10:20:20 ms, December 20, 2023). The effective duration of each beam hopping pointing information is T = 0.25 ms. Then, the effective start time of the i-th beam hopping pointing information is [t0 + (i-1) * T], where i is greater than or equal to 1 and the corresponding increment of i is 1. Assuming that N is 4 and M is 8, and the first (i = 1) and second (i = 2) beam hopping pointing information of the N beam hopping pointing information are respectively labeled as beam hopping pointing information 1 and beam hopping pointing information 2, the beam positions covered by the satellite in the time period t0 to (t0 + 0.25 ms) can be shown in FIG. 9A , and the schematic diagram of the beam positions covered in the time period (t0 + 0.25 ms) to (t0 + 0.5 ms) can be shown in FIG. 9B . It should be noted that the wave positions respectively covered in FIG9A and FIG9B are shown as an example in which there are no repeated wave positions, but in fact, the wave positions respectively covered in FIG9A and FIG9B may have partially or completely repeated wave positions, which is not limited in this article.

[0175] In some other possible implementations, the signal frame does not include effective time information, and the satellite may determine the effective time of the N beam hopping pointing information based on the effective time corresponding to the previous beam hopping pointing information.

[0176] As an example, the satellite can obtain the target end time based on the locally stored effective time information. The target end time is the end time of the last effective beam hopping pointing information in the last beam hopping scheduling of the satellite before the satellite performs beam hopping scheduling based on the N beam hopping pointing information. Then, based on the target end time and the preset effective duration T, the effective time of the N beam hopping pointing information is calculated. The T represents the effective duration of each beam hopping pointing information. For example, if the target end time is t0 and the preset effective duration is T, then the effective start time of the i-th beam hopping pointing information in the N beam hopping pointing information is [t0+(i-1)*T].

[0177] Using the communication method provided in the present application, a signal frame carries a synchronization sequence and at least two beam hopping pointing information (that is, one signal frame corresponds to at least two beam hopping schedulings). Compared with a signal frame carrying a synchronization sequence and one beam hopping pointing information (that is, one signal frame corresponds to one beam hopping scheduling), without changing the effective duration of one beam hopping scheduling, the signal frame carrying beam hopping control information reduces the transmission rate requirement, thereby improving the beam hopping control information's requirement for satellite parsing and processing capabilities, and increases the check bit redundancy space for channel coding of the signal frame carrying beam hopping control information, thereby improving the transmission reliability of the signal frame and reducing the probability of synchronization failure between the satellite and the base station.

[0178] As shown in Figure 10, it is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device includes a unit for executing the method or step implemented by the ground base station in the communication method provided in the present application, which includes:

[0179] A processing unit 1001 is configured to generate a signal frame, the signal frame including a synchronization sequence and N pieces of beam hopping pointing information, the N pieces of beam hopping pointing information respectively used to indicate the pointing directions of M beams in N beam hopping schedulings, wherein one beam hopping scheduling is an update of the pointing information of the M beams, N is greater than 1, and M is a positive integer;

[0180] The sending unit 1002 is configured to send the signal frame.

[0181] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes N first time information corresponding to the N beam hopping pointing information, where the first time information is used to indicate the effective time of the corresponding beam hopping pointing information.

[0182] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes second time information, where the second time information is used to indicate an effective time of at least one beam hopping pointing information among the N beam hopping pointing information.

[0183] In some possible implementations, the beam hopping pointing information includes M beam weight information and / or M beam angle information, where the beam weight information is a parameter related to beam pointing determined based on the beam angle information.

[0184] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes at least one of the following information: version information, relevant window indication information, and cyclic redundancy check information, where the relevant window indication information is used to indicate a time window of a next signal frame.

[0185] In some possible implementations, the minimum transmission rate of the signal frame is a ratio of the size of the signal frame to a first duration, where the first duration is the sum of the effective durations of the N beam hopping pointing information.

[0186] In some possible implementations, the processing unit 1001 is further configured to perform channel coding on the signal frame to obtain a channel-coded signal frame. The sending unit 1002 is specifically configured to send the channel-coded signal frame to the satellite.

[0187] For relevant descriptions of the synchronization sequence, beam hopping control information, first time information, beam hopping pointing information, second time information, beam weight information, beam angle information, version information, related window indication information, and channel coding, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the communication method above and will not be described in detail here.

[0188] As shown in FIG11 , a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application is provided. The communication device includes a unit for executing the method or steps implemented by the satellite in the communication method provided in the present application, including:

[0189] A receiving unit 1101 is configured to receive a signal frame, where the signal frame includes a synchronization sequence and N pieces of beam hopping pointing information, where the N pieces of beam hopping pointing information are respectively used to indicate the pointing directions of M beams in N beam hopping schedulings, where one beam hopping scheduling is an update of the pointing information of the M beams, where N is greater than 1, and M is a positive integer;

[0190] The processing unit 1102 is configured to determine beam pointing directions of the M beams in the N beam hopping scheduling based on the N beam hopping control information.

[0191] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes N first time information corresponding to the N beam hopping pointing information, where the first time information is used to indicate the effective time of the corresponding beam hopping pointing information.

[0192] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes second time information, where the second time information is used to indicate an effective time of at least one beam hopping pointing information among the N beam hopping pointing information.

[0193] In some possible implementations, the beam hopping pointing information includes M beam weight information and / or M beam angle information, where the beam weight information is a parameter related to beam pointing determined based on the beam angle information.

[0194] In some possible implementations, the signal frame further includes at least one of the following information: version information, relevant window indication information, and cyclic redundancy check information, where the relevant window indication information is used to indicate a time window of a next signal frame.

[0195] In some possible implementations, the minimum receiving rate of the signal frame is a ratio of the size of the signal frame to a first duration, where the first duration is the sum of the effective durations of the N beam hopping pointing information.

[0196] In some possible implementations, the signal frame is a signal frame after channel coding.

[0197] For relevant descriptions of the synchronization sequence, beam hopping control information, first time information, beam hopping pointing information, second time information, beam weight information, beam angle information, version information, related window indication information, and channel coding, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the communication method above and will not be described in detail here.

[0198] It should be noted that the specific steps or functions performed by the communication devices in Figures 10 and 11 can refer to the relevant descriptions in the above communication method and will not be described in detail here.

[0199] It is understandable that the communication device shown in Figures 10 and / or 11 above can also have a variety of product forms. Exemplarily, as shown in Figure 12, it is a structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1200 includes one or more processors 1201 (one processor is illustrated in the figure). Optionally, the communication device 1200 may further include a memory 1203 (indicated by a dotted line in the figure). The memory 1203 is used to store instructions executed by the processor 1201, or to store input data required for the processor 1201 to run instructions, or to store data generated after the processor 1201 runs instructions. Optionally, the communication device 1200 may further include an interface circuit 1202 (indicated by a dotted line in the figure), and the processor 1201 and the interface circuit 1202 are coupled to each other. It is understandable that the interface circuit 1202 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0200] In some possible implementations, the processor 1201 may be used to implement the steps or functions performed by the processing unit 1001 , and the interface circuit 1202 may be used to implement the steps or functions performed by the sending unit 1002 .

[0201] In some possible implementations, the processor 1201 may be used to implement the steps or functions performed by the processing unit 1102 , and the interface circuit 1202 may be used to implement the steps or functions performed by the sending unit / receiving unit 1101 .

[0202] The division of modules in this application is illustrative and represents only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Furthermore, the functional modules in the examples of this application may be integrated into a single processor, exist physically as separate modules, or two or more modules may be integrated into a single module. The aforementioned integrated modules may be implemented in either hardware or software functional modules.

[0203] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0204] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program or instruction is stored. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the method in the above embodiment is implemented.

[0205] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method in the above embodiment.

[0206] The present application also provides a computer program, which is used to implement the method in the above embodiment.

[0207] The present application also provides a communication device, including a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the method in the above embodiment.

[0208] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, which includes a first communication device and a second communication device, wherein the first communication device is used to execute the steps or methods executed by the base station in the method in the above embodiment, and the second communication device is used to execute the steps or methods executed by the satellite in the method in the above embodiment.

[0209] The present application also provides a circuit, which is coupled to a memory and is used to execute the method shown in the above embodiment. The circuit may include a chip circuit.

[0210] It should be noted that the above units or one or more of the units can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of the two. When any of the above units or units is implemented by software, the software exists in the form of computer program instructions and is stored in a memory, and a processor can be used to execute the program instructions and implement the above method flow.

[0211] In this application, a processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, or all or part of the circuitry in the aforementioned devices used to implement processing functions, which may implement or execute the various methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in this application. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the methods disclosed in this application may be directly implemented as being executed by a hardware processor, or may be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor.

[0212] When the above units or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be any one or any combination of a CPU, a microprocessor, a digital signal processing (DSP) chip, a microcontroller unit (MCU), an artificial intelligence processor, an ASIC, a SoC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device (PLD), a dedicated digital circuit, a hardware accelerator or a non-integrated discrete device, which can run the necessary software or not rely on the software to execute the above method flow.

[0213] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application further provides a chip system, comprising: at least one processor and an interface, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to a memory via the interface, and when the at least one processor executes a computer program or instruction in the memory, the chip system executes the method in any of the above method embodiments. Optionally, the chip system may be composed of a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete devices, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0214] The memory in the present application may also be a circuit or any other device capable of implementing a storage function for storing program instructions and / or data. A memory is any other medium that can be used to carry or store a desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. For example, the memory may be a non-volatile memory, such as a digital versatile disc (DVD), a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid-state drive (SSD), or a volatile memory, such as a random-access memory (RAM).

[0215] It should be understood that in the description of this application, 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, where A and B can be singular or plural. Also, in the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, at least one (item) indicates one (item) or multiple (items). Multiple (items) refers to two (items) or more than two (items). "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or plural. In addition, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with substantially the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art will understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily limit differences. At the same time, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way for easy understanding.

[0216] The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof mentioned in the following description of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally includes other steps or units that are not listed, or optionally includes other steps or units that are inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices. It should be noted that, in this application, words such as "as an example", "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions. Any method or design described in this application as "as an example", "exemplary" or "for example" should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other methods or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "as an example", "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way.

[0217] References to "embodiments" herein mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in one or more embodiments of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It will be understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0218] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means.

[0219] Although the present application is described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, in the process of implementing the claimed application, those skilled in the art can understand and implement other changes to the disclosed embodiments by reviewing the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple situations. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. Certain measures are recorded in different dependent claims, but this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0220] It is understood that the various numbers used in the embodiments of this application are merely for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic.

[0221] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0222] The components in the device of the embodiment of the present application can be merged, divided, or deleted according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can combine or combine the different embodiments and features of the different embodiments described in this specification.

[0223] In this application, under the premise of no logical contradiction, the examples can reference each other, for example, the methods and / or terms between method embodiments can reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device embodiments can reference each other, for example, the functions and / or terms between device examples and method examples can reference each other.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Generate a signal frame, the signal frame including a synchronization sequence and N beam hopping pointing information, the N beam hopping pointing information being used to indicate the pointing of M beams in N beam hopping schedulings, wherein one beam hopping scheduling is an update of the pointing information of the M beams, N is greater than 1, and M is a positive integer; The signal frame is sent.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The signal frame further includes N first time information corresponding to the N beam hopping pointing information, where the first time information is used to indicate an effective time of the corresponding beam hopping pointing information.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The signal frame further includes second time information, where the second time information is used to indicate an effective time of at least one beam hopping pointing information among the N beam hopping pointing information.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The beam hopping pointing information includes M pieces of beam weight information and / or M pieces of beam angle information, where the beam weight information is a parameter related to beam pointing that is determined based on the beam angle information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The signal frame further includes at least one of the following information: version information, relevant window indication information, and cyclic redundancy check information, wherein the relevant window indication information is used to indicate a time window of a next signal frame.

6. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving a signal frame, the signal frame including a synchronization sequence and N pieces of beam hopping pointing information, the N pieces of beam hopping pointing information respectively used to indicate the pointing directions of M beams in N beam hopping schedulings, wherein one beam hopping scheduling is an update of the pointing information of the M beams, N is greater than 1, and M is a positive integer; Based on the N beam hopping control information, beam pointing directions of the M beams in the N beam hopping scheduling are determined.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The signal frame further includes N first time information corresponding to the N beam hopping pointing information, where the first time information is used to indicate an effective time of the corresponding beam hopping pointing information.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The signal frame further includes second time information, where the second time information is used to indicate an effective time of at least one beam hopping pointing information among the N beam hopping pointing information.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that: The beam hopping pointing information includes M pieces of beam weight information and / or M pieces of beam angle information, where the beam weight information is a parameter related to beam pointing that is determined based on the beam angle information.

10. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that: The signal frame further includes at least one of the following information: version information, relevant window indication information, and cyclic redundancy check information, wherein the relevant window indication information is used to indicate a time window of a next signal frame.

11. A communication device, characterized in that: The apparatus comprises means for performing the method according to any one of claims 1-10.

12. A communication device, characterized in that: The device comprises a processor configured to read and execute a computer program stored in a memory to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program. When the computer program is executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is performed.

14. A computer program, characterized in that When the computer program is executed, the method of any one of claims 1 to 10 is performed.

Images